Kibbles & Bytes Blog

The roads are muddy in the afternoon and frozen solid in the morning. I think I will try to get a motorcycle down the hill this weekend to see if I can set a new record for the earliest riding in the spring.

Thanks for reading this edition of Kibbles & Bytes!

Your Kibbles & Bytes team,
_Don, Kali & Ed_

View specials while on-hand supplies last. Please note that some specials may not be available in our retail stores; check for availability.

See all specials on our “Specials Page.”:http://www.smalldog.com/specials

We recently stocked up on some factory sealed, never used, first-generation 16GB iPod touches. We’re offering these previous 16GB models for less than the cost of a current 8GB iPod touch–only $219.99 for a limited time.

The differences between the original iPod touch and the current iPod touch are relatively minor: the new touch has external volume controls, an integrated speaker and mic (though the mic is not yet supported in software), built-in support for the Nike + iPod running kit, and support for shaking the iPod touch to shuffle songs.

Battery life is improved to 36 hours of music playback and 6 hours of video, from 22 hours of music playback and 5 hours of video playback.

The biggest difference between the two models is that the first-gen 16GB iPod touch ships with the original iPod touch software and applications. This includes the Safari web browser, YouTube, calendar, contacts, clock, and calculator apps, as well as support for music listening and photo and video viewing functionality.

For only $9.95, you can upgrade to the current “iPod touch 2.2 Software”:http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/softwareupdate.html to get the latest iPod touch software, which includes access to the App Store (and thousands of applications), Push Email through Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, the Genius Playlist Feature, Multiple Calendar Capability, New Mail Management Features, Mail Attachment Viewing Capability, New Languages, and general Safari improvement. Learn more and upgrade to the “iPod touch 2.2 Software”:http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/softwareupdate.html via iTunes by “clicking here”:http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/softwareupdate.html.

“Last month,”:http://blog.smalldog.com/kibbles/?c=kb608 in honor of Friday the 13th, we talked about the various phobias that Small Dog employees have. Well, it’s Friday the 13th again, so I thought I’d feature some famous quotes about fear.

We all remember the famous line as spoken by Franklin D. Roosevelt in his “inaugural speech,”:http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5057/ “The Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself,” but there has been much said on the topic, so here are a few more:

*ALBERT CAMUS:*
__Nothing is more despicable than respect based on fear.__

*ANNE FRANK:*
__The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature.__

*BOB DYLAN:*
__I accept chaos. I am not sure whether it accepts me. I know some people are terrified of the bomb. But then some people are terrified to be seen carrying a modern screen magazine. Experience teaches us that silence terrifies people the most.__

*DOROTHY THOMPSON:*
__Fear grows in darkness; if you think there’s a bogeyman around, turn on the light.__

*ELEANOR ROOSEVELT:*
__You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.__

*H. JACKSON BROWNE:*
__Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is.__

*MARIE CURIE:*
__Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.__

*RALPH WALDO EMERSON:*
__Don’t waste life in doubts and fears; spend yourself on the work before you, well assured that the right performance of this hour’s duties will be the best preparation for the hours and ages that will follow it.__

*ROSA PARKS:*
__I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.__

*SHEL SILVERSTEIN:*
__The hens they all cackle, the roosters all beg,__
__But I will not hatch, I will not hatch.__
__For I hear all the talk of pollution and war__
__As the people all shout and the airplane roar,__
__So I’m staying in here where it’s safe and it’s warm,__
__And I WILL NOT HATCH!__

*THOMAS JEFFERSON:*
__Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear.__

*WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE:*
__I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.__

__”Quote source”:http://www.wisdomquotes.com/cat_fear.html__

The “Incipio Feather Case”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/72997 is, in a word, AWESOME. I am one who prefers to go sans case, but due to my somewhat accident-prone nature, find it to be a necessity. We carry a vast selection of case for the iPhone (seriously, there are over 60), so I needed to narrow my choices.

