Kibbles & Bytes Blog

  • DIY Fusion Drive

    Some of you may be aware of the so called “Fusion Drive” technology available as an option in the newest line of iMacs (released late last year). This software technology allows for two different physical internal drives to be acknowledged as one by the system. The idea is to have one of the drives be a solid state drive and one a traditional hard disk drive. As you go about your digital business, the system learns what data is accessed most frequently and allocates it onto the SSD for the fastest read/write speeds. Subsequently, it puts less-accessed archival data onto the HDD where speed is not required.

    For those speed hounds and DIY lovers out there, this pseudo-RAID technology can be brought to devices other than the new iMacs. According to an article by Tom Nelson found “*here*”:http://macs.about.com/od/diyguidesprojects/ss/Setting-Up-A-Fusion-Drive-On-Your-Current-Mac.htm your machine just needs to be able to run OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2 or later). If your machine is up to snuff and you feel comfortable undertaking the task, then here is a tried and tested method of making your own Fusion Drive:

    *Prep for Fusion*
    * *BACK UP YOUR DATA!* Goodness, this can never be emphasized enough, but in this case I can say unequivocally that the data will be erased on both your HDD and SSD in order to complete the fusion. Best bet is to use an external hard drive and make a Time Machine backup.
    * Create a bootable copy of the 10.8.2 or later installer on an 8GB thumb drive.
    * Install both the HDD and SSD in your machine.
    * Boot to your installer thumb drive by holding down the *option* key during startup.
    * Open Terminal (in the utilities tab in the menu bar).

    *Terminal Commands*
    In Terminal you will enter the following commands. Please write these exactly as they appear. The exception being, any words in quotations will be replaced with information you discover as we go. This will become clearer as you go.

    * @diskutil list@
    * Press Return
    __you should see a list of available drives — take note of the disk identifier correlating to each drive; you’ll be able to tell by the size.__
    * @diskutil cs create “drivename” “driveID1” “driveID2″@
    __The *drive ID* is the number from the previous note and the name is whatever you want it to be.__
    __To make sure we’re on the same page, an example of what this command should look like is: @diskutil cs create Fusion disk0 disk1@__
    * Press Return
    * Wait while the command is running. When it’s done, continue.
    * @diskutil cs list@
    * Press Return
    __Copy the *Logical Volume Group ID*, which is a string of alphanumeric characters separated into groups by hyphens. Then note the free space available, which will be transcribed in GB even though it appears in TB i.e. if there are 1.1TB available, you will write in the next step 1100g__
    * @diskutil cs createVolume “groupString” jhfs+ “volumeName” “size”@
    __The *groupString* from before is what you copied, the *volumeName* is what you want to appear beneath the icon on the desktop (typically Apple names this Macintosh HD). For example the command could look like @diskutil cs createVolume 352D9D2B-E0F2-4A16-B583-A257802EC74C jhfs+ “OWC Fusion” 1100g@ and yes, there are quotation marks in that command because whenever you want a space involved you use quotations__
    * Press Return
    * Quit Terminal

    *Wrapping It Up*
    * Now you’re back at the main install screen, so select the icon for the Fusion drive you just made and proceed with installation. An internet connection is required for this process to complete, as downloadable updates need to be installed.
    * Use Migration Assistant to restore your Time Machine backup and BAM, you’re done.

    This process may look tedious and difficult if you’re not comfortable with Terminal, but I assure you it is straight forward if you’ve read everything carefully. Please be in touch if you try this and your computer explodes, that would be a first for me! But please don’t tell me I didn’t warn you to back up your data first.

  • Why Register?

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  • _Hello Readers,_

    There has been a lot going around in the Apple rumor mill about testing on the iPhone and iPads. The rumor is that Apple is trying out designs to make these iOS devices bigger to compete with the likes of Samsung and HTC’s current mobile offerings. The rumor is that the overall size of the iPhone would be extended past the current generation’s 4-inch size, and the iPad would boast a reported 13-inch display (rather than the current 9.7-inch).

