Kibbles & Bytes Blog

  • Apple to Update Mac OS X to Remove MACDefender

    Tuesday evening, Apple published a support document detailing how to avoid or remove MACDefender malware from Mac OS X. The document thoroughly explains the step-by-step procedure associated with the manual removal of the malware, and indicates that Apple will release an automated fix via software update in the near future. According to the document:

    bq. “In the coming days, Apple will deliver a Mac OS X software update that will automatically find and remove Mac Defender malware and its known variants. The update will also help protect users by providing an explicit warning if they download this malware.”

    This summary and set of removal instructions is likely a response to the negative press the company received after restricting its support staff from addressing the issue on phone calls and in retail stores last week. Given that the affected number of users looks to be larger than initially anticipated, yesterday’s official acknowledgement comes as a welcome action on Apple’s part.

    Regardless of whether the automated update is released on its own, or bundled with Mac OS X v10.6.8 it is still worth noting the manual removal instructions in the interim.

    Click “*here*”:http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4650 to view the support document in its entirety.

    For more information on MACDefender click “*here.*”:http://blog.smalldog.com/article/macdefender-poses-malware-threat/

  • Memorial Day 2011

    Memorial Day is celebrated to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedom. While the parades and celebrations are tributes to the brave men and women who have fought to protect us from tyranny, a lasting and real commitment to peace is the highest honor we can pay to soldiers.

    In these dangerous times, it is more important than ever to honor those who are on duty right now, sacrificing so that we can enjoy a free society. We may not all agree with the policies that have put our sons and daughters in harm’s way, but honoring their service, sacrifice, and commitment is the duty of all citizens.

    We have a solemn duty to support our soldiers and their families that are left behind. We also have a solemn duty to make sure that when we send our soldiers into danger, we do so judiciously and only under the most imperative conditions. We have a duty to question, to dissent, and ultimately to support the men and women who go to battle in our name.

    Memorial Day is a day where we remember and celebrate the lives of those that have given their all for us. I have nothing but respect and honor for these brave men and women. If you’re able, observe the National Moment of Remembrance at 3:00 pm on Monday. “Details here.”:http://clinton4.nara.gov/remembrance/

    “Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind.”
    -John Fitzgerald Kennedy

  • MAC TREAT #156: Look it Up!

    Earlier in the week, Merriam-Webster debuted an HD (iPad native) version of its previously iPhone/iPod touch only “*Dictionary app.*”: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%2Fmerriam-webster-dictionary%2Fid438477986%3Fmt%3D8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30

    After installing the free app on my iPad and browsing its virtual pages for a few minutes, I came to the realization that the device I was using was both exponentially thinner and lighter than an traditional printed dictionary, and innumerably more functional!

    With the advent of the “on-board” dictionary, running to the bookshelf to look up Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis–yes, a real word–has become a thing of the past. While reaching for the nearest dictionary-equipped iOS device or launching your Mac’s included Dictionary application might seem fast, there are quicker ways to get your definition.

    For example, did you know Spotlight can double as a dictionary? To quickly look up a definition or to double check your spelling–the feature I primarily use it for–enable Spotlight by pressing *Command-Space*. Next, start typing a word and you should see its definition populate near the top of the list.

    Here, you’ll see the part of speech and the beginning of its definition based on the length of the word. If you’d like to see the full definition, simply highlight the listing and press Return. This will launch OS X’s Dictionary app with your word preselected.

    Still not fast enough? Here’s a pro tip: If you tire of constantly switching between Pages and Dictionary or are fed up navigating Spotlight, try taking OS X’s “secret” dictionary for a spin. Most applications mesh with this dictionary and constantly run it in the background. To bring up a quick definition hover over a tricky word in any app and press: *Control-Command-D.* Voila! Instant definition!

  • _Dear Friends,_

    Small Dog Electronics was named the winner of the 2010 Deane C. Davis Award for the Outstanding Business in Vermont by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce and the Vermont Business Magazine. We are the 21st winner of this award which is named after one of the most beloved Vermont Governors.

