Sonos and Apple Music

What is a Dux you ask? Dux is a really great product line from STM and one that we are really excited to begin carrying here at Small Dog. This product line up has cases for your iPad and your computer and for the last week or so I have been testing out the Dux case for Macbook Air.

My first impression is that it gives my computer a sharp new look. I feel as though my computer is highlighted more in this case. It features a primarily clear case and then a border that comes in an assortment of colors. The one I am using is black and it really looks sharp and sleek on the computer.

I will be the first to admit that I am not a huge fan of hardshell cases for computers. They do add weight to your computer and they can be hard to put on and take off. However, this case did stand out to me as soon as I saw it and I immediately asked for a sample so that I could test it out. It’s the reinforced border that caught my eye. The plastic is slightly different from that of the clear case and really gives you a feeling of protection for your computer.

Customers ask me all the time why someone might want a hard shell case, it’s a combination of accessorizing and protection. Hard shell cases are great for those who might like to sticker their computers. You can sticker all you want on a removable case and not damage your computer. For people who bring their computers everywhere it’s a great way to protect them from the dings and scratches that can happen just by pulling your computer in and out, especially those whom might fly a lot. One piece of advice I will give users of hardshell cases is that you still need to remove them! The idea and concept of hard shell cases is to provide added protection to your computer, to keep it looking like new under the case. However, if you don’t remove the case from time to time and clean the case and computer from dust and debris your computer will still get scratches. I have seen countless computers get just as scratched up with these kinds of cases than those without and the cause is always the same: dirt build up. This particular case comes on and off much easier than some others on the market making my recommended occasional cleanings much easier to perform. After all you’ve probably purchased a hard shell case to keep your computer looking new.

Overall I am very happy with this case, but the biggest test is yet to come. I am flying to Arizona next week for an event with one of our vendors, and I’ll be keeping this case on my computer for my travels. The real test will be if I notice the added weight while making my way through airports, so far I haven’t really noticed the increased weight in my daily travels.

P.S. Hadley, even if it means burpees and laps in an airport terminal I plan to maintain my lead in our competition. It’s ON!

_Dear Friends,_

Baseball season is almost upon us as spring training wraps up and the real games begin next week. The hopes for the Chicago Cubs have never been higher with a great line-up and pitching. Could this be our year? To help matters along, Apple and MLB announced this week that they have struck a multi-year deal to supply 12.9 inch iPad Pros with special STM team-logoed cases and a custom app called MLB Dugout. This app will help managers see performance statistics, check videos from games and analyze how pitchers and hitters are likely to perform against each other.

Baseball has become a game of statistics and until this deal laptops, iPads and iPhones were banned from dugouts. That ban is gone as iPad Pros will replace the notebooks and photographs in big binders. Each team’s data will be downloaded to the iPads before the games. I can see this really speeding up the research about how to play a certain batter or what kind of stuff a pitcher has. Cubs manager, Joe Maddon, is not so sure “This might sound nuts to you, bit it might slow down the process. If there’s that moment that permits time to look up something, it might be OK, but I think thats where the piece of paper has it all over the computer–in that moment.” Well, Joe you are a hell of a manager but I’ll put the iPad Pro up against your binder any day! Fortunately, MLB didn’t ban paper so Joe is all set.

I have talked many times about being a socially responsible business but this week we saw the power for good that businesses can use. While not yet successful in overturning the North Carolina law that legalizes discrimination against LGBT people, business pressure stopped a similar law in Georgia and the list of businesses lining up for repeal in NC is impressive. It was business that turned the tide when civil unions were first introduced in Vermont and it can be business again that dope-slaps some sense into these backwards legislatures, too.

This week’s Kibbles & Bytes exclusive features the iPad mini 4 in Space Gray. This 64GB model features Wi-Fi and Cellular and comes with the AppleCare+ protection plan that increases the hardware warranty from 1 to 2 years, technical support from 90-days to 2-years and provides for accidental damage coverage. This is the latest iPad mini that features the Retina display. With 64GB of ram and cellular capability you will never be out of touch. Normally, this bundle is $730 but this week exclusively for Kibbles & Bytes readers you get the “**iPad mini 4 64GB Wi-Fi and Cellular with AppleCare+ for $50 off**”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900002186 at “**$679.99!**”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900002186/

I have been hosting phone bank parties for Bernie Sanders at my house as we head into the first caucuses and primaries. It is fun talking to folks out in Iowa and now New Hampshire to see who they are supporting and to tell them about the Senator from Vermont. I like being involved and feel if you are not involved, informed and voting you do sacrifice your right to complain about the results.

Thank you for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes! We know it is YOU, our loyal customers that ultimately pay our wages and appreciate the support!

Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,

_Don, Dean, Emily & Scott_

I got my start in using computers with CPM operating system and keyboard shortcuts were present there. I used them all the time so they come as second nature to me. But as I go out and talk with customers and help them with their Macs, I am surprised by the number of people that do not know that most of the things you can do with your mouse by clicking on a menu item can be done faster with keyboard shortcuts.

The first thing to learn about shortcuts are the symbols that are used to show these keys.

Command ⌘
Shift ⇧
Option ⌥
Control ⌃
Caps Lock ⇪
Fn

These work for your Mac Keyboard but if you are using a keyboard made for a Windows machine you need to substitute the Windows logo for the Command key and the Alt key for the option key. When you look at a menu in almost any application you will find the common commands for all these symbols next to them to indicate the keyboard shortcut. Here are some common ones:

Command-X **Cut** Remove the selected item
Command-C **Copy** the selected item
Command-V **Paste** the contents
Command-Z **Undo** the previous command
Command-A **Select all** items
Command-F **Find** open a Find window
Command-G **Find Again** Find the next occurrence of the item previously found
Command-H **Hide** the windows of the front app.
Command-M **Minimize** the front window to the dock
Command-M **New** Open a new document or window
Command-P **Print** the current document

Command-Space bar **Spotlight** show or hide the spotlight search field
Command-Tab **Switch apps** switch to the next most recently used app
Command-shift-3 **Screenshot** take a screenshot of the entire screen

As you can see, there are endless keyboard shortcuts to use, and these are only a small fraction of what you can do with “**keyboard shortcuts.**”:https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201236 So the next time you find yourself wondering what you can do if your mouse suddenly stops working or if your just looking for a more efficient way to do something, keyboard shortcuts might just be what your looking for!