Kibbles & Bytes Blog

Apple news, tech tips, and more…

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  • What the Cloud?

    My work includes quite a lot of explaining about how cloud backup can be configured and updated and how much it should be…

  • Tommy Allen

    Pets: No pets I love animals but don’t think its fair to them to keep them in an apartment Hobbies/Interests: I really enjoy…

  • My Celtics aren’t doing so hot in the playoffs but there are still at least a couple more games to play in the first round. Grace and I are thinking about our return to the Green Mountains coming up in a few weeks. First, we are riding the motorcycles to New Orleans for a couple of days and then packing stuff up and heading up I-95 in our annual migration.

    We have a new offer for any of our customers near our stores in Vermont or Key West. We are totally committed to our new home automation initiative and are very proud of the demo rooms in each of our stores but we want to come to your home and talk to you about home automation. We will send one of our knowledgeable team to meet with you to discuss how you can add HomeKit gear to your home and prepare a proposal for you for free. I love this technology and I think you will, too, so give us a call and schedule an appointment!

    Thank you for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

    Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,

    _Don, Emily & Hadley_

  • Charger Mix-n-Match

    I get a lot of use out of my portable mobile devices. Ever since I put a keyboard on my iPad, it has become my little workhorse throughout my day. Before work, I might be using it for a breakfast recipe and some light writing while I eat. During work it sits on my desk as a dedicated email device and I’ll bring it with me to meetings throughout the day. At night I watch TV shows on it and do all sorts of other things. All of this work takes a toll on the battery, and while it’s definitely up to the challenge, it does need to be charged regularly.

    Not all of my mornings are “read a recipe online”-smooth though. Sometimes I’m rushing, and I often forget to put my iPad or my iPhone on the charger overnight. There might be an hour at most of available charge time from the minute I get up to when I walk out the door. I hear this question a lot: How can I charge my iOS devices faster?

    There’s actually some interesting things going on here, and it all has to do with electricity and battery chemistry. Luckily, I have extensive experience with both and will try to explain all of it here. If you have an iPad and an iPhone, you’ll know that they each come with a different charger. The iPad (excluding the 12.9-inch one) comes with a 10-watt charger and the iPhone comes with a 5-watt charger. Each charger is outputting its power via USB which is ??always?? going to be 5 volts direct current. The iPad is a larger device than the iPhone, and it has a larger battery. Charging this battery up in a reasonable amount of time requires more power, hence Apple providing you with a beefier 10-watt charger. The iPhone’s battery is smaller and can be charged in a reasonable amount of time with only 5 watts.

    Both chargers output 5VDC USB power. Couldn’t you plug your iPhone into the larger 10-watt charger to charge it faster? The short answer is, yes. To understand why, let’s look at exactly what we’re talking about electrically in this situation. Both chargers are outputting the same voltage, but they are each rated for different ??power?? so what’s changing? Well, power is voltage times current. This means that the current is the value that’s changing. Indeed, you may actually see this listed on certain chargers. A 10-watt USB charger will by definition be capable of delivering 2 amps of current. 5VDC x 2 amps = 10 watts. The 5-watt USB charger delivers only 1amp of current. 5VDC x 1 amp = 5 watts.

    When it comes to charging batteries, current is both your best friend and your worst enemy. Current is what shoves the ions in the battery to their “potential energy” positions, ready to release and deliver power for you. So more current will mean more of that happening, and faster too. But that process isn’t free. You pay for it with heat build up and secondary electrochemical reactions that can degrade the life of your battery.

    So battery charging is typically a compromise between fast and keeping the battery life long. Ok, but wait, wouldn’t that mean you’d be ruining your iPhone by charging it off of 10-watts instead of 5? Nope. You won’t damage it at all. This verdict comes straight from “**Apple itself**”:https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202105. But why is this? Inside your iPhone, iPad, and even your MacBook is a lithium-ion battery. These batteries are amazing. Their chemistries have high voltage potentials relative to other chemistries, they’re very lightweight, and they can withstand thousands of charge/discharge cycles. However, they are ??very?? picky about how they are charged and if anything is wrong, they can be seriously dangerous. Just “**ask Samsung**”:https://www.recode.net/2017/1/22/14330404/samsung-note-7-problems-battery-investigation-explanation about that.

