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Well, we did get the snow I was hoping for this weekend, thankfully. There are up to 8″ of new snow in some areas of the valley–perfect for a weekend at the slopes with my family!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s issue of Kibbles & Bytes. Don will be back next week and we’ll return to our regular programming!
Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,
_Kali and 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
A few weeks ago we were able to source some brand new, never used 2.4GHz white MacBooks. We listed them at $1049.99 ($50…
Recently there’s been a fair amount of controversy over the use of uncredited images sourced from the Internet. Shepard Fairey’s use of an AP photo to create the now-iconic Obama “Hope”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:FaireyICAHope.jpg poster has especially been in the news. Fairey’s appropriation of the image was intentional, and he altered the photo so much that it effectively became an all-new image. Still, this does bring up the question of what is considered fair use of images sourced from the web.
At Small Dog we recently made the mistake of using an image without attribution in our Tech Tails newsletter. It was “a photo of a tasty glass of Shed beer on Flickr,”:http://flickr.com/photos/found_drama/1430102242/ from Flickr / Twitter user “Found_drama.”:http://blog.founddrama.net/ We wanted to acknowledge the importance of this issue, and of course, to apologize to “Found_drama”:http://blog.founddrama.net/ for using his image without attribution!
In this case, the rights of image owner were very clear. He used a Creative Commons copyright license that allowed for sharing, remixing, and sharing the work (under the same license) as long as it was for noncommercial use and had attribution. You can read the specific license “by clicking here.”:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en
You’ve probably seen Creative Commons-tagged images and documents while surfing the web. “Creative Commons”:http://creativecommons.org/ is an excellent (and free) service that lets “authors, scientists, artists, and educators easily mark their creative work with the freedoms they want it to carry. You can use CC to change your copyright terms from All Rights Reserved to Some Rights Reserved.”
It’s very easy to read CC licenses to determine if you can use someone else’s image or other work in your own projects. But how do you determine if you can use images that don’t have CC license, or any other obvious trademark or copyright? After all, it’s exceedingly easy to find, copy, manipulate, and share digital images.
At Small Dog, most of our images are sourced from our own photos, directly from companies like Apple (with copyright provisions as part of our reseller agreement), stock photo libraries such as iStockphoto, and from boxed stock photos like Adobe Stock Photos and the Big Box of Art. We tend to get a lot of photos directly from the manufacturers of the gear we sell. Sometimes, we also use other people’s photos with attribution.
In most cases, it’s wise to assume photos and images you find online are, indeed, protected by copyright. “Click here to read a good article about this subject, including Fair Use of images and information.”:http://www.umuc.edu/library/copy.shtml
You can also read about Fair Use on “Wikipedia by clicking here.”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use
I recently shot and edited a new version of the “Small Dog Movie,” which we produce every couple of years. This time, all the video was recorded in the high definition HDV format, and then imported into the computer as ProRes 422 footage. While this made it easier to add effects and to export the video, it also made the size of video files almost 3x larger than if they were kept in the HDV format (an HDV file would be 250 MB, while ProRes file is 700 MB).
I wanted to keep the entire project on one hard drive, and I needed a drive that was fast (7200RPM with at least 16MB cache), quiet, had FireWire 800, and also had large capacity. In the past I’d had good luck with numerous LaCie D2 drives, and decided to keep it simple and get a “1TB D2 drive”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/72642 for this project.
LaCie has offered D2 drives for several years, but they’ve recently been redesigned to have less a bulky power brick, better cooling capacity, and quieter operation. The classic metal “slab” case now has ridges of cooling fins and a larger blue power button. The drive has FireWire 400, FireWire 800, USB 2.0, and an eSata connection. All cables are included.
The improvements may seem small but in practical use, they are noticeable. The drive is plug-and-play and worked flawlessly. Two of my friends have recently purchased LaCie D2 drives for their own use–one for Time Machine backups, one for storing a digital image library. Looking around online, I see that the redesigned D2 drives receive constantly high marks, including many five-star reviews. It’s a very nice, reliable drive that I don’t hesitate to recommend.
I love me some Mac keyboard shortcuts. They speed up and simplify every day computer tasks. This week I’m going to share my favorite iTunes shortcuts. If there are any shortcuts you like that I didn’t include, email me at “Ed@smalldog.com”:mailto:ed@smalldog.com and I will add them when this article is posted to our “blog”:http://blog.smalldog.com/ on Monday.
These shortcuts are Mac-oriented, but most will work on Windows if you use the Control key instead of the Command key.
*iTunes Playback:*
* To navigate up or down a list of songs without automatically playing the songs, use the *Up* and *Down* arrows.
* To play a song you’ve highlighted while navigating up or down a list of songs, press *Return*.
