Kibbles & Bytes Blog

  • OS X Your Way

    Apple has a knack for layout and design that is unparalleled across the industry and has been widely regarded as the best in the business when it comes to systems that are straightforward and useful right out of the box. However, there’s an obvious sense in the newer versions of OS X that some things are missing, and a LOT of things sure are different. Having talked to a number of frustrated customers, I’ve come up with a list of common tweaks that might help both personalize and optimize your system. Though I really have mostly been impressed by the new developments, Apple may have overstepped the line between functionality and beauty in a few places in Yosemite. That’s not to say the same functionality isn’t present, it’s actually readily available, but in my day I see plenty of users who do not know where to look for themselves.

    I’ve noticed that with each upgrade of OS X, the sidebar in Finder has changed in it’s focus. In the past, things were based on a hierarchical system that began with Macintosh HD, followed sub-folders, and left space for Smart Folders and other links below. In Yosemite, Apple approaches file management in a revolutionary yet sometimes confusing way. You can easily revert to the tried-and-true sidebar or customize it exactly to your specifications within Finder’s preferences – just look for the sidebar tab and you can pick and choose a layout that works for you! There are similar settings for almost all of the built-in apps on your Mac…

    * Don’t like the dock on the bottom of your screen? Switch it up! A lot of customers prefer to have their Dock auto-hide or display on the left side of their screen: *System Preferences > Dock*
    * You can get fancy and organize your desktop by a wide range of sorting options in the View Options menu: *Command-J*
    * Try setting up some Automator workflows for common tasks every day! You can even use voice commands to trigger a script. “*See this great article on Automator for more information.*”:http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT2488
    * Color code your files and folders! Pull up a contextual menu (by right- or Control-clicking on any item) in Finder and you’ll see the Label section available. It’s a great way to differentiate between projects that have multiple directories or as a progress indicator.
    * Remember that you can easily create Smart Folders in Finder to automatically run filter searches on your directories: *File > New Smart Folder*
    * You can hold the Command key and drag around menu items in multiple applications, as well as the system menu bar (right side only).

    Remember – it’s YOUR Mac. YOU are the one who uses it every day. Why not make it work with your own style? There’s so much customization at your fingertips. You don’t need to just settle for the default. Explore your Mac and have fun with it!

  • Mac OS X History

    I’m a somewhat recent convert to the Apple world. My first Mac was a hand-me-down from a friend: a first-generation white MacBook from 2006. I got that machine in the winter of 2011. It had Mac OS 10.6 (AKA Snow Leopard) on it when I got it, and that is where my personal experiences with Mac OS X began.

    We’ll start with Mac OS 10.5 (AKA Leopard) which is no longer supported by Apple. It was the first Mac OS to include Time Machine, Apple’s fantastic backup utility. It was also the first Mac OS to include Dashboard, where you can have widgets that can be really useful, or just fun (although there are a few that leave me wondering why they exist).

    Mac OS 10.6 (AKA Snow Leopard), as the nickname reflects, isn’t a major overhaul, so much as a refinement of Leopard. Most of the changes were under the hood and were designed to use less system resources and run more smoothly. Steve Jobs felt like the features could wait while the code was tightened up. Many users reported that it felt like they got a new machine after this OS upgrade. This was the last version of Mac OS to be sold on an physical disc – a DVD in this case.

    Snow Leopard is a gold standard of sorts. It’s recommended for older machines that might be capable of running a later version, but users will likely experience the best performance on 10.6. A very important feature/aspect of 10.6 is that it is the last Mac OS to include support for Rosetta, the software that allowed the Intel processor in post-2005 Macs to run software coded for the PowerPC processor. If you have old apps that you can’t afford to upgrade, or if you don’t want to deal with changes, you should really stick with 10.6 Snow Leopard.

    Mac OS 10.7 (AKA Lion) is a whole different cat, and a significant evolutionary development. This version of the Mac OS was the first to be only available as a download. There was no physical medium and at no point was there ever a physical disc that you could buy from Apple with Lion on it. For $30, the lowest upgrade cost ever, you could get Lion. It was very forward thinking, and really was looking into the future. There was a crossover of features between iOS and Mac OS, gestures for one, so now that fabulous “*Magic Trackpad*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76695/apple-magic-trackpad (the only trackpad I’ve ever loved, I used to be a ThinkPad fanboy and the TrackPoint was bar none for pointing, in my far from humble opinion). All of the OS updates and software were downloaded through the Mac App Store. This makes for a really clean and easy spot to do all of your system updates and many program updates. One of the strangest features of Lion was “*Launchpad,*”:http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202635 a very iOS like grid of apps that looked just like the iOS home screen, and behaved similarly. Many folks have been confused by this and don’t really understand the utility. Another very important thing to be noted for Lion is that they dropped Rosetta support. If you have old PowerPC programs, they will no longer work on Lion.

