Kibbles & Bytes Blog

  • Small Dog Halloween Costume Contest

    Here at Small Dog, we take Halloween very seriously and we need your help deciding which one of us deserves Best Costume this year. “**Vote and you’ll be entered for a chance to win an iPod nano!**”:http://www.smalldog.com/contest/halloween-2015 Winner will be chosen Monday with voting going through Sunday. Happy Halloween!

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  • Apple Money Machine Cranking out Cash

    Apple released their 4th quarter financial results and their annual results this week and it what has become a quarterly ritual Apple blew by all of the analyst’s predictions for quarterly sales and profits while providing guidance for their 1st Fiscal Quarter that was very strong especially given the huge quarter they had during the holidays last year. Apple posted revenues for the quarter ending on September 30 of $51.5 billion compared to $42.1 billion a year ago. They posted profits of $11.1 billion or $1.96 per diluted share compared to a profit of $8.5 billion and $1.42 per share last year. That made it the best 4th Quarter for Apple ever.

    Gross margin was up at 39.9% and international sales were 62% of the revenue. Apple declared a $0.52 dividend and announced that they had $205.6 billion in cash and marketable securities, most of which is held overseas.

    If you look at the whole year for Apple, they generated $233.7 billion in sales (clearly a new record for Apple) and $53.4 billion in profit. They predicted that sales would be in the neighborhood of $76 billion with gross margin staying at around 39%.

    These numbers are actually even a little better as Apple is reducing revenue recorded for the iPhone upgrade program at the time of the sale and deferring some earnings for each iPhone sold.

    Tim Cook talked about Apple impact upon the enterprise market and talked about IBM. IBM now has some 30,000 Macs and growing each week. They have determined what we knew all along that Macs save money! IBM has calculated that Macs save about $270 per Mac versus a traditional PC due to reduced support cost and higher residual value. But we already knew that – it is good that IBM finally gets it, too. Over the last 12 months enterprise business has represented about $25 billion in revenue or a bit over 10% of overall sales.

    Total R&D expense in fiscal 2015 was $8.1 billion compared to $6 billion in 2014 and only $3.4 billion in 2012. Apple increased its payroll, now with 110,000 employees versus 92,600 last year.

    Apple has paid out over $32.9 billion in dividends to the shareholders of the past three years and $11.4 billion in 2015. That is more than many states’ budgets. Apple also increased shareholder value by buying up over $104 billion of its stock at the bargain prices over the past several months and $14 billion in the 4th quarter alone.

    During the quarter Apple sold 48 million iPhones, 5.7 million Macs and an estimate $1.7 billion of Apple watches. They have sold over 300 million devices over the last 12 months. The 5.7 million Macs was an all-time record and Mac revenue was up 4 %. This is at a time with the overall PC market is in decline. iPad sales continued to decline, however, with 9.8 million iPads sold in the year and about $4.3 billion in revenue. However, Apple remains upbeat about the iPad and will expand the iPad line-up next month with the release of the iPad Pro. I think that the upgrade cycle for iPads is more like the upgrade cycle for Macs than the upgrade cycle for iPhones and that may explain some of this decline. Larger iPhones may also lead some to feel that an iPad is not necessary.

    Another amazing chapter written in the Apple story. With the naysayers on Wall Street beating down the stock with false concerns, Apple continues to provide first-class products in increasing numbers around the world while investing in future developments that should ensure more success like they have posted with these financial results. We have seen some hints that Apple is thinking about more than profit and I hope that they continue to innovate in a way that improves the lives of people around the world. Innovations such as ResearchKit are important as are Apple’s efforts to use renewable energy sources to power their facilities. As the world’s strongest company they have a big responsibility to lead in corporate responsibility and sustainability.

    Once again congratulations to Tim Cook and the whole Apple team for an amazing quarter and fantastic products!

  • Tracking the Magic 2

    Before I left Vermont I grabbed one of the new Magic Trackpad 2s. When I tried to use it back in Vermont it didn’t seem to be working right so I packed it away and figured that I would deal with it when I got down here. Well, it turns out that the developer’s beta version of El Capitan did not support the Magic Trackpad 2 so I ended up downgrading my operating system to the release version and that solved the problem. Before I figured that out, the Magic Trackpad 2 acted like a single button mouse and that is the icon that showed up when it was connected, but now I have all the new features.

