Kibbles & Bytes Blog

It will be great to get back to Vermont; I can only take city life is small doses. Ed’s been watching the pups while I am gone, but I miss my dogs a lot and am looking forward to being entertained by them again.

I have some motorcycle mechanics to do this weekend and I might take a ride over to Laconia for Bike Week if the weather cooperates. I hope you have a fabulous weekend and thank you for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,
_Don, Kali & Ed_

This week we are offering a free RapCap iPod microphone with purchase of any 16GB iPod nano. The iPod nano 16GB costs $199.99, and the RapCap is normally $14.99.

We color coordinated the RapCaps with the iPod nano, so if you buy a “green iPod, you’ll get a green RapCap”:http://burlington.smalldog.com/wag19199/, or if you buy a “silver iPod nano”:http://burlington.smalldog.com/wag19194/, you’ll get a silver RapCap, etc. On the 8GB iPod nanos, you can add a RapCap to your order for $10.

The RapCap is a tiny little microphone that makes it easy to record crisp, clear audio on iPod nano 4G, iPod classic, iPhones, and iPod touch 2G. You can see a video of the RapCap in use “by clicking here.”:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MYN6E0snbw&feature=channel_page

See all iPod nanos “by clicking here!”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/x/x/x/Apple|iPod_nano

I don’t know about you, but I get in super Mac geek mode whenever Apple makes product announcements. This week, the Site of the Week shows appreciation for all things geeky: “ThinkGeek.com.”:http://www.thinkgeek.com

Not to promote the purchase of “stuff,” but ThinkGeek.com has fun things that range from the sublime (and useful) to the ridiculous. If you want to grab something for Father’s Day or a recent graduate (and you don’t quite have the budget for a new Mac from “Smalldog.com”:http://www.smalldog.com), head on over.

Some of my favorites:

“Broken Image Necklace”:http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/jewelry/a38d/
“Nintendo Wall Graphics
“:http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/stickers/a6d0/
“File Folders with Attitude”:http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/supplies/a46b/
“Young Mad Scientist Alphabet Blocks
“:http://www.thinkgeek.com/geek-kids/1-3-years/b78f/

Also, here’s some reader feedback regarding last week’s Site of the Week, “MyFonts.com:”:http://www.myfonts.com

George M. writes:
__Regarding MyFonts (the site of the week): I run my own business doing design work, and am a “fontaholic” with over 10,500 faces to manage. One feature I find most unusual about MyFonts is that once you purchase a font or family of fonts, if there is ever an update to that font, they will notify you about a free update. Now I cannot say for certain whether this is something that all of their foundries support, or if it only some foundries do it. Over the years, I have received several free updates, the most recent being a major upgrade to the Rayuela Family. Just thought I’d pass that along.

Another foundry I like is “Font Bureau”:http://www.fontbureau.com which offers a steeply descending price scheme as you purchase more fonts. The price levels off to $25/ea once you purchase 29 or 30 fonts. The initial $40/ea seems high (but not really, considering the high quality of their offerings), drops to $35/ea once you select 3 fonts, then drops again to $30 once you select 6 fonts. This break is per font, not per family, so the price reduction kicks in quickly if you are purchasing a family.__

Thanks for the tip, George!

At WWDC yesterday, Phil introduced “Bertrand Serlet”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertrand_Serlet to talk about the Mac OS. He announced that *Snow Leopard* will be available in late September for Intel Macs with either OS 10.4 Tiger or 10.5 Leopard.

*FEATURES*
Apple highlighted many of the features, including speed, refinements and support for other software.

* Faster installation process: 45% faster and 6 GB smaller
* Speed improvements for Mail, Safari 4, Spotlight and more
* Support for Microsoft Exchange Server to Mail, iCal, and Address Book

Snow Leopard will also be available with unlimited client licenses on Mac, Windows, and Linux for $499.99.

*PRICING*
For Leopard Users:

* Snow Leopard single-user license will be available for $29.99
* Snow Leopard Family Pack (five-user license), will be available $49.99

For Tiger users:

* As part of the Mac Box Set (which includes Snow Leopard, iLife ’09 and iWork ’09), the single-user license will be available for $169.99
* Again, as part of the Mac Box Set the five-user license Family Pack will be available for $229.99
* *Currently, we do not see evidence that a Snow Leopard upgrade is available for Tiger users as a stand-alone piece. However, the price of the Mac Box Set is still cheap, and you get all three!*

In addition, for any qualifying new Mac system without Snow Leopard, the Up-To-Date upgrade package will be available to customers between June 8, 2009 and December 26, 2009 for $9.95. Visit “www.apple.com/macosx/uptodate”:http://www.apple.com/macosx/uptodate for more information.