    I received the award with several members of the Small Dog team at the opening ceremonies of the Vermont Business and Industry Expo. I am so proud of my team and humbled that we won this award. We were finalists along with two other outstanding companies, the Foley companies–a 100 year old Vermont family business–and Green Mountain Power, the state’s 2nd largest electric utility.

    We know very well that we could not have achieved this honor without your help and loyalty as customers. We see this award as the ultimate recognition of our commitment to measuring our success by the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit. In my acceptance speech, I recognized that this triple bottom line is the norm in Vermont and that it is one of the many ways that Vermont is great for business.

    One of the previous winners and a partner in our previous eWaste Recycling Events, Symquest, sent the best congratulatory note. Larry Sudbay wrote: “Savor your well deserved accomplishment. We are proud to be etched in stone with your company.”

    I was interviewed by Mark Johnson, the local talk show host for WDEV radio and a Small Dog customer after the award, and he cracked, “what are you gonna win next, Don, the Cy Young award?” It was such an honor for our company and we are proudly displaying our award at our Technology Pavilion at the Expo. We will find a great place to enshrine the big chunk of Vermont granite after the show.

  • 500,000 Apps and Counting

    Today app sites 148Apps and Chomp partnered with publisher Chillingo to release an infographic marking the unofficial milestone of 500,000 approved apps in…

  • AirPlay vs. Bluetooth Audio: Which Is Best For You?

    “AirPlay”:http://ipod.about.com/od/iphonesoftwareterms/g/Apple-Airplay-Explained.htm is a technology invented by and used by Apple to let users broadcast audio and video to Wi-Fi-connected devices.

    “Bluetooth”:http://www.telecomsadvice.org.uk/glossary/b.html is a wireless technology which allows a ‘personal area networking’ connection up to 100m between mobile phones, PCs and accessories such as headsets.

    AirPlay was created by Apple specifically for use with their iOS devices as well as Macs and PCs running iTunes 10. This means with an iOS 4 compatible device, or a Mac or PC running iTunes 10 you can wirelessly push your music to an AirPlay specific device, such as speaker dock, home theater receiver, AppleTV or an AirPort Express.

    Bluetooth has been an open protocol for many more years than AirPlay. Being an open protocol means that most devices we carry on our persons today have Bluetooth built-in. Be it a cell phone, portable gaming device, Mac or iOS device, the key to Bluetooth is it’s not an Apple exclusive. This means you can use it on other devices, like those mentioned above.

    Now that we have established the backgrounds of each technology let’s figure out which one works best in a particular situation. We all have different needs for audio. Some are trying to fill a home with speakers in each room, while others are just trying to make the perfect living room set-up. Either way, one of these two wireless audio options will work for everyone.

    *Multiple Room*
    If you are looking to create a wireless setup for multiple rooms in your home, the best option will be to use AirPlay. The reason for this is in its definition: “Wi-Fi connected devices.” This means AirPlay uses a Wi-Fi connection to transmit and receive audio. As Wi-Fi is a much more robust signal than Bluetooth, it can provide complete coverage for almost any home. Although one strong router such as an “*AirPort Extreme*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/74732/apple-airport-extreme-base-station-802-11n-gig-ethernet-late-2009/at_tt should cover your home, it can be strengthened by a repeater such as an “*AirPort Express*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/71133/apple-airport-express-base-station-802-11n/at_tt if necessary.

    Just as important as the network supporting your AirPlay setup are the speakers you’ll be streaming to. Does WiFi have to be built-in for your speakers to work with AirPlay? Yes and no. You can use an older receiver and speaker system simply by plugging in an AirPort Express. most older receiver can be connected to an Express using an 1/8in to RCA cable.

    Apple has also started to license AirPlay to speaker manufacturers such as iHome, JBL andPioneer. This means you can purchase an AirPlay enabled speaker for a room, simply plug it into the wall, connect it to your local Wi-Fi, select AirPlay on iOS or iTunes 10 and stream away.

