Kibbles & Bytes Blog

  • Apple's White MacBook Gains a Unibody

    The white MacBook has been a staple of the Apple notebook line for about four years now. Today, Apple gave it a facelift–it now boasts a *curved, polycarbonate __unibody__ enclosure.*

    Fortunately, the updated white MacBook has new features under the hood as well. Along with the new enclosure and non-slip rubberized bottom (much like the Mac mini, the entry-level machine on the desktop side), it has a (much larger) glass Multi-Touch trackpad, an LED backlight, a longer-lasting (7 hr) non-replaceable battery and updates to its specs.

    The processor has been bumped to 2.26 GHz from 2.13GHz and the hard drive is now 250GB (formerly 160GB). The RAM is now slightly faster, with 2GB included (upgradable to 4GB). It now features the Mini DisplayPort, a new standard in video connectivity.

    All notebooks meet EPEAT Gold status and Energy Star 5.0 requirements. The LED-backlit displays are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. All internal cables and components are PVC-free and are constructed of recyclable materials.

    Overall, the white MacBook now includes things that were formerly exclusive either to the Pro line (built-in battery) or the aluminum unibody models (Mini DisplayPort, unibody enclosure and LED backlight). Many of these features have a reduced environmental impact, which is great to see carry over into Apple’s entry-level machines.

    Here’s a rundown of what the white unibody MacBook includes:

    * 13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display
    * 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
    * 1066 MHz front-side bus
    * 2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, upgradable to 4GB
    * an NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics card
    * 250GB serial ATA 5400 rpm hard drive with Sudden Motion Sensor (in case you drop it)
    * slot-loading double-layer 8X SuperDrive (DVD+ / -R DL/DVD+ / -RW/CD-RW)
    * Mini DisplayPort for video output
    * built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.1
    * Gigabit Ethernet port
    * built-in iSight video camera
    * (2) USB 2.0 ports (and NO FireWire)
    * (1) audio line in/out port, supporting optical digital out and analog in/out
    * glass Multi-Touch trackpad
    * built-in 60WHr lithium polymer battery
    * 60W MagSafe Power Adapter

    *The white unibody MacBook still starts at $999.99,* with multiple custom configurations available as well. More to come!

    “Read Apple’s press release here.”:http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2009/10/20macbook.html

  • All New 21-inch and 27-inch iMacs!

    Today Apple introduced new versions of its very popular all-in-one iMac desktop computer. The new models boast incredible 21.5-inch and 27-inch LED-backlit displays with a 16:9 aspect ratio, ideal for watching–and creating–high definition movies, editing photos, or making any kind of digital media. The improved larger displays make it easier to multitask and handle everyday computer tasks.

    These are the fastest iMacs ever, up to twice as fast as the previous models. The new iMacs feature faster Intel processors across the board, starting with a 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo in the entry-level 21.5-inch model and moving all the way up to Intel Core i5 or i7 quad-core processors in the top-of-the-line 27-inch iMacs.

    Note that the 3.06GHz processor used in the new entry-level iMac was featured as the top-of-the-line processor in the just-discontinued 24-inch iMac, which was selling for $2199.99 earlier this week. That’s quite an upgrade!

    The quad-core Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor in the 27-inch iMac puts four processing cores on one chip, so data doesn’t have to travel far to get from core to core. This boosts application performance up to 2x over the previous-generation iMac. These quad-core processors connect memory directly to the processor, improving memory bandwidth up to 2.5x. This is unprecedented in an all-in-one computer.

    The new iMacs feature more standard RAM (4GB, expandable to 16GB), and larger standard hard drives (500GB to 1TB).

    These new iMacs also feature a built-in SD card slot for the first time ever, along with four USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port, headphone/optical digital audio port, audio line-in, built-in microphone, iSight camera and Mini DisplayPort output.

    The new iMacs have a new seamless, precision-forged aluminum enclosure, redesigned speakers, edge-to-edge glass on the monitor and a new tapered stand.