    For this reason, all devices with lithium ion batteries have on-board charge controllers that regulate the charging. Many modular lithium batteries have protection circuits built into them by default. So no matter how much charge current is available, the controller will always have the last say about how much of it hits the battery. This is why you can charge your iPhone with a larger iPad charger. Just because the larger charger is rated for 10-watts (2 amps) doesn’t mean it’ll be delivering that all the time. It means it ??can?? deliver up to that if necessary. There is some portion of the iPhone’s charging profile where the extra power can be safely used, but it’s only some portion of the charge process, not all of it. This is why your iPhone will charge faster, but not twice as fast.

    Can you go the other direction and charge your iPad with the iPhone charger to extend it’s battery life by charging it more slowly? No. This will not work because the iPad’s larger battery ??requires?? the extra power to charge it. The battery cannot be properly charged without the full 10 watts being available. This is why you’ll often see USB chargers say that they can or cannot be used to charge tablets. All tablets, not just Apple’s, typically require 2 amps. USB ports on most computers follow the USB bus protocol which means they can only output 0.5 amps or 0.9 in some cases. USB-C can output up to 3 amps. This is why your iPad may not charge when plugged into your laptop (though it can still transfer data over USB).

    These charging rules basically apply across Apple’s entire line of products. You can always charge a smaller device/battery with a larger charger, but not a larger device with a smaller charger. Obviously this only works if the voltages are the same. You cannot charge your iPhone with the charger for your MacBook because the voltages are different (as well as the plugs).

    I hope this was an interesting topic. We’re really getting into applied electrical engineering now!

  • How Technology Improves the Life of Old Fogies

    Now that I am on Medicare and always get the senior discount at the movies I thought it was time to reflect upon how technology has helped to improve the lives of those of us showing some gray. One of the most important demographics for Small Dog Electronics is our older customers. Where technology is second nature to the millennials it has a bit more wonder for those that were used to pencils, books and talking to their neighbors.

    There are so many ways that technology and specifically Apple technology can enhance the life of seniors. I have written before about my experiences with hearing aids. Apple technology made it possible to have my hearing aids paired with my iPhone for control and streaming of phone calls and music. I always wanted to start a collection of ear trumpets but these high tech hearing aids have truly changed my life.

    Apple has a strong commitment to accessibility and has built-in many useful features for making your computing experience on your Mac, iPhone or iPad easier. We have reviewed many of these accessibility features for sight, hearing, touch and interfacing with your device. Those all make it easier to access the technology but how does this access actually help make your life easier.

    Staying in touch is one thing that most seniors want to do, whether it is by email, voice, social media or FaceTime. FaceTime has been a huge boon for seniors trying to stay in touch with their families. I remember going to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago in the 50s to be wowed by the AT&T picture phone which was going to be the future. Of course, that never happened but FaceTime did! It doesn’t matter where you are, you can easily FaceTime your family or friends or if they are not using Apple, try Skype which also will allow worldwide connections. It was so cool to be way over in China and be able to talk and see Grace back in Vermont.

    Getting out to shop for anything can be a real production, especially if you have to travel some distance. I am a very firm supporter of shopping locally but the convenience of having my dog food delivered on a monthly basis for the pups sure beats lugging those bags to the car and into the house. Mail order pharmacies have made getting medicine a bit more easy – no more standing in line at the drug store (you just have to stand in line on the phone sometimes).

    There is so much that technology can do to help manage your health. I have diabetes and my nurse practitioner is always on my case to measure my blood sugar. I have tried all kinds of devices and I have settled on the iHealth glucometer which interfaces via Bluetooth to my iPhone and can automatically send my readings to my health professional. But, this week also had news that for some time Apple has had a team working on a whole new concept for blood glucose monitoring that will eliminate the finger sticks that prevent many from bothering. It could open a whole new era for diabetes management.

