Kibbles & Bytes Blog

  • MAC TREAT #152: Spotlight on Spotlight

    Spotlight, OS X’s system-wide search feature, was first introduced in Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger in 2005. Since its debut, Spotlight has become the go to resource for quickly locating files on the Mac. While many users are perfectly satisfied clicking the magnifying glass at the top right of their screen and inputing a query, Spotlight’s reach extends far beyond this basic search functionality. For starters, if you’d prefer not to move the pointer to the top right of the screen each time you’d like to use Spotlight, try this simple keyboard shortcut: *Command + Spacebar.* This will open Spotlight with the search field highlighted and ready to go. Just start typing and the results list will begin to populate itself. If the Top Hit is the file or application you’re looking for, press *Return* to open it–look Ma, no mouse!

    Is a basic search not cutting it? Then it’s time to get specific. Spotlight accommodates both boolean and type searching in addition to keyword search. To execute a boolean search, enter an initial term followed by an operator such as: *OR, AND, NOT.* These operators must be typed in all caps for Spotlight to recognize them. It is also easy to find files by type. Simply enter your search term followed by *kind:filetypehere.* An example of a type search would be: *dead kind:audio.* This query–on my iMac at least–returns songs and albums almost exclusively by the Grateful Dead. Type searches will work with almost any kind of media or file extension on your Mac.

    Spotlight even contains some lesser known search based bonuses. Need to do a quick calculation? Press *Command + Spacebar* to pop open a fresh search field, and try typing an equation. Spotlight recognizes basic arithmetic (+,-,*,/, etc) and more advanced calculations such as square roots (sqrt) and powers (pow). Just remember to bracket and “Please excuse my dear Aunt Sally.”

    Yet another great feature of Spotlight is its onboard dictionary. As long as your search term isn’t a specific application name or OS X system component, it is likely a dictionary entry will appear in the top search results. Move your mouse over the mini dictionary icon to reveal the word’s definition, or highlight and press *Return* to open the Dictionary application.

  • _Dear Friends,_

    Yes, it is still snowing just about every day here in Vermont, and March did not have any lamb imitations at all! I leave for China on Saturday, and the weather forecast looks like a warming trend, so maybe I’ll be able to get my motorcycle out by the time I get back. I’ll be attending a couple of trade shows in Hong Kong to look for new products and then visiting several factories in Shenzhen and Dongguan where some of our Chill Pill and Hammerhead products are manufactured. I make it a personal rule to always visit the factories where our goods are made to see what the working conditions are like and to meet some of the people that make our goods.

    I am sure I will see a bijillion products for the new iPad 2. This product launch is even more spectacular than the original iPad launch, as more people now know what to do with an iPad. We are getting iPad 2 shipments each week, and just as soon as they arrive, we are getting them in the hands of customers that have been eagerly waiting for their arrival.

    We held our annual Apple Sales Pro dinner this week. About five years ago, I gave my employees a challenge – whoever achieves the highest level of Apple sales training, Apple Sales Professional, will go out to dinner with me and have their achievement recognized with a branded article of clothing. The first year we had a small intimate gathering of five Apple Sales Pros. It has since grown each year: This year we had 44 of our 52 employees reach Apple Sales Pro status. Kerry, Katie and I have been planning the bash for months. We rented a big bus and picked up the Burlington crew (we closed the store early) and then picked up the crew in Waitsfield and headed to our Manchester location. There we had the first real opportunity for the team from all of our locations to meet each other in person. Many from the Vermont team had not seen the new Manchester store, so we hung out there until our early 6PM closing and then we all piled back into the bus to go to a Mexican restaurant in nearby Lawrence, MA. There we had some excellent food and were serenaded by a great guitarist and mariachi singer named Charro. It was a fantastic party, and I hope I can top this one next year! Congrats to all the Apple Sales Professionals at Small Dog Electronics!

  • Why I waited for the iPad 2.

    The iPad 2 was released recently and I had decided long ago to wait for it. I have received the question a few…

  • iPad 2 1080p Wireless Streaming

    A group of guys were given the job of allowing a presenter to move around wirelessly with his iPad and control his presentation….

  • I Smell a RAT

    Back in February, the Apple world was rocked by the announcement of a Trojan called BlackHole RAT (Remote Access Trojan) that could allow…

  • Must-Have Photography Apps

    Spring is in the air, and although remnants of winter are still present in Vermont, plenty of areas are experiencing warmer weather and…

  • A Note on Mac OS X 10.6.7

    In last week’s issue, we published an article detailing the release of Mac OS X v10.6.7, which was made available Monday, March 21 for all Snow Leopard users. Following the update’s release, issues began to surface surrounding the operating system’s handling of OpenType PostScript fonts and PDF files. For users with a myriad–pardon the font pun–of OTFs installed as well as heavy Adobe users, the update has been particularly problematic.

    Though the majority of OS X’s included system fonts are TrueType, a few OpenType PostScript fonts are also included. For this reason, we recommend holding off on v10.6.7 if you have not already updated. Apple has not commented on whether or not they plan to issue a fix for the bug. However, as the affected number of users is sizable, it is likely a patch of some kind will be issued before the formal release of v10.6.8. Our apologies if last week’s article led you to update your OS and you have since been affected by the bug. When the article was published, we hadn’t yet realized the full scope of the issue.