    The new iMac is the first Mac to come standard with the Apple Wireless Keyboard and the new wireless Magic Mouse. The Magic Mouse is described below, but in brief, it uses Multi-Touch technology to let you click, scroll, or swipe anywhere on its perfectly smooth, seamless top shell.

    Going back to the display, the 21.5-inch iMac features a high resolution 1920-by-1080 pixel display (native HD) while the 27-inch iMac features a 2560-by-1440 pixel display offering 60 percent more pixels than the previous 24-inch model. Both 21.5 and 27-inch displays use IPS technology to deliver consistent color across an ultra-wide 178 degree viewing angle.

    The 21.5-inch iMac offers great graphics performance with the integrated NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor or the ATI Radeon HD 4670. The 27-inch iMac comes with dedicated high-performance ATI Radeon HD 4670 or, for top-of-the-line performance, the ATI Radeon HD 4850 graphics processor.

    The 21.5-inch iMac starts at $1199.99 while the 27-inch model starts at $1699.99. The top-of-the-line Intel Quad-Core i5 costs $1999.99, with an option to custom-order Quad-Core Intel Core i7 for $200 more.

    The 3.06GHz-equipped iMacs will be shipping very quickly, while the i5 and i7 equipped iMacs won’t be shipping until November.

  • Happy Tuesday,

    The long-anticipated new products from Apple were released today with a few surprises thrown in for good measure. It’s always an exciting time around the office when the Apple store goes down, and this round was no exception. Perhaps the most exciting update for many of us is to the Mac mini, which, after these updates, is even more compelling.

    Many service customers with Power Mac G5s don’t believe me when I tell them that a Mac mini is faster than their Power Mac in most, if not all, respects–it’s true. I defy you to find a more powerful, less expensive, more energy-efficient computer. In fact, there’s talk of moving away from Xserves here at Small Dog in favor of new Mac minis customized with solid state drives. That move would very quickly pay for itself with the reduction in cooling and electricity costs.

    Keep an eye on our “Barkings! blog”:http://blog.smalldog.com for our reviews of these great new products!

    As always, thanks for reading and keep in touch.

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

  • Once Again, Contest Giveaways!

    Random Facebook, Twitter and newsletter winners! For the next two weeks, we are going to be giving away an iPod gift pack to…

  • We always welcome your feedback, whether it’s about Macs, Vermont, us, or anything in between, and we try to respond to every email as quickly as possible. We also try to make sure that emails are forwarded to the appropriate person, but *to ensure your email makes it into the right inbox the first time, please make a note of these addresses:*

    For *product questions* and *general feedback,* email “sales@smalldog.com”:mailto:sales@smalldog.com
    For *newsletter subscription questions* and *feedback,* email “subscriptions@smalldog.com”:mailto:subscriptions@smalldog.com

    And while we’re at it, Don and Grace’s 42nd wedding anniversary is next week, so if you’re so inclined, “drop him a note”:mailto:don@smalldog.com with your well-wishes!

    Hope everyone’s having a great fall so far. Thanks for reading this week’s Kibbles & Bytes!

    Your Kibbles & Bytes team,
    _Kali & Ed_

  • FEATURED SPECIAL | 10/16/09 – 10/22/09

    This week’s featured special is very simple. We’re offering a Line-in Auto Kit for iPhone or iPod, which includes a PowerUP Car Charger and free 18-inch line-in audio cable with free shipping for this week only. This is a solution for charging your iPod or iPhone’s battery while connecting it to a cars audio system with line-in.

    “Line-in Auto Kit for iPhone or iPod: PowerUP Car Charger, FREE 18-inch line-in cable, FREE Shipping, Just $19.99”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag19498!

  • Contest Giveaways!

