Kibbles & Bytes Blog

  • _Dear Friends,_

    Spring Forward! Apple’s event on Monday was streamed live and I watched it on my Apple TV. It was a bit weird sitting in front of the TV in the middle of the day but as Tim Cook took the stage it turned out to be one of the more memorable Apple presentations. Rachel will be talking about some of the details later on but I want to talk about my reactions to the announcements.

    The event started out with a recap of Apple’s initiatives, particularly in China, with an expanding retail footprint. While some had expected a significant upgrade to the Apple TV when Tim started talking about Apple TV it was a very significant price drop from $99 to $69 instead. This puts the Apple TV in a more competitive space and in the hands of more folks. The HBO Now announcement was a significant step in what I see as a trend in TV content. Breaking with common practice, HBO has now allowed their content to be available as an broadband-only service. Prior to this announcement you had to subscribe to HBO through your cable or satellite company, but with HBO Now you do not need a contract with those companies, you simply pay the $14.99 a month for HBO. I suspect that many other content providers will see the writing on the wall and start to offer à la carte content. This will make the Apple TV the only TV interface you may need. While I still maintain a cable connection, mostly for local news broadcasts, I find myself using Apple TV for about 80% of the content I now use. This will change the nature of TV.

    As Tim talked about iPhone and Apple Pay one of the most fascinating presentations was on Apple’s new ResearchKit which is a tool for medical research. Apple has made this software open source and has already helped to create apps to aid medical research into Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and breast cancer. Apple is doing this work not because they have a profit motive, but rather because it is the right thing to do, which is rewarding in and of itself. Less than 24 hours after Apple announced ReasearchKit, the open source medical framework had received thousands of signups. This will be a huge boon to medical research and we applaud Apple!

    Next up, Apple once again demonstrated that they are not finished innovating with the Mac. The Mac market share continues to grow while other platforms shrink and Apple showed off the new MacBook with some new innovations and forward thinking. First off, let me say that I welcome the return on the simple MacBook moniker! This new MacBook is the thinnest and lightest Mac ever and, like other Apple products, will come in three color choices: silver, space gray, and gold. It features the new “Force Touch Trackpad” that is able to sense a click anywhere on its surface and can distinguish just how hard you are pressing to enable a new feature called “Force-Click”.

    Most startling was that the new MacBook only has two ports. A headphone jack and the new USB-C port. Apple has consistently led the industry in adopting new technologies and in some cases eliminating others. With this single port (which can handle charging and via adapters can connect to USB 3.0, DisplayPort, HDMI and VGA) Apple is once again setting the new standard. While Apple itself has announced a handful of new USB-C adapters, I would imagine quite a few other companies will have adapters and hubs soon.

    Of course, the  Watch dominated the rest of the presentation. Apple announced pricing ranging from $349 for the Sport, $549 for the Apple Watch, and *$10,000* (!!!) for the Apple Watch Edition. While Small Dog Electronics would love to be authorized by Apple to sell the new  Watch, Apple has made the decision to tightly control the distribution channel and will, at least at the start, offer it only at their own retail stores where Apple employees will assist customers in choosing the right watch. I think the  Watch will be a huge success and, even though I have not worn a watch since I was 12, I gotta have one!

    This week’s Kibbles & Bytes exclusive is a Chill Pill/Chill Box combo. If you buy any Chill Box speaker this week we will give you a Chill Pill speaker for free! I use both of these speakers from time to time. The Chill Pill is so compact that I can toss it into my bag and have it with me when I travel and the big sound from the Bluetooth Chill Box is great when I am hanging out in the garage or on the deck and want to listen to some tunes.

    “*Check it out here!*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900001795

  • Electronic Signing Made Easy

    I was at a customer’s office the other day helping to set up their new Mac system. It was a busy construction company and they needed help getting wireless scanning operational. I noticed that they were using Adobe Reader for their PDF files, so I introduced them to “*Preview*”:https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201740. Once I set the Finder to open PDF files with Preview instead of Reader, I showed them how to access the scanner to scan documents right from Preview.

