Author: Mike Moffit

Director of IT

  • AirPlay for Google?

    Google has just released a brand new streaming device. They call it the Chromecast, and it retails for $35. This very small flash drive-sized device plugs directly into any HDMI port. It works very much like the AirPlay feature on the Apple TV.

    Google’s Chromecast supports a variety of Android and iOS devices including iPhone, iPad and the Chrome web browser (running on any computer). The device will allow you to stream content to a TV without even needing a remote!

    In addition to streaming content from your mobile devices and computers, the Chromecast has a growing number of supported applications such as Netflix, YouTube and the Google Play Store.

    Overall, it is a very neat device with a fairly low price tag. However, Google’s Chromecast is still in its infancy and has a way to go before it can be in direct competition with the Apple TV. “*Read more on Google’s website here.*”:http://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/devices/chromecast/#netflix

  • _Happy Tuesday!_

    This Saturday, we had our 4th Annual eWaste Event here in Manchester, NH. We had a decent turnout of responsible eWasters on what turned out to be a very beautiful day. My dog Kingsley was also present and served as the Small Dog mascot and was beloved by all who turned out.

    Many thanks to all of our volunteers and to “*Metech Recycling*”:http://www.metechrecycling.com for unloading, hauling and ultimately, making sure these items don’t end up in the landfill.

    We have a couple of great articles this week that we can all relate to. RJ touches on a new malware that has hit PCs in the past and has also shown up on Macs recently. Sherrie reports on a very interesting event that occurred in China involving third party accessories. Last but not least, Shawn V. informs us about some competition for Apple’s AirPlay audience.

    As always, thanks for reading!

    _Barry_
    “*barry@smalldog.com*”:mailto:barry@smalldog.com

  • BOGO: Everyone loves our Chill Pill and now you can share the love minus the wires with our buy-one-get-one special. In this bundle…

  • SPECIAL | Microsoft Office Sale

    Be prepared for the first term paper and save $30 off Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 Home and Student (Single-User License) — a must-have for students.

  • SPECIAL | iKlear Cleaning Supplies Bundle

    Keep liquids, crumbs and smudges off your computer! With every purchase of iKlear, receive a free keyboard cover and cleaning cloth — a $24.99 savings!

  • Go Mac to School

    This year, we want to give you no doubt about why or how you’d get that Mac you need to go back to school, or the iPad or iPhone you’ve been waiting to buy from Small Dog.

    Until September 15, *buy any new Mac and AppleCare, and get a $100 Small Dog gift card.* It’s valid online and in-store. Additionally, if you buy a new iPad or iPhone with AppleCare+, you’ll get a free $50 gift card! All new iPads and iPhones are included, and sales of these are exclusively in our retail stores.

    We have a full selection of Macs in stock — any new Mac or previous generation Mac that is eligible for AppleCare is eligible for this deal.

    “*Find a store here!*”:http://www.smalldog.com/retail?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=kb837

    Shopping online? Click a category below:

    * “*View MacBook Air 11-inch bundles here.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900000829/mac-2-school-11in-macbook-air-bundle
    * “*View MacBook Air 13-inch bundles here.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900000830/mac-2-school-13in-macbook-air-bundle
    * “*View MacBook Pro 13-inch bundles here.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900000831/mac-2-school-13in-macbook-pro-bundle
    * “*View MacBook Pro 13-inch __with Retina Display__ bundles here.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900000832/mac-2-school-13in-macbook-pro-w-retina-bundle
    * “*View MacBook Pro 15-inch bundles here.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900000833/mac-2-school-15in-macbook-pro-bundle
    * “*View MacBook Pro 15-inch __with Retina Display__ bundles here.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900000834/mac-2-school-15in-macbook-pro-w-retina-bundle
    * “*View MacBook Pro 17-inch bundles here.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900000835/mac-2-school-17in-macbook-pro-bundle
    * “*View Mac mini bundles here.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900000827/mac-2-school-mac-mini-bundle
    * “*View iMac 21.5-inch bundles here.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900000825/mac-2-school-21-5in-imac-bundle
    * “*View iMac 27-inch bundles here.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900000826/mac-2-school-27in-imac-bundle
    * “*View Mac Pro bundles here.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900000828/mac-2-school-mac-pro-bundle

    Better still, this deal is open to everyone — from students on paper to students of life (which begs one of my favorite quotes, “I am still learning” – Michelangelo). Now, you have no excuse!

