Kibbles & Bytes Blog

  • Apple Releases the iMac at a New Low Price

    Apple released a new entry-level iMac on Tuesday that dropped the entry-level price to just $1,099. However, that price comes with a few losses in other areas. For instance, the new version has a 1.4 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of memory and a 500GB hard drive. The older entry-level iMac came with a 2.7GHz processor — quite a cutback.

    You are able to custom-configure your Mac to up to a 1TB hard drive or 256GB of flash storage, but that’s about it. While this would be a great, affordable computer for the average computer user, it’s almost worth paying $200 more to get a faster, stronger iMac.

    We have them in stock in our “*Rutland*”:http://www.smalldog.com/rutland and “*South Burlington*”:http://www.smalldog.com/burlington locations and soon in our other locations. Stop by and check them out!

  • Testimony | Outdoor Tech Turtle Shell

    Summer is upon us, that means we’re all playing outside in one way or another. Biking, hiking, fishing, swimming, camping or just straight chillin’ and grillin’. Either way, some of us can’t go without tunes filling in the soundtrack to our outdoor fun. I have been out camping already this season and found that, being the nerd/techie I am, I camp a little differently.

    The serenity of looking at the stars and “being away from it all” is great. However, I enjoy a little music and Netflix before bed. On my last few adventures, I’ve carried a backup battery from “*Goal Zero*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/83716/goal-zero-switch-8w-portable-charger-power-pack and the “*Turtle Shell from Outdoor Tech.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?search=outdoor+tech+turtle+shell

    I’m not claiming to be an audiophile, but all my friends I was camping and chillin’ in the backyard with were shocked at the sound coming from this small, oddly-shaped orange boombox! The Turtle Shell connects via Bluetooth to my iPhone 5 easily and has a great battery meter to tell me how the Turtle’s battery is doing. ??Note: I always have an 3.5mm AUX cable with me so I don’t have to pair/re-pair my friends phones.??

    The speaker has two tweeters and a bass battery. What is a bass battery? Well, some genius figured out that you can use the battery as a sub — genius right? The sound is great, with clean highs and thumping lows. For camping, it was mostly that hippie music — Phish, the Dead and other jam bands. But for the backyard party, it was everything from Miley, Jay-Z, DMB, Miranda Lambert (don’t judge). You name the genre, it came up (OK, maybe no slow jams); the Turtle Shell’s sound stayed true through them all.

    But, that’s not even the best part. Sounding good is important, but what if you’re having so much fun that you either spill on it or worse yet, forget about it altogether? Sure enough, I forgot it and accidentally left it outside all night — it rained, poured and may have been struck by lightning (probably not, but __maybe__). I woke up to it sitting in the grass beside my tent…! It’s advertised as being “shower, rain and generally any other liquid proof,” but come on, for real? Yep, for real — it turned it on right away ??(not recommended for most wet electronics)?? and the jams kept pumping. “Party on, Wayne!”

    With much of summer left, I’m happy to know that come rain or shine, my Turtle will be bumpin’. Check out our exclusive Kibbles special below on the Turtle Shell and you, too, can enjoy this sweet speaker. Enjoy your summer!

  • Cloud Backup Review

    Several months ago I “*wrote about backups,*”:http://blog.smalldog.com/kibbles/kb868/ and I talked about a number of things including my experiences with several different backup and archival solutions. Well, it’s been a few months, so how do I feel about the backup solution(s) I’ve chosen now?

    One of the solutions I mentioned in that article was Code42’s CrashPlan cloud backup service. When I first started using it, I was only backing up between computers. So computer A would send its backup to computer B, and vice versa. This was OK, but not particularly great. I decided to shell out the money for the family cloud backup plan. This allows you to back up 2-10 computers to your account (I have three).

    I mentioned in the previous article how easy CrashPlan was to install on any system. I installed it on my linux desktop, my Mac mini, and even the virtual machine that runs inside the mini. Once installed, I simply provided my account username and password and it started uploading data to my cloud. I won’t lie, the first full upload is definitely the most difficult. Upload speeds depend on many things, including your internet speed connection, CrashPlan’s internal throttling mechanism (so it doesn’t bog down your machine while you’re using it), and CrashPlan’s cloud server throttling. Overall, my upload speeds were not terrible, but my three computers needed to send a total of around 40 gigabytes. That would take a good amount of time even over a gigabit ethernet local network.

