Author: Mike Moffit

Director of IT

  • Flying With Phones

    For years, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has prevented passengers from using electronics on airplanes, largely during the takeoff and landing procedures. Particularly frustrating have been instances such as Kindle use, where the E-Ink device isn’t using any power or doing anything when a page is loaded, and uses technology comparable to a digital watch to turn the page once a minute. Being told to put devices like this away for ten minutes due to what often appears to be overcautious superstition can be demeaning and incites anger toward airlines.

    Consider this change in policy, taken from a fact sheet released this past Halloween:

    bq. “Last year, Federal Aviation Administrator (FAA) Michael Huerta recognized the increasing consumer interest in the expanded use of personal electronic devices on airplanes and decided to reconsider when passengers can use the latest technologies safely during a flight.” __(FAA.gov)__

    Also on Halloween, the FAA wrote a “*press release*”:http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=15254 that announced new guidelines for airlines regarding what devices passengers can use use during flight.

    bq. “Passengers will eventually be able to read e-books, play games, and watch videos on their devices during all phases of flight, with very limited exceptions. Electronic items, books and magazines, must be held or put in the seat back pocket during the actual takeoff and landing roll. Cell phones should be in airplane mode or with cellular service disabled — i.e., no signal bars displayed — and cannot be used for voice communications based on FCC regulations that prohibit any airborne calls using cell phones. If your air carrier provides Wi-Fi service during flight, you may use those services. You can also continue to use short-range Bluetooth accessories, like wireless keyboards.” (FAA.gov)

    Implementation of these policies will be a great boon in coming months to anyone who travels by air. iPhone and iPad users will soon be permitted to continue reading email or watching films during taxiing and after takeoff. The ‘no cellular usage’ is not a big issue, as not many people get signal at 32,000 feet anyway. However, if the airline offers Wi-Fi, some may soon be able to make internet phone calls during takeoff and landing.

    __(Editor’s Note: Now that’s a treat…no trickery! -KH)__

  • There’s something to be said for positivity. It’s oh so easy to grow angry out of frustration with product failure that we forget how far computing has come in the last few years. Yes, the last few years…not the last five or even the last decade.

    Most of you have no doubt encountered Moore’s Law, a postulation of exponential computing capability as opposed to linear progress. Often times, I find myself cursing at diagnostic tools in my office taking “so long” to load or data transfers taking “forever,” that I completely disregard the reality that a few years ago, working on these systems would have been an inspiration.

    And so, in the weeks since I’ve returned from New York City, I’ve made a concerted effort to change the attitude with which I enter my work. You may find it twisted, but I hope to encounter problems so that I’ll discover new ways of overcoming them. When taking tech support calls, I push myself to be extra positive with my tone of voice and my confidence that a solution can be met. Oddly, my mind seems to process things far quicker this way and I come up with options/ideas that wouldn’t have presented themselves in a negative, frustrated state.

    This week, more than ever, I encourage all of us who run into problems with technology to take it as a learning opportunity as opposed to an opportunity to complain about first world problems. Also, as ever, backing up your files will help you keep a smile on your face in the midst of technological adversity. 🙂

    Chris
    “*christopherb@smalldog.com*”:mailto:christopherb@smalldog.com

  • Order Online for In-store Pickup!

    Did you know that any of the specials or sales that are listed on “*Smalldog.com*”:http://www.smalldog.com are also available in our retail locations?

    We currently have some great specials listed, including the Brenthaven Collins Folio Case for the iPad mini (on sale now for $24.99), the Scosche StrikeDrive, a car charger for iOS devices with the new Lightning connector for just $14.99, and a full set of iPhone App Fridge Magnets at 50% off, making them just $6.99.

    You can check out which products are on sale by looking at our “*Specials page*”:http://www.smalldog.com/specials, or by signing up for our “*RSS Feed.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/rss

    You can even order right online and *select for pick up in any of the Small Dog locations: South Burlington, Waitsfield, or Rutland, VT, Manchester, NH, and even our newest location, sunny Key West, FL!*

  • Hands on: iPad Air

    I’ve seen Don write about the new iPad Air in a few of his Kibbles intros and obviously I’ve read all about it on various Apple sites, but I’m ashamed to say, I didn’t actually touch one until just a few hours ago. Yeah, I know. Fail.

    I decided to venture out of my safety zone that is the fishbowl here at Small Dog HQ and wander downstairs to the retail store so I could inspect one of these for myself. I probably shouldn’t have done so because now I want one.