    *Random Facebook, Twitter and newsletter winners!*
    For the next two weeks, we are going to be giving away an iPod gift pack to a random winner (three total) from our “Facebook fans,”:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Small-Dog-Electronics/18904017006 “Twitter followers”:http://twitter.com/hellosmalldog and our “newsletter subscribers.”:http://www.smalldog.com/newsletters#subscriptions

    If you’re not already in our Facebook group, you can join here:
    “Small Dog Electronics on Facebook.”:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Small-Dog-Electronics/18904017006

    __Not on Facebook?__ “Sign up here.”:http://www.facebook.com

    Do you use Twitter? We post Mac tips, tricks, news, contests and more on our Twitter feed. “Click here to follow us on Twitter.”:http://twitter.com/hellosmalldog

    Of course, many thanks to all of you who read our newsletters every week. We couldn’t have these contests without our loyal customers!

    *Write a product review, win a t-shirt!*
    Have you recently purchased a product from Small Dog? If so, tell us about it. We’re looking for you to write a review of the products you receive.

    For the month of October, we’re going to reward two lucky reviewers a week with a t-shirt and frisbee bundle. We’re looking for solid, honest and helpful reviews, whether you liked the product or not; we just want you to give us some feedback and tell us why!

    To get started, find you product on our website and click the Reviews tab. There, you’ll be prompted to write a review. Be sure to provide your accurate email address so that we can contact you if you’ve won!

    We’re basing our winning selections on the quality of the review–either it’s informative, makes us laugh or both, so go start writing.

    We’ll be announcing the winners in our 11/6 issue of Kibbles & Bytes. Good luck!

  • Interesting New LaCie Hard Drives

    LaCie hard drives have always been top sellers here at Small Dog Electronics. This is likely due to their combination of attractive and interesting designs, good pricing, and long history of Mac compatibility–even before OS X. With the advent of Apple’s automatic backup program Time Machine, LaCie drives have become even more popular. The ultra-simple “Neil Poulton drives”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=neil+poulton are perfect for Time Machine.

    LaCie has recently introduced a couple of new models of hard drives: the LaCie Starck Desktop Hard Drive and the LaCie Grand Hard Disk. Both are available in large 1TB and 2TB capacities. Both are ideal for use with Time Machine, both continue LaCie’s tradition of interesting design, and we expect both to be very popular this holiday season–as both gifts and for personal purchases.

    The LaCie Starck drives feature a touch-sensitive surface. You can customize the front panel of the LaCie Starck drive so that a simple touch will launch the application of your choice, based on a short tap or a long tap. It’s easy to use and efficient. The LaCie Starck has a sturdy aluminum casing that protects the drive from shock and overheating. The Starck drives have a USB 2.0 interface and feature a 2-year warranty.

    “We’re introducing the LaCie 1TB Design by Starck Desktop Drive with FREE Shipping for just $124.99.”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag19508/

    “The LaCie 2TB Design by Starck Desktop Drive has FREE Shipping for just $239.99.”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag19511

    The LaCie Grand Hard Disk features an organic-inspired design. It is designed to be a great value, with its tough exterior that will protect the drive for years. The Grand hard disk has a new feature called USB Boost that claims to make backups 33% faster. It features a sturdy aluminum casing that makes the LaCie Grand one of the toughest, most resistant choices on the market. The LaCie Grand has a USB 2.0 interface and features a 2-year warranty.

    “LaCie 1TB Grand Hard Disk, all new model, with FREE Shipping for just $124.99.”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag19510/

    “LaCie 2TB Grand Hard Disk Drive, all new model, with FREE Shipping for just $224.99.”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag19509/

  • APP OF THE WEEK: myPANTONE

    It’s been a while since our last “App of the Week,”:http://blog.smalldog.com/kibbles/?c=kb627 so we figured it was time for another one.

    Going forward, due to the large number of apps out there (and the fact that there are so many great ones), we’re going to be highlighting one app (most) every week. Hey, we may even alternate with our Site of the Week feature!

