Check out the new iPod nano!

Grace is off driving to Louisville to visit her mother. She took the little dogs, so Hammer and I are batching it while she is gone. I am heading to Cupertino next week for some meetings with Apple, but I’m planning on getting out on the motorcycle this weekend. Busy busy times here at Small Dog Electronics with new products, new stores and new opportunities.

Thank you so much for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

Your Kibbles & Bytes team,
_Don, Kali & Dawn_

_Dear Friends,_

So many Small Dog employees were streaming the Apple product announcements on Wednesday that our connectivity suffered and slowed down the website. Exciting announcements from Apple! While the iPhone 5 got the most press and is the highest profile product announced, there were other very meaningful announcements, too — iPod nano and iPod touch. But perhaps the most important announcement was that iOS 6 will be released next Wednesday.

I really do not think that either the iPhone or the iPad would be nearly as successful as they have been without the complement of the most powerful mobile device operating system — iOS. As a developer, I have been running the pre-release version of iOS 6 on my iPhone and iPad for a few months, and believe me, you are going to love it! It brings new features and capabilities that will make your mobile life easier.

Some are simple, such as the ability to swipe your finger down in the Mail app to get new messages, while others bring whole new functionality to your iPhone or iPad. I have played with Maps and with its turn-by-turn directions and multiple views, I no longer need the Garmin app that was my mobile GPS before iOS 6. The enhancements to Siri are great, too. I love the sports functionality which allows me to delete a few apps that I have used to keep track of scores.

We will talk about the new products and features here in Kibbles and complete information will be on our website. We are taking orders for the iPhone at each or our stores but we do not yet know how quickly they will ship. On the other hand, my guess is that the shortages will be short-lived if all of the production reports can be believed. The new iPods will be shipping in October.

We have a great selection of Apple Factory-Refurbished MacBook Pro 17-inch models currently in stock. We have not had Apple refurbished products in stock for some time, but that used to be our main product offering. These MacBook Pros each carry the same 1-year Apple warranty as new Macs, and are eligible for the AppleCare Protection Plan as well. If you want a 17-inch MacBook Pro for under $1,500, now is your chance! To make it even a better deal, we are discounting AppleCare if you purchase it with your 17-inch MBP.

As much as I like to think I am actually a grown-up and can pull off a dinner party with ease, I am in reality the type of person who obsesses over menu and drink choices and usually ends up cooking way too much food and driving my family nuts in the process. 

Once I take a deep breath and relax, I realize that deep down in my heart I know that a few good dishes paired with a signature drink is the best route, and then I ask people to bring fillers. I always used to feel guilty when people would ask what they could bring and never really took them up on it, but now I am prepared with a list. 

One of my favorite go-to entertaining apps is Mixologist. You can browse by drinks, category, or ingredient. Have some apple cider in your fridge (and who in VT in the fall doesn’t) and are hosting a football and bonfire party? Simply choose cider under the ingredients and you will be provided with an abundance of drink choices from an Apple Pie Shot to a Winter Highball. Ingredients, directions, and glassware suggestions are provided. You can even search by garnish, not surprisingly there is only one drink listed under “clam”.

Want to challenge yourself to try something new on a dreary night? Choose the Random section and hit Mix It Up and be ready for some new and exciting suggestions. Three random suggestions I received were the Breezy Point, the Duck Fart, and a Creamy Rum Liquor. 

A handy bartending guide is also provided giving tips on a well-stocked bar, terminology, glassware, and tips and tricks of the trade. I myself have a pretty slim selection of glassware but if I find an amazing drink that I want to feature at a fancier party I’ll make the effort to go out and purchase a few (cheap) glasses just for the event. 

Someday I’ll be the consummate entertainer, complete with a hostess gown and bar cart from “Society Social”:http://www.shopsocietysocial.com , but until then Mixologist will help me impress guests with ease. 

To see this app in iTunes, “click here”http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mixology-drink-recipes-free/id320926534?mt=8%26uo%3D6%26partnerId%3D30 .

It’s been quite some time since we had factory refurbished Macs come to us. We happily have a GREAT selection of 17-inch MacBook Pros that we are offering as competitively as we can.

If you are unsure whether you want a desktop or laptop, this computer can do BOTH! So if you travel but still want a lot of screen real estate, look at this computer.

MacBook Pro 17in 2.53GHz i5 4GB/500GB – $1349.99
MacBook Pro 17in 2.66GHz i5 4GB/500GB/Antiglare – $1449.99
MacBook Pro 17in 2.8GHz i7 4GB/500GB/Antiglare – $1499.99

Purchase this week and get a free 17-inch Hammerhead sleeve.

Don also mentioned iOS 6 which I am really looking forward to checking out when it’s available. I am a complete software junkie and whether it’s Mac or iOS, I love to be the first to try it out.

Some of the enhancements to iOS 6 include:

• Maps – uses a vector-based engine everything should look better; tilt and rotate; turn-by-turn navigation, local search, Siri, and Traffic.
• Siri – your friend will now open apps as well as answer questions about sports, movies and restaurants
• Facebook – is now integrated into the iOS. The integration means that you can now post directly from Maps, Photos, Music
• Safari – Off-line viewing with Reader and iCloud Tabs so you can start browsing on one device and pick up where you left off on another device.
• Passbook – a new e-ticking app

*Phone – includes smart reminders to remind you when you missed a call; Do Not Disturb; ability to message if you can’t take a call.

But my favorite enhancement…you won’t be asked to enter your password every time you want to download a free application!

iOS 6 supports iPhones from the 3GS onwards, the fourth generation iPod touch and the second and third generation iPad.

I just purchased the MacBook Air 13in 1.8GHz i7 4GB/256GB for personal use this week. I was really going back and forth as to what the best choice might be for me. This was one of the MacBook Airs that Small Dog purchased as an end of life unit as the MB-Air line was upgraded in June.

I love this computer. I had moved from an older 15-inch MBP which was slow and heavy. What I really love is how fast the Adobe CS6 apps are. I was really torn about this computer until I across a YouTube video on using the MB-Air with the Adobe suite .

Here’s a bundle for students and teachers for the MacBook Air and the Adobe Photoshop & Premiere Elements 10 – Student & Teacher Edition for $1449.99