Kibbles & Bytes Blog

Apple news, tech tips, and more…

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  • HOW TO: Create an External 10.7-10.9 Installer with Terminal

    Sometimes it comes in handy to have the ability to reinstall your OS without an active internet connection, which is required by the built-in recovery partition of your Mac. I have found a Terminal command that allows you to do just that.

    First, you will need the install image. This is available for download from the App Store. Once you download the image, all you need to do is open Terminal and enter the following command:

    sudo /Applications/Install OS X Mavericks.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia –volume /Volumes/Untitled –applicationpath /Applications/Install OS X Mavericks.app –nointeraction

    In this example, I am using the default download location for these, which is your Applications folder. If you have the image saved somewhere else, you will need to create the path to that. Also, “Untitled” is whatever the name of the drive you will be installing this image to, so make sure to adjust that accordingly.

    What this does is takes the files from the installer and images them to your flash drive, allowing you to create an external installer. This will come in handy if your hard drive ever fails and you want to reinstall the OS and you don’t have the recovery partition. To my knowledge, this command will only work in 10.7 or higher.

    Note: Be sure to follow all of the normal Terminal warnings before trying!

    Feedback? “*Email me!*”:mailto:barry@smalldog.com

  • According to our records, you may have purchased a MacBook Air model with a flash storage drive that Apple has recently determined could fail. Certain 64GB and 128GB flash storage drives were deemed to be faulty in MacBook Air models sold between June 2012 through June 2013.

    *Don’t worry, though — Apple has introduced a Flash Storage Replacement Program to fix the affected drives free-of-charge.*

    Here’s what to do:

    * Go to the “*Mac App Store*”:https://itunes.apple.com/store?mt=12 here
    * Click on Updates
    * If your MacBook Air is within that qualifying range, the MacBook Air Flash Storage Firmware Update 1.1 will show up in the list
    * Click on it and follow the onscreen instructions to run it

    The firmware update will test your drive to see if it is affected; if so, you will be directed to “*this Apple Support page*”:http://www.apple.com/support/macbookair-flashdrive/, and you will need to have your drive replaced.

    We are authorized to do this replacement, so you can bring it in to the Small Dog “*location of your choice*”:http://www.smalldog.com/retail. *If possible, please do a full backup beforehand.* (Note: If your drive is affected, Apple strongly recommends that you do not install any operating system updates or new applications.)

    We are committed to customer service, and we hope to make this process as easy as possible. *Please feel free to email “*support@smalldog.com*”:mailto:support@smalldog.com or call 800.511.6227 if you have any questions.*

    Sincerely,

    Steven Brooks
    __Service Manager,__ S. Burlington

  • Apple Event Wrap-Up

    Apple didn’t lie when they said that there was still a lot to cover in an event that was held earlier today. Here’s…

  • Protect and connect with the Hammerhead Neoprene Case for iPad! Use the case as a sleeve or reveal the handle when you want…

  • So, for all you long-time Kibbles readers out there, we have an exclusive giveaway for you — the first person to email “*hello@smalldog.com*”:mailto:hello@smalldog.com with the correct number of this year’s Annual Halloween Costume Contest will win a brand new Chill Box!

    Good luck, and we’ll see you next week.

    Your Kibbles & Bytes team,
    _Kali, Steph, & Will_

  • App Review: Flipboard

    __(Another) Editor’s Note:__ “*Will*”:http://www.smalldog.com/will __is one of Small Dog’s oldest (in tenure, not actual age!) employees. He started as a high schooler, working in the retail store, and has held several different jobs in several different locations. Eight years later, he’s joined us in Waitsfield HQ in the “fishbowl” as part of our Product Management team. He’s passionate about almost everything, and we’re happy to be featuring his articles more here in Kibbles & Bytes. Welcome, Will!__

    Everyone who uses iOS seems to have a favorite app, be it a game, weather report, or one that tracks your bike ride. At the moment, mine is “*Flipboard.*”:https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/flipboard-your-social-news/id358801284?mt=8&uo=4&at=11lb7k&ct=Kibbles Here’s why you should try it out: Flipboard “newspaperizes” the internet for you. That’s right, this app is so good that I created a word to describe it.

    Imagine you visit a website frequently that has ads on the side, a scroller of articles at the top, and flash videos running everywhere (ugh). Enter Flipboard. Simply type in the website’s URL to the Flipboard search, and you’ll be able to flip (get it?) through the site with ease — no more ads, no more silly flash videos; just a small photo followed by the first few lines of the article. If something sparks your interest, simply tap and it opens the entire article. You can save articles for later, share with a friend via text or email, or post to social media.

    If you have multiple devices (e.g. iPhone/iPad), I recommend creating an account. It’s free and easy and will keep your Flipboard organized and synced across your devices. It also syncs with Google Reader and accepts RSS feeds. One of its newest features is magazines — not Newsweek, Wired, or Time — but rather, user-created magazines. I like the DIY one, which has articles on how to make everything from flower pots out of recycled Chobani containers to various home repair tutorials.

    Check it out, and enjoy!

