Kibbles & Bytes Blog

  • An Unhappy Anniversary

    Yesterday was both Dawn and Art’s 20-year wedding anniversary, as well as Barack and Michelle Obama’s 20th (congrats, you crazy kids!). Today, however,…

  • Airplanes, iPhones and Altitude

    Our good friends over at Tidbits recently posted an article written by pilot and physics guru, Steve McCabe about turning personal electronics off…

  • Hapy and I rented a little storage space in the barn across from our headquarters for his Audi TT and my motorcycles so we can enjoy riding this spring without having to drive over the dirt (mud) roads on the way to our houses. I hope the weather holds up so I can get a fall foliage ride in this weekend before I head to Asia!

    Thank you so much for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

    Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,
    _Don, Kali, Dawn and Mike_

  • Free Shipping: Book + Keyboard + Mouse

    This week, when you buy and Apple Keyboard and Mouse, get free shipping when you add the Mountain Lion Pocket Guide! It makes a great gift to go along with a new laptop purchase.

  • Apple Releases OS Updates

    Yesterday, Apple released updates to both Lion (10.7) and Mountain Lion (10.8). For users with Lion, 10.7.5 Supplemental Update includes the following fixes:

    * Resolves a time delay issue with Time Machine backups
    * Addresses a launch issue in applications signed with a Developer ID

    The Lion Supplemental Update is recommended if you have Lion v10.7.5 update (build 11G56) installed, but not needed if you have Lion v10.7.5 update (build 11G63).

    For Mountain Lion, the OS X v10.8.2 Supplemental Update is recommended for __all users.__ It includes the following fixes:

    * Resolves certain language characters to appear incorrectly in Mail
    • Allows Safari to access secure sites when parental controls are enabled
    • Addresses an issue that may prevent systems with more than 64 GB of RAM from starting up
    • Resolves an issue that may cause DVD Player to unexpectedly quit

    Find the updates under *Apple > Software Update…*

  • Comparing Maps

    Apple CEO Tim Cook “*recently released an apology*”:http://www.apple.com/letter-from-tim-cook-on-maps/ for the frustration that their new Maps app has caused users. There were numerous reasons that Apple decided to create its own app rather than continue to use Google Maps, but as “*we’ve mentioned previously,*”:http://blog.smalldog.com/article/ios-6-maps-app-flop-or-not/ using it is a mixed bag.

    An overwhelming number of people have protested that it’s not quite ready for prime time, but in about a week’s time (three uses, to be exact), I’ve had no issue. Granted, even though I had never been to any of the places I mapped, they were relatively straightforward (i.e. right off the highway/in a location with solid cell coverage, etc.). I did notice, however, that the 3D feature wasn’t populating in most of the areas I was in. (That wasn’t __too__ surprising, given that many areas of Vermont are so to get adequate coverage.) I loved how much I could see from the main overview — ETA, mileage to go, etc.

    However, for those of you who have tried it and found that it’s not quite up-to-snuff, Cook specifically mentions “*MapQuest,*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mapquest/id316126557?mt=8%26uo%3D6%26partnerId%3D30 “*Bing,*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bing/id345323231?mt=8%26uo%3D6%26partnerId%3D30 “*Waze,*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/waze-social-gps-traffic-gas/id323229106?mt=8%26uo%3D6%26partnerId%3D30 or even adding a shortcut app icon that directs to Google Maps on the web (great call!).

    I’ve tried MapQuest before, and it was probably everyone’s go-to before Google Maps. It’s a good, solid app, and gets positive reviews for its accurate directions and features, such as turn-by-turn navigation and rerouting after a missed turn.

    I haven’t tried Bing or Waze, but upon reading reviews, most users find these to be well-organized apps that get the job done. Bing, of course, is Microsoft’s answer to Google, as current TV ads are pitting its search head-to-head with ubiquitous Google in a clever “blind” test reminiscent of the soda wars of the ’80s. While Bing “does it all,” Waze is an app specifically designed for GPS navigation. It also has a social component, with community-provided traffic updates. Pretty cool. I’ll be downloading this over the weekend as I navigate around the Baltimore-Washington beltway!

    All are free.

    Download “*MapQuest.*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mapquest/id316126557?mt=8%26uo%3D6%26partnerId%3D30
    Download “*Bing.*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bing/id345323231?mt=8%26uo%3D6%26partnerId%3D30
    Download “*Waze.*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/waze-social-gps-traffic-gas/id323229106?mt=8%26uo%3D6%26partnerId%3D30

    To add an icon to your home screen, navigate to the page you want in our iOS browser of choice, and click the Share icon to choose “Add to Home Screen.”

    Happy trails!

  • An Unhappy Anniversary

    Yesterday was both “*Dawn*”:http://www.smalldog.com/dawn and “*Art’s*”:http://www.smalldog.com/art 20-year wedding anniversary, as well as Barack and Michelle Obama’s 20th (congrats, you crazy kids!). Today, however, marks a decidedly sadder anniversary: it’s one year from Steve Jobs’ untimely death.

    Tim Cook, Apple’s current CEO, wrote about it on Apple’s homepage, and Apple has posted a video highlighting his life. Tim writes,

    bq. __”Steve’s passing one year ago today was a sad and difficult time for all of us. I hope that today everyone will reflect on his extraordinary life and the many ways he made the world a better place.__

    bq. __One of the greatest gifts Steve gave to the world is Apple. No company has ever inspired such creativity or set such high standards for itself. Our values originated from Steve and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple. We share the great privilege and responsibility of carrying his legacy into the future.__

    bq. __I’m incredibly proud of the work we are doing, delivering products that our customers love and dreaming up new ones that will delight them down the road. It’s a wonderful tribute to Steve’s memory and everything he stood for.__”

    “*See the note and video here.*”:http://www.apple.com

  • _Dear Friends,_

    It is one of the most brilliant fall foliage displays this year with brilliant neon colors. I take the long way to work this time of year so I can drive slowly through the upper Common road to see the amazing quilt of autumn colors in the mountains off in the distance. (Another reason I take the back roads is to avoid the slow-moving gawkers who are just as amazed as I am at Vermont’s fall display of color.)