    I’ve never actually purchased an iPad; however, my 87-year-old grandmother is on her third one. And not because she breaks them — she’s an “early adopter” who wants the latest and greatest model. Needless to say, she has her iPad Air on order and is ready to take on Spider Solitaire and Candy Crush on her new, super light device.

    Like everyone else’s first impression that I’ve heard, I thought, “it’s so light!” and was a little unsure of whether or not I was ??actually?? holding the iPad Air. The Air seems so much smaller than the previous generation because of the new bezel design mimicking that of the mini. It’s an illusion, as it does have the same 9.7-inch display like the rest of the full-sized iPads.

    Bottom line: I’m quite impressed and it’s going to be tough for me not to get one. You might not think they’re that impressive until you actually have one in your hands. If you haven’t checked it out yet, stop by one of our “*retail stores*”:http://www.smalldog.com/retail/visit-us-in-store-at-any-of-our-locations and play around with one on demo — you, too, will want one!

  • MAC TREAT #204: For Reinstalling, 'R' is the New 'C'

    Ever wondered how to reinstall your OS without a restore disc? Every new Mac OS update is available in the App Store, so new Macs haven’t shipped with a restore disc in a few years. In fact, many new Macs have no optical drive whatsoever. I know we’ve been saying this for a while, but the time is rapidly approaching where discs will be completely obsolete.

    I recently had a conversation with Chris B., our handy Waitsfield tech and phone support guru, where I told him that I thought I might need to reinstall Mavericks on my home iMac. To troubleshoot some of the issues I was having, he recommended some other things first — which I plan to try — but he reminded me that although restoring/reinstalling is a different process than I was used to, it is still easy and straightforward.

    So — for those of you who have gotten used to using Command-C to boot from your OS disc, listen up: ‘R’ is the new ‘C’.

    Here’s the drill:
    Hold down Command-R during startup and OS X Recovery will launch. It lets you choose from common utilities, including Disk Utility to check or repair your hard drive, erase your hard drive and reinstall a fresh copy of OS X, or restore your Mac from a Time Machine backup. Additionally, you can use Safari to get help from Apple Support online, but I imagine most users care more about the Disk Utility options that have been familiar since the dawn of the Mac OS.

    Note: As always, before reinstalling your OS, make sure you have a viable backup if possible.

  • Big sound in a small package! The A2 was designed for your desktop but is also perfect for smaller rooms. A great upgrade…

  • Notes on Mavericks (A Cautionary Tale)

    Mac OS 10.9, Mavericks, was released recently, and surprise: it’s free! Let’s just start downloading, amiright? Well, sort of. Here are some things…

  • Order Online for In-store Pickup!

    Did you know that any of the specials or sales that are listed on “**Smalldog.com**”:http://www.smalldog.com are also available in our retail locations?

    We currently have some great specials listed, including the Brenthaven Collins Folio Case for the iPad mini (on sale now for $24.99), the Scosche StrikeDrive, a car charger for iOS devices with the new Lightning connector for just $14.99, and a full set of iPhone App Fridge Magnets at 50% off, making them just $6.99.

    You can check out which products are on sale by looking at our “**Specials page**”:http://www.smalldog.com/specials, or by signing up for our “**RSS Feed.**”:http://www.smalldog.com/rss

    You can even order right online and **select for pick up in any of the Small Dog locations: South Burlington, Waitsfield, or Rutland, VT, Manchester, NH, and even our newest location, sunny Key West, FL!**

  • APP REVIEW: Limbo

    Limbo: perfect game for Halloween night (or any other night actually)! Limbo, by Playdead, is probably one of my favorite games of all…

  • GE Financing

    Can’t wait to get your hands on the new iPad Air? Jumping to get your hands on the new 15″ MacBook with Retina Display?

    *Starting today, GE Financing is back, just in time for the holidays!*

    *6* month offer
    (no minimum purchase amount)

    *12* month offer
    (purchases of $499+)

    *18* month offer
    (purchases of $999+)

    *How to Apply*
    Come in to any of our retail locations:
    “*Manchester, NH*”:http://www.smalldog.com/nh
    “*Waitsfield, VT*”:http://www.smalldog.com/waitsfield
    “*S. Burlington, VT*”:http://www.smalldog.com/burlington
    “*Rutland, VT*”:http://www.smalldog.com/rutland
    “*Key West, FL*”:http://www.smalldog.com/keywest

    Any of our helpful associates can assist you with the application. It can take as little as five minutes to receive approval!

