Kibbles & Bytes Blog

  • Apple Updates to Safari 5.0.3

    Apple released version 5.0.3 of Safari this week. Though a minor update, 5.0.3 does bring some key improvements to the browser. Perhaps the biggest gripe I’ve had to date with Safari 5 is the “Top Hit” auto-fill option in the URL bar.

    While I understand the premise of this feature, the inability to disable it, as well as its common inaccuracy frequently annoyed me. Though Apple has still not provided an easy way to disable the feature, 5.0.3 does seem to improve search accuracy. In initial tests, Top Hit seemed to do a better job of pulling up more relevant pages. __(Amen! -Editor who always seems to autofill broken URLs)__

    The update also provides more accurate results in Top Sites, corrects issues with Flash 10.1, provides better pop-up blocking and includes a series of bug fixes and performance enhancements. The update is available to all Safari users running the latest versions of either Mac OS X 10.6 or Mac OS X 10.5.

    For Mac OS X 10.4 users, Apple has released Safari 4.1.3 which contains many of the aforementioned features. Both updates can be obtained via Software Update or downloaded from Apple’s site “*here.*”:http://www.apple.com/safari/download/

  • TopFive.plist #13: Thanksgiving Apps

    With Thanksgiving right around the bend, it only seemed fitting to select a cornucopia of seasonal apps to share. Whether you’re planning the perfect dinner party or just looking forward to riding out a tryptophan-induced food coma on the couch, check out these five Thanksgiving themed apps.

    *5. Madden NFL 11:*

    Though the Bengals and Jets will take the field Thanksgiving evening, you can set up your own pre-game skirmish with this great app from EA. If you’re a fan of the Madden franchise on home consoles and have never experienced it on iOS, you owe it to yourself to give this app a try. With great graphics optimized around the iPhone 4’s Retina display, the game looks great. Even more fun, however, are the play mechanics. Taking full advantage of Apple’s multi-touch technology, players can manage both offense and defense with simple gestures. “*$4.99*”: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%2Fmadden-nfl-11-by-ea-sports%2Fid365985808%3Fmt%3D8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30

    *4. In the Kitchen:*

    This official app from Food Network places thousands of recipes from the network’s stars at your fingertips. Featuring chefs such as Guy Fieri, Paula Deen, Alton Brown, Bobby Flay, and several more, the app provides quick access to recipes in a well designed interface. Currently, the app includes a Thanksgiving 2010 section which is full of great recipes for the upcoming holiday. The app also includes a helpful shopping list and a handful of useful kitchen tools. “*$1.99*”: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%2Fin-the-kitchen%2Fid399072152%3Fmt%3D8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30

    *3. Mixologist: Drink Recipes:*

    Entertain your guests in style this Thanksgiving with this useful drink recipes app. With nearly 8,000 recipes, it sports one of the largest catalogs in the App Store. The interface is well organized, and it is fairly easy to find the drink you’re looking for. The Liquor Cabinet feature is especially useful. By entering all the liquor and mixer types you have on hand, the app will present you with a range of possible cocktails. “*$0.99*”: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%2Fmixologist-drink-recipes%2Fid319305215%3Fmt%3D8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30

    *2. Big Buck Hunter Pro:*

    The popular arcade/bar game rears its antlers on iOS. Though the game centers around deer, for an additional $1.99, users can download the “Moose Adventure” which includes a turkey hunting mini game. If you plan to acquire your own turkey this holiday, this game provides some great training… ok, not really. “*$0.99*”: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%2Fbig-buck-hunter-pro%2Fid335374306%3Fmt%3D8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30

    *1. TV Guide Mobile:*

    Whether it’s tuning into the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade or catching the big game, this app provides an accurate and up-to-date listing of your local cable channels. Upon launching the app for the first time simply input your zip code and select the appropriate service. You can your save favorite shows, and even set a customized channel list. “*FREE*”: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%2Ftv-guide-mobile%2Fid333647776%3Fmt%3D8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30

  • The Fab Four Go Media-Free

    This week, after a “mysterious message appeared on Apple’s homepage,”:http://www.maclife.com/files/u220903/apple_tomorrow_is_just_another_day_380px.jpg Apple announced the availability of the entire Beatles catalog in the iTunes Music Store. After years of back and forth negotiations with label EMI, an agreement has finally been reached, ushering the Fab Four into the digital era. The announcement–which slipped almost thirty minutes early–has replaced yesterday’s teaser image on Apple’s “*homepage,*”:http://www.apple.com/ and taken over iTunes’ digital storefront.

    The band’s entire discography is available in stereo and is being sold by individual song, album, or an all inclusive box set akin to last year’s remaster collection. Tracks retail for $1.29 a piece–the premium tier of iTunes pricing–and single “disc” albums are priced at $12.99. The eponymous “White Album,” Past Masters Vols 1 & 2, and other traditionally 2 LP albums are available for $19.99 each. The all encompassing box set sells for $149.99. All albums feature bonus iTunes LP content including photos, mini-documentaries, and more.