*SOFTWARE*
Apple gave us a preview of the 3.0 software a little while back, so essentially, we had an idea of what was coming. “Scott Forstall”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Forstall gave us a rundown of the features we’ll see in iPhone OS 3.0 on June 17 (both expected and unexpected):

* *Cut, Copy and Paste:* It will appear as a bubble on your screen, and across ALL apps (both Apple and third-party). It will also have “Undo” support to clear that mistake you just made…
* *Landscape Orientation:* Now, all apps will be able to use this orientation, giving users a larger keyboard and screen with which to type and view. He highlighted Mail, Notes and Text Messages.
* *MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) Support:* This allows users to view photos, hear audio, see contacts and locations all in one app. MMS will replace SMS when AT&T gets their act together later this summer with support on their end.
* *Search:* Spotlight is coming to the iPhone/iPod touch. The same search feature that works on the Mac has been developed to work on your mobile device. You’ll be able to search all your apps, and across your device. One cool feature of search is that you will be able to search on your mail server, not just your downloaded mail!
* *iTunes:* You can now rent movies, purchase audiobooks, etc. on the fly. There is also support for iTunesU on the iPhone/iPod touch.
* *Parental Support:* Added features that limit browsing to only certain ratings of shows/movies (G, PG, etc.) and apps that are age appropriate (7, 9+, etc.).
* *Tethering:* You will be able to connect your device to your computer and share the internet connection via USB or Bluetooth. Pretty huge if there’s no WiFi around, and the only access is your cell service. It will work on both Macs and PCs. However, it also requires cell provider support (hello, AT&T), which won’t be available until “later.” (He was deliberately vague, which prompted laughter from the audience!)
* *Safari:* Performance improvements, which are partially indicated by the “SunSpider benchmark”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SunSpider_JavaScript_Benchmark#SunSpider tool that shows a 3x improvement in speed. There’s also support for HTTP streaming audio and video. Also: AutoFill technology has been added (hallelujah) to fill in usernames and passwords.
* *Languages:* Added support for over 30 languages. He noted that one of the advantages of the iPhone’s ‘soft keyboard’ is that a multi-lingual user can simply tap the keyboard to change languages “in real time.”
* *Find My iPhone:* This was HUGE and got a great reception from the crowd. Essentially, what it does is offer a way for users to locate a lost/stolen phone via GPS technology. It’s a benefit for MobileMe customers–you log in, and it will show you the location of the phone on a map. Then, you can send a message to it with a number to call (the alert sound will play whether or not your phone is in ‘silent mode’) and also remotely “wipe” all of the data off of it! Take that, data thieves!

Also, new Voice Control commands allow you to make calls, change your iTunes music, or even create an on-the-fly Genius playlist via your voice. The addition of a digital compass works with Google Maps to help you orient yourself.

Overall, there are over *100 new features.*

And since WWDC is a developer’s conference, the keynote wouldn’t be complete without some demoes from featured developers. “Gameloft,”:http://www.gameloft.com/ “AirStrip Technologies,”:http://www.airstriptech.com/ “ScrollMotion”:http://www.scrollmotion.com/ “TomTom,”:http://iphone.tomtom.com/ “ngmoco:),”:http://www.ngmoco.com/games.php “Pasco,”:http://www.pasco.com/ “Zipcar”:http://www.zipcar.com/ and more highlighted their development for the iPhone/iPod touch, which ranged from gaming to medical sciences to education to navigation, ridesharing and beyond (I was really excited about the TomTom app and corresponding car accessory, which we will be carrying as soon as it’s available).

---

*HARDWARE*
Oh yeah, new models and price points were announced: There is now a 32GB iPhone, and the pricing structure goes like this:

* *iPhone 3G 8GB: $99*
* *iPhone 3G S 16GB: $199* (The “S” stands for Speed!)
* *iPhone 3G S 32GB: $299*

Among the hardware improvements, the iPhone 3G S includes:

* Overall faster features–specifically, 2x faster than the iPhone 3G.
* A built-in video camera to shoot, edit and share videos from your iPhone/iPod touch.
* A 3 megapixel camera, with an improved lighting sensor for better low-light photos, new macro and focal point features, and more.

iPhones will be available June 19 from Apple, AT&T and other authorized resellers.

The iPhone OS 3.0 update will be available June 17 and is *free* for iPhone users and *$9.95* for iPod touch users.