    This week’s App of the Week is “myPANTONE,”:http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=329515634&mt=8 from–who else, but the color masters themselves–Pantone. “Pantone colors,”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantone for those of you who aren’t familiar, are the gold standard for color matching. The company developed the Pantone Color Matching (PMS) System to standardize colors for print.

    myPANTONE gives users the ability to create color palettes on the iPhone/iPod touch. Anyone who has ever been inspired by the sights of a vacation destination or even every day life on-the-go will appreciate this app.

    With the myPANTONE app, you can:

    * Create color palettes of up to 5 colors
    * Create up to 10 palettes at a time
    * Extract colors from photos (awesome for the iPhone)
    * Email colors and palettes*
    * Post new palettes on Twitter and Facebook
    * GPS tagging of palettes
    * Auto-generate harmonious palettes
    * View palettes on various backgrounds

    And more… Plus, Pantone offers a myPANTONE section of their website where registered users can use the forum to share their creative inspirations, talk shop and sync data from their iPhone/iPod touch.

    It’s important to note that the colors as viewed on your mobile device are not necessarily color-accurate for printing, so it’s no replacement for an actual Pantone color guide. However, it’s been a convenient and fun way for me to brainstorm and just play around with colors and color palettes. (Good thing I have the job I do, because I get as excited about color “as I do about fonts…”:http://blog.smalldog.com/kibbles/?c=kb624)

    *Bottom line: myPANTONE is a must-have for designers or color lovers!*

    *myPANTONE*
    *$9.99*

    » “Buy it on iTunes.”:http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=329515634&mt=8
    » “View the Pantone website.”:http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/index.aspx
    » “Register for a myPANTONE account.”:http://www.pantone.com/pages/MYP_myPantone/mypantone.aspx

    __*I *just* used this yesterday when I emailed Don the Pantone colors for our new Hammerhead sleeves. Coming soon…__

  • MAC TREAT #103: Use MobileMe to Send Large Files

    There are several easy-to-use solutions for emailing very large files (files that are larger than 20MB.) “Dropbox”:https://www.getdropbox.com and “YouSendIt”:http://www.yousendit.com are among the most popular solutions. However Apple’s MobileMe service has an excellent, easy-to-use service for uploading and emailing large files. If you already use MobileMe (or are considering using it) I recommend giving this a try. I’ve been using it to send in large production files (including uncompressed video files) for my work here at Small Dog Electronics. I also use it to send large files to friends and family.

    It’s easy to use. First, upload the file you want to share to your iDisk. You can do this from the iDisk desktop client or via a web browser, directly from “Me.com/idisk”:http://www.me.com/idisk. You can place the file in any folder or even create a new folder. Note that you’re limited to a 1GB upload if you choose to upload a file to iDisk via your web browser. This limit is not in place if you use iDisk’s desktop client (which is available for Mac and PC) to upload a file.

    To email a link to the file, go to “Me.com/idisk”:http://www.me.com/idisk and login to your MobileMe account. Click on the iDisk icon and browse to the file you’d like to share. You will see a button that says “Share File…” If you click this file, a dialog box opens to enter the recipient’s email address along with a box where you can write a message. There are also options for setting an expiration date on the link.

    Finally, there’s an option for setting a password on the shared file. Note that if you place the file in your Public folder, the file will be available for anyone to download directly from your Public iDisk URL (http://public.me.com/username). If the file is private, make sure NOT to place it in your Public Folder–place it in Documents, Photos, etc. Only the Public folder has a public URL; the other folders are hidden. So, if I uploaded a tax form that I wanted to share with my partner, I’d put it my Documents iDisk folder, navigate to “Me.com/idisk,”:http://www.me.com/idisk and send them a password-protected link to the tax file.

    It might sound a little complicated, but in practice it’s very easy to use. If you already have MobileMe, give it a try. You can also activate a 60-day MobileMe demo to try it out. If you want to purchase MobileMe, we’re offering it for “$69.99, plus an additional $30 off if purchased with a new Mac.”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag19405/