Kibbles & Bytes Blog

Apple news, tech tips, and more…

KB Dog

  • How Technology Improves the Life of Old Fogies

    Now that I am on Medicare and always get the senior discount at the movies I thought it was time to reflect upon how technology has helped to improve the lives of those of us showing some gray. One of the most important demographics for Small Dog Electronics is our older customers. Where technology is second nature to the millennials it has a bit more wonder for those that were used to pencils, books and talking to their neighbors.

    There are so many ways that technology and specifically Apple technology can enhance the life of seniors. I have written before about my experiences with hearing aids. Apple technology made it possible to have my hearing aids paired with my iPhone for control and streaming of phone calls and music. I always wanted to start a collection of ear trumpets but these high tech hearing aids have truly changed my life.

    Apple has a strong commitment to accessibility and has built-in many useful features for making your computing experience on your Mac, iPhone or iPad easier. We have reviewed many of these accessibility features for sight, hearing, touch and interfacing with your device. Those all make it easier to access the technology but how does this access actually help make your life easier.

    Staying in touch is one thing that most seniors want to do, whether it is by email, voice, social media or FaceTime. FaceTime has been a huge boon for seniors trying to stay in touch with their families. I remember going to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago in the 50s to be wowed by the AT&T picture phone which was going to be the future. Of course, that never happened but FaceTime did! It doesn’t matter where you are, you can easily FaceTime your family or friends or if they are not using Apple, try Skype which also will allow worldwide connections. It was so cool to be way over in China and be able to talk and see Grace back in Vermont.

    Getting out to shop for anything can be a real production, especially if you have to travel some distance. I am a very firm supporter of shopping locally but the convenience of having my dog food delivered on a monthly basis for the pups sure beats lugging those bags to the car and into the house. Mail order pharmacies have made getting medicine a bit more easy – no more standing in line at the drug store (you just have to stand in line on the phone sometimes).

    There is so much that technology can do to help manage your health. I have diabetes and my nurse practitioner is always on my case to measure my blood sugar. I have tried all kinds of devices and I have settled on the iHealth glucometer which interfaces via Bluetooth to my iPhone and can automatically send my readings to my health professional. But, this week also had news that for some time Apple has had a team working on a whole new concept for blood glucose monitoring that will eliminate the finger sticks that prevent many from bothering. It could open a whole new era for diabetes management.

    I have a smart scale that helps me lose weight, Apple’s Health app can help monitor other medical issues, remind you of your medications, track nutrition and much more to allow seniors more control over their health and eliminate some trips to the clinic.

    Video games are not just for the kids, playing games can improve cognition and mental agility. With thousands to choose from it is no longer just dealing solitaire from a worn deck of cards. Gaming involves some social interaction, too!

    Wireless internet and home automation are two pieces of technology that can really help seniors. Whether it is employing sensor devices to call out for help when needed or simply being able to turn on the lights by asking Siri, wireless technology frees up seniors. Never forget to lock your door if you have a HomeKit compatible lock and it knows when you arrived home and unlocks the door for you, too!

    Okay, it is not just that I am old but I have directionally challenged. It sort of runs in my family. Grace says I have to go someplace a dozen times before I remember the directions. That was true when I was 25, too and my daughter, Autumn seems to have inherited that. But technology to the rescue. I am so tuned in to GPS technology that I am literally never without it. My Apple watch taps me to remind me to go right or left and I have GPS on all my vehicles.

    How do you use technology to make your life better? I am a gadget geek and of course, this is what I do for a living but I see older customers come into the store every day. I love asking them what they are using their Mac or iPad for and keeping in touch is on top of the list but everything from looking up recipes to managing their retirement portfolio comes up in those discussions. Technology grants the most precious gift – time!

    A long time ago, in a galaxy far away, I reserved a bunch of domain names and aside from falserumors.com (which I REALLY want to launch), I reserved macseniors.com. Now that I have a 49-year old daughter (Happy Birthday, Zoey!) and an 18-year old granddaughter (Happy Birthday, Khadija!) maybe it is time to resurrect MacSeniors or SeniorMac.com.

