Kibbles & Bytes Blog

  • Special: Protect Your Magic Mouse

    Do you love your Magic Mouse and want to protect its Multi-touch surface from nicks and scratches? Do you sometimes notice friction when executing swiping or scrolling gestures on the Mouse? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then we recommend Moshi’s Magic Mouse MouseGuard as a complement to your Magic Mouse.

    Available in “*silver*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/78463/moshi-magic-mouse-mouseguard-silver/at_kb or “*white*,”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/78468/moshi-magic-mouse-mouseguard-white/at_kb the Moshi Magic Mouse MouseGuard is a thin, protective film that fits the contour of the top of the Magic Mouse and leaves no residue when removed. The MouseGuard’s ultra-smooth EZ-Glize surface allows for complete functionality.

    This week we’re offering free shipping shipping on the Moshi Magic Mouse MouseGuard to Kibbles & Bytes readers. Just use code *kbguard* in the cart.

    $14.99 with free shipping (with code *kbguard*). “*Click here to view details.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/Keyboards_and_Mice/Mouse_Guards/

  • Fall eWaste Events Are Fast Approaching!

    What a beautiful sight—cars filled with old TVs, computers and electronic peripherals lined up waiting to be recycled. It’s a sight we look forward to several times a year, and our next “*Vermont*”:http://www.smalldog.com/ewastevt and “*New Hampshire*”:http://www.smalldog.com/ewastenh eWaste events are just weeks away.

    This fall, we have two eWaste collection events, so be sure to mark your calendars and start gathering all your unwanted electronics. On Saturday, September 24th Small Dog Electronics will be hosting a collection event at Ben & Jerry’s corporate office in South Burlington, Vermont. For our friends in New Hampshire, eWaste collection will take place on Saturday, October 8th at the Mall of New Hampshire in Manchester. Both events will be from 9:00 AM until 2 PM, giving you plenty of time to stop by on your way to the grocery store or dropping the kids at soccer practice. As always, there is *no charge* to recycle your ewaste!

    All of the electronics collected will be processed in the United States by WeRecycle! in one of their two processing plants in Connecticut and New York. Although manufacturing processes are improving, computers, monitors and other equipment still contain some hazardous components like cadmium, mercury and chromium that can leach into the soil and contaminate groundwater. Over the past six years, Small Dog’s eWaste events have provided an environmentally responsible way to recycle and keep hazardous materials out of landfills, and are part of our company’s mission of social and environmental responsibility. Just this past spring, we collected over 146 tons of ewaste at our events in Montpelier and Manchester.

    We hope our fall events will be even more successful and look forward to seeing you there!

  • 5 Excellent iPad Apps for Business Professionals

    “*Notes Plus:*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fnotes-plus-handwriting-note%2Fid374211477%3Fmt%3D8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30 This powerful note-taking app supports handwriting, typing and audio recording and features PDF exporting, emailing and Google Docs uploading. *The perfect app for taking notes during meetings or presentations–when typing can seem rude–or jotting down ideas on the go, Notes Plus is available in the iTunes Store for $4.99.*

    “*WebEx:*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fwebex-for-ipad%2Fid364031971%3Fmt%3D8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30 This handy app allows iPad users to join or host meetings from anywhere! WebEx features high-quality video that shows multiple participants simultaneously, voice-activated video switching that spotlights whoever is talking and full-screen or floating video options. Users can also view documents, applications or screen sharing with live annotations using WebEx. *Ideal for the frequent business traveler, WebEx is available for free in the iTunes Store.*

    “*Numbers:*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fnumbers%2Fid361304891%3Fmt%3D8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30 Numbers lets users create spreadsheets–complete with photos, charts, tables and graphics–in just minutes. With more than 250 functions, Numbers allows users to quickly and easily organize data, calculate information and manage lists. In Numbers, users can open and edit Microsoft Excel files and save Numbers spreadsheets as Excel files. *An essential app for business people–available for $9.99 in the iTunes Store.*

    “*Omni Invoice:*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fomni-invoice%2Fid310187694%3Fmt%3D8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30 This app allows users to create professional quotes and invoices in just minutes and email them from their iPad. Quotes can be drawn up onsite or during meetings to help secure new business quickly and efficiently. *Ideal for the on-the go-professional, Omni Invoice is available in the iTunes Store for $4.99.*

    “*Expense Tablet for iPad:*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fexpense-tablet-for-ipad%2Fid364515469%3Fmt%3D8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30 This app is perfect for expense tracking and budget management. The easy-to-use interface lets users keep track of all expenses. Expense Tablet for iPad features category and account tracking, monthly budget reports, graphs representing recent expense reports and live search updates. *Keep track of spending with ease–available in the iTunes Store for only $0.99.*

  • HOW-TO: Type Accents on Your iDevice

    During my free time, I often use my iPhone to practice my foreign language skills. Well, not really, but a girl can dream.