    I have a smart scale that helps me lose weight, Apple’s Health app can help monitor other medical issues, remind you of your medications, track nutrition and much more to allow seniors more control over their health and eliminate some trips to the clinic.

    Video games are not just for the kids, playing games can improve cognition and mental agility. With thousands to choose from it is no longer just dealing solitaire from a worn deck of cards. Gaming involves some social interaction, too!

    Wireless internet and home automation are two pieces of technology that can really help seniors. Whether it is employing sensor devices to call out for help when needed or simply being able to turn on the lights by asking Siri, wireless technology frees up seniors. Never forget to lock your door if you have a HomeKit compatible lock and it knows when you arrived home and unlocks the door for you, too!

    Okay, it is not just that I am old but I have directionally challenged. It sort of runs in my family. Grace says I have to go someplace a dozen times before I remember the directions. That was true when I was 25, too and my daughter, Autumn seems to have inherited that. But technology to the rescue. I am so tuned in to GPS technology that I am literally never without it. My Apple watch taps me to remind me to go right or left and I have GPS on all my vehicles.

    How do you use technology to make your life better? I am a gadget geek and of course, this is what I do for a living but I see older customers come into the store every day. I love asking them what they are using their Mac or iPad for and keeping in touch is on top of the list but everything from looking up recipes to managing their retirement portfolio comes up in those discussions. Technology grants the most precious gift – time!

    A long time ago, in a galaxy far away, I reserved a bunch of domain names and aside from falserumors.com (which I REALLY want to launch), I reserved macseniors.com. Now that I have a 49-year old daughter (Happy Birthday, Zoey!) and an 18-year old granddaughter (Happy Birthday, Khadija!) maybe it is time to resurrect MacSeniors or SeniorMac.com.

  • _Dear Friends,_

    Apple had some announcements for Earth Day. The most significant was that they are committing to a plan to use 100% recycled materials in their products to help end mining of rare earth minerals. Apple already has set some standards for protecting the environment. Nearly 100% of Apple’s electricity (96%) is generated by renewable energy. When Apple’s new Cupertino campus opens it will be the largest LEED Platinum-certified building in North America. Over 99 percent of the paper in Apple’s product packaging is from recycled or responsibly managed sources. And, in only two years, through partnerships with the Conservation Fund and World Wildlife Fund, they have achieved the goal of protecting or creating enough sustainably managed working forests to cover all of their product packaging needs. I applaud Apple for recognizing the reality of climate change and putting their money where their mouth is in protecting our planet. More is needed but Apple seems very committed. You can read their latest Environmental Report “**here.**”:https://images.apple.com/environment/pdf/Apple_Environmental_Responsibility_Report_2017.pdf

    In another quiet announcement Apple made iMovie, Numbers, Keynote, Pages, and GarageBand for both Mac and iOS devices free to all users. Previously, it was free with a purchase of a Mac or iPad but now all users can download these powerful apps. MacOS, iOS and movies, spreadsheets, presentations, word processing and music all for free!

    This week’s “Kibbles & Bytes exclusive”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900002655/kibbles-and-bytes-exclusive-bundle? features the gold MacBook. Makes me think of James Bond! This diminutive powerhouse is the latest iteration of the venerable MacBook. This week I am bundling the MacBook in gold with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD drive with AppleCare Protection and the Hyperdrive gold USB-C hub. This hub gives you 4 ports: 1 x HDMI, 2 x USB 3.0, USB Type-C with power delivery. We are taking $150 off this bundle exclusively this week for “Kibbles & Bytes readers.”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900002655/kibbles-and-bytes-exclusive-bundle? You get the brand new gold MacBook, AppleCare Protection and the USB-C hub for only “**$1,459.97**”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900002655/kibbles-and-bytes-exclusive-bundle? this week only!

  • Mechanical Keyboards

    Okay, I know you’re probably asking, “aren’t all keyboards mechanical?” While the key mechanism in keyboards are, the “mechanical” aspect is referring to the actual switch mechanism underneath the keys. If you’re an old-school computer user like me, you may remember the old IBM Model ‘M’ keyboard which is what I learned to type on. This brute of a unit was durable, reliable and extremely heavy weighing in at over 3 pounds. More than some modern laptops! It was loud and clicky, the keys would spring back to attention in milliseconds of pressing them and if you could type even remotely fast you’d sound that much more impressive.