    After that first backup completed, I have been extremely satisfied with CrashPlan. I know it’s running because I get weekly email summaries, but when I’m using my computer, it’s like it’s not even there. One of my favorite features is backup sets, of which you can have as many as you want. Backup sets help prioritize different groups of backup data on a single machine. For me, I want very frequent (every 15-30 minutes) backups of my home folder data, and I want those backups to take precedence over everything else. But I also have other data that, while equally important, doesn’t change every 15-30 minutes. Backup sets let me create a second backup for that data that only runs once a day. I can set it as “priority 2,” so that if my primary backup set wants to run, the second one will pause and wait for the primary to finish. This whole process is completely seamless, and really helps fine tune your backup to suit your individual needs.

    In addition to fine tuning backup frequency, you can also fine tune how long revisions of files are kept. Since everything ends up in the cloud, and the storage is unlimited, I highly recommend setting your backups to never remove deleted files from the backups. That way, when you delete a file on your computer, it’ll remain in the cloud indefinitely.

    Overall, I’m extremely satisfied with CrashPlan. They even have Android and iOS apps that let you monitor the state of your backups, change certain settings, and even download and view backed up files! So definitely check out “*CrashPlan*”:http://www.code42.com/crashplan/ and see if they have an option that will work for you. They’re even running a special in June for new subscribers.

  • _Dear Friends,_

    The longest day of the year (well it IS still 24 hours but mostly daylight) is this week with the Summer Solstice. Grace told me that we have to celebrate with a motorcycle ride after work just because it will be light out! The garden seems to be doing well and we should have fresh strawberries soon. My gigantic Arctic Kiwi plant continues to dominate the yard, sending feelers out to climb on whatever it can find. Maybe I’ll have some kiwis this year.

    I have been playing around with the 2nd beta of Yosemite and iOS 8, and as usual, each beta version gets a lot more stable and more features are apparent. I really like the improvements to Spotlight, for example. Spotlight will now not only search your drive(s), but also web pages, music in iTunes, and photos in iPhoto, etc. When you activate Spotlight by either clicking on the little magnifying glass in the upper right corner or by hitting command/space, a nice big window opens in the middle of your screen to display your results. One pleasant surprise was that Spotlight now does calculations, conversions and definitions. If I type in “3cm” it also converts it to 1.18in or 30mm. It will also do currency calculations; for example, 1,000 Chinese Yuan are equal to $162.51 US dollars or 119.99 Euros.

    The dictionary feature anticipates your spelling and word choices, which makes looking up words easy. I tested it with “eleemosynary,” my favorite spelling bee word and it got it after the 2nd ‘e’. The one complaint I have so far is that the big Spotlight window in the middle of the screen is not movable, but I am sure Apple will fix that before most of you see Yosemite.

    Small Dog Electronics is just about in its twentieth year of offering the very best in Apple products, and Small Dog’s commitment to only the very best in customer service. We are often asked why people should buy from Small Dog versus going online and buying from anyone else. I think it is our deep roots in the communities we serve and our commitment to measuring our success not only by how many dollar bills we can stack up on the table, but by the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit in equal measure. We are proud to be an involved member of our community and a resource for our customers that makes our motto of “Always by Your Side” be more than a cute catch-phrase.

    This week’s Kibbles & Bytes exclusive features the Seagate Backup Plus Slim portable USB 3.0 1TB drive in black. We want you to have all of your data backed up all of the time, so this 1TB drive is just the right solution for you! Because we want you to protect your data __and__ your device, we are bundling the Seagate drive with an AppleJuce Screen and Device Cleaner kit, consisting of an 8oz and 2oz travel pump cleaner and chamois. This bundle is normally $109.98, but for this week, exclusively for Kibbles & Bytes readers, get both the 1TB Seagate drive and AppleJuce kit for only $85.99!

    “*Grab this Kibbles exclusive deal here!*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900001486

  • Dylan Santor

    Pets: 8-Year old Black Labrador/Hound mix named Sabbath 4-Year old Black Labrador/Germain Shepherd mix named Jables Hobbies/Interests: Reading, Video Games, Pen and Paper…

  • Vermont Goes Hands-Free: Part 2

    I wanted to first start by saying thank you to those who responded to my first article; I always enjoy hearing from our…

  • Grace and I got the vegetable garden in this last weekend, so the rainy weather this week won’t hurt, but we are hoping for some sun anyway! I may head over to Laconia for the motorcycle rally this weekend or next. It is a beautiful ride, and the people/motorcycle-watching is great once we get there. We are lucky it is a day trip for us!