    From time to time, though, I do find the need to type an accent on my phone, since, according to the rest of the word, one mark can change a word entirely. In addition, my husband’s middle name requires the lovely umlaut, and to type his name without it just seems wrong.

    *To produce an accent on your iPod touch, iPhone or iPad,* simply press and briefly hold the letter that needs the accent mark. You will soon see your choices from which to choose appear on the screen. Select your appropriate letter and you’re all set!

    “View a screenshot here.”:http://blog.smalldog.com/images/2530.png

    Très bien, no?

  • _Dear Friends,_

    The earthquake that rattled Virginia on Tuesday was felt all the way up in Burlington, Vermont, but I missed it. I was on my motorcycle and the vibrations must have been earth-movement silencing. It looks like Hurricane Irene is going to head up the East Coast and will probably ultimately impact our weather with a lot of rain and wind. There have been hurricanes that have hit Vermont, but generally we just get the remnants with lots of rain and wind.  

    The big news this week is that Steve Jobs has resigned as CEO of Apple and Tim Cook is the new CEO per Apple’s succession plan. Steve is staying on the Board and will become the Chairman of the Board. He is also staying on the Disney Board. While Steve has resigned because he felt he could not fulfill his duties as CEO, I believe that this is a smart move on Steve and Apple’s part. It is clear that Steve needs to work less and take care of himself and cannot be the day-to-day CEO that Apple needs. It is time for him to be the wise visionary helping to guide the company and let Tim Cook handle the enormous workload that comes with managing the most valuable company in the world.  

    Many are taking this news as if they are writing Steve’s obituary, and that is not the way it should be. Apple is so fortunate to have Tim Cook as CEO; he has run Apple for quite some time as Steve worked on his health, and Apple had flourished under his guidance.   Apple’s bench of management and creative talent is very deep, and I know that the team at Apple will be working their Chair quite a bit, too. Steve’s vision is alive and well at Apple, and it is an infectious vision of innovation, excellence and execution.

    I have watched Tim Cook both as COO and as interim CEO for many years. I remember well the times before Tim took charge of Apple’s operations. I remember the waste, the sloppy product transitions, the enormous surpluses of discontinued products, the delays in production. There is absolutely no way that Apple would be where it is now without Tim Cook. Let me say that again: Tim Cook has been the reason Apple is able to take a new product like the iPhone or the iPad and, in what seems like a blink of an eye, ramp up from selling the first one to selling millions and owning the category.    

    Apple is going to be fine, and, as Steve has said many times, Apple’s finest days lie ahead. I do not think Apple will change much, at least not in the short term. Tim said, “We are going to continue to make the best products in the world that delight our customers and make our employees incredibly proud of what they do.” I know that here at Small Dog Electronics we are very confident in Apple’s team and wish Steve the very best in his new role with the company. There is too much Steve Jobs in Apple’s DNA to think that it is a one-man show. We are so proud to be an Apple partner. Just watch their dust!

  • Jobs Resigns as Apple CEO

    Yesterday evening Apple announced that Steve Jobs has resigned as Chief Executive Officer of the company and Tim Cook, former Chief Operating Officer,…

  • How to Rename Bluetooth Devices

    Whenever you connect a new iPod or wireless device to your Mac, you get the option to name the device. Many times when…

  • iTunes 10.4.1 Now Available

    Yesterday Apple released iTunes 10.4.1. Rolled out last month alongside OS X 10.7 Lion, iTunes 10.4 is designed for use with Lion’s full-screen…

  • What Is the Archive Utility?

    A long-time Small Dog customer asked me about an item that fleetingly appeared in his dock. It was a generic-looking green icon with a zipper on it called Archive Utility, and when he used Spotlight to search for it, it was nowhere to be found.

    Many of the items you download and receive in your email are compressed files. File compression is nothing new and is exactly what you think it is: when you compress a file, you make it smaller. This reduces bandwidth loads and expenses on the server side, and can help you save disk space on your computer. However, compressed files cannot be directly accessed; they must first be decompressed.

    Back in the days of 20-megabyte hard drives (my LC II had a 20MB drive in the early ’90s), file compression seemed more relevant for conservation of hard disk space. These days, it’s more often used to shrink email attachments and other downloads. Mac OS X has always included a built-in compressor and decompressor. By right-clicking on any file or folder in the Finder and selecting “Compress” from the contextual (pop-down) menu, your Mac will create an archive in zip format.