    As I had them practice this, I noticed that much of their scanning needs were for documents that they would print out, sign, scan and then email to clients. When I showed them how to use the “signature” function in Preview they immediately saw the value and time saved. So, I know many of you already know how to use this tool, but I thought I would go over it so you too can use your electronic signature.

    Preview is used to view and edit PDFs and images, import images from a camera, import documents and images from a scanner, add pages to a PDF and also to take screen shots. When you have a PDF that needs your signature, the old way of doing this would be to print out the PDF, sign it, scan it and send it back. With Preview you can skip some of that work. You can capture your signature using your trackpad or better yet, using your camera on your Mac.

    ! Annotate > Signature > Manage Signatures*. When you select *Create Signature* you have a choice of trackpad or camera. While signing on your trackpad is okay, I prefer the camera method. Here you take a white piece of paper and sign it. Then click on *Camera* as the means of capturing your signature and hold up that piece of paper to the camera on your Mac. Once you align the signature on the blue line you can hit *Done* and your signature is stored. If you don’t like the first try, click *Clear* and do over.

    To add your signature to a PDF document click on the *Sign* button !http://blog.smalldog.com/images/4295.png! or use the path *Tools > Annotate > Signature* to select the signature. Once it has been placed on the document you can drag it to where you want it, then use the handles to adjust its size. Save the document and you can include it in an email with your signature. Remember that the *Save As* command is sort of hidden now but to get to it simply hold down the *Option key* when you select *File.*

  • SPECIAL | ChugPlug External Battery Pack for MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 13"

    *NEW PRODUCT:* The Lenmar ChugPlug is a patented external power pack that seamlessly integrates with Apple’s MagSafe Power Adapter to power and charge your MacBook anywhere. The ChugPlug is compatible with every MacBook that uses the 45W or 60W MAgSafe adapter which includes all models of the MacBook Air and the 13 inch MacBook Pro. This battery adds up to 4 hours of additional battery life to the MacBook Air and up to 3 additional hours to the MacBook Pro. Bring it with you to the airport, the office, or use the portable device in the comfort of your own home.

  • MARCH MAYHEM

    *St. Patrick’s Day*
    *Lots of basketball*
    *SPRING* ….*finally!*

    We are embracing the mayhem all month long with specials on monitors, speakers, fitness trackers, backup batteries, cases, headphones and much more! The first half of the month is dedicated to you sports fans out there, while the second half will have you thinking about spring weather and spring cleaning.

    *Finance SONOS speaker for 24 Months*
    !http://blog.smalldog.com/images/4303.png!
    “*Samsung 26 inch LED LCD Monitor*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900001759/march-mayhem-save-30-on-a-samsung-27in-led-lcd-monitor

    Enjoy the perfect viewing experience with a horizontal and vertical viewing angle of 178 degrees which means you see a clear picture from almost anywhere in the room whether you’re seated (wondering what the next pass will be), standing (cheering on your team), or lying down (because you got tied of standing up and sitting down).

    !

  • Troubleshooting your Mac: A Guide to Narrowing it Down

    As a tech, I have a unique perspective on the Apple world and the underlying factors that contribute to faults in our technology. It seems to me that the majority of issues that I handle day-to-day are often quite straightforward fixes, and yet it becomes difficult to translate that experiential knowledge into relatable and useful information that customers can use to build their own troubleshooting skills. Therefore, I am reaching out in this article to try and explain some common issues that find their way onto my bench, and how they might be diagnosed properly. A customer who is informed about the inner-workings of their machine will always experience more straightforward and reliable service from repair depots, and find that being armed with the right amount of experience makes resolving issues far less painstaking. This workflow reflects many of the steps I follow in order to track down points of failure in the event of malfunction.

    *Here are the basics:*
    * Write down your symptoms, in the CORRECT ORDER. When does the issue occur? What steps does the machine complete successfully? Make a checklist from power-on to full OS boot, and figure out specifically where the issue begins to show itself. This is key in identifying whether a problem is software or hardware based.

