Kibbles & Bytes Blog

Apple news, tech tips, and more…

KB Dog

  • It's the Reliability, Stupid!

    When I was in high school, I worked at the local public access TV station after school. This was my first introduction to actual modern Macs (I don’t count my days in elementary school playing Oregon Trail on a Mac Classic which was already 10 years old at the time). At the public access station, we originally had two Power Mac G4s. These were later upgraded to a Power Mac G5 and an iMac G5. I remember we loved the screen on the iMac, but rendering video took forever. We often found ourselves editing on the iMac and then mastering to a file or a DVD on the Power Mac.

    At the time, I was actually harshly critical of Macs. It’s been so long, I don’t even remember why. Cost? I liked Windows better? Who knows. I was young. I remember I hated them a lot less when we got the iMac because that was my first introduction to OS X. Up until that point I had been using OS 9. So considering my past dislike of Macs, my present praise of them might seem odd.

    If someone asks me today why I’d recommend a Mac, my primary answer would be: longevity and reliability. In 2009, I was given a Core 2 Duo Mac mini. I could never really think of what to do with it, especially when I got it. Over the years it served many functions. During a few periods in between other computers, it was my primary machine. The most impressive thing to me though is that it’s still running with no major problems. No, it’s not a great machine (2.6Ghz Core 2 Duo, 120GB HDD, 1GB RAM). No, it can’t run the latest OS (without upgrading the RAM, I can’t even get it past 10.5.8). All that aside though, it’s been incredibly reliable.

    I’m sure eventually I’ll hit some insurmountable road block that will prevent me from using it anymore, but as of today, it’s the center of my home network. It hosts and serves my media library. It hosts all of my websites. It hosts a RAID I use as a redundant backup destination for Time Machine on my MacBook Air. If I need to run a big download that will take a long time, I let the mini take care of it. All the while it just sits there faithfully, working away 24/7. As a bonus, it doesn’t even consume that much power. Even an old mini like mine typically consumes 15-20 watts at idle.

    I’ve considered replacing it. I’ve considered building a micro-ATX linux box that’s more powerful–one of the biggest letdowns is that Apple doesn’t seem too keen on building performance Mac minis anymore–but I just can’t do it. My mini is just too reliable. When I finally do replace it, it’ll likely be with another mini.

  • Apple Stands Up The Street

    $50.6 Billion in revenue, $10.5 Billion in net profit and $235 Billion in the bank. Let’s get one thing straight, 99.9% of the companies in the world would love to have those kind of numbers. And while this fell into the range of Apple’s forward-looking guidance, it did fall short of the expectations of the analysts.

    This was the first time in 13 years (!) that Apple posted lower year-over-year sales. Apple saw lower iPhone sales than last year at this time. However, keep in mind that was when the iPhone 6 was at its peak. Nevertheless, Apple sold 51.1 million iPhones and said they are having difficulty keeping up with the demand for the recently released iPhone 5se.

    Mac sales and iPad sales also declined as expected with Apple selling a bit over 4 million Macs and 10.25 million iPads. On the bright side, Services revenue increased 20% to almost $6 billion and “other” products which include Apple TV, Apple Watch, Beats and iPod generated $2.189 billion which is 30% growth.

    Apple’s board of directors both increased the dividend paid on Apple shares to $0.57 which is about a 10% raise and increased their share buy-back program. With Apple being so widely held, this dividend increase makes Apple one of the largest payers of dividends in the world. Since the start of their dividend and share re-purchase program, Apple has returned over $163 billion to shareholders, the majority of that being in the form of share buy-backs.

    Apple’s guidance for the current quarter which ends at the end of June also projects a year-over-year decline in revenues. They forecast sales in the range of $41-$43 billion which is also lower than analysts predicted.

    There is no sugar-coating these results which were for the most part, a miss. Forecasting demand, revenue and margin is tricky and there are a bunch of factors that enter into this calculation and a bunch more that are ready to blow up the forecast. International monetary trends, new product introductions are all a bit of a wild card.

    There is some good news hidden in the report. Apple said that the iPhone enjoys an unprecedented 95% loyalty rate, Apple Pay is seeing 1 million new users a week, 13 million people subscribe to Apple Music and Apple’s installed base is 1 billion devices and growing.

    Apple had a huge hit with the iPhone 6 and that did push sales to a peak level last year. It was an anomaly, however, and Apple’s business is still incredibly strong, just a bit more down to earth. You can’t hit home runs every time at bat! Tim Cook says the product pipeline is strong and I believe him.