It’s worth noting that the iPhone has an amazingly scratch-resistant exterior and some argue that a case isn’t needed and adds extra (unwanted) bulk. (Don, for one, hates the added bulk of most cases.) I was surprised by how rugged the iPhone actually is–I had thought that the glossy black surface on the back would show every sign of wear.

I was still convinced, though, that I needed to protect it–if not just for my peace of mind. The name “Feather” is not a misnomer–it’s *unbelievably light* and I barely even notice it’s there, so that satisfies my preference for a slim case.

It also has a great *matte black finish,* which I like better than the back of the iPhone, hands-down. It *repels fingerprints and dust,* and allows all the ports, switches and camera to be used while in the case (as a good case should). Additionally, the iPhone + Incipio case fit in all docks and stereos that I’ve tested.

The Incipio Feather case is a case that both case lovers and case loathers alike will appreciate. (And Don, that even means you.)

Check it out: “Incipio Feather Case in Black”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/72997 – *19.99*

*Bonus:* Save $5 when you buy it using this link (hurry–offer expires next Friday!):
“Incipio $5 Off Special”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag18905/at_kb

This week Apple introduced an all-new iPod shuffle, available in silver or black. The new shuffle is half the size of the previous generation, but now has 4GB of storage. This means the new shuffle will hold up to 1,000 songs.

Rather than using a display, the new shuffles have a new feature called VoiceOver. VoiceOver makes the iPod shuffle “the first music player that talks to you.”

If you’re listening to a song and want to know the title or the artist, simply press a button, and VoiceOver tells you, without interrupting your music. Apple writes:

bq. “You’ll notice how smoothly and easily VoiceOver works. A lot of thought has gone into creating an iPod shuffle that not only talks, but says the right things. It all begins with iTunes and its seamless integration with iPod. iTunes reads your song information, then uses the new VoiceOver Kit to generate the announcements for the songs, artists, and playlists on your iPod shuffle.”

This is first iPod shuffle that can use multiple playlists, because VoiceOver announces their names, too. Previous shuffles could only maintain a single, undivided list of songs, podcasts, and audiobooks.

The volume controls for the new shuffle are located on the earbud cord. Apple says “with command central now strategically placed in this more convenient location, you can navigate your music–and activate the VoiceOver feature–without taking your eyes off your run, your ride, or whatever you’re doing.”

Moving the controls to the earbud cord has been slightly controversial. It does seem puzzling to do this, but we’re eager to try it for ourselves. It might make the shuffle even more streamlined.

The iPod shuffle continues to feature a strong clip, so you can easily clip it on. You can use the iPod shuffle as to stores data as a USB flash drive.

The new shuffle has up to 10 hours of playtime when fully charged. It only takes about three hours to fully charge the battery; it’s 80% charged in two hours.

To use the new shuffle on a Mac, you’ll need a USB 2.0 port, Mac OS X v10.4.11 or later, and iTunes 8.1 or later (“free download”:http://www.apple.com/itunes/overview/)

On Windows you’ll need a USB 2.0 port, Windows Vista or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3 or later, as well as iTunes 8.1 or later (“free download”:http://www.apple.com/itunes/overview/)

The iPod shuffle includes the new Apple Earphones with Remote, iPod shuffle USB cable, and a handy Quick Start guide.

The new iPod shuffles cost $79.99. Check em out here:
“4GB Silver”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/73381
“4GB Black”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/73380

There are hundreds of relatively unpublicized features hidden in every version of Mac OS X. Some of these features are neat-but-frivolous, but many others can quickly become indispensable. We share these hidden features every week, calling them “Mac Treats”.

Here are my top three indispensable Mac Treats. I use these almost every single time I use a Mac. Note that the first two shortcuts refer to the “Command key”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Command_key. This is found to the left of the spacebar on Mac keyboards. On older keyboards and laptops it’s often stamped with an Apple or an icon that looks like a little four-leafed clover.

1. Command-Tab is an essential Mac shortcut. It allows you to move very rapidly from one open application into another. Simply hold down the Command and Tab key at the same time. You should see a large bar in the middle of your screen showing all open applications. To jump between the foremost application, simply continue holding down the Command key while tapping the Tab key.

