Kibbles & Bytes Blog

  • Temporary Image Burn-in on 15" Retina MacBook Pro

    A customer recently dropped of their 15″ Retina display MacBook Pro for an issue I had not yet seen with this particular laptop. When transitioning from a lighter image to a darker one, the screen would experience temporary image burn-in. Every time, the burned-in image lasted about 30 seconds total, and would gradually fade-away. This proved to be very distracting to this customer, as they were working with high-resolution images/graphics, and bought a MacBook Pro with a Retina display for that very reason.

    I understood the customer’s frustration, as the computer was only a few months old. We checked it in for repair, and I ran our readily available Apple Service Toolkit diagnostics on it. One of the tests bundled in the toolkit, is an “image persistence” evaluation, which basically tests for this exact issue, image burn-in. Sure enough, the test failed, and those diagnostic results were then sent to Apple.

    Having failed the test, Apple considers the display defective, which is most certainly covered by the warranty. I ordered a replacement display, and installed it the following day. The image burn-in was no longer present with the replacement display, and the computer now passed all diagnostics. The customer was very happy to receive their computer back in a timely manner, and I was glad that it was resolved so easily.

    Please feel free to stop by any of our stores if you think you may be experiencing a similar issue, and we’d be glad to run the test and take a look at it.

  • Resend An iMessage As Text

    I believe iMessage is one of the greatest things Apple has released in recent months (I’m sure many of you will disagree). However, it is not without its faults; when Apple’s iMessage servers are down, for example. Another is when an iMessage will not send because of poor signal. Sometimes in these cases sending the message as a text will work just fine.

    Luckily for all of us that use iPhones there is an easy way to resend the failed iMessage as a text. Just tap on the text bubble and choose ‘Send as Text Message.’ The message should be sent as a text immediately and the bubble will go from blue to green to show the change from iMessage to SMS. To my knowledge, this only works in iOS 6.

    Another more permanent solution for sending failed iMessages as SMS is to go into your settings. Then scroll down to select Messages — located in the 4th chunk of menus. You should see a switch named “Send as SMS”. If you turn this on then whenever an iMessage fails to send your iPhone will attempt to send as a SMS instead. This is only recommended for those who have unlimited texting or keeps track of the number of texts sent because text overcharges can add up quickly if you aren’t paying attention.

    As a side note it should be mentioned that this article’s information only applies to iPhones. iPod touches and iPads (even those with data plans) which can send iMessages do not have the ability to send SMS.

  • John McAfee

    John McAfee is one of the pioneers of antivirus software. Starting in the late ’60s, he did programming and systems work for a number of high-profile ventures including NASA, Univac, Xerox, and Lockheed Martin.

    It was while working at Lockheed in the 1980s that he was given a computer virus known as the Pakistani Brain to work with. The Brain was created by a software firm in Pakistan and was the first known virus to affect MS-DOS. It worked by replacing the boot sector of a floppy disk with a startup error message and a phone number to call. The creator’s intention of the brain was to stop illegal distribution and copying of their medical software however, the virus had a major design flaw. It was supposed to just infect users that were pirating their software but instead also infected legitimate users as well, causing, as you can imagine, a lot of negative feedback from customers and the press!

    McAfee started work on a piece of software that could scan for and stop the virus. He started McAfee Associates in 1987 to further research and develop antivirus software and by 1989 had quit Lockheed altogether to focus on his company. He left McAfee in 1994 and went on to other ventures, mostly unsuccessful, but always on the cutting edge, such as a company he started in the ’90s to develop a pretty sophisticated chat program called PowWow. It went nowhere, mostly thanks to the efforts of AT&T, it seems. His latest ventures have gone in an entirely different direction, trying to develop natural antibiotics.

    The iconic company that bears his name is still at the forefront of antivirus software and will probably continue to be, as it seems unlikely viruses and malware will stop being spawned.

  • Hello all,

    After a brief dip into winter that brought some seasonal-type cheer last week, we are back to more “normal” wet and grey stuff. So it goes.

    Last week also marked the departure of our good friend Jon Spaulding, a fixture at Small Dog and longtime Tech Tails contributor pictured here with his two favorite “hobbies.” He has moved on to the next step in his career, and we send him off with best wishes and many thanks. You have certainly read his articles here, and if you have called us, there is a good chance you have spoken to him. I learned a lot (and I do mean a lot) from Jon about customer service and computer repairs. He will be sorely missed.

    You will see some new faces in Tech Tails over the coming… __forever…__ as well as more of some familiar ones as we try to fill the huge hole left by Jon. Let us know how we are doing.

    Thanks for reading,

    Liam
    “*liam@smalldog.com*”:mailto:liam@smalldog.com

  • Review | SwypeGear SwypeGlove

    Here at Small Dog, we are always on the prowl to find fun and interesting accessories to accompany your Apple products. With winter…

  • Last week, we weren’t satisfied with our Cyber Monday Deal Retriever issue. So, we’ve decided to do it again this week — but…

  • Bring a Toy, Get $15

    This year in our retail stores, we’re collecting toys for those in need this holiday season. As an extra incentive, *if you bring in a new toy between 11/23 – 12/23, you’ll get $15 to spend toward a $50 purchase.* You must use the coupon the same day you bring your toy.