    * Ensure the machine is backed up completely, ideally with Time Machine or a disk cloning or sparse image software. If the machine is not able to boot and you do not have a backup, it is imperative that you have the technicians recover the drive information before any repairs are done to your machine. Creating a copy of those files as quickly as possible can make the difference between losing your data or saving priceless information.

    * Isolate Software-based issues. Once your data is securely backed up, attempt to resolve the issue by reinstalling your operating system via Recovery Disk, USB installer, or Retail OS X DVD. If you are not comfortable with this process, we are happy to provide the service for $45.

    * Once you have completed an OS refresh, if the issue persists, your machine may have hardware trouble. In this situation it would be best to have it examined by a trained Macintosh technician who is certified to disassemble and perform repairs on your model of Macintosh (that’s where small dog comes in!). Be sure to include as much detail about the issue as possible, including pertinent environmental details: How many other devices are connected to this machine? Have you experienced power-related issues such as a brownout or power surge in your home’s grid? Are there other sensitive electronic devices in the area that may be causing interference?

    These are important factors in tracking down suspected issues. To ensure that your machine is diagnosed and repaired in the smoothest and most effective way possible, making sure that you are aware of risk factors as well as the possibility of unexpected repair costs will allow your repair to move quickly through our queue and diagnostic process and get back in your hands sooner!

  • It Wasn't Me, It Was The One-Armed Robot

    Now I know this is a little off the subject of Apple tech, but if you are a tech enthusiast, then you too probably think robots are cool. I think robots are cool.

    The Curiosity Rover launched in 2011 from Cape Canaveral, FL and landed on Mars in 2012 (now that is some serious flyer miles right there). Ever since it has been the coolest over-sized RC car to inhabit another planet. In fact, Mars is the only planet to be only inhabited by man-made robots (COOL!). The rover’s task is to explore the Martian soil and study it’s climate, in preparation for future human exploration.

    But Houston we have a problem…it seems that our robot is sick. NASA stopped maintenance on the rover after a short circuit disabled one of it’s arms. Now, from a technician’s point of view, I can say it is sometimes very difficult to troubleshoot computer issues remotely. I can NOT even imagine how much of a pain it is to troubleshoot a failure on a whole other planet! Coffee consumption must be at an all time high at the NASA labs as diagnosing and testing is expected to take several days.
    Hopefully NASA’s techs will get the car-sized RC car rocking again, so we may continue to explore and, maybe, one day occupy Mars.

    “*Learn more here.*”:http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/03/05/engineers-analyzing-short-circuit-on-mars-rover/

  • iMessage: A Brief Summary

    Text messages sent via SMS are limited to 160 characters. This is because in 1985 wireless bandwidth was in extremely short supply, and characters had to be limited to a smaller number than ideal. One of the people on the team building the SMS standard found that commonly sent messages were well under 160.

    Apple’s iMessage has changed the times, and changed with the times. It allows longer messages with more freeform text. It allows all fonts and characters, and a diverse emoji collection. This has changed how we speak to each other, and what we can say. But the biggest way it has changed communication between people day-to-day is in how it utilizes the data network. Not only are messages sent faster most of the time, but in addition media can be sent. Not just the low-resolution photos on cheap phones, but real, high definition several-megabyte images and tens of megabytes in video (iMessage videos cap at around 3.5 minutes).

    Also, moving over the data network, these messages are much less susceptible to third-party eavesdropping on communication. Text messages are essentially in the open and accessible by any telephone company. iMessages, on the other hand, are stored only on devices and Apple’s own servers, which Tim Cook has publicly stated nobody else has access to (not that taking this with a grain of salt isn’t advised).

    iMessage doesn’t even require a phone number, merely an Apple ID. One can iMessage friends to and from any Apple ID. However, one can opt to use the phone number as the identifier, and it’s bound to the user’s Apple ID. I personally use iMessage with solely my phone number.

    iMessage also allows “Read receipts”, which can be sent to the sender on the other end, enabling them to know the message has been read by their recipient. This is a feature many users value, although it would be wonderful if Apple made it possible to select who does and doesn’t receive these read receipts. Currently the only way to do it is by installing unauthorized software via jailbreaking.

    iMessage is available on all iOS devices. A couple of other fantastic features are the third-party keyboard options available to users and Siri dictation, both wonderful aspects of the iOS 8 interface.

