Kibbles & Bytes Blog

Apple news, tech tips, and more…

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  • Other Space in OS X

    A frequent question that I get from customers is, “Why does my Mac have x GB of ‘Other’ data?: where ‘x’ can range from 0 GB to 100 GB or more. “Other” space in the About This Mac Storage tab is defined by Apple as a “category to count any files that aren’t recognized as one of the other listed file types (audio, movie, photos, apps, backups).” This may include items such as system caches, app plugins, certain media files, file types not recognized by Spotlight, and more.

    “That’s interesting and everything, but how do I free up some of that ‘other’ space?” you might ask. Well, I’m glad that you did ask! One thing you can try first is to rebuild the Spotlight index. The “Other” storage may not have been updated in a while, and may not be correctly reporting how much data of each type is currently on your Mac.

    To rebuild the Spotlight index follow these steps:

    * Open *System Preferences* and click *Spotlight*.
    * Click on the *Privacy* tab.
    * Drag *Macintosh HD* (or whatever your OS X startup disk is called) into the box. Click OK to confirm.
    * Select the disk that you just added, and click the *-* button in the bottom left.
    * Quit System Preferences. Spotlight will now reindex your startup disk.

    If you now bring up Spotlight (press Command-space bar or click on the magnifying glass in the top right corner), and start typing something, such as *s-a-f-a-r-i*, you’ll see a blue bar that says “Indexing…”. Wait a few minutes for it to finish indexing, and check the Storage tab in About This Mac again. See if the Other storage changed at all. If it looks better now, great! If it still looks the same, then tune in next time for further suggestions on how to manage Other storage.

  • Premium HDMI cables

    Choosing the right cables for your computer or home theater setup can be a challenge. Not only do you need to make sure the connection types on the cables are compatible with your devices, but what if you buy a low-quality cable? If you spent hundreds of dollars on your TV, gaming console, and other devices, you don’t want to risk getting a low-quality image by purchasing a cheap HDMI cable, right?

    *Wrong.*

    This may have been accurate decades ago, but not today. In the past, it was true that analog cables for devices like VCRs could have an improved signal by adding gold plating or other premium features. Due to the variable nature of analog signals, slight variances in material quality between cables or devices could indeed have an impact on the clarity of the output signal. However, modern media devices use digital signals, not analog. Signal degradation does not affect digital connections in the same way as analog connections. If the quality of a digital signal is degraded enough by a damaged or worn out cable, once the degradation reaches a certain threshold it will simply not be transmitted. For these reasons, a so-called “premium” digital cable will not produce a better signal than a cheap one.

    Unfortunately, not everyone is aware of the difference between analog and digital connections. People are frequently taken advantage of, and buy an expensive cable that they were led to believe would be significantly higher in quality than the alternative. Currently on Amazon, a company called WireWorld is selling a “Platinum Starlight 7 HDMI Cable” for *$10,500*. No, that’s not a typo! This cable costs over ten thousand dollars and will produce exactly the same signal as any other HDMI cable.

  • Email Providers

    Over the last two years I have noticed that many of our customers have email accounts from their internet providers. To me this is concerning…what happens when you change providers? You lose your email account after a time, or in some cases immediately, as they are no longer your provider and you are no longer paying for their services, which includes that email account. Unlike the myriad of free email providers, your internet provider gives you an account as part of your service package, rather than as a stand-alone service.

    There are a number of great free email providers including Gmail, iCloud, and Yahoo. I personally use Gmail because of the number of other services included. Gmail accounts come with 15 GB of free cloud storage. The other major feature is the apps you can access through Google Drive. Google Drive apps include a word processing app, a spreadsheet app, presentation app, and many more.

    iCloud email provides many of the same features as Gmail and is also connected to your Apple ID. Some of the included services that can be accessed via your Apple ID are contacts, iCloud drive (cloud storage), calendar, look for missing Apple devices using Find my iPhone, and iCloud Photo Library.

    When you are looking for a new email provider I highly suggest looking at free email providers not your internet provider. If you are concerned about missing emails, most providers allow you to set up forwarding so that emails to your old address get forwarded automatically to the new one. If you need any help getting this set up (email routing can get confusing, especially when multiple devices are involved), please email us at “*consulting@smalldog.com*”:mailto:consulting@smalldog.com or give us a call at *1-800-511-MACS* and dial extension *515* for consulting.

  • _Hello Fellow Technophiles,_

    On the internet, anyone can claim to be anyone. People employ many different methods of deception in order to trick you into signing up for a service you don’t need, joining a mailing list, or providing the routing number to your bank account. For example, you may be surprised to hear this, but I do not actually have a handlebar mustache, horn-rimmed glasses, and a fur coat despite the image to the left. This image has been doctored using old school Photoshop: stickers. The fur coat is real (not real fur, of course, but real as in it exists and I am actually wearing it) but belongs to one of my coworkers, and though I look super awesome in it, it is unfortunately a touch small for me.

