Kibbles & Bytes Blog

  • Searching for the Next Great iPhone Game?

    One of my favorite features of the App store is Genius Recommendations. Genius was first seen in iTunes and then the iTunes Music Store. Essentially, it takes the music you have purchased and have on your computer, and makes recommendations for other artists and songs you might like. Now, Genius can be found as part of the App Store, providing you with recommendations for new Apps for your iOS device based on those you’ve downloaded in the past.

    With over 500,000 apps, it can be easy to miss out on the latest must-have title for your device. I am an avid iPhone gamer, and have discovered a number of games I would have otherwise missed had it not been for Genius. My most recent favorite is Uber Racer–which is not your average racing game. This game is set in the year 2080, where the world’s resources are running short and things are falling apart.

    In this game you don’t get futuristic cars, instead you use present-day dune racers and trucks. This game is made unique by its high resolution graphics that give a realistic look and take advantage of the retina display. Of course, the damage that can be sustained while racing adds to the realism! I would recommend this game to anyone who loves racing games and would like a racing experience on their iOS device like no other.

    “Download Uber Racer”: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%2Fuber-racer-3d-sandstorm%2Fid409289600%3Fmt%3D8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30 – $2.99

  • Apple iOS More Secure than Google Android

    A recent analysis by security experts at Symantec found that both Apple’s iOS and Android are inherently more secure than Windows-based PCs. When put head-to-head, Apple topped Google in all but one category.

    Symantec found that iOS offers superior protection against web-based attacks and malware while protecting your data from unauthorized access and manipulation. It received high marks for built-in data encryption and Apple’s highly-regulated App Store scored well for vetting applications in order to protect customer’s privacy and data.

    Only Android’s permissions-based model for applications gave it an edge over iOS in the area of application isolation. Google’s OS gave users fine-tuned control over how applications interact with other applications and their data. However, this flexibility comes at a cost, since setting these preferences can be more intrusive to the user than Apple’s model.

    Both received very low scores for protecting against social engineering attacks, a form of hacking that involves manipulating people to provide access rather than more technical cracking techniques. The lesson? Guard your passwords well and be sure to utilize Apple’s free Find my iDevice service to locate and remotely wipe your device should you ever find it outside your control.

    The study further confirmed Apple’s warnings towards users that jailbreaking their iDevices undermines much of the security they have put in place, making users nearly as vulnerable as traditional PCs.

    “*Check out the full study here.*”:http://www.symantec.com/about/news/release/article.jsp?prid=20110627_02

  • Independence Day!

    Summer is finally here, and with it comes the 4th of July. The 4th is one of my favorite summer holidays, and each year it seems to be a long, fun filled day of parades, rides, parties and fireworks.

    Many of our readers live locally and know the parades around the state vary greatly, from the traditional to the unconventional and seemingly disorganized (definitely fun to watch!).

    These differences are often what draw many of us to our parades of choice. Personally, I look forward to my local parade filled with a variety of traditional floats–and of course fair food and music at the local recreation field afterwords.

    July is also a month where although it might feel like summer has just begun, it’s actually time start thinking about going back to school! This year we will once again be offering a number of popular back to school and summer specials at all of our retail locations.

    We will be be offering money-saving bundles, discounts for students and our experienced staff will be on hand to help you and your student understand the many software and hardware requirements specific to their studies.

    We will make sure you leave with the right computer, accessories and knowledge to get the new school year off right.

    See you on your next visit!

    Emily and the Waitsfield Retail Staff
    “emily@smalldog.com”:mailto:emily@smalldog.com

  • Hello, Rob Amon writing for Don this week. I am Small Dog Electronics’ Outside Sales Manager, in charge of our web and phone sales, corporate sales and up until recently, our wholesale operations. (Basically, if it is not retail, it likely falls on my list of responsibilities!)

    As you receive your issue of Kibbles & Bytes this week, I will be starting my first day of a month long adventure I am taking with my two sons, Tymber and Taylor. We are heading out to hike the Long Trail which runs through the the Green Mountains of Vermont. The trail starts just outside of North Adams, Massachusetts and ends at the Canadian border. It is approximately 273 miles long (give or take a few). The Long Trail is the oldest long distance hiking trail in the US and was first conceived in 1872 by James P. Taylor.

