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We have some great deals for you this Fall. When you purchase a new iPad mini 4, we are going to give you $10 off an in-store lesson. And when you purchase an iMac with AppleCare; you save $50 instantly plus we’ll throw in a FREE pair of Chill Pill mobile speakers. Check out these savings and more at “**www.smalldog.com/fallsavings**”:http://www.smalldog.com/fallsavings/fall-into-savings
Along with the new iMacs Apple also introduced the Magic Mouse 2, Magic Keyboard and the Magic Trackpad 2. The Magic Mouse 2 and Magic Keyboard 2 come standard with the iMac.
The first thing you might notice about these new input devices is that they no longer require disposable batteries, but rather have built-in lithium-ion batteries and a lightning port to charge your device. It will require a little change in habits because you don’t want to be right in the middle of important work and find that your battery is dead. Fortunately, they charge up fast and will give you plenty of warning with the battery is low. As an example, a two-hour charge on the Magic Keyboard will last about a month.
The other important thing to note about these new input devices is that they REQUIRE OS X 10.11 El Capitan.
h3. Magic Keyboard
With the same technology used in the MacBook’s keyboard the new Magic Keyboard features a lower profile design that delivers full sized keyboard function while taking up 13% less space. The back of the keyboard features a Lightning port, and on/off switch and the Bluetooth antenna window. The Magic Keyboard and all of these new input devices feature “automatic pairing”. Basically this means that you plug in the included lightning cable to the USB port on your Mac and you are paired. No more typing codes or putting the device in discoverable mode.
You can charge the Magic Keyboard by plugging it into your Mac and continue to use the keyboard as a wired keyboard until it is charged, too. Unplug it and it automatically switches over to Bluetooth.
The Magic Keyboard is $99.
h3. Magic Mouse 2
The major improvement to the Magic Mouse is the built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery. There is now a lightning port on the bottom of the mouse to charge the Magic Mouse 2. Fortunately, the Magic Mouse 2 fully charges in about 2 hours but if you are in a bind you can plug it in for just 2 minutes or so and get a full day’s use from the Magic Mouse 2.
There are numerous internal improvements with fewer moving parts. The newly shaped feet should give the Magic Mouse 2 superior gliding and tracking.
The Magic Mouse 2 sells for $79
h3. Magic Trackpad 2
The Magic Trackpad 2 has had the most changes of these input devices. It also features a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery that fully charges in about 2 hours and will provide about a month of typical use. It features a 29% larger surface area than the original Magic Trackpad.
Most importantly, Force Touch is now available! Force sensors detect how hard you press and then tell your Mac what to do based upon these subtle differences in pressure. The Magic Trackpad 2 incorporates the Taptic Engine that provides you with tactile feedback when you activate Force Touch. Force Touch also lets you click anywhere on the trackpad with equal sensitivity.
Force Touch is being supported by more and more Apps and you can use it to find word definitions, Force click on a date in email or messages and Calendar will pop up so you can create a new event. Force click on an address in that same email and up pops Maps to show you how to get there.
The back of the Magic Trackpad 2 has an on/off switch, Lightning port and Bluetooth antenna window.
I am really looking forward to giving this new Magic Trackpad a work out and will report back to Kibbles & Bytes readers.
The Magic Trackpad 2 sells for $129
In case you hadn’t noticed, computers are pretty advanced these days and they get more complex and sophisticated every day. Every year it seems more and more problems are solved and with an ever increasing variety of devices we can do more and more.
There’s one seemingly simple task with which computers have always struggled. Any guesses as to what it might be?
File and data transfers.
It’s true. Despite all the computing power in the world, transferring data from one device to another has always seemed arcane in comparison to the devices involved. Let’s step back in time for a minute to see how long we’ve been struggling with this problem.
Back when I was in high school (2002-2006) flash drives weren’t that common yet. If I created some PowerPoint or program for computer science class at home and needed to get it into school, I really had only two options: 3.5 inch floppy disks or emailing it to myself. Floppy disks failed constantly and with only 1.44MB per disk, it was often very impractical. So email must’ve been great then, right? Well, consider that Gmail wasn’t released until 2004 and even then, it was invite-only for a while. Other email services at the time offered little attachment storage and were showing their age. Many had been around for almost a decade by then. Gmail’s 1GB of free storage was unheard of. That certainly made file transfers easier, but compared to how much better computing itself was getting, it still felt arcane. If you were still on dialup (like me) uploading data was also prohibitively slow.
Fast-forward to the late 2000s and flash drives had become far more common, larger in capacity and substantially cheaper. However, were we really still saying that the only way to transfer data from one machine to another was to plug this little thing into the computer and then physically transfer it to another computer? Of course, if you had enough networking skill, you could set up a file server (as I did in college) and then hopefully be able to access those files from all the locations in which you might need them. Most people didn’t have those skills though.
