SPECIAL: Turbocharge that iMac

A recent analysis by security experts at Symantec found that both Apple’s iOS and Android are inherently more secure than Windows-based PCs. When put head-to-head, Apple topped Google in all but one category.

Symantec found that iOS offers superior protection against web-based attacks and malware while protecting your data from unauthorized access and manipulation. It received high marks for built-in data encryption and Apple’s highly-regulated App Store scored well for vetting applications in order to protect customer’s privacy and data.

Only Android’s permissions-based model for applications gave it an edge over iOS in the area of application isolation. Google’s OS gave users fine-tuned control over how applications interact with other applications and their data. However, this flexibility comes at a cost, since setting these preferences can be more intrusive to the user than Apple’s model.

Both received very low scores for protecting against social engineering attacks, a form of hacking that involves manipulating people to provide access rather than more technical cracking techniques. The lesson? Guard your passwords well and be sure to utilize Apple’s free Find my iDevice service to locate and remotely wipe your device should you ever find it outside your control.

The study further confirmed Apple’s warnings towards users that jailbreaking their iDevices undermines much of the security they have put in place, making users nearly as vulnerable as traditional PCs.

“*Check out the full study here.*”:http://www.symantec.com/about/news/release/article.jsp?prid=20110627_02

Apple has recently released Mac OS X v10.6.8, the first incremental Snow Leopard update since late March. Likely the last major maintenance update before Mac OS X 10.7 Lion debuts next month, the release includes several new features, tweaks and bug fixes.

Among the more notable features of the update are enhancements to the Mac App Store and built-in protection against known variants of Mac Defender malware–essentially the features of last month’s Security Update 2011-003. The enhancements to the MAS claim to “get your Mac ready to upgrade to Mac OS X Lion,” seeming to indicate the software update is a mandatory install prior to upgrading to the new OS.

According to the “*support document*”:http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4561 accompanying the release the following changes supplement the aforementioned features.

* Resolves an issue that may cause Preview to unexpectedly quit
* Improves support for IPv6
* Improves VPN reliability

Weighing in at just under 500MB (1.09GB for users upgrading from v10.6.6 and earlier) the update is recommended for all users, and especially those considering Lion. Mac OS X v10.6.8 can be acquired by running Software Update from the menu bar, or by selecting a direct link below. As always, we encourage you to run a comprehensive Time Machine back-up prior to installing any system updates.

*Direct Links*

* “*Mac OS X v10.6.8 Client*”:http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1400 (for users running v10.6.7)
* “*Mac OS X v10.6.8 Client Combo*”:http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1399 (for users running v10.6 – v10.6.6)
* “*Mac OS X v10.6.8 Server*”:http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1401 (for users running v10.6.7 Server)
* “*Mac OS X v10.6.8 Server Combo*”:http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1402 (v10.6 Server – v10.6.6 Server)

Long time Kibbles & Bytes readers will know that I have been writing editorials in the newsletter for some time. Many times when I write a soapbox, I will provoke some thoughtful discussion on our blog, Barkings!. There will usually be a few customers who advise me not to “mix business and politics” in case I hadn’t thought about the implications of expressing myself in my newsletter. Some have even gotten angry that I share my views.

That was the case this last week and I want to thank everyone who shared their views on our national priorities and the budget. Furthermore, I thought it would be good to give you some perspective on the “why” of the soapboxes. I look at our electronic newsletter as a periodical that we send to our subscribers, and while our main interest is everything Apple and how you can use the amazing products coming from Cupertino, I also view it as a newspaper that might have advertisements, pictures and of course, editorials. My soapbox is the equivalent of the editorial page of a newspaper.

But even more importantly, I believe that our commitment to social responsibility in business practices requires us to speak out on issues that face us today, especially those that impact business, our employees and our customers. I have long been an advocate for non-violence and for issues such as human rights, women’s rights, gay and lesbian rights, health care reform, dog welfare and environmental protection. I speak out on these issues, I testify in the legislature and I feel that it is totally appropriate to let you, my customers, know how I feel. It is really a part of our marketing plan–to make Small Dog Electronics personal and personable.

Sure, I could avoid upsetting any customers and be pure pablum but that is not who Small Dog Electronics is–we are an active and contributing member of our community and I want you to know how we think. Before you decide you will never buy from us again because I tell you how we feel, you should consider where other companies put their money and what their commitment to their communities is. Providing the soapbox is a forum for civil discussion of issues that impact us all and will help you understand how Small Dog Electronics measures its success by our commitment to people, planet and profit.

