Author: Mike Moffit

Summertime is here! I love Vermont in the summer and I guess suffering through the snow and cold are the dues you pay for the beauty of Vermont in the summertime.

I have gotten into watching the Stanley Cup finals because sometimes I do like hockey, and have fond affinity for the Chicago Blackhawks. Plus, it is fun to give all the Bruins fans here a hard time.

Thank you for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

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

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*Save up to $20 below!*

The third and final installment of the *free* iPad at Work webinar series from Apple is back next week, so make note to join us.

*Wednesday, June 26, 1PM ET*

During this in-depth session, we’ll discuss specific product features of iPad and how it integrates into corporate environments. Learn about the layered approach to secure data access and discover best practices for deploying iPad to your users.

Learn more at “*Smalldog.com/seminars*”:http://www.smalldog.com/seminars

I think my favorite part of WWDC (which took place last Monday) was the reveal of iOS 7. I love every time there’s an update to my iPhone’s operating system; I never wait, because I’m excited to upgrade as soon as possible.

I haven’t been able to get my hands on the actual thing (since I’m not a developer), so my opinion is strictly based on images I’ve seen around the web.* When I first saw the reveal of iOS 7 while watching WWDC, the first thing I noticed was the glorious amount of color. A (not-so) little known fact about me: I love color! The brighter the better. And iOS 7 does not disappoint.

__Side note: If you haven’t seen the “Jony Ive Redesigns Things Tumblr,”:http://jonyiveredesignsthings.tumblr.com you have to check it out. Right this second. Or, after you’re done reading this article.__

Obviously my favorite part is the color makeover; I think I’ll like the “flat” design more once I use it, but I feel like some aspects of the iOS are very similar to competitors’ versions. I think the ultra light weight of the font they’re using has something to do with it (I also love fonts).

I don’t think I’ll have a true grasp on iOS 7 until I actually have it in my hands, so what I’d love to know is how you developers who have downloaded the beta version feel? Who’s been using it and what are your thoughts?

Please “*share!*”:mailto:steph@smalldog.com

__*Editor’s Note: We’re working on that, if just because we want to write about all of the new things all the time! -KH__

Last spring, cell service providers launched a Wireless Emergency Alert system. This system has been slowly rolled out ever since then. If you are an AT&T customer, you may notice some emergency alerts coming through to your phone now.

So what exactly is WEA?

WEA is a system where local, state and federal agencies can send an emergency text message to smartphones. Luckily for your wallet, these emergency alerts don’t count against your text message plan and typically should be fewer than 90 characters.

There are three types of alerts that this system uses. The first is for “imminent threats.” This could mean anything from flood or tornado warnings to security threats. The second covers “*AMBER alerts*”:http://www.amberalert.gov (America’s Missing: Broadcasting Emergency Response), which are alerts for missing children. The third and final alert is used for breaking Presidential messages.

Two out of the three alerts have an opt-out feature: imminent threats and AMBER alerts. This means that by default, when your carrier settings have been updated, they are on. You’ll need to then turn those off if you don’t want to know there is a hurricane about to blow by your house or that your neighbor’s kid is missing. (But you would, right? Well, it’s up to you!)

If you really want to disable these WEA alerts on your iPhone simply:

* Go to Settings
* Go to Notifications
* Scroll all the way to the bottom to Government Alerts
* Turn off or on whichever you alerts you desire

I have only received one alert in the past year since the system was introduced, and that was when Vermont was getting some heavy rain. I got it while at work, and it was funny to see the confused looks on people’s faces when they got the same notifications. Ultimately, I think this is a good move on society’s part to help out one another; kudos to the person or persons responsible for this!

Any Game of Thrones fans out there? Well, for any who are, you will be happy to know that on Wednesday, Apple announced they would be adding HBO Go to the Apple TV! Finally, the days of waiting for iTunes to get its mitts on your favorite HBO programming are over.

Of course, you need to have an Apple TV, a subscription to HBO and your cable provider needs to support the HBO Go service. But if you meet all that criteria, you are good to go. The nice thing about HBO Go is that you not only get the newest shows, but you get the classics like The Wire and The Sopranos (not that I have seen either but I’ve heard they received good reviews)* and any movies they are currently showing on HBO.

Apple also added a few other services: WatchESPN, SkyNews, Crunchyroll and Qello. These give access to sports, live news, anime and music programing, respectively. Simply run your updates on your Apple TV and let the epic-ness begin.

“*Download the HBO Go app here.*”: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%2Fhbo-go%2Fid429775439%3Fmt%3D8%26uo%3D4%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30

__*Editor’s Note: Mike! Get on it! – KH__

_Dear Friends,_

After what seems like a very long and cool rainy period, we finally have some sunny weather here in northern New England. We got our first fresh strawberries of the season and I feel summer in the air just before the solstice.

The weeds are growing in the garden along with the veggies and Grace is spending time beating them back. We noticed a tree growing out of one of the seldom-used flues in my chimney. It’s a small tree that I tried burning out this winter by building a big fire, but it doesn’t want to die. Grace doesn’t want me climbing up there, so I talked to Artie about bribing him to come up and yank it out before it messes with all the mortar in the chimney.

In Apple news, we have the new MacBook Airs in stock and with the special GE financing program we are running, now it is a great opportunity to snag one of these new Macs. With the latest Intel Core processor, faster graphics and what Apple is calling “all-day battery life,” these new MacBook Airs are an industry-leading portable computer.

The increased battery life is significant with a reported 9 hours of run time on the 11.6-inch MacBook Air and an incredible 12 hours on the 13.3-inch model. These are the favorite Macs among the Small Dog power users and are a great choice right now since the special financing makes it even easier to own.

See the new models here.
* “*11.6-inch MacBook Air*”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/Apple/MacBook_Air/11in/New?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=kb833
* “*13.3-inch MacBook Air*”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/Apple/MacBook_Air/13in/New?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=kb833