  • _Dear Friends,_

    Apple had some announcements for Earth Day. The most significant was that they are committing to a plan to use 100% recycled materials in their products to help end mining of rare earth minerals. Apple already has set some standards for protecting the environment. Nearly 100% of Apple’s electricity (96%) is generated by renewable energy. When Apple’s new Cupertino campus opens it will be the largest LEED Platinum-certified building in North America. Over 99 percent of the paper in Apple’s product packaging is from recycled or responsibly managed sources. And, in only two years, through partnerships with the Conservation Fund and World Wildlife Fund, they have achieved the goal of protecting or creating enough sustainably managed working forests to cover all of their product packaging needs. I applaud Apple for recognizing the reality of climate change and putting their money where their mouth is in protecting our planet. More is needed but Apple seems very committed. You can read their latest Environmental Report “**here.**”:https://images.apple.com/environment/pdf/Apple_Environmental_Responsibility_Report_2017.pdf

    In another quiet announcement Apple made iMovie, Numbers, Keynote, Pages, and GarageBand for both Mac and iOS devices free to all users. Previously, it was free with a purchase of a Mac or iPad but now all users can download these powerful apps. MacOS, iOS and movies, spreadsheets, presentations, word processing and music all for free!

    This week’s “Kibbles & Bytes exclusive”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900002655/kibbles-and-bytes-exclusive-bundle? features the gold MacBook. Makes me think of James Bond! This diminutive powerhouse is the latest iteration of the venerable MacBook. This week I am bundling the MacBook in gold with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD drive with AppleCare Protection and the Hyperdrive gold USB-C hub. This hub gives you 4 ports: 1 x HDMI, 2 x USB 3.0, USB Type-C with power delivery. We are taking $150 off this bundle exclusively this week for “Kibbles & Bytes readers.”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900002655/kibbles-and-bytes-exclusive-bundle? You get the brand new gold MacBook, AppleCare Protection and the USB-C hub for only “**$1,459.97**”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900002655/kibbles-and-bytes-exclusive-bundle? this week only!

  • Mechanical Keyboards

    Okay, I know you’re probably asking, “aren’t all keyboards mechanical?” While the key mechanism in keyboards are, the “mechanical” aspect is referring to the actual switch mechanism underneath the keys. If you’re an old-school computer user like me, you may remember the old IBM Model ‘M’ keyboard which is what I learned to type on. This brute of a unit was durable, reliable and extremely heavy weighing in at over 3 pounds. More than some modern laptops! It was loud and clicky, the keys would spring back to attention in milliseconds of pressing them and if you could type even remotely fast you’d sound that much more impressive.

    Over the years keyboards have evolved to be more compact, lighter and use less materials. While this is great for most users, there is a growing subculture of people who prefer the clicky keyboard days of old. To understand mechanical keyboards you need to learn a bit about keyboards in general. Most modern keyboards are referred to in the mechanical keyboard community as “rubber domes”. These keyboards have a sheet of flexible plastic or rubber under the actual keys which provides both the contact point for the underlying circuit board and little domes molded in which provide both the suspension point for each key and the contact point for the circuit board underneath.

    Mechanical keyboards operate on the same basic principle, but a different mechanism is used to reach the connection and rebound the key back up. There is an individual mechanical mechanism under each key, the design of which can vary depending on the keyboard. These units are known as ‘switches’. They usually have some kind of spring. Mechanical switches come in a number of varieties and therein lies the appeal. Some have a tactile bump, some an audible click, while others are completely smooth and linear.

    **Pros to the mechanical keyboard**

    **Build Quality** Mechanical keyboards are more expensive to make, so they are usually higher quality in general than a standard keyboard. This also relates to how they last longer than standard keyboards. Rubber domes are capable of lasting a long time, but they will have a change in feel. They will become mushier and less responsive over time. Mechanical keyboards are know to feel like the day they were bought for many years.

