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Author "don"
wrote in 1121: New Mac Mini, MacBook Air and iPad Pros! .

Dear Friends,

We made the journey to Key West fun by taking 2-lane roads all the way to Florida. It took a bit more time but was a lot less stressful than days on I-95. The house was in good shape and we even had bananas and one sole lemon. Jezebel and Max remembered our place and fell quickly into the new routine.

There were some great announcements from Apple this week, and we will go into those in detail. The long awaited refresh to the MacBook Air and the Mac Mini highlighted the event with awesome new iPad Pros also debuting. The line between Mac and iPad is getting very blurry, and Tim even referred to the iPad as a computer. It is truly a computer and will be easier than ever to be your only device with the new USB-C interface.

I know it is a hackneyed line but next Tuesday is truly the most important election of our time. I remember the first time I was able to vote when that line was used and that was Goldwater vs. Johnson. Goldwater would seem to be a liberal compared to what we have now! Please go vote! Please take 5 friends with you, too!

We have decided to do something special for all of our customers, we are offering a one time discount to everyone. If you send us a picture of yourself or you and your dog, on November 6th, we will email you a coupon with a discount for your next order. Send the pictures to sales@smalldog.com and we will choose a few to share in the next issue of Kibbles & Bytes! This is our way of thanking all of our readers and customers for their support, without you, we would not still be here.

This week’s Kibbles & Bytes Exclusive features the configure-to-order 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. I have three brand new units in stock that have the 3.5GHz i7 Dual Core processor, 16gb of ram and a 1TB SSD storage. These are space gray and available on a first come first served basis. We are bundling them with AppleCare + so you get 3-years of warranty coverage, tech support and accidental damage coverage (with deductible). This week only you can buy this bundle for $200 off at $2468.99!

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wrote in 1119: Apple Watch Nike + GPS & Cellular First Week, Screen Time .

We are packing up and stuffing everything in the car for our trip to Key West. I convinced Grace that we really did not have to rush and spend the entire trip on I-95 so we will be doing some meandering as we head south. I am going to use my iPhone app that tells me where weird things are on my journey. I will never forget the trip to Hutto, Texas, and, with the help of the app, I went to see the hippo statues with Hapy and Jen Mayer. We had some extra time while attending an Apple conference and piled into my rental car to go see where this app was sending us. It turned out the town was hippo crazy.

I will be traveling most of next week. We are celebrating our 51st anniversary at Hapy’s house on Sunday and then jumping in the Jeep on Monday for the trip. Emily will be at the reins of Kibbles & Bytes next week.

Thank you so much for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,

Don & Emily

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wrote in 1119: Apple Watch Nike + GPS & Cellular First Week, Screen Time .

Dear Friends,

I think I may have waited just a bit too long to head south as I woke up this morning to a nice blanket of snow and temperatures in the teens. As I let Jezebel out for her morning relief she took a couple of tentative steps onto the snow and then jumped back. I realized it was her first experience with snow and so I had to go out with her to show her it was safe. She was still walking like she had twinkle toes.

I installed a Honeywell Lyric smart thermostat at my house this past weekend. My old thermostat wire was very built-in to my house some 45 years ago so pulling a wire that way was not gonna happen. It was long drills, cutting sheetrock and running a new wire just to ensure that we had the required “C” wire to allow the thermostat to be HomeKit compatible. I will give the log-in to my winter tenants and when they come up to ski they can make sure the home is warm for them. And, if they forget to turn it down I can set it to “away” while I am on the beach in Key West.

Did you vote yet? Most states allow early voting so why stand in line? Or, take a few friends to your polling place and vote all together! It really matters! Here’s a link to President Obama putting to rest the seven most common excuses for not voting

This week’s Kibbles & Bytes Exclusive is on the Boom Swimmer Duo Bluetooth Waterproof speaker. It can hang out in your shower or on the beach. I have two in Orange/Green and two in Orange. Normally, these are $59.99 each but while current supply lasts, strictly first come, first served, you can have one of these versatile waterproof speakers for only $39.99!

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wrote in 1118: Do Not Disturb Me, Wait..Disturb Me, Walkie-Talkie .

