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  • Assistive Technology

    Assistive Technology
    is an area that I hold in high regard as the parent of a child who is on the autism spectrum. I have used some of the tools available to help him with his struggles and have seen hands-on how technology can assist in making tasks easier and more productive for people with disabilities.

    In 2013 Small Dog became the only company authorized to sell iPads in Vermont with Medicaid accepted as payment. These orders come in the form of authorizations from Medicaid as prescribed by speech and language pathologists (SLP) across the state. For right now the iPad is only approved by Medicaid as a speaking device, however; there are programs in place looking to expand the uses to other people with disabilities, these include blind and vision impaired, hearing impaired, autism spectrum and more.

    In addition to Medicaid we also work closely with Vermont Assistive Technology (VAT), which is a state government agency tasked with cataloging all the items that fall in this very broad category. They provide consulting, information, demonstration and a 30-day trial period to the public. As of today they have catalogued over 21,000 items.

    VAT recently reached out to me and asked if Small Dog would take on a role to offer more products and support services in this area as they do not have the resources or budget to do so. Naturally, we said YES! This is a great opportunity for Small Dog Electronics to expand into this field and offer some unique products that truly can change the end-users lives considerably. Having worked with Medicaid for the last several years we have found that procuring the items needed is very difficult. There is no central distribution for these products as many are manufactured by small businesses that specialize in very specific areas. Working with VAT we will strive to offer as many of these products and services that are attainable and make sense.

    Some examples of products we have recently sold are the RJ Cooper Magic Arm. This is a wheelchair or desk-mounted iPad solution that allows a nonverbal person to communicate their needs through the iPad. The App we used for this solution is
    Proloquo2go.

    The Tecla Shield gives those with limited upper body mobility (due to disability or disease) access to their touchscreen devices. Tecla makes it possible to use iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, as well as computers. All are accessible via assistive buttons, switches or wheelchair driving controls. You can see a video of this here

    With VAT listing over 21,000 products there is a vast array of products offered to assist people with all sorts of disabilities. Examples of some of the devices available are large print keyboards for the visually impaired, antimicrobial cases for hospitals and caregivers, computer, tablet and display mounts, rugged cases with built in speakers, keyguards for iPads, smart pens for dictation, head pointers, cameras that replace the need for a mouse and more. Another area of focus will be Apple’s Home Kit. The hardware and software taking advantage of this solution are a perfect fit for those with limited mobility and control. We will be able to design a home setting that reacts to the end users needs without having to move around more then needed.

    Small Dog Electronics has identified assistive technology as an important area for our company to refine and specialize our offerings. Don has asked me to head up this initiative for the company and I am thrilled to be able to find tools that will make life easier for so many people. This is really a situation where new technology can make a real difference in these lives. If you want more information or have suggestions, I urge you to write me directly, Rob@smalldog.com.

  • Grace and I went out to celebrate our oldest daughter Zoey’s birthday. It was her 48th and well, at first, we were just marveling at where time had gone but soon the memories and laughter became ageless.

    Our vegetable garden seems to shrink each year. We used to have huge gardens and would freeze and can a lot of produce for the year. Now with just Grace and I to feed and with us spending half the year in Key West, we have shrunk the garden a bit and our choice of veggies has changed. Grace doesn’t much like Bok Choy but I have developed a taste for baby Bok Choy so she is growing some for me this year.

    The black flies are out if full force, I hope the frogs, bats and baby birds hurry up and grow up so they can eat ’em all!

    Thank you for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

    Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,

    _Don, Emily, Hadley, Amy & Rob_

  • E-Reading with iOS

    Back in high school we used to always get assigned summer reading that we had to do before classes started up in the fall. One summer, before my senior year, there were three assigned books. I only remember one of them: Crime and Punishment. I remembering thinking it was a “crime” that they were making me read such a long book over the summer and that it was “punishment” for something I didn’t remember doing. Actually, I really enjoyed the book once I got into it.

