Kibbles & Bytes Blog

  • Meet our Dogs

    Ernie can be found roaming around our Waitsfield retail store, his favorite thing is howling at the other dogs in hopes he can…

  • Show Us Your Small Dogs!

    We have seen Small Dogs at the top of the Empire State building, Small Dogs sitting by the Grand Canyon as well as pictured with the Golden Gate Bridge.

    If they are out on the town or simply herding around your computer, we’d love to see them! Send photographs of your Small Dogs to “sales@smalldog.com.”:mailto:sales@smalldog.com

    We’ll put them up on our “Flickr page,”:http://www.flickr.com/photos/smalldog/ so round ’em up!

  • Sorting Your Mailbox

    I try to keep my email as organized as possible, but sometimes I just can’t find what I’m looking for. Generally, the toughest emails for me to find are those that have an attachment (Spotlight can’t find everything!). I remembered that I used to have a column in my inbox that would show a paper clip next to messages with attachments, but I couldn’t figure out how to get it to show up.

    Turns out it’s one of those quick and easy things: while in your inbox (or any folder in Mail for that matter), select Columns from the View menu and choose what you want and don’t want to see. Alternatively, you can right-click on the column headers and choose from there. I have Attachments, Date Received, Flags, and From in use. Discovering this feature was particularly nice because I actually removed some columns and reduced clutter.

    When you click on View in the toolbar, under Columns you might have seen “Sort By.” This will automatically sort by the selected attribute–for most, sorting by Date Received is best, but it’s great to know you have the option to sort so many different ways.

  • Otterbox Arrives at Small Dog

    There has always been a high demand for Otterbox cases for the iPhone (3G and 3GS), a line we haven’t carried in the past. But our customers were persistent in letting us know it’s something they really wanted to see in our stores (and online). So, I am pleased to announce, Otterbox has landed!

    Whether I am out on the floor with a customer, talking to a fellow employee or even at the local grocery store, people keep raving about their Otterbox cases for their iPhones. The line ranges from “$11.99”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=impact to “$44.99.”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=defender+iphone The great thing about the Otterbox cases for iPhone 3G/3GS is that although they offer a lot of protection, they don’t take away from any functions on the iPhone. All of the Otterbox cases for the iPhone include a screen protector.

    **Impact:**
    This case offers a tough silicone protection that you don’t see from any other case. The great thing about silicone is that if you drop your iPhone in this case, the shock will be absorbed. Available in “White”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76025/otterbox-impact-case-for-iphone-3g-3gs-white and “Black.”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76026/otterbox-impact-case-for-iphone-3g-3gs-black **$11.99**

    **Commuter TL:**
    You’ll get a bit more protection and style to the average iPhone case. There is a translucent polycarbonate shell that clips on over the silicon cover, offering double the coverage. This case allows you to take your iPhone in and out of your pocket or bag very easily. Available in: “Pink”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76038/otterbox-commuter-tl-case-for-iphone-3g-3gs-pink, “Yellow”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76039/otterbox-commuter-tl-case-for-iphone-3g-3gs-yellow, “Blue”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76040/otterbox-commuter-tl-case-for-iphone-3g-3gs-blue, “White”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76041/otterbox-commuter-tl-case-for-iphone-3g-3gs-white, “Black”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76042/otterbox-commuter-tl-case-for-iphone-3g-3gs-black, “Red”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76044/otterbox-commuter-tl-case-for-iphone-3g-3gs-red, and “Green.”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76043/otterbox-commuter-tl-case-for-iphone-3g-3gs-green **$26.99**

    **Commuter:**
    This case is the sleekest case in the line up. This is the customer (and employee!) favorite. It’s a tough, durable case but is still slim. You get three layers of protection with this case: the outer layer is smooth, but looks texturized, which again like the Commuter TL, is easy to take in and out of your pocket.
    “Yellow/Black”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76028/otterbox-commuter-case-for-iphone-3g-3gs-yellow-black, “Blue/Black”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76029/otterbox-commuter-case-for-iphone-3g-3gs-blue-black, “White/Black”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76030/otterbox-commuter-case-for-iphone-3g-3gs-white-black, “Black/Black”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76031/otterbox-commuter-case-for-iphone-3g-3gs-black-black, “Green/Black”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76032/otterbox-commuter-case-for-iphone-3g-3gs-green-black, “Gray/Black”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76033/otterbox-commuter-case-for-iphone-3g-3gs-gray-black, and “Burgundy/Black.”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76034/otterbox-commuter-case-for-iphone-3g-3gs-burgundy-black **$31.99**