This problem seems to have remained relatively unsolved over the years right up to present. Nowadays the Internet is much more solid and services like DropBox and other cloud storage services make file sharing possible even for people who don’t even know what a network is, but I can’t help but feel it’s still messy.
Well, I used to still feel it was messy, but I actually feel that Apple has solved this problem in a way that is finally on par with the elegance of the technology itself. Enter iCloud.
I use my iPad Air as a fairly capable photo and video recording device. I use an “*iOGrapher case*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/86891/iographer-mobile-media-case-for-ipad-air-1g-black and tripod and the excellent “*MoviePro app*”:https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/moviepro-video-recorder-pause/id547101144?mt=8 to get the most of out the hardware. How do I get that media off the iPad and onto my Macbook Air to be properly edited, backed up, etc? I just use iCloud. Saying I “use” iCloud almost feels disingenuous though. I turned it on once in my iPad settings, and now I never even think about it. If I take photos or videos on my iPad, I know that they’ll be on my Macbook Air. No confirmations, no network setup, they’re just there waiting for me.
I consider myself a pretty tough critic on this issue and have been very unsatisfied with the solutions available for almost 15 years, so Apple’s solution doesn’t get my praise lightly. One of the main reasons it gets my praise is that I had been using it for months and barely noticed what it was actually doing. That’s how elegant it is. It takes the complicated task of transferring data between devices and hides all of the dirty work only leaving you with the resulting solution: Your photos and videos are available on all your devices. Want a few photos on some other random (possibly non-Apple) device? Just visit “*https://www.icloud.com*”:https://www.icloud.com. From there you can access all your iCloud content including photos, videos, Pages, Numbers and Keynote documents, notes and any random stuff you may have stored in iCloud Drive.
So if you’ve been wary of iCloud, unsure of how it works or are still just transferring files around some other way, I urge you to try getting your devices tied together using iCloud. This is how file sharing across devices should work.
Apple introduced new 21.5-inch iMacs this week bringing the most affordable iMac a 4K Retina display with 4096 by 2304 pixel display (9.4 million pixels) in a very thin and sleek aluminum and glass design. This resolution is over 5 times the resolution of a standard HDTV.
Like the 5K 27-inch iMac this new small iMac also has a wider color gamut. Like the 27-inch, the 21.5-inch iMac with Retina 4K display also has a wider P3-based color gamut. Because every unit is color calibrated in the factory using using state-of-the-art spectroradiometers, every iMac delivers consistent, accurate color.
iMac 21.5-inch now includes 5th generation Intel Core Broadwell processors, with a dual-core processor at the entry level and quad-core in the rest of the line. The Intel Core i5 is standard with a new Core i7 (3.3GHz quad-core) configure to order option. The 27-inch iMac now includes 6th generation quad-core Intel Core i5 processors (Skylake) with a Core i7 configure to order option.
The 21.5-inch iMac with 4K Retina display starts at $1,499 and features a fifth-generation Intel Core processor and enhanced Intel Iris Pro Graphics. It also boasts two Thunderbolt 2 ports, delivering up to 20Gbps data transfer speeds. The iMac has also been updated with three stream 802.11ac Wi-Fi, supporting up to 1.3Gbps wireless networking. The default Retina configuration features a 3.1-gigahertz Intel Core i5 quad-core processor, a 1-terabyte hard drive, and comes with the new Appel Magic Keyboard and Magic mouse 2.
The new 21.5-inch iMacs are in stock now at Small Dog Electronics. Come into any of our stores to see the stunning new iMac!
_Dear Friends,_
You might think this was the Cubs blog – bleedcubbieblue.com – but you are at the right place for everything Apple, dogs and occasional Cubs news. Yes, the boys from Wrigleyville are in the NLCS and I look forward to cheering them on. Kyle Schwarber hit a monster home run that is now encased in plexiglass where it landed on top of the new jumbotron.
I had to scrape ice off my windshield this morning and some of the trees have already lost their leaves as the changing season reaches its pace. I have been able to find some less-travelled roads to ride my motorcycle to view this amazing display of natures colors. October also brings new 21.5-inch iMacs, Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad and Magic Keyboards. We will talk about those below but we have already gotten stock of the new products and these new smaller iMacs with 4k displays are fantastic. I’ll be adopting a Magic Trackpad 2 to take advantage of Force Touch and the larger surface area.
It is good to see that Apple is continuing its partnership with educational institutions doing research and taking advantage of Apple’s Researchkit that was revealed last year. There are already studies with thousands of participants in studies of diabetes, asthma, Parkinson’s disease and breast cancer. This week Apple announced three more major studies in conjunction with Duke University on autism, Johns Hopkins on epilepsy and Oregon Health and Science University on melanoma.
