Author: Mike Moffit

Director of IT

  • Weekly Apple News Recap | 11.22.13

    *1st Apple Store App for iPad Released Yesterday*
    On November 21st, Apple launched its very first “*Apple store app for iPad.*”:https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/apple-store-for-ipad/id732164065?mt=8&at=11lb7k&ct=kibbles While Apple has obviously had an Apple Store app for the iPhone for some time, they have been neglecting doing this for the iPad. The App was released just in time for the holidays — great timing!

    “*Read more…*”:http://techcrunch.com/2013/11/20/apples-retail-master-class/

    *Cupertino Apple Spaceship a Go*
    You might have seen images released on the ol’ internet recently of Apple’s proposed Campus 2. This past week, Cupertino City Council approved the campus and Apple is expected to break ground this year with a due date of opening in 2016. If you haven’t checked out the images of this insane building you need to — it’s simply stunning.

    “*Read more…*”:http://techcrunch.com/2013/11/11/this-is-apples-new-mothership-of-an-hq/

    *Apple Close to Buying a 3D Sensor Maker*
    Apple is interested in purchasing an Israeli 3D sensor manufacturer startup company. Apple and PrimeSense have yet to nail down a deal, but there are reports that Apple could pay a hefty $345 million (chump change!) for their technology.

    “*Read more…*”:http://techcrunch.com/2013/11/17/apple-reportedly-close-to-finalizing-deal-to-buy-3d-sensor-maker-primesense-for-345m/

  • Here come the controllers!

    When I’m playing a game on my iPhone, there are times where I’m thinking, “you know what?” “actual buttons would make this game…

  • Designed for people who enjoy listening to music out loud and on the go! Meet the Chill Pill™ — a pocket-sized, self-contained capsule…

  • Adobe Security Breach

    Adobe recently became victims of a massive security breach on their website, affecting nearly 3 million users. They released a statement regarding what…

  • SPECIAL | Free Shipping on Aroma Home Screen Wipes & Device Holders

    Who wouldn’t want these cuddly creatures running wild over your workspace? The luxurious chamois tummy cleans and reduces static on all your screens and monitors at home and at work. There’s even a pleasant aroma lingering after every wipe; this is one fragrant friend everyone will want to share a desk with.

    Enjoy *free shipping* for a period of time and begin cleaning your screen or protecting your device with either of these Aroma Homes!

  • Adobe Security Breach

    Adobe recently became victims of a massive security breach on their website, affecting nearly 3 million users. They released a statement regarding what they are doing and what customers should do in turn. If you have an Adobe account or use any of Adobe’s products, please take note:

    “Our investigation currently indicates that the attackers accessed Adobe customer IDs and encrypted passwords on our systems. We also believe the attackers removed from our systems certain information relating to 2.9 million Adobe customers, including customer names, encrypted credit or debit card numbers, expiration dates, and other information relating to customer orders. At this time, we do not believe the attackers removed decrypted credit or debit card numbers from our systems. We deeply regret that this incident occurred. We’re working diligently internally, as well as with external partners and law enforcement, to address the incident.”

    They are currently in the process of resetting passwords and notifying customers to help limit the damage. Read their statement for more information.

    Related: Adobe’s Breach Widens -Forbes

  • One Card To Rule Them All

    Someone shared a link about this cool little card on Facebook a couple of days ago, and I was immediately intrigued. I am not one who has a million credit cards (…anymore, as a few years ago I decided I was done paying crazy interest rates and got rid of them all, leaving me with my trusty debit card), but, if I had seen this a few years ago, I totally would have wanted one.

    “*Coin*”:https://onlycoin.com is a new company that wants to slim your wallet down. The Coin is about the same size as a regular credit card, yet can pack credit cards, debit cards, loyalty and gift cards into one. The Coin has a small black and white e-ink display (for the expiration date, last 4 numbers of the card, and a brief description), one button, a two-year battery, a magnetic stripe and uses Bluetooth connectivity to talk to your phone.

    How do you get all your card information onto this one card? Duh, with an app of course! The geniuses of Coin created an app (which has not been released yet) as well as a compact dongle that plugs into your iOS or Android device. Using the dongle, you can swipe multiple cards and all the account details and information will be uploaded to coin app and then to the card itself. The Coin will hold up to eight cards at a time, but the mobile app can store an unlimited number of cards.

    When it’s time to venture out into the world and spend some money, you simply use the one button that’s on the card to toggle between which card you’d like to charge. They’ve even designed the button on the coin so that it is not easy to trigger a “press” unintentionally, so that you don’t accidentally charge the wrong card.

    You do not necessarily need a phone to use the Coin, but having one provides great security. Say you accidentally leave the card at the restaurant; as you begin to walk away, your phone will send you a push notification informing you that you forgot it. If you accidentally lose it or someone steals it, it will automatically deactivate itself after a period of time (that you set in the Coin mobile app).

