Author: Mike Moffit

Director of IT

  • _Hello Readers,_

    There has been a lot going around in the Apple rumor mill about testing on the iPhone and iPads. The rumor is that Apple is trying out designs to make these iOS devices bigger to compete with the likes of Samsung and HTC’s current mobile offerings. The rumor is that the overall size of the iPhone would be extended past the current generation’s 4-inch size, and the iPad would boast a reported 13-inch display (rather than the current 9.7-inch).

    I hope this never leaves the rumor mill, because I’m a big fan of the size of the iPhone 5 now, and am a fan of the iPad mini over the regular iPad. They have gotten excellent reviews at their current sizes and I don’t see much need for the extra space; tablets are supposed to be portable. We will have to see what Apple will choose to do with the next generation of their iOS devices.

    This week, we have quite a diverse selection to read about here at Tech Tails! Kyle writes about the trials of recovering data. Chris writes a great article about the ins and outs of DIY Fusion Drives and Jeremy has a great article about an application called Time Machine Buddy.

    Enjoy the great articles and feel free to give us your feedback!

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

  • Sign Up Today.

    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 For Business,*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/83600/ios-for-business
    Tuesday, July 30, 9am-12pm
    * “*iOS Technical Training For IT Professionals,*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/83601/ios-technical-training-for-it-professionals
    Tuesday, July 30, 1pm-5pm
    * “*Mac OS X Technical Training For IT Professionals,*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/83602/mac-os-x-technical-training-for-it-professionals
    Tuesday, August 6, 9am-5pm

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

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

  • Brenthaven Spotlight

    We like to carry products that jive with our own mission statement, and a company like Brenthaven is right up our alley. For…

  • 2-for-1: The Matias Folding Keyboard is a full-sized keyboard that folds in half for travel. Small enough to fit in your laptop bag,…

  • SPECIAL | Don's Time Capsule Special

    You read about it and here it is — Don’s very own special. A highly recommended, brand new 2nd generation 2TB Time Capsule.

    Don’t have a machine with 802.11AC? Well then, this is the perfect sale for you! *Grab your’s for just $214.99.*

  • SPECIAL | It's Almost Time to Head Mac to School…

    I know, I know. Nobody really wants to think about that yet. However, it’s an inevitability for some of you (right now, I’m in my “student of life” phase, though I’ll probably go back to school at some point — __Kali Hilke, PhD__ has a nice ring to it…).

    For everyone heading to high school, college, or graduate school this fall, we announce our annual Mac to School campaign. This year, in addition to all of the specials we’re running, we have the benefit of the GE Financing Promotion that is designed to help you get the Mac you need with a little extra time to pay. (More on that in a bit.)

    Though they “officially” launch on Monday, loyal Kibbles & Bytes readers can get an early preview of our Mac to School deals here:

    “*Smalldog.com/mactoschool*”:http://www.smalldog.com/mactoschool?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=MTS-KB

    We have already been running the Mac and AppleCare specials (you know, the ones where you get a $100 gift card from Small Dog when you purchase any new Mac and AppleCare?) for a few weeks now, but we have also added some must-have third-party specials to the mix. During the first two weeks, you’ll save on the things you need to keep that computer clean, from iKlear to screen protectors, and even a $30 off deal on Microsoft Office thrown in. If you’re near a store, there’s even more to take advantage of (which we’d offer online if we could!).

    If you’re wondering how to afford that new setup, be sure to click on the link for GE Financing to get the details and apply for no-interest financing (for up to 18 months, depending on the total cost of purchase).

  • MAC TREAT #212: Disable Automatic Attachment Preview in Mail

    We use Apple computers (obviously) on a daily basis, and I often find myself emailing numerous documents throughout the day. More times than not, I right-click on the attached images and switch them to an “icon view” to allow me to view more of the email content.

    Sure, it’s nice seeing a preview of the attached file, but typically I just want to get to the meat and potatoes of the email! Here’s a gem of a tip that allows me to turn off automatic attachment preview in Mail.

    To do this follow these steps (warning: Terminal use ahead):

    * Open up Terminal by navigating to *Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app*
    * Run the following command:
    @defaults write com.apple.mailDisableInlineAttachmentViewing -bool yes@
    * Quit and restart Mail

    Now your Mail app will show any attachments you receive as icons instead of previewing the document. If you decide you don’t like that and want to go back, simply run this command:

    @defaults write com.apple.mailDisableInlineAttachmentViewing -bool no@

  • SPECIAL | Special Edition 13in MacBook Air

    Small Dog definitely got lucky with this one and we are unable to contain our excitement. For sale, online and in-store are brand new 13-inch MacBook Air’s that were only released to educational institutes. Made specifically to give the most performance combined with portability.