I encourage you to join the discussion at our blog and assure you we never intend to insult, only to provoke careful consideration. The soapbox is part of Kibbles & Bytes and will be for some time to come.

Happy Independence Day! I’ll be somewhere under the Prickly Mountain float for the parade in Warren, VT and then Grace and I hold our annual strawberry daiquiri party with mountain croquet. If you are in the neighborhood, come on up!

Thank you for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

Your Kibbles & Bytes team,
_Don, Ben, Kali_

Just in time for some fireworks is our iPad 2 red, white and blue special!

*RED* – get a new *Hammerhead Hard Shell Case* in Red for your iPad 2 (a $39.99 value), *WHITE* – get a set of *Chill Pill* mobile speakers in White (a $39.99 value) and *BLUE* – *Skullcandy Smokin’ Buds Earbuds w/Microphone* in Shoe Blue (a $24.99 value).

This week only, Kibbles & Bytes readers can buy this bundle for only $69.99!

Hello, Rob Amon writing for Don this week. I am Small Dog Electronics’ Outside Sales Manager, in charge of our web and phone sales, corporate sales and up until recently, our wholesale operations. (Basically, if it is not retail, it likely falls on my list of responsibilities!)

As you receive your issue of Kibbles & Bytes this week, I will be starting my first day of a month long adventure I am taking with my two sons, Tymber and Taylor. We are heading out to hike the Long Trail which runs through the the Green Mountains of Vermont. The trail starts just outside of North Adams, Massachusetts and ends at the Canadian border. It is approximately 273 miles long (give or take a few). The Long Trail is the oldest long distance hiking trail in the US and was first conceived in 1872 by James P. Taylor.

I started planning this trip a year ago when my son Tymber and I were hiking the trails around the Mad River Valley. My son Tymber is a special needs child who was born with a rare condition called Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum (ACC), which means he was born missing the part of his brain that connects one hemisphere to the other. As you can imagine, this has created many challenges for Tymber. He is small in stature, gets easily frustrated and perseverates often. He is also the sweetest, kindest person I know. His condition places him on the Autism spectrum and this is an easy way to describe some of the challenges he faces daily.

As he and I hiked last year, we started talking about how much fun it would be to hike the entire trail. When I mentioned the prospect of this to him, his eyes lit up–so, we started planning. When I told my other son, Taylor, that we were hiking the Long Trail in July, he enthusiastically replied, “I’m in!”

The trip was on–all I had to do was ask Don and Hapy for a month off to take on this adventure. I figured the best way to request something like was to add it to my weekly report to give them some time to grasp the idea and then perhaps in a day or two we could sit down and talk in more detail. I emailed my report on Friday as I often do and expected that Don and Hapy could think on this over the weekend.

I got a response from Don in a matter of minutes; it was a simple response that could not be mistaken: “YES!” Before I could even finish reading the email (as long as it was), Don was standing at my desk asking me to tell him more. He was as excited about the trip as I was. I really appreciated such a response–I have worked for Don and Hapy for 13 years and I am very grateful that they are willing to accommodate me while I go on an adventure with my boys.

We will post some pictures and notes to the Small Dog Facebook page and Flickr when we have 3G access so you can see where we are and how we are doing. It will be nice to make the full 273 miles, but honestly, the real goal is to spend some time with my sons and have an experience that will affect each of us for the rest of our lives.

Happy Fourth of July, make peace and I will see you in August!

I have included a few links if you’d like to learn more or explore:

What is ACC?
“*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agenesis_of_the_corpus_callosum*”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agenesis_of_the_corpus_callosum
“*http://umaine.edu/edhd/research/acc/what-is-agenesis-of-the-corpus-callosum-acc/*”:http://umaine.edu/edhd/research/acc/what-is-agenesis-of-the-corpus-callosum-acc/

Read more about the Long Trail here:
“*https://www.greenmountainclub.org/*”:https://www.greenmountainclub.org/

More about James P. Taylor:
“*http://www.vermonthistory.org/index.php/library/image-collections/james-p-taylor-photos.html*”:http://www.vermonthistory.org/index.php/library/image-collections/james-p-taylor-photos.html

Small Dog’s Facebook Page:
“*http://www.facebook.com/smalldogelectronics*”:http://www.facebook.com/smalldogelectronics

And a link to Geoff’s Camp for good measure:
“*http://www.forestlakecamp.com/*”:http://www.forestlakecamp.com