    I am off to Hong Kong and China next week to search for new products for our Hammerhead and Chill Pill brands. I usually go with my buddy Jason Wu, but this time I’m on my own. I will be attending two trade shows in Hong Kong and then traveling into China to Dongguan and Shenzhen to visit our manufacturers and partners. I have a good list of products to search for, including items for the iPhone 5.

    We have some products that have just arrived, like our new Neoprene Cases for iPad and MacBook Pros and a dual-USB charger that will allow you to charge an iPhone and iPad simultaneously. We also are introducing a Bluetooth version of our popular Chill Pill mobile speakers in time for the holidays. Hey, if you have any great ideas for new accessories that you think might look good under our brand, drop me a note — who knows, we may name that product after you (or your dog)!

    For all of the news and Tim Cook’s public explanation of the not-quite-ready-for-primetime Maps application, I have found that it is a great navigation device and it has not gotten me lost…yet. I guess we will see how it does in China! I remember being in Shanghai with Grace last year and we were using the old Google Maps-based app and as we were trying find our hotel after wandering around the city, we realized that we must have walked by it five times already because the information was wrong. We finally pulled out the business card with the address in Chinese that the concierge had given us and handed it to a group of women walking by. They started laughing and pointed to the entrance about 100 yards away!

  • iOS Device Troubleshooting Checklist

    In this article I’m going to teach you three easy steps you can take if your iOS device is having trouble. Common issues can be anything from freezing or not powering on. It’s always a good idea to take these steps before having to spend time to have your device looked at by an Apple Specialist.

    The first thing anyone can try is to close out completely of all running applications. The way this is done is at the home screen — first, double tap the home button. This will display your multitasking menu at the bottom of the screen. Within this menu are all applications that are running. They are going to be listed in a line that you can swipe through to see them all (just like swiping to get to a different home screen).

    Now that the applications are displayed in order to close them out completely one must simply hold on any icon until they start to wiggle. This will look very similar to the process of moving applications around on the home screen. Now that your applications are wiggling, there will be a red button that has appeared at the top left hand side of each icon. Tap this button to close the application. There unfortunately isn’t an easy way to simply close them all with one tap, so you will have to go through and close all one by one. Once this is done your ready for the next step.

    Next, do a full restart of your device. In order to do this, you need to hold down the home button and lock button at the same time. __(Ed. Note: iPhone 5s seem to restart using just the lock button.)__ Continue to hold these buttons past the “Slide to power off” screen and even after the screen goes blank. Release the buttons once the Apple appears on the start up screen. After your device starts back up, you hopefully should be all set. If not, continue on to the next step.

    *CAUTION: Please double check that you are doing the following step-by-step as there is a chance of data loss if it’s not completed correctly.*

    The third and final step is to do a full software restore on your iOS device. In order to do this you will need not only your device, but also a sync cable and the computer that you use to sync your device. Next, power everything up and launch iTunes on your computer. Once iTunes has successfully loaded, plug your device with the sync cable into any available USB port on the computer. After a minute or so, you should be presented with a screen of information about the device you just plugged in. It will display various bits of information such as the name of the device, current version of the OS, and space left to be used. About halfway down the screen you should see a button titled “Restore”; click it.

    *Before completing the Restore process, make sure your device is completely backed up to prevent data loss!*

    Once you have selected the Restore option, it will take you through a few prompts needed to restore the software on your device. Once the process is complete, the device will restart and then reappear in iTunes. Upon its reappearance you will be asked to either set up as a new device or restore from backup. You will want to select Restore from Backup and then your device will be restored to the way it was before you started — with a fresh new install of the latest operating system.

    If after you have completed all of these steps and you are still experiencing trouble with your device, it’s time to bring it in. You can bring it to any Small Dog location and our knowledgable staff will be glad to help you get your device functioning again.

  • Is Tiger (10.4) Too Old?

    I’m not talking about the golfer this week…several times in the past couple of weeks I have been asked to extricate customers from a precarious position. After purchasing a new computer, they were unable to perform migration from their old computer, running Tiger (10.4.x) to their new machine running Mountain Lion (10.8.x). Previously, it was necessary for machines running Tiger to be fully updated, running 10.4.11, because it included a Migration Assistant update for use over a network.

    A recent customer’s Tiger machine, fully updated and in target disk mode, did not appear as available sources in Migration Assistant, however. To resolve this, I thought I’d create a ‘test’ account on the new machine and attempt the migration again. After creating the test User account and logging in, the Tiger-based machine did show up as an external HD plugged into the new computer. When the Migration Assistant app was launched though, no previous volume is detected. While there is nothing in writing in Apple’s knowledge base, I’m guessing that perhaps Tiger is unsupported completely at this time for migration.

    One thing you can do is to move a manual copy of the User folder(s) from the old computer to Users on the Mountain Lion unit. After copying the folder over, you need but to create a User account in System Preferences with the same short name as the folder. The machine will ask if you want to use that folder for the new account, to which you need to reply ‘Yes.’

    In doing the transfer through this method though, I have come across a disturbing trend: Address Book and iCal lose their content. This conundrum still irks me and I have yet to find a solution, either in blogs or from Apple proper to resolve the issue. I assume that, in this case, upgrading the old machine to Leopard (10.5.x) or Snow Leopard (10.6.x) may produce a different outcome.