Kibbles & Bytes Blog

  • Weekly Apple News Recap

    This week was a busy week for Apple. From the hubbub regarding manufacturing conditions in China to reactions from their quarterly earnings to the ever-present new product rumors the release of Mac OS and software updates, Apple has dominated mainstream news.

    Here’s a handy round-up of what’s notable from this past week:

    *__That__ NY Times Article*
    As Don mentioned above, the internet (and seemingly everyone else) was hot about the news that conditions in the Foxconn facilities in China were not meeting basic standards of workplace safety.

    Read the “*original article that sparked controversy here.*”:http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/business/ieconomy-apples-ipad-and-the-human-costs-for-workers-in-china.html?pagewanted=all
    Read Apple CEO “*Tim Cook’s response to here.*”:http://9to5mac.com/2012/01/26/tim-cook-responds-to-claims-of-factory-worker-mistreatment-we-care-about-every-worker-in-our-supply-chain/

    *Apple Releases Updates*
    Apple released a couple of software updates this week–AirPort Utility 6.0 and Mac OS 10.7.3, which includes Safari and Wi-Fi bug fixes.

    Read about “*AirPort Utility 6.0 here.*”:http://www.tuaw.com/2012/01/30/airport-utility-6-0-for-os-x-lion-retools-interface-to-match-ios/
    Read about “*Mac OS 10.7.3 here*.”:http://www.tuaw.com/2012/02/01/os-x-lion-10-7-3-released-with-safari-5-1-3-wi-fi-bug-fix/

    *Facebook Prepares to Go Public*
    Social media site Facebook filed the largest IPO (Initial Public Offering) ever at $5 billion this week. The founders and execs will likely become billionaires, and a section of their nearly 3,000 employees will become millionaires. Facebook’s profits were totaled at roughly 1 billion in 2011.

    Read a good recap of “*what this means here.*”:http://www.pcworld.com/article/249206/facebook_goes_public_surprising_facts_learned_from_ipo_paperwork.html

    Have thoughts on any of these stories? “*Visit our blog, Barkings!, and leave a comment!*”:http://blog.smalldog.com/article/weekly-apple-news-recap-1-30-2-3/

  • Get Yourself (and Your iPhone) Ready for Super Bowl XLVI

    It’s Super Bowl time again, so I’ve rounded up my top five apps that will help you get ready for the big day. But first, a few stats:

    * Last year, 111 million people watched the Super Bowl, with roughly 150 million watching at least part of the game
    * Around 54 million pounds of guacamole will be consumed, along with almost 30 million pounds of potato chips (side note: I thought that would be the other way around)
    * 6% of Americans call in sick the Monday after the Super Bowl (presumably, those 6% were part of the 111 million…however, if not, that’s an unfortunate day to be legitimately sick because no one will believe you. I’m looking at you, Rob Amon…)

    Anypigskin, let’s get to it:

    1. “*Super Bowl XLVI,*”: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/sb-xlvi-guide/id413928892?mt=8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30 free
    A must if you’re actually headed to Indianapolis for the Super Bowl, the official guide, presented by Verizon, features information about local restaurants, nightlife and NFL-sponsored events. There’s also a 3D map of Indianapolis and Lucas Oil Stadium.

    2. “*Twitter,*”: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/twitter/id333903271?mt=8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30 free
    If you’ll be glued to the couch, follow along via the internet, of course! Since Twitter is a running dialogue of what’s happening at any given moment, you’ll feel like you’re right there with everyone else as you follow the commentary and tweet SB-related developments yourself. Be prepared for some awesome trending #hashtags.

    3. “*Food Network in the Kitchen,*”: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/food-network-in-kitchen-recipes/id399072152?mt=8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30 $1.99
    The Food Network’s app is updated to include favorite game-day recipes, such as “crowd-pleasing finger foods and easy appetizers, like hot wings and quick dips.” A great resource for anyone who is entertaining this year!

    4. “*Super Ads: Best Super Bowl Commercials,*”: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/super-ads-super-bowl-commercials/id419743566?mt=8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30 $1.99
    This one would be perfect for Don (see below) and anyone else only in it for the ads.

    5. “*Domino’s Pizza,*”: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/dominos-pizza-usa/id436491861?mt=8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30 free
    Don’t want to cook? Well, Domino’s knows this and has made ordering a pizza easy. In their words: “Did Domino’s just launch an iPhone app? Oh, Yes We Did!”

