Category: How-To

Note: This tip originally ran in our Kibbles & Bytes newsletter as Kibbles & Bytes Mac Treat #5. Subscribe here: Kibbles & Bytes and Tech Tails Subscription Page OS 10.4’s Disk Utility makes it easy to make an exact copy of a CD or DVD that can be stored on a hard drive as a…

A while ago, we ran a tip about calibrating your MacBook, Macbook Pro, PowerBook or iBook battery. Keith at Small Dog suggested it was time to rerun the tip, as people have increasing been asking how to do this, or if it’s even necessary. Since our original article ran, Apple has streamlined it’s battery calibration…

By Todd@Smalldog.com I thought in the spirit of Halloween I would talk about some rather scary things to see on your mac. The kernel panic isn’t that sensation when you realize you are out of candy corn, but rather a system message telling you that something went wrong. What is a kernel panic: A kernel…

By David@smalldog.com Mac OS X uses what’s termed a “virtual memory system” (VM system) which essentially refers to the amount of memory an application thinks it needs to run, and is therefore allocated. Usually only a small portion of that memory is stored on the physical RAM chips. When (and if) your memory is insufficient…

By Art@Smalldog.com One resource I find myself turning to almost daily is Apple’s Knowledge Base website located from within Apple.com/Support. Being able to quickly find help is important as we take tech support phone calls, answer email, and research questions for our customers. I have found that knowing some keywords becomes handy in order to…

By Todd@Smalldog.com Since I joined the Small Dog Team recently I have begun to look at the technology that I use (or abuse) in a new light. Of the many ideas floating around in my head I decided to go with a rather simple issue that I know I have gone through. I use an…

Did you know that having many folders, images, old installers, and other files on your OS X desktop can cramp your Mac’s performance, including start-up time? This is because Desktop images are treated like dynamic windows, rather than static images. Ideally, the OS X Desktop should only be used for temporary, short term storage. It’s…

By Matt@Smalldog.com In processing iPod returns, many times the problem is simply a fully depleted battery. Customers report that the iPod does not respond when plugged into a wall charger or the computer, but instead displays a battery icon with one bar that does not flash. In most cases, leaving the iPod to charge for…

MacBook Issues & Solutions By Matt@Smalldog.com MacBooks seem to have two common defects: the widely publicized “Random Shutdown Syndrome”, and a failure to boot accompanied by crazy noises from the optical drive. The Random Shutdown Syndrome is related to a poorly engineered heatsink, and Apple now offers service providers a re-engineered heatsink to fix the…

Several companies make cables with a 1/8” jack on one end, and RCA jacks on the the other end for connecting an iPod video or iPod photo (color LCD) to a television or stereo. RCA jacks are the common cables with red and white plugs (for left and right stereo audio), and a yellow plug…