    Pairing is automatic. You simply connect the Magic Trackpad 2 to your Mac with the included USB/Lightning cable and it is paired. That is also the way that you charge the trackpad and it can be used in wired mode while it is charging, too. Force Touch is something you have to get used to when you are working. There are a few times when I have clicked a bit too hard and get the contextual menu or the definition of a word. On the other hand, the added benefits are worth the learning curve. You can set the click sensitivity from light to medium to firm and if you are longing for that old trackpad you can turn off Force Click entirely – but don’t do that. I find the medium setting good for my use although some may find that even a bit too firm.

    Force Clicking is useful for a number of things right now but I am sure that Apple and 3rd-party developers will find more uses soon. Just like on the iPhone 6s you can use Force Click to:

    * Force Click on an icon in the Dock to expose the app’s windows, a file icon to use Quick Look, or a file’s name to change it.
    * Force Click on a word to look it up in Dictionary or Wikipedia, an address to get a Maps preview, or a location to drop a pin.
    * Force Click on a date to add it to Calendar, an event to see details, and an invitee to preview their contact card.
    * Force Click on a link to preview a web site, an image or PDF to invoke Markup, or an iMessage conversation to see details.

    I really like the increased size of the trackpad and it has become easier to use as I become used to the new features. I have always been fond of alternative pointing devices. I don’t like mice much and have always used rollerballs or trackpads. Now with Force Click on the Magic Trackpad 2, I think I may have the ideal pointing device.

  • _Dear Friends,_

    The ride down I-95 was uneventful and the dogs were such good travelers. My car has Infiniti Personal Assistant, sort of like a live Siri. As we neared the end of the drive each day, we would push the button and ask for a dog-friendly hotel. Once they found one for us they would send the directions right to my car’s GPS. It made the trip just a bit easier. We got to Key West just in time for the annual Zombie bike ride where this year some 20,000 bicycle riders dressed as zombies pedaled through the streets of Key West bumbling something about needing brains.

    Chickens have taken over the yard. Here in Key West there are lots of wild chickens everywhere and I guess they figured my yard wasn’t being used so they moved in. The dogs are having fun chasing them out of the yard but one flew and landed on the umbrella on the deck and ripped a big hole in it. Grace is in heaven, though, as she loves chickens.

    Apple released their 4th quarter financial results this week and once again posted a phenomenal quarter. As they say on NPR’s Marketplace – we’ll do the numbers below. It was a record-breaking quarter and a record-breaking fiscal year. Now with $206 billion in cash Apple is continuing to innovate and create tools that make our lives easier. They have significantly increased their spending on research and development so I am confident that the pipeline of new products will be strong and we are really still just at the beginning of the Apple story. Congratulations to the Apple team for an extraordinary quarter!

    The week’s Kibbles & Bytes exclusive is a Hammerhead bundle. This bundle is one dual-port USB charger for your home, one dual-port USB charger for your car and two Hammerhead Apple-licensed MFI braided Lightning cables. This bundle is normally $72.96 but this week for Kibbles & Bytes readers you can “**save $15 – all four pieces for only $57.96!**”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900001999/special-save-15-on-hammerhead-bundle

  • Go Wireless!

    I am a huge fan of wireless technology. I have been slowly updating my home office to be as wireless as I can with speakers from Sonos and all of my computer accessories from my keyboard to printer are wireless as well. One area that I had not ventured into yet has been wireless headphones. I am often working at home, and because my office space is part of my main living space, I often have to have headphones while working. It was only recently that I started to use wireless headphones and frankly I can’t believe I hadn’t started to use this technology sooner! Urbanears has a bluetooth option in their popular Plattan line up, the Plattan ADV. I was able to easily link the headphones to my computer and no longer felt tethered to my desk when working. With the bluetooth headphones I could easily leave my desk for a glass of water or to let dogs out without missing a beat. The battery easily lasts all day and unlike some other bluetooth headphones, you can easily plug them into your computer or device directly with a cable should you forget to charge them. I also linked up these headphones to one of my iPads. These headphones allow you to have them linked with up to 8 devices, so you can easily use them from one device to the next without having to pair and unpair constantly.