    Honorable mention for those of you with an Android: “*NFL Trash Talk*”:https://market.android.com/details?id=com.bonfiremedia.android_nfl_chat&hl=en doesn’t have an iPhone counterpart, but promises to make trash-talking on game day a lot of fun…

    Have others that would make game day more fun? “*Tell us here!*”:http://blog.smalldog.com/article/super-bowl-tiiiiiiiime/

    “__Stats source__”:http://www.treehugger.com/culture/by-the-numbers-super-bowl-facts-and-figures.html

  • _Dear Friends,_

    It is February and we hit 50 degrees yesterday amidst rain, rainbows and a little sleet. The plow guys are busy spreading sand for the icy roads but there hasn’t been much snow to push around. Meanwhile, I am dreaming of spring…

    After Apple’s spectacular results last week, there was a lot of bad press regarding the working conditions in the factories that make Apple products in China. I received several letters from customers and friends asking my opinion on the piece in the New York Times. While I feel that the article was sensationalist and had many inaccuracies, the concern expressed by many over working conditions is legitimate.

    I also feel, as Apple does, that they have some of the most stringent requirements for their vendors of any electronics manufacturer in the world. It is sad to see them held to a different standard; however, I guess when you are the most valuable company and brand in the world, it comes with the territory. The bottom line for me is that I feel that Apple (with Tim Cook as CEO) is going to continue to work hard to improve working conditions wherever Apple products are made because any other action is, well, stupid, and Apple just ain’t stupid.

    I have been to China many times and visited many factories. I can assure you that the conditions at the enormous Foxconn factory/cities are better than many factories that I have visited. Keep in mind that the our culture and the Chinese culture are very different. It was not that many years ago in the USA that we had a similar manufacturing culture. We were the manufacturer to the world and had large factories–many with employee housing and employee stores–and employees who came from the country to the city for work so that they could send money home to their families. As our free market economy grew, the manufacturing center started to move, too–first to Japan and Korea and ultimately to China, which is truly the manufacturing center of the world now.

    Yes, employees are mostly young men and women, most of whom live in the big dormitories next to the plant. Most come from the country and work to send money home and then go on to other careers or education. It is interesting to note that this week Foxconn was hiring and eager workers lined up around the block for an opportunity for a job.

    Apple’s standards for its suppliers are the rules by which Apple buys their products, but make no mistake: Foxconn is an independent manufacturer and while Apple has huge influence, they do not control that business. Apple is making Foxconn change. Working conditions now are far better than they were before Apple was involved. Nothing changes overnight and we should be proud of Apple’s positive influence in Chinese labor. The sensationalist notion of workers forced to do Apple’s bidding for slave wages is not an accurate picture. Can conditions be better? Of course. Can wages increase? Of course. Will the manufacturing center of the world move again? Of course. You need look no further than Foxconn’s plans to build factories in Brazil.

    China has a huge labor force and manufacturing has a bright future in China, but so does improved working conditions and the rise of a middle class that will demand higher wages and benefits. We already see a huge explosion of entrepreneurial zeal in China as young men and women strike out on their own to form companies and embrace a free market economy.

    Our own representative in China, Simon Liao, is one of those young Chinese entrepreneurs and I have seen him move from being a sales person at a small company to starting his own business which now includes manufacture sourcing and design. It is a remarkable journey and no one is more concerned about working conditions than the Chinese themselves. I am proud to have Simon as our partner and for him to make sure that the factories we use for our own production have humane working conditions. I am very bullish on the Chinese economy and very confident that Apple will continue to be the leader in change in China.

  • Monthly Specials | 02.12

    These specials are valid throughout the month of February, or while supplies last.

    *$10 Off All Women in Business Bags*

    Nairobi Leather Laptop Tote
    Was $81.88; *Now $71.99*

    !(image)http://blog.smalldog.com/images/2777.jpg!

    Liberator Laptop Tote
    Was $49.99; *Now $39.99*

    !(image)http://blog.smalldog.com/images/2778.jpg!

    *$10 Off Hammerhead Hard Shell for iPad 2* (any color)
    Was $39.99; *Now $29.99*

    !(image)http://blog.smalldog.com/images/2657.png!

    *NEW: Instant $50 rebate on AppleCare when purchased with a new Mac!*

    !(image)http://blog.smalldog.com/images/1304.jpg!

    *$10 off Incase Nylon Sling Sleeve for 15″ MacBook Pro*
    Was $39.99; *Now $29.99*

    !(image)http://blog.smalldog.com/images/2780.jpg!