    I hope you have an awesome weekend and Happy Father’s Day to all the pops out there!

    Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,
    _Don, Kali & Stephanie_

  • Special | Free Cable with Outdoor Tech Adapt Purchase

    A special to go along with Will’s article above. Outdoor Tech’s Adapt makes it possible for something wired, to go wireless! Wired? Add Bluetooth and microphone functionality to any device with the standard 3.5mm audio jack.

    We’re also throwing in a *free AUX cable* and your order will also *ship for free.* Enjoy!

  • Common iPhone Problems and How to Possibly Fix Them

    *PROBLEM: Unable to send email*

    Some people have found that they are unable to send emails after the iOS 7 update. They can still receive emails, but when they try to send emails, it doesn’t work. For some people it’s failing to send with an error message, for others email appears to send, but never arrives in the recipient’s inbox.

    This seems to occur intermittently and it can potentially happen on various types of email account. There are a few things you can try.

    *Workarounds:*

    * Double tap the Home button and swipe the email app up to close it. Then try restarting it again. It may work properly for a while.
    * Restart your iPhone by holding down the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button until you see the Apple logo.
    * Enable Airplane Mode and wait 30 seconds then turn it off again and try again.

    *Potential solutions:*

    * Select the email account that’s giving you problems from *Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars* and tap on the Account section at the top where your email address is listed. Now tap on Outgoing Mail Server listed at the bottom and then tap on the Primary Server at the top of the next page. Make sure your email address is listed under *User Name* and then tap on the Password and re-enter it, even if it’s already filled in.
    * You could try deleting the problem email account. Go to *Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars* select your email account and tap the Delete Account option at the bottom of the screen. Now make sure you have all the correct setup details and go to *Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Add Account* to add it again.
    * Go to *Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings* and set up your Wi-Fi connection again.

    *PROBLEM: Can’t make or receive calls*

    If you’ve run into problems with making or receiving calls after updating to iOS 7, you are not alone. You might find that people are trying to call you, but your iPhone is not ringing, or perhaps you are unable to make a call.

    Some people report calls apparently connecting, but the line seems to be dead and they can’t hear the other person. Assuming you’re not just in a dead spot (try making the call from another location), there are a few things you can try.

    *Potential solutions:*

    * Go to Settings and toggle Airplane Mode on for five seconds and then turn it off again.
    * Make sure that *Do Not Disturb* in Settings is not turned on.
    * Go to *Settings > Phone* and make sure Call Forwarding is not turned on.
    * Go to *Settings > Phone* and check under Blocked.
    * Make sure you have the latest carrier update by going to *Settings > General > About.* If there’s something available then you should be prompted to download it (make sure you’re connected the Wi-Fi and your mobile network).
    * Make sure there isn’t another iOS update by going to *Settings > General > Software Update.*
    * Try removing the SIM card, make sure it’s clean and replace it carefully.
    * Try resetting your network settings via *Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.*
    * Go to *Settings > Cellular* and try toggling Enable LTE and/or Enable 3G.
    * Contact your carrier and make sure there’s no problem on their end.
    * Try “*factory resetting your iPhone.*”:http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1414

    *PROBLEM: Rapid battery drain*

    Many people are finding iOS 7 is more power hungry than iOS 6 was. You can find some general help by referring to “*Apple’s documentation on how their iPhone batteries work.*”:http://www.apple.com/batteries/iphone.html. There are also a couple of specific fixes worth considering.

    *Potential solutions:*

    * Disable the parallax effect that gives the home screen that 3D look by going to *Settings > General > Accessibility > Reduce Motion.*
    * Turn off the background app refresh for at least some of your apps by going to *Settings > General > Background App Refresh.*
    * Turn off AirDrop by swiping up from the bottom of the screen and selecting the toggle in the Control Center.
    * Go to *Settings > Notification Center* and toggle off any apps that you don’t want to include.

    *PROBLEM: Keyboard lag*

    This one seems to be a problem for iPhone 4 owners, but it may not be limited to that model. Sufferers have been complaining about lag with iOS 7 in general, but also some serious delays when typing on the virtual keyboard.