    Though many fans likely already possess a fair portion of the group’s recordings, the catalog’s availability on iTunes marks a new era for the Beatles as well as digital music in general. Much like Led Zeppelin, the Beatles have been notoriously hard to license. Today’s news indicates that the recording industry (read EMI) may finally be adapting to the changing ways music is acquired and enjoyed. If you’ve been waiting to load up that iPhone 4 with the tunes of the Fab Four, then today is your day.

  • _Dear Friends,_

    I just learned about American Express’s Black Saturday promotion. If you register your AmEx card for the Black Saturday promotion and spend $25 or more with your card at a small business on November 27th, you will get $25 back from American Express. I know just the right small business for you to use that card, too!

    Surf over to:
    “http://www.facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday?v=app_165267296827487”:http://www.facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday?v=app_165267296827487

    Register your card and come on in to any of our retail stores and get $25 back from American Express when you use your card at Small Dog Electronics!

    We are gearing up for the holiday season and have some great special values set starting the day after Thanksgiving. Our stores will be opening early and staying open late to help you load up on the hottest products on the planet, right from Apple! I am going to try to put in some time at each of our stores on Black Friday.

    We are very much into stick season here in Vermont with hunting season and the Northfield Sock sale under way. I did get out on the motorcycle last weekend to head over the hill to the sale and we took the long way home. It is so nice to ride this time of the year–you see things that are normally hidden by the leaves and foliage, so it is like discovering new roads even when we ride on a familiar route.

    Matt asked me to write something about the Beatles for Tech Tails this week in honor of the release of the Beatles library on the iTunes store. I already have all that music since the Beatles have been the soundtrack for my life since the 60s; in fact I have vinyl, CDs (which I imported for my iPod years ago) and probably a few 45s kicking around. But Matt said, “I don’t know the Beatles.” I wonder what rock he was hiding under! I think it is great that a whole new generation can now discover the music of the greatest rock and roll band ever.

  • Apple Releases Safari 5.0.3

    Apple today updated its Safari web browser to version 5.0.3. While ultimately a minor release, the update does bring some key improvements to…

  • Hulu Plus Out of Beta, iOS App Updated

    An updated version of Hulu’s premium streaming service landed in the App Store this afternoon. Officially bringing the service out of its initial…

  • Are You Using Adequate Protection?

    Do you wonder if the data on your hard drive is truly protected from technological intruders? Apple has produced a variety of resources…

  • Here They Are! The Beatles!

    Apple today announced the availability of the entire Beatles catalog in the iTunes Music Store. After years of back and forth negotiations with…

  • Don's Take: The Beatles on iTunes

    Apple announced today that the complete Beatles library is available on iTunes! Matt asked me to write a bit about the Beatles since he is way too young to remember them. I’m not, and as a child of the sixties, the Beatles are the single most important musical influence on my life. The very first LP that Grace and I bought when we were married 43 years ago was “Magical Mystery Tour”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=magical+mystery+tour%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30 by the Beatles, and we still have the album with our names written on the cover. The Beatles transformed the music industry by taking rock and roll to a whole new level.

    I remember watching the Beatles’ first performance in the USA on the Ed Sullivan show and watching as the Fab Four grew up in the public eye. As the Beatles transformed themselves before our eyes, we evolved with them, and their music was the soundtrack to our lives. The message of peace and love through music is ageless and the fact that 50 years later, the availability of their library on iTunes is simply remarkable.

    My favorite Beatles tunes are All You Need is Love, With a Little Help From My Friends, and, as I push the date, When I’m 64 (although I can still listen to the Beatles for hours). My grandkids seem to like the Beatles, too, and the first CD Grace made for my granddaughter Khadija is a Beatle mix. Although this announcement is not for me since I have all their CDs, it is a defining moment for the iTunes store as the Beatles were the single biggest holdout.

    “See all of the Beatles’ albums here.”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=beatles%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30

  • Tip of the Week: Easily and Securely Store Passwords

    All versions of Mac OS X have a system called Keychain to store passwords. You can open up the Keychain Access program from your Utilities folder to see just what’s being stored, and to manually maintain the database. One particularly useful feature in Keychain Access is the ability to look up forgotten passwords.

    It is the Keychain system that remembers the passwords used by iChat, Mail, and many network services. Until recently, when I needed to retrieve a forgotten password, I would locate the item in Keychain Access, double-click it, click the Show Password button, enter my password, and copy the password from there. You can save a few steps by just control-clicking (or right clicking) on the item and selecting “Copy Password to Clipboard.” Just enter your computer’s password, and paste the password where it needs to go.

    Keychain Access is also a great place to store secure notes. They function pretty much like the Stickies so many of us know and love, but these are password-protected.