  • Classes | February 2012

    *Absolute Mac Basics at S. Burlington:*

    Sunday, February 5th,
    5:15PM – 6:45PM

    Sunday, February 19th,
    5:15PM – 6:45PM

  • Valentine's Day Limited Time Specials!

    Come in between February 4th – 14th and take advantage of the following:

    * 50% off any Hammerhead Back Cover
    * 50% off any Hammerhead Case for iPhone or iPod
    * $10 off Black Apple Smart Cover

    __All promos are while supplies last–in-stock inventory may vary by store.__

  • Want $15? And a Chance to Win an iPad?

    …like us on Facebook and enter to win our Kissing Photo contest for a **$15 Gift Card and a chance to win an iPad!**

    Follow the directions below carefully–here are the details you need to enter:

    * Become a fan of Small Dog Electronics on Facebook (if you’re not already).
    * Submit a “kissing” photo to “**contest@smalldog.com**”:mailto:contest@smalldog.com from now until February 6th.
    * Make sure you include your full name, address and best contact info because every person who submits a photo and is a fan of ours on Facebook will receive a $15 gift card to Small Dog Electronics!
    * From February 6th-10th, we will post all of the entries in a photo album; the one with the most “likes” by 11:59PM ET on the 10th will win an iPad!

    “**View our Facebook page here!**”:https://www.facebook.com/smalldogelectronics

  • Griffin HELO TC Helicopter Review

    The Griffin HELO Touch-Controlled Helicopter is probably the coolest iOS controlled device we’ve seen to date. With one simple app download and a quick charge, you can take to the skies (or rather just below the ceiling in your living room).

    To turn your iPhone into a remote control, you first need to download the “**free Helo TC app**”: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/helo-tc/id435802394?mt=8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30 from the App Store. After that, put 4 AAA batteries into the Helo TC flight deck, insert the plug into the headphone jack, and then slide your iPhone into the flight deck. The flight deck includes the infrared transmitters needed for wireless communication with the Helo TC helicopter.

    The only other thing you need to complete setup is to charge up the (rechargeable) batteries inside the Helo TC. This is as easy as plugging in the included USB charger into the helicopter and a USB port and waiting about 35 minutes until the LED goes off to indicate a full charge.

    Now you’re ready to start flying! On the one side of the screen is the throttle control, and you just slide it up until you take flight. Then use the joystick control on the right to steer the helicopter. It is even more fun to fly it using motion control, where you tilt your iPhone (or iPod touch or iPad) forward, backward, and side-to-side to control the steering.

    Now you might be asking yourself why you need a helicopter you can control with your iDevice. Well, there are many good reasons! Such as…making relevant Arnold Schwarzenegger references (“GET TO THE CHOPPA!”), performing tactical missions with little green army men, or my favorite: scaring your roommate.

    Overall, the Helo TC is fun to fly, simple to use and would make a great gift for the Apple enthusiast in your life or as a gift to brighten up the dark days of February.

    In-stock at $49.99. *Come in and see us fly it and pick one up!*

  • *Happy February!*

    With the holidays firmly behind us, life in Small Dog Electronics in South Burlington is slowly returning to normalcy.

    The gray days of February are always ripe with speculation amongst Apple enthusiasts as we wait for the Next Big Thing. I don’t go a day without taking a call with a customer inquiring about the as-of-yet unannounced iPad 3 and the seemingly always-just-around-the-corner iPhone 5.

    Last week, Apple unveiled their vision for the iPad as an educational tool. The response was generally enthusiasm tinged with controversy regarding a certain part of Apple’s licensing terms that comes bundled with their free iBooks Author software. I’ll leave the debating for the pundits, but none can deny that Apple’s announcement is an exciting and radical approach to the distribution of education content. If Apple’s approach is even half as successful as it has been for music, movies, television, and Apps it will transform not just the textbook industry but education as a whole.

    So keep your eyes out Apple fans, no doubt Apple has some exciting tricks up their sleeves for 2012. Anyone else still dreaming of that touch screen iMac? Take a break from the cold and come visit us for a little wild speculation, to take advantage of our February Valentine specials (more on that and more in this issue) or just to watch us crash our awesome Helo TC helicopter.

    – Peter and the S. Burlington retail team,
    “*peterg@smalldog.com*”:mailto:peterg@smalldog.com

  • Keeping Things in Perspective

    In this brave new electronic world where every bit of information can be blogged, emailed, texted, chatted, Tweeted, and posted to Facebook, it’s sometimes hard to make sense of it all. Specifically, sorting the wheat from the chaff. The truth from the rumor from the downright wrong. It’s made even harder when websites talk about their “reliable source” who knows someone who knows someone who is the roommate of someone who sweeps the floor at a Chinese fabrication plant. What to believe?