    I started planning this trip a year ago when my son Tymber and I were hiking the trails around the Mad River Valley. My son Tymber is a special needs child who was born with a rare condition called Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum (ACC), which means he was born missing the part of his brain that connects one hemisphere to the other. As you can imagine, this has created many challenges for Tymber. He is small in stature, gets easily frustrated and perseverates often. He is also the sweetest, kindest person I know. His condition places him on the Autism spectrum and this is an easy way to describe some of the challenges he faces daily.

    As he and I hiked last year, we started talking about how much fun it would be to hike the entire trail. When I mentioned the prospect of this to him, his eyes lit up–so, we started planning. When I told my other son, Taylor, that we were hiking the Long Trail in July, he enthusiastically replied, “I’m in!”

    The trip was on–all I had to do was ask Don and Hapy for a month off to take on this adventure. I figured the best way to request something like was to add it to my weekly report to give them some time to grasp the idea and then perhaps in a day or two we could sit down and talk in more detail. I emailed my report on Friday as I often do and expected that Don and Hapy could think on this over the weekend.

    I got a response from Don in a matter of minutes; it was a simple response that could not be mistaken: “YES!” Before I could even finish reading the email (as long as it was), Don was standing at my desk asking me to tell him more. He was as excited about the trip as I was. I really appreciated such a response–I have worked for Don and Hapy for 13 years and I am very grateful that they are willing to accommodate me while I go on an adventure with my boys.

    We will post some pictures and notes to the Small Dog Facebook page and Flickr when we have 3G access so you can see where we are and how we are doing. It will be nice to make the full 273 miles, but honestly, the real goal is to spend some time with my sons and have an experience that will affect each of us for the rest of our lives.

    Happy Fourth of July, make peace and I will see you in August!

    I have included a few links if you’d like to learn more or explore:

    What is ACC?
    “*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agenesis_of_the_corpus_callosum*”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agenesis_of_the_corpus_callosum
    “*http://umaine.edu/edhd/research/acc/what-is-agenesis-of-the-corpus-callosum-acc/*”:http://umaine.edu/edhd/research/acc/what-is-agenesis-of-the-corpus-callosum-acc/

    Read more about the Long Trail here:
    “*https://www.greenmountainclub.org/*”:https://www.greenmountainclub.org/

    More about James P. Taylor:
    “*http://www.vermonthistory.org/index.php/library/image-collections/james-p-taylor-photos.html*”:http://www.vermonthistory.org/index.php/library/image-collections/james-p-taylor-photos.html

    Small Dog’s Facebook Page:
    “*http://www.facebook.com/smalldogelectronics*”:http://www.facebook.com/smalldogelectronics

    And a link to Geoff’s Camp for good measure:
    “*http://www.forestlakecamp.com/*”:http://www.forestlakecamp.com

  • Final Cut Pro X: One Week Later

    Around this time last week, Apple launched its next generation video editing software Final Cut Pro X. Debuting at an attractive price point…

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    *Over 50% off any Verso case!* Your choice of three colors–Ebony, Chocolate or Candy Apple–just click above to see details!

    Because we want to give you the best deals AND stay in business, Deal Retriever deals are valid for one week only. Quantities are limited; offers good while supplies last.

  • Vermont Ranked #1 Mac State

    According to recent research conducted by Chitika, Vermont is the top Mac-using state in the US. With 19.55% of the population reportedly using…

  • iTunes and Me: Best Friends Again

    Like many others in the Mac community, I am a long time iTunes user. I’ve witnessed some amazing changes and additions like the birth of the App Store, Genius Playlists and Ping (okay, so maybe not Ping, but even Apple misfires once in awhile). One of the things that has always frustrated me the most about iTunes, is the inability to move music from my device back to my computer.

    Despite this imperfection, I still use iTunes. Instead of purchasing a song from the iTunes store on my iPhone or iPod touch, I download it from my computer and then back it up so I have it no matter what. This may seem like an extra step, but I don’t want to be in a position where I lose my music again. Though this strategy has proven effective, it was still a giant thorn in my side.