    At a price that is simply unbeatable this is tied for the lowest priced brand new Mac that we sell! *Only $699.99 this deal is simply unbeatable and a great buy for any students on their way to school.*

  • SPECIAL | Brand New 2TB Time Capsule from Apple

    Who really wants to spend $300+ on an external hard drive and a Wi-Fi router when you can buy them together for the low price of $239.99! Two terabyte hard drives can retail for at least $100 and when you add in Apple’s AirPort Extreme you are looking at $280 at a minimum. Not to mention a current generation 2TB Time Capsule goes for $299.99.

    *This is your chance to grab a great deal on a brand new (still in the wrapping) 2TB, 2nd generation Time Capsule for just $239.99. Act fast before they’re gone for good!*

  • Remote Consulting

    As a regular reader of Tech Tails, you are likely aware that we the employees of Small Dog Electronics are amongst the most knowledgable Mac and iOS experts in the world. We would say that we are in fact the very best, but since we are Small Dogs and not alpha dogs, our modesty prevents it. If you were to call us the best, though, we would certainly accept the compliment!

    Each week we bring you tips and tricks to get the most out of your devices. What if the topic you are wondering about is not covered, though? What if you have a question that needs answering or a problem that needs solving and you need help sooner rather than later? Our local customers have always had direct access to us for in-store lessons or house calls from one of our Consultants. If you don’t live near us, or even if you do, we have a great service available: Remote Consulting.

    Thanks to the magic of “Go To Meeting”:http://www.gotomeeting.com/fec/ we are able to remotely log in to your machine and see exactly what is going on. We can temporarily take control of your machine and teach, troubleshoot, and provide technical support . If you have high speed internet (DSL, cable, satellite, or 4G) then you can take advantage of this incredibly convenient service.

    Remote consultations are normally $49 per half hour, but if you are a first time remote consulting customer, then tell us “I heard about it in Tech Tails” and we will give you the first half hour for just $39!

    To book a consultation, please give us a call at 888-746-9816 or send an email to “*consulting@smalldog.com*”:mailto:consulting@smalldog.com

  • Food/Water Accidental Damages

    Food + your computer is not a good combination. Looking at computers coming into the tech department covered in crumbs with splattered food covering the display and keyboard, we think to ourselves, “it was only a matter of time.”

    We get machines in here that have had milk, tea, water, beer, wine, and food spilled all over causing shorts and corrosion on all the internals effectively killing the computer. Any kind of food and or liquid spill on a machine is, nine times out of ten, fatal for the computer.

    Computers have become such an everyday item for people that we typically don’t think twice about eating or drinking near them, until the accident happens and that expensive machine is going to require an expensive repair. I myself have fallen prey to this false sense of security of being able to eat and operate near my machine only to have my college work go up in literal smoke. Yes, my machine sparked and smoked itself to death.

    Luckily, I managed to get my data extracted from the hard drives but there was a good three week period where I wasn’t able to work in my dorm room. Since this incident, I have been much more careful.

    There are a couple measures to take in the event of a liquid spill. If the machine is still on, immediately turn it off as quickly as you can without jarring the liquid around. Place in a warm dry area, devoid of power, for a couple days. Some people say to place the machine in rice to draw out the moisture, but I am skeptical of this measure only because the rice can get into the machine and cause mold to grow as well as jam up your ports (I have seen both happen).

    However, the most important thing is … DO NOT POWER THE MACHINE ON. Once dry you should have it looked at by a technician or repair center (like Small Dog Electronics).

    *Ed. note* – ??Rebecca K. also suggests you should tent your laptop by leaving the display open at a 30 degree angle or so and place the laptop on its front edges so that it looks like a tent so to speak. This will, with any luck, keep liquid from coming in contact with components while drying.??

    Just because the machine was running while it was soaked doesn’t mean that it will continue to do so. Once the liquid drips to the logic board, the machine will die as surely as running it through with a knife. The safest measure you can take is to not eat near your computer, and to keep liquids secure and away so as to not cause that costly repair.