    **Aesthetics** Mechanical keyboards tend to be more “old school” and simple in looks, which many enthusiasts prefer. However, there is an increasing popularity of mechanical keyboards marketed towards gamers and those keyboards have the gaming look. There is also a world of custom key caps of all designs and colors. These custom items are most commonly made for mechanical keyboards because there is a market for them.

    **Feel** Combining the characteristics of mechanical switches and the higher build quality of the keyboard, mechanical keyboards are preferred by many because they just feel better. The keystrokes feel crisp, deliberate and satisfying. The rubber domes in standard keyboards contribute to a feeling of mushiness, while mechanical keyboards have a visceral mechanical feel.

    **Customizability** Mechanical keyboards are a favorite among hardware tinkerers as you can swap in and out components of different switches to make a different feeling keystroke. There are a number of other hardware changes you can make as well such as a custom keycaps, bushings to adjust key rebound and more.

    **Cons for mechanical Keyboards**

    **Price** Mechanical keyboards are expensive and are often over $100

    **Niche Market** While these are popular keyboards for those who use them and there are not a lot of companies who have them out on the market. Often folks might purchase these and then not realize how loud they can be as well.

    **Weight** This may not matter to most people, but mechanical keyboards, on average, can be heavier than standard keyboards. Some users prefer this as it implies a higher standard and build quality.

    **Sound** As mentioned earlier, mechanical keyboards are often loud. Some switches make an audible click, but even those that don’t have a harsh plastic on plastic CLACK at the bottom of the keystroke. Some people love the click and clack sound, but it can drive others crazy.

    Generally mechanical keyboards are the best fit for enthusiasts or gamers. I personally prefer the feel of mechanical switches, but there is a good deal of nostalgia baked in as well. If you’ve never tried one, or like me you long for the days of old, it’s worth taking a look at mechanical keyboards to see what you think.

  • Terminal Tidbits

    **Disk Usage Command**

    There might be a time when you need to know how much space is available on your hard drive and you need to do it without a GUI. When trying to do diagnostics to find issues, it’s good to know if your hard drive is simply at capacity. Hard drives filled to their limits can display some scary signs, making one think that they have serious issues. When your drive is just stuffed more then your family’s thanksgiving turkey you can run into some pretty troubling and difficult issues.

    By opening Terminal and going into the Command line you can find out quickly what youR disk space is looking like. Within terminal enter the command, that is simply “df”.

    Once you run “df” you are going to get a weird confusing result. There will be many blocks, so to help your sanity us the -h (human readable) flag so that the overall syntax is “df -h”. This will give the result of used space and available space in gigabytes instead of blocks.

    p{text-align: center;}. !http://blog.smalldog.com/images/5038.png!

  • What the Cloud?

    My work includes quite a lot of explaining about how cloud backup can be configured and updated and how much it should be trusted, among other questions related to redundant server-based data storage. I want to make one thing crystal clear: There is nothing inherently different between the way servers operate and the way your machines operate at home, beyond layers of redundancy, variant OS, and complexity of filesystem organization.

    The truth is, at least under the average data storage and bandwidth use of a household, a custom-designed personal server is often perfect for daily needs and once it’s set up it can be just as reliable in so many ways. One perk is that you don’t pay a monthly or annual fee (beyond upgrading / replacing hardware, updating the OS and paying for internet service) and you are able to directly manage and configure all hardware and software without as much restriction and dependence on the IT staff of a cloud-based storage company.

    Some folks are intimidated by the concept of setting up a server in their own home, but remember that we are here to help! Some NAS (Network Attached Storage) drives we’re currently selling include the “Drobo 5N”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/82506/drobo-5n-network-drive-array, the “Seagate 8TB NAS”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/82934/seagate-business-storage-nas-4-bay-8tb-array. If you’re serious about having a long-term solution and willing to make the investment in a server rack, we could help you design a system of 1U servers that could theoretically rival the performance of many cloud-storage solutions, especially if your internet connection is strong enough. Plus, you’d be able to share access with trusted individuals in the same manner that iCloud or Google Drive allows you to.