    A great feature of AirPlay is that it can play to multiple rooms simultaneously. For instance, while holding a dinner party you may want the same tunes playing in the kitchen and living room while people mingle back and forth. With AirPlay you can select both rooms and push the same audio to the speakers in them.

    You might be thinking: “Wait, the kitchen is so much louder than the living room, how can I adjust volume levels if I’m streaming to both rooms?” Easy. Apple has included the ability to control the volume of multiple speakers individually. This means the levels in the kitchen can get bumped up a few notches so the cook can continue to rock.

    Though wireless DJing with AirPlay can make you the hit of the party, what if the Mac with all of your music is hidden deep in an office? The last thing you want to do is race back and forth changing playlists. Thankfully, Apple has also produced a Remote app allowing you to control your iTunes library right from your iOS device. This app also allows you to select the speakers you wish to listen too and control their levels.

    In addition to the iPod app, AirPlay is compatible with a number of third party apps including “*Pandora*”: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%2Fpandora-radio%2Fid284035177%3Fmt%3D8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30 and “*Last.fm.*”: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%2Flast-fm%2Fid284916679%3Fmt%3D8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30 You can even stream radio from apps like “*NPR*”: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%2Fnpr-news%2Fid324906251%3Fmt%3D8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30 and “*Tune-In Radio!*”: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%2Ftunein-radio-pro%2Fid319295332%3Fmt%3D8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30 Of course any AirPlay set-up will be fairly Apple orientated and will require a set of current Apple products for optimum results. If you don’t have the latest and greatest from the Cupertino company, Bluetooth audio make a great alternative.

    *Single Room/Apartment/Office*
    Bluetooth, unlike AirPlay, does not require a local Wi-Fi connection to receive audio. As many devices have bluetooth capabilities, especially smart phones like iPhone, Droid and Windows phones, it’s easy to push tunes to a Bluetooth speaker. While Bluetooth speakers are compatible with a wider range of devices, the trade off is their short relatively short range–about 33 feet.

    As a result, Bluetooth speakers are better for single rooms, such as apartments, offices or even out on the beach this summer. That’s right, imagine rocking out at the beach with your friends to all your favorite tunes no matter which smartphones the group has. You can still push your Pandora or Last FM from your iPhone to Bluetooth speakers, just as you can with AirPlay, it’s actually is the same icon on your iOS device.

    The same idea applies for computers. Whether you’re using a Mac or PC, with bluetooth you can wirelessly push music, or any audio for that matter. This is a great advantage that Bluetooth offers which AirPlay does not, especially for someone in an office or dorm room. Hop on your bed with your MacBook Pro and continue to push your tunes to the Bluetooth-equipped speakers on your desk, or simply put a Bluetooth speaker under your 27″ iMac for style points as well as a great sound upgrade.

    After reading about the advantages and disadvantages of both technologies you’ve hopefully decided which one is for you. There is one more factor to discuss however: price. Apple products and software have a tendency to be priced higher than competing brands. The trade-off of this “Mac-Tax” is how easy Apple products are to set-up and use.

    Unfortunately, this trend carries over to many AirPlay equipped accessories, when companies pay to license this technology from Apple it means their products are going to raise in price as well. As a comparison an AirPlay-equipped JBL speaker is priced at $350 compared to a Creative Labs Bluetooth speaker for $129. Both speakers sport similar sound at very different price. It’s not that AirPlay isn’t worth the money, especially for that multiple room set-up, but for traveling and for the office or apartment Bluetooth which will save you some coin.

    These two technologies work very differently from each other, and lend themselves to different situations. If you live in an Apple household already, AirPlay is most likely the way to go. If you’re a non-Apple fanatic looking to unplug, Bluetooth is the most versatile and affordable way to go.

  • From the Archives: Take Your Surge Protector To the Next Level With a UPS

    “UPS,”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=UPS more than a shipping company, also stands for “Uninterruptible Power Supply.”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uninterruptible_power_supply These handy devices combine the protection of a surge protector with the peace of mind of a built-in battery.

