Todd Bernhard

Wireless Charger Review: FuseChicken Gravity Touch

By Todd Bernhard

I am a big fan of Qi-based wireless charging and I have a wide variety of chargers from a bunch of different companies spread throughout my home and office. But I think I may have found the best versions around. In fact, Apple doesn't have an offering of its own, as the AirPower failed to be delivered, so Fuse Chicken has stepped in. The company sent me a review unit of its Gravity Touch wireless charging base (starting at $39.95).

Review: Sporty Aramid-Fiber Car Mount with Qi Wireless Charging

By Todd Bernhard

I've adopted wireless charging throughout my home and am always looking for the ideal Qi charger for the car. The MagMount Qi ($44.99) that Pitaka sent me to review is a leading contender. First, it's quite compact compared to many other competing models, so it won't obstruct too much of your dash or vents. And it has a built-in cooling fan so it won't overheat. The charger's surface uses aramid fiber plus a chrome exterior so it will look right at home in any sports car.

Review: Protect Your Data with This Hardware Encrypted Portable Drive

By Todd Bernhard

Security and privacy is in the news, as it should be based on recent breaches, so SecureData has a way to help you keep your private stuff private. The company sells a variety of hard drives in capacities from 1 TB using a mechanical hard disk drive (HDD) all the way up to an 8 TB solid state disk (SSD) although they get expensive at that size. SecureData sent me their SecureDrive BT (starting at $285) to try.

Pivo Review: Action-Tracking Phone Mount Lets You Take Magical Movies & Photos

By Todd Bernhard

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, in January 2019, I got a sneak peak at the Pivo Tracking Photography Mount ($179). The Pivo is a slick automatic phone or camera mount that can rotate via Bluetooth controller. The free companion app allows the mount to automatically track a user by face or action. I was really impressed, and now that the Pivo is real and I've tested a sample unit, I can finally vouch for it. 

Review: A Bluetooth Tracker Specifically for Hunters, Hikers & Other Outdoor Enthusiasts

By Todd Bernhard

There are a bunch of Bluetooth trackers out there to help you find your purse, or backpack, or keys; but the folks at Breadcrumb have found an underserved niche: outdoor enthusiasts. If you want to find your favorite hunting spot or you're a hiker looking for your base camp, you might want to check out their Bluetooth Location Marker ($39.99). Breadcrumb sent me the marker to try. It has a lot of unique features.

Audio Pet Bluetooth Speakers: Cute, Compact & Waterproof

By Todd Bernhard

I have been going to trade shows like the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas every year for decades now, to try to find the best consumer gadgets to review. I also try to go to shows like Comic-Con, as today's toys are increasingly intelligent and connected. So I was glad to see the Audio Pet Animal Bluetooth Speaker ($39.99) from My Audio Life at the most recent New York Comic-Con. The company let me try the adorable Narmony, a Narwhal that would be at home under the sea, or more accurately, submerged one meter for up to 30 minutes according to it's IPX7 waterproof rating. 

Phoozy iPad Case Review: Space Age Capsule Case Looks Both Retro & Trendy

By Todd Bernhard

I wrote this review on the anniversary of the moon landing. It's about time we had a space dividend for iPad users! Enter the Capsule Case ($59.99) that Phoozy sent me to try. The case is sold in a gold or silver finish that looks like something an astronaut would carry. For those who don't want that kind of attention, Phoozy also has a modern camouflage design or basic black. I prefer the gold, myself.

Review: Powerful USB-C Dock from Satechi Delivers Dual 4K HDMI & More

By Todd Bernhard

Like a lot of iPhone users, I use a MacBook at home and also at work. And I have large-screen monitors in both places. So I'm constantly juggling USB-C adapters that can accommodate multiple HDMI ports. Usually that means two different adapters, which is a hassle to plug in, and often the computer doesn't recognize which is the left or right screen and I waste time adjusting my display settings. So I'm always on the lookout for a better docking solution. I tried the J5 model, but it uses a software trick based on AirPlay to leverage the second screen and that disables unlocking via Apple Watch. It's a pain and I gave up on it.

Review: Casely's iPhone Case of the Month Club Is Affordable & Fun

By Todd Bernhard

If you consider an iPhone case a fashion statement, you can now make a new statement every month without breaking the bank. The folks at Casely gave me a sneak peak at one of their cases of the month, via their Case Club (starting at $15/month). It's a novel idea. Many of us like to change cases periodically, but that can get expensive. With the Casely subscription box, you can have a new case every month for as little as $15 per month, with free shipping.

Airframe Review: Compact, Sturdy Qi Charging Car Mount from Kenu

By Todd Bernhard

In my ongoing quest to find the best wireless car charger, I tested the Airframe Wireless Charging Car Mount ($59.95), which Kenu sent me. I appreciate that it works with any case (or case-free iPhone) with no special cases or magnets required. In fact, it should handle even the biggest phones in the most rugged cases thanks to the wide spring-loaded arm design.

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