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  • To Update or Not to Update?

    To update or not to update? It’s a question some folks waffle on. There are two schools of thought, and I subscribe to both of them:

    *If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.* In other words: don’t update if everything is working.

    *Always update!* Developers work hard to fix bugs and patch security holes, if you’re not updating, you’re being lazy and setting yourself up for disaster. if you’re giving a PowerPoint presentation in front of many people, just click the button to update now on that little Microsoft Windows Auto Update notification window that keeps coming up every 15 minutes, and let your machine go into an updating frenzy that’ll probably still be going when everyone you were presenting to is back home. It’s inconvenient and embarrassing, but at least you’re up to date!

    There are software updates and there are hardware updates. There are changes, advantages, and compatibility issues that arise when new technologies come out, and (usually) solutions to all of these. The updates we all face most frequently are software updates, and that’s where the views above are most relevant.

    In the realm of software updates there are many types of updates. You have major updates, like going from Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks to Mac OS 10.10 Yosemite. There is a tremendous difference in the visual experience alone, and the insides of the OS is equally different. While the visual changes are most apparent, some of those internal changes to the coding make some software unable to work. It’s that possibility that scares me away from updating recklessly. I take some measures before any major updates, because I know from experience that some of my programs might not work as I expect them to. Sometimes that measure might be to not update to the latest version of Mac OS X. But the measure to always take is *back up your data!*

    There are also minor updates. These are the security patches and minor incremental changes. I’m much less conservative with these. While there is a possibility that things will stop working or there will be some disorienting changes, in most cases there’s much less room for software to stop working. These incremental changes are liking going from Mac OS X 10.10 to Mac OS 10.10.1. Most of the changes are under the hood: they’re bug fixes, security patches, and just programmers working hard to keep my Mac working the way I know it’s supposed to and not being glitchy and buggy. But sometimes these incremental updates are a little more significant.

    Back to the original question of “should you update?” My opinion is to start with a good solid backup, meaning multiple places where your data is stored. If you know you can get to them when your computer isn’t working, that’s a great starting point. The next step is to ask if it’s an incremental update or a major update. I personally jump without looking when it’s an incremental update or says security in the description. When the update has a different name and number, like you’re on 10.9 Mavericks and the new one is called 10.10 Yosemite and has a different picture it might be worth researching a little before downloading and installing.

  • iOS Productivity Apps

    Life keeps us on the go and we are relying on our iPhones more than ever. There are a number of productivity apps that are free and easy to use. Each one of these also has options for paid features such as extra storage, advanced features, etc.

    *Dropbox:*

    Dropbox is a great app to share documents, pictures, and other media across multiple computers and handheld devices. You can collaborate with friends, family, and coworkers. Dropbox gives you 2GB for free, and 2GB is enough for most people who only need to share documents. If you need more space, Dropbox offers more storage if you are willing to pay for it.

    *Google Drive:*

    Google Drive is one of my personal favorites. It allows you to store and share files (like Dropbox) but what really separates the two is the companion apps that Google Drive has. Google Docs is very similar to Pages or Microsoft Word, while Google Sheets is very similar to Numbers and Excel. Google Drive has 15GB of free storage with options to buy more.

    *Microsoft Office:*

    Most people are familiar with Microsoft Office. Word, Excel, and Powerpoint have been the industry standard for decades. The Office apps for iOS no longer need an Office 365 subscription to edit, store, or create documents, but you can get an Office 365 subscription to unlock the advanced features. The awesome thing about the Office apps is you can share files you create through both Dropbox and Google Drive.

    Also, in case you didn’t know, you can use the Apple productivity apps to edit Microsoft Office apps. Pages allows you to open and edit Word documents, Numbers for Excel, and Keynote for Powerpoint.

  • _Hello Fellow Tech Enthusiasts,_

    Here at Small Dog we strive to make sure that our staff members always have the latest and greatest knowledge. One of the best ways to do that is to encourage them (and for certain roles, require them) to get advanced Apple certifications. I have several acronyms in my email signature: ACMT, ACTC and ACSP. These are, in order: Apple Certified Macintosh Technician, Apple Certified Technical Coordinator, and Apple Certified Support Professional. I also have sales certifications and iOS certifications, and am an Apple Certified Associate. I have received all of these while working here at Small Dog, but guess what? You can get these certifications too!

    Apple allows anyone to study for and take these tests. If you are looking to brush up on your technical skills, I would highly recommend studying for and taking the Apple Certified Associate exams. These are the perfect starting place for becoming an OS X-pert. The study materials are available for free online and you can take the exams from the comfort of your own home. You can see all of the details at this link: “*OS X Certifications*”:http://training.apple.com/certification/osxyosemite

    If you are just looking for a little extra knowledge, keep reading Tech Tails!

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

  • Harvest Moon Eclipse

    As recorded with a first generation iPad Air using the MoviePro app. Video is 720p at 5fps sped up 2x using iMovie. Unfortunately…

  • Getting Ready for El Capitan

    Downloading the latest Mac OS this next week is the easy part. Unless you start the download when another 2 million people are doing the same thing, Apple makes the upgrade process very painless. And of course, it is free, too! There are some steps you should consider as you prepare for El Capitan to make it a smooth process.