    Over the ear headphones are great for around the home and office, but not the most practical when you’re exercising. As mentioned a few weeks ago I have begun trying to get out and move more in recent weeks, and carrying my iPhone in my hand or pocket when out for a run was becoming a bit of an annoyance. The Ourdoor Tech Orcas are the perfect solution. With the bluetooth on my Apple Watch I easily paired these headphones with my watch, synced a playlist to my watch and left my phone behind! The headphones are lightweight and comfortable. I am not a fan of in ear headphones and I was skeptical that these headphones would work well for me, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well they stayed in my ears and with the quality of the sound. Many in ear headphones begin to wiggle out of your ears or provide sub par sound quality, but these headphones have truly made me change the way I think of in-ear headphones. As an added bonus they also feature a built in microphone. This feature isn’t something that I can say I have taken advantage of, but it’s certainly nice to know I could take a call if I needed to.

  • Soccer season comes to an end for us this weekend with my oldest daughter’s annual soccer jamboree on Saturday and I am looking forward to some pumpkin carving on Sunday. I admit we still haven’t finished cleaning out our camper from the summer and it still needs to be washed and winterized before being tucked away for winter. It’s looking like another busy and productive weekend at my house!

    Thank you for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

    Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,

    _Emily, Morgan and Scott_

  • Halloween!

    We need your help! Halloween is just around the corner and that means our annual Halloween contest is upon us. Each year we encourage all of our staff to dress up for Halloween. We take photos of everyone in their costumes and for those staff members who fail to dress up, it’s our chance to fine tune our photoshop skills and decide their costumes for them! We will be posting next Friday, October 30th, on our website a ballot and photos of all our staff in their Halloween best. Here is where our readers and customers come in, your votes decide who wins the best costume of 2015 and by voting you will be entered to win a prize as well.

  • Go Wireless!

    I am a huge fan of wireless technology. I have been slowly updating my home office to be as wireless as I can with speakers from Sonos and all of my computer accessories from my keyboard to printer are wireless as well. One area that I had not ventured into yet has been wireless headphones. I am often working at home, and because my office space is part of my main living space, I often have to have headphones while working. It was only recently that I started to use wireless headphones and frankly I can’t believe I hadn’t started to use this technology sooner! “*Urbanears*”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/?mmfg%5B0%5D=Urbanears has a bluetooth option in their popular Plattan line up, the “*Plattan ADV*.”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/87175/urbanears-plattan-adv-bluetooth-indigo I was able to easily link the headphones to my computer and no longer felt tethered to my desk when working. With the bluetooth headphones I could easily leave my desk for a glass of water or to let dogs out without missing a beat. The battery easily lasts all day and unlike some other bluetooth headphones, you can easily plug them into your computer or device directly with a cable should you forget to charge them. I also linked up these headphones to one of my iPads. These headphones allow you to have them linked with up to 8 devices, so you can easily use them from one device to the next without having to pair and unpair constantly.

    Over the ear headphones are great for around the home and office, but not the most practical when you’re exercising. As mentioned a few weeks ago I have begun trying to get out and move more in recent weeks, and carrying my iPhone in my hand or pocket when out for a run was becoming a bit of an annoyance. The “*Ourdoor Tech Orcas*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/85798/outdoor-tech-orcas-wireless-sweat-proof-earbuds-black are the perfect solution. With the bluetooth on my Apple Watch I easily paired these headphones with my watch, synced a playlist to my watch and left my phone behind! The headphones are lightweight and comfortable. I am not a fan of in ear headphones and I was skeptical that these headphones would work well for me, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well they stayed in my ears and with the quality of the sound. Many in ear headphones begin to wiggle out of your ears or provide sub par sound quality, but these headphones have truly made me change the way I think of in-ear headphones. As an added bonus they also feature a built in microphone. This feature isn’t something that I can say I have taken advantage of, but it’s certainly nice to know I could take a call if I needed to.

