Kibbles & Bytes Blog

  • From the Archives: Causes Of Hard Drive Failures

    An article in the Proceedings of the 5th USENIX Conference on File and Storage Technologies this month offers perhaps the most in-depth study of hard drive failures to date. Google uses hundreds of thousands of hard drives to store its data, and a sample of one hundred thousand of Google’s drives was studied for five years to determine common causes of failure. Since this very interesting article is a little dense to read in its entirety, I thought Tech Tails readers would enjoy reading some highlights.

    * Going against conventional thought, the study determined that increased temperature and/or activity had little or no correlation to failure rate. By extension, it was found that drives spinning up and spinning down most often had the highest failure rates. This means it’s best to uncheck the “Put the hard disk(s) to sleep when possible” box in Energy Save–at least in terms of hard drive health.

    * Some SMART (self monitoring and reporting technology) parameters are excellent indicators of impending mechanical failure. Among failed drives, a good chunk gave no warning by SMART, even though SMART-monitored parameters were to blame for failure. For this reason, SMART is most useful as a statistical predictor of failure for a population of drives rather than on individual devices. With that in mind, if your drive reports SMART errors you should at the very least immediately perform a full backup.

    * About 3% of drives failed in the first three months, 1.8% in the first 6 months, 1.7% in the first year. From there, failure rates jump to approximately 8% in the second year, 9% in the third year, fall to 6% in the fourth year, and jump back to 7% in the fifth year.

    The whole article is available “here.”:http://labs.google.com/papers/disk_failures.pdf

  • Boost Wireless Network Strength and Speed: Quicky Jr. II

    Many of us live and work in areas with (too) many available wireless networks, or cannot get a full strength signal from our networks for whatever reason. While AirPort reception on modern desktop and portable Macs is excellent, and getting better with each generation, sometimes we just need better reception.

    There are solutions that include disassembling your computer and stringing an antenna through the Express Card slot or performing other modifications, but my favorite tool for this job is the “QuickerTek Quicky Jr. II.”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/74259/quickertek-quicky-jr-ii/at_tt

    This little antenna simply plugs into any available USB port and gives you up to three times the range than you’d get with the built-in wireless hardware. A stronger signal means faster transfer speeds, lower latency, and a more satisfying user experience–particularly if you use Time Machine to back up wirelessly, or stream uncompressed audio to an AirPort Express (like I do every day).

    The AirPort signal strength menu bar item has five “bars,” and indicates signal strength logarithmically. So, if all the bars are black, you have a signal ten times more powerful than when only four bars are black. You can imagine then just how much signal strength matters for speed. Our customers report also that using the Quicky Jr II in areas congested with wireless networks helps your speeds regardless of signal strength.

    Quicky comes with easy to install software, and is compatible with Mac OS X Tiger, Leopard, and Snow Leopard. It supports 802.11 b, g, and n, and all encryption types except WPA Enterprise.

  • Tip of the Week: Custom Icons

    iTunes 10 brings a lot of changes and innovations, some of which are understandably polarizing. Ping, the social network built into iTunes, seems to be one of the more controversial additions to the ubiquitous software installed on all of our computers. Another change is the iTunes icon itself: some love it, some find it Vista-like, and some just don’t care for it. There’s no reason to be unsatisfied with any icon–they’re all customizable, and have been since System 6 in the late 1980s.

    The first step is to find an icon to replace the one you dislike. Say you want to replace the iTunes 10 icon with the iTunes 9 icon. If you’ve already installed iTunes 10, you’ll need to look to your backup for help, as iTunes 10 replaces iTunes 9 on your hard drive. Right-click on iTunes 9 and select Get Info, then click on the icon in the Get Info window on the top right. Press Command-C to copy the icon to your clipboard, then close the Info window.

    Now, locate iTunes 10 (or whichever icon you want to change), and again, select Get Info. Click on the icon on the top right of that window, then press Command-V to paste the desired icon over the undesired one. Your iTunes 10 icon has been replaced with the iTunes 9 icon. Rejoice.

    Apple has a comprehensive compendium of icons on their “downloads site”:http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/icons_screensavers/ in case you become inspired to customize!

  • Happy Tuesday,

    We’re enjoying our first real taste of autumn after a prolonged heat wave with high humidity and temperatures in the eighties and nineties. The “Green Mountain Stage Race”:http://www.gmsr.info took over much of the area over the weekend, with hundreds of cyclists zooming through the valleys and up the mountains of the area. The cyclists were surely thankful for the mild temperatures, and it was a treat to watch them zoom by.

    As summer winds down, I find myself harvesting the tail end of my garden and spending hours preserving the bounty for the cold months coming. It’s so satisfying to open a jar spicy pickles in February, or to enjoy pungent pesto in a blizzard. I’m ready for snow.

    I hope you had a wonderful Labor Day weekend.

    As always, thanks for reading, and keep in touch.

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

  • !http://blog.smalldog.com/images/1892.jpg!:http://www.smalldog.com/wag20195/at_dr

    *Back by popular demand–limited-time pricing (and an extra $5 off) the Maxx Digital Executive iPod/iPhone Dock and AM/FM Alarm Clock! $29.99 + just $4.99 shipping!*

    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.

  • All of our stores and offices will be closed on Monday, Labor Day, so our employees can enjoy this holiday celebrating the American worker. Any company’s success is due to any number of factors and a good idea but it really all boils down to the employees. A company with a happy, productive team will always give a company that competitive edge that leads to success.