    While we all know that a surge protector’s job is to protect electronic devices from being fried in a power outage, what’s the benefit of a back up battery? Well, when was the last time you were in the middle of editing an important document, financial file, video or audio recording on your computer and the power went out? Great, your gear isn’t fried but all of your unsaved work is now lost.

    When the power goes out, a UPS will keep your devices powered long enough to allow you to save the files you are working on and then properly shut down your machine. While a UPS doesn’t act as a generator–allowing you to keep running for hours on end–the extra time to save and shut down properly can save you from the headache of losing data and potentially causing software corruption when the machine shuts down unexpectedly.

    Now that we’re in thunderstorm season, using surge protectors and/or UPS units is more important than ever. It’s also important to note that both surge protectors and UPS units are available to do more than just protect the power source of your machines. Did you know that you can purchase both surge protectors and UPS units with Ethernet and telephone jacks on them? They need to be protected too!

    Now that most people use surge protectors, it’s rare for me to see a machine come in that has experienced a surge through its power jack. What we do see are machines that have fried Ethernet and modem jacks. Just this week I had a Mac mini on my desk that was being used with an external USB modem. The modem had fried in a thunderstorm and the customer purchased a new modem but found that it wasn’t working either.

    Upon inspection, it appeared that the short not only affected the USB modem, but the logic board of the machine that it was attached to. A logic board repair out of warranty is a serious bill; on a Mac mini it’s actually just about the cost of purchasing a whole new machine. Ouch!

    Save yourself money and frustration down the line. Invest in a “UPS back up!”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=UPS

  • Repair of the Week: iMac 27-inch Without Surge Protection

    We’ve seen some spectacular thunderstorms already this year. Back in the day of dial-up internet access, each storm would produce a wave of customers with failed modems; these days, with high speed DSL and cable access, such spikes in repair volume are rare. However, one customer who recently took home a shiny top-end iMac, returned shortly after: lightning had struck nearby, taking out many of his home appliances, including the new computer.

    The computer presented with no signs of life. When a modern Mac is plugged in, there are diagnostic LEDs at various points inside the computer. One or more of these would normally be illuminated when plugged in to indicate that the machine was receiving power through the power supply. However, this iMac’s LEDs were dark. The first step was to install a new power supply, which did end up lighting the appropriate LEDs. Unfortunately though, the problem went far deeper than the obvious power supply replacement.

    The iMac would now make a faint whirring noise when powered up. Removing the glass and screen from the unit revealed fans that would simply twitch when the power button was pressed. The power surge had affected the main logic board. Once the logic board was replaced, the iMac would power on properly but would kernel panic–display a message in several languages asking for a restart–on start up. Despite the recurring kernel panics, now that the computer was powering up, troubleshooting further was much easier.

    To begin, the computer was stripped to a minimal configuration. This was accomplished by unplugging all accessories from the logic board, which coordinates every function of the computer, and plugging them back in one by one. This technique is called component isolation. So, the optical drive, hard drive, camera, infrared sensor and everything else was unplugged from the board, and one by one, they were plugged back in in an attempt to isolate the problem.

    I was surprised to find that the built-in camera was the cause of the kernel panics. It had been two days since the machine was checked in, so I pulled the camera out of the 27-inch iMac on my desk, and installed it into the customer’s machine to save him from waiting another day for the part to be delivered. With the new camera installed, the iMac successfully booted.

    This iMac had been plugged directly into the wall at the customer’s house. Interestingly, an open outlet was available on a power strip under his desk, but for some reason our customer didn’t choose the wise place to power his computer. The printer and other accessories plugged into the power strip were unaffected, but his television, also plugged directly into the wall, was fried as well. As we’re in the midst of thunderstorm season, now is a great time to make sure you’re using protection from power surges and make necessary purchases and adjustments to safeguard your electronics.