Kibbles & Bytes Blog

  • Expand Safari 5 With Extensions

    Safari 5 brought a slew of new features but one of the most exciting features that is yet to be officially unveiled is support for extensions. For Firefox and Chrome users, you may already be familiar with the added functionality extensions can provide to the browsing experience. Safari 5 is jumping on board with the aid of simple developer tools and a sleek interface for extension management. Despite the fact that extensions are still not enabled by default, it’s very easy to enable them and begin to explore the extensions that are popping up in droves online.

    Before enabling extensions you might be wondering more about what they are and how they differ from plug-ins. Extensions use functionality that already exists in the web browsing experience and it streamlines it in quick ways. For example, one of my favorite new Safari extensions is “Long URL”:http://code.google.com/p/longurlforsafari/ which is a URL shortener that uses the bit.ly, goo.gl, youtu.be and other pre-existing URL-shortening services to take a long URL, i.e. http://code.google.com/p/longurlforsafari/, and turn it into a short URL, i.e. http://goo.gl/n796. With this extension, instead of going to the website for the URL-shortener, one just needs to press a single button in the Safari toolbar and they’re presented with the shortened URL.

    Plug-ins, unlike extensions, add additional functionality to a web browser that wouldn’t exist without the plug-in. For example, to watch an Adobe Flash video in a web browser, one needs to install the Adobe Flash plug-in, as Flash is not supported by default in most web browsers. Plug-ins generally are much more difficult to code as they require advanced coding languages. Extensions, however, use languages that most web developers are already comfortable with: HTML, Javascript and CSS. Safari 5 even comes with a built-in Extension Builder which will create a certificate and package the extension components for the developer; there’s even an extension debugging feature to help developers work out the kinks.

    As an end-user, you already have the ability to play with many extensions that have been released for Safari 5 (most were ported from Google Chrome as the interfaces are very similar). First off, make sure you’re using “Safari 5.”:http://www.apple.com/safari/ Next, go to Safari > Preferences > Advanced and check the box that says ‘Show Develop menu in menu bar’. With that selected, you should now have a new menu in your menu bar called ‘Develop’. Click on ‘Develop > Enable Extensions’. That’s it, you don’t even need to restart the web browser!

    Now, if you go back to Safari > Preferences you should notice a new tab called ‘Extensions’. There’s a nice giant on/off switch to easily turn all extensions off if needed. Once you start downloading and installing extensions, you can use this tab to control specific extension preferences or disable individual extensions. Pretty simple and clean if you ask me.

    The next obvious question is, “Where can I get extensions?” Luckily, there’s an entire blog devoted to linking to the Safari 5 extensions that are currently available. It’s aptly named “Safari Extensions.”:http://safariextensions.tumblr.com/ Once you download an extension you simply need to double-click it and Safari will ask if you’d like to install the extension; very similar to how widgets are installed in Dashboard. For security reasons, Safari will only install extensions that are signed with a valid Apple certificate.

    To learn more about the development process and requirements check out Apple’s “Safari Extensions Development Guide.”:http://developer.apple.com/safari/library/documentation/Tools/Conceptual/SafariExtensionGuide/Introduction/Introduction.html

    I’m enjoying the few extensions I’ve installed so far, but am definitely trying to be frugal as I’ve seen many people go a little overboard with extensions. Aside from Long URL, my other current favorites are “Facebook Zen,”:http://erikveland.com/safari/ which rids Facebook of ads, ‘Suggestions’, and ‘Get Connected’; and “Twitter Image Loader,”:http://combsconnections.tk/extensions/index.php#Twitter_Image_Loader which loads images linked in Tweets directly on the Twitter website.

    I hope you enjoy playing with extensions. I’d love to hear about your favorites!

  • Happy Tuesday,

    It’s hard to believe we’re at the midpoint of meteorological summer, even though the seasons only changed on the calendar a few days ago. I’ve been eating, freezing, and canning strawberries as much as I can–I even found a few ripe blackberries on Small Dog property this afternoon.

    I went to a solstice party last weekend with my dog Owen. It’s an annual tradition at a beautiful farm in Buel’s Gore, VT with live music, a massive bonfire, and hundreds of locals gathering to celebrate the season. As it got dark, I couldn’t keep my eyes on Owen the whole time, and I suspect people fed him quite a few hamburgers, hot dogs, and other grilled items; he’s been out of sorts the past few days, and even kept me up two nights ago until 5AM. He’s much better today, though, and is sleeping at my feet covered in mud from the Small Dog pond.

    We took delivery of over “100 Small Dog Refurbished MacBooks.”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76364/macbook-2-1ghz-1gb-120gb-combo-white These early 2008 models are perfect for someone on a budget who requires portability, browses the web, uses email and occasionally plays with iMovie and iPhoto. Whenever we get something like this in stock, it sells through quickly! They’re also a very cost-effective first Mac if you are on the edge of switching.

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

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

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  • RSS Feeds

    I started using a RSS reader recently when I was faced with far too many blogs to check per day for a fitness project I’ve been a part of. Checking close to 20 blogs every day meant opening the domain, remembering if I read that article, then going on to the next one. It ended up resulting in too many bookmark folders in my browser’s bookmark bar. Then opening all of them at once resulted in a lot of memory being used by my web browser.

    I then remembered a little icon I’ve see before. There should be one at the top of this page. This means that an RSS feed is available for the blog or article website you’re reading.

    What’s an RSS feed? RSS (usually) stands for “Really Simple Syndication.” This means you can have your article without all the ads and spam that cover some web pages. All you need to do is find the URL, or address, for the feed you’re looking for. For Google BlogSpot blogs, this means using a special link in conjunction with the blog name. For other websites, they may need to provide it for you.