    BACK UP!
    Yes, I am shouting! Back up your data all the time but especially whenever you are updating your operating system. We have talked endlessly about how fabulous Time Machine is as a tool to back up your data. DO IT NOW. Upgrading to El Capitan is a great excuse to make a fresh back up of your priceless data.

    Do you know who you are?

    Do you know your Apple ID and the password? You are going to need that to upgrade. It will be asked for when you start the download and you will also be asked for it during the El Capitan and iCould setup. If you wrote it down on that little scrap of paper that is somewhere in your wallet, now would be a good time to find it.

    How Old is Your Mac?

    Sorry, that old SE 30 will not support El Capitan so you should make sure that you know if your Mac will support the new operating system. Here’s a list of the supported machines:

    iMac (mid-2007 or newer)
    MacBook (late 2008 Aluminum, or early 2009 or newer)
    MacBook Air (late 2008 or newer)
    MacBook Pro (mid- to late 2007 or newer)
    Mac Mini (early 2009 or newer)
    Mac Pro (early 2008 or newer)

    If you do not know your model you can go under the Apple menu and select About This Mac and if you are running Yosemite you will see something like this screen shot that will show you the vintage of your Mac.

    RAM and Storage

    The two mostly commonly confused terms in technology. Well, you need enough of both memory and storage. In the case of memory, Apple recommends a minimum of 2GB, however; Small Dog Electronics would set that minimum at 4GB. I think you will find your experience with El Capitan to suffer with only 2GB. If your Mac’s memory can be upgraded, now might be a good time!

    Storage is also important. We always recommend that you have at least 10-15% of your hard drive or SSD drive free just for cases like this. The installation of a new operating system creates a lot of temporary files that need space to live before they are ultimately deleted by the installation. Apple says that El Capitan takes about 6GB and that you should have 8GB free. That is cutting it pretty close. I would recommend that you have a minimum of 10GB free and pay close attention to the 10-15% free space. Now would be an excellent time to purge some files and old stuff that you really don’t need – like that downloaded copy of the Sopranos last season.

    Are you up-to-date?

    Is there a number in the icon of the App store? Have you done all your updates for the operating system and apps? Developers have been optimizing their Apps for El Capitan for several months so doing all those updates before you upgrade to El Capitan may make things go easier for you, too!

  • The honey-do list keeps expanding and I think I will be busy with chores most of the weekend, getting the house ready for the change in seasons.

    I hope you have a fantastic first fall weekend! Thank you for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

    Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,

    _Don, Dean, Scott_

  • What’s New with Watch OS 2.0?

    Here’s my top eight new features of the new release of the Watch OS:

    h3. Native Apps!

    With the original software release all of your Apps from Apple or third-parties had to have the iPhone to function. In fact, they were mostly resident on the iPhone and the iPhone was the workhorse. With Watch OS 2.0 Apps can be made by developers that are native to the Watch. This means that they can access things like the heart rate sensor, microphone, Taptic Engine and accelerometer.

    This should mean some new exciting apps coming in the next few months that further expand the use of the Apple Watch.

    h3. A New Face on Time

    Tired of the line-up of watch faces? Mickey Mouse just not your thing? Well, there are a new set of watch faces to personalize. I now sport one with Hammerhead, my bulldog, staring at me. There are time lapse scenes, you can choose your own photo or even a photo album which will change the picture each time you raise your wrist.

    h3. It’s Complicated

    Some of the watch faces have little customizable boxes that you can set for things like weather, stocks, timers, etc. The new Watch OS opens complications to app developers so now you can add even more information to your watch face.

    h3. Time Travel

    I think someone at Apple must be working on a real Time Machine with all the references to time in their software but with Watch OS 2.0 you have a new way to look forward or backward in time by using the Digital Crown to scroll through your schedule and see contextual information like what the weather is likely to be on your trip tomorrow or perhaps a missed email from yesterday.

    h3. Take the Red Line to Wrigley Field!

    The maps app on the watch is great, especially when you are navigating by foot in a big city. But when you are in a big city navigating mass transit is essential. Watch OS 2.0 brings Mass Transit directions to Maps! It gives you walking directions to the nearest subway or bus stop and then after you get off it continues with your walking directions, tapping you on the wrist to turn.

    h3. Good Night

    I do not think I will use this much, except perhaps, while on the road. Watch OS 2.0 allows a Nightstand mode that basically turns your watch into an alarm clock and takes the watch face and moves it into the horizontal position.

    h3. It Lives!