We are adding a new product for your home to our selections. This week’s Kibbles & Bytes special is a special advance ordering opportunity. The new product is the Fody Tempus Weather Station. I have been testing this weather station both in Vermont and in Key West for about nine months and I am happy to bring this to our customers. This is a complete indoor-outdoor weather station that reports temperature, wind speed, humidity and rainfall via an iOS app. There is also an Android app if you plan on giving this as a gift and it would make a great present. The indoor unit receives data from the outside unit wirelessly and then transmits that data to the Fody weather app via Bluetooth. It features a self-emptying rain gauge, anemometer, thermometer and barometer all in a compact unit that is very easy to install in a variety of locations and comes with all the necessary mounting hardware. I should have these in stock in about 10-12 days so this is an opportunity to reserve one before they arrive and save some money, too! Most complete weather stations are several hundred dollars, but the Fody Tempus Pro is only $159.99. “*This week only for Kibbles & Bytes readers you can reserve one for only $139.99!*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900001987/special-save-20-on-tempus-pro-bluetooth-weather-station
Apple has just announced upgrades and new iMacs making it a great time to stop into Small Dog! “*Save $50 instantly*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900001966 and get a **FREE Chill Pill mobile speaker** with the purchase of any new iMac with Applecare. The “*27" iMac*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/87359/imac-27in-3-2ghz-i5-retina-5k-8gb-1tb-radeon-r9-m380-with-2gb now comes standard with the Retina 5K display and starts at $1799.99. Apple also updated and upgraded the “*21.5"*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/87357/imac-21-5in-3-1ghz-i5-retina-4k-8gb-1tb-iris-pro models with faster processors and Retina 4K displays starting at $1499.99. The iMac is an incredibly versatile desktop machine, whether your looking for a new computer for the family, a larger screen to get your project done or it’s just time to upgrade; the iMac might be the perfect choice for you. The new iMacs are in stock and we have some great deals on previous generation models as well, while supplies last.
Thinking the iMac is a bit more than what you might need? We also have deals on “*iPad mini 2*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900001967 and “*iPad mini 3*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900001968. Get a **FREE Hammerhead case**. With Apple’s introduction of the new “*iPad mini 4*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/87207/ipad-mini-4-16gb-space-gray, now is a great time to take advantage of some great savings on an iPad mini. Apple recently dropped the price of the “*iPad mini 2*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/84494/ipad-mini-2-16gb-silver to $269 and we have savings on the “*iPad mini 3*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/86172/ipad-mini-3-16gb-wi-fi-silver while supplies last.
Want to take advantage of the latest iPad mini 4, but are new to iPad? We have you covered! **Save $10** on our in-store lessons and learn about new features in iOS 9, how to download Apps, set up your e-mail and more.
Visit any of our retail stores in Rutland, Waitsfield and South Burlington or shop “*online!*”:http://www.smalldog.com/fallsavings/fall-into-savings
One of the most handy tools for anyone in the IT field is the USB flash drive. My absolute favorite USB drives to use are the MIMOBOTS (pronounced MEE-mo-bots).
Launched in 2005 by Mimoco, MIMOBOTS are designer “toy” USB Flash Drives designed to look like famous people, cartoons and movie characters. The company provides a wide range of characters and capacties from 2GB to 64GB. Along with the flash drives they also produce portable power packs for charging your iPad or iPhone (known as MIMOPOWER) as well as other cool devices like a battery charger that looks like a mini light saber or a giant crayon.
Fun for all ages!
If data loss is a concern of yours (and it should be) backing up your Mac to hard drive (HDD) is one of the most important things you can do. Although any HDD can fail at anytime, having a clone of your internal HDD to an external HDD lowers the chances by half. The more copies you have on separate devices, the less likely your data will be at risk.
The next step to backing up your mac after you’ve decided it is a good idea is to purchase an external hard drive (EHD). Most EHDs we sell come formatted for a PC, which will not work for your Mac. I can’t count the number of times I’ve sold and EHD to someone who comes into the store the next day stating the backup won’t work. In the next paragraph I will explain how to reformat your EHD so it can work with your mac and more specifically Time Machine.
Turn your Mac on and boot to the desktop. Plug in your EHD and open Disk Utility (in your Applications > Utilities folder). On the left hand side of Disk Utility select your new EHD and then click the Partition tab on the right hand side. Select 1 partition (or more if you desire), then name it in the name field, and select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for the format. Then click on the Options tab on the bottom and make sure GUID is selected. Once all those settings are complete, click apply. The EHD is now being partitioned and reformatted so that your Mac can read it. After the loading bar in the bottom right is done and the formatting is complete, a Time Machine window may pop up (depending on what OS you have) asking if you would like to use this EHD for a backup device. If this window does not pop up, you would just need to open Time Machine (in System Preferences) and back up manually.
