Author: Mike Moffit

Director of IT
  • SPECIAL | Oh, Ho, Ho, It's Magic (You Know)

    We loooove the iMac. Who wouldn’t, really? The only thing that could make it better in our opinion, is some magic — specifically, a Magic Trackpad and Magic Wand bundle.

    You’ll save $50 when you purchase here, and we __almost__ personally guarantee that you’ll be more productive. Since it uses the same Multi-Touch technology as an Apple notebook (recent models), the Magic Trackpad has a lot of capabilities and will feel natural in no time (especially if you’re already used to using an iPhone or iPad). The Magic Wand bands it to your Apple Keyboard for streamlined usability.

    Grab one, and go make some magic happen.

  • SPECIAL | The Perfect Start To Your Home Office

    Laptop stands are one of those accessories you never think to get, but once you have one, you can’t imagine living without.

    The Twelve South HiRise puts your MacBook at the perfect height for use when you have an extra display, keyboard and mouse setup.

    Of course, what home office would be complete without a backup system? Get a LaCie Rugged 500GB Portable Hard Drive and keep your data safe while at home or on the go.

    Grab this entire bundle today and save $50 on it all!

  • SPECIAL | Protect Your iPhone in Style

    We all know how beautifully designed the iPhone 5 is. So why would you want to take away from that look with a big bulky case?

    Get the protection you want and the looks you love with our Hammerhead Bumpers.

    Act now and you will get a FREE Hammerhead Bubble-Free Screen Protector with your bumper. Plus, everything ships FREE!

  • REVIEW | Mountain Tweaks

    Released in fall 2012, “*Mountain Tweaks 1.0.4*”:http://tweaksapp.com/app/mountain-tweaks/ is an app for Mountain Lion users that is designed to ‘tweak’ your OS into super-usability. It’s a user-friendly, all-in-one solution that takes aim on the oft-annoying ‘upgrades’ in 10.8 that Apple has instituted. (Default iCloud saving, anyone?)

    If you’ve noticed things about Mountain Lion that you wish you could change, but don’t want to dig into Terminal or attempt other one-off hacks, you’ll definitely want to give it a try. Using a simple “Yes/No” toggle, Mountain Tweaks highlights some of the most popular features in Mountain Lion that you may want to turn on or off.

    Fun fact: Mountain Tweaks (and its predecessor, Lion Tweaks*) was developed by a 17-year-old from Norway. The app is free, but donations are encouraged, especially if you like what you see. Take a look at some of the available tweaks below (shortened list).

    *Notable Features*

    * Show/Hide the user Library folder
    * Change to a 2D or 3D dock
    * Enable/Disable system window animation
    * Enable/Disable Spelling Correction
    * Show Hidden Files
    * Change iCal leather interface to aluminum
    * Change Address Book leather interface to aluminum
    * Customize Launchpad folder background
    * Enable colors in the Finder sidebar
    * Remove Spotlight icon
    * Remove leather from Contacts
    * Remove leather from Calendar
    * Disable default iCloud save location
    * Disable “Go to Folder” in Finder

    *Compatibility*
    Must be running 10.8 Mountain Lion; I have been using it on a recently-updated 10.8.3 system with no problems.

    *Get It*
    “*Download Mountain Tweaks here.*”:http://tweaksapp.com/app/mountain-tweaks/

    __*Lion Tweaks has gotten rave reviews from multiple sites, including Macworld, Lifehacker, CNET, and more. It’s been downloaded over 300,000 times, and it’s estimated that about 3% of Lion users are using it, according to the developer.__

  • Sharing is…Easy!

    One of my favorite new features to Mountain Lion (and one that I use all the time) is the handy little Share button that is available in apps like Safari, Finder, Preview, Notes, Photo Booth, iPhoto and more.

    For someone like me who creates and sends files all day long, this tool was extremely helpful. Have you discovered this yet? If not, here’s a quick look into the magical Share button.