We are pretty much ready for our annual migration, like the snowbirds we are. I winterized the camper, put gas stabilizer in all the gas engines, put my little Austin Healey Sprite away and just have to button up the motorcycle.

It seems every year that our schedules get compacted just before we leave. We have goodbye dinners with friends and family, we have last-minute medical appointments and lots of moving of personal gear to make room for our winter tenants.

Hey, did I mention that it would be a really good idea if you voted this year?

Thank you for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,

Don & Emily

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wrote in 1118: Do Not Disturb Me, Wait..Disturb Me, Walkie-Talkie .

I love the Do Not Disturb feature in iOS—it’s really handy for keeping notifications from waking me up at night or causing embarrassing light and noise in a dark movie theater. This has been a problem because when Do Not Disturb is turned on manually for a movie or doctor’s appointment, one had to remember to turn it off manually when ready, or risk missing important notifications. No more!

In iOS 12, Apple enhanced Do Not Disturb in two ways: enabling it to disable itself automatically after a certain amount of time or when your location changes and adding a Bedtime mode that holds all notifications until you wake up.

An Automatic End to Do Not Disturb Sessions

In previous versions of iOS, you invoked Do Not Disturb manually by tapping its button in Control Center. However, if you forgot to turn it off after your meeting, say, it would stay on forever unless you had a Do Not Disturb schedule set, and, even then, not until the end of that schedule. So if you forgot to turn Do Not Disturb off after a 10 AM meeting, it could stay on until the next morning or until you realized you weren’t getting any calls or messages.

If you start Do Not Disturb sessions in the same way in iOS 12, they’ll act the same way. But if you force-touch or press and hold the Do Not Disturb button in Control Center, that brings up the Do Not Disturb card with five options:

  1. For 1 hour: This first choice tells Do Not Disturb to hold all your calls for an hour, after which it will turn off automatically.
  2. Until this evening/Until tomorrow morning: If you invoke this option during the day, it will silence calls and notifications until 7 PM. Select it at night, however, and it will quiet your iPhone until 7 AM.
  3. Until I leave this location: Use this choice when you’re invoking Do Not Disturb in conjunction with being in a particular spot that you’ll leave as soon as you’re done.
  4. Until the end of the next event: When you enable Do Not Disturb during an event on your calendar, this choice appears, giving you the option of turning off Do Not Disturb at the end of the event.
  5. Schedule: Tap this button to open Settings > Do Not Disturb.

While Do Not Disturb is on, iOS 12 puts a notification on the Lock screen telling you when it will turn itself off. At any time before then, you can tap the Lock screen notification to allow calls and notifications again.

Do Not Disturb During Bedtime

In Settings > Do Not Disturb, you’ll find a new Bedtime switch. When enabled during the times for which you’ve scheduled Do Not Disturb, it dims and blacks out the Lock screen, silences calls, and sends all notifications to Notification Center instead of showing them on the Lock screen.

The idea behind the Bedtime switch is that it reduces the chances that glancing at your iPhone in the middle of the night to see what time it is it will not shock your eyes or engage your brain. Sleep is good! But if you get up early and want to allow notifications through again, tap the Do Not Disturb notification on the Lock screen to turn it off.

That’s not all you can do with Do Not Disturb During Bedtime. You might know that there’s a bedtime screen in the Clock app that’s designed to help you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. If you use it to set your desired sleep schedule and enable the Do Not Disturb During Bedtime switch in Clock > Bedtime > Options, you get another Do Not Disturb schedule.

That could be extremely welcome if, for instance, you want Do Not Disturb on automatically both at night when you’re sleeping and also during a regularly scheduled class or meeting.

Give these new Do Not Disturb options a try! They go a long way toward ensuring that our iPhones fit into our lives better, rather than forcing us to pay attention to every last alert or message.

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wrote in 1118: Do Not Disturb Me, Wait..Disturb Me, Walkie-Talkie .

Dear Friends,

Wild weather here and even wilder down south with the huge damage from Hurricane Michael. I know the president says this is all a hoax and he’ll have to figure out who wrote the UN climate report that says we have only 12 years before irreversible damage is done to our planet, but seriously folks, climate change is real – just look at the evidence. Oh, I forgot science is not science…

It was 82 on Wednesday and I took the Indian to drive to work and just had to leave at lunch for a joy ride. Now I hear it is supposed to be only a high of around 40 on Saturday. Hapy texted me a screenshot from his iPhone last night of the weather app and asked me what that symbol was next to next Tuesday — yup, it was a snowflake and that makes my preparations to head south even more urgent.

