Kibbles & Bytes Blog

Apple news, tech tips, and more…

KB Dog

  • Is It Hardware or Software?

    We have all been there before, and for those that haven’t, you most certainly will be in time. We grab our Apple devices, hit the power button, and things do not go as planned. “It is broken!” we exclaim. But is it software or hardware? This is an extremely important question we all must ask ourselves when in this situation. But what does this mean? Well, it is simple really…. Is this issue we are experiencing caused by corrupted software or a mechanical malfunction? This an extremely important question that must first be answered so that the correct steps can be taken toward resolving the issue. How do we go about answering this question? Well, the simplest way to find the answer would be to go ahead and attempt some troubleshooting in the problem space of software that we as end users are responsible for maintaining.

    Assuming the issue is software related is the first and easiest step we can take in attempting to resolve our issues as software corruption is the only issue that we as end users have the capability to fix all by ourselves without the need for tech support. When software is suspected as being the cause for an issue, just simply re-load and re-install the software and operating system from scratch. If the issue is resolved, we know that we were correct in our assumption of software being the cause of the problem and we have been successful.

    If the issue is not resolved after re-loading and re-installing the software and operating systems, then it is pretty safe to assume the issue is hardware related. Unfortunately, as our Apple devices are designed by computer scientists and electrical engineers, we usually are not that equipped to attempt to fix a hardware issue. That’s where Apple Certified Technicians come into play.

    After it is determined that hardware failure is the cause of the issue, it is the time to ask some additional questions. Is the device in warranty and is the issue covered by a warranty? If the answer to these two questions is no, then next ask ourselves an additional question… is this issue even worth investing money into resolving? All these questions and many more can be answered by a Apple Certified Technician.

    When we experience issues with our Apple devices there is a logical and correct course of action that should be taken to resolve the problem. Neglecting to follow this logical troubleshooting flow can result in taking longer than necessary to come to a resolution.

  • Hello, Tech Tails readers!

    Spring weather is upon us here in Vermont! Or, as it is affectionately known, “Mud Season”. Call me crazy but this is my favorite time of year. Sure, Vermont may be known for our foliage, but the gradual shift from dark and grey to bright and green, the re-emergence of the critters, a few extra moments of sunshine at the end of the day, and the waning need for half a dozen layers gets me all the more stoked for summertime in VT. Perhaps it’s due to the fact I was welcomed into this world during a vernal equinox all those many, many years ago in 1992 (heh). Once the weather hits that 60º mark, I’m ready to call it quits on winter. Art says we’re in for another snow storm soon, but I’m leaning towards an early spring on this one. Sorry, Art.

    But enough rambling about the weather!

    Last week Apple shared a new support document that’s designed to help App Store and iTunes users avoid phishing emails that fly under the guise of legitimate emails from Apple. Phishing scams and Malware infections are something we in the Service & Repair Department are no strangers to. Unfortunately, at least several times a week, we get folks saying their computers have been “hacked” or have contracted a “virus” after they received an email from “Apple”. Make no mistake, these scammers are ruthless, cunning, and appear to be stepping up their game when it comes to finessing money out of good folks out there. I suggest readers take a few moments to absorb this very helpful support document in order to bolster your chances of not falling victim to one of these scams.

    On a brighter note, we’ve got some good material for you this week. I’ve been spending more time in our South Burlington store these days, and, whenever I’m there, I always seem to learn something new about Apple computers. So this week it’s my hope that our friends and fellow technicians, Moses and Justin, can offer up some of their knowledge and teach you something new as they have done for me on so many occasions.

    Live long and prosper, Tech Tails readers!
    Connor “Mud Season over Spring Skiing” McGinnis
    connormcginnis@smalldog.com

  • Autumn and Gracie leave this weekend but my other granddaughter, Khadija arrives so more fun for me! Only a couple weeks to go before Grace and I head to New Orleans on the motorcycles. I was able to complete my work on her bike so I think we are good to go as long as the weather cooperates.

    Autumn teaches school in Burlington so I was interested in her reaction to the notion of arming teachers. She basically said she would never do that and it was an idiotic idea. Then of course, this week we had an armed teacher barricading himself in a classroom and firing his gun. Armed good intentioned civilians have never been able to stop a mass shooting.

    Basketball season’s regular schedule is winding down and my Celtics very much are in the playoff picture. Meanwhile, the Cubbies open their season playing the Miami Marlins in Miami. Guess who will be going to a couple of those opening games!

    Thank you so much for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes! And welcome back, Emily!

    Your Kibbles & Bytes team,

    Don, Emily & Mike

  • Block Telemarketing Calls Automatically

    Junk calls are one of the great annoyances of the modern world. You’re minding your own business when your iPhone vibrates in your pocket. You pull it out, curious as to who’s calling, but don’t recognize the number. You may notice that it’s in the same exchange as your phone number, suggesting that it’s a neighbor. But no. When you answer, it’s “Emily,” a pre-recorded voice wanting to sign you up for a resort vacation, give your business a loan or help with your credit card debt. Angered by the intrusion, you tap the red hangup button, wishing you had an old-style telephone receiver to slam down.

