Kibbles & Bytes Blog

  • MAC TREAT #140: Replace Your Apple TV's Remote

    The new Apple TV is one of the hottest gifts of the holiday season. I own one and simply love it. Perhaps more tellingly, the entire household loves it. Apple TV is the best way to stream Netflix movies and TV shows to our main television, the iTunes store has enough new movies to save trips to the video store, and Apple TV is the easiest way to stream media from my computer, iPad and iPhone to the central television and household AV system. It’s simply fantastic to have instant access to ninety years of movies in one central location.

    Plus (and this is my own conjecture based on nothing but speculation), I think eventually some form of app store will come to Apple TV–potentially making it possible to stream media from more sources, as well as play games, show weather and news, etc.

    Enough accolades for the Apple TV. This Mac treat concerns the small aluminum remote control that comes with Apple TV. Compared to the massive remotes that most AV systems ship with, the Apple remote is refreshingly simple and easy to use device. However, it *is* just one more remote to manage amongst a pile of other remotes that many people have in they’re living rooms. Fortunately, it is possible to pair other remote controls that you’re already using for your TV or DVD player to control Apple TV. That’s because most of those remotes have an AUX function that can be used to control third party devices. Here is a support article that explains how to do this:

    “Support.apple.com/kb/HT3296”:http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3296

    A few people have already written in because they’ve lost the remote that shipped with their Apple TV. You can buy a new one for $19 “by clicking here”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/38600/apple-remote-control/at_kb and then use this Support article to pair the new remote with your Apple TV:

    “Support.apple.com/kb/HT1555”:http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1555

    Own an iPad, iPod touch or iPhone? The best replacement remote control/addition to Apple TV (by far) is the free Remote app from Apple. It turns your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch into a remote control. Wherever you are in your house, you can control your computer’s iTunes library and your Apple TV with a tap or flick of a finger. Click here to read about this and download it for free:

    “Apple.com/itunes/remote”:http://www.apple.com/itunes/remote

    Apple says:

    bq. __Remote lets you control the iTunes library on your Mac the same way you play music or video on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Fast-forward, pause, and rewind. Choose a song, shuffle an album, or skip to the next track. Even create Genius playlists. Album art looks amazing on the large iPad display and stunning on the vibrant iPhone 4 and iPod touch Retina displays. And if your Mac is sleeping, Remote wakes it up so you can access all your digital media on iTunes.__

    So just remember–if you ever lose the Apple remote that came with Apple TV, just use the Remote App control on iPad, iPod touch or iPhone until you can replace it.

  • _Dear Friends,_

    One of the local ski areas is open, although the trails are primarily full of man-made snow rather than the stuff falling from the sky. I launched an internal contest for Small Dog Employees to guess the date of the first “big dump” and below zero temps. I guess I am as ready as I am going to get for the winter, but it has been pretty mild here so far.

    Our Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday sales were all big successes here at Small Dog. All three stores and our website were cranking at full capacity and we set sales records by nearly quadrupling sales over last year. I think a bit more optimism in the economic outlook was a strong contributor but the two biggest factors were our new store in Manchester, NH and the fact that again this year, Apple has provided us with the hottest products on the planet just in time for the holidays.

    The new iOS 4.2.1 makes the iPad even more useful than ever. Our project with the Vermont legislature is a great example of the potential for this amazing device. Every day during the legislative session, a legislative digest is printed and distributed to all of the legislators. This thick document contains hundreds of pages of legislation and analysis. The cost to print is substantial but in a pilot program we are beginning to outfit the legislators with iPads and pushing the digest to them each day so that it is available to them immediately on the iPad and the state saves the printing costs. The calculated payback for the state is about 9 months!

    The iPad was also spotted for the first time on C-Span on the speaker’s podium in the House of Representatives when Rep. Henry Cuellar gave a speech using the iPad.

    We are in the middle of Hanukkah which is early this year. We have some “Hanukkah specials on our website here!”:http://www.smalldog.com/hanukkah2010

  • The Future is Now

    I grew up watching and reading a lot of science fiction. I’m not ashamed to admit this (especially since I work at a…

  • Happy Tuesday,

    While much of the northeast digging out from record-breaking snowfall, and a few Small Dog employees stuck at airports around the region, here in central Vermont we didn’t see much snow at all. In fact, at our Waitsfield, VT headquarters, we might have three new inches on the ground.

    A few weeks ago Don announced a contest to the company. Whoever guessed the correct day of the first foot of snowfall in a 24-hour period in Waitsfield would win a pair of round trip plane tickets to anywhere in the United States. I went to bed Sunday thinking about where I’d head with a good friend. Alas, that didn’t pan out, but I really should get back to planning that trip, even if airfare isn’t free.

    I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. As always, thanks for reading, and keep in touch.

    Matt
    “matt@smalldog.com”:mailto:matt@smalldog.com

  • Why Steve? Why?

