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I have the pleasure of being able to not only work behind the scenes here at Small Dog, but also on the front line with our customers. This past week while working in our “**Rutland, VT store**”:http://www.smalldog.com/rutland I had two customer interactions that brought an interesting subject light when talking about iPads. We have seen over the last two years or so there has been a slight drop in the number of iPads sales in comparison to when they first hit the market back in in April of 2010 and a lot has changed since then. There are more tablets out there than ever before including ones that run Android, Windows, Kindle and more.

The draw away from Apple for some customers is that in many cases the same Apps and functions you can do on an iPad can be done on a another device and for less money. It’s easy to be persuaded by these draws and overlook some some other key aspects. What makes Apple stand apart is often pushed aside temporarily when comparing these products. With Apple everything is designed to work together. iCloud can sync all your information across multiples devices, from your iPad to iPhone to your computer. “**Handoff**”:https://support.apple.com/kb/PH18754?locale=en_US allows you to start a project on your iPad and then with a quick tab, pick up that project on your computer. Wanting to show your friends the pictures from your weekend trip to the mountains? With photo stream it doesn’t matter what Apple device you’ve picked up, your photos will be there. Have a great home video of your child or grandchild and just have to show everyone who came to Friday night dinner? No problem. With the Apple TV you can airplay that video and save yourself from passing your phone around the room for everyone to see. Another benefit? Apple devices last a long time! I have been using the original iPad mini for four years now and each week I interact with customers who are also using iPads that are two or three years old with no issues.

In addition to all the integration, we’ve seen price drops for the iPads over the last several years as well. No longer do you need to spend $500 or more for an iPad. You can get an “**iPad Mini 2**”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/84491/ipad-mini-2-16gb-space-gray starting at **$269** and “**iPad Air**”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/86240/ipad-air-16gb-wi-fi-silver for **$399**. So the next time your considering tablet options, take a few moments to consider that while Apple isn’t the only game in town anymore, it’s still the leader of the pack!

As you may know, I have been using the Airmail mail client for some time and am a big fan of this alternative to Apple Mail. This week, Airmail released their email client for the iPhone and I made the switch and am very pleased with this new offering. Airmail for iPhone supports 3D Touch, […]

A little over a week ago things became official: Apple Music is now available to those who use “**Sonos.**”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/?mmfg%5B0%5D=Sonos For some of us this wasn’t a huge announcement. I have been using the beta version now for several months and have been enjoying my Apple Music playlists as well as my own personal play lists on my iPhone. I have been a huge fan of Sonos for about two years and not being able to listen to Apple Music was my one complaint about the system, but not anymore!

Apple Music isn’t the only great thing about Sonos either, did you know that you can also control your Sonos system from your computer? I admit, I didn’t realize this at first. With a huge focus on how easy the system is to set up and control from your iPad or iPhone, this is one feature that’s often overlooked. With a simple “App download”:http://www.sonos.com/controller-app on your computer, you can open up your entire (in most cases) music library for listening through your Sonos system. Another great feature of the Sonos App is the ability to set a sleep timer. If your someone who enjoys falling asleep to music, but prefers it doesn’t stay on all night this is a huge feature even if it is a bit hidden. The more info icon within the Sonos App hides a lot of features, including the sleep timer.

I am the kind of gal that admittedly likes gadgets and accessories just because they are cool, I don’t even need to have a use for them to make me want one! If there is a new iPad case, a new speaker, a new product announcement from Apple, I want it. This has resulted in a vast collection over the years of all kinds of gadgets, gizmos and some stuff that I just hang onto for no good reason other than I might need it one day. Some things have been a bit of a fad, others have stood the test of time. Over the years I have found that I few items in my collection of gadgets that have either become invaluable or the kind of item that really stands the test of time.

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My first must have and favorite gadgets are portable bluetooth speakers, and I have had several over the years. The battery powered speakers from Skullcandy I had were one of my most favorite pocket sized speakers! It took up little room in my bag and I could have my music wherever I wanted. You never realize how much you miss having music wherever you go until you start to use these kinds of speakers and then suddenly don’t have them! I eventually outgrew my little Skullcandy speakers and upgraded to a larger but still portable Altec system. This speaker system went everywhere with us. In fact, it still travels with us in our camper even though it features a 30 pin connection for our phones. What I loved most about this set up was that it had a rechargeable battery, so unlike my little Skullcandy speakers I didn’t need to worry about carrying around spare AA batteries. It also allows me to use a 3.5mm headphone cable and an FM radio. I recently started to use the “**Outdoortech Turtle Shell**”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/85338/outdoor-tech-turtle-shell-2-0-rugged-wireless-boombox-electric-blue speakers to replace the old Skullcandy speakers for immediate portable sound, and as a huge bonus this speaker is bluetooth, something none of my previous portable units had. I will admit, I still haven’t found a better replacement for my aging Altec portable speaker as far as sound quality goes, but I will also admit finding a newer solution would require my having to let go!

My second must-have gadget is an airport express base station. You might be surprised that it is not the Airport Extreme. Why do I love the “**airport express**”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/80932/apple-airport-express-base-station-802-11n-wi-fi so much? Well part of it might be a bit nostaglic. It was my first introduction into wireless speakers. How cool was it to plug in my Harmon Kardon speakers, simply tap my iPhone while sitting on the couch, and my speakers came to life like magic? But the great features don’t stop there. It’s a really powerful and inexpensive wireless router. For many, we don’t have huge areas we need to cover with wireless. Maybe it’s just a small apartment, or perhaps your house just isn’t that big. When I first started to use the airport express the one draw back was that the only ethernet port had to be designed (in most cases) for your internet modem, but in recent years Apple has added a second ethernet port allowing for more flexibility and versatility with this little gem.

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iPad and iPhone cases are another huge weakness of mine. I probably have no less then five cases for my phone and for my iPad. You could say I collected cases like some girls collect shoes! But on a serious note, this is a very important accessory for your iPhone or your iPad. Some folks prefer form fitting and minimal, others prefer a more rugged case. I have come to prefer several cases. However, I think cases that combine both slim form factor and serious protection are the “**Lifeproof**”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900002119 cases. I have one for my phone and one for my iPad. What I love most of them is that they come off easily! I don’t always want a heavy duty case on my devices, but have found that many cases that offer greater levels of protection end up being very difficult to take off your device.