    For example, last October Apple said they were making a big product announcement. Everyone just KNEW it was the iPhone 5. The blogs, the rumor sites, the news outlets, all of them printed in big bold letters “It’s the iPhone 5! It has to be, because we said so!” Then the announcement is made, and it turns out to be the iPhone 4S.

    Suddenly there was so much backpedalling you’d think the entire Internet had turned into a health club. There were a few retractions, some apologies, and a whole lot of “Why didn’t Apple release the iPhone 5? They said they were going to! They lied to us!” Well, the truth of the matter is, they did not. Apple never says anything about a product’s release until the day they release it. People read rumor sites and took it as fact, when really it was just one blog trying to one-up the others.

    Today’s news brings more of the same. A techno blog is saying in an “exclusive” report that Apple’s iTV is being released in April. They apparently know this for a fact, and are reporting it as such. What makes it more fun is that a competing blog is calling the article “laughable nonsense,” because they have even better and more reliable anonymous sources. So, to translate it, “our rumor trumps their rumor.” Their reason? Because the iPad 3 is being released at the same time, and Apple would never release two products at the same time. And they know this how? Because a financial news site says so.

    One way to tell the facts from the wishful thinking is to read the article carefully. More often than not, the “reliable source” is a high ranking official at some big electronics company, all of whom shall remain nameless. This is akin to the news starting a sentence with “people are saying…” Actually, no one is saying it but the guy writing the news story. He just doesn’t want to admit that he’s making it all up to add credibility to an otherwise unreliable story. The harder they try to cover their sources, the more they are really saying “no one has confirmed this, but we need to make it sound like we have better information than the other rumor blogs.” Even the aforementioned business news site included the line about how Apple does not comment on rumors and speculation.

    If they do name names, keep reading to find out where that guy works. The head sales guy at Fred’s Electronics knows no more about the release of the iPad than the guy running the corner sandwich shop. I lost track of how many times a software company has said that a game was being delayed, but the local retailer says “nope, they’re wrong, it’s coming out next week, wanna hand over $50 for a pre-order?” And all those representatives of Chinese factories who send in design specs for a new device; a few days later it turns out it was a fake, but during that time, the web site’s hits (which equal advertising revenue) tripled.

    My advice? Keep it all in perspective. Until Apple posts it on their site, or Tim Cook gets up there on a stage and says it, it’s just speculation. It doesn’t exist. If you need proof of this, go read back articles from those rumor sites who swore that the iPhone 5 was coming in October. All those iPhone 5 cases that were being sold in anticipation of a phone when no one even knew for sure what it would look like. Will there be an iPhone 5 or an iPad 3? Most likely. Both have been highly successful products, so it makes sense for Apple to continue upgrading them with new technology. But as far as when this will happen, we can only guess.

  • Is Jailbreaking Legal?

    I have had an iPhone since the 3GS was released and I currently have an iPhone 4S. I’ve also had two iPads and will likely purchase the new one when it is released. One thing I have always done to my devices was to “jailbreak” them, a term used to describe unlocking the capabilities of their devices.

    Many people jailbreak their devices to be able to install applications that Apple will not let into the App Store. I’ve never liked some of the system sounds that Apple has set up; I have been able to change some of them by jailbreaking and then tweaking the settings. (e.g. Now my unlock sound doesn’t sound like a click, but the Star Trek communicator sound–much cooler.)

    Up until 2010 many phone manufacturers declared that jailbreaking their device was illegal and would void any warranty on the phone. On some older iPhones, jailbreaking could “brick” the phone, meaning it becomes fully nonfunctional and you couldn’t restore the software to get it back up and running. These phone companies, Apple included, say that jailbreaking violates section 1201of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

    In July 2010, the U.S. government approved some exemptions to the federal laws that permit jailbreaking of electronic devices. These exemptions are due to expire next month. The Electronic Frontier Foundation is working to get the exemptions renewed and get them expanded to cover tablets as well. If you’d like to let your representative know and urge them to renew the exceptions you can head to the “*Electronic Frontier Foundations website here*”:https://www.eff.org/ and submit a letter.

    Unless you know what you’re doing I wouldn’t recommend jailbreaking your device, since the large majority of people don’t need system-level access. I also do not condone jailbreaking for the purpose of pirating software; it’s actions like that that prevent people from doing legitimate, legal, activities on their iDevice.