    **Defender:**
    With the Defender, you are getting pretty much the best protection you can for your iPhone. Even though there is a lot of protective material around the iPhone, it’s not as bulky you will think. This is the “tank” of iPhone cases and is your best bet against bumps, drops and scratches. It also a comes with a detachable belt clip holder.
    “Yellow/Black”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76004/otterbox-defender-case-for-iphone-3g-3gs-yellow-black, “Pink”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76003/otterbox-defender-case-for-iphone-3g-3gs-pink, “White”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76005/otterbox-defender-case-for-iphone-3g-3gs-white, and “Black.”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76006/otterbox-defender-case-for-iphone-3g-3gs-black **$44.99**

    **Even more exciting news!** Otterbox is making cases for the iPad! We hope to see them land in the very near future, but until then, we are taking pre-orders.

    Check the cases out “here”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=otterbox+for+ipad and come in to the store to order!

  • Better Viewing on Your iPad

    I recently purchased a 32GB iPad Wi-Fi model, with the intention of hooking it up to a VGA monitor or TV so I could watch my videos. To do so, I purchased the Apple iPad dock connector to VGA adapter, which supports both still images and video. However, only landscape mode is supported.

    I read some reviews before purchasing and found that it did not have a high rating. I found that many customers were not happy with its limited application (and limited applications). Many customers expect the iPad to perform just as their computer might, so it’s important to remember that this device is designed to compliment your computer and not replace it.

    It’s possible that Apple may update support for this adapter (though we can’t bet on it), but so far, it’s been invaluable during my recent travels, allowing me to have the best experience while on the road.

    If you have questions about what is supported using this adapter, “click here for some Q and A.”:http://store.apple.com/us/questions/product/MC552ZM/A?mco=MTc1MDI2NDM&so=mostInteresting

  • Some Like It Hot, But Not My Time Capsule

    Last week brought unseasonably hot temperatures to our neck of the woods, reaching over 90° in many areas and bringing some miserable humidity with it. Now, most of us in Vermont don’t have air conditioners and I am in that camp!

    While I felt pretty comfortable with the windows open and a ceiling fan going, I noticed one evening that my Time Capsule was flashing amber; this indicates a problem. I opened AirPort Utility (/Applications/Utilities) to see what was up and I saw my favorite error message: “This device may be overheating. Check the Apple wireless device and if it feels hot, try changing its location or removing anything that is obstructing its ventilation.” I may have been comfortable in the heat, but my Time Capsule was not!

    Now, it may seem like I’m joking by calling that my favorite error message, but I really was impressed when Apple built that error into the latest renditions of it’s Time Capsule firmware ( I liked it so much I wrote about it here ). The main reason I love this error is that it gives the user a chance to check for heat issues that they may have created or can remedy.

    In my case, I keep my Time Capsule in an entertainment center with several other electronic devices including a Mac mini Server, external hard drives, cable modem, DVR, turntable, receiver, UPS, etc. The cabinet does have shoddy glass panels on it that let in air and rear vents to increase the airflow. That said, when I opened the doors to the cabinet it was hot hot hot in there!

    According to the Time Capsule’s tech specs, recommended operating temperatures are between 50° to 95°F (10° to 35°C) with a relative humidity of 20% to 80% (noncondensing). With temperatures in the 90’s and the many heat-generating devices in the cabinet, the ambient temperature was close to if not just above the recommended high temp.

    However, in general, I would personally try to never run my devices in temperatures over the 70s. So, the temps in my entertainment system were above both Apple and my personal recommendations for heat. It was time to cool things down!

    I left the doors to the cabinet open and put a floor fan in front of the Time Capsule. In just a few minutes, the amber blinking light on my Time Capsule turned solid green and the warning went away. While this is a good temporary solution, I’m planning on taking some steps in the future to curb the heat before it becomes a problem and you might want to consider doing the same if you have electronics and live without air conditioning.

