FROM THE ARCHIVES | Accent or Exaggerate?

We have had a few flurries of snow and some of the first real accumulation came last night with about six inches of snow on the local ski mountains. Prior to that, they had been open with man-made snow, but it’s nice to have the real stuff!

It has definitely been on the cool side as we head into the end of November, but it still seems warmer than years past. I remember years ago, walking to our community Thanksgiving party in below-zero cold with lots of snow on the ground — but then again, all “old-timers” say that.

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

Your Kibbles & Bytes team,
_Don, Kali, Stephanie and Mike_

Purchase an Apple Refurbished 64GB iPad (1st gen) with AppleCare+ to extend your existing 1-year warranty out to 2-years with accidental damage protection and receive not one but TWO Hammerhead Verso cases.

Yesterday, Apple released the latest version of iTunes: iTunes 11. It boasts a new interface and more streamlined, and arguably simpler, features. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s new.

*MiniPlayer*
The minimized view of iTunes, MiniPlayer, is the change I’ve noticed most so far. It’s taken a little getting used to, but the buttons actually work in a much more logical way. Did anyone think it was strange that the green button was the one that activated MiniPlayer before? (Even though no other window used this same action?) Well, I did, and now that’s gone. MiniPlayer now uses a more universal symbol for maximizing and minimizing the window. It also utilizes the mouse hover to show more/different information about what’s playing. Overall, it’s a slick improvement.

*iCloud*
By using iCloud, you can access your content on all your devices, which is key for iTunes content. So, when you buy an album, song, movie, or TV show on any device, it’s instantly accessible in your iTunes library on your Mac or PC. As Apple says, “just double‑click to play. Or if you’re going offline, click the new Download button and bring a copy with you.” I’m in full iCloud mode between my work MacBook Pro, home iMac, and iPhone, and it’s been so nice to have my content available wherever I am.

*Additional Views*
iTunes has incorporated a simplified view of what you’re looking for in your library. For example, if you just want to view movies, click that in the window, and it’s all you’ll see. I think it has a decidedly Netflix-like browsing view, and that’s not a bad thing. There are also expanded views of your albums, so you can select an album icon and it will expand in place. Apple states, “That means you can see all the songs on the album, click Play, and keep right on browsing without having to click back to your library.”

*Resume*
“Pick up where you left off. We’ll save your place.” Finally, Apple! iCloud will remember exactly where you stopped listening/viewing to a podcast, audiobook, show, movie , or iTunes U lesson. I still have a streaming Netflix account, and I use this all the time — with two computers in the house and two iPhones, it’s nice to be about to queue up Sesame Street wherever we are.

iTunes is available for both Mac and Windows. Macs require an Intel Core processor
OS 10.6.8+, 400MB of available disk space and ideally, a high-speed connection to access the iTunes Store.

Download iTunes 11 by accessing Software Update or by “*clicking here.*”:http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

Dear Friends,

First off, special congratulations to our own Jason Wu on the birth of his twins, David and Elizabeth — the newest Small Doggers born on Thanksgiving! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, but I don’t think you can top that. Grace left on Black Friday to help out with the twins while I started out early and went to all three of the Small Dog stores. Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday are all shopping frenzy days. So as not to leave another day of the week out, I decided we should have a Western Wednesday and next week so the Small Dog team can “cowboy up.”

We have some great bargains throughout the holidays with great savings. We just got in some Apple Certified Refurbished original iPad 64GB models. These carry the Apple 1-year warranty, are eligible for AppleCare+ and we are bundling them with not one, but two of our genuine leather Verso cases — all for only $299. That’s a *64GB iPad for only $299!* (See below for the special.) We also have a great selection of 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro Apple Certified Refurbished units that are over $900 off original pricing, and we’ve included them in additional savings.