    Did anyone else feel dirty the other day? You know what day it was. It was Nov 22nd. Remember? The long awaited update…

  • Top Dog In Charge!

    And yes, this is a very typical scene in the boardroom at Small Dog Electronics.

  • Remember Your Resets

    With so many Macs in everyday use at Small Dog, we’re bound to run into hardware failures from time to time. We also…

  • MacTrak by GadgetTrak

    With my stepson off at college, I decided that it might be a good idea to get him a subscription to MacTrak for his notebook. MacTrak is a security program from GadgetTrak which helps to locate your computer when it has been lost or stolen (I know, I know, not something you want to think about over the holidays).

    The more I found out about the program, the more I started to realize that it is an amazing idea. Then, I proceeded to add it to all the machines in the household–even our iMac. Once you have your account set up, the program is dormant until you activate it. If your computer is ever lost or stolen, then you simply log into your account and activate the tracking program. From there, MacTrak goes to work.

    The minute that the missing computer is connected to the internet, MacTrak uses Wi-Fi positioning technology to inform you of the location of your computer. Even better still, it will utilize your built-in iSight camera to take a picture every thirty minutes and uploads it to a pre-planned Flickr account so you can see who is using the computer! Seriously!

    This will come in handy for the authorities–all of this is done silently, so the user never realizes that they are being tracked or photographed. You gotta love a program that actively dishes out Karma!

    *Just $15 for a 1-year license.*

    Come in and ask us about it or “read more here.”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/74257/at_bis

  • Classes: On Winter Vacation

    Our classes and free seminars will return in January.

    We are excited to announce we are updating this valuable resource and will have new classes and seminars for the new year. “Check our website”:http://www.smalldog.com/classes and stay tuned to “our newsletters”:http://www.smalldog.com/newsletters for more information on when classes resume and other news!

  • Specials | 12/10: Holiday Edition

    *All specials are in-store only and while supplies last.*

    *Save $30: Chill Pill Bundle*
    Includes Black Chill Pill speakers, Dual USB Port AC Adapter and Helmet Speakers.

    *$69.99*

    *Save $15: FREE Hammerhead Aura case with purchase of any iPod touch (4G)*
    Your choice of Clear, Smoke, Purple, Blue or Pink (while supplies last)!

    *Save $30: JBL Creature III Speakers*
    A best-selling speaker system from JBL–makes a perfect gift!

    *$99.99*

    *Save $10: Maxx Digital Executive Alarm Clock with Dock*
    Includes AM/FM radio and docking station for iPod and iPhone.

    *$29.99*

    *Save $15 on any Mili Product*
    External batteries, power adapters, cases and more. From $4.99!

    *Save $50 on the Sierra Sound InStudio 4.0 speaker system!*

    *$149.99*

  • Apple Releases iOS 4.2

    A lot of our customers have been asking about this, and now it’s here. This past week, Apple released iOS 4.2 for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. The update, which has been long awaited by iPad users, brings owners of the device over 100 new features.

    Multitasking, folders, unified inbox, Game Center, AirPlay and AirPrint are only a few of the new features making their debut on the platform. It had been rumored that Apple, at the last minute, had removed some network/shared printer support, and it appears that this is the case. Currently, the feature is only supported by select HP printer models, though more support is planned for the future.

    The update also brings full AirPlay support to Apple’s family of iOS devices. Previously only available through iTunes, iOS 4.2 will allow users with compatible devices to wirelessly stream videos, music, and photos to the new Apple TV.

    The third all-new feature of iOS 4.2 is a free version of Find My iPhone/iPad/iPod touch. Previously a MobileMe exclusive, Apple has included the device tracking application for free within the update. Though this inclusion will certainly be appreciated by users should their devices go missing, there is a catch. Free Find My “Device” functionality is limited to the iPhone 4, iPad, and 4th gen. iPod touch. iPhone 3G, 3GS, and 2nd/3rd gen. iPod touch owners will not be able to use this feature–or at least not in the same way as those with current generation hardware.

    Whether or not your device supports all of the new features of iOS 4.2, it is a promising upgrade and an especially momentous occasion for iPad users. For more information on iOS 4.2, “click here.”:http://www.apple.com/ios/

    The update is available now through iTunes. Users can obtain the software update by connecting a compatible device to iTunes and following the prompts to update. If you do not receive an automatic prompt, simply select “Update” from the device’s main screen within iTunes.

    “Check our blog here for a list of all compatible devices and to read more!”:http://blog.smalldog.com/article/ios-42-to-release-today/

  • Toys for Tots

    Both our Waitsfield and South Burlington retail locations have collection boxes for Toys for Tots. Please donate!

    “Read more about the Toys for Tots program here.”:http://www.toysfortots.org/

    We hope you will join us in supporting our local community and its members during your next visit to our retail stores.