    I’m not saying that services like iCloud or Amazon Cloud Drive or Dropbox or Carbonite or Google Drive are at all inferior to a home-based server. In many ways they outperform and can withstand far more catastrophic failure than many local alternatives. It’s a bit like apples and oranges – understanding that they each have their place, and neither will ever be fully secure or indestructible. Redundancy is key, but so is security and organization. These may be unreachable goals at their farthest theoretical extent, but we must do what we can to adapt to the entropy and loopholes of the universe and attempt to keep data both safe and accessible while keeping our tech as intuitive as possible.

  • There’s a lot of behind the scenes effort and training that goes into our service department. Small Dog Electronics is an authorized service provider for Apple computers, and this authorization comes with a lot of training and safety measures within our service department. Every computer that is checked into our service department goes through a checklist of Apple diagnostics and processes to accurately determine how to best resolve the issue that the machine is experiencing. Additionally all of our technicians go through a fairly intense and lengthy training processes before they begin working on customer machines. Even once a technician is certified as a Apple Certified Mac Technician their training does not end. With each new computer release technicians are required to take exams and training sessions on any new machine prior to working on that unit. We’ve recently had two new members join our South Burlington service team and they are currently going through our training process and certification steps. They begin their training at our service counter doing check in and check out of computers coming through our service department. We’re looking forward to having two more members in our service department trained and ready to help keep our service department running smoothly and efficiently.

    As a customer one of the most frustrating repairs that computers can need are battery replacements. To try and help customers get their computers back as efficiently as possible we’ve set up new processes and procedures within our service department over the last few weeks to get these machines back as quickly as possible. We know that down time for computer repair is a huge inconvenience for many users so we do our best to get machines back to our customers. If you feel that your computer is in need of a battery replacement and you want to find out more about pricing and turn-around time send an e-mail to “support@smalldog.com”:mailto:support@smalldog.com

    Our first flower bloomed this week at our main office in Waitsfield and the grass has begun to turn green. It’s really starting to look and feel like spring in Vermont.

    Thank you for reading!
    Emily Dolloff
    “emily@smalldog.com”:mailto:emily@smalldog.com

  • Oh boy! Baseball, basketball and hockey all going on at the same time. I don’t watch much hockey but the Blackhawks are my team so the playoffs are interesting. But how about those Boston Celtics. As Tommy Heinsohn said the other night, “the line at the betting window for the Celtics to win the east was very short” and yet they did it and will face the Bulls in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

    And of course, watching baseball is fun because I can do a lot of stuff while watching the game and the Cubs are favored to repeat but have a long season to prove they are worthy.

    Jezebel, my Olde English Bulldog is growing up fast and I have been spending a lot of time training her. She is going to be a big dog, she is 5 months old and already 45 pounds so training is important. Fortunately, she is a smart girl and has learned a lot. Walking around the neighborhood I have taught her to sit at crosswalks and not pull on the leash. But when she sees we are going to the dog park here in Key West, all bets are off. She pulls with all her strength no matter how many times I make her stop and sit and just cannot wait to run around in the large park by the ocean. There is a dog beach here, too, and we took her there and while she did seem a bit tentative she was swimming around with her life vest on.

    I just cannot imagine life without dogs in it.

    Thank you for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

    Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,

    _Don, Emily & Hadley_

  • Lions and Tigers and Bears and Digital and Analog, Oh My!

    From time to time in Kibbles articles I’ve written, I’ve talked about the differences between digital and analog circuits, but it’s almost always in passing and tertiary to something else. I decided this week that it was worth doing a whole article about it. Some of this will probably be a bit of a refresher, but that’s ok. We have to start somewhere.