    Hey, I didn’t have to come up with a new adjective to describe what Apple did to the street this quarter. That’s a fringe benefit. Putting this all into perspective is important. It is not like Apple is losing money or losing customers. In fact, the opposite is true. In three short months, they made over $10 billion in profit and sold millions and millions of iPhones, iPads and Macs! Now, if Small Dog could just do a tiny fraction of that…

  • _Dear Friends,_

    Don’s making the voyage home this week from Key West back to the Green Mountains. He’s in for a bit of a shock when he gets back. Mother Nature seems to have gotten a bit confused this week. I mentioned in the fall that I was taking a new stance on winter and was going to embrace it this year and I truly did my best though we didn’t see much snow. But when we get a snow in late April, I choose to just ignore it. I didn’t bother to shovel off my deck and I left the hose to water my horses just thrown on the ground. In the end both these decisions only made my life harder. I had to lug water buckets for my horses as my hose was not only frozen to the ground, but frozen itself because I didn’t take the time to drain the water out of it. All the slush and snow I ignored on my deck was a sprained ankle waiting to happen and my screen door only opened halfway once everything froze back up. Well, let’s just hope this was finally the last of it and spring will finally show up for real. It always looks a little funny when the trees are starting to bud and there is still snow on the ground.

    The snow this week was a bit of a shock to many of us, and so was the latest financial report from Apple. For the first time in 13 years, Apple’s financial report showed lower than expected sales figures. iPhone sales showed their first decline since their release and iPad sales have been sluggish for several quarters now, but we’ll have more on this later in Kibbles.

    This week’s Kibbles & Bytes exclusive is perfect for the on-the-run Mom on your list or anyone who is on the go and trying to fit time in for themselves between home and the office. This week only, save $40 on this perfect on-the-run bundle. Get the OutDoor Tech Kodiak mini, the BlueAnt Pump Mini headphones and the Belkin Slim-Fit Plus armband for “**$99.97**.”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900002212 This bundle is perfect for ensuring the mom who does it all can keep can keep her phone going to capture those special moments or squeeze in an important call during her workout.

  • Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

    Here at Small Dog, we frequently see computers with malware infections. Many people fall victim to scammers online that trick them into downloading software that harms their computer and makes it impossible to browse the Internet. Fortunately, software exists to counter this. The one that we typically recommend is Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.

    Malwarebytes is free application that can scan your computer for known malicious software. It is frequently updated to allow it to detect the newest threats. The software is very lightweight at less than 9 megabytes. It does not have many features other than it’s main function of scanning for and removing malware, but it does its job very well. It is also extremely quick to scan for threats, running full scans in only a few seconds on most systems.

    A system snapshot feature is also included. This outputs detailed information about the software installed on your computer to a text file. This can be useful to technicians diagnosing your computer by revealing issues with software that you may not have been aware of being installed on your system.

    Malwarebytes is compatible with Macs running OS X 10.8 or higher, so if you have an older computer you may need to update your operating system to be able to use this software. As always, any time you are considering updating your operating system, ensure existing software you wish to continue using is compatible and that you perform a back up of your computer.

  • Cut the Cord with these Graduation Specials!

    Now through May 23rd take advantage of these Small Dog exclusive specials.

    There’s no better way to cut the cord than with AppleTV and have hundreds of movies at your fingertips! Buy any new 32gb or 64gb AppleTV and get an Apple Bluetooth Keyboard for $35!

    Save $75 on Beats Solo2 Wireless headphones or ** Save $50** Beats Pill+ Wireless speakers when you purchase any new iPad.

    Save up to $100 on all in-stock GoPro Cameras. Never miss a single splash or that once in a lifetime bike trip with a GoPro camera. Small Dog Electronics also carries a HUGE selection of GoPro accessories ensuring that the perfect shots or videos are captured every time.

    Whether you’re looking for a gift big or small we have you covered! Not sure what to get for the Mom or Grad on your list? A gift card is a perfect gift!

  • 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,**”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/87803/gopro-hero4-silver, the smallest, lightest and most rugged GoPro camera to date.

    The Session fills out “**GoPro’s**”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?search=GoPro 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!**”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?search=GoPro?search=GoPro&page=2&refinecat=Cameras_and_Scopes?search=GoPro?search=GoPro&page=2&refinecat=Cameras_and_Scopes|Action_Camera

  • Mark your calendars!

    Small Dog Electronics is thrilled to be teamed up with Technology for Tomorrow and AARP of Vermont to put on a FREE seminar on Saturday May 7th from 9am to 12pm. This event is open to all and we will be going over basic internet safety and security, and an introduction to iPhones and Facebook. Sign up today for secure your seat! This event is designed to go over basic introductory information PLUS you can enter to win a FREE iPad!