“Read more about the iPhone 3.0 software here.”:http://www.apple.com/iphone/
“Watch the Keynote here.”:http://events.apple.com.edgesuite.net/0906paowdnv/event/index.html?internal=ijalrmacu

With machine gun delivery, Phil Schiller unveiled a whole new paradigm for Apple’s notebooks at Apple’s WWDC (World Wide Developer’s Conference) in San Francisco. All unibody aluminum Apple notebooks have been substantially upgraded and are being offered at lower prices–up to $300 less than before.

*13″ MacBook Pro* (formerly MacBook)
The biggest news is that the 13″ unibody MacBook will now be known as the MacBook Pro.

Upgrades to the 13-inch MacBook Pro include the return of the FireWire to the smaller notebook size. This will be a FireWire 800 port, which can easily be adapted for FireWire 400 devices, including cameras and hard drives.

Other upgrades include the inclusion of an SD card slot (first time ever for Apple, and a boon to photographers everywhere), a seven hour built-in battery, illuminated keyboards across the board, and an improved LED-backlit display with 60 percent greater color gamut.

The new 13″ MacBook Pro can take up to 8GB RAM and has the option to factory install a 7200 RPM 500GB hard drive. The 13″ MacBook Pro still uses the 256MB Intel 9400M graphics card.

Prices range from *$1,199 to $1,499* in standard configurations.

*15″ MacBook Pro*
The new 15-inch MacBook Pro now features a seven hour built-in battery, an SD card slot, an improved LED-backlit display with 60 percent greater color gamut and 4GB of RAM across the line at an entry price $300 less than before.

The new 15-inch MacBook Pro is available in three models:

* A 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo system with a 250GB hard drive and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics for a new entry price of *$1,699*
* A 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo system with a 320GB hard drive, and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M and 9600M GT graphics for *$1,999*
* A 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo system with a 500GB hard drive, and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M and 9600M GT graphics for *$2,299*

*17″ MacBook Pro*
Meanwhile the, 17-inch MacBook Pro, which includes an eight hour built-in battery, an ExpressCard slot, LED-backlit display, 4GB of RAM and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M and 9600M GT graphics, has been updated to include a faster 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and a larger 500GB hard drive.

Price: *$2,499,* which is $300 less than before.

The current line of MacBook Pros is now more affordable than ever, with some models up to $300 less than the previous generation. These are also the industry’s greenest notebook lineup–every Mac notebook achieves EPEAT* Gold status and meets Energy Star 5.0 requirements, setting a new standard for environmentally-friendly notebook design.

We have all of the new notebooks sku’d up on our website and ready to (pre)order:

“13in MacBook Pro”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/x/x/x/Apple|MacBook_Pro_13in (brand new)
*from $1,199.99*

“15in MacBook Pro”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/x/x/x/Apple|MacBook_Pro_15in (both brand new and closeout models)
*from $1,399.99*

“17in MacBook Pro”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/x/x/x/Apple|MacBook_Pro_17in (both brand new and closeout models)
*from $1,699.99*

“MacBook”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/x/x/x/Apple|MacBook (both current white model and closeout aluminum unibody models)
*from $899.99*

“MacBook Air”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/x/x/x/Apple|MacBook_Air (both brand new and closeout models)
*from $1,399.99*

We’re in the process of reshuffling our categories to reflect all of these new products, too, so bear with us as we try to make everything easier to find!

In last week’s edition of “Kibbles and Bytes”:http://blog.smalldog.com/kibbles/?c=kb624, Kali suggested uninstalling and reinstalling Flash player for Safari to improve its performance. She wrote “I use Safari daily, and have found recently that some Flash video was reallllly dragging.”

I have had similar issues, and followed her advice about uninstalling and re-installing Flash. However, I still found that Flash ads and other widgets on webpages were dragging down Safari’s performance. Fortunately, I recently discovered a simple plugin for Safari called ClicktoFlash. ClickToFlash is a Safari (WebKit) plug-in that prevents automatic loading of Adobe Flash content; instead Flash content is blocked behind a simple grey box.

If you decide you want to see the Flash content, simply Control-click (or right-click) on an unloaded Flash box to access ClickToFlash’s contextual menu, which allows you to add content or even an entire website (such as YouTube or Vimeo) to a permission list.

You need Safari 3 or greater in order to run ClickToFlash. It is reported to be working in Safari 4, but I have not tried this.

You can see the developers page and download the plugin (free) “by clicking here”:http://github.com/rentzsch/clicktoflash/tree/master. There is a lot of information for hard-core coders on that page; bypass that and look for the link that says “Download ClickToFlash 1.4.2 here”.

ClickToFlash is installed in your User folder in the Library/Internet Plug-Ins folder. To uninstall the plug-in, simply navigate to that bundle and place it in the Trash.