    People generally seem to understand that computers, smart phones, smart watches, even calculators…all that stuff is digital. We commonly refer to those things as digital, but we don’t often explicitly describe what ??makes?? them digital. First of all, the word “digital” isn’t what I would’ve chosen if I was choosing to name that class of circuits. We call them digital because they function entirely based on binary digits (0 and 1). This is fine, but if given the chance, I would’ve called them “discrete” circuits because this is more generic and more descriptive of the actual architecture itself. When I studied computer science in college, we actually had special math classes we had to take, totally separate from the mathematics department. These classes were called “discrete mathematics” and they revolve entirely around the specific types of mathematics relevant in so-called “digital” circuits and the higher level “computers” they make up. This includes things like boolean algebra (easy), graph theory (harder, but interesting and useful), set theory and combinatorics among many others. Discrete mathematics eventually prepared you for things like computational theory. By far the hardest thing I had to learn in those later classes was linear algebra. The one common thread in all of these classes though is that the units were discrete. There were no gradations, fractions, derivatives or integrations that you’d find in almost any other math class.

    The reason for the difference is the fundamental difference between digital and analog. Digital circuits can by definition only operate discretely. They are completely blind to anything that occurs within their discrete ranges. This doesn’t mean that digital circuits themselves can’t do analog tasks, or do things involving real numbers, but their operation does not use these things.

    Analog circuits on the other hand exist over an entire domain. Analog circuitry can be described by conventional mathematics (primarily algebra and calculus). Much like digital circuits are not ideal at perfectly replicating analog systems, analog systems are poor at functioning in discrete terms. A single digital circuit can be configured to calculate any number of different things and can even be reprogrammed for new tasks. Analog circuits can also “calculate” things, but they do so in a very different, specialized and limited way. I remember asking this question when I took an electrical engineering class. Why create some complex circuit that effectively calculates the integral of some signal when a digital circuit could be programmed to do the same thing? The answer is that digital circuits have a lot of overhead and take time to calculate something (due to clock cycles). The time they take is totally dependent on the efficiency and accuracy of the programming. An analog circuit doing the same thing would be accurate every single time and would do so at the speed of electricity (the speed of light). It would also be simpler in construction.

    An example of an analog circuit that’s performing a function would be an amplifier. The amplifier’s job is to take an input signal and boost its amplitude. A digital circuit could be programmed to do this, but to do so at virtual instantaneous speed and accuracy would be a tall order. The analog circuit would also be able to follow the input signal exactly at every single infinite point on its waveform. A digital circuit, because it’s discrete and slave to a clock, would miss all the pieces of the input signal that occur in between its clock ticks.

    People don’t often contrast analog and digital circuits this way, but I find it to be very accurate: digital circuits are flexible and generic, analog circuits are simple, fast and specialized. Different situations call for different circuits, which is why decades into the digital age, analog circuits are still incredibly useful. However, as digital electronics become faster, cheaper and more robust, they become able to approximate the specialized analog circuit performance at more and more acceptable levels. You can already see this happening in some applications. In 1971 you could buy a Dodge Challenger with a 6.98L Hemi V8. A powerful and complex engine in its day, it would have relied completely on analog electronics to run, to the extent it even used electronics at all. A carburetor doesn’t need a computer to help it mix fuel and air. Starting in 2011 the same car was available with a 6.4L HEMI V8. This engine uses computer-controlled fuel injection as well as a fleet of sensors measuring everything at every level of operation. The sensor data is fed to a computer that can adjust inputs to the engine allowing it to run cleaner and produce more power. Without the computer, the engine would barely run at all. The computer is actually able to work fast enough to deal with all of the inputs and create an accurate output in a timely fashion.

    Hopefully this was an interesting dedicated look at the differences between digital and analog circuits. If you have any suggestions for topics, or questions that you’d like to hear me answer about electronics, electricity or its applications, send me an email!

  • Notes!

    I have been a fan of Notes for years! I started out using the Notes program on my mac and used it for everything, and sadly, I mean ??everything?? including usernames and passwords. Thankfully I learned many years ago safer means of account login storage and abandoned my sticky note ways on my Mac.