    When you open a compressed file, Mac OS X launches an application called Archive Utility. Its sole purpose is to compress and decompress files. It’s located in /System/Library/CoreServices, and Spotlight doesn’t search there. If you poke around the /System/Library and /Library areas of your hard drive, there’s plenty to learn if you Google intelligently and use extreme caution when moving or deleting anything. Actually–don’t move or delete anything. Just explore and learn!

  • Reader Feedback and Questions

    Matt,

    You say that AppleWorks files can be opened in Pages. This is not universally true. If the file is from an earlier version, it will not open. In order to open the file, it must be of a later “vintage.” This also seems to be true of spreadsheet files, as Numbers will not open many of my older files. If you want to migrate any files from AppleWorks to the iWork application, you have to make sure it is saved from the latest version of AppleWorks.

    Also, there are several file types (Paint, Draw, Database) that iWork does not support. Because there are several databases that I have kept for several years, it will be a while before I migrate to Lion. I have looked at Bento, but it doesn’t seem as straightforward as AppleWorks. I may just have to play around with the demo version a bit more, but I really don’t like the “automatic” creation of a database linked to the address book. This seems like something that Microsoft would come up with.

    Thanks for the interesting articles in the newsletter.

    Bruce

    —

    Hi Matt,

    I’ve never had a serious problem with old text files, and I was a fan of WriteNow. But the loss of other kinds of files has been semi-disastrous for me. For 15 years I did all my accounting in MYM (Managing Your Money). It’s not been supported for a long time. One can use Quicken and other things for contemporary accounting. But what is terrible is that there is no conversion path for the older files. So far as I can tell, the only way I can access those important files is by keeping an old laptop computer on hand, a nuisance at best, since I live and work in three different countries. Then there is HyperCard. Remember it? I devoted hundreds of hours to developing my own Japanese/English dictionary. Sure there are better dictionaries online, but they do not have my extensive notes and examples. Here, too, there is no conversion path that I can find. I don’t know why, but SuperCard was no help, and maybe it is dead by now.

    So that is my experience progress. Not altogether happy.

    Cheers,
    Gene

    —

    Matt,

    I remember the days of AppleWorks/ClairsWorks. I sure do miss that suite of software. I loved to use Draw. That was my favorite program in the Macintosh Quadra days.

    I no longer have a copy of those programs. Do you know where I can get a copy of AppleWorks to run on my Snow Leopard MacBook Pro? It is a far better set of programs than iWorks offers today.

    If you know where I can get a copy please let my know.

    Thanks in advance for your help and support.

    Sincerely,
    Leigh

    —–
    Leigh,

    Unfortunately AppleWorks is no longer available for purchase or download. There are plenty of copies available on eBay right now though!

    Matt

    —–

    Hi Matt,

    Just thought I’d send you a quick reply to say that I, for one, am greatly disappointed I no longer can use my AppleWorks with Lion. In fact, that is one reason I have put off making the switch.

    Yes, I know there are many other choices out there–Pages, Word, etc.–and I have them all, but I still find myself using AppleWorks daily. It’s like the easy chair that is soft in all the right places.

    When I have to finally make the switch, it will be like losing a dear friend. At least that’s my view!

    Dean

    —–

    Matt –

    Just read your item about ClarisWorks/AppleWorks going away with Lion, and your asking what other digital items we’d hate to lose. I only have one: a recording I made with my 6-year-old son sitting on my lap speaking into a microphone attached to my Mac 512K. He was telling me to have a nice day. For a while I used it as a startup sound on my work computer.

    I guess I’m prompted to write this now as that same son is getting ready to go back to begin his senior year in college this week. And he’s got his own Mac to take with him. I hope it holds some memories for him as mine still does for me.

    Patrick

    P.S. I enjoy all the stuff you guys write, by the way.

    P.P.S. I did my master’s thesis way back when on that 512K using ClarisWorks, so I guess that’s a memory as well.

  • Tip of the Week: How to Rename Bluetooth Devices

    Whenever you connect a new iPod or wireless device to your Mac, you get the option to name the device. Many times when I get a new device, I like to come up with a funny name for it. For example, my new little pink iPod shuffle is called “Little bubblegum shuffle” (don’t judge!).

    However, when I plugged my shuffle into my computer today, I realized how stupid that nickname is. I had never actually changed the name of a Bluetooth device, so I had to play around for a little bit until I realized how to do it.

    You want to go to System Preferences from the Apple menu at the upper left corner of your screen. In the System Preferences window, go to the third row down, and then select the Bluetooth icon (third icon in).

    You will see a column on the left side that shows your connected Bluetooth devices. Click on the device that you would like to rename. Click the little gearshift icon toward the bottom of that column and you will see the option to rename the device. Select Rename and there will be a pop-up window that will allow you to rename your Bluetooth device to whatever you desire.