We are only 25 days from the election and, yes, it is the most important election in my lifetime, and probably yours, too. Please get out and vote. In many states, you can vote early, too! I sort of like going to the voting booth so I will be voting around the corner from my house. This year we are opening our stores and offices late on Election Day so that our employees have the ability to get to their local polling place conveniently. If you send a picture of yourself by your polling place or of you and your mail-in ballot to sales@smalldog.com we will send you a coupon for $10 off your next order!

This week’s Kibbles & Bytes Exclusive is the 21.5 inch iMac featuring the 2.3 GHz i5 processor, 8GB of ram and a 1TB drive. We are bundling this iMac with AppleCare and giving you $50 off. This week only this bundle is $1218.99!

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wrote in 1117: Getting Started with Apple Pay, Scan With Your iPhone .

The autumn colors here are really brilliant now. I took my drone out last night to take some pictures of the fall foliage from above. I think I will have to ride down to Quechee Gorge this weekend to fly it down the gorge for some pics. Speaking of Autumn, my daughter and her husband, Ismae,l are celebrating their 20th Anniversary up at the Prickly Pond where I was the officiant at their wedding. I think they are the 2nd longest lasting couple of the dozens I have married. Artie and Dawn seem to be the longest as they celebrated their 26th this week, too!

We have a long list of stuff to do as we get ready to head down to Key West. We are jamming medical appointments, car service appointments and farewell dinners in between boxing stuff up and getting the house ready for our winter tenants.

Thank you so much for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,

Don & Emily

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wrote in 1117: Getting Started with Apple Pay, Scan With Your iPhone .

I love using Apple Pay to pay for stuff in stores or online, to send money in Messages and to pay for subway rides and gasoline. With Apple Watch it feels like magic, and people are still amazed when I just wave my wrist in Starbucks or at the subway. As I talk to customers about Apple Watch, iPhone and iPad, I always talk about Apple Pay and how it is the right way to pay. So many customers, however, have just never set up Apple Pay or Apple Pay cash. They have all that convenience and yet they are not taking advantage because of a perceived barrier to getting started. So, I thought I would outline just how to get started.

You will need the following to get started:

  1. Your eligible device: Apple Pay works on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and your Mac (I’ll bet it comes to HomePod soon.)
  2. A supported credit or debit card from a participating card issuer
  3. The latest version of iOS, watchOS, or macOS
  4. An Apple ID signed in to iCloud (note it says signed in – the most common failure for Apple Pay is that the Apple ID is not signed into iCloud- Make sure that you sign in to iCloud on all your devices. On your iOS device, you need to set up Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode. On your Apple Watch, you need to set up a passcode. If you sign out of iCloud or remove your passcode, all credit, debit, prepaid and transit cards will be removed from that device.)

If you want to use Apple Pay with more than one device, you need to add your credit or debit card to each device. After you set up Apple Pay on iPhone or Apple Watch, you can use your cards on the web in Safari, on some Mac models, while signed in to iCloud. On Apple Watch Series 3 and later, and iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus and later, you can add up to 12 cards on a device. On earlier models, you can add up to eight cards on a device.

In the United States, you can also send and receive money with friends and family using Apple Pay and use Apple Pay Cash on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch. And you can make payments to participating businesses in Business Chat on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

You can also add store cards, boarding passes, movie tickets, coupons, rewards cards, and student ID cards to Wallet.

Add a card on your iPhone

  • Go to Wallet and tap + to add a card.
  • Follow the steps to add a new card. If you’re asked to add the card that you use with iTunes, cards on other devices, or cards that you’ve recently removed, choose them, then enter the card security codes.
  • Tap Next. Your bank or card issuer will verify your information and decide if you can use your card with Apple Pay. If your bank or issuer needs more information to verify your card, they’ll ask you for it. When you have the information, go back to Wallet and tap your card.
  • After your bank or issuer verifies your card, tap Next. Then you can start using Apple Pay.