    One other company had an iMessage-like service, using data instead of the cellular network. Blackberry Messenger is still used by people today, but not much. It lacks iMessage’s popularity and robustness. My apologies to any die-hard BBM users I offend!

    “*Learn more about iMessage here*”:https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201287

  • _Happy Tuesday Everybody,_

    This weekend I stopped into my mother’s home in Brattleboro, VT. As is typical for any parent of a tech-savvy son or daughter, my mother needed computer help from me. She had installed adware on her MacBook Pro and did not know how to remove it. Fortunately, Adware Medic is a wonderful donation-supported piece of software for Mac that cleans almost all known Mac adware/malware issues with merely a couple clicks. It could not have been easier for me to clean up her Mac. I would highly recommend this app to anyone who needs to clean up adware on their machine (and it may not be clear which apps are adware, so running this as a preventative measure might be a good idea).

    !>http://blog.smalldog.com/images/4308.gif!
    It was an exciting day yesterday, with Apple’s March media event being aired. We witnessed Apple release of what could (almost) objectively be stated to be the best notebook made so far. Thinner than the 11″ MacBook Air, the new addition to the previously discontinued MacBook line fills every bit of internal space with battery capacity, and also introduces a brand new key design, a brand new trackpad design, and fanless technology. We are all very excited to get our hands inside these!

    Warm regards,
    -Mikhael
    “mikhael@smalldog.com”:mailto:mikhael@smalldog.com

  • It will be nice to see the sun set an hour later and that surely is one sign of spring even though the snow seems to still be covering the solar panels on my roof in Vermont. I’ll be watching the “*Spring Forward event.*”:http://www.apple.com/live/ I am anxious to see the details of the Apple Watch and am still trying to decide if I have to have one. I haven’t worn a watch in a very long time and pride myself on being able to know the time by instinct or by looking at any of the bajillion clocks that dot our lives instead of having a timepiece on my wrist. But a timepiece that does more? Well, that is the question not only for me, but for the ultimate success of this latest Apple invention.

    Thank you for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

    Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,

    _Don, Rachel, Dean & Mike_

  • MARCH MAYHEM

    *St. Patrick’s Day*
    *Lots of basketball*
    *SPRING* ….*finally!*

    We are embracing the mayhem all month long with specials on monitors, speakers, fitness trackers, backup batteries, cases, headphones and much more! The first half of the month is dedicated to you sports fans out there, while the second half will have you thinking about spring weather and spring cleaning.

    *Finance SONOS speaker for 24 Months*
    !http://blog.smalldog.com/images/4303.png!
    “*Samsung 26 inch LED LCD Monitor*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900001759/march-mayhem-save-30-on-a-samsung-27in-led-lcd-monitor

    Enjoy the perfect viewing experience with a horizontal and vertical viewing angle of 178 degrees which means you see a clear picture from almost anywhere in the room whether you’re seated (wondering what the next pass will be), standing (cheering on your team), or lying down (because you got tied of standing up and sitting down).

    !http://blog.smalldog.com/images/4304.png!
    “*Folio Case with Keyboard for iPad Air and iPad mini*”:http://www.smalldog.com/marchmayhem/march-mayhem-2015

    Stop thinking about how nice it would be to have a keyboard for your iPad and take advantage of our special this month. The Logitech Keyboard Folio case is ultra-thin, with dual-viewing positions, secure lock system, and has a rechargeable battery.

