More results...
With the reintroduction of the iPad w/Retina display, we’re putting the Hammerhead Folio for iPad 4 on special!
When you purchase the Folio, we’ll throw in a free Cleaning Cloth and Pen Stylus. Save $20! for the next week!
Samsung’s 420 Series monitors are ideal for plugging into your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro to create a mobile desktop solution. Adjust your monitor to meet your preference and working style for less strain and a more pleasant experience.
*Enjoy free shipping for the next week!*
I was at the saloon across the street from Small Dog here in Key West, coincidentally called Don’s Place, and it was funny to see a lot of dogs in the place. That included Roxie, a Whippet, who liked to get up on the bar and walk from customer to customer.
These guys keep an eye on our store when we are closed and send customers over all the time. (So much so that we are considering adding an entry for “Don’s Place” to our “Where did you hear about us” tool in our retail store!)
Get your brackets ready for March Madness and be sure to check out our March Mayhem specials, too!
Thank you for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!
Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,
_Don, Kali & Stephanie_
The iPad with Retina display is now going to replace the iPad 2! This provides a great upgrade in power, performance, and value.
It’s the most affordable 9.7-inch iPad and features a stunning Retina display, fast A6X chip, 5MP iSight camera, FaceTime HD camera, ultrafast wireless, and up to 10 hours of battery life. Dropping $100 in price from $499 to *$399,* and we’ll ship it for *free!*
Recently, after more than a year of research and tiny prototypes, I put together a “mini” 50-watt photovoltaic power system. My intent is to run my computer system off of it. At the heart of the system is a 34 amp-hour AGM lead acid battery. That’s a bit small to power a computer system, but with a slight reduction in use time, and some efficiency modifications, I think it can be done.
I’ve only just put the system together and have been running it for almost 2 full weeks. I haven’t powered my computer using it yet, but I have been running floor lamps and charging my cell phone using it (total overkill).
In researching how to build something like this, I found lots of people online who had built things in a similar size range, but none of their designs could answer one question I had: How do you monitor the battery accurately? Watching the voltage is ok, but it’s not very accurate if the battery is loaded or charging. Deep cycle batteries are tough, but you still need to treat them right. They aren’t cheap either, so protecting the investment is a good idea.
Originally I was going to use something like this “*Turnigy inline watt meter*”:http://www.powerwerx.com/digital-meters/dc-inline-watt-meter-power-analyzer-powerpoles.html, but I hesitated at the thought of running so many amps through a little plastic device. In the end, I took inspiration from how our server battery backup here at Small Dog is monitored.
*The best way to monitor a battery is by counting the amp hours in and out in addition to watching the voltage.* This is like the odometer on your car (if you could somehow put miles back into the engine). To do this without using an inline meter, you use a device called a “*shunt*”:http://ow.ly/uMTqb. A shunt is basically a very low-value resistor which causes a tiny voltage drop. This drop can be measured, and using “*Ohm’s Law*”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohm%27s_law current can be calculated. With some digital logic, you can count how long the current has been flowing, and there you have your amp hours.
In my system I’m using the “*TriMetric 2025*”:http://bogartengineering.com/products/TriMetric. Yes this is a bit overboard for such a small system, but so far I’ve found it to be invaluable, especially since I’m doing a lot of testing. Installation is a bit complicated, but the instructions are very helpful in figuring out what goes where. You also need to program the device for your specific setup. I really found this handy, since I could set the battery charge voltages, charge efficiency, days to recharge reminders, and much more. The TriMetrics also have a J2 serial data out port, so I’m working on a way to pull data from there and upload it to the web in real time. Once online, I could check on the status of the charging from anywhere.
Interested in simpler, shorter term battery backups? Check out “*uninterruptible power supplies (UPS)*”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/Power_Supply/UPS_Backups. These are like surge protector strips except they have batteries in them that will continue to run your equipment if the power at the wall outlet fails. Most are only designed to run a short time (like an hour or less), but that should give you enough time to save and shut down your equipment properly without any data loss or damage.
Earlier this week, Apple sent out an email announcing the reintroduction of the iPad with Retina display (4th Gen). (“*See the press release here.*”:http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2014/03/18Apple-Updates-Most-Affordable-9-7-inch-iPad-with-Retina-display-Improved-Cameras-Enhanced-Performance-Now-Available-Starting-at-399.html) As you may remember, when the iPad Air was announced, the iPad 4 was taken off the market.
Well, it’s back baby! The iPad featuring the Retina display will replace the iPad 2 and will provide a great upgrade in power, performance, and value. The iPad with Retina display (4th Gen) features the Lightning connector, meaning that this replacement spells the end of 30-pin Dock Connector usage on any iPad or iPhone model. (Note that the iPod classic still features the 30-pin connection.)
The iPad with Retina display is *$100 less* than the iPad Air, coming in at *$399* — a great value. We’re even offering free shipping for the next week, just for you! See our special below.
P.S. If your current accessories support the USB-to-dock connector, there may be no need to replace them completely. Apple makes a Lightning-to-30-pin Adaptor, “*found here.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/81561/apple-lightning-to-30-pin-adapter/at_kb
With over $800 in prizes on the table (court?!) you’ll want to make sure you get your bracket set — our “*March Mayhem*”:http://www.smalldog.com/marchmayhem/ contest is in full effect and you have *two chances to win.*
# Enter in-store on any of our demo machines (in any store) and you’ll have a chance to win a *$400 Small Dog Gift Card!*
# Enter online at “*Smalldog.com/marchmayhem*”:http://www.smalldog.com/marchmayhem and you’ll have a chance to win a pair of Beats Studio Wireless headphones in Red — a $379 value.
Need more info? Even if you’re not a basketball fanatic or don’t care about NCAA or March Madness, entering is a piece of cake. Just go to “*Smalldog.com/marchmayhem*”:http://www.smalldog.com/marchmayhem/ at home or in-store, enter your final four selections for the NCAA final brackets, and then pick the winners of those last three games.
Increase your chances and sign up both ways — we will be giving away one grand prize winner in our retail stores and one via our website. See page for more information!