    Given that there are many pop-up messages that are legitimate, it can be hard to tell what is real. The easiest thing to do is to not trust any of them. Instead of clicking that link in an email or pop-up, navigate to that place yourself. If it is a software update pop-up, for example, close it and open the App Store app and see if there is in fact a pending software update. If it is an email about your bank account, then navigate to the bank’s website yourself, or even better call them using a known good phone number (the one on the back of your debit card is a good option); if it is truly urgent this will be the best way for you to be sure that you are actually talking to your bank and also makes it easier for your bank to verify that you are actually who you say you are.

    Another good tip for staying safe on the internet is make sure that full URLs are displayed in the address bar in Safari. In the newer operating systems, a shortened form of the URL displays by default, and this can make it easier for scammers to make it look like you are on a different site than the one you think you are on. To turn this off, go to *Safari > Preferences > Advanced* and check the box that says “Show full website address.”

    Safe surfing everyone!

    *Mike*
    “*michaeld@smalldog.com*”:mailto:michaeld@smalldog.com

  • I hope you have an awesome Memorial Day weekend. Grace and I will be heading to Maine on the motorcycles to eat some crustaceans. Not the fake lobsters from Key West, these Maine lobsters are the real thing, not just overgrown crawdads. We will be riding along the coast and then heading back to Vermont on Memorial day in time to rest while we watch a few parades along the way.

    Thank you for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes and enjoy the long weekend!

    Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,

    Don, Emily, Hadley & Amy

  • Use Your USB Peripherals with Your iPad

    If you’ve owned a Mac for quite some time and invested in various peripherals over the years, but also own an iPad, I have a tip for you! There are a lot of iPad accessories, but you can’t always afford to purchase two products–one for your Mac and another for you iPhone–to perform the same task on both. Fortunately, many accessories like “keyboards”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?search=bluetooth+keyboard, “speakers”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?search=bluetooth+speaker, and “headphones”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?search=bluetooth+headphones are available in Bluetooth wireless models, plus many “printers”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?search=airprint and “scanners”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/82782/fujitsu-scansnap-ix500-for-mac-25ppm-usb-wifi-scanner have WiFi options. Using peripherals like these that are designed for Mac and iOS devices has significant advantages, but often requires purchasing a new peripheral, which is not always in the budget.

    Often upgrading to a newer WiFi or Bluetooth peripheral is still the best decision and will be more compatible in the long run, but what if you have invested in USB peripherals? If you have a trusted USB keyboard (for some of us, they become an old friend), USB memory card readers, expensive USB audio equipment like microphones, mixers, or MIDI devices, there is a way! Additionally, if you need to connect your iPad to a wired ethernet network, what I’m about to reveal will do the trick too. Let me introduce you to Apple’s Lightning to USB adapters:

    * “Apple Lightning to USB Camera Adapter”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/87275/apple-lightning-to-usb-camera-adapter for $29.99
    * “Apple Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/87977/apple-lightning-to-usb-3-camera-adapter for $39.99

    While originally designed for importing photos and videos from digital cameras via USB, they do support “other standard types of USB peripherals”:https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202034, including keyboards, barcode scanners, memory card readers, and various audio devices.

    The original Lightning-to-USB adapter is just that: a simple dongle you plug into your iPad’s Lightning port and into which you can plug a USB cable. The newer Lightning to USB 3.0 adapter has a USB port which supports faster speeds and more power for the iPad Pros (while still supporting all other iPads with Lightning ports), but also has a pass-through Lightning port for power so you can still charge your iPad while USB accessories are plugged in.

    Note: Sadly, this accessory is designed for the iPad-only and will not work on the iPhone.

    There are some USB devices, especially audio devices like microphones and MIDI adapters which require more power than the iPad can provide from its internal battery, so you’ll get an error message saying the “attached accessory uses too much power”. With the older adapter, you have to plug in a powered USB hub to work around this issue, and your iPad still can’t be charged. The new adapter provides enough power to charge the iPad as well as power USB accessories that need more power (you can still use a USB hub too, if you need to connect multiple powered devices). So, if you need to run USB accessories that require more power or might want to charge your iPad while using USB peripherals, go with the newer USB 3.0 adapter.

    Using one of these Lightning to USB adapters can allow you to keep using your existing peripherals on your iPad, or invest in more expensive peripherals that will work on both your iPad and Mac. For those who want to get more functionality out of their iPad, this is a really easy way to do it. There are many musicians and podcasters who are able to carry a complete recording studio powered by just their iPad. Photographers and other professionals are finding themselves doing the same. This is yet another reminder that the iPad is a powerful and flexible mobile device, so hopefully this tip helps you get more out of yours and your peripherals!