    For example, take the New York Times. I would have to check this website every day, along with all the other news sites I read. What if I’m more interested in just receiving the new articles? Or even a specific category of articles? If you’d rather check the articles in this manner, you could check and see if they offer an RSS feed (most sites do now). I just searched Google for “nytimes rss” and immediately was given one of their own pages, listing their RSS feed addresses.

    What program should you use for a RSS reader? I’ve tried a couple on the Mac, and I’ve settled on Shrook for the moment. It’s very simple to use, and has an iTunes-like interface. It’s a light program too, that doesn’t take up too much space or memory. If you leave it running, it will automatically check for updates every 30 minutes and alert you with a badge on the dock icon when there are new articles or blogs.

    But wait! There’s more! If you prefer to keep all your updates in one place, Apple Mail can also check RSS feeds for you! Just click the little + in the lower left of the Mail window and select “Add RSS Feeds…”.

    The iPad now has some pretty nifty ones, with nice touch interfaces, like Reeder.

    Just about all devices have access to RSS feeds now, and with just spending a few minutes of your time adding the RSS links you read on a regular basis, you can save yourself a lot more time in the long run.

  • World Cup 2010 Special!

    World Cup fever has gripped the office. Well, not everyone is enjoying the games (as my brother says, “why would I want to…

  • Phone 4 Video Test

    A fun test of the new iPhone 4’s video camera. Pretty much the best case scenario – filming out in the bright sunlight….

  • I am trying to cram in a lot of stuff this weekend. Motorcycle riding, a Classic British Motorcycle rally in Stowe, finishing our tiling project, some gardening, romping with the pups and more defensive measures against the deer. I really appreciate all the suggestions I received from Kibbles & Bytes readers. The grated Irish Spring soap seems to have halted the munching on the Hostas but it is a battle since we are now on the feeding trail for our local wild deer.

    Thank you so much for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes. We know that it is you who ultimately pay our wages and we will continue to put in our best efforts to provide the very best in customer service and value. We strive every day to live up to our slogan, __always by your side.__

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

  • FEATURED (WORLD CUP 2010) SPECIAL – 6/25 – 7/02/10

    World Cup fever has gripped the office. Well, not everyone is enjoying the games (as my brother says, “why would I want to watch people jogging for 90 minutes?), but many of us are certainly talking about it.

    One of our favorite vendors, Elgato, is commemorating the 2010 FIFA World Cup with a special edition of the awesome EyeTV 3.4 software that powers their TV tuners. This version of EyeTV offers a new feature called the “Vuvuzela Filter”. This filter gives you the option to dampen the buzz of vuvuzela horns in the stadium during live TV broadcasts; it can be quickly switched on and off at any time during the game. To use the filter, control click to bring up the contextual menu in EyeTV.

    EyeTV software, together with an Elgato Mac TV tuner, turns your Mac into the coolest television in the house. We’ve put all Elgato TV tuners on sale for $10 off with flat $4.99 shipping.

    The Vuvuzela Filter is available in EyeTV for a limited time only, and will disappear with the next software update – after the 2010 FIFA World Cup is over.

  • iPad App Favorites

    With 3 million sold in just 80 days, the *iPad* is a runaway success. Since the device’s release on April 3rd, developers have created over 11,000 iPad specific apps. Though all existing iPhone apps will run on the device, there’s something great about running apps specifically designed for the 9.7-in display in their high-res glory.

    Ranging from productivity software and social networking to entertainment and games, iPad owners are presented with a huge and varied selection of apps to install on their new devices.

    To assist in discovering fun, high quality apps for iPad, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorites.

    *Mikhael*

    * “Angry Birds”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fangry-birds-hd%252Fid364234221%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30
    * “iTeleport”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fiteleport-for-ipad%252Fid364905685%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30
    * “AirVideo”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fiteleport-for-ipad%252Fid364905685%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30

    *David*

    * “iBooks”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fibooks%252Fid364709193%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30
    * “STARSS”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fstarss%252Fid367300362%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30
    * “The Elements A Visual Exploration”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fthe-elements-a-visual-exploration%252Fid364147847%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30

    *Gary*

    * “Korg iElectribe”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fkorg-ielectribe%252Fid363714043%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30
    * “MiniSynth Pro”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fminisynth-pro%252Fid364751154%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30
    * “Plants Vs. Zombies HD”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fplants-vs-zombies-hd%252Fid363282253%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30

    *Ed*

    * “Pulse”:http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=371088673&mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D6
    * “MLB At Bat 2010”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fat-bat-2010-for-ipad%252Fid364380003%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30
    * “Kindle for iPad”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fkindle%252Fid302584613%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30

    *Seabass*

    * “iTeleport”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fiteleport-for-ipad%252Fid364905685%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30
    * “Omnigraffle”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fomnigraffle%252Fid363225984%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30
    * “The War of Eustrath HD”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fthe-war-of-eustrath-hd%252Fid375088859%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30

    *Ben*

    * “Bloom HD”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fbloom-hd%252Fid373957864%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30
    * “Phaidon Design Classics”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fphaidon-design-classics%252Fid364304222%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30
    * “eBay”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Febay-for-ipad%252Fid364203371%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30

     

  • iPhone 4 Video Test

    There are many tests of the new and improved video capabilities in iPhone 4. We’ve posted our own on our blog, “which you can see by clicking here.”:http://blog.smalldog.com/article/phone-4-video-test It’s an ideal-scenario test in bright sun, but it still gives a pretty good sense of how the camera works. The video features a few canine Small Dog employees as well as some human ones, too.

    The song in the video is called “Hot Swing”. It’s a royalty free track from Kevin MacLeod, which you can “get here”:http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/index.html?genre=Jazz to use in your own movies!