* Press the *Spacebar* to start or pause a song that’s already playing.
* To skip five seconds forwards or backwards in a song while it’s playing, press *Option-Command-Left Arrow* or *Option-Command-Right Arrow*.
* To listen to the next or previous album in a list of albums: *Option-Right Arrow* or *Option-Left Arrow*.
* To increase the volume press *Command-Up Arrow*.
* To decrease the volume by pressing *Command-Down Arrow*.
* To mute the sound, press *Option-Command-Down Arrow.*
* To the Equalizer window, press *Command-2*.
*Playlist Creation and Editing:*
* To select all songs in a list: *Command-A*.
* To select non-sequential songs in a list: hold down the *Command* key while selecting the song with your mouse.
* Create a new empty playlist: press *Command-N*.
* Create a new Smart Playlist: *Option* click the Add (+) button.
* Select all songs in list of songs: *Command-A*.
* To automatically create a playlist from a list of highlighted / selected songs: hold down the Shift key while clicking the Add (+) button at the bottom left corner of the iTunes window (or simply drag the songs to the left area of the source pane).
* To shuffle and reshuffle songs in a playlist, hold down the Option key while clicking the *Shuffle* button.
* To delete a selected playlist without having to confirm that you want to delete it, press *Command-Delete*.
*Miscellaneous*
* To reveal the actual location of the song file in the Finder, press *Command-R*.
* Eject a CD: press *Command-E*.
* To activate and deactivate the Visualizer: press *Command-T*.
* To view the Visualizer in full-screen mode: press *Command-F*
* Some Visualizers support multiple viewing options; press *?* to see Visualizer options.
* Get info on a song by selecting it and pressing *Command-I*
* To connect your iPod to your Mac without automatic syncing / updating, hold down *Control-Option* keys until the iPod appears in the Source list in iTunes. On Windows this is actually *Command-Option*.
* You probably know that you can press *Command-H* to hide an application without actually quitting it. This works in iTunes, but even better, you can press *Command-Option-1* to hide the iTunes window AND bring it back.
* Put the iTunes window into the Dock by pressing *Command-M*.
* Quit iTunes by pressing *Command-Q*
*The 3rd Annual Free eWaste Recycling Event will be held on Saturday, April 18 from 9am – 1pm at S. Burlington High School in S. Burlington, VT.*
The event is open to the public, and if you’re in the area, we encourage you to drop off your old electronics to be recycled responsibly. (Those with large loads must pre-register before the event; “see our website for details.”:http://www.smalldog.com/ewaste2009)
We will keep you posted with more details about this year’s event in the coming weeks. For more information on our ewaste initiatives, our event, ewaste statistics as well as national ewaste recycling resources, “click here.”:http://smalldog.com/ewaste
_Dear Friends,_
It’s Kali again, writing for Don as his vacation comes to a close. We have recycling on the brain this week–particularly ewaste (electronic waste) recycling. This past Wednesday, I had the opportunity to testify before a committee at the State House regarding a Vermont ewaste bill.
The bill, as introduced by Vermont Senators Lyons, Hartwell and MacDonald, proposes that manufacturers “implement a fund system for the collection and recycling of electronic devices.” In short, it outlines a way for manufacturers to make sure potentially hazardous products get recycled in a safe, responsible way, and thus, helps take the financial burden off of consumers. We support this legislation, primarily because we see first-hand the impact that electronics have on the waste stream, and ultimately, the environment.
For almost a decade, we have underwritten a recycling program here, and we currently recycle any and all ewaste for 35¢ p/lb, and will recycle your old computer for free upon purchase of a new one. Additionally, we hold our Annual Free eWaste Recycling Event in April–now in its third year–in which we collect ewaste free-of-charge to the public. (More on that below.) Last year, we collected over 130 tons of ewaste, making it the largest single-day recycling event in the country!
Small Dog Electronics is proud to say that as of now, pound-for-pound, we have recycled more than we have put back into the stream via sales of new products. We’re committed to finding a balance between being good to the earth and bringing you the best possible technology from Apple and beyond!
__And speaking of which…__
We recently have come across some previous-generation inventory that we’re pleased to be able to offer to you for hundreds of dollars off the original prices. (Perfect if you’ve been meaning to upgrade that old stuff… and only after planning to recycle it responsibly, of course!) Among the deals we have secured, there are “16GB iPod touches available for $229.99”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/70103 (same price as the 8GB!), “MacBooks starting at $1,049.99”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/70906 and “MacBook Airs from $1,099.99”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/70760 (save up to $700 on Apple notebooks)!
Read on for more specials, information on our eWaste Recycling Event, some of Ed’s favorite iTunes shortcuts, a primer on image copyright rules (including our own mea culpa), and more.