Add a card on your iPad

  • Go to Settings > Wallet & Apple Pay.
  • Tap Add Credit or Debit Card.
  • Follow the steps to add a new card. If you’re asked to add the card that you use with iTunes, cards on other devices, or cards that you’ve recently removed, choose them, then enter the card security codes.
  • Tap Next. Your bank or card issuer will verify your information and decide if you can use your card with Apple Pay. If your bank or issuer needs more information to verify your card, they’ll ask you for it. When you have the information, go back to Settings > Wallet & Apple Pay and tap your card.
  • After your bank or issuer verifies your card, tap Next. Then start using Apple Pay.
  • Add a card on your Apple Watch*
  • Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, and go to the My Watch tab. If you have multiple watches, choose one.
  • Tap Wallet & Apple Pay.
  • Follow the steps to add a card. To add a new card, tap Add Credit or Debit Card. If you’re asked to add the card that you use with iTunes, cards on other devices, or cards that you’ve recently removed, choose them, then enter the card security codes.
  • Tap Next. Your bank or card issuer will verify your information and decide if you can use your card with Apple Pay. If your bank or issuer needs more information to verify your card, they’ll ask you for it. When you have the information, go back to Wallet & Apple Pay and tap your card.
  • After your bank or issuer verifies your card, tap Next.

Add a card on your Mac

  • To add a card to Apple Pay, you need a MacBook Pro with Touch ID.
  • On Mac models without built-in Touch ID, you can complete your purchase using Apple Pay on your eligible iPhone or Apple Watch: On your iPhone, go to Settings > Wallet & Apple Pay and turn on Allow Payments on Mac.

Here’s how to add a card to your MacBook Pro with Touch ID:

  • On your MacBook Pro with Touch ID, go to System Preferences > Wallet & Apple Pay.
  • Tap Add Card.
  • Follow the steps to add a new card. If you’re asked to add the card that you use with iTunes, just enter its security code.
  • Tap Next. Your bank or card issuer will verify your information and decide if you can add your card to Apple Pay. If your bank or issuer needs more information to verify your card, they’ll ask you for it. When you have the information, go back to System Preferences > Wallet & Apple Pay and tap your card.
  • After your bank or issuer verifies your card, tap Next.
    Get help adding your card to Wallet. Person to person payments with Apple Pay and Apple Pay Cash aren’t available in macOS.

Once you have Apple Pay set up you can set up Apple Pay Cash, that will allow you to send and receive money via Messages. One thing to keep in mind with Apple Pay Cash is that if you link a credit card you will pay a fee when sending money from that card, but if you link a debit card you will not be charged a fee. For that reason, I have Apple Pay set up with my credit card and Apple Pay Cash with my debit card.

Set up Apple Pay Cash and person to person payments

Now you can use Apple Pay to pay and get paid right in Messages, or by asking Siri. There’s no app to download, and you can use the cards you already have in Wallet. Send money to your granddaughter. Split a bill. Chip in for a gift. Instantly.

Here’s what you need:

  • A compatible device with iOS 11.2 and later or watchOS 4.2 and later.
  • Two-factor authentication for your Apple ID. Make sure that you sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID on any device that you want to use to send or receive money.
  • An eligible credit or debit card in Wallet, so you can send money.
  • Then you need to agree to the Terms and Conditions. You can do this the first time that you try to send or receive money. You might also be asked to verify your identity.

After you accept the Terms and Conditions, you can send and receive money with friends and family quickly, easily, and securely right from your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch.

Set up Apple Pay Cash in Wallet

When someone sends you money, it’s automatically and securely kept on your Apple Pay Cash card. You’ll see your new Apple Pay Cash card in Wallet, and you can use the money to send to someone, make purchases using Apple Pay in stores, within apps, and on the web, or transfer it from Apple Pay Cash to your bank account.

If you’re setting up Apple Pay Cash for the first time, you’ll need to set it up using any supported device where you’re signed in to iCloud with your Apple ID.

  • Tap Settings > Wallet & Apple Pay.
  • Tap the Apple Pay Cash card, then follow the onscreen instructions.
    If you turn off Apple Pay Cash for any one device, you can still use Apple Pay Cash on other devices where you’re signed in with your Apple ID.
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