Todd Bernhard is a bestselling (6+ million downloads) award-winning (AARP, About.com, BestAppEver.com, Digital Hollywood, and Verizon) developer and founder of NoTie.NET, an app developer specializing in Talking Ringtone apps including AutoRingtone. And his profile photo is of the last known sighting of Mr. Bernhard wearing a tie, circa 2007!
An iPhone is almost always attached to his hip or in his pocket, but over the years, Mr. Bernhard has owned an Apple Newton, a Motorola Marco, an HP 95LX, a Compaq iPaq, a Palm Treo, and a Nokia e62. In addition to writing for iPhone Life, Mr. Bernhard has written for its sister publications, PocketPC Magazine and The HP Palmtop Paper.
By Todd Bernhard
These days, a water bottle is not just a common accessory, it's a fashion statement. But why spend more on a water bottle than you'd spend on an iPhone case if all it does is hold water? The folks at Asobu came up with the BT60 Wireless Beat Bottle ($34.99) that does something more. The "Beat" refers to that extra feature; the water bottle comes with a Bluetooth speaker built-in to the cap!
If you're not all-in on Apple Arcade, and still use a dedicated gaming console like the Xbox One, you might want a gaming headset that can support chat via a removable boom microphone. But before you spend nearly $200 (as much as or more than the console) you should get one that also works with your iPhone. LucidSound sent me a review unit of their LS35X Rose Gold Wireless Gaming Headset ($149.99) to try and Apple users who like to game will find it is a perfect fit, especially if they use Rose Gold Apple gear.
By Todd Bernhard
The folks at iHome have a wide variety of speakers that offer a variety of features like Qi-based wireless charging, Alexa integration, radio, alarm clock, etc. but they sent me one, the Zenergy Bluetooth Speaker ($35.08) that has none of those features. Still, for many people, the features it does have will be greatly appreciated. It is a Bluetooth speaker that charges via microUSB but that's not what makes it stand out. The Zenergy is designed to help you sleep better. This is accomplished by an impressive 15 distinct sleep sounds. Unlike traditional mechanical sound machines, this plays recorded and engineered sounds and even incorporates a gentle voice guiding you to sleep or a meditative state with yoga-inspired guided breathing.
By Todd Bernhard
As a native of Rochester, NY, home of Kodak, I always have a soft spot for Kodak gear. The company created the photography industry but then watched as competitors like Polaroid and later smartphones took over. It looks like Kodak is back in the game with its new Kodak Smile Classic ($149.99) which the folks there sent to me to try. I own the latest Fuji and Polaroid instant cameras so I was pleased to see several enhancements that those devices don't match.
By Todd Bernhard
I have reviewed the Bluetooth-enabled sunglasses from Lucyd, which Lucyd developed in partnership with NFL star Richard Sherman, and found them to be affordable and useful, so I was anxious to try their newest collaboration, known as Sherman Shades. These are an assortment of stylish sunglasses (or clear glasses) designed to make screen reading easier with blue light blocking. Lucyd sent me the Cool Down Glasses ($24.99), which is one of four styles.
By Todd Bernhard
It always amazes me that, despite Apple’s reputation for secrecy, new iPhone cases are designed, manufactured, and shipped by case makers before the phones are even announced. Maybe Apple is loosening up, or they can’t control every worker in their Chinese factories, but the result is I have received dozens of cases to try before my new iPhones arrived. Now that I have been able to test the cases with actual iPhone 11 models, here are my impressions, in alphabetical order.
By Todd Bernhard
I go to a lot of trade shows, not just technology ones like the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas but also the NY Toy Fair, hoping to find smartphone-related gadgets that would be of interest to iPhone Life readers. That's how I discovered BLOCKERZ Camera Covers ($13.99) from Zorbitz. They are a wholesaler but you can find their products at Amazon, Urban Outfitters, and other retailers. They gave me a sample to try and it turns out, it's not just for iPhones.
Just when you think there's no way to innovate when building a charging dock, along comes the Wireless Charging Station ($92.99) from Choetech. This thing has everything; an integrated Apple Watch charging port, a Lightning port, and a Qi wireless charging pad. If that weren't enough, there's a USB port on the back so you can add your own cable, for another Apple Lightning item or a USB-C or microUSB device. All of this could generate heat, so the charger has two cooling fans that expel heat from the bottom.
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.
The folks at Ausounds just announced, and sent me, their new AU Stream ANC ($149.95). The design clearly emulates the Apple AirPods, but that's a good thing. Apple has had several generations of the AirPods by now, yet they still have some deficiencies. And that's where the AU-Stream ANC can shine. They sound, look, and feel great, but so does the Apple version. So here are some differentiators.