    First off, make sure you have good airflow around your devices. I never stack electronics on top of each other or stack items on top of them. I also have 4” circular holes in the rear of the cabinet that help circulate the airflow along with the thin glass panes in the front of the cabinet that let in air around the edges.

    Since that’s not doing enough for me right now, I also plan to purchase one or two 3-4” square fans that can be mounted into the cabinet. These are a dime-a-dozen and can easily be found with a Google Products search. There are even USB versions so if you’re out of space on your power strip, you can always plug right into the computer or Time Capsule to power them.

    The biggest thing is to just think about how the airflow will work in your situation. You may need an inlet and outlet fan, or you may just need one outlet fan to suck out the hot air, providing there are other vents that are able to bring in cooler air. Some folks in cooler climates might not need fans at all; vents could be enough. I do recommend purchasing a thermometer to keep track of the temperatures, as in some situations you really might need to get an A/C unit so your devices don’t overheat.

    I definitely encourage you to think about this before the temperatures start to soar. Oh, and if you’re not doing so already, also be sure to use a surge protector with your devices and with your cable and/or DSL modems. Summer brings heat and thunderstorms and a busted power supply or ethernet jack isn’t any more fun than overheated electronics!

  • Happy Tuesday,

    It’s pretty rare to have air quality issues here in Vermont. With just over 600,000 residents and very low population density, smog isn’t ever an issue. The wildfires in Quebec took their toll on our airspace over the weekend, and there’s still smoke in the air. It was a weird feeling to see what looks like haze when it wasn’t humid at all. Today we have haze and smoke in the air.

    Our famous “garage sale”:http://www.smalldog.com/garagesale is under way. We have a garage sale about once a year, and it’s our way of extending one-of-a-kind deals to our loyal customers. There is a great mix of stuff this time around, including some AirPort base stations, tons of iPod and iPhone cases, software, and even some vintage and odd Apple stuff. We’re still adding to the list, so check back often.

    I hope you enjoy this issue of Tech Tails, and this short work week.

    Keep in touch,

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

  • *Greetings!*

    It’s hard to believe that summer is just around the corner! This past weekend, many of us celebrated the unofficial start to summer by packing in a weekend filled with family gatherings, BBQs, boating and more.

    I am sure many of us are starting out this week wishing every weekend was a three-day weekend and have started planning our summer adventures!

    Here in our retail stores, we are gearing up for summer ourselves. iPads are beginning to arrive steadily and each week our selection of iPad accessories continues to grow.

    Want to get your hands on the latest iPad? Call our sales department at **802-496-7171 #1** or stop into our stores to put your name on an order; we will call you as soon as an iPad is available for you.

    We will have our expanded line of exclusive Hammerhead cases and sleeves for iPad this month. On your next trip through Waitsfield or South Burlington, stop into our retail stores and see what’s new–we will be bringing in new products and special deals all summer long!

    -Emily
    “emily@smalldog.com”:mailto:emily@smalldog.com

  • !http://blog.smalldog.com/images/1709.jpg!:http://www.smalldog.com/dealretriever/

    *Save 10% and get free shipping on either of our best-selling Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard books, __Snow Leopard Pocket Guide,__ by Jeff Carlson and __The Little Mac Book, Snow Leopard Edition,__ by Robin Williams. $13.50 and $16.20!*

    Our famous Garage Sale is ON! Grab overstock, used, demo, hard-to-find, you-name-it stuff right now, while supplies last. Rules and restrictions apply (no phone calls, first come, first served), so “be sure to read all the details here.”:http://www.smalldog.com/garagesale

    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.

  • Grace and I will be taking our traditional Memorial Day motorcycle ride to Maine this weekend. It is usually our first long distance ride of the year and we go in search of seafood and the bargains in Freeport.

    We head back to Vermont on Memorial Day and we usually hit two or three small Memorial Day parades on the way home.

    bq.”How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes” -Maya Angelou

    Thank you for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

    Your Kibbles & Bytes team,
    _Don, Kali & Ed_