Kibbles and Bytes 481

What’s happening on September 13th?   All I can tell you is that the word is WOOF.

Speaking of woofs, Grace and I headed up to Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom and St. Johnsbury to visit Vermont’s most famous dog artist, Stephen Huneck and his wife Gwynn.   You probably have seen Stephen’s work often featuring his black lab, Sally.   We have several of his woodcuts in our office and Stephen and I share one very important passion – dogs.  It’s about a 2-hour drive to Dog Mountain, the home of Stephen’s Dog Chapel and Gallery.  I’d been there once before about 5 years ago for the dedication of the Dog Chapel.   As we headed up route 2 with Fantail and Hammerhead, it wasn’t hard to find the road to Stephen’s place.  He had created a very large statue of a woman walking her dogs to mark the road.

We drove up the steep road and parked in the gallery parking lot and put a collar on Hammer (he usually is naked) and leashes on both the dogs.   As we walked to the Gallery, Gwynn met us and suggested that it would be better if the dogs were not on leashes, which we (and the pups) gladly agreed to.  She told me that the only time they have ever had any problems with dogs on Dog Mountain is when they are leashed.  Free dogs tend to work things out and that was certainly the case with Fantail, Hammerhead and about a dozen other dogs wandering about.

Stephen not only makes pictures with wood cuts and ink-jet technology but he has a complete shop and production facility to produce sculpture and furniture.  He is also a prolific author and illustrator of children’s books.   You can see Stephen Huneck’s work at

http://www.dogmt.com

As we entered the gallery Stephen greeted me after he had spent some time getting acquainted with Fantail and Hammerhead.   A warm greeting from Stephen was followed by him presenting me with portraits of Fantail Shrimp and Hammerhead that he had drawn in the couple days since he had mysteriously asked me for pictures of the dogs.  They were an awesome present and we were very grateful for this unnecessary kindness.  I had come to Dog Mountain to talk with Stephen about how we could work together.  I was especially interested in talking with him about Project Burlap but our discussions went the gamut from dogs to holographs to dogs to inner sanctums to dogs to art galleries  and back again to dogs.   We hit it off because of our affinity for our canine pals and what was supposed to be a short meeting ended up being a 3-hour get together.   It was a beautiful day and we were sitting outside next to the Dog Chapel (the dog chapel is devoted to dogs and its walls are papered with individual pictures and remembrances of dogs from Stephen’s thousands of devoted fans).  The dogs were playing and out of the corner of my eye I noticed Hammerhead investigating the cellar hole that Stephen had excavated for his inner sanctum project.  The hole was filled with water and as Hammer slipped and fell into the water I discovered that he breeder had told me the truth when she said “bulldogs don’t swim”.   I saw him go under once and beat his legs for the surface and as I ran over to the hole he went down a second time.   I jumped into the water on the edge and was able to grab his collar (good thing I had put that on!) and drag him out to the bank.    He seemed none the worse for wear and shook himself off all over Stephen and Gwynn but they didn’t care and we are all happy that Hammer was rescued.   I spent the rest of the day with squishy socks and wet shoes and I made sure Hammer was not out of sight.

The good news from Dog Mountain is that we will be offering Stephen’s work at our store and on the web very soon!  You will be hearing more about that growing relationship.  Stephen is also working with the State of Vermont to have a “dog friendly” establishment program to increase tourism and we’ll be involved in that, too!

You can see the artwork that Stephen created for Fantail Shrimp and Hammerhead at the Small Dog Electronics blog:

Http://blog.smalldog.com

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Small Dog Electronics Dog Food for Thought Pawcast #16 Live from our showroom in Waitsfield, Vermont: Don & Ed discuss Apple News, share some Mac tips, introduce Geoff Blanck, our new Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and offer some exclusive, Pawcast- only specials!

Subscribe in iTunes here (clicking on this link with launch iTunes):

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast? id=128728210

Or listen through your browser:

http://images.smalldog.com/podcast/smalldog_pawcast_2006_08_31.mp3

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Updated Apple Battery Recall Information By Ed @ Smalldog.com

The Apple battery recall has taken a few confusing turns since the news broke last week. Support pages have been moved and consolidated. The line of recalled batteries has been updated. Finally, there are a couple of recall programs underway, which was not noted last week.