    It seems as if any concern about this card has been carefully thought about and solved by the creators of Coin. The “*FAQ*”:https://onlycoin.com/support/faq/ section of their website offers all sorts of great information concerning the card and how it works.

    The company planned a pre-order campaign that would top out at $50,000, selling the cards at a discounted price of $50 (normally $100), and they blew past their goal in 40 minutes. They will be available in the summer of 2014, and needless to say, I think the Coin is going to be a success!

  • I'm Not Much of a Runner, But Bit.Trip Run! Helps Me Out With That

    The Bit.Trip series is a cult classic in the indie gaming scene. Mixing retro style graphics, with a chiptune soundtrack and a brutal difficulty, it was the perfect mixture to create something that was unique and fun to play.

    The one game in the series that really stood out was “*Bit.Trip Runner*”:https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bit.trip-runner/id426568319?mt=12&uo=4&at=11lb7k&ct=kibbles. In this game, you control the protagonist, Commander Video, by sliding, kicking, and jumping over and through any obstacles that blocked your path. The game was so popular that a sequel was made this year, and that’s what Bit.Trip Run! is based on.

    In Bit.Trip Run!, you control Commander Video. You have the ability to jump, slide, kick, and dance. You’ll learn how each one of these moves work as you progress through the game. In each level, you’ll collect stacks of gold, along with “power ups” that act as score multipliers (and also enhance the soundtrack), while avoiding pitfalls, enemies, walls, etc. If you happen to mess up during the level, you’ll be sent back to the beginning and have to run through it again. However, a checkpoint system has now been put in place so once you get to a certain point within the level, you won’t have to play the whole level over again. This is a really nice addition, and makes it more beginner-friendly than the original game.

    Challenge stages, “retro” stages, bonus characters, and unlockable costumes can all be purchased using the gold that you collect in game. At the moment, there are no in-app purchases via the iTunes Store; everything can be purchased just by playing the game. There’s a free update coming that will add 20 more levels, more retro and challenge stages, and more boss battles.

    Bit.Trip Run! is a game that everyone should try, whether you’re a fan of the Bit.Trip series, or a newcomer who has never heard of it before. It’s everything one could ask for in an endless runner — it’s fun, the music is great, and it offers a challenge level that will keep players coming back for just one more try.

  • MAC TREAT #220: Permissions Control

    Over the years here, I have had more than my share of “quirks” with my various computers: font corruption, Mail issues, black magic-type things I can’t explain, etc. Even as I’ve upgraded my workstations, some of the oddities and flat-out problems continued. My theory is that much of it stems from the fact that my first MacBook Pro’s hard drive failed, and thus, corrupted some of the data in the process, so when I migrated my data from a backup each time, I was bringing the baggage with me.

    This Mac Treat is not about the virtues of starting “clean” with each new computer, or even tips that you can use to keep your data fresh and problem-free when migrating — that’s for another time (but I’ll get to it…). I’ve discovered a tip that has come in very handy when moving my data, and the following is a good thing to keep in mind if you’re dealing with *file permissions.*

    You can see what any file’s permissions are by clicking Command-I. In my case, I needed to change the permissions of an entire folder (i.e. all of the enclosed items).

    Here’s how you change more than one at a time:

    * Get Info on the file you need to change
    * Click the ‘lock’ icon in the lower right section of the window (Note: You will need to be an admin or know the admin’s password to have access)
    * Click on the Name of the user or group that needs different permissions
    * Change the Privilege to what you want
    * Click the Gear icon and select “Apply to enclosed items…”

    I used this to give multiple users permission to use the fonts installed on my system — helpful because my font folder included over 200 subfolders that I’d have to change one-by-one otherwise!

    Have you tried this before or have a question about another scenario where this would be useful? “*Email me!*”:mailto:kali@smalldog.com

    *Note:* Back in “*Kibbles & Bytes issue #843*”:http://blog.smalldog.com/kibbles/kb843/, I wrote about the many uses of the Option key, so take a look at that list if you’d like to see what other hidden gems the Option key unlocks!

  • PRAM and SMC Resets

    PRAM and SMC Resets: What are they? Both are sets of chips that live on a Mac’s main logic board. They hold information that can become corrupted under certain circumstances which can then cause performance issues. Before resetting the PRAM or SMC for troubleshooting, you should be sure to disconnect any peripherals to ensure that nothing interferes.

    But, before explaining how to reset them, I’ll discuss what each does.

    PRAM stands for parameter random-access memory. Today, the actual chips used in Intel-based Macs are really NVRAM (non-volatile RAM), a newer technology (think flash drive) that doesn’t require power to maintain information. The old name ‘PRAM’ carried over in general use from the PowerPC days.

    PRAM chips hold information between boots on previous computer settings such as speaker volume, screen resolution, some RAM configuration information and current startup disk selection, among a few other odd settings. If your computer won’t boot while connected to a known-good MagSafe adapter and the power light is on on the charger where it connects to the machine, or if you’re experiencing problems that may be related to any of the settings that PRAM controls, then a reset may be needed.