  • Should You Update?

    Over the past week or two, Apple has released updates for El Capitan, iOS 9, TV OS and Watch OS. The question that everyone always asks when these updates appear on their devices is “Do I really have to do this?” The answer to this in many instances in YES

    The nature of the updates that have come out most recently are what we call minor updates. They are simply revisions and repairs to the current version already running on your device. How do we know that? The third number is the only part that has changed. OS X El Capitan updated from 10.11.4 to 10.11.5, iOS 9.3.1 went to iOS 9.3.2 and so fourth. These kinds of updates are critical updates to run on your devices because they most often fix security concerns and provide bug fixes. When these updates come out it’s admittedly not always at the most convenient time for a user, so one great feature with most of the updates is that you can schedule for them to happen when your work flow will not be interrupted. You can easily set your computer, iPhone or iPad to run these updates in the middle of the night when your not using the device. It should be noted that for these settings to work in most cases you do need to have the device plugged into power.

    We always stress the importance of ensuring you have backed up your data before performing any kind of update to your software, but what many of us might not think about is compatibility within Apple installed software. Recently I performed the above updates on my iPhone and other iOS devices as well as my home computer. I rely heavily on iCloud and syncing of information and files so that no matter what computer or device I am on and I have access to much of my basic information, including my notes. I utilize the notes program for a lot of things, from basic grocery notes to meeting notes. Most notes I only need to keep for a short period of time and delete often, but in recent weeks I discovered that several of my notes had either disappeared altogether or were not updating to my MacBook Air. I verified that iCloud had copies of all the notes on my phone, I could make a new note in the cloud and it would show up on my phone, I could log onto my home computer and find my notes but nothing was updating to my MacBook Air. I deleted my iCloud and re-added it to my machine, turned notes on and all on my iPhone and nothing worked.

    Upon digging through several pages of support information and lots of frustration I discovered a critical error made on my part (one that I warn customers about all the time). I failed to pay attention to the little warnings as I hastily clicked through updates. One of the updates was specifically for notes and I paid absolutely no attention to the fact that there was a little warning box that said El Capitan would be required to view the notes upon completion of this upgrade. So now, until I get around to updating my MacBook Air, I’ll have to remember to either grab my phone when I need to make a note or to log into my iCloud account directly. These kinds of updates mishaps are most common with third party applications, so I gave no thought to the idea that I could or would loose access to my notes. Lesson learned on my part.

  • Paste and Match

    How many times have you copied something from a web site to paste into an email and it was in a weird font, a huge size, a different color and it just did not look right. I do that all the time and usually I am pasting something that was in white color so it doesn’t show up at all.

    I would prefer to paste the copied content and have it match the font, size, color of the email or document that I am sending. Well, it is easy to do. Simply hold down Option+Shift+Command+V…
    Oh, you don’t have that many fingers? Okay, there is an easier way.

    In OS X Mail or AirMail under the “Edit” menu is a choice to “Paste and Match Style”. This menu item is available in most apps. Microsoft Word is a bit different and uses the “Paste Special” command.

    No more sudden changes to tiny blue print in Eurostile font when you are pasting!

  • _Dear Friends,_

    My house on Prickly Mountain is about 2-3 weeks behind the micro climate down here in the Mad River Valley. My apple trees are just now blooming while the big apple tree by my office window is well beyond blooming and is growing apples. In addition to the bees seeking nectar from the blossoms I noticed two hummingbirds feeding on my blueberry bushes as I sat on the deck last night after work.

    Only our South Burlington store will be open 9-5 on Memorial Day. We will resume all normal hours on Tuesday May 31st. Memorial Day is a somber holiday that honors those that have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

    “Better to die fighting for freedom then be a prisoner all the days of your life.” -Bob Marley

    Memorial Day is also the unofficial start of summer and it seems like the weather is cooperating this year. My annual motorcycle ride to Maine is always a bit iffy because of the weather but it looks like the lobsters better be on the lookout this year! Grace and I always catch a few small Memorial Day parades as we head through the back roads of New Hampshire on the way back to Vermont on Monday.

    This week’s Kibbles & Bytes exclusive features the Apple Airport Express Base Station. This Apple Certified refurbished unit carries the same 1-year warranty as new. Whether you need to extend your wireless network, connect a non-wireless printer to your network or connect your stereo system, the Airport Express is a handy device to have on hand. And in storm season, it never hurts to have a back-up wireless access point. Normally, these are $99 new but for “Kibbles & Bytes readers”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900002244 this week, while supply lasts, you can get one for only “**$59!**”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900002244