  • APP REVIEW: Limbo

    “*Limbo:*”:https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/limbo/id481629890?mt=12&ign-mpt=uo%3D4 The perfect game for Halloween night (or any other night actually)!

    Limbo, by Playdead, is probably one of my favorite games of all time. When I heard that there was going to be a port for iOS, I was very excited, but at the same time a little nervous. It wasn’t the visual style, the sound, or the atmosphere, that I felt wouldn’t translate; it was the controls.

    That’s not to say that reflex-based games don’t work on iOS, it’s that they have to set up a certain way to get the same type of responsive feedback that a player would expect from a keyboard or a controller. After playing the game for a while, I was happy to put the fears to rest. To control the boy, you can swipe in any direction, and the boy will move. Actions such as grabbing a lever or jumping, are done with your right hand; swiping in an upwards direction, will get the boy to jump, and holding your thumb on the screen will get the boy to grab an object.

    The story of Limbo isn’t all that obvious, and to this day, it’s still up for interpretation. The game involves a boy who is looking for his sister. There are no weapons or random characters to help you on your search; you’re on your own from beginning to end. The environment is presented in a monochromatic, slightly grainy, film noir style. You could make the argument that this is supposed to be a horror game with some sort of death awaiting you around every corner; however, I view it as a game that’s more than that.

    In order to solve the games many puzzles and traps, you need to be able to think quickly. The checkpoint system is pretty forgiving, even after making a mistake you won’t have to travel very far to try again. Much like Super Meat Boy, or Braid, Limbo’s gameplay is very much trial and error, which at times can be frustrating. However, it’s very rewarding when a puzzle is solved or when a trap is avoided. The game is a little short, and very linear, which may be a downside to some. In all honesty, I don’t feel this is a game that would benefit by having multiple paths or being a longer game.

    This is one of the finest games ever released in the App Store, and even if you’ve played Limbo before, you need to experience the game in your hands. I can’t really explain it, but there’s something that’s just so inexplicably cool about it. The game looks and sounds amazing and the world you’re thrown into is so dark and mysterious, and is just begging to have all of its secrets uncovered.

    If you somehow missed out on Limbo three years ago, take a chance on it. This game is a classic.

    “*Limbo*”:https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/limbo/id481629890?mt=12&ign-mpt=uo%3D4 is available on the App Store for 4.99.

  • Notes on Mavericks ( A Cautionary Tale )

    Mac OS 10.9, Mavericks, was released recently, and surprise: it’s free! Let’s just start downloading, amiright? Well, sort of. Here are some things to consider before updating that Mac.

    Take it from someone who was a littttle too excited to get ‘er done. I ran home to get started, and I violated the golden rule, “thou shalt always back up [before upgrading].” I’ll skip some of the gory details and say that ultimately, I dodged a bullet and ended up with all of my data intact, but it wasn’t a smooth ride. The Reader’s Digest version goes like this:

    * Girl selects “Update” (Note that it says “Update” rather than “Upgrade” from the App Store — another cue to your subconscious that it’s no big deal.)
    * Mavericks begins installing
    * Girl gets weird error toward the end and is given the option to go back and start again
    * Girl goes back, finds no option to back up or cancel, and starts process again
    * Install succeeds* but the prompts indicate that it is setting up a NEW USER account
    * Girl proceeds (there’s no going back now) and ends up starting fresh, only to find that Mavericks appears to have installed on her external backup instead** (at the very least, User #2 ends up installed on that drive)
    * After some sleuthing, girl finds that all of her original User data is still on her internal drive and is able to get Mavericks cleanly installed there
    * Girl has a few minor heart attacks and then begins using Mavericks happily

    Obviously, the moral here is that all users may not be so lucky(?) and with any OS installation, proceed with caution and a good backup in your proverbial quiver. With that said, I LOVE IT so far, and it’s well worth the -upgrade- update.

    For more Mavericks installation tips, including steps to take before the install, check out these articles:
    “**via CNET**”:http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-57608663-263/5-things-to-do-before-upgrading-to-os-x-mavericks/
    “**via Mashable**”:http://mashable.com/2013/10/23/clean-install-os-x-mavericks/

    __*I’m theorizing that the first install was thwarted by my iMac’s sleep settings — I let it go overnight.__
    __**Not confirmed that it’s actually a boot volume. I’m no tech, but that just doesn’t seem likely…does it?__