Kibbles & Bytes Blog

  • _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

  • 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.