KB SPECIAL | Not Enough USB Ports?

I’ll be heading out to CES next week and will try to send a report back for Kibbles, but hey, it’s Las Vegas. It will be good to see the latest copies of Apple’s technology and try to hunt around for some new innovations.

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

Your Kibbles & Bytes team,
_Don, Kali, Steph & Mike_

Finger prints got you down? This cute little Bunny screen wipe can help! For those spots that need a bit more elbow grease use the Apple Juice screen cleaner. All this just for $7. Keeping your screen clean has never been so easy – or cheap!

My crystal ball is in the shop, so this year, I will polish up my glass hippo on the windowsill and find a polished surface to activate “*Cycloramic*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cycloramic/id587578368?mt=8%26uo%3D6%26partnerId%3D30 (clearly the iPhone 5 App of the year) for a 360° view of 2013.

Ahh, here we go…

* Apple stock will hit a low of $425 but will reach a high of over $750
* Apple will not release an actual TV set (and no rabbit ears, either!)
* Small Dog Electronics will have at least 5 retail locations
* Another mild winter and early spring for Vermont — I will have my motorcycle out in March
* The Cubs will not be in last place this year and the LA Angels will take the World Series
* The Celtics will not make the playoffs; the Thunder will win the NBA Championship
* There will not be an NHL season
* There will be confirmed evidence of intelligent extraterrestrial life
* Apple will introduce a product we never thought we needed but will find essential by the end of the year
* Small Dog Speaks (our radio show on WDEV) will be carried live by at least one more radio station
* The Patriots will not win the Super Bowl
* Hapy will not lift more than 1055 pounds at one time
* There will be more snow in 2013 than in any of the previous three years

Did you get an iPad for the Holidays but no one bothered to get you the essential accessories? Well then, this bundle is perfect for you. Coming with a sleeve style case, an anti-glare screen protector and a stylus for only $30 this has to be one of the best deals of the year!

Lately, I have been dealing a great bit with color (not too surprising for someone working in the marketing department!). I’ve found that Apple has a great base to build upon with their Colors Utility.

If you’re wondering what the Colors Utility is, it’s a good bet you’ve used it without realizing. In apps like Text Edit, Mail and “*Pages*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fpages%2Fid409201541%3Fmt%3D12%26uo%3D4%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30 to name a few, there is a utility that lets you choose the colors you want for text, backgrounds and other stuff. You may find it in the Inspector in the native Apple apps, or in various menus, but it usually can be found with the same keyboard shortcut (Command + Shift + C). Once opened, you are able to select the color you want by choosing it via the virtual box of crayons or from the full color spectrum.

If you’d like to select a specific color from a source on your screen, you can use the magnifying glass, found in the upper part of the Colors window. If you click the magnifying glass, you can then hover over any part of your screen and then click to pick the color your cursor is over. Once the color is picked, it is now your active color and you can drag it to some highlighted text or shape to change the color of that element. My primary use is to figure out the RGB and CMYK values for certain colors I find.

Unfortunately, not every app has a need for the Colors Utility even if ??you?? might (like I do). I stumbled upon a “*website*”:http://www.robinwood.com that has a script to launch the Colors Utility as a standalone app. There’s an article that the developer wrote about the Colors Utility “*here;*”:http://www.robinwood.com/Catalog/Technical/OtherTuts/MacColorPicker/MacColorPicker.html just scroll to the very bottom to find the link for her ColorPicker app.

Once you have downloaded it, just drag the script anywhere you’d like (I put it in the Applications folder). Click on it like you would any other app and it will launch the script. Then you are all set to start picking colors, regardless of the app you are currently using. Good examples: Now you can save that color you came across on a random website, or Facebook blue just because.

Note: ColorPicker is not an “Apple Approved” app since it is not found in the App store, so you must use this *at your own risk.* I have been using it for the past two months with absolutely zero issues and I love it. I recommend checking out the article at the very least to learn more about the Colors Utility.

For all of you peeps who made the ever-popular New Year’s Resolution to work out more and get into shape, I have some great apps to help out.

I have never been a great runner, but I do it because…well…I’m not good at it. When I decided that I was going to run more, I started by searching for an interval app that would help me ease into this whole process. Instead of getting on the treadmill and just going for it, I downloaded “*Run 5K*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Frun-5k-interval-training-coach%2Fid313494823%3Fmt%3D8%26uo%3D4%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30 and started the process of trying to become a “runner.”

Run 5K is an eight-week program that has you running three days a week for 20-30 minutes. Those 20-30 minutes consist of a 5-minute warmup, 5-minute cooldown and a series of different intervals that involve walking and running. There are both audio and visual cues telling you when its time to run or walk. The first week starts off super easy — warm up for 5 minutes, jog 45 seconds, walk 90 seconds, jog 45 seconds, walk 60 seconds and repeat 5 times. Each week you’ll run a little longer and walk a little less. The goal by the end of the whole thing is to be able to run a 5K (or 3.1 miles) straight without walking.

“*Run 5K*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Frun-5k-interval-training-coach%2Fid313494823%3Fmt%3D8%26uo%3D4%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30 is $2.99 and is also available in a 10K version. I highly recommend it for those of you who want to ease into the running thing and also like planned workout routines.

Another great app for tracking your outdoor activity is “*MapMyRun.*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fmapmyrun-gps-running%2Fid291890420%3Fmt%3D8%26uo%3D4%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30 MapMyRun uses the GPS feature to track and log your pace, live route map, distance, calories and elevation. I’ve used it mainly for running and walking, but you can also track a hike, stairs, biking, swimming (hopefully with a waterproof case) and all sorts of other exercise. I love it for tracking how far I’ve run outside and to see what my pace was. It will also give you voice prompts when you’ve gone a mile, or two, three, four…etc.

“*MapMyRun.*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fmapmyrun-gps-running%2Fid291890420%3Fmt%3D8%26uo%3D4%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30 is a free app and definitely worth checking out if you are a fan of keeping track of your progress.

My third and final health and fitness app recommendation is “*MyFitnessPal,*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fcalorie-counter-diet-tracker%2Fid488519281%3Fmt%3D8%26uo%3D4%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30 a calorie counter and diet tracker. It’s easy to use and also quickly makes you realize just how much you’re really eating. Log your breakfast, lunch and dinner, along with your snacks and how much water you’re drinking during the day. The app has many major brands of foods ready to choose from; for instance, not just orange juice, but Tropicana No Pulp orange juice with all the nutritional information preloaded. This makes adding it to your food diary really simple.

The only downfall to MyFitnessPal is that sometimes it can take a long time to add your meal. Overall though, it’s a great way to keep a virtual food journal going, and it’s free!

Whether you’re choosing to start your New Year off in a highly active way or just trying to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle throughout the year, I’d recommend checking these apps out. I use all three throughout the year and find that they each bring something helpful to the table (pun intended!).