    We’ll continue this adventure down memory lane in a future Tech Tails. I know this has been by no means completely exhaustive, and I’m sure there are many significant features and developments I’ve left out. What is above is what I remember as the most significant bits that really stuck out for me. Until next time…

  • Budgeting in 2015 With Your iPhone

    This is more of a “life hack” suggestion than a tale of tech, but I think it applies to those of you looking to get more out of your iPhone…

    Let’s face it, a lot of us feel troubled while trying to keep track of our budgets. A lot of people, myself included, spend from the same account that their income goes into.

    Google has a service that’s been out for a while called Google Wallet. This isn’t news, and some of you probably use it already, but I’ve started carrying it in lieu of cash. Google Wallet is basically a debit account that can be used at any credit card location and ATM. There are no fees attached, and it can be loaded from your checking account.

    The best part of this service, for myself and others I know, is the fantastic app for both iOS and Android. The app allows you to track your spending and use, and load money from your bank account at any time. Also, unlike other services, the transfer is practically instant, taking 30 seconds to put more money on the card, versus some similar services which take up to a week or more to complete a transfer.

    This card has become my spending money card. I load it with a specific budget for spending cash each Monday, and reload it back to the amount I’ve set for myself each week. In addition, it also gives you your current balance and recent spending activity on the main page of the app.

    The app itself can be secured by Touch ID, which is why I even suggest it. My pocket cash is now on plastic and behind Touch ID and PIN verification, and is tracked easily throughout the week. It’s helped me get a handle on my spending and I’d recommend others try it if they find themselves in a similar situation!

    You can download the Wallet app on the iOS App Store, and set it all up with a few simple steps right from your phone.

    Editor’s Note: This service requires a Google account and your basic checking account number and routing information.

  • _Happy Winter, Friends!_

    We’re now in the negatives (Celsius and Fahrenheit…but thankfully not Kelvin) with a light dusting of snow intermittently white-washing our roads and houses. It is cold outside, so do not leave anything with a battery in your car overnight, or the cold can kill the battery, or significantly harm it. I keep having to run back to my car in negative temperatures to rescue something I had left behind. I would much rather have remembered to bring it inside in the first place and keep enjoying my warm tea indoors.

    The holiday season has seen a significant increase in repairs, and things were already pretty busy! However, we have added some wonderful new members to our service department, and we expect to be in much better shape in the upcoming month or two.

    I hope your holiday stresses have drifted away like wind-blown snow. Welcome to 2015! It’s great to be here with you!

    -Mikhael
    “mikhael@smalldog.com”:mailto:mikhael@smalldog.com

  • I have been a Vermonter my entire life, but talk all the time about moving south and being done with Vermont winters. This year is no exception. However, the difference this year is that I have decided the best way to handle the winters is to embrace the cold and to once again take up winter sports.

    I recently bought new ski equipment so that I can join my oldest daughter on the ski slopes and we also hope to get in some more snowshoeing. Last winter my youngest daughter, Olivia, struggled a little bit with the snowshoes and I hope this year she has a better time with it!

    Stay safe and warm everyone!

    Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,

    _Don (in absentia), Emily, Rachel, Dean & Mike_

  • SPECIAL | Home Automation

    Below are a few items we’ve put on special to help you either get started, or continue your addiction to home automation. Whether you’re looking to watch the kids, pets, or grandparents from afar, turn light switches off and on from around the world, or just simply dim the lights a bit without having to get up from the dinning room table. In the words of WeMo these products “can make your day simpler, smarter, even magical.”

  • SPECIAL | Travel in Style with Osprey

    Technology has become integral to daily life. Laptops, tablets, smartphones and their __accouterments__ need to go wherever we go.

    The *Osprey Cyber Port Back Pack* is perfect for the active everyday tech traveler that wants to carry on all of their gear on their back…

    …while the *Osprey Beta Port Courier Bag* is more suited to those looking to sling their gear over one shoulder.