Other shortcuts can be combined with Tab-Command. For example, you can use Tab-Command to quickly cut and paste text between applications (as long as they are running) such as TextEdit, Word, Pages, Mail, etc. Or, you can instantly quit applications by shift-tabbing to the application you want to quit, then (without letting go of the command key) use the Command-Q shortcut. I often use this combination to quit applications.

2. Spotlight was introduced in Mac OS 10.4 Tiger and was significantly improved in Mac OS 10.5 Leopard. I use it daily to quickly find files on my Mac. I typically want to open the file I’m searching for, but sometimes I only want to know where it’s stored on my Mac’s hard drive. For example, I might want to find a file without opening it so I can email it, or put it on a flash drive, burn it to CD, etc.

Here’s how to easily find a file in Spotlight without actually opening it. First, enter the filename (or type) in the Spotlight search bar. Once the results appear in the menu, hold down the Command key, then click on the file. This will close Spotlight and open a Finder window showing where your file is stored.

Or, if you do want to keep Spotlight open, click on the file in the Spotlight menu, and press Command-R. This will open a Finder window with the file selected, leaving the Spotlight menu open.

3. Quick Look is one the key features of Mac OS 10.5 Leopard, but many Leopard users don’t know it exists. Quick Look allows you view the contents of a file without opening it, and with a single click of the Spacebar. Quick Look works with nearly every file format on a Mac (images, text files, PDF documents, movies, Keynote presentations, Mail attachments, Microsoft files), and can be “extended”:http://www.quicklookplugins.com/ to open even more file types than supported by default.

To use Quick Look on Leopard, simply click once on the file you’d like to look at and press the Space bar. You can flip through multipage documents, watch videos (even in full screen), scroll through photos, and even examine entire Keynote presentations.

_Dear Friends,_

We are well into one of Vermont’s “shoulder” seasons, mud season. While the ski areas are still open, the snow is melting with the warmer weather and sunshine and so is the mud and ice on the dirt roads. With ruts and washboards, the back roads are getting pretty bad. The road crew up by my place even put a “muddy roads”:http://blog.smalldog.com/images/1049.jpg sign up at the start of my dirt roads.

I go through the worst muddy road as soon as I leave pavement. The official name of this road is Fuller Hill Road, but those of us that live here simply call it the “Cold Road” because it is shaded by trees on both sides and is usually the last road to thaw. After that it is the trek up Prickly Mountain road which can get very gooey. When Small Dog Electronics was still headquartered at my house we had one of the worst mud seasons ever and the only rig that would make it up the hill was the Chevy Blazer that we used to ferry Macs from the warehouse to my house for configuration and shipping.

With the sunny days and the cold nights, the sap is running in the maple trees and sugaring is well under way. If you have only had Aunt Jemima syrup, you owe it to yourself to splurge and get some genuine pure Vermont maple syrup. It takes 40 gallons of sap to make a single gallon of syrup. When I lived up in northern Vermont, I would do some sugaring.

I had a big Belgian workhorse and we would hook her to a sled with a big gathering tank on the back and then slog through the knee deep snow to gather the sap from the buckets hung on the trees. My horse would drag the sled to the make-shift sugar house where we would spend all night boiling the sap down. While Grade “Fancy” syrup may look the best with its golden color and clear texture, we go out of our way to find Grade “B” because of the stronger maple taste.

Apple surprised everyone with the introduction of the new 4GB iPod shuffle this week. This is the smallest music player ever and with the 1000 song capacity it is a real breakthrough product. The new iPod also features VoiceOver that will speak the names of songs and artists and even playlists. They moved the iPod controls to the headphone cord and if you are using Apple’s earbuds, this is a very convenient way to control your iPod shuffle.

While the iPod will work with third party earphones, you will lose control of most of the features including VoiceOver and volume controls. It is inevitable that Apple and third-party sources will introduce alternative earbuds that incorporate the shuffle controls and/or adapters to allow the use of other earphones. This shuffle is going to be a big hit for Apple, but I am keeping my 2GB shuffle until the headphone situation is resolved!