    During its WWDC keynote however, Apple introduced iCloud–and simultaneously debuted iTunes in the Cloud for purchased music. Shortly after the Keynote, iTunes 10.3 was released, and suddenly all the music I thought I had lost was mine once again. Utilizing the new “Purchased” section in iTunes and from my iOS devices, I was able to download everything again. Thanks to iCloud, I’m happy to announce I’m a fan of iTunes once again.

  • Cut the Ties

    Since the iPhone first became available to consumers in 2007 we’ve only had one way to sync our information: using the 30-pin Dock to USB cable that’s included in the box. The same process is used for updating to the latest version of iOS, making back-ups of content and settings and managing media. There are only a few steps involved in performing all of these things, but what’s the one thing that would make it that much better? Cutting the wire.

    Apple’s two latest operating systems, Mac OS X 10.7 Lion and iOS 5, are due out in July and this Fall respectively. They are both going to bring a tremendous amount of content and features to Apple’s desktop, notebook, and mobile product line-ups. For now, I’ll focus on two specific features: Wi-Fi Sync and Over-the-air updates.

    With Wi-Fi Sync we will no longer have to worry about physically connecting our devices to our computers. As long as both are on the same wireless network and your iPhone is connected to a power source (say, a dock in your bedroom where it charges overnight), the iPhone will automatically sync and back up new content to iTunes. No longer will you have to worry about syncing it at night or in the morning before work and scrambling for the cable that’s up in your room.

    Along with Wi-Fi Sync comes Over-the-air updates. Want the great new features that Apple just rolled out with iOS 5.1 (hypothetically speaking) but don’t want to wait until you get home from school or work? Now, with Over-the-air updates, Apple will be able to push these changes directly to your phone wirelessly so you don’t have to think about a thing.

    In a growing world of devices and technology, the last thing we need is more cable clutter. Sure, we’ll need them for certain things here and there, but the more we can do without, the better.

  • Reader Feedback and Questions

    Dear Matt,

    You have sometimes asked readers to send suggestions for things to write about, though you never seem to run out of relevant things to discuss. One thing I would very much like to see you write about is the compatibility of various machines and operating systems. We know, of course, that the latest machine will run the latest OS, but will they, for example run OS 10.4.11?

    Many people are dependent on older software, especially to access data that will not convert to something more modern. Right now I need to replace my old G4 Powerbook, great as it is/was. Can I run “Tiger” on a new MacBook Pro? On a new MacBook Air? Perhaps even more important than answers to such questions would be a discussion of how one can get answers to such questions. To my surprise, Mactracker seems to be of no help at all. With Lion about to appear, and the absence of support for Rosetta, this kind of thing will become even more important.

    Gene

    ———

    Gene,

    It is only possible to use a version of Mac OS that’s the same or newer than what came on a Mac from the factory, so you will not be able to run Tiger on a new MacBook of any sort. With this knowledge in mind, you can check Mactracker to see which operating system your Mac shipped with, and know that it won’t support anything older than that.

    ———

    I have not seen a clear answer to: Will Lion work on Intel Core Duo 32-bit machines?

    Thanks

    Bill

    ———

    Bill,

    Lion cannot be installed on Core Solo or Core Duo 32-bit computers. It requires a Core 2 Duo or newer processor, at least 2GB of RAM, at least 4GB of hard drive space and you can only access the software in the Mac App Store if you have Mac OS X v10.6.8 or later installed. Like Snow Leopard, there is no support for PowerPC Macs.

    ———

    On Dogs and Hotspots:

    Hi Matt,

    Same problem with our yellow lab, even though we carefully rinse the salt water out of her fur, she still has a few hot spots on her neck and cheek and under her ears. First we tried dandruff shampoo, as it’s got anti-fungal stuff in it. Then we used cortisone cream with antibiotic cream too–and some anti-fungal cream in addition. It got better slowly. We didn’t end up shaving the area, though if it had continued, we would have had to.

    We will have to try the iodine rinse next if they come back. We have trouble here on Cape Cod with the intense humidity, so we have to make sure we get her neck area very dry after swimming.

    Thank you for adding this info in addition to all the wonderful computer info.

    Jane