    What I missed most about my sticky notes was a quick and all in one location for things I needed to jot down, hello and welcome notes! Notes has been out for many years and it’s certainly nothing new on iOS or macOS. Notes is an incredibly versatile program and one that I rely on heavily as another tool for keeping me organized and in order. I’ve written in the past about reminders, but I admit, try as I might I just can’t get away from Notes and find its versatility in features to be something that reminders just can’t compete with. There are several features within the notes program that go beyond just taking a simple note, and I want to share some of my favorite features.

    **Syncing**

    I think the ability to sync my notes across all of my devices is hands down the number one reason I use and just can’t break away from this handy little app. I can write a note on my computer and it automatically sends the note to my iPad and iPhone. With iCloud turned on and note syncing your notes update across all devices that are logged into your iCloud account. There is one catch to the auto syncing that is new in the last year or so. In order for your iOS devices and your Mac to get your notes you do need to make sure that in addition to to iCloud being turned on, all of your devices need to be running the latest OS. Last week I had an issue where my notes were syncing from my iOS devices to my Mac, but not from my Mac to my iOS devices. A quick look at my devices revealed I hadn’t run my most recent software updates.

    **Drawing**

    Did you know that you can draw within the notes program? Notes allows you to actually write a note in your own handwriting, but also allows you to draw and there is even a handy ruler so you can draw straight lines. There are a variety of colors to choose from to put a pop of color in and you have a choice of a pencil, and two marker options. The details aren’t as responsive or detailed as that of say the iPad Pro. But this little feature allows for handy on-the-go creations. You can easily and quickly sketch out an idea via e-mail, text and even social media. This feature only really works on the iOS, you can do some similar actions on the Mac via Mark Up.

    p{text-align: center;}. !http://blog.smalldog.com/images/5035.png!

    **Mark Up**

    Within notes you can insert a pictures from your photo library (on the Mac you can just drag and drop the image into your note) and then you can mark it up! You can draw over the image, add text, shapes and more. I recently used this feature specifically when I was working to re-model and paint a room in my house. We took pictures of the room and used the mark up feature to finalize what colors and changes we were going to make in the room.

    **Locking Notes**

    Another cool feature with the notes program is that you can lock the notes. The only information that is viewable in the note is the title. A passcode must be entered on the computer or iOS device in order to see what is in the note. This is a great way to keep things just a little bit more secure on your devices. While you should keep things like passwords and account information securely stored in your keychain, this is another option. Admittedly if you’re given a code or access to something and need the information temporarily, it’s more practical to jot it in Notes and lock it. Likewise if your a busy mom or spouse and you find yourself making notes about a special event or gifts it’s nice to know you can keep wondering eyes away from your information and keep the surprise.

    Notes, the little app that does so much!

  • Beats X Wireless Earphones

    The new Apple AirPods are cool and I made a bet with a friend of mine about whether she would get a job interview or not for the Green Mountain Care board. I knew she would but she was skeptical so AirPods became the currency of the bet. Well, she got the letter from the Governor so I’m getting some AirPods but I have to tell you that I will probably not use them because I discovered the ultimate wireless earphones, the Beats X!

    I wear high-end hearing aids that stream my phone calls and can also stream music but the sound quality for music basically, well, it sucks. So, as I was contemplating my upcoming motorcycle ride to the big easy, I needed a solution. I grabbed a pair of Beats X and they have exceeded my expectations in every way.

    Unlike the AirPods, the Beats X are connected to each other. This was important to me as I didn’t want one AirPod flying out of my ear and down the road while I was riding. They are connected with a very comfortable Flex-Form cable and come with variety of eartip and secure-fit wingtip options offer further personalized comfort and stability. I found that the stock eartips fit perfectly.