It is important to note that most all new EHDs come preloaded with software for backing up. When you repartition it, Disk Utility will ask you if you want to erase all content on the EHD. Say yes as it is brand new and we don’t need it since your Mac already has Time Machine software built into the OS.
That’s it! Your new EHD is now ready to be used with your Mac.
We talk a lot about the importance of backup, but we don’t always go into detail about how we back up. I will make an effort of detailing most of what I do. I make the conditional statement of “most of” because I dabble and experiment a lot and frequently forget about that cloud service that I signed up for, or this thing I did on some hard drive I tucked away a while back.
I’ve got a few core philosophies in relation to backup, the most influential being a fascination that keeps me trying new things and willing to spend a lot of time with some frustrating thing that I don’t really understand, and if I don’t learn anything and don’t make any progress, I’ve got a humbling story that helps keep me on even terms with all my non-obsessive/techie friends.
Another philosophy is one that I learned the hard way, many times, and have also learned again and again the way of the wise man – through the misfortune/loss of others – is that you can’t get it back when it’s too late. Backups are important. Backups are as important as your stuff is. If you can’t afford to lose your stuff, you can’t afford to not do a backup.
How much time and money and effort are worth investing into your backup? How much is your stuff worth? How much money did you spend on all your music, software, having some computer professional help you get it all set up? I know that days or weeks is probably a very conservative guess, and a few hundred bucks is probably well below the value of all your data if you’ve been using a computer for a few years. I probably spend a couple hours a month just sorting through all my files, trying to get them organized; a good backup preserves that organization and effort that I really don’t want to do again. My point is, spending some money and a fews hours learning how to backup and make it work for you is time well spent.
Another thing I can’t be clear enough on, is that nothing is 100% reliable. Everything fails, everything breaks, everything is subject to disaster. Having your data in a well diversified set of mediums that are all over the place geographically helps reduce risk. Computers fail and backups fail too. Put your important data somewhere else that you know you can get. Doesn’t matter how high tech it is or how good others say it is if you can’t understand it. What’s important with any backup is that you can get back to what you care about. If this means printing out your favorite digital pictures so you have a copy of them if your computer crashes, you still have that photo and can hold onto the memory. Same goes for a piece of writing. I’m not suggesting you print off tens of thousands of pages of every email you’ve ever gotten, but it might not be a bad idea if it’s some really important document that you’ve been pouring your heart and soul into for ages.
Now that I’ve made an effort to justify the following madness, I’ll get on with the actual methods…
The easiest and most recommended and cheapest backup method is to copy everything to a thumb drive / flash key / USB stick, USB drive (whatever you call it); one of those things you plug in to your computer and put stuff onto. CDs and DVDs are options, but they’re generally permanent, and are kinda slow compared to the USB drives, there’s also a more formal process where you need to finalize the contents before the disc starts to burn. If you’re moving the most critical stuff (generally some documents, maybe a few spreadsheets, and some photos and other digital keep sakes) it’s probably only a few gigabytes (GB) and might easily fit on these mediums. If you’ve got a lot digital photos they might not all fit into a USB drive with only a few GB, you can try this with many different USB drives, but it’s going to take a while, I’ve done it and there are easier ways. Putting the same stuff onto more than one USB drive isn’t a bad idea though.
The next easiest method is use an external HDD in the same way you would with a USB drive. Just click and drag and your files will be on this secondary storage device you’ve got plugged into your machine. You can keep everything organized with folders, just like on your Mac.
You can use also use an external HDD for a Time Machine backup. Time Machine is a program written by Apple that’s included in every version of Mac OS X from 10.5 Leopard, released in 2007. Time Machine copies every file on your computer to an external HDD, and makes different snapshots. It only copies the changes. Because of the redundancy of files, we recommend that a drive being used for a Time Machine backup is twice the capacity of the drive it’s backing up. If your Mac has a 1TB drive we recommend a 2TB HDD. It’s not a requirement, but it’ll give you that much longer before the drive fills up and starts deleting old backups to make space for the new.
Apple makes a device called the Time Capsule for use with their Time Machine backup software. The device is a wireless base station / router, the AirPort Extreme, with a hard drive built into it. If you already have a router that’s working perfectly, this might be a great, but expensive solution. I personally really like the Time Capsule, because it automatically backs up my MacBook if I’m using the wireless at home. Because that’s pretty much a given, I know I have an up to date backup.
There is even more that I do for my personal data, but I’ve set up both of my sisters with all of the above and regularly check to make sure they’re up to date, and I’m confident that this is a solid backup strategy for them.