    If you are one of the lucky ones upgrading to the iPhone 6s or 6s+ you probably know about Live Photos already. This is the cool feature that records a bit of video with a photo and when you press on the photo it comes alive with movement. Well, that works on the Watch, too, if you have the iPhone 6s or 6s+. It is like watching a GIF on your wrist. Just set one of the Live Photos as your watch face, press and watch the motion.

    h3. eMail Reply

    While you *should* be able to record a response to an email with the microphone the way that you do with text replies, you can reply to emails now. Short and canned is the description. You can choose from several customizable preset responses. You can create up to 20 and the signature will say “Sent from my Apple Watch” (customizable, too) so your recipient will know why you are so terse.

  • Get Ready for El Capitan

    Downloading the latest Mac OS this next week is the easy part. Unless you start the download when another 2 million people are doing the same thing, Apple makes the upgrade process very painless. And of course, it is free, too! There are some steps you should consider as you prepare for El Capitan to make it a smooth process.

    h3. BACK UP!

    Yes, I am shouting! Back up your data all the time but especially whenever you are updating your operating system. We have talked endlessly about how fabulous Time Machine is as a tool to back up your data. DO IT NOW. Upgrading to El Capitan is a great excuse to make a fresh back up of your priceless data.

    h3. Do you know who you are?

    Do you know your Apple ID and the password? You are going to need that to upgrade. It will be asked for when you start the download and you will also be asked for it during the El Capitan and iCould setup. If you wrote it down on that little scrap of paper that is somewhere in your wallet, now would be a good time to find it.

    h3. How Old is Your Mac?

    Sorry, that old SE 30 will not support El Capitan so you should make sure that you know if your Mac will support the new operating system. Here’s a list of the supported machines:

    * iMac (mid-2007 or newer)
    * MacBook (late 2008 Aluminum, or early 2009 or newer)
    * MacBook Air (late 2008 or newer)
    * MacBook Pro (mid- to late 2007 or newer)
    * Mac Mini (early 2009 or newer)
    * Mac Pro (early 2008 or newer)

    If you do not know your model you can go under the Apple menu and select About This Mac and if you are running Yosemite you will see something like this screen shot that will show you the vintage of your Mac.

    !{display: block;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;}http://blog.smalldog.com/images/4531.jpg!

    h3. RAM and Storage

    The two mostly commonly confused terms in technology. Well, you need enough of both memory and storage. In the case of memory, Apple recommends a minimum of 2GB, however; Small Dog Electronics would set that minimum at 4GB. I think you will find your experience with El Capitan to suffer with only 2GB. If your Mac’s memory can be upgraded, now might be a good time!

    Storage is also important. We always recommend that you have at least 10-15% of your hard drive or SSD drive free just for cases like this. The installation of a new operating system creates a lot of temporary files that need space to live before they are ultimately deleted by the installation. Apple says that El Capitan takes about 6GB and that you should have 8GB free. That is cutting it pretty close. I would recommend that you have a minimum of 10GB free and pay close attention to the 10-15% free space. Now would be an excellent time to purge some files and old stuff that you really don’t need – like that downloaded copy of the Sopranos last season.

    h3. Are you up-to-date?

    Is there a number in the icon of the App store? Have you done all your updates for the operating system and apps? Developers have been optimizing their Apps for El Capitan for several months so doing all those updates before you upgrade to El Capitan may make things go easier for you, too!

  • _Dear Friends,_

    It is now officially autumn and while I do see a few trees with some color starting, the fall foliage season which draws thousands of leaf peepers to Vermont seems like it will be a little later than normal this year. We have had some unusually warm weather and not much rain so my guess is that it will be peak foliage sometime in the 2nd week of October this year.

    Apple followed up the release of iOS 9 with the release of WatchOS 2.0 this week. I will go over some of the new features in the latest watch release but it may be a little while before we see the full impact as the most major upgrade is that the watch is now able to use native Apps and developers will be releasing new tools to make the Apple Watch even more useful.

    It seems that iOS 9 is being adopted at an amazing rate. It was reported that in the first 3 days of the release over 50% of active devices had been updated and are taking advantage of the new iOS 9 features. The new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are shipping this week, too. Some shipments were delayed in Washington, New York and Philadelphia however, due to traffic restrictions related to the Pope’s visit this week.

    The six-pack Chill Pill speaker special was so successful last week that we are going to hold it over for one more week!

    This week’s Kibbles & Bytes exclusive is a six-pack of our famous Chill Pill mobile speakers. These compact “transformer” speakers produce big sound in a small package and have a built-in rechargeable battery. Normally, these sell for $29.99 each but for this week only for Kibbles & Bytes readers you can “*get 2 black, 2 white and 2 Red Chill Pill Speakers for the cost of one!*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900001955

  • Grace and I are having nightly “discussions” as we try to clean up the house for rental while we spend our winter in Key West. It is a battle between the need to “purge” and my proclivity to be a pack rat. It is a drawer a night and I just cannot throw away that Apple remote for a 1st generation Apple TV or the USB dial-up modem but Grace has a good point – when am I EVER going to use those?

    Lots of chores this weekend but I know I will sneak out on the bike for a bit as the weather is supposed to cooperate. Have a wonderful weekend and thank you so much for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

    Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,

    _Don, Dean, Mike, Scott_