    I hope this never leaves the rumor mill, because I’m a big fan of the size of the iPhone 5 now, and am a fan of the iPad mini over the regular iPad. They have gotten excellent reviews at their current sizes and I don’t see much need for the extra space; tablets are supposed to be portable. We will have to see what Apple will choose to do with the next generation of their iOS devices.

    This week, we have quite a diverse selection to read about here at Tech Tails! Kyle writes about the trials of recovering data. Chris writes a great article about the ins and outs of DIY Fusion Drives and Jeremy has a great article about an application called Time Machine Buddy.

    Enjoy the great articles and feel free to give us your feedback!

    _Barry_
    “*barry@smalldog.com*”:mailto:barry@smalldog.com

  • Sign Up Today.

    It’s your last week to sign up for Small Dog’s three training sessions at “*KnowledgeWave*”:http://www.knowledgewave.com in South Burlington, Vermont — ideal for businesses and IT professionals who have an interest in what iOS (mobile operating systems) and working on the Mac OS can do for you.

    * “*iOS For Business,*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/83600/ios-for-business
    Tuesday, July 30, 9am-12pm
    * “*iOS Technical Training For IT Professionals,*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/83601/ios-technical-training-for-it-professionals
    Tuesday, July 30, 1pm-5pm
    * “*Mac OS X Technical Training For IT Professionals,*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/83602/mac-os-x-technical-training-for-it-professionals
    Tuesday, August 6, 9am-5pm

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    __*Note: Participants are encouraged to bring their own iPads and iPhones.__

  • Brenthaven Spotlight

    We like to carry products that jive with our own mission statement, and a company like Brenthaven is right up our alley. For…

  • 2-for-1: The Matias Folding Keyboard is a full-sized keyboard that folds in half for travel. Small enough to fit in your laptop bag,…

  • I see blueberries, motorcycles and a search for sweet corn in my weekend plans. We are definitely in the dog-days of summer and there is nothing better than Vermont in the summer!

    Thank you for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

    Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,
    _Don, Kali, Stephanie & Mike_

  • SPECIAL | Don's Time Capsule Special

    You read about it and here it is — Don’s very own special. A highly recommended, brand new 2nd generation 2TB Time Capsule.

    Don’t have a machine with 802.11AC? Well then, this is the perfect sale for you! *Grab your’s for just $214.99.*

  • SPECIAL | It's Almost Time to Head Mac to School…

    I know, I know. Nobody really wants to think about that yet. However, it’s an inevitability for some of you (right now, I’m in my “student of life” phase, though I’ll probably go back to school at some point — __Kali Hilke, PhD__ has a nice ring to it…).

    For everyone heading to high school, college, or graduate school this fall, we announce our annual Mac to School campaign. This year, in addition to all of the specials we’re running, we have the benefit of the GE Financing Promotion that is designed to help you get the Mac you need with a little extra time to pay. (More on that in a bit.)

    Though they “officially” launch on Monday, loyal Kibbles & Bytes readers can get an early preview of our Mac to School deals here:

    “*Smalldog.com/mactoschool*”:http://www.smalldog.com/mactoschool?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=MTS-KB

    We have already been running the Mac and AppleCare specials (you know, the ones where you get a $100 gift card from Small Dog when you purchase any new Mac and AppleCare?) for a few weeks now, but we have also added some must-have third-party specials to the mix. During the first two weeks, you’ll save on the things you need to keep that computer clean, from iKlear to screen protectors, and even a $30 off deal on Microsoft Office thrown in. If you’re near a store, there’s even more to take advantage of (which we’d offer online if we could!).

    If you’re wondering how to afford that new setup, be sure to click on the link for GE Financing to get the details and apply for no-interest financing (for up to 18 months, depending on the total cost of purchase).

  • Backing up is SO not Hard to Do!

    We have talked too many times about how important maintaining a backup of your data is and just how easy it might be to lose that data. Most hard drives are made up of spinning magnetic disks that whisk around at 5-10,000 revolutions per minute (that’s fast!) while a magnetic head moves over them to extract the data and send it to your machine.