    I don’t remember if e-readers were a thing back then. If they were, they probably weren’t a big deal. I remember every summer it was impossible to get the summer reading books from the library, so you often had to just buy them. That summer though, I used “**Project Gutenberg**”:http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page. I had been downloading and reading free, out of copyright, books from them for a while at that point. They offered many classics in several formats including plain text. At the time, I would load the plain text onto my Palm Pilot and read books that way. It actually worked better for me because I could read a little bit anywhere I was even if just for a few minutes, and I didn’t have to carry around a huge book like Crime and Punishment.

    For one reason or another, I don’t read quite that much these days. When I do, I tend to prefer physical books only because I find it easier on my eyes. That being said, there are lots of options for reading books on iPads or iPhones. Obviously, you can use the iBooks app, but you can also download the Kindle app. A lot of the things I end up reading these days are PDFs of academic articles or copies of old magazines. Did you know that iBooks can open those too? You can simply drag PDFs you want to read to your iCloud Drive and then they’ll show up in both iCloud Drive and in iBooks.

    I don’t think I have a preference between the iBooks and Kindle apps. There have been a few books I wanted to buy that weren’t in iBooks, so I had to buy them in Kindle, and there have been others that were cheaper in iBooks. Both apps work about the same and have similar features. I haven’t gotten to try either of them since the new Night Shift feature was added to iOS. I wonder if that will make them easier on the eyes.

    Of course, with both iBooks and Kindle, there are OS X equivalents if you just have to read whatever you’re reading on your Mac. I tried it briefly with one book I bought, but it really doesn’t work that well for me. The form factor of the iPad Air/Pro is really great for reading in my opinion.

    I’ll probably still continue to prefer physical books over e-books in most situations, but I have to admit, I enjoy the convenience factor when it comes to e-books.

  • Assistive Technology

    “Assistive Technology”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/Assistive_Technology
    is an area that I hold in high regard as the parent of a child who is on the autism spectrum. I have used some of the tools available to help him with his struggles and have seen hands-on how technology can assist in making tasks easier and more productive for people with disabilities.

    In 2013 Small Dog became the only company authorized to sell iPads in Vermont with Medicaid accepted as payment. These orders come in the form of authorizations from Medicaid as prescribed by speech and language pathologists (SLP) across the state. For right now the iPad is only approved by Medicaid as a speaking device, however; there are programs in place looking to expand the uses to other people with disabilities, these include blind and vision impaired, hearing impaired, autism spectrum and more.

    In addition to Medicaid we also work closely with Vermont Assistive Technology (VAT), which is a state government agency tasked with cataloging all the items that fall in this very broad category. They provide consulting, information, demonstration and a 30-day trial period to the public. As of today they have catalogued over 21,000 items.

    VAT recently reached out to me and asked if Small Dog would take on a role to offer more products and support services in this area as they do not have the resources or budget to do so. Naturally, we said YES! This is a great opportunity for Small Dog Electronics to expand into this field and offer some unique products that truly can change the end-users lives considerably. Having worked with Medicaid for the last several years we have found that procuring the items needed is very difficult. There is no central distribution for these products as many are manufactured by small businesses that specialize in very specific areas. Working with VAT we will strive to offer as many of these products and services that are attainable and make sense.

    !http://blog.smalldog.com/images/4724.jpg!

    Some examples of products we have recently sold are the **RJ Cooper Magic Arm.** This is a wheelchair or desk-mounted iPad solution that allows a nonverbal person to communicate their needs through the iPad. The App we used for this solution is
    “**Proloquo2go**.”:https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/proloquo2go-symbol-based-aac/id308368164?mt=8

    The “**Tecla Shield**”:http://gettecla.com/products/tecla-shield gives those with limited upper body mobility (due to disability or disease) access to their touchscreen devices. Tecla makes it possible to use iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, as well as computers. All are accessible via assistive buttons, switches or wheelchair driving controls. You can see a video of this “**here**”:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn41GhTDe4M

    With VAT listing over 21,000 products there is a vast array of products offered to assist people with all sorts of disabilities. Examples of some of the devices available are large print keyboards for the visually impaired, antimicrobial cases for hospitals and caregivers, computer, tablet and display mounts, rugged cases with built in speakers, keyguards for iPads, smart pens for dictation, head pointers, cameras that replace the need for a mouse and more. Another area of focus will be Apple’s Home Kit. The hardware and software taking advantage of this solution are a perfect fit for those with limited mobility and control. We will be able to design a home setting that reacts to the end users needs without having to move around more then needed.