    I’d say in one single day I might export my work to a PDF about 10-20 times, and in most cases, to email it to someone. Before Mountain Lion, the process looked something like this: *Export to PDF. Open up Mail > Create new message > Click the little paperclip > Locate file > Attach > Send email.*

    Now with the Share button, my process looks something like this: *Export to PDF. File automatically opens in Preview > Click Share button > Choose Mail.* Boom! A new mail message pops open with the attachment ready to go in the email. Type a quick little blurb and send ‘er off!

    With the Share button, you are also able to send via Message, AirDrop, Twitter, Facebook and Flickr. For social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter, one quick click will open a little window that looks like a piece of paper, which allows you to write a blurb about what you’re sharing and then post it.

    The Share options in Safari include Add to Reading List, Add Bookmark, Email this Page, Message, Facebook and Twitter.

    If you aren’t already familiar with the Share button, I recommend you check it out. It really is the simplest and quickest way to share things with others!

  • MAC TREAT #202: Hard Reset Your iOS Device

    This week’s Mac Treat is short and sweet. Back when I used to work the retail floor for Small Dog, we were taught to power cycle any electronics as a first line of troubleshooting. It is funny how something as simple as turning an electronic device off and back on again can fix some problems. However, your device might be locked up in a way that makes turning it off seem impossible.

    Most electronics have some way of forcing a shut down and your iOS devices are no different. This procedure is guaranteed to work for iPod touches, iPhones and iPads (mini or biggie). I know for a fact that it works with iOS 4 and up but for anything older, I cannot say for sure.

    *To hard reset your iOS device:*

    * Hold down the *On/Off button* (aka Sleep/Awake) and the *Home button.*
    * Wait at least 10 seconds — until the screen goes dark and the Apple logo appears.

    Voila! You have just hard reset your iOS device. I would advise ??against?? using this method as your normal shutoff mode since it bypasses all the operating system’s normal shut down procedures (which are necessary for smooth operating). It is basically like unplugging your computer from the wall without shutting it down, so use this sparingly and only when the normal power down function is not working.

  • _Happy Spring!_

    It’s Kali, writing for Don again this week. He’s in sunny Florida at the moment, though I should stress that he says he’s there for work…we’ll see how tan he is/if he lets anything about baseball slip when Monday rolls around.

    Speaking of baseball, we have about a week and a half left of Spring Training before Opening Day, and I can’t wait (T-minus 11 days for my team, but who’s counting?). For you baseball fans out there, it’s definitely been a busy offseason, so here’s hoping for a surprising and exciting season!

    April is by far my favorite month of the year since it’s all about new beginnings. Even though Wednesday was technically the first day of Spring, we all know that at least here in New England, we have a few weeks to go before it starts looking or feeling like it — so, soon enough, flowers will be blooming, baseball will be in full swing, I’ll be turning another year older, and last, but not least, our Rutland location will be opening!

    Don has talked before about why we chose Rutland for our next store, and the reasons are many. In keeping with my theme, Rutland is also about new beginnings: revitalization, job creation, and sustainable business, to name a few. We’re excited to be coming there, and frankly, it feels natural to open another store in Vermont, where it all began. Over the next month, we’ll keep you informed about the details, but we hope to see you there!

  • Don't Hack Me, Bro

    Almost everything we do online these days involves passwords and security. It’s important to take some steps with your passwords to make them…

  • Gaming On A Mac

    Throughout history, Apple hasn’t been known to appeal to the video gamer market. However, in recent years, Apple has slowly been gaining steam…

  • RFID

    RFID or Radio Frequency Identification is a technology that allows wireless communication for devices at close range. When they are activated, these chips…

  • SPECIAL | MacBooks: Storage Up!

    Here at Small Dog, we really love the MacBook. We know that it is a __little__ outdated in the storage department, so we have included a 4GB RAM upgrade and an external 500GB LaCie hard drive in this bundle!

    These enhancements will keep your MacBook up-to-date with current trends in hardware.

  • SPECIAL | Apple + 50, Sitting In A Tree

    All Apple iPods come with a nice set of Apple Earbuds, but sometimes you just need more sound.

    That is where 50 cent comes to the rescue. Offering supreme fidelity, the Wired Over Ear headphones will make a perfect companion to your iPod classic and all that music you have on it!