SPECIAL | Accessorize Your Phone With Style And Military-Grade Protection

A few extra chargers could have been very handy this holiday season at my house. Having everyone home with the numerous electronics they schlep around made a charging cable as popular as Mom’s homemade eggnog. This week’s Kibbles & Bytes exclusive features the Hammerhead 4-port 15 watt USB charger and Hammerhead 2-port 17 watt car charger bundled with an Apple 1 meter Lightning to USB cable for only $39.99. This bundle is normally $65!

The all-new Olloclip has been completely redesigned for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus with 4 advanced-optic lenses. The pocket-sized, patented design now works on both front and rear-facing cameras so you can let your photos and selfies run wild. Plus, it comes with 3 wearable pendants because the best camera is the one that’s always with you.

I am off to Las Vegas for the big Consumer Electronics Show so Rachel may have to twist Emily or Hapy’s arm to do some writing for next week’s Kibbles & Bytes. It has always been tricky getting out of Vermont for CES due to the unpredictable weather but this year I will be flying from Key West so chances are I won’t be spending a lot of extra time in the Detroit airport as I have done in the past.

All of us at Small Dog Electronics send our wishes to you for a safe and prosperous New Year! Make it green in 2015, don’t be mean in 2015 and other slogans…

Thank you for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,

_Don, Rachel, Mike & Dean_

You may have received an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch for the holidays. These devices all come with a 1-year warranty and 90 days of free phone support from Apple. AppleCare+ is more than an extended warranty and it would be a good New Year’s gift to yourself. AppleCare+ extends the 1-year Apple warranty to 2 years but the protection does not stop there. You also receive 2 years of free technical support which includes answers to your questions on Apple software including iOS, iCloud, wireless network setup and Apple-branded Apps.

AppleCare+ adds one more important feature for your mobile device. It covers, subject to a service fee, two incidents of accidental damage. So if you drop that iPhone into the ocean and fish it out you can get it replaced or repaired for only $79 (twice!). The fee for the iPad is $49 and the iPod touch is $29. Screen repairs and water damage can cost you dearly so the protection of AppleCare + can be a lifesaver!

You can purchase AppleCare+ within 60 days of the purchase of your iOS device directly from “*Small Dog Electronics*”:http://www.smalldog.com or any Apple store. We will have to confirm the purchase date and run a diagnostic test to confirm that the device has no pre-existing damage so you will have to bring it to one of “*our stores.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/retail

It is that time of the year where I review my predictions for 2014 and polish up the crystal ball for 2015.

Here’s what the ball said last year:

*Apple stock will exceed $700 by year’s end*

__Nailed that one!__

*Apple will introduce “wearable” technology that will have some features that surprise Hapy*

__The Apple watch was introduced, don’t know if Hapy was surprised but I am pretty sure that some feature did__

*The Apple TV will become more than a “hobby”*

__More and more content is becoming available and with Apple selling over 20 million of the devices, I am giving myself this one, too__

*There really will be confirmation of extraterrestrial (intelligent) life*

__Okay, discovery of water on Mars and earth-like planets doesn’t quite qualify__

*The Cubs will really climb out of the cellar this season and the Washington Nationals will win the World Series*

__Just wait until next year__

*The Celtics will make the playoffs, lose in the first round and the Indiana Pacers will upset the Miami Heat and go on to win the NBA Championship*

__Just wait until 2017?__

*The Democrats will not lose the US Senate and will pick up seats in the House*

__Just wait until 2016?__

*The Patriots will not win the Super Bowl*

__Congrats to the Seahawks!__

*Norway will win the most medals at the Winter Olympics with the USA not doing better than 4th place in the medal count*

__Norway finished 3rd and the USA 2nd – Russia had the most__

*There will be at least one significant event tied undisputedly to climate change*

__Lots of events and crazy weather but nothing that meets my criteria for significant event__

*The polls will show that a majority of Americans have favorable opinions of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) by the end of the year*

__Not a good year for the ACA even though many Americans have greater coverage__

Hmmm… three out of eleven – not so good for 2014. I’d better put some elbow grease into that crystal ball polishing.

My predictions for 2015

* The Apple Watch will be huge hit with over 10 million sold in 2015
* ApplePay will become the defacto standard for mobile payments
* Apple will become the first $1 Trillion company
* Okay, this year we will have undisputed evidence of extraterrestrial life
* Cubbies will make the playoffs
* The Patriots will not win the Super Bowl
* There will be 11 vetoes by President Obama
* The Dallas Mavericks will win the NBA Championship
* Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush, Rand Paul and Chris Christie will run for President
* Apple will make one surprising acquisition