    Thank you for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes. Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

    Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,
    _Don, Kali, Ed and Ben_

  • FEATURED SPECIAL | Garage Sale Starts at NOON Today!

    Today, our *Famous Garage Sale is ON at noon,* Eastern Time!

    We have lots of ink cartridges, cases for iPhone 3G, nano 4Gs and 5Gs, and overall, dozens of iPod accessories at over 50% – 90% off most items (and lots under our cost), with many items under $5 and some stuff FREE!

    See the “Garage Sale page here.”:http://www.smalldog.com/garagesale

    *Orders will be taken online only via our website, and there are no phone orders permitted.*

    __Note that Garage Sale items will be shipped within 7 business days of when your order is processed.__

  • iTunes 10 is a Social Music Experience

    To compliment their freshly updated line of iPods, Apple has released iTunes 10 software. Replacing the tried-and-true CD based icon with a new aqua orb, the icon change only hints at the new features that lie within the program. Aside from a slightly re-skinned UI, the standout feature of iTunes 10 is Ping.

    Ping is a new music-orientated social network which resides within iTunes. Users can easily join the network from within the software and create a profile focused around their musical tastes. Ping users can follow their favorite artists, stay up on industry news, and share what they’re listening to with friends.

    Ping includes numerous personalized features that provide users with up-to-date concert listings as well as customized Ping Charts. Both of these features update depending on what artists a user is following, and what their friends are listening to.

    iTunes 10 is available now. It can either be obtained “*here*”:http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/ or through Software Update. Please note that *Mac OS X 10.5.8* Leopard is required to install.

  • iOS 4.1, iOS 4.2 for iPad Sneak Peek

    *iOS 4.1*
    On Wednesday, Apple introduced iOS 4.1. Steve Jobs noted a lot of fixes and new features, including:

    * various bug fixes for Proximity, Bluetooth and iPhone 3G
    * High Dynamic Range photos
    * HD video upload over Wi-Fi
    * TV show rentals
    * Game Center

    High Dynamic Range photos consist of essentially three separate images so that it will gather midranges, shadows and highlights effectively. As I mentioned earlier, HD video uploads and TV show rentals, and Game Center–a hub for multiplayer games.

    iOS 4.1 will be available next week for iPhone and iPod touch. Check back “on Barkings!”:http://blog.smalldog.com for more info and we’ll write more in next week’s Kibbles!

    *iOS 4.2 for iPad*
    The iPad should feel special, because it’s getting its own (i)OS update. iOS 4.2 is all about the iPad.

    This is why it’s hot:

    * wireless printing for iOS on your iPad
    * AirPlay to stream video and audio over Wi-Fi from your iPad
    * add apps to folders, just like iPhone, as well as multitasking

    The update will be available in November, and it’s free for iPad users. We’ll be writing more on this as soon as we get our hands on it.

  • Apple Reveals 4th Generation iPod touch

    Steve Jobs wowed keynote attendees and those streaming at home with updates to the iPod touch Wednesday afternoon. Featuring an even thinner body design than before, the new touch is only 7.2mm thin! Replacing the concave back of the 2nd and 3rd generation devices with a flat stainless steel back, the new touch hearkens back to the original device’s design.

    More exciting than the physical redesign of the product is the inclusion of both a front and rear facing camera. The front facing camera is fully FaceTime compatible, supporting video calling between other 4th generation touches and the iPhone 4. This exciting addition will undoubtably boost the population of users making video calls to one another and is a logical addition given Apple’s support of this new type of communication. The rear camera supports high definition 720p video and still photos up to 960 x 720.

    iPod touch users will also be able to enjoy on-board video editing functionality using Apple’s iMovie app. Though a camera was perhaps the most requested/anticipated feature of the device, the new touch is also home to many additional exciting features.

    The touch borrows several of its other new features from the iPhone 4. The amazingly crisp Retina display makes an appearance as well as Apple’s in-house developed A4 processor. This advanced chip means the iPod touch will be much more than just pretty looks. Judging from the performance leap seen between the iPhone 3Gs to iPhone 4, iPod touch users will be in for quite the speed boost upon updating their device.

    During the keynote, Steve shared that the iPod touch has surpassed the competition at both Nintendo and Sony as the world’s most popular portable gaming device. In an attempt to lock in this position, Jobs demoed Apple’s Game Center app. This app features online matchmaking, achievements, and leader boards akin to Microsoft’s Xbox Live service.

    The collective updates to Apple’s flagship iPod all serve to make it a tempting upgrade. Though the lack of mobile data support still differentiates it from the 3G compliant iPhone 4, the touch is steadily edging in as Apple’s premier mobile offering. Offering a tremendous (and contract free) value, the touch retains its previous capacities and pricing at the 32GB and 64GB marks. The 8GB model is now priced $30 more at $229.

    Click “*here*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=ipod+touch+2010 to pre-order the new iPod touch.

  • The iPod shuffle Gets Remixed

    Combining elements from the 2nd and 3rd generations of Apple’s most diminutive iPod, the new iPod shuffle is the best of both worlds.

    During Wednesday’s presentation, Jobs admitted that the physical buttons on the 1st and 2nd generations were significantly more popular than the buttonless design of the 3rd. Though the 4th generation shuffle features identical face controls to that of its older relative, they are joined by the VoiceOver options introduced in the previous generation.

    The new square design of the device preserves the look and feel of the line while having the smallest footprint of any iPod ever. The new shuffle is available in a 2GB capacity for just $49.99.

    Click “*here*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=ipod+shuffle+2010 to pre-order the new iPod shuffle.