  • Clean Install vs. Deleting Users Accounts

    Multiple customers approach our service counter weekly, requesting that their Mac be “completely wiped.” Normally, this means they would like their hard drive erased of all its content, and the appropriate operating system re-installed. I’m glad to perform this procedure or give the customer instructions on how to do it, but in many cases, it’s not necessary.

    The majority of customers are requesting this service because they are planning on giving their Mac to a family member or friend, and for the most part, don’t want to share their personal data with the recipient. This is perfectly understandable, but in this specific situation, a clean install of the existing operating system is not required. Creating a new user account, and deleting your old account, will serve the purpose of removing any of your personal user data and most certainly save you some time.

    Creating a new user account is done in “Accounts” located in “System Preferences.” Make sure the new account is an Administrator if you will be deleting your old account, as there always needs to be at least one administrative account at all times. Once the new account is created, you can log into it, and delete your old user account. When deleting a user account, you will receive a confirmation window. This window asks if you are sure you would like to delete the user account, and gives you three choices for erasing the data. The last option, “Delete the Home folder”, will successfully remove all user data from the account that’s being deleted.

    Please note: While this does delete existing user data, it does not remove any installed applications. If the Mac was being sold to a stranger, you may not want to hand over any installed applications, and if the operating system is being problematic (e.g. slowness or certain applications not functioning properly), you could benefit from a re-install of the system software.

  • Another Classic Video Game Series Comes to iOS (in Japan)

    __Editor’s Note:__ “*Lonnie*”:http://www.smalldog.com/will __is a long-time Small Dog employee who has recently begun writing more frequently for our blog,__ “*Barkings!,*”:http://blog.smalldog.com __A self-proclaimed video game and music enthusiast, Lonnie will be contributing more here at Kibbles & Bytes. Welcome, Lonnie!__

    One of the toughest things about being a retro video game fan is being able to find collections of games that aren’t going to require you to take out a personal loan to afford them. Certain games go out of print, and that’s when the price takes a big leap.

    In a way, this is why I’ve come to appreciate digital distribution channels such as Steam, the Nintendo e-shop, and the App Store. You’re able to find so much in those channels, and as a result, you can (in most cases) find that rare game you couldn’t find before, or something completely different and at a price you can afford. Trust me, a physical copy of Guardian Heroes is worth a lot of money, but on Steam, it’s fifteen bucks. I’ll spend the fifteen dollars, thank you very much.

    Dragon Quest (or Dragon Warrior as it’s known here in the states) is a good example of a series of games that were only available one time. There weren’t multiple remakes, like the Final Fantasy series (which currently has five entries) in the App Store, and the games were never available digitally — until now.

    Square-Enix has recently announced that they’ll be releasing all eight games for iOS, starting this year. Granted, for the time being, these games will only be released in Japan. However, given Square-Enix’s track record with iOS and the App Store, it may only be a matter of time before these games make their way over to our shores.

    I am a little curious about whether or not these games will be remakes or if they will be released in their classic 8-Bit forms (the first three games, anyway). I’m really excited about this announcement, since I do most of my handheld gaming on iOS; it’ll be interesting to see how these games translate to touch based devices. One thing is for sure, aside from my wallet getting lighter, Dragon Quest VIII is going to look amazing on a retina display iPad.

  • Tune In October 22 for Apple's Event

    Apple has officially announced a special event that will be held next Tuesday, October 22. Rumors have been circulating that this event will most likely feature the 5th generation iPad, an iPad mini with Retina display, a Retina MacBook Pro with better battery life and hopefully, a ship date for the new Mac Pro.

    The event will take place in San Francisco at 10am PDT (1pm EST). There should be a lot going on at this event, because as the image they released suggests, “We still have a lot to cover.” People might be most excited about the new design of 5th generation iPad, which is rumored to have a smaller bezel like the iPad mini and perhaps even a thinner and lighter housing.

    Many are also hoping that they will finally announce the release date of Mavericks, which they said originally would be sometime this fall. Well, it’s fall already, so where the heck is it?!

    Apple likes to announce all sorts of new products right before the holidays to get everyone excited. I mean, who wouldn’t want a sweet new iPad for Christmas? Be sure to tune in to our Twitter feed “*@hellosmalldog*”:https://twitter.com/hellosmalldog, where we’ll be live tweeting during the announcements, and/or check back here after the event to read all about the wrap-up.

  • Greetings, all!

    Don is on the last leg of his international travels this week, so Steph and I are holding down the Kibbles & Bytes fort. I have Halloween on the brain right now, which won’t surprise our loyal readers.

    We’re prepping for our Annual Halloween Costume Contest, and the competition looks to be especially fierce this year. Since our last contest, we have opened 2(!) stores, and our newest employees are champing at the bit to secure the grand prize — bragging rights and perhaps a new Apple toy, if you’re wondering. (FYI, I’m last year’s reigning champ, so I need to step my game up for a repeat!)

    Take a look at “*last year’s contest here!*”:http://blog.smalldog.com/article/vote-now-2012-annual-halloween-costume-contest/

    Of course, our annual contest wouldn’t be complete without a giveaway for our customers and fans — you’re the ones who keep us going over here! Be sure to tune into our “*blog, Barkings!*”:http://blog.smalldog.com on Thursday, October 31 (Halloween, duh) to vote on your favorite. You just might win something sweet!