  • Transferring from iOS Devices to Your Computer

    Transferring documents between your iPad/iPhone/iPod touch and Mac/PC is a very simple and straightforward process. Apple has made it easy to do by implementing the functionality directly in iTunes.

    Though the process may be simple, the interface to do so may not be immediately apparent to most users. The capability to transfer files to your device REQUIRES an application capable of having files transferred to it, such as Pages, Numbers, Goodreader, etc.

    To open the interface for transferring files:

    1. Connect your iPad/iPhone/iPod touch to your computer.

    2. Open iTunes, if it didn’t open automatically when you connected your device.

    3. Select your device in the left pane of iTunes, and select the Applications tab in the main window.

    4. Scroll down to the bottom of the Applications tab, where you will see a list of applications capable of receiving documents on the left and an interface to transfer files on the right.

    To transfer files from an application, simply select the application with the files you want and drag the files out of the right pane to wherever you would like them on your computer.

    To transfer files to an application, click the add button in the right pane, navigate to the file you wish to transfer, and click open. Alternatively, you can drag and drop the file into the right pane. The file should now show up in the application on your device.

  • Apple Releases Supplemental Update for 13" MacBook Air

    Last week, Apple released Mac OS X v10.6.7 Supplemental Update for 13″ MacBook Air. The update–released exclusively for the 2010 model of 13″ MacBook Air–focuses solely on an issue causing machines to freeze while running iTunes. The support document accompanying the update states:

    This update addresses an issue that makes the system unresponsive when using iTunes.

    It is recommended for all 13″ MacBook Air (Late 2010) users running Mac OS X v10.6.7.

    The update requires a mere 461 KB of disk space and a late-2010 model 13″ MacBook Air running Mac OS X v10.6.7. The update is available through Software Update or via direct download “*here.*”:http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1370 As always, we recommend you back up your machine prior to installing any updates.

  • I Smell a RAT

    Back in February, the Apple world was rocked by the announcement of a Trojan called BlackHole RAT (Remote Access Trojan) that could allow someone to access a machine remotely, without the knowledge or permission of the user. (Okay, so maybe “rocked” is an exaggeration; more likely a couple of people yawned and clicked through to the next article.) A report came out today that BlackHole RAT has been updated to 2.0. In addition to the standard backdoor type access, now it can allow remote commands and put up a fake password prompt, which then sends your administrator password to the hacker. Most of the time, the announcement of a Trojan on Mac OS X doesn’t upset anyone because, unlike a virus that spreads on its own, a Trojan has to be installed by the user, and who would do something like that?

    The term “Trojan” comes from the tale of the Trojan Horse: During the Trojan War, Greek soldiers left a giant wooden horse outside the gates of Troy, which the people brought into the city as a victory trophy. That night, Greek soldiers hidden inside the horse opened the city gates to allow the rest of the Greek army inside. This is in essence how a Trojan works on your computer: you install an application that appears to be one thing, but it carries hidden code (called a “payload”) that does something unexpected and usually harmful. Trojan Horse programs tend to make more news on Windows systems, since larger percentage of computer users are running Microsoft’s OS. Most hackers go for the largest return on their time, which is always Windows users. On a Mac, it’s harder to infect the operating system, but it is still possible if you don’t practice “safe surfing.” (I know the term sounds silly, but really, it’s true.) Key point–watch what you install.

    While viruses often come in various forms (as e-mail attachments or through unsecured ports), Trojans come packaged with another program. More often than not, Trojans are attached to “pirated” software. Here is a typical scenario: you find a copy of Microsoft Office:mac 2011 on the Internet, and it comes with a “serial crack” (which allows you to activate the software without paying for it). You run the serial number generator, it prompts you for a password, and then it gives you a fake serial number, which you enter into Office. Wow, you just got a $190 program for free!

    A few days later, your friends tell you that they are receiving spam from your e-mail address. You try to log into your mail to check, but your password doesn’t work. Frustrated, you go to Facebook to post about it, except you can’t log into your page anymore, and all your pictures are gone. Later, you try to buy groceries, but your credit card is overdrawn. Checking your statement online, you find that someone bought a widescreen television and several iPads from Best Buy in some state you’ve never been to. Then the realization hits–you’ve been hacked. That serial number generator you installed had a program attached that allowed someone to grab all your personal information, so now everything you had on your computer–including your passwords and bank account information–is being used by someone else. You might think, “But I have a Mac, this can’t happen!” Remember that any program that attaches to the OS requires a password to install, and when the serial number generator asked for it, you happily provided it.

    This is not intended to be a sermon reminiscent of “don’t copy that floppy.” It does, however, illustrate how even a computer as secure as a Mac can still be “hacked.” It’s akin to giving a stranger your keys and then wondering what happened to your car. Best way to prevent this? Watch what you install. As I have said in previous articles, don’t install “warez” –a generic term for commercial software that you did not pay for. If you see programs claiming to remove copy protection or fake “serialz” or “cracks,” avoid them. Most of the time they do what they claim, but there is no way to know what else they do until it’s too late. Sophos has a free scanner that can watch out for these things, but really, the best protection is to just not go there. If you don’t want to get mugged, don’t go down a dark alley at night. If you don’t want your data to get mugged, stay out of the dark alleys of the Internet.