    Small Dog Electronics has identified assistive technology as an important area for our company to refine and specialize our offerings. Don has asked me to head up this initiative for the company and I am thrilled to be able to find tools that will make life easier for so many people. This is really a situation where new technology can make a real difference in these lives. If you want more information or have suggestions, I urge you to write me directly, “**Rob@smalldog.com**.”:mailto:rob@smalldog.com

  • _Dear Friends,_

    Rob and Tony took the time to prune the big apple tree that we had planted just outside the window of my office when we first moved here. It is a big tree now and covered with apple blossoms that seem to have weathered the snow that we got earlier this week. Now the blossoms are attracting the birds and the bees and some of the staff must wonder what I am doing staring out the window. I’ve seen hummingbirds, red wing black birds (actually orange winged), grosbeaks and this morning a bluebird just sat on the top branch for a long time. Gotta love spring!

    I am constantly amazed at how many inventions that I first read about in science fiction books as a youth are now becoming reality. Apple made a big $1 billion investment in China’s ride-sharing service Didi Chuxing. There has been a lot of speculation as to the reasons for Apple making this investment but even for a pure financial move it makes sense as Didi does at least 10 times the number of rides that Uber does in the USA. It has become the new normal for rides in many areas of China. But, there has also been a lot of speculation that it has something to do with Apple’s foray into the automotive industry and the future of self-driving cars. That’s where the sci-fi comes in — many writers have speculated about taxis that are driverless and they have been in movies such as Blade Runner. With the work Apple, Google and others are doing on self-driving electric cars, can it be far off? I think that there could be a major paradigm shift coming regarding car ownership and use.

    This week’s Kibbles & Bytes exclusive features the stunning 27-inch iMac with Retina display. This Apple factory reconditioned model has the same one year warranty as a new product and we are bundling it with AppleCare so you get 3-years of warranty protection and instead of the 90-days of free Apple technical support you get 3-years. This model features the 3.5GHz i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 1TB fusion drive. If you are looking to add a desktop Mac this could be a great opportunity. Normally, this bundle would sell for $1,939.98 but “**exclusively for Kibbles & Bytes readers**”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900002225 this week (while supplies last) you can save $200 and get the 27-inch iMac with Applecare for only “**$1739.98!**”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900002225

  • iCloud vs. Time Machine

    One of the most common questions I receive as a Mac technician is: “Should I back up my data using Time Machine with an external hard drive, or using iCloud?” The answer is not a simple one. Both methods have different advantages and disadvantages.

    When you back up your data using Time Machine, you are copying it from your computer to an external storage device that you own. Often, this device is located in the same physical location as the computer itself. If the device is a hard drive, it has the potential to randomly fail or become damaged by a fall or an impact. When you store your data into your iCloud account, you are sending your data away to be stored on a server in one of Apple’s data centers, hundreds or thousands of miles away.

    Deciding on a backup strategy is similar to deciding on where to store your money. Using iCloud is like storing your money in a bank account, and using an external hard drive is like storing your money under your mattress. If your money is in a bank account, it is guaranteed to be safe no matter what happens to you or your home. If your home is destroyed by a fire or a natural disaster, your money will remain in the bank account. However, if the bank fails or goes out of business, which has happened before (pretend the FDIC does not exist for this analogy), your money will be lost. If your money is stored under your mattress, you are guaranteed to keep your money no matter what happens at the bank or anywhere else. However, if your home is destroyed, the money will be lost.

