SPECIAL | Your Smartphone Is Now Your Key

Choose from Urbanears Medis with EarClick technology, or Urbanears Plattan “classic” over-ear headphones.

Plattan is designed to be the perfect “classic” headphone, featuring innovative function and performance with today’s technology. It is a full-size headphone allowing for rich secluded sound. You can fold it down to the size of your fist for the ultimate in mobility.

The Medis features EarClick, which is a patented technology that gives the user the best of both worlds: the size and convenience of an in-ear paired with the comfort, safety and health benefits of an over-ear.

Don’s Kibbles exclusive this week is straightforward and a very easy decision if you’re in the market for a new computer. Purchase the refurbished 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, 2.4GHz Intel i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of SSD storage with AppleCare for only $1129. This gives you the Certified Apple Refurbished MacBook Pro with 3 years of Apple warranty support and 3 years of Apple technical support for one low price.

*We have limited quantities available, so order now!*

Sometimes it’s important for loved ones and friends to know your location. Whether it is for safety reasons or just because you just like knowing where they might be while running errands, iOS 8 and your iPhone make it super-simple. There are two ways to let your friends know where you are at any given time with iOS 8 and an app you use every day: Messages.

Simply launch the Messages app on your iPhone and tap into a conversation or create a new one. Once there, tap on the Details button in the upper right. Once you’re on the Details screen, you can send or share your location with the two blue buttons.

* *Send your location immediately:*

Tapping “send my current location” will immediately send a map image with your location pinpointed by a red pin. The location will show up on your friend’s iPhone right away, just like any other photo message.

* *Share your location details with people over a prescribed amount of time:*

If you’d like to give your friend rights to see your location over a select period of time, choose “Share My Location”. You’ll be prompted to select from the following options: Share…

1.) for One Hour
2.) Until End of Day
3.) Indefinitely

Once chosen, your friend will have permission to see where you are for that period of time. Now you’ll be able to “bump” into your best friend while out and about. I use this feature when traveling long distances so my hosts know when to expect me without having to send a text saying “be there in 5 min”. Super-easy and no more effort than using your Messages app. Hooray for not needing to install another app!

I have been taking most of this week off as my good friend Deborah Wachtel, a nurse practitioner and biker buddy from Vermont is visiting. She tends to make Grace and I exercise way more than we do on our own so aside from riding bicycles everywhere we decided to go ocean kayaking. It was a great experience as we paddled through mangrove tunnels and then out into the Gulf of Mexico. Of course we got lost and had some hard paddling to do to get back to the marina before they closed. My arms sill ache from all the paddling but it was worth it. This coming week my three grandkids and their mom come for a visit…that should be a tornado in a tropical home.

Thank you for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,

_Don, Rachel, Dean & Mike_

As we progress towards the fully smart home, there are several products out there that will make life easier, safer, and more secure. “*WiFi enabled lights*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/86368/belkin-wemo-led-lighting-starter-kit allow you to turn on the lights as you drive home, adjust brightness and even color to set the mood. There are now WiFi Crockpots so you can get that chili cooking from the office so it is ready when you walk in. For safety there are a lot of great options out there such as “*security cameras with night vision and HD*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/84786/belkin-netcam-hd-wi-fi-camera-w-night-vision that allow for remote access through your computer or iOS device. Now there area also Bluetooth enabled deadbolts to keep your house secure as well as conveniently keep track of people coming and going.

The Kwikset Kevo looks like your average deadbolt except you can unlock it with your iPhone. Once your Kevo is setup and your iPhone is paired you simply touch the lock and it unlocks the door. Simple as that…but it gets better! You can hand out virtual keys, too. Maybe you have house guests coming to town. Email them a key and they’re all set. As the keys are used you can request notifications as they enter or leave the house. Don’t have a smart phone? You can purchase Bluetooth key fobs that will allow access as well. Give one to your kid and you will be notified that they have made it home safely after school. Now compatible with Nest, your house will know you’re home and set the temperature to your liking.

Have no fear, as a back up there’s always the faithful real key as well. The Kevo is both a great convenience and security upgrade for any home. Easily issue virtual keys, keep track of comings and goings, and with Nest become more energy efficient. “*Check them out here*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900001753 and begin to upgrade your smart home. Plus, this week we’ll give you *free shipping!*

I got a lot of comments about “*my article on Keychain*”:http://blog.smalldog.com/article/keychain-access-an-essential-tool/ so I want to follow up with some explanation of the newest Keychain addition: iCloud Keychain. With iCloud Keychain your account names, passwords, and even credit card numbers can be securely stored on your iPhone or iPad Keychain and synced across your devices that are connected to your iCloud account. When used with Safari you can save those obscure passwords suggested by Safari, too.

The first time you set up your iOS device you will be asked if you want to enable iCloud Keychain. If you skipped that or weren’t ready at the time you can turn it on later by going to *Settings > iCloud > iCloud Keychain*. When you first turn it on, you will be asked to sign into your iCloud account with your Apple ID, name, and password. After that, you will be asked to set a passcode. You can use the same code you use to lock your device or, for greater security, choose a different one.

If you want to use your names and passwords and your stored credit card numbers you should also go to *Settings > Safari > Passwords & AutoFill* to turn those features on. Some websites may not allow your password to be saved, but if you toggle “Always Allow” at that settings panel it will override that in most cases. This is also the location where you can add and delete saved passwords or credit card numbers.

When you are setting up iCloud Keychain on a new device it will send a notification to your other devices seeking approval. Once you approve, iCloud Keychain will begin updating on that device. Should your other devices not be handy you can still set it up if you have your iCloud Security code and the device that is using the SMS-capable phone number you used when you first set up iCloud Keychain. A verification code will be sent via SMS to that phone number.

If you use Chrome, Firefox, or other browsers, you may find that iCloud Keychain is not for you as the features are definitely Safari-oriented. I would really like Apple’s Touch ID to be more integrated into iCloud Keychain so that your fingerprint could unlock all the features, but that is probably coming in a future update.