    Pairing is simple, press the button on the right side which is also the on/off switch for 3
    seconds and a message pops up on my iPhone to connect the Beats X and then they were available and paired with my MacBook Pro, my Apple watch and my iPad. I have a lot of Bluetooth devices so in my case, I have to press the button for 5 seconds so that my iPhone knows I want to use the Beats X instead of my hearing aids.

    p{text-align: center;}. !http://blog.smalldog.com/images/5033.jpg!

    The Beats X last a full 8 hours of play time – I have tested that! Not only that, if you plug them in for 5 minutes you get 2 hours of charge! Apple has named that Fast Fuel. This is another reason that I installed that USB charger on my motorcycle. They charge with a USB charger and come with a very convenient short USB/Lightning cable.

    Much of this is made possible by the Apple W1 chip. Yes, these Beats X earphones feature the same Apple W1 chip as the AirPods. The W1 is custom Apple-designed silicon. In addition to standard Bluetooth 4.1 streaming and advanced power management, the chip adds a host of key features including balancing all of that sophisticated syncing (between the two earpieces, the case for AirPods and the audio source) with the sensor inputs (automatically pausing music if you remove one from your ear). The W1 chip also makes better use of power and enables the Fast Fuel rapid charging.

    Okay, so they are comfortable, they pair easily and they sip power slowly. How do they sound? I am not a audiophile but I have tried a lot of earphones in my day. I used to go to the big shows in Hong Kong with my friend Jason Wu and we would spend the entire day trying on earbuds, looking for some that would meet our Hammerhead standards. We did a few tests, cranking up the volume to see how loud they go and how distorted the sound was, making a phone call to see how that sounded and trying both music and dialogue. I became very very picky and have never found the right earphones but Beats X are the ones! They go plenty loud to enjoy the music over the roar of my motorcycle, they sound great on the phone and are perfect for watching that movie on the airplane.

    One other feature that I find very useful is that the earbuds are magnetic so they lock to each other when not in use making them even more secure when I stop for gas or need to talk to someone. They come with a variety of sizes of ear tips and a nice little carrying case. Beats X are my favorite earphones and are of course, in stock at Small Dog Electronics.

  • _Dear Friends,_

    Spring is teasing its way into Vermont as friends send me pictures of daffodils making their way through the remaining snow and mud that is not quite as deep on the back roads. It seems like fall down here as some of the trees are shedding their leaves but the temperatures are rising and so is the humidity.

    We have made the very difficult decision to close our Rutland, Vermont store. This store in a very small community was unable to sustain the level of sales necessary to support the overhead. We tried hard and while we are leaving Rutland for now, we may come back some time in the future. It was a beautiful store and we enjoyed support from the town, our landlord and other Rutland businesses. We have completed some great renovations in our other three stores including HomeKit demo sections.

    Out Key West store has also had some changes and we have had a change in leadership there. Joe Lytton, who was with us from the start has moved up to Georgia to be closer to his family. He led the effort to renovate this store and did a remarkable job. Tommy Allen is our new store manager and Joanne Marius has been promoted to assistant manager.

    I was struck at how poorly United Airlines handled their customer service issue last week. From the beginning, Hapy and I have had the philosophy of empowering our employees to make customer service decisions. Often times we would get asked about a situation and rather than making the call we would simply ask the employee, “what would you do?” and let them make the call. We keep our eye on the true life-cycle value of a customer. The profit we make from a single sale pales in comparison to the value of a loyal customer. Some time ago, a woman that came to work for me handed me a book entitled “Customer Satisfaction is Nothing, Customer Loyalty is Everything”. The book sucked but the concept is sage knowledge. Building customers for life is our goal with every interaction.

    This week’s Kibbles & Bytes Exclusive is an iPod sale! The iPod is Apple’s almost forgotten hit but many of us love our iPods. I use one on my motorcycle for tunes and I have another in my shop to blast rock and roll as I work on my bikes. This week only for Kibbles & Bytes readers you can take “$5 off any iPod Shuffle”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900002651? and “$10 off any iPod nano or iPod touch!”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900002650?