    The matter can be further complicated by issues like the fact that iCloud does not automatically back up all of the data on your computer, and is therefore not a true backup solution. If you use “*iCloud Photo Library,*”:http://www.apple.com/icloud/photos/ your pictures are automatically backed up, but everything else needs to be manually stored in the iCloud Drive folder on your Mac, so if you forget to save a document there, it is not backed up. Also, with only 5GB of free storage, this can fill very quickly and you will likely need to pay a monthly fee for additional storage. Finally, if you forget your iCloud password, and are unable to reset it at “*iforgot.apple.com,*”:https://iforgot.apple.com you can lose access to your data.

    Keep in mind, the more important your data is, the more backups you should keep of it. Using iCloud and Time Machine together is even better than using either one.

  • FileVault

    *FileVault* is a built-in tool for encrypting data on a Macintosh computer. It was introduced in OS X 10.3 and was revised to *FileVault 2* in 10.7. The original FileVault encrypted just the users’ home directories whereas FileVault 2 encrypts the entire startup disk. I generally only encourage customers to use Filevault 2 if the person knows exactly what Filevault 2 does, how it works, and if they have sensitive data on their machine.

    When Filevault 2 is enabled on a Macintosh, the user is prompted to create a master password for the computer. If the password for that user is lost or forgotten, that master password can be used to decrypt your files instead. This is where things can get tricky because it is possible for your Filevault 2 password to be different from your user login password. This can then cause an issue where you try to reset your user password, and are then prompted for a Filevault password which you have since forgotten. Apple has done a great job at encrypting the startup disk and as far as I know cannot be reset without the password or recovery key.

    So in short, if you see the FileVault setup screen when updating or installing OS X (pictured above) think twice about leaving these boxes checked (they are now selected by default on Yosemite 10.10 and higher). I am simply suggesting that you “*read about FileVault 2*”:https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204837 and only enable it if you feel you need it. And if you enable it, keep you Master Password and/or recovery key in a safe place, preferably two safe places, and definitely NOT on the computer itself. Remember, with Filevault 2 off, your Macintosh is still password protected, just not encrypted, and this is a sufficient level of security for many users.

  • Keyboard Layouts

    Most people have never given much thought to how the keys on their keyboard are arranged. However, in the tech community there has been much debate about what arrangement is the most optimal to use. The standard keyboard layout is called QWERTY, after the first six letters to appear on the top left. The layout was designed in the 1870s for use in typewriters, and remains in use on an overwhelming majority of keyboards today.

    Some people have argued that QWERTY is an inefficient layout. Since QWERTY was originally created for typewriters, the keys are optimized for them. However, typewriters work differently from computers. Typewriters have physical mechanisms to print each letter onto the paper. If certain keys are typed too quickly after each other, the mechanisms can collide and cause a jam. The QWERTY layout was designed to prevent this as much as possible, by placing keys that are commonly typed together far away from each other. This helps to prevent jams in typewriters, but can be inefficient for typing on a computer, where key jams are not a possibility.

    The leading rival to QWERTY is the Dvorak layout, patented in 1936 by Dr. August Dvorak. The Dvorak layout was designed to eliminate the inefficiencies that plagued QWERTY. Dvorak was scientifically designed to enable faster typing, reduce errors, and reduce strain-related injuries. There have been studies confirming these claims, but many of these studies were administered by Dvorak and his associates. There were also some flaws discovered in the methodologies of the studies. Some non-biased studies have been inconclusive for various reasons, but most seem to at least agree that Dvorak is significantly easier to learn to type with than QWERTY.

    At this point, the main obstacle to adoption of a non-standard keyboard layout is the fact virtually all typists are already used to the QWERTY layout. Once again, tradition prevails over innovation.