These refurbs and any of our new Macs and iPads qualify for our special throughout the holidays. If you buy a new or Apple refurbished Mac with AppleCare and an essential backup hard drive, you get the choice of a *free set of Chill Pill speakers or a $25 Small Dog gift card.* You also save $20 when you buy AppleCare with your Mac, plus our most popular drive brands, LaCie and G-Tech, are eligible for additional savings with coupon codes *10offlacie* and *10offgtech*, respectively. See “*our Holiday page*”:http://www.smalldog.com/holiday for more details.

For those of you who are shopping locally, we have ongoing savings on any new iPad or iPad mini as well: If you buy an iPad in one of our retail stores with AppleCare+, you will receive a $10 Small Dog gift card or $10 off any Hammerhead accessory. We also have over 25 products that are $25 or less, so you’re sure to find a stocking stuffer or small gift for everyone on your list (all available on our website, too!). Stay tuned next week for our Small Dog Gift Guide.

We are also launching an exciting toy drive in all of our retail locations. We are collecting new toys to give to homeless and underprivileged children here in Vermont and New Hampshire. If you bring in a new toy to any of our stores, you will not only be bringing some holiday cheer to a needy child, but we will also give you $15 off your purchase at Small Dog that same day!

This is especially important for us, as our own Jen Mayer lived in homeless shelters as a child and knows first hand how important this holiday cheer can be. We are very proud of Jen’s initiatives to help the less fortunate. Her efforts in Asheville, NC are very impressive and included building a new park for over 200 children in the Klondyke Homes Community. Klondyke resident Harriet Tobe sums it up: “Jennifer has done some wonderful things with these children over the years; she puts everything aside to help them and has poured her heart out. I am so proud of her for helping the kids in this community stay out of the streets.”

Wishing you a happy start to the holiday season!

Here at Small Dog, we are always on the prowl to find fun and interesting accessories to accompany your Apple products. With winter rolling in fast, the first thing that came to my mind is staying warm. I hate having to remove my gloves to answer a text, change the song, or settle a debate with friends on my iPhone. There are a lot of different makers of iOS-compatible gloves, but “*SwypeGear*”:http://www.smalldog.com/mfg/?MfrName=SwypeGear is one of a few that have gotten it right.

??*’The Good’*??
When I say “*SwypeGear*”:http://www.smalldog.com/mfg/?MfrName=SwypeGear has gotten it right, I mean it! Some other manufacturers of iOS gloves have little metal dots on the tips of a finger or two which I find frustrating to use. On the other hand (…pun intended), “*SwypeGear*”:http://www.smalldog.com/mfg/?MfrName=SwypeGear actually weaves metallic thread into all five fingertips, giving you full access to gestures and a more accurate use of your fingertip. The other thing I love about these gloves is that they come in a variety of fun colors — from bright green to pink and classic black for all of the iPhone ninjas out there.

??*’The Bad’*??
Depending on where you live, these gloves might not be suitable for the sub-zero temperatures in the dead of winter. They are slightly thicker than your typical cotton knit stretchy gloves. So I wouldn’t use them in a snowball fight or while cleaning off my car in the morning. However, I would use them while in the car (not while driving of course), or watching the Sabers beat the Canadiens (if the league ever gets its stuff together). If I had to put a number on it, I’d say these gloves are good until the temperature drops below 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

??*’The Ugly’*??
There really isn’t anything ugly about these gloves. As I said before, I love the colors, but I have to share a horror story with you. After using my “*SwypeGear*”:http://www.smalldog.com/mfg/?MfrName=SwypeGear gloves for a few weeks straight, a hole began to form in one of the fingers right where the normal thread met the metallic thread on the fingertip. Luckily, it was on the middle finger which I rarely use when operating my iPhone. In “*SwypeGear’s*”:http://www.smalldog.com/mfg/?MfrName=SwypeGear defense, I do own a pair that are a size too small for me. So be warned — make sure you are buying a size that is appropriate for your hand or your glove might burst at the seams.

Overall, I would definitely recommend these as the perfect stocking stuffer, office gift, or present to yourself. As an added bonus, these gloves won’t break the bank, coming in at just $19.99. If you are close to one of our retail stores, then stop in and try them out for yourself.

Here’s to warm hands and answered texts this holiday season!