    *Potential solution:*

    * Go to *Settings > iCloud* and turn Documents & Data off.

    *PROBLEM: Camera not working*

    If you updated to iOS 7 and encountered a problem with your front-facing camera or your main rear-facing camera, you’re not the only one. Some people report that the main camera keeps freezing or refuses to load; they just get a black screen.

    Others are complaining that the front-facing camera is excessively blurry. This could be down to an app or it could be a hardware failure. Here’s what to try:

    *Workaround:*

    * Close the camera app, double tap the Home button and swipe the camera app up to close it completely, then reboot your iPhone and try loading the camera app again. This will work for some, but it doesn’t mean that the issue won’t return.

    *Potential solutions:*

    * Go to *Settings > General > Restrictions* and make sure “Allow: Camera” is on.
    * If an app is causing the problem then removing it might fix your camera. Remove third-party apps one by one, reboot the iPhone, and test the camera. It’s a good idea to start with anything that obviously uses the camera.
    * Take it into an Apple Store and show them the problem. If you’re still under warranty then you should get a replacement without any hassle.

  • Vermont Goes Hands-Free: Part 2

    I wanted to first start by saying thank you to those who responded to my first article; I always enjoy hearing from our customers. Please continue to let us know how you use your iPhone in the car.

    Now, on to more iPhone-compatible solutions in the car. Today, I want to cover the AUX/Cassette/Adaptor/FM Transmitters. As I said last time, AUX doesn’t allow for hands-free, but this doesn’t mean it’s not a great option for music enthusiasts. I also may have found a trick that works to adapt your AUX-enabled car with Bluetooth. And finally, those FM Transmitters, with which most of us have had a love-hate relationship.

    The AUX, easily one of the greatest and most versatile features car companies have utilized during the digital music era, doesn’t require you have an Apple, Android, Windows or whatever device but rather a female 1/8-inch hole. Even one of those awesome portable CD players you have would work. The easiest way to know if your car has AUX is if it has a button on your radio. Then, it’s just a matter of finding where they hide the actual port (could be in the glove box, center console etc.). We sell some great AUX cables in a variety of lengths (1ft, 3ft, and 6ft), from “*StarTech,*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?search=startech+3.5mm+Stereo which all have a slim input to accommodate your case. But alas, you can’t speak through an AUX input…or can you?

    In comes the “*Outdoor Tech Adapt.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?search=Outdoor+Tech+Adapt Scott (part of our awesome IT department) and I tested this one out. We simply plugged the Adapt into the AUX port in my car. The Adapt is a Bluetooth headphone adapter allowing for play/pause, volume up/down, and back/next functions, as well as a mic for calls. Spotify came through right away and sounded great — I even placed a call and sure enough, they said they could hear me. Holding the play/pause, answer/hang up button activated Siri, allowing me to text hands-free as well.

    For those of you with AUX ports and no Bluetooth, you must check out the Outdoor Tech Adapt. We also carry two great AUX stands: Griffin’s Tune Flex and Belkin’s TuneBase AUX Hands-Free. I’m partial to the Belkin model, as it has lightning charger built-in and creates a great stand for the iPhone 5/5s/5c.

    Now, briefly a look at the “*Griffin Direct Deck.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/83761/griffin-directdeck-handsfree-cassette-adaptor-for-ipod-iphone-ipad Yes, this is actually a cassette adapter. Great for classic cars that still have a cassette deck and are keeping the stock look or for the pickup that it’s just not worth upgrading the stereo in. Either way, this is a great piece of technology. Simply slide the DirectDeck in, and plug the 1/8th jack into your phone. In doing so, you’ll notice the great feature of the direct deck is it has a mic built-in to the 1/8th inch connection. This allows you to take calls while using the cassette adapter. That’s right, you’re pumping jams from a streaming service like Pandora through a cassette player and placing and receiving calls. And they thought the cassette was dead!

    I still remember the first FM transmitter we produced and I used — the CarTune. It was a great product with a simple design plugged into the power port and connected to my iPod via 30-pin connector. It was nice if you lived here in rural Vermont where we have a number of open FM stations to choose from. However, this was a little tougher on my first trip to Boston. I look back and realized it was more dangerous than helpful as I kept changing the CarTune FM dial to find a station that would work.