  • A HUD for Your Vehicle: HUDWAY & HUDWAY Glass

    I recently happened across a Kickstarter campaign for an interesting product called the “*HUDWAY Glass*”:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/361842686/hudway-glass-keeps-your-eyes-on-the-road-while-dri: a car mount for iPhones and Android mobile devices which includes a special glass for use as a heads-up display (HUD). The Kickstarter has already been fully backed (as of this writing, well over 2x their original goal), so the HUDWAY Glass should get produced and sold for $49, which is a very fair price. They’ve already had an app on market for over a year called “*HUDWAY*”:http://hudwayapp.com/ (hence the name of the HUDWAY Glass mount itself), so I decided to give it a test drive (quite literally) over the past couple weeks.

    HUDs are very helpful for keeping your eyes on the road as you only need to refocus your eyes within your normal windshield view, keeping your view of the road and any obstacles still in the background. It’s surprising how far you can go at highway speeds in the second it takes you to look down at your speedometer and back up (95ft at 65 MPH). There’s a reason that fighter jets tend to use HUDs! The HUDWAY app itself can be used in either a normal dash mount, or in HUD mode with the image flipped vertically do it’s legible in the reflection of your windshield (or a product like the coming HUDWAY Glass). It shows speed, a road direction preview, navigation directions and some other minor niceties that are better for serious driving or racing (one of the founders has rally racing as a hobby). Showing the basics on your windshield helps clarify speed & upcoming turns, reduce distraction, and can also help in the dark or inclement weather–we certainly see enough of that in Vermont!–by showing you what the upcoming twists and turns in the road are like (including highlighting sharp turns).

    HUDWAY uses your device’s GPS to determine speed and supports getting routes & directions from Apple Maps, Google Maps, or Open Street Map, so there are quite a few options there. I find the directions to be well timed and accurate. In areas with more complex roadways, it’d probably be helpful if it gave you more information about which lane to use, but I’m not sure if that’s a limitation of HUDWAY or of its various sources of navigation directions. The one downside I do see is that the HUDWAY app itself requires you to specify a route between two destinations. That works fine for my commute, but for general errands, it’s a bit of a pain to configure. They have a separate Speedometer app coming out in November which will be more useful for that type of use, which I am looking forward to.

    When Vermont started banning handheld devices for drivers (I could never, and was not interested, in texting and driving anyway), I installed an aftermarket stereo with hands-free Bluetooth support that works very well with my iPhone 5 & Siri for calls and controlling audio playback. Since I have a nearly 100 mile round-trip commute up hill and down dale to our headquarters in the Mad River Valley, I tend to queue up my favorite podcasts and just drive. My phone sits there charging all the time, so having it running HUDWAY on my dash puts it to good use. Plus, that means there’s even less temptation for me to pick it up. I use a waterproof “*LifeProof fre*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?search=lifeproof+fre+case case on my iPhone 5 (which has been great) and that tends to add quite a bit of glare, so it’s not really visible in daylight at all, but it works wonders at night. Fortunately, this time of year I’m driving home in the dark, so it’s still useful. That said, the daylight usage is the problem that HUDWAY set out to resolve with the HUDWAY Glass. Plus it keeps it secured to your dash to it doesn’t slide during cornering or braking, so I’m planning to pre-order one.

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    There are a couple of minor downsides that I have run into. First, and this could be that my older iPhone 5 does have as accurate an accelerometer & GPS, the speedometer does not appear to be as accurate at highway speeds (fortunately, it only seems to over-estimate my speed by a few MPH). Second, you really need to have your device’s brightness turned all the way up, so it really draws down the power if you’re not charging it. The power draw isn’t much of a problem since I use a 17W “*Hammerhead USB Auto Charger*”:https://www.hammerheadcase.com/product/72/2-port-auto-charger, but it does mean I can no longer get a full charge if it’s running low before I start my commute. On the few occasions I’ve forgotten my phone on the dash and left it running, I’ve come back to a completely dead phone. Oops. I wouldn’t advise leaving your iPhone on your dash anyway, as I’ve seen far too many break-ins.

    For me, with a long commute through varied terrain and weather and a good hands-free stereo, it really modernizes my older commuter car and puts my phone to good use. I hope to pick up the HUDWAY Speedometer app when it’s released next month. I think we’re going to see an increasing number of hardware solutions that are currently integrated into vehicles as expensive options (navigation, HUDs, etc.) moving out to our phones and the HUDWAY Glass looks like it’ll help that transition nicely and hopefully keep drivers–and me!–safer.