Kibbles & Bytes Blog

  • #802 SPECIAL: Turkey Challenge

    In honor of Kibbles & Bytes’ 802nd issue (nice eye, Mike!), we thought we’d include a special nod to Vermont. This week, we were proud to be a part of the Turkey Challenge, which is an effort spearheaded by our partners (and local PR firm) PMG.

    Yesterday, our very own Small Dogger Kerry Westhelle and former Hammerheader (and wife of Don) Grace Mayer went to the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf along with six other businesses to show support for and deliver a donation to those in need this Thanksgiving. Each business pledged $500, which buys 50 turkeys.

    “*Read more here.*”:http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/videonetwork/1972112686001?odyssey=mod|tvideo2|article

    If you’d like to participate, we challenge you to make a donation here:
    “*Donate to the Turkey Challenge now!*”:https://npo.networkforgood.org/Donate/Donate.aspx?npoSubscriptionId=6873

    They are dramatically short on turkeys this year (in part due to Hurricane Sandy), so any amount is appreciated!

    Also, as a reminder, we match your donations to the charities featured on our website (up to $200), so if you’d like to make a donation to the *VT Foodbank,* “*click here.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/42766/donation-to-vermont-foodbank

    Thank you!

  • Black Friday & Holiday Preview

    We’ve been -mad- busy these last several weeks, planning all of the specials and promotions that we’ll be able to offer you over the holiday season. The stores-that-are-large-in-size-and-shall-not-be-named have now already previewed some of their sales, so we thought we’d do the same. This is just a partial preview, as many, many more specials will be announced and added next Friday and beyond.

    *Valid Friday, 11/23 ONLY:*

    * $20 instant rebate on “*Adobe Lightroom*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?search=lightroom&page=1&refinecat=Software
    * $40 instant rebate on “*Photoshop Elements*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?search=photoshop+elements

    *Valid Friday, 11/23 – Monday, 11/26 ONLY:*

    * 10% off “*Beats by Dr. Dre*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?search=beats+by+dr.+dre __(any model!)__
    * $25 off “*Chill Pill mobile speakers*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?search=chill+pill+mobile+speakers __(any color; excludes Bluetooth)__
    * $30 instant rebate on “*Photoshop Elements*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?search=photoshop+elements __(valid 11/24 – 11/26)__

    We will be offering ongoing “*Mac*”:http://www.smalldog.com/Macs bundles, so be sure to check Kibbles & Bytes next Friday, where we’ll have a full list of what’s on sale with links to our holiday page.

    We hope you join us, either in-store or online, and take advantage of some of these fabulous savings!

  • MAC TREAT #193: Resetting Your Keychain

    My last article about resetting the password on your Mac generated a lot of interest from our readers. Some good, some bad, but a couple had interesting points to bring up that I felt needed to be talked about more.

    One reader’s comments informed me that if you change your password, it does not change the password to your keychain. This is both a good and a bad thing. It is good because if your machine is stolen and the thief uses the method I described for resetting the password, they do not have access to all of the passwords you might have saved on your machine. On the flip side it is bad because you can never get those passwords back, so you better hope you remember them all or else you are up the creek, so to speak.

    If you do end up resetting the password on your Mac, you have two options moving forward:

    The first option is to enter the old password every time your computer needs to access keychain. This is fine if you remember the old password, but if you reset your password because you forgot it, this avenue is somewhat moot.

    The second option is to reset Keychain. This will clear all of the data from keychain so that you can begin rebuilding your keychain library. This is a definitive ending to your old keychain and once it is cleared, there will be no going back. Since I am not a fan of that type of solution, I recommend copying your Keychain folder to a backup drive in case the day ever comes that your remember your old password before deleting Keychain.

    To elaborate on the second option of deleting your old keychain, I have outlined the process for that in just a few easy steps.

    Caution – Deleting a keychain also deletes all the password data saved in that keychain.

    1. In Keychain Access, choose Preferences from the Keychain Access menu.
    2. If available, click the Reset My Default Keychain button. This will remove the login keychain and create a new one with the password provided.
    3. If Reset My Default Keychain is not available, choose Keychain List from the Edit menu.
    4. Delete the “login” keychain.

    The next time you log in to the account, you can save your current password in a keychain. That should just about do it for deleting and recreating your Keychain. I hope this helps anyone out there who finds themselves stuck in a pickle like this. I would love to hear any and all feedback about this tip, so please don’t hesitate to send your questions or comments my way.

  • Protecting Your Mac – A Follow Up To Mac Treat #192

    Last week, I wrote an article detailing how you can reset the password on your Mac running “*OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion.*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fos-x-mountain-lion%2Fid537386512%3Fmt%3D12%26uo%3D4%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30

    Now, I have to say that I wrote this article with all good intentions to help those readers out there that may have encountered the issue of forgetting their password. However, it was brought to my attention from one of our subscribers that the information I gave could be used with malicious intent to gain access to a stolen machine. I am glad I had someone play devil’s advocate because it has given me the opportunity to research how Apple has given its users tools to keep their Macs safe.