    Over the years keyboards have evolved to be more compact, lighter and use less materials. While this is great for most users, there is a growing subculture of people who prefer the clicky keyboard days of old. To understand mechanical keyboards you need to learn a bit about keyboards in general. Most modern keyboards are referred to in the mechanical keyboard community as “rubber domes”. These keyboards have a sheet of flexible plastic or rubber under the actual keys which provides both the contact point for the underlying circuit board and little domes molded in which provide both the suspension point for each key and the contact point for the circuit board underneath.

    Mechanical keyboards operate on the same basic principle, but a different mechanism is used to reach the connection and rebound the key back up. There is an individual mechanical mechanism under each key, the design of which can vary depending on the keyboard. These units are known as ‘switches’. They usually have some kind of spring. Mechanical switches come in a number of varieties and therein lies the appeal. Some have a tactile bump, some an audible click, while others are completely smooth and linear.

    **Pros to the mechanical keyboard**

    **Build Quality** Mechanical keyboards are more expensive to make, so they are usually higher quality in general than a standard keyboard. This also relates to how they last longer than standard keyboards. Rubber domes are capable of lasting a long time, but they will have a change in feel. They will become mushier and less responsive over time. Mechanical keyboards are know to feel like the day they were bought for many years.

    **Aesthetics** Mechanical keyboards tend to be more “old school” and simple in looks, which many enthusiasts prefer. However, there is an increasing popularity of mechanical keyboards marketed towards gamers and those keyboards have the gaming look. There is also a world of custom key caps of all designs and colors. These custom items are most commonly made for mechanical keyboards because there is a market for them.

    **Feel** Combining the characteristics of mechanical switches and the higher build quality of the keyboard, mechanical keyboards are preferred by many because they just feel better. The keystrokes feel crisp, deliberate and satisfying. The rubber domes in standard keyboards contribute to a feeling of mushiness, while mechanical keyboards have a visceral mechanical feel.

    **Customizability** Mechanical keyboards are a favorite among hardware tinkerers as you can swap in and out components of different switches to make a different feeling keystroke. There are a number of other hardware changes you can make as well such as a custom keycaps, bushings to adjust key rebound and more.

    **Cons for mechanical Keyboards**

    **Price** Mechanical keyboards are expensive and are often over $100

    **Niche Market** While these are popular keyboards for those who use them and there are not a lot of companies who have them out on the market. Often folks might purchase these and then not realize how loud they can be as well.

    **Weight** This may not matter to most people, but mechanical keyboards, on average, can be heavier than standard keyboards. Some users prefer this as it implies a higher standard and build quality.

    **Sound** As mentioned earlier, mechanical keyboards are often loud. Some switches make an audible click, but even those that don’t have a harsh plastic on plastic CLACK at the bottom of the keystroke. Some people love the click and clack sound, but it can drive others crazy.

    Generally mechanical keyboards are the best fit for enthusiasts or gamers. I personally prefer the feel of mechanical switches, but there is a good deal of nostalgia baked in as well. If you’ve never tried one, or like me you long for the days of old, it’s worth taking a look at mechanical keyboards to see what you think.

  • Terminal Tidbits

    **Disk Usage Command**

    There might be a time when you need to know how much space is available on your hard drive and you need to do it without a GUI. When trying to do diagnostics to find issues, it’s good to know if your hard drive is simply at capacity. Hard drives filled to their limits can display some scary signs, making one think that they have serious issues. When your drive is just stuffed more then your family’s thanksgiving turkey you can run into some pretty troubling and difficult issues.

    By opening Terminal and going into the Command line you can find out quickly what youR disk space is looking like. Within terminal enter the command, that is simply “df”.

    Once you run “df” you are going to get a weird confusing result. There will be many blocks, so to help your sanity us the -h (human readable) flag so that the overall syntax is “df -h”. This will give the result of used space and available space in gigabytes instead of blocks.

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