Using Images From The Internet Recently there’s been a fair amount of controversy over the use of uncredited images sourced from the Internet….
Portable computers go everywhere their owner goes–particularly with students attending classes, in dorm rooms, libraries and quite possibly most important of all… the cafes!
Downtown Burlington, VT has (as any college town should) numerous coffee shops and cafes. Each one has its own individual ambiance. Some have Wi-Fi, some don’t. Nonetheless, come night time, college students migrate from the universities to these coffee shops with their books, papers and their computers. In my opinion, caffeine and computers go together like peas and carrots, or beer and nuts.
The above listed combination of caffeine and computers however presents one of the greatest risks to the life of your computer! No, it’s not about getting over-caffeinated and taking out your frustrations over your workload on your computer. It’s the fact that although you may enjoy consuming a caffeinated beverage, your computer will not.
Unfortunately, over the past month, I have seen three computers come through the service department that were victims of liquid spills. One of the greatest risks (and most common mistakes) a user can subject their computer to is to leave a drink too close. Apple’s warranty covers failures that are not related to physical damage. Apple rates a liquid spill in the highest category of physical damage that can be done to a machine. An out-of-warranty physical damage repair performed by Apple can sometimes cost more than the value of the machine!
One of these machines that passed through our service department here at Small Dog was a brand new MacBook. It had lemonade spilled in it about a month after the original purchase. Fortunately, the customer had insurance on their purchase provided by their credit card. After data recovery and dispatch to Apple where nearly 3/4 of the computer parts were replaced, the final bill totaled just under $1,000!
As I am advising all of you reading to take extreme caution with liquids around your computer, I will also give you a few simple steps to follow should you spill liquid into your computer to attempt to minimize or potentially avoid damage.
*Should you spill liquid into your computer:*
* Remove All Power Immediately: Hard power down your machine and remove the battery and power cord. If you are working on a project, do not attempt to save it, unless your project is of greater value than the computer itself.
* Drain the liquid away from the internal components: Keep in mind that the more sensitive and expensive components of your computer are the logic board and the internal components. This means if you have a portable machine open the display to a 90 degree angle and place it upside down. You are better off having the liquid settle in the keyboard or track pad than the logic board. A keyboard may cost around $85 but a logic board will cost about $800 to replace.
* Let The Unit Drain: Keep your machine in the draining position in a well-ventilated area. Make sure it is left in a place where it does not risk getting knocked over or broken. It is probably best that you do not use a hair dryer as you may be so inclined. Hair dryers create a large amount of static electricity and could potentially cause an electrical discharge onto a computer component.
* Inspect Before Using: After you have left your computer to drain for a couple days I suggest taking your computer to your local Apple repair agency to have it inspected for standing liquids before attempting to power it on. The battery voltage and PMU should be checked prior to the first boot.
* Hope For The Best: Though severe damage can occur within a computer, following the above steps can potentially help to minimize the damage. There are repairs that can be performed by a local service provider cheaper than Apple’s flat rate damage repair should the situation come to that.
With all that in mind, when I take my MacBook Pro out for coffee, the MacBook Pro stays on the tabletop and the coffee stays on the floor in my sealed mug.
Liam, employed by Small Dog for exactly one year today, was tasked with repairing an iMac from the South Burlington showroom floor as fast as possible. This 20″ model would restart at random intervals, typically after a minute or two of activity. His first instinct was to replace a cable known to fail with some regularity–the SATA/Inverter/DC/Power Supply cable. This is probably the most complex item to replace in an aluminum iMac, and because we suspect it to be the cause of many different symptoms, we keep a few on hand.
The installation was complete a little while later, and initially it seemed to have resolved the problem. Liam put it back on the floor and hoped for the best. Unfortunately, the problem came back in an hour or so.
His next step was to replace the power supply and power harness. Neither of these parts fixed the issue. To eliminate the operating system as the cause of failure, he plugged in an external FireWire drive with a clean installation of OS X. This is perhaps the single-most important step in diagnosing a machine: by booting the computer off of a known good startup disk and seeing whether the problem remains, you can definitively isolate any symptom to hardware or software.
This time, it seemed we might have a problem with the FireWire drive, as it would not show up in the boot manager when the machine was powered up holding down the option key on the keyboard. As this external drive is bus-powered, it’s powered by the one and only cable connecting it to the iMac. It became evident pretty quickly that the iMac had no FireWire function, so immediately he knew a main logic board replacement would be in order.
When the part arrived the next day, it was installed after the paying customers’ machines were all fixed. Tipped off by the lack of FireWire function, the logic board, once again, turned out to be the culprit.