Kibbles & Bytes Blog

I ended up missing two conferences this week — not only did I fail to make it to the Apple Specialist conference, but I missed what was a great Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility spring conference in Burlington. I guess it was just not in the cards…next time!

Have a great weekend, and thank you for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,
_Don, Kali & Stephanie_

Beats Pill portable speaker brings the party with you, wherever you go. The Beats Pill is lightweight, portable, and completely wireless. And currently when you purchase a Beats Pill we’ll throw in a Beats character! Snap the Beats Pill into each character and still get direct access to audio and charging ports. *A $50 savings!*

The Jacket case is Hammerhead latest and greatest case for iPhone 5/5s. It offers exceptional corner protection and anti-slip sides keep the phone securely in your hand when in use. It’s available in tons of fun colors and designs! To make things even more awesome, we’ll even throw in a Hammerhead microfiber cleaning cloth so you can keep your iPhone screen’s looking so fresh and clean!

From May 19th to June 30th, we will be celebrating the Dads and Grads in our lives (and Moms, too!) with big savings on everything from Macs and iPads to the accessories that make the package complete.

Check out the specials below to get a special early bird sneak peek on some of the deals we’re offering, and set your calendars to visit “*Smalldog.com/dadsandgrads*”:http://www.smalldog.com/dadsandgrads on Monday!

With more than 5 million pixels packed into a 15.4-inch display, the MacBook Pro with Retina display has raised the bar for its competitors, making everything on the screen more vibrant and sharper than ever. Everything should look better on 2880 x 1800 pixels, but here’s where we face a problem: *third-party apps now look worse on the new MacBook Pro* than they did when viewed on the previous models.

What does this mean? Third party apps (anything not pre-installed by Apple and/or designed for Apple) that you probably use on a regular basis now exhibit blurry text and low-quality graphics. This includes, but isn’t limited to, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.

*Firefox* developers are working on temporary fixes to cater to MacBook Pro Retina users. This will require patience until they release a software update.

*Google* Chrome has been a bit more active as they’ve released Chrome Canary that is better equipped to display at the MacBook Pro Retina’s resolution. This isn’t a complete fix though, so users that prefer to simply use Google Chrome will also have to wait for an update.

*Microsoft Office* has also stepped up their game by releasing an update (14.2.4) that will “*resolve this issue.*”:http://blog.officeformac.com/retina-display-support-is-here-for-office-for-mac-2011

For native apps (anything pre-installed by Apple and/or designed for Apple) such as iPhoto, GarageBand, Final Cut Pro X, there are already updates in place. However, you may be seeing less than satisfactory quality in iWork, which is Apple’s version of Microsoft Office. If you are, it’s simply because Keynote, Pages, and Numbers are still set in low resolution.

To resolve this, here’s what you’ll need to do:

* Go to the *Application* folder
* Look for *Keynote*, *Pages*, and/or *Numbers*
* Right click or tap “command+i” > *Get Info*
* Deselect “*Open in low resolution*”

It seems like there are almost countless speaker options today, ranging from portable Bluetooth speakers to high-powered premium speakers. It can be a little overwhelming to pick the right setup, but one fact seems to ring true for everyone: we want speakers that sound good and are easy to use. That’s why I am particularly excited about a new product line we are carrying at Small Dog: the wireless speaker system by *Sonos.*

Sonos utilizes a unique HiFi mesh networking technology to connect one or more speakers together wirelessly. Not only is Sonos convenient to use, but it sounds awesome! We’ve seen a lot of new Bluetooth and AirPlay speakers recently, but Sonos utilizes a different wireless technology.

The *Sonos Bridge* connects to your wireless router and creates a new wireless network for all of your Sonos speakers. Whether you have one speaker in the living room or ten speakers spread throughout the house, they can all unite to play the same music at the same time. Building your Sonos setup is easy; syncing your speakers to the bridge for the first time is as easy as pressing a button, and then they’re connected forever. This is a great solution for customers who don’t want the hassle of running wires all over their house.

One of my favorite features of the Sonos system is the app used to control your music. The “*Sonos Controller App*”:https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sonos-controller/id293523031?mt=8&uo=4&at=11lb7k&ct=kibbles, available for mobile devices and computers, lets you browse and play your music library right to your Sonos system. You can even access popular streaming services like Pandora and Spotify. Changing the music in another room is as easy as reaching into your pocket for your smartphone.

Sonos has a wide variety of wireless speakers and home theater components available to customize your perfect audio system. The **PLAY:1** is their smallest speaker, designed for portability while still providing crystal clear sound. The **PLAY:3** is the perfect size for the living room or backyard and can even be mounted. Lastly, the **PLAY:5** brings an impressively large sound that’s powerful enough to fill a large room; it’s also the only Sonos speaker with an audio line-in for connecting a wired device easily.

Note: Sonos has authorized us to sell these speakers in __our retail stores only,__ so come check out our in-store demo to see what Sonos is all about!

*Beats Acquisition Update*
The highly rumored (and somewhat substantiated) Beats By Dre buy by Apple (enough homophones for you?) hasn’t yet been totally finalized, but seems to be moving forward.

“*Read more…*”:http://www.macrumors.com/2014/05/14/apple-beats-deal-finalization/

*Mac OS 10.9 Updates Galore*
Apple released some updates to Mavericks yesterday, including 10.9.3, iTunes 11.2 and Digital Camera RAW compatibility updates. The Mavericks update improved stability and security, and is recommended for all users. VPN connections are improved, as well as 4K support on Mac Pro. You may also now sync contacts and calendars between a Mac and iOS device using USB.

If you’re running Mavericks, open the App Store and check for updates!

_Dear Friends,_

Well, I tried to get to the ASMC meeting in Austin this week, but I had one of the worst travel experiences ever. It started out in Burlington, where my plane was delayed for four hours because of [lack of] “pilot rest.” I guess having a rested pilot is better than one asleep at the wheel, so I got on the plane and settled in to read and listen to music.

A couple of hours later, we landed and I assumed I would de-plane in Chicago and continue on my way. When I looked out the window, though, I discovered we were not at O’Hare, and had been diverted to Madison, WI. We stayed on the tarmac for about three hours until they let us into the Madison terminal, and another couple hours there before O’Hare recovered from a fire in a radar tower and we took off for Chicago.

I was then booked on a flight to Austin, but it kept getting delayed. I was in the airport for about six hours, and finally, at about midnight, they canceled it and was told they could get me to Austin late the following day. Well, that would mean that I’d miss 95% of the meetings I was going to attend, so I decided to head back to Vermont. No flights were scheduled to head that way, but at about 1am, they found a way to get me home the following day. I needed to find a room, but since O’Hare was full of others with delays, they were booked. Overall, I ended up spending about 48 hours in planes and waiting in airports, ultimately, got nowhere.

So, I am here in the Green Mountains where Spring is definitely happening (finally) with the leaves starting to come out, daffodils blooming, and the apple trees getting ready to bud. We are launching our Dads & Grads promos on Monday, which Kali and Stephanie will cover later. We have some great values coming up for dad or to get your high school grad ready for college.

My Kibbles & Bytes special this week is in honor of my doomed trip to Austin — I spent a lot of time reading on my iPad mini and listening to music with my Beats headphones. This week, I want to offer the 16GB Wi-Fi iPad mini from 2012 (brand new) with a 1-Year Apple warranty in White or Space Gray bundled with a Hammerhead mini Capo protective case and the Beats Solo Headphones Drenched in Black for only $459!

“*Purchase this bundle here!*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900001416