  • Cut The Cord

    May is just around the corner, and it’s the time of year I really start to think about summertime fun and what projects we want to complete while the weather is warm. We’ve already got all kinds of summer projects on our list including building a new horse barn. We’ve made some progress on this giant list but the weather hasn’t exactly cooperated. It’s in the 70’s one day and the 30’s the next. Sure it’s expected this time of year, but like many, in addition to a mountain of projects, we have a full calendar of summertime fun planned as well. We set a goal to do our very best to have the bulk of our projects done before June. Between long weekends and working when we get home from work, we just might get things done provided it stops spitting snow!

    Not only is May a big month for mountains of to-do projects, but it’s also a big time of year for those “**graduating**”:http://www.smalldog.com/congratsgrads/congratulations-grads (and let’s not forget Mother’s Day). Celebrate the Mom or Grad in your life by helping them to cut the cord! Buy any new iPad and get **$75 off Beats Solo2 Wireless** headphones or **$50 off Beats Pill+**. Not sure an iPad is right? Arriving later this week is the latest “MacBook”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/88186/macbook-12in-1-1ghz-m3-8gb-256gb-rose-gold. It’s ultra-lightweight and incredibly powerful.

    The latest Apple TV (32GB or 64GB) is another great option. The App store for Apple TV is expanding every day and surfing available options is now even easier with the Siri remote and the ability to connect a Bluetooth keyboard. Make this very special time of year perfect with the perfect gift from Small Dog Electronics!

    Emily Dolloff
    “emily@smalldog.com”:mailto:emily@smaldog.com

  • Macbooks and Macbook Air Upgraded

    Apple announced some changes to the 12-inch MacBook and 13-inch MacBook Air this week. Let’s talk about the MacBook Air first. Apple discontinued the 13-inch MacBook Air models that had 4GB of RAM and made them sport 8GB. There were no other changes to this model but the additional RAM comes at no additional cost as Apple doubled the RAM but kept the price the same at $999 for the 128GB SSD unit and $1299 for the 256GB SSD.

    With just this minor update to the MacBook Air we can speculate that perhaps this unit is on its way out within the next year. The MacBook Air does not have the Retina display nor does it support the latest in Intel mobile processors. On the other hand, it is Apple’s best selling laptop.

    The changes to the MacBook were more significant. They added a Rose Gold (er…pink) color which might actually be a nice option for some. More importantly, Apple went to the new sixth-generation dual-core Intel Core M processors which run at clock speeds up to 1.3 gigahertz, with Turbo Boost up to 3.1 gigahertz. The revamped notebooks also feature faster 1866 megahertz memory.

    This new processor yields increases in performance from 15-20% in initial testing. With the Intel HD Graphics 515, the new MacBook has about 25 percent faster graphics performance. Speed has also been enhance with new, faster PCIe-based flash storage.

    The lower power requirements and a slightly larger battery has also improved battery life, with the Apple claiming the new MacBook offers up to 10 hours of wireless surfing and up to 11 hours of movie watching.

    While some were expecting additional ports or an improved FaceTime camera, these features did not make the cut.

    We should have all the models in stock next week as well as some great deals on the newly discontinued models.

  • Next week I will be on the road so it will be fun to see how Emily handles the Apple quarterly results that are going to be announced on Tuesday. I guess I’d better write that up in my hotel room from the road.

    Last year, most of our plants suffered while we were gone. Between the lack of water and the chickens we had to do a lot of work to get them back. I installed a nice drip irrigation system this year but we will still have chicken invasions. For those of you that don’t know, Key West protects wild chickens and they are everywhere. That must be why Grace loves Key West so much!

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

    Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,

    _Don, Emily, Hadley & Amy_

  • Cut The Cord!

    “!http://blog.smalldog.com/images/4711.png!”:http://www.smalldog.com/congratsgrads

    Help the Mom, Dad, or Grad cut the cord this season! Technology is in almost every aspect of our lives, and sometimes it begins to feel like we are tied to our devices. Wouldn’t it be nice to just get up and go to another room, or continue listening to your favorite song out on your deck? There is no need to spend summers tethered to devices, buy any new iPad and save $75 on a Beats Solo2 Wireless headphones or save $50 on Beats Pill+.

    Do you have someone on your list that’s wishing they could capture all those great moment out on the lake this summer? Save up to $100 on a GoPro Camera! Wishing to make the Apple TV experience just a little easier and faster navigation when looking for a favorite movie? Buy any new 32gb or 64gb Apple TV and get an Apple Bluetooth Keyboard for $34.99.