Kibbles & Bytes Blog

  • Top 10 Tips & Tools for Making Mobile Movies, FREE iPad Workshop


    Small Dog is pleased to be partnering with RETN for this one-of-a-kind, FREE event. RETN instructors Doug Dunbebin, Gin Ferrara, and Ross Ransom will work with Macintosh consultant Michael Scott Duplessis from Small Dog Electronics to guide you through the essential features of iMovie 10 in this hands-on workshop.

    This Workshop is designed to help you understand both the basics of iMovie and also how one can use iMovie to promote either their small business, non-profit, or practically any organization. We will recommend different equipment for different users, both advanced and basic. In addition to the equipment recommendations, we will be offering exclusive bundles and specials to attendees on the day of the workshop.

    Seating is limited to just over 100 seats, so “*sign up now*”:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/top-10-tips-tools-for-making-mobile-movies-tickets-16902800732 to reserve your seat!

    Join us *Wednesday, June 10th from 9am to noon for “Top 10 Tips & Tools for Making Mobile Movies”*. The workshop will be held at the Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center at 60 Lake Street, Burlington, VT 05401.

    *Act fast! There are only a few seats left!* “*Sign Up Now.*”:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/top-10-tips-tools-for-making-mobile-movies-tickets-16902800732

  • Hello from Sunny Key West

    We have enjoyed our tourist season here with everyone from all over (including Vermont) as they have come down to warm up and enjoy the beautiful Florida Keys, but now everyone is heading home to enjoy a very late Spring. As we transition from Mother’s Day to Dads and Grads here at Small Dog, we will be offering not only some sweet computer and iPad bundles, but also amazing savings on some of our best accessories.

    We are also very excited here at Small Dog Electronics now to offer “**Safeware Damage Insurance**”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/85003/safeware-mac-warranty-w-applecare-3yr just in time for our Dads and Grads promotion. Until now, we only offered this type of protection included with AppleCare+ protection on our iPads and iPods.

    Safeware understands that customers need damage coverage on their computers as well and have teamed up with us here at Small Dog. Don’t let broken or damaged computers shut you down anymore! Here at Small Dog Electronics, you just purchase your computer of choice along with AppleCare and we will offer you Safeware Accidental Damage Coverage for the same 3 years at a super low price of only $99!

    This protection will provide you with all the confidence to use your computers more freely and do more in life without the worry. Safeware provides comprehensive protection and dependable customer support. Our customers know that when they have a claim, we are here to handle everything. Safeware lets you enjoy your computers, not just have them. Providing confidence is why they’re in the protection business. We think our customers deserve to have the peace of mind to use their computers the way they want to. Just purchase the protection at the time of purchase along with Applecare and let us here at Small Dog take care of the rest. Safeware covers all damage that would not be covered by Applecare. “**See the terms and details here.**”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/85003/safeware-mac-warranty-w-applecare-3yr

    Check us out by coming in to our “**location nearest you**”:http://www.smalldog.com/retail/visit-us-in-store-at-any-of-our-locations or visit us online at “**SmallDog.com.**”:http://www.smalldog.com

  • Looks like another beautiful Vermont weekend coming up. It will be a battle between gardening and fighting black flies versus motorcycling in the Green Mountains. Maybe I can get a little of both.

    Thank you for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

    Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,

    _Don, Dean, Bronson & Mike_

  • Automatic is BACK, and it's on SALE!

    A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of announcing Small Dog’s latest edition to the retail store: the *Automatic*. If you don’t recall what the *Automatic* is you may want to take a look in our “*Archives*”:http://blog.smalldog.com/kibbles or visit “*Automatic.com*”:https://www.automatic.com/how-automatic-works/ to learn more. Anyway, the *Automatic* is a little adapter the plugs into the the OBD-II (On Board Diagnosis System) port, which is standard in most cars manufactured after 1996. This little adapter is designed to help make you a better, safer, and more efficient driver. The app that you download with the device is there to guide you for every road trip to come. It will make recommendations based on your driving style and also help you diagnosis and reset most warning lights that appear on your dash.

    I purchased my *Automatic* just over two weeks ago, and I am blown away at how well the device works. First off, let me tell you about the packaging. My first impression of the packaging was: “Wow, I cannot believe a company would sell such a small device in such a large, thick, heavy plastic container in todays world.” After removing the packaging and directions I found out that that “large, thick, heavy plastic container” was actually a reusable cup with an air tight lid…this blew my mind, and honestly, I think I may use the cup more than I use the adapter itself.

    Once I finally calmed down about the reusable cup I continued to setup the device. The setup of the *Automatic* was so incredibly easy. Once I downloaded the app on to my iPhone all I had to do was essentially plug in the adapter. With a firm push into the OBD port, my *Automatic* beeped, and I was ready to drive. I did a little test drive around our parking lot, traveling a total of 0.3 miles, spending a total of 44 cents on gas at that time. Not only does the app tell me how far I have driven and how much money I have spent on gas, but it also tells me my average miles per gallon and where exactly I either traveled too fast or braked too hard. All in all, the *Automatic* has helped me save money already, and in just a few more road trips, the device will have paid itself off.