    Check out all the specials at: “*smalldog.com/marchmayhem*”:http://www.smalldog.com/marchmayhem/march-mayhem-2015

    Please note specials will change March 18th, so if you see something you like.. better grab it before it’s gone! New specials will be added March 18th for our customers who are coming down with spring fever…stay tuned!!! We’ll be sure to post a special section in next week’s Kibbles & Bytes

  • iWork for iCloud is Now Available to Everyone!

    Some of you may be saying: “iWork for iCloud has been available for quite some time now”…and you would not be wrong. However, iWork for iCloud was only available for those users who already lived in the Apple ecosystem. If previously you only used Windows, and are looking for an alternative to Microsoft Office 365, you now have a chance to see what Apple has to offer and it won’t cost you a dime!

    Apple’s iWork productivity suite is similar to Microsoft Office in that it offers programs for word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations. All you have to do in order to give these programs a try is “*create an Apple ID.*”:https://appleid.apple.com/account It’s that simple. Once your Apple ID has been set up, you’ll get 1GB of complimentary iCloud storage, and can start using these new programs. Please note this free access is just for the web-based version of Pages, Numbers, and Keynote.

    In order to get the full benefits of iCloud, you will need to purchase a Mac or iOS device. But for those who are still on the fence in regards to switching from Microsoft Office to an alternative, this is an excellent opportunity to try something new without any risk involved. “*Give the iWork Suite a try here.*”:https://www.apple.com/iwork-for-icloud/ I’m sure you will love it and who knows, maybe this will pique your curiosity about what a Mac or iPad could offer you.

  • How The Braided Lightning Cable Was Born

    As someone who’s had the iPhone since generation 1, I have gone through a countless amount of charging cables. Whether it was because my roommates needed to “borrow” a cable without asking, the materials crumbled and frayed due to my reckless lifestyle, or I simply misplaced it, I’ve found myself purchasing a new cable every couple of months. When I started working for Small Dog in South Burlington as the Store Manager, I found my particular cable situation to be sort of the cultural norm. With the help of feedback from distraught customers and my own personal dilemma, I found myself on the hunt for the perfect cable.

    When I started working for our Wholesale brand, “*Hammerhead*”:https://www.hammerheadcase.com, I felt that my journey was still not complete. Fortunately, I found myself involved in a project to make our own charging cable. Even though I did a bunch of market research on cable widths and materials, I found myself turning to my own personal experiences for inspiration.

    On the side, I moonlight as a music producer and through my experience with countless audio cables, I settled on a particular style of cable that was durable and virtually tangle proof: *braided*. Something clicked in my head one night while deciding between the numerous cable options…why can’t I have a durable charging cable just like my audio ones? At this point, it became so painfully obvious that we needed to make a braided cable.

    I have also had a personal gripe with the Apple cables. For the amount of money I spend on their products, you would think that their cables would last me more than a couple of months. I also feel that their infamous “future white” theme they have for their cables don’t aesthetically match all their iOS products. For a company so particular on their image, I can not fathom why they do not make their cables match the corresponding colors of the iPhones and iPads. This became another major focal point for our pre-production of the cable, making them match the colors of the devices.

    After months of picking out the right supplies, the proper Apple Certifications and beta testing samples, we finally were able to release our premium Lightning Charging Cables. As somebody who is usually weary of using 3rd party products, these are hands down my absolute favorite cable I have ever owned. We ended up choosing the absolute thickest braided material you could get for the cables. They are also available in Apple’s three signature iOS colors, Gold, Space Grey and White, making them stylish and unique so I know when my friends ‘borrow’ my cable. The best part is that they are Apple MFI certified, which means the parts for the cables come from the same factory as Apple’s cables (in other terms, they meet the standards and regulations Apple requires within this program). As someone who does not like to trust 3rd parties with products, this certification is comforting.

    For a dollar less than the standard Apple cable and a 1 year warranty, there’s really nothing to lose.

    This week only for our loyal Kibbles & Bytes readers I put together a special: purchase a braided lightning cable of your color choice and get a 2 port USB Auto Charger for half price.

    “*Snag this awesome deal here*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900001789 and never be left uncharged.