  • Recycle Your eWaste for FREE: July 27

    Tomorrow is our 4th Annual eWaste Recycling Event in Manchester, NH. We’ll be collecting all manner of electronic waste (well, maybe not __all,__ so “*see the list of accepted materials here.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/recycle?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=KB-ewaste) on *Saturday, July 27th at the Mall of New Hampshire from 9am – 2pm.*

    If you’re unsure of what ewaste is, then listen up. As you may know, we use a lot of electronics in our daily lives, and unfortunately, many of them contain hazardous materials such as mercury or lead. In the last few years, Apple has manufactured devices and machines free of toxic materials, but chances are, you may have older “electronic waste” around the house that you need to get rid of responsibly.

    Come out and join us!
    * *Saturday, July 27, 2013 in Manchester, NH from 9AM to 2PM*

    “*Click here to read more about our annual eWaste Recycling Events.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/green?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=KB-green
    “*Click here for more information about our 2013 events.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/recycle?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=KB-ewaste

  • Sign Up for our KnowledgeWave Trainings!

    It’s your last week to sign up for Small Dog’s three training sessions at “*KnowledgeWave*”:http://www.knowledgewave.com in South Burlington, Vermont — ideal for businesses and IT professionals who have an interest in what iOS (mobile operating systems) and working on the Mac OS can do for you.

    * *iOS (iPad/iPhone) For Business,* Tuesday, July 30, 9am-12pm
    * *iOS (iPad/iPhone) Technical Training For IT Professionals,* Tuesday, July 30, 1pm-5pm
    * *Mac OS X Technical Training For IT Professionals,* Tuesday, August 6, 9am-5pm

    Why register? If your business is new to Mac or iOS, or if you’d like to maximize how ‘going mobile’ can improve your productivity, these business-centric trainings are ideal. You’ll learn how to seamlessly integrate Macs, iPads and iPhones into your business.

    All classes are held at KnowledgeWave, 30 Community Dr. #5 South Burlington, VT 05403.

    “*To learn more, and to register, click here.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/training/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=KB-kw

    __*Note: Participants are encouraged to bring their own iPads and iPhones.__

  • MAC TREAT #213: Unlearn Words From Spell Check

    As a person who writes a fair amount for Small Dog, I use the Spelling and Grammar check on a daily basis. Often times, I write about products (among other things) that I know for a fact are spelled correctly, and yet Apple’s dictionary doesn’t know the word. Luckily for me, OS X has the ability to learn new words so they aren’t continually marked as incorrectly-spelled words.

    However, what happens when you accidentally click the Learn button instead of Ignore? Up to this point, I had feared the word would be permanently spelled wrong for all eternity! I did some digging, and found a way to unlearn words from Apple’s dictionary.

    If you want to unlearn words simply follow these steps:

    * Navigate to *Library > Spelling*
    __You can find the *Library* directory by holding down the *option* key while clicking on the *Go* menu in *Finder*__
    * Open the file named *LocalDictionary* in Text Edit or your favorite text editor
    * Delete the offending word or words from the list
    * Save and close the document

    __I can confirm this tip works with OS X Lion (10.7). I am not completely sure this will work in OS X Mountain Lion (10.8), but the process has been the same for many years now. While the Dictionary file name may change, the process is the same.__

  • Why does responsible recycling matter?

    According to the EPA, 250 million computers will become obsolete in the next five years due to the speed of technological advances, and electronic waste is the fastest growing municipal waste stream in the US.

    In addition to keeping harmful materials like lead, mercury, cadmium, phosphors, and flame-retardants out of the environment, electronics recycling greatly decreases energy and water use.

    We have long been concerned about our footprint on the Earth. We started recycling electronics on a small scale many years ago, but ewaste (electronic waste) has grown to be a major problem on a global scale.

    Can’t make it? We also recycle your ewaste for *free* at each of our retail stores throughout the year. Bring it on by!

    “*Click here to find a store near you.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/retail

  • All are welcome!

    Bring your own, pick up your neighbors’, or get your business involved — it doesn’t matter who it’s from; we’ll take it all, as long as it’s on the list. We will accept most things that qualify as ‘electronics’, with a few exceptions. If it turns on/plugs in, such as computers, TVs, printers, phones, game consoles, VCRs/DVD players, etc., we’ll take it!

    We cannot accept home appliances, though, so you’ll have to leave your air conditioners, washers, dryers, and microwaves at home (though we’d love to help you find a way to dispose of those responsibly as well).

    “*See our website for the full list of accepted materials.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/recycle?utm_medium=email&utm_source=blast&utm_campaign=GC-ewaste

    All ewaste is being collected and responsibly recycled by Metech Recycling, an e-Stewards Certified company.

    “*Visit their website.*”:http://www.metechrecycling.com/