    The thing about resetting a password on a Mac is that there have been methods of doing it for some time now, but not until recently has there been a means to keep intruders out. I will say that the measures I will talk about are mild to extreme and are best suited if you are no longer in possession of your machine. If your plan is to keep others out of your computer while it is at home, I would suggest a better home security system or armed guards. I haven’t exactly found a good way to keep people out if say, Sarah Connor is breaking into your home to find detailed files about Skynet on your personal computer, but that’s just fiction…right?

    So what has Apple done to help their customers? Well, Apple introduced this new program called iCould. You may have heard about it being referred to as a means to back up your mobile device or use it as an email provider but Apple has added more features than just that. Apple has implemented a system that allows you to find, lock and even erase data on your registered devices. They key word here is “registered.” If you haven’t logged into iCloud with the same Apple ID account on each device, then you will not have access to these features.

    *Find your device:* As I mentioned before, these tools are best suited for lost devices. The first feature is rather obvious regarding why it would be beneficial for a lost device. If you can’t find it, just log into “*iCloud.com*”:https://www.icloud.com and sign in using your Apple ID. After that select the icon labeled “Find My iPhone.” I know that could be misleading if you are looking for your computer or iPad, but that’s what it is for now. This will bring up a new screen that may require you to log in again. If it does, then enter your password again and a map should appear.

    In the top left corner there is a button labeled “Devices.” Click that button and a menu will drop down allowing you to select from a list of your registered devices. Select the lost device and the map will show you the location of that device. Unfortunately, if the device is powered down you will not be able to locate the device and the locking or erasing features will not be immediate. However, if you attempt to lock or erase a device that is shut down, the device will have the security features activated immediately once the device is powered up. From here, you have access to the next two features I mentioned before.

    *Lock your device:* This is done simply by clicking the lock button in the window located in the top right of the page with the map and locations of your device. After that, you simply follow the instructions and keep in mind the passcode you create is a firmware passcode that is only removable by Apple — so don’t forget this one. If it asks for a phone number, you can give one if you think that you lost the machine and a good samaritan will return it to you (otherwise it is probably not necessary). You might also be given the option to enter a message to your machine’s kidnapper to let them know who they’re dealing with.

    *Erase your device:* This is an extreme measure, but if you know that your device is not coming back and you have sensitive information on it, this will erase the data from your hard drive. Similar to the steps taken to lock the device would simply click on the “Erase” button and follow the onscreen instructions. This should erase the OS partition of your computers hard drive and leave the recovery partition intact if you are erasing a computer otherwise it will simply format the device if it is an iPod touch, iPhone or iPad.

    Now I know that these are not perfect solutions, but I feel like they are a step in the right direction for protecting your device’s data from the villains of the world. With these tools given to you by Apple, I hope that you can rest a little bit easier knowing you CAN do something if you ever lose your device.

    If you have any further questions or concerns, I would love to hear them, but you can also visit Apple’s support page to read further about iCloud’s security features.

    “*iCloud: Lock and track your device*”:http://support.apple.com/kb/PH2700
    “*iCloud: Erase your device remotely*”:http://support.apple.com/kb/PH2701

  • _Dear Friends,_

    I got up before the dogs on Wednesday for the drive down Route 100 to W. Dover and Mount Snow for the 20th Annual “*Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility*”:http://vbsr.org Fall Conference. The drive down was wonderful, even with no leaves on the trees because I could see a lot more (once the sun came up)! That had its good and bad — good that the scenery was spectacular, but I also saw the unbelievable path of destruction due to last year’s Hurricane Irene.

    As usual, I was very nervous about my presentation, but I relaxed once I got there and realized that I knew just about everyone in the room. I had a great time with some very inspiring people.

    We are gearing up for the real start of the holiday shopping season and “Black Friday” sales. Our stores will be open with extended hours, but the Mall of New Hampshire really stretched it by demanding that we be open from 12 AM to 10 PM on Friday, 11/23. I did complain (to no avail), but my staff has stepped up so we will have an all night crew. Jen and I will be traveling to all three of our stores on Black Friday in a tradition I started a few years ago. We have some really interesting specials, so stop by one of our stores if you are in the area!

    Our “*Hammerhead Folio Cases for the iPad mini*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?search=hammerhead%20folio&page=1&refinecat=Hammerhead|iPad_mini have arrived just in time for the holidays and are flying off the shelves. We have both leather and poly leather cases that are of our own design and are a perfect match for the iPad mini. We have more styles on the way (including a smaller version of our refined Capo Case), but if you are lucky enough to have snagged one of the iPad minis already, the Hammerhead Folios are a great complement!

  • REVIEW | Trello

    Now that I’ve been with Small Dog’s Marketing department for almost a year, I am well-versed in the number of requests from other…

  • TT SPECIAL | iPad (3rd gen) Price Drop

    We have dropped our iPad (3rd gen) prices by $50 across the board. This is just one of the many configurations we have left – you can view the rest of the line “here”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/80133/ipad-3rd-gen-32gb-wi-fi-white. Stop in our retail stores to look at what we have while supplies last.

