According to a recent report from “*The Loop,*”:http://www.loopinsight.com/2011/05/24/apple-macbooks-top-all-consumer-reports-laptop-categories/ Apple’s line of MacBook computers have swept Consumer Reports reviews, claiming the top position in all of the publication’s categories.

The 11-inch MacBook Air has been crowned King of small laptops scoring a 62% rating–six points higher than the second place Gateway. Further dominating the 13-inch category, Apple’s smallest MacBook Pro scooped up first place in an impressive five out of seven slots. Though points were a bit tighter in the 15- and 17-inch categories, Apple’s notebooks still asserted their supremacy by garnering the top rankings.

Apple’s ever popular line of notebook joins iPad and iPhone 4 as Consumer Reports’ highest ranked products in their respective categories. Although the iPhone 4 still lacks the coveted “CR Recommended” tag due to the “Antennagate” controversy, the handset still trumps the smart phone competition. In a report published last month, the group ranked iPad 2 above competing tablets from Motorola and Samsung, lauding its quality and pricing.

While Apple designs and manufacturers innovative and quality products, it is still unusual for a single company’s hardware to sweep all existing categories for notebooks, tablets and smart phones. It is also worth noting that these rankings–for MacBook Pro–are associated with the mid-2010 models and not the most recent revisions.

As March’s update included significantly enhanced processor speeds and graphics across the line, as well as the addition of FaceTime HD and Thunderbolt, 2011’s models indicate they’ll continue the trend once reviewed.

_Dear Friends,_

Small Dog Electronics was named the winner of the 2010 Deane C. Davis Award for the Outstanding Business in Vermont by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce and the Vermont Business Magazine. We are the 21st winner of this award which is named after one of the most beloved Vermont Governors.

I received the award with several members of the Small Dog team at the opening ceremonies of the Vermont Business and Industry Expo. I am so proud of my team and humbled that we won this award. We were finalists along with two other outstanding companies, the Foley companies–a 100 year old Vermont family business–and Green Mountain Power, the state’s 2nd largest electric utility.

We know very well that we could not have achieved this honor without your help and loyalty as customers. We see this award as the ultimate recognition of our commitment to measuring our success by the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit. In my acceptance speech, I recognized that this triple bottom line is the norm in Vermont and that it is one of the many ways that Vermont is great for business.

One of the previous winners and a partner in our previous eWaste Recycling Events, Symquest, sent the best congratulatory note. Larry Sudbay wrote: “Savor your well deserved accomplishment. We are proud to be etched in stone with your company.”

I was interviewed by Mark Johnson, the local talk show host for WDEV radio and a Small Dog customer after the award, and he cracked, “what are you gonna win next, Don, the Cy Young award?” It was such an honor for our company and we are proudly displaying our award at our Technology Pavilion at the Expo. We will find a great place to enshrine the big chunk of Vermont granite after the show.

Tuesday evening, Apple published a support document detailing how to avoid or remove MACDefender malware from Mac OS X. The document thoroughly explains the step-by-step procedure associated with the manual removal of the malware, and indicates that Apple will release an automated fix via software update in the near future. According to the document:

bq. “In the coming days, Apple will deliver a Mac OS X software update that will automatically find and remove Mac Defender malware and its known variants. The update will also help protect users by providing an explicit warning if they download this malware.”

This summary and set of removal instructions is likely a response to the negative press the company received after restricting its support staff from addressing the issue on phone calls and in retail stores last week. Given that the affected number of users looks to be larger than initially anticipated, yesterday’s official acknowledgement comes as a welcome action on Apple’s part.

Regardless of whether the automated update is released on its own, or bundled with Mac OS X v10.6.8 it is still worth noting the manual removal instructions in the interim.

Click “*here*”:http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4650 to view the support document in its entirety.

For more information on MACDefender click “*here.*”:http://blog.smalldog.com/article/macdefender-poses-malware-threat/

Earlier in the week, Merriam-Webster debuted an HD (iPad native) version of its previously iPhone/iPod touch only “*Dictionary app.*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fmerriam-webster-dictionary%2Fid438477986%3Fmt%3D8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30

After installing the free app on my iPad and browsing its virtual pages for a few minutes, I came to the realization that the device I was using was both exponentially thinner and lighter than an traditional printed dictionary, and innumerably more functional!

With the advent of the “on-board” dictionary, running to the bookshelf to look up Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis–yes, a real word–has become a thing of the past. While reaching for the nearest dictionary-equipped iOS device or launching your Mac’s included Dictionary application might seem fast, there are quicker ways to get your definition.

For example, did you know Spotlight can double as a dictionary? To quickly look up a definition or to double check your spelling–the feature I primarily use it for–enable Spotlight by pressing *Command-Space*. Next, start typing a word and you should see its definition populate near the top of the list.

Here, you’ll see the part of speech and the beginning of its definition based on the length of the word. If you’d like to see the full definition, simply highlight the listing and press Return. This will launch OS X’s Dictionary app with your word preselected.

Still not fast enough? Here’s a pro tip: If you tire of constantly switching between Pages and Dictionary or are fed up navigating Spotlight, try taking OS X’s “secret” dictionary for a spin. Most applications mesh with this dictionary and constantly run it in the background. To bring up a quick definition hover over a tricky word in any app and press: *Control-Command-D.* Voila! Instant definition!

Changes are brewing here at Small Dog, and more specifically with Kibbles & Bytes. In an effort to keep things fresh and engaging for you–our readers–the Kibbles Team is in the midst of developing a slightly different styled newsletter.

We don’t want to spoil the surprise quite yet, be we have a hunch you’ll like it. Future issues will include a wider array of voices, and more hands-on accounts of the Apple products and accessories you love. Don’t worry though, Kibbles will still be your weekly destination for the best Apple news and current Small Dog happenings.

We’ll have more information in future issues as well as a few surprises. Stay tuned, and as always thanks for reading!