    These have come a long way, and most recently Belkin released the new Lightning “*TuneBase Hands-Free FM*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/85620/belkin-tunebase-hands-free-aux-for-iphone-5 with ClearCast. This FM Transmitter goes above and beyond my old CarTune. It has a sturdy stand which docks your iPhone with Lightning connector allowing it to charge and accommodates for either portrait or landscape view if you’re using Maps, which I found to be very useful. The base, which plugs into the car charging port, has the FM tuner function built-in, so that you can use ClearCast and find the best FM station to broadcast over. Unlike other FM transmitters, this one allows for easy hands-free calling. A large button at the bottom of the phone lets you answer and hang up calls and activate Siri. Check it out.

    As always, I hope this information was helpful and continue to encourage you to “*reach out*”:mailto:will@smalldog.com to me with your solutions for hands-free iPhone connectivity.

  • SurfacePad for the iPad mini is here!

    Trying to find an iPad case can be pretty overwhelming at times. Which one do I get? does it cover the screen? Is it bulletproof? Can I drop kick it? There are just all sorts of questions that can run through someone’s mind when thinking about protecting their brand new device.

    I, for one, am not really that concerned with dropping my device. Maybe I’m in the minority (or a little crazy). Either way, knowing that the iPad mini weighs less than a pound, can you really blame me for not wanting to stuff this small device into a big, bulky, plastic case? I mean, wasn’t that the reason that Apple released a Smart Cover in the first place? Because they didn’t want to hide a stylish device inside a bulky case? Of course, with the release of the Apple Smart Case, that may be a moot point.

    After some searching, I found the Twelve South SurfacePad. At first, I thought was just a case for the iPhone, but it turns out there’s a brand new iPad mini version. It protects the front and back of the iPad, it’s light, it’s thin, and it’s very simple to use.

    There are no gimmicks, no folding, and no bulky rubber and plastic to mess with. If you want to stand your iPad up to watch a movie, no problem. There’s a magnet built right into the cover, so the iPad will just stand up. If you want a better angle to type that email, there’s a little flap on the underside of the cover that pulls right out and you can rest your iPad on it (it looks more elegant than I just described, I promise).

    The only downside, is that you have to stick the cover onto the back of your device (I can hear the collective gasps). However, there’s no need to fear. No residue will be left behind, once your SurfacePad is removed. If your device was clean when you applied the case, it’ll be clean when you remove it.

    If you’re looking for a simple case that just works as advertised, then the SurfacePad by Twelve South for iPad is for you. Currently, we have it available for the iPad mini for $69.99. It’s available in Red, Black, and White. We also have the SurfacePad available for the iPhone 5/5s and the iPhone 4/4s as well, for $34.99.

    “*See all of them here*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?search=surfacepad and scroll down for an exclusive Kibbles & Bytes special this week!

  • _Dear Friends,_

    I am heading up to Burlington this afternoon for our customer appreciation event this evening. A former Small Dog employee, Jen Mayer, once gave me a book called “Customer satisfaction is Worthless, Customer loyalty is Priceless” by Jeffrey Gitomer. While the book itself was so-so, the message was spot on. We have always prided ourselves on striving to make “customers for life” because it was clear to me that the profit we may make from a single sale to a single customer pales in comparison to the life-cycle value of a loyal customer who not only comes back, but tells his or her friends and family about the experience.

    We measure NPS (Net Promoter Score), a widely accepted measurement of customer satisfaction, but in line with the title of the book, satisfaction alone is not enough especially in these days of easy access to anything on the web. A satisfied customer may still shop elsewhere for a slightly better price; a loyal customer loves you and comes back for you.

    At Small Dog Electronics, we want to give you as many reasons as possible to become a loyal customer. Our motto, “Always by your Side,” is more than a catch-phase — it dominates our training for employees and our approach to business. We report on our NPS to employees every week and whenever we see even the slightest dip in those numbers, I can hear employees discussing how to get the numbers back up. We are sustained by you, our loyal customers, and we cannot thank you enough for your support and loyalty!

    This week’s Kibbles & Bytes exclusive is music-oriented and a low-cost, high versatility music system. This bundle takes the Silver 2GB Apple iPod shuffle, combines it with Urbanears Pumpkin Platten over-the-ear headphones and a set of White Chill Pill portable speakers.

    Normally $140, this special is only $119.99 — this week only!

    “*Grab this deal here!*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900001467