As of this writing, Tuesday, August 28, the following information is up to date and correct. This information may change at Apple’s discretion.

This is the recall that is currently in the news:

Battery Exchange Program iBook G4 and PowerBook G4

Apple has determined that certain lithium-ion batteries containing cells manufactured by Sony Corporation of Japan pose a safety risk that may result in overheating under rare circumstances.

The affected batteries were sold worldwide from October 2003 through August 2006 for use with the following notebook computers: 12-inch iBook G4, 12-inch PowerBook G4 and 15-inch PowerBook G4. Also, if you participated in a previous battery recall for any of these computer models or recently purchased or received from Apple an extra battery for an iBook G3, please check your battery serial number in case you received a replacement battery that is affected by this program.

To view the model and serial numbers labeled on the bottom of the battery, you must remove the battery from the computer. The battery serial number is printed in black or dark grey lettering beneath a barcode on the battery.

Affected models include:

iBook G4 batteries with the battery model number A1061 and the battery serial number range:

ZZ338 – ZZ427 3K429 – 3K611 6C519 – 6C552 ending with S9WA, S9WC or S9WD

12-inch PowerBook G4 with the battery model number A1079 and the battery serial number range:

ZZ411 – ZZ427 3K428 – 3K611

15-inch PowerBook G4 with the battery model number A1078 and A1148, and the battery serial number range:

3K425 – 3K601 6N530 – 6N551 ending with THTA, THTB, or THTC 6N601 ending with THTC

You need to fill out a battery exchange form online:

https://support.apple.com/ibook_powerbook/batteryexchange/

Apple recommends removing the affected battery, and running your laptop strictly on AC power. You can use your computer without the battery in it when the computer is plugged into AC power. Simply remove the battery and plug in the AC adapter to power the computer until a replacement battery arrives.

There is an earlier recall of batteries for the 12-inch PowerBook G4, 15-inch PowerBook G4, and 12-inch iBook G4 that is also happening. These batteries were manufactured by LG Chem, Ltd. of South Korea.

The affected batteries could overheat, posing a fire hazard to consumers. Apple has received six consumer reports of these batteries overheating. If you have a recalled battery, please stop using it and order a replacement battery immediately. Once you have removed the battery, plug in the AC adapter to power the computer. If you must temporarily use your computer with the battery, do not leave it unattended and check for signs of overheating.

The recalled batteries include those with model numbers A1061, A1078, and A1079 and serial numbers that begin with HQ441 through HQ507 and 3X446 through 3X510. If you have recently purchased an extra or replacement battery for any of the computer models noted above or a 12-inch iBook G3, please check the battery’s serial number to see if it needs to be exchanged.

You can read about this in detail here:

https://depot.info.apple.com/batteryexchange/index.html

Finally, there is a recall program in place for the 15-inch MacBook Pro. This covers certain rechargeable batteries that were sold for use with 15-inch MacBook Pro computer systems from February 2006 through May 2006. The affected batteries have model number A1175 and a 12-digit serial number that ends with U7SA, U7SB or U7SC. No other MacBook Pro or MacBook batteries are part of this program. The affected batteries do not pose a safety risk. You may continue to use your current battery until a replacement arrives. You can read about this program, and fill out the exchange form here:

https://support.apple.com/macbookpro15/batteryexchange/

It may take four to six weeks for your replacement battery to arrive. Shipping time may vary due to availability of your battery model.

Apple will send you the replacement battery first and then you will send Apple the recalled battery.

Note that the MacBook Pro, PowerBook, or iBook battery serial number is different from the computer’s serial number. The PowerBook serial number is located on the side of the battery well in the top left corner. The iBook serial number is located underneath the keyboard. The serial number for the 15-inch MacBook Pro is located on the bottom of the battery well.

For any machine, you can use Apple System Profiler to confirm your serial number.

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Codeweavers Releases Beta of Crossover Mac By Don @ Smalldog.