    Lastly, *Automatic* has some great sister apps that you can download to better utilize the device. To see the full list of compatible apps “*click here.*”:https://www.automatic.com/apps/

    *Automatic* will be on *SALE* for a limited time, to claim yours at a discounted price “*click here.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900001859/special-save-20-off-the-new-automatic-connected-car-adapter?preview=OTAwMDAxODU5OjpiYzE4MmZiNGMyM2EwMTZkNzBlNDZmOWViMDcxM2NlYmI4MTFjZWI5MmUxNmI5NGRlMDRhMTFiNDhjYzZiZjA2

  • Dock Tips!

    After my short article last week on the Dock I got some great feedback from Kibbles & Bytes readers and I thought I would share some here. Jerry King is the President of the Naples MacFriends User Group and has volunteered to write up a story on using Stacks in the Dock. I cleaned up my Dock considerably by dragging my Utilities folder the the right side of the dock and whenever I need a utility, I just mouse over it and can access Keychain Access or Activity Monitor, etc. Look for Jerry’s article in the next couple weeks…

    Jim Blohm reminded me that you can press *Option + Command + D* to hide and show the Dock. Another reader pointed out that if you have just downloaded a document from the web or email and you do not know what application will open it you can drag that document along the dock and applications that will access and open the item will highlight with the name of the application as you move over each one.

    I look forward to Jerry’s article and we will pass along any other Dock tips as we get ‘em.

  • Apple Watch: Don’s First Impressions

    Okay, I have been wearing my new Apple Watch for about a week and I have to admit that I was pretty skeptical that I would like wearing a watch after 50-years of not wearing a watch. I do pride myself on being able to figure out the time without a timepiece. Well, so far I am really enjoying learning about the Apple Watch and seeing how it integrates into my lifestyle.

    Apple is doing something pretty cool with the Apple Watch. They are offering free set-up sessions with one of their “specialists” to go over the features and functions of the watch. I have my appointment set for Sunday morning but Grace had hers already and thought it was very valuable. They are taking customer satisfaction to a new level with these sessions.

    Okay, so onto some first impressions:

    *Battery life:*

    Double okay! Not only does the Apple Watch battery easily last all day with frequent usage but it also has an impact upon the battery life of my iPhone. That is because the “glances” I would take on my iPhone all through the day are now easily done with a flip of my wrist, so I am not taking my iPhone out of my pocket much.

    *Cool Things it Does:*

    * Let’s see, paying for my Starbucks drink on the road to Maine was cool; I just launched Passport on the Apple Watch and held it up the the Starbucks terminal and my Venti Iced Black Eye was paid for to the amazement of the people in line.

    * Using the Remote App to control my Apple TV is also very cool. No more searching for that remote; I can put it in the drawer.

    * Smarter texting was something I discovered yesterday. I have gotten texts before on the Apple Watch and there were some canned responses that you can customize or you can reply via dictation and send the reply as an audio or text file. ll that was not too surprising but when my health care provider texted me a question on a medication dosage – i.e. “1.5mg or 0.75mg?” I was surprised to see that my Apple Watch realized I was being given a choice and the canned responses now included 1.5mg and 0.75mg as clickable responses.

    *Watch Apps:*

    I am liking the Score app which gives me updates on the Cubs games. While the Activity app is a little annoying when it taps my wrist and tells me to stand up, I am finding that I am motivated to meet my daily goals for standing, moving, and exercising. I used the Maps app and soon got used to the taps to alert me to turns. I don’t think I will use that on my motorcycle but I can clearly see the use while navigating on foot in a city. Grace and I tried out the camera remote function while on our trip but never could quite get the iPhone in a stable place so helpful people always offered to take our picture.

    I think I’m gonna keep it!

  • _Dear Friends,_

    Maybe this will be my year for apples. My three apple trees at home and the one outside my office were covered with blossoms this spring and now are growing little apples. Who knows…my 40-year struggle to grow apples might finally end! We had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and caught three parades starting with the one over the hill in Williamstown, VT on Saturday. I hope your holiday weekend was awesome too and that you are ready for the summertime!  

    There are lots of rumors coming out over the upcoming World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) starting on June 8th with the confirmed keynote set for 10 AM Pacific time. We don’t do rumors here in Kibbles & Bytes but we are excited to get a glimpse of the future as Apple talks about their plans and gets developers stoked to create for them.  

    This week’s Kibbles & Bytes exclusive features the Apple Certified Refurbished 13-inch MacBook Air with the ultimate protection plan! You get the MacBook Air with 1.3GHz i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD drive. This carries Apple’s 1-year warranty just like the new machines. We are adding AppleCare protection to this MacBook Air, which will not only extend that hardware warranty from 1 to 3 years but also extends the 90 days of free technical support to 3 years. Because we know you will be carrying this laptop around a lot we also adding Safeware protection, too. Safeware provides 3 years of accidental damage coverage, subject to a $250 deductible.   

