Kibbles & Bytes Blog

  • MAC TREAT #194: Where Did My Desktop Icon Go?

    One of things that Apple is known best for is its clean design aesthetic. And when it comes to ever sleeker MacBooks and iMacs, there is no doubt that aspect is a plus, but every once in a while it seems the folks at 1 Infinite Loop take things a little too far.

    For instance, in recent versions of the Mac OS, the default Finder Preferences setting hides the internal hard drive, which for decades had appeared in the upper right corner of the desktop (along with any other mounted volumes). I can only imagine that it was considered an ugly blight by the designers at Apple, marring the otherwise pristine view of the desktop’s Andromeda Galaxy (in Lion) or NGC 3190 (in Mountain Lion).

    I’ve had many clients ask about the mystery of both the “missing drive” or the CD or DVD they are sure they’ve put in their Mac but can’t find to eject. There are certainly other ways to access the hard drive or other mounted volumes, but for those that share my “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” philosophy, here’s a way to get these icons back.

    With the Finder active, select *Preferences…* from the Finder menu. Under General, there is a section labeled *Show these items on the desktop:.* Here, you have the option to show (or not show) other items that frequently graced the desktop by default in past versions of the Finder: external disks (including USB flash drives), CDs, DVD and iPods (oh…that’s where they went), connected servers, and of course, the aforementioned internal hard drives.

    Feel free to turn the devices you’d like to see on, and once again, enjoy the easy desktop access you’re accustomed to!
    Next time… Oh no, Mountain Lion ate my scroll bars!

  • _Dear Friends,_

    Still no snow here in Vermont and with the Solstice coming up, I think Artie might have to change his slogan about the days getting shorter and hoping for snow. It will be odd for there not to be a White Christmas in Vermont, but we still have 10 days for some snow to fall.

    We have had some last-minute additions to our Hammerhead and Chill Pill lines just in time for the final gifting rush. Our long-awaited Chill Pill Bluetooth speakers are now in stock in both black and red. These are great-sounding portable wireless speakers that are an ideal gift for the road warrior, camper or student in your life. Read more about it below. We also have new “*Bumpers for the iPhone 5,*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?search=iphone+5+bumpers “*8GB Flash Drives*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?search=hammerhead+flash+drive molded to the likeness of our company founder, Imelda, or a cool Hammerhead shark. If you’re in the market for a case for your iPad mini, check out our “*Folio cases here!*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?search=folio+case+for+ipad+mini

    I have just broken the 1000 kilowatt-hour mark on my solar electric array on my home and our array here at our Waitsfield headquarters is providing 100% of the electrical power for our S. Burlington store, and about 85% of the power we use here at the headquarters. While our electric bills are about the same, since we have entered into a power purchase agreement that allowed us to install this renewable energy system at very low out-of-pocket, it is great to know that most of our electricity now comes from the sun and as electric rates go up, ours will remain steady.

    While a Mac or an iPad is the ultimate Apple gift choice, there are some other great choices at Small Dog that you might want to consider. The Apple TV has been one that has been on a lot of people’s lists, but Small Dog Electronics is also your headphone headquarters with quality offerings from Beats, Sennheiser, House of Marley and Urbanears. I am surprised that over-ear headphones have made such a dramatic comeback but we have a complete selection in our stores and on our website. Be sure to check out our *Double your Reward* promotion valid this weekend only — when you purchase a Mac plus AppleCare and a backup drive, you can either choose a $50 gift card or not one, but two Chill Pills (to either save for yourself or give…or both)! More gift ideas are below in the second installment of the Small Dog Gift Guide.

    “*See our holiday page, full of headphones, speakers, Mac bundle deals and under $25 stocking stuffers!*”:http://www.smalldog.com/holiday

  • Born in the USA?

    For many years, Apple has produced their products overseas in China. This has always been controversial with consumers. Tim Cook, Apple’s new CEO,…

  • Near a Store?

    You can take advantage of this in any of our retail locations as well. In addition, we’re offering an hour-long in-store consult free as an option when you purchase your new Mac, AppleCare and hard drive. Just mention that you saw this in our Newsflash newsletter!

    “*Find a store.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/retail

  • Enter to Win a Brand New iMac!