  • Travel in Style

    We’ve added a great new brand to our line up: Welcome Osprey!

    Osprey is known for their passion for the outdoors and for making some of the best bags available for any use, including lugging your Apple gear and accessories. We are happy to have their new line of electronic/iPad specific products in-stock. Their Port series features a laptop compartment for up to a “*15 inch MacBook Pro Retina*”:http://www.smalldog.com/Macs/MacBook_Pro/15in as well as a Port for your “*iPad.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/iPads This Port is a clear plastic panel that allows you to use the iPad while still in the compartment. Great for the constant traveler, several compartments/pockets allow for storage of all your chargers, cables, iPhones, and other electronic devices and accessories. Of course it will also accommodate your daily needs. For us here in the Northeast that means extra layers, gloves, hat, etc… The best part is that Osprey also stands behind their products with the “All Mighty Guarantee”:

    bq. ??”Osprey will repair for any reason, free of charge, any damage or defect in our product – whether it was purchased in 1974 or yesterday.”??

    Can’t beat that! Check out the whole line by “*clicking here*”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/?mmfg%5B0%5D=Osprey and for our loyal Kibbles & Bytes readers below is a deal just for you: *$20 Off Cyber and Beta Port series bags, along with FREE SHIPPING!*

  • MAC TREAT #249: Web Inspector

    While my favorite website always has been, and always will be, “*Warner Brother’s promotional site for the hard-hitting documentary Space Jam*”:http://www2.warnerbros.com/spacejam/movie/jam.htm there have been many changes to the features and design of websites since 1996. The underlying programming language is still basically the same though: HTML.

    “*HyperText Markup Language*”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML is a programming language that tells your web browser, such as Safari, how to render the text and images that you see. This very newsletter uses HTML (unless you are one of our plain text readers, who are of course the very best readers!) that is generated via Textile, a simpler markup language that allows me to write this article more like a normal document. Most websites now also use “*Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)*”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascading_Style_Sheets to define the look of the page, embedded scripts for interactive elements, and embedded media files as well.

    If you would like to take a look under the hood, Safari has an option to view the code that makes up any website. In order to enable this feature, you will need to go to *Safari Preferences > Advanced* and check the box that says “Show Develop menu in menu bar”. Now, you can open that menu and press “Show Web Inspector”. This will open a box on the bottom of the window that has all of the code that makes up the page. If you click on the target symbol next to the word Inspect, you can mouse around the page and see the specific code that makes up any one element of a page.

    My favorite thing about this is the ability to remove an element of a website by deleting the code that generates it. I am a big crossword fan and generally do the “*Los Angeles Times crossword online.*”:http://games.latimes.com/games/daily-crossword/ I find the animated ads on the side distracting, though, so the first thing I do every time is to inspect the code and remove the ads. I then put it into full screen and it is almost like doing it on paper.

  • "Step" Up Your Fitness Goals in 2015

    Last year I upgraded from the iPhone 4s to the 5s, and among all the other new features, the M7 motion coprocessor, to me, was the least interesting. After a few weeks, a friend suggested I track my daily steps through “Argus”:https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/argus-pedometer-run-cycle/id624329444?mt=8&at=11lb7k and since she was also using the app, we could compare progress through their “Friends & Followers” system. I thought that was an interesting way to connect with friends you may not see every day and competition is the easiest way to trick someone into pushing their limits.

    The “M7 motion co-processor”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_M7 came in handy when I first launched Argus. It had stored the past week or so of steps taken, which was a bit surprising to me. Even if you don’t have a fitness app installed, the newer iPhones will still remember how far you’ve walked, and backlogging to Argus was done automatically. From there, I started to take note of my step frequency, and set a goal of 8,000 steps per day. The suggested goal was 10,000, but seeing as I rarely hit that goal in the backlogs, an achievable number seemed like a more effective strategy to me. Argus has a beautifully designed user interface that playfully refreshes in a vertical tower of various hexagons. Certain metrics can be adjusted from the hexagonal badge, and this metrics off expanded options upon selecting the icon. I know there are many other apps like this one, but Apple has been endorsing Argus for the past year or more, and I believe for every type of app out there, you’ll always see a clear leader in style and functionality. Apple’s new take on fitness and health tracking came in the form of the “Health”:https://www.apple.com/ios/whats-new/health/ application, though most of us can agree that Health hasn’t exactly spread its wings yet.
    !>http://blog.smalldog.com/images/4204.png!