    To reset PRAM:

    # Shut down your Mac.
    # Locate the following keys on the keyboard: *Command (⌘)*, *Option*, *P*, and *R.*
    ??You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.??
    # Turn on the computer.
    # Press and hold the *Command-Option-P-R* keys before the gray screen appears.
    # Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
    # Release the keys.

    More information on PRAM and resets can be found on “*Apple’s support page.*”:http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379

    SMC stands for system management controller and like PRAM is comprised of chips on the Main Logic Board that control several critical systems on a Mac. These include power (including aspects of sleep), fan speed, and communication with peripherals and internal devices such as the AirPort/Bluetooth and I/O cards, the battery and on laptops the topcase (the keyboard, trackpad and power button), among other functions.

    If you are having problems with any of these areas of your computer, an SMC reset may be recommended. However, Apple recommends that the SMC be reset only after all other “*troubleshooting steps*”:http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964. If those steps fail to correct the problem you’re having, or if your computer simply isn’t powering on while connected to a known-good charger (plugged into a known-good outlet) — even after a PRAM reset — then an SMC reset would be next.

    On portables there are two possible ways to reset the SMC. If the battery is removable as on some MacBooks and some older MacBook Pros, just disconnect the power supply, remove the battery, turn the machine over, hold down the power button for ten seconds, replace the battery, plug it back in, and try to turn it on. For machines with non-removable batteries try a keyboard reset by powering the machine off (if it’s functioning), leave the MagSafe adapter plugged in, press at the same time the shift-option-control keys on the left side of the keyboard, and the power button, after a second or so let go. Then try to power it back up if it didn’t do so on it’s own.

    On iMacs, Mac minis and Mac Pros, reset the SMC as follows:

    # Shut down the computer.
    # Unplug the computer’s power cord.
    # Wait fifteen seconds.
    # Attach the computer’s power cord.
    # Wait five seconds, then press the power button to turn on the computer.

    ??More information on SMC resets can be found at the link above, including a list of troubleshooting steps to take beforehand, as long as your machine is functional.??

  • The Black Magic of DiskWarrior in the Use of Data Recovery

    “*DiskWarrior*”:http://www.alsoft.com/diskwarrior/ is a software tool that focuses entirely on rebuilding corrupted or destroyed directories on solid state hard drives that have experienced failure. This could mean power failure, RAM failure, OS corruption from failed updates, or anything that could harm the directory structure of data.

    Recently, DiskWarrior’s ability to temporarily create a virtual directory that identifies data on a corrupted drive has allowed us to access and rescue more data. In combination with the programs Data Rescue and DDRescue, DiskWarrior has recovered a lot of data over the past couple of months — and thus, has improved our success rate (and customer satisfaction!).

    We refer to DiskWarrior as ‘Black Magic’ because it’s hard to understand its methods. I have looked for an explanation of exactly what it does, and if I am to understand it correctly, DiskWarrior will access a drive looking for key directories to begin building a temporary listing of all the data on the corrupted disk. When more data is recognized, the directory structure DiskWarrior creates gets more complex to the point of it looking like an actual hard drive created by the apple install image.

    When it’s done scanning the drive, it allows you to replace the corrupted or non-existent directory of the drive and also allows you to preview the new directory structure. If you choose Preview, a new icon will show up on your desktop that looks, feels, and acts like an actual hard drive plugged into the machine you are working on. It’s not though; it’s just a directory that points you to the corrupted drive but makes it look as though the drive itself is fine. You don’t even realize that you are inside the corrupted drive at all, but you can copy and or manipulate the information.

    Commonly, we will copy the information from the virtual directory to a storage device, then attempt to replace the corrupted directory to try and rescue the disk so it doesn’t have to be reformatted.

    When used with another program like DDRescue, DiskWarrior tends to make things easier rather than use Terminal’s commands to try and repair the .dmg file created by DDRescue. DDRescue will essentially copy block-by-block all the information and file structure from a dying hard drive that isn’t able to be read by normal methods and place all the information gathered this way into whatever file type you wish.

    When servicing Apple Computers, most commonly it’s a .dmg file. You can attempt to open the .dmg when DDRescue is done, but most of the time, the corrupted file structure will prevent it from opening because the contents aren’t arranged like a normal hard drive. Using DiskWarrior to work its black magic, the .dmg can often have the directory information replaced in the image taken with DDRescue allowing you to mount and later migrate the data back to the machine once the failed hard drive is either reformatted or replaced and the OS reloaded onto it.

    If you are one of the unfortunate souls who boots up your Apple computer and produces a blank blue screen or a flashing folder with a question mark staring back at you, DiskWarrior may be the tool that gets you back in touch with your data.

    When it comes to Apple Boot disks, DiskWarrior has rescued many worldwide and the reviews online have definitely given the powerful program a good reputation. The only thing that DiskWarrior is unable to repair is a physical failure in a hard drive; that still falls under the expertise and capability of “*DriveSavers,*”:http://www.drivesaversdatarecovery.com the forensics data recovery specialists.