    *To celebrate the redesign of the iMac, Small Dog Electronics will be giving away a brand new 21.5-inch iMac!* As long as you’re subscribed to both Newsflash (General Communications) and Kibbles & Bytes when we draw the winner, you’re eligible. You’ll just need to then submit a valid email address on the entry page. We’d also love to know who’s local to our retail stores and how you heard about it!

    Note that you’re already subscribed to Newsflash since you’re seeing this, and by entering an email on the contest page, you’ll be added to the Kibbles & Bytes list if you weren’t already (if that address is already in our database, you won’t receive any dupes). *So there’s nothing more for you to do — just click Submit and cross your fingers!*

    You can enter the contest “*here*”:https://www.smalldog.com/contest/imac2012

  • Shop 12/14 – 12/17 & Double Your Reward!

    Mac + AppleCare + hard drive = your choice of free gifts (up to an $80 value)

    For four days only, we’re doubling the **free gift** with the purchase of any Mac bundle we’re featuring for the holidays! Here’s the deal: Buy any Mac, add AppleCare and a backup drive, and you’ll get your choice of a **$50 Small Dog gift card** or not one, but **two Chill Pill mobile speakers** (an $80 value).

    The great thing about doubling your gift is that you now have less work to do: Keep a Chill Pill for yourself or give them both away. That special someone will definitely feel the holiday love with a $50 gift card that’s good for both “*Smalldog.com*”:http://www.smalldog.com or in any of our retail locations. It’s a win-win — all you had to do was wait until the last minute to finish your holiday shopping!

    Watching the numbers this year? So are we. **AppleCare is already $20 off** Apple’s pricing when bought with a Mac, select **hard drives from our top brands are $10 off,** and we have a huge selection of **genuine Apple-refurbished Macs in stock that are up to $1,000 off original pricing.** (15″ or 17″ MacBook Pros, anyone? They start at **$1249.99** — seriously.) **That potentially brings your total savings to over $1,100 off!**

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  • Small Dog Gift Guide

    iPod nano, $149.99 “This makes a perfect gift for young and old alike (I’m identifying with the latter more and more, by the…

  • TT SPECIAL | Apple Refurbished iPad & Extras

    Purchase an *Apple Refurbished 64GB iPad (1st gen)* with *AppleCare+* to extend your existing 1-year warranty out to 2-years with accidental damage protection and receive not one but TWO *Hammerhead Verso* cases in chocolate and a *Hammerhead Stylus* in silver all for the LOW price of $432.95!

  • TT SPECIAL | The Perfect Mac mini Bundle

    Purchase a Mac mini with a LaCie Rikiki 500GB USB 3.0 portable hard drive, a wired Kensington Mouse, a wired Matias Slim One Keyboard and a Phillips Surge Suppressor and take $20 OFF the entire thing!

  • TT SPECIAL | iPod touch Accessories On Sale

    Save $20 when you purchase a PDO Silk Slider case for the iPod touch (4th gen) in red with Hammerhead Stylus in silver and get a free AppleJuice Screen Cleaner sample.

  • Born in the USA?

    For many years, Apple has produced their products overseas in China. This has always been controversial with consumers. Tim Cook, Apple’s new CEO, states that Apple chooses to use China for manufacturing their products due to the proficiency they have, and is not based on profit.

    This could change in the near future, as Apple starts to move some of their production to the US. Due to the rise in shipping and labor costs, and a decrease in productivity, it’s becoming more economical for companies to produce their products here.

    All of the talk started when reviewers of the new iMac noticed that the usual “Assembled in China” mark had been replaced with a “Made in the USA” stamp. In an interview with NBC’s Brian Williams, Tim Cook mentioned the glass and processor for the new iPhone are made in America and shipped to China for assembly.

    Lately, it has been to Apple’s advantage to ship these components to China for assembly, and it has been common practice for many businesses. Honestly, I don’t even remember the last time I saw a “Made in U.S.A.” sticker on anything I plug into the wall.

    Another interesting and overshadowed announcement related to US manufacturing is the case of an April Fools’s joke coming true. The electronics giant Foxconn (maker of parts and finished units for Apple among dozens of others) is looking to open facilities in either Detroit or LA. This surely is an unexpected move, but a welcome one. These are very interesting times — interesting times, indeed.