    You all know I am an amateur mechanic and love to mess around in my shop, and I have learned pretty quickly that mechanical devices that move quickly break. So whether it is simply a matter of time between failures, an electrical surge or an impact, that spinning data depository in your Mac could suddenly become little more than a good doorstop.

    I know this firsthand. I had a PowerBook that I took on a long motorcycle trip, and each time I stopped for the night, I transferred the hundreds of photos I’d taken along the way. It worked great, but soon after I returned home, my drive failed and I could not access these hundreds of pictures from the trip of a lifetime. I did end up recovering them with the help of DriveSavers, but it made for a lot of anxious moments, and I was out $1200!

    Then, Apple made it easy! Time Machine is on Mac OS X and makes backing up simple and automatic. But they went even further when they introduced the Time Capsule which made backups not only easy, but wireless, too. The Time Capsule is the perfect solution for backing up your mobile devices because there are no cables needed. The Time Capsule combines an AirPort Extreme wireless access router with a hard drive to store your backed-up data.

    As I mentioned above, we made a special purchase of some 2TB Time Capsules that are now discontinued (but brand new) and include a 1-year Apple Warranty. These provide more than adequate storage for most users and are a great solution for wireless access and backup.

    I want every Kibbles & Bytes reader to be secure in their back-ups, so for this week, I am offering a Kibbles exclusive on these Time Capsules. They are already $60 off what you can buy the latest version of the Time Capsule at $239, but for Kibbles & Bytes readers I will take another $25 off so your price is just $214! See below for details.

  • MAC TREAT #212: Disable Automatic Attachment Preview in Mail

    We use Apple computers (obviously) on a daily basis, and I often find myself emailing numerous documents throughout the day. More times than not, I right-click on the attached images and switch them to an “icon view” to allow me to view more of the email content.

    Sure, it’s nice seeing a preview of the attached file, but typically I just want to get to the meat and potatoes of the email! Here’s a gem of a tip that allows me to turn off automatic attachment preview in Mail.

    To do this follow these steps (warning: Terminal use ahead):

    * Open up Terminal by navigating to *Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app*
    * Run the following command:
    @defaults write com.apple.mailDisableInlineAttachmentViewing -bool yes@
    * Quit and restart Mail

    Now your Mail app will show any attachments you receive as icons instead of previewing the document. If you decide you don’t like that and want to go back, simply run this command:

    @defaults write com.apple.mailDisableInlineAttachmentViewing -bool no@

  • _Dear Friends,_

    We have definitely broken the streak of over 2 months of nearly steady rain with an official heat wave of very hot and muggy weather. This has resulted in the garden actually growing, although we seem to be about a month behind now. Generally, the measure of whether your corn crop will make it before the frost is “knee-high by the 4th of July” and there was very little corn in the fields around here that was much more than a bit over one of my little dogs. The blueberries seem to have loved this rainy weather, though, and we have a bumper crop this year. Blueberry pies, milkshakes and a whole lot of grazing going on.

    Last week, I mentioned the great deal on the 2nd generation 2TB Time Capsules that we purchased. It’s already a hard drive and Wi-Fi router in one; additionally, if purchased with a Mac and AppleCare, the AppleCare covers the Time Capsule, too! And don’t forget, any new Mac and AppleCare purchase already qualifies for a $100 Small Dog Gift card with our back-to-school special.

    I am writing this on Thursday and it is Nelson Mandela’s 95th birthday. I have an autographed picture of Nelson Mandela displayed right in the middle of my wall of heroes and role models. What an amazing and inspiring man. Happy Birthday, Madiba!

    __”There is no passion to be found playing small — in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”__ — Nelson Mandela

    As I prepare to head out for our weekly radio show, Small Dog Speaks, I want to remind you that you can tune in every Thursday at 1PM on “*WDEV radio.*”:http://www.wdevradio.com Rebecca and I welcome your calls (it’s toll-free at 877-291-8255), and will answer any Mac question you have for us live on the show. If you want to catch up with past shows or submit a question in advance, visit our “*Small Dog Speaks page here.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/sdspeaks?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=SDS-KB