    That should make for a pretty good deal but in honor of the upcoming summer we are going to add in a free pair of Chill Pill speakers and this purchase qualifies for our Dads and Grads promotion so you would also get a $50 Small Dog Gift card! The regular price for this bundle is $1319 but exclusively for Kibbles & Bytes readers this week (while supplies last) you can snag this bundle for only $1165! “*Click Here*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900001864 to order yours.

  • Mobile Banking

    I use my gizmos for all sorts of stuff, but anything to do with money and technology in the same sentence has always made me a little uncomfortable. It’s been a long journey that took me several years, but it’s finally at the point where I can do most of my financial heavy lifting from my iPhone or my Mac without hesitation. There are a few developmental steps that I had to progress through before I was ready for this though.

    The first was trusting the system. I had a very common distrust of doing finances on my computer, like all it would take is just a foolish click or typing in the wrong number and horrible things would happen, or I would get hacked. My belief at the time was that if I didn’t do my banking on my machine then I wouldn’t be capable of being a victim. When I talked with my bank about my fears they let me know that there are protections against some mishaps and greatly eased my fears. They did make it very clear that I should protect my account numbers and login information with the same level of caution I would guard my Social Security number with. Most banks require a really good password (really tricky to even make one that meets their requirements the first few times- this many uppercase, that many lowercase, oh so many characters, some symbols, some numbers, and maybe even more, like punctuation). Having long and complicated passwords is a pain, but it’s important and necessary. Another thing that many banks have embraced is two-step verification, where you need a password, as well as a secondary verification method. Most implementations of this send your phone a text message, or opt to have a robot call you and give you the secret code that’s always changing. This greatly enhances security; my thoughts are that it’s a pain to me when I know my password and have my phone, if someone malicious is trying to guess my password and succeeds, they’ll also need my phone for that second part of the two-step verification.

    I almost always have my iPhone with me and one of the most useful money management apps I’ve used thus far is “*Mint.*”:https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mint-money-manager-budget/id300238550?mt=8&at=11lb7k What I found attractive about this app is that I can put in multiple accounts and credit cards and see how much money has come in, what’s gone out and where it’s gone. Mint has all sorts of neat and useful features, like pretty graphs. There’s a lot of tweaking you can do, like any purchases I make at gas stations are generally automatically set to fuel, but I can re-categorize the purchase to snacks or whatever might be more appropriate. I can even make a note about a specific purchase. Mint was the first finance app I was really comfortable having on my phone because they made a point that it’s just for viewing my purchases, and I can’t actually move money around.

    Many credit cards offer alerts for purchases. I have it set that when charges of a certain nature happen on a credit card I get an email or text message. If I have my phone with me, I generally get notified before I walk out the door of wherever I made the purchase. There are a couple of other apps that are companions to a physical debit card I carry. One is the “*Simple app.*”:https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/simple-better-banking/id479317486?mt=8&at=11lb7k I get push notifications directly from this app. “*Google Wallet*”:https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-wallet/id575923525?mt=8&at=11lb7k does this as well. It’s really impressive how fast these notifications come through.

    My bank and credit cards all have their own apps as well. I remember getting hit with like a three dollar “mobile banking fee” for moving some money around in my bank’s app, I’m sure it was in black in white somewhere in that large block of text that I just tapped “I agree” to so that I could start using the app. On the plus side, I have no recollection of ever being billed for just checking my transactions or balance from any app or using a service like Mint.

    I enjoy online banking for it’s convenience and the mobile apps are a potentially useful extension that has definitely made my life easier.

  • Summertime Fun with your Mac

    It’s that time of year again…summertime! In many cases this means traveling to various places and seeing various people. As excitement builds, most people often forget they may use their mobile hotspot to stay connected to the internet when needed. You must check with your cellular carrier to verify you have hotspot set up on your account and then you’re ready to enjoy the usage of your MacBook or iPad while on vacation.

    That being the case, most mobile hotspots have only an allotted amount of data you can use. You really want to make sure you get the most efficient use out of your device when it is connected to your hotspot. Through trial and error I found there are quite a few apps that help you restrict data usage on your OS X devices while traveling. I personally reccomend “*TripMode*”:http://www.tripmode.ch however, at this time it’s not in the App Store. Nonetheless, you can download this app directly from their website. This app is a pretty amazing app to help restrict data usage while using a mobile hotspot, yet still giving you the freedom to enjoy all the spots you love visiting, and helping you control your data usage and avoid a large bill from your wireless provider.

    *TripMode* allows you to quickly and easily block specific apps the second you connect to a hotspot. When you connect to a hotspot, *TripMode* automatically starts restricting access to the internet from any apps you have open. You can customize which ones get access and which don’t. You can also monitor how much data they use, which is handy if you have a data cap on your hotspot. The best part about this app is that there’s a free seven-day trial available on the developer’s site that I’ve included above. If you love this app as I do then the small investment of buying the app for ($7.99) will save you a lot of money in the future. Who doesn’t love saving money?