  • Keep It Quiet

    I have a tendency to get “yelled” at by my partner when I wake her up by restarting my computer in the wee hours in the morning. I recently discovered a way to disable the boot chime using some Terminal commands.

    You’ll need to be an administrator of the computer for the command to work. Go to your Applications folder, then to the Utilities folder and launch Terminal. Type the following in, then press enter, then enter your administrator password:

    sudo nvram SystemAudioVolume=%80

    To reset it back to normal, enter the following:

    sudo nvram -d SystemAudioVolume

    As always, with these Terminal tricks, use at your own risk.

  • Apple IDs

    Apple created the Apple ID system originally in order to improve customer experiences on their “*online store.*”:http://store.apple.com You could get an email copy of your receipt, track your order, file a rebate, etc. Then, Apple launched the iTunes store in 2003 which leveraged your Apple ID to purchase music.

    By 2008, we were using Apple IDs to purchase movies, television shows, music videos, audiobooks, and of course, apps! In 2010, Apple added ebooks to the mix. By late 2011, Apple was using Apple IDs as the user login credential for freely available iCloud accounts. Apple IDs have come a long way (at inception, they did not require an email address, unlike today).

    As much as Apple’s Apple ID system has its faults, it is still an effective way of tying your data to you! And in an ideal world, every individual has their own Apple ID. In the real world, customers often have more than one Apple ID or some customers might even share an Apple ID. It is important to remember that due to how Apple IDs are used, sensitive and important data is associated with them.

    An effective way to understand the way Apple IDs work is to understand the two primary ways they are used: for personal data and purchased data. Today, a family can share an Apple ID and use it on Apple’s iTunes, App, and iBooks Stores to purchase content once and access it on anyone’s device.

    However, it would be ill advised to use that same Apple ID for any one member of that family for their personal iCloud account. That’s because every other member of that family is only a few taps away from syncing their personal data with yours. Therefore, it’s a common practice to share a single Apple ID with members of a family for purchased data while every individual has their own personal Apple ID for iCloud synchronization of personal data.

  • Disk Management and Block Size

    Across the computing spectrum, there are many different formats of secondary storage and file management all based on the same building blocks. While they come by different names, NTFS, HFS+, and ZFS, the file system management systems of Windows, Mac OS and Solaris Unix all have several characteristics that assist them in managing your data.
     
    In all file management systems, there has to be a consensus first on how big (or small) a single increment of data will be. This increment, known as a block, size is the smallest space the system will address. This is a variable set at the time of the creation of the Volume format. Choosing a smaller block size will result in less wasted space in the file system but a loss in performance due to management of more blocks. Conversely, choosing a larger block size results in fewer blocks and increased performance with less management, but results in more wasted space within the file system. Block sizes for the mentioned systems range from 512bytes to 4k.

    These three file management systems have many parameters that govern attributes of the files created in them. These parameters include, but are not limited to, file size, file name size (characters), character sets that can be used to name files, such as ASCII, unicode or UTF-16. Character sets can be case sensitive or insensitive depending on the System. In all three to the mentioned file systems above, case sensitivity is an optional characteristic. Why is letter case important?  As you build directories, new files within a directory cannot have the same name as an existing file in a directory.  Having a file system that is case sensitive and preserves the case of the characters allows for more naming options.

    The Apple default for HFS+ file system us a block size of 4k (4096bytes). As each block on the hard drive can hold no more than this about of data, was files are written, the information is written to, when possible, consecutive sectors or blocks on the disk. When does this size become a problem? As this is the minimum block size, files less than 4k will be contained within a single block and the remaining area of the block will be left empty. If the system is to write many files smaller than the single block, there will be an accumulation of empty space on the disk that cannot be written to.

    So what are the pro and cons of block size? With a smaller block size, you are less likely to have ‘holes’ on the disk of unused space. You will also lose some performance of the unit as more time is spent managing the larger number of total blocks. With larger block sizes you have bigger ‘holes’ but the is less time spent managing the blocks and content of the disk.

  • Hello all,

    It’s been a nice couple of days to cap the year off here. It is supposed to be close to 70 today! I feel like I’m at the top of a slide with two paths through winter…one path leads to a winter like last year: warm, no snow to speak of, and a vague uneasy anticipation of a huge dump of snow that never happened. The other path leads to an old-time winter with cold, snow, and hot chocolate.

    The seemingly implacable and eminently predictable march of seasons of my youth has certainly stumbled, and even if things do return to the way they were, I think the only consistent thing about the coming season changes will be that unease. It’s the recognition that our world is changing around us.

    So if I haven’t scared you off yet, let’s get to the good stuff for this week. Jon explains some of the behind the scenes workings of hard drives, and Carl and David offer some ways be safe and hopefully make your life a little more peaceful.

    Thanks for reading.

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

  • SAVE $5 and get FREE shipping when you purchase an Apple Magic Trackpad for your Mac for a total savings of $10. Because…