    In both our *Waitsfield and S. Burlington locations,* we’ll be taking donations for the “*Rutland County Women’s Network.*”:http://www.rcwn.org/ In our *Manchester location,* all toy donations will benefit the “*YWCA.*”:http://www.ywcanh.org/

    If you’re in the area, bring by a new toy for a child in need, and perhaps take care of some of your holiday shopping list at the same time!

  • Need To Amp Up the Volume?

    We received the “**iFrogz Boost 2.0 Speaker**”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/81019/ in-store the other day and it immediately won the award for “Coolest Product on the Floor.” To describe this product with one word, it would have to be…magic. I am not talking Gandalf and elves, I am saying that I can not comprehend the system used to make this happen.

    The speaker is a black rectangle that has a flat surface to rest your iDevice (iPhone or iPod touch) on. It really only works with iDevices with speakers that are used to play the music. iPads can be used, but you have to balance them in such a way that would scare most iPad users.

    Put three AA batteries in the box, turn it on and play your music through your phone. Then, and this is the magic part, simply lay your phone on top of the Boost 2.0 Speaker. You will hear sound coming out of the box. The volume is controlled by the iDevice and you are off and listening.

    There are no cables, no syncing, no connectors: just audio. The speaker uses what is called Near Field Audio (or NearFA) to capture the sound and amplify it out to the speakers. Sure, you can use the built-in aux jack, but that isn’t cool at all. You can also power it by USB, but that really diminishes the portability of it. Just use it in its intended state, free of wires and limitations.

    Every time I show a customer the **iFrogz Boost 2.0 Speaker,** it is purchased. It is a neat little device that does exactly what you want it to and by magic. **It is a steal at $39.99.**

  • Holiday Specials

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    Donate a Toy and get *$15 off anything over $50!*

    __Discount is valid for day-of drop off only.__

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    *25+ items under $25*

    Check out all of the items we have for stocking stuffers, Yankee swaps, Hanukkah gifts and more.

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    *$10 OFF* Beats by Dr. Dre

    The hottest headphones of the year are $10 off, in-store only.

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    *$10 OFF* G-Technology and LaCie Hard Drives

    Back that Mac (or PC) up!

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    *$5.00 OFF* Sennhesiser Headphones

    Including the Adidas Sport models — ideal for runners.

  • Great Gift Ideas!

    **Cases, Cases, Cases**
    With all the new things that Apple has released this holiday season, everyone is asking for a case to put it in. iPhone 5s, iPad minis and new iPod touches are thinner and lighter and seem a little vulnerable when you first get one in your hand.

    Speck makes a great case called CandyShell for all the iPhones. It is not super bulky and covers the edges in a nice rubber for protection. Also, take a look at the Hammerhead Folio Case for the iPad mini.

    **Can you hear me now?**
    We do love our headphones here in NH. It gets so cold and when we are getting rid of snow from the inevitable frozen precipitation that comes our way every year, we like something to listen to. For me, I am not a fan of earbuds, but I love the Urbanears Medis. They are not true in-ear headphones, but fit in the space your ear has and they sound great.

    Also, if you are looking for a great set of over-the-ear headphones, then I suggest the Sennheiser HD 280 headphones. At almost $100, these things are a steal because they are built incredibly well, sound amazing and are very comfortable.

    **I can’t believe it comes out of that box!**
    The best thing I suggest everyone to get, if they are a fan of Apple and own Apple products, is the Apple TV. I am the biggest fan of the Apple TV in the store and tell everyone who wants to listen about it. It streams from iTunes store, Netflix and HuluPlus. You can listen to radio stations. You can watch live sports on it with subscriptions to MLB, NHL and NBA.

    Additionally, you can mirror what is on your screen (iPads, iPod touch, iPhone and even Mac) to your television, wirelessly. These are quite the amazing little boxes and it does it all in 1080p. And at $100, it is so worth it.

  • *Greetings from the Granite State again!*

    It’s the best time of year in our stores with the buzz of shoppers wanting the latest Apple offerings in The Mall of New Hampshire. Just outside of our store, Santa can be found eager to take photos with wide-eyed youngsters. This is already a very exciting holiday season with traffic in the mall steadily increasing.

    Black Friday was, unsurprisingly, the busiest day of all with the store being open a whopping 22 hours! The release of the iPad mini created another hot seller with interest also towards the redesigned iPod touch and nano and the must-have accessories to dress them up. Stop in and try one out at any of our retail locations.

    We are excited to have teamed up with the Palace theater in Manchester, NH. Through this partnership we are able to offer non-profits, such as the Manchester YMCA, tickets to help fund raise for their organizations. The next show Small Dog is sponsoring is __A Christmas Carol__ on December 6th.

    From all of us in Manchester, have a happy and safe holiday season!

    Sean Bourque, Manchester Retail Manager
    “**sean@smalldog.com**”:mailto:sean@smalldog.com

  • Connect on Facebook

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    Small Dog Electronics’ New Hampshire store now has its own Facebook page!

    Keep up to date with local news, classes, and specials. Follow this link to like us:

    “**Manchester, NH Retail Store Facebook Page**”:https://www.facebook.com/smalldognh