    In addition to step tracking, Argus allows you to add and subtract beverage intake, enter different forms of exercise, and it even calculates how many calories you’re burning based on your height, weight, age, and sex. My favorite thing about this app is how specific the exercise options are. Entering your mileage from a treadmill or elliptical is pretty obvious, but I did not expect things like Badminton, Dragon Boating, Table Tennis, Kitsurfing, Housekeeping…the list goes on and on. Not only does this give the world’s most active human being a lot of options, but it shows lazier folk like myself just how inactive my world can be.

    I have seen an increase in my overall actively since I started tracking steps. I may be the last person to realize this, but I’ve always kept my eye on that self-imposed goal, and go out of my way to achieve it each day. This might mean walking to get my lunch instead of driving, or taking a few laps around the house while brushing my teeth. I may not be “Dragon Boating”:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdgWj54ndbU my way to work, but I’ve increased my daily goal to 10,000 for the new year, and for me, that’s progress!

  • _Hello Friends,_

    It’s Emily, taking over for Don this week while he is checking out new gadgets at the “*2015 Consumer Electronics Show*”:http://www.cesweb.org in Las Vegas. While Don is perusing the latest and greatest in electronics, the majority of the team is back in Vermont just trying to just “*stay warm*”:http://i.giphy.com/5ZdW3tadQFppS.gif and it seems like most of the country is as well! I have lived in Vermont my entire life, but that doesn’t make it any easier to get up in the morning and see 20 below zero and know you still have to feed horses before going to work. Complaining aside, I love my horses dearly and have learned that when it’s this cold, it just means I need to move a little quicker through barn chores. This past morning was particularly chilly. In fact it was so cold I thought it best to lug my frozen water buckets inside to thaw by the fire rather than trying to bang the ice out of the buckets and have them crack. Don and I often give each other a hard time about temperatures…well mostly it’s Don bragging about it being sunny and 75 in Key West. I would be lying if I said I didn’t get a little pleasure hearing it was in the 40s in Las Vegas earlier this week. It’s good for him to not become too soft when it comes to colder temperatures!

    As many people have predicted and anticipated, home automation is one of the big attractions at CES this year. Countless companies and developers are rolling out new products and expansions to “*Apple’s HomeKit*”:https://developer.apple.com/homekit/ are no exception. Schlage has updated their smart lock system, allowing iPhone users to unlock their home with just their voice. iDevices is another company that’s been working on accessories to Apple’s HomeKit and released a switch that allows users to control appliances, lights and more. With this switch you can even use Siri to to tell your switch to make a light brighter! Other cool products coming out of CES this year are new Bluetooth headphones from Sennheiser: the Urbanite XL. These headphones have a built-in touchpad that allow users to skip songs, take phone calls, and adjust the volume. You can also pair these headphones to two devices at once, so you can listen to music on your computer and not miss a call on your phone! Of course one of the drawbacks to seeing and hearing about all of these new gadgets is that they all aren’t available for purchase just yet, but we expect in the coming weeks and months to see more of these products readily available. In the meantime, it leaves us all plenty of time to map out and plan where all of these gadgets will go in our homes and offices!

    In honor of home automation, this week we have some great deals on products from WeMo. Wirelessly monitor your home from afar, turn on the lights before you get home and control the brightness of your room, all from your iPhone!

  • Celebrate Diversity

    After listening to one of Don’s favorite songs, “Everyday People by Sly & Family Stone”:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUUhDoCx8zc I realized, that I am everyday people… we all are! Here at Small Dog Electronics we celebrate diversity as a strength. Being different is what makes us unique. No color, race, religion, language, gender or sexual orientation separates us. We are truly all equal members of the human family.  

    In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. all month long Small Dog Electronics celebrates diversity. Whether it is a new Mac, an iPod, service, accessory, lessons or a set of Beats headphones Small Dog Electronics is ready to be “always by your side”.  We have the latest and greatest in a wide range of Apple products and savings on select accessories like cases from Speck, Bodyguardz screen protectors, as well as Seagate Hard Drives. Sale starts Monday January 12th and runs through Saturday the 31st.

    Won’t you join us in the celebration?