    There’s no way to retaliate against these bottom feeders, and the best option is to hang up immediately. For quite a few versions of iOS, you’ve been able to block a caller manually—just tap the “i” button next to the call in the Recents screen in the Phone app, scroll to the bottom, and tap Block This Caller. But that’s seldom worth doing since telemarketers often spoof the numbers they call from, making it unlikely you’d get a second call from the same number.

    Instead, I recommend taking advantage of a feature Apple introduced in iOS 10 that enables apps to block calls for you. Quite a few of these apps have appeared, with some of the best reviewed being Hiya, Mr. Number, RoboKiller, and Truecaller. Hiya and Mr. Number are both free and from the same company—Mr. Number is a stripped-down version of Hiya—whereas RoboKiller and Truecaller require an in-app purchase for a monthly membership.

    In general, these apps work by receiving caller ID information from iOS and comparing it against both your local contacts (to identify good calls) and a constantly updated database of numbers used by telemarketers (bad calls). Calls from your contacts ring through normally, as do calls from phone numbers not in either of those sets. That’s key since your doctor might call back from a secondary number, or your kid’s new teacher might call to talk about an upcoming snack day. But if you receive a call from a number known to be used by a telemarketer, the app can either identify it on the incoming call screen or block it automatically, sending it to voicemail.

    To enable one of these apps, after you download it from the App Store, go to Settings > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification and enable its switch. You’ll probably also have to do some setup in the app itself, providing your phone number, perhaps creating an account, and determining what should happen with different calls (Mr. Number is shown below, right). With Hiya and Mr. Number, you can copy a number from the Phone app’s Recents screen (tap the i button for a call, and then press the number to access a Copy button) and then look it up to learn more and see comments other users have made. And if you get a telemarketing call from a number that the app doesn’t recognize, you can submit it to protect others.

    RoboKiller claims that it wastes the telemarketers’ time by playing pre-recorded “Answer Bots” conversations to keep them on the line, preventing them from calling more people.
    Details vary by app, but the only real downside to using one of these apps is that it may ask for information about you or your contacts to improve its services. If that feels intrusive, investigate one of the apps that requires a membership, like RoboKiller, to see if it better answers your concerns.
    In the end, it comes down to how many telemarketing calls you receive each day, week, or month. If you’re lucky and get only one or two per month, it’s probably not worth messing with a call blocking app—maybe just send unidentified (and unexpected) calls to voicemail. But if you’re interrupted by multiple junk calls per day or week, give one of these apps a try and let it reduce the onslaught.

  • Use Apple Watch to Track Skiing and Snowboarding!

    Starting today, skiers and snowboarders can use Apple Watch Series 3 to track their activities via new updates to apps available in the App Store. Watch users can now record runs, see vertical descent and other stats, and contribute active calorie measurements directly to the Apple Watch Activity app. See, I have been thinking about you guys up in the north country!

    Apple Watch is selling well, in fact, Apple Watch outsold all competing smartwatches combined last year. One in five smartwatches sold was an Apple Watch. We have been selling quite a few Apple Watches at our stores and they do seem to gain functions pretty regularly. I love my Apple Watch and if I was a skier or snowboarder this new feature would be interesting. Emily and Artie might like it since they can be found out on the slopes from time to time.

    Developers are taking advantage of the built-in GPS and altimeter in Apple Watch Series 3 as well as custom workout APIs released in watchOS 4.2 to enable tracking of specialized metrics. App updates for Snoww, Slopes, Squaw Alpine, Snocru and Ski Tracks now track new metrics on the slopes including:

    *Total vertical descent and horizontal distance
    *Number of runs
    *Average and maximum speeds
    *Total time spent
    *Calories burned

    Apps can auto pause and resume and users will get credit towards their Activity rings; workout information will also be recorded to the Health app on iPhone with user permission. Using Siri, users can start Slopes and Snoww to track their runs using just their voice.

    Having the ability to track the details of runs with Apple Watch is an incredible asset for everyone from training athletes to skiers and riders just looking to have fun and stay active, said Jonny Moseley, Olympic Moguls Gold Medalist and Squaw Alpine Mountain Ambassador. The Squaw Alpine app for Apple Watch helps me when I’m out with my family to not only track exactly where my kids are on the mountain, but also compare our performance so I can make sure I’m keeping up with my sons and add some fun competition to our day.

    The updated apps are now available on the App Store and require watchOS 4.2 or later.

  • I have got some important visitors coming this week. My daughter Autumn and granddaughter Gracie come and then Khadija visits the next week. It will be nice to have some family hanging out!

    I did manage to learn a lot about wiring relays and was able to fix the brake lights on Grace’s motorcycle. That was a relief as it had me baffled for awhile. A few good YouTube videos on automotive relays finally got me pointed in the right direction. Now we are ready for our New Orleans trek.

    Spring training has started and the reports from Arizona seem to be great for the Cubbies. I am looking forward to a great season!

    Thank you for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

    Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,

    Don & Mike