  • _Hello Fellow Technophiles,_

    For some reason there seems to be an abundance of Star Trek fans in the tech world. As you can see in the picture to the left, I am one of these. I am even fine with being called a Trekkie even though some fans, for reasons that I don’t understand, feel this is a pejorative term and prefer the term Trekker.

    If you look closely at my picture, you will see one of the most iconic photos of all time. This is an Apple “Think Different” poster featuring Buzz Aldrin walking on the moon less than two months after the last episode of Star Trek aired on NBC. While this is a great photo, it has been upstaged as far as I am concerned. “*This picture*”:https://twitter.com/AstroSamantha/status/589035429879513088 taken last year is of Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti aboard the International Space Station wearing a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine era Starfleet uniform. As each tenant of the ISS gets a limited amount of personal items to bring aboard, it is a testament to her commitment to Star Trek that she chose to bring this up.

    Star Trek’s influence also allegedly reaches into Apple’s design team. There are those that believe that the iPad was in part inspired by the “*PADD device*”:http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/PADD used by Starfleet personnel. While there are some similarities here, I believe that the Star Trek technology that most closely resembles Apple technology is the voice of the ship’s computer; Apple’s analogue to this is Siri.

    Siri’s functionality increases all the time and will be a full-featured personal assistant probably sooner than we think. As this becomes the case, along with the other voice-activated assistants out there, we will probably find that we type less and speak more. What will become of the written word in this scenario? Will literacy drop as we become accustomed to transmitting our thoughts primarily verbally? Will Ben’s article below on keyboard layouts still be relevant? Only time will tell.

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

  • GoPro is Here!

    Here at Small Dog we are thrilled to announce that we are now carry GoPro in our stores! My favorite camera in our lineup is the Hero4 Session,, the smallest, lightest and most rugged GoPro camera to date.

    The Session fills out GoPro’s current product portfolio to six models as the company attempts to continue to lead the market for point-of-view cameras, also known as action cams. These cameras are increasingly used to capture video from the likes of surfers, skydivers, snowboarders, drivers, cyclists and even drones in the the most extreme situations. Here in the Florida Keys GoPro is popular with the local community and tourists alike.

    The Session has a new cube-shape form factor that distinguishes it from its earlier, more rectangular GoPro siblings such as the Hero4, Silver and Black. It’s also much lighter than those models and that square shape, included mounting frames and quick-release buckles, let you rotate the camera so it’s right-side up and lower profile, something that’s not easily done with other GoPro cameras. Another Session difference is that it’s waterproof down to 10 meters (33 feet) without the need for an enclosure. By contrast, the Hero4 Silver and Black are almost twice as bulky when snapped into the wraparound housings that are required to keep them dry. You might think having to use a housing isn’t the end of the world and it’s not, but there have been several times when I’ve needed my GoPro to be waterproof and didn’t have the case. I’ve wanted better audio, but only had the completely sealed waterproof back. The Session’s waterproof build solves this. Also, the housings for other Hero models only have one mounting point on the bottom. The included frames are included for mounting the Session take advantage of the camera’s cube design. This means that no matter how you attach the frame’s mounts, to the top, bottom, left or right, you just position the camera in the frame so it’s right-side up. If you have to mount it upside down, the camera will automatically flip the video 180 degrees when you start recording.

    Come into our stores and check out all of our GoPro camera’s in stock and our huge selection of accessories!

  • I got my little Austin Healey Sprite out for a spin after checking the oil and tires. Amazingly, it hadn’t leaked oil during the winter. I guess replacing that oil pan gasket was worth the crawling under the car. Not all of the roads have been swept yet so motorcycling takes a bit of extra caution.

    Last Saturday was Vermont Green-up day. It is a somewhat unique Vermont tradition. Thousands of volunteers from every corner of the state trek the roads with bright green bags and pick up a winter’s accumulation of trash. This year there were an estimated 21,000 volunteers, over 200 tons of trash collected including over 5000 tires. It is the 46th year for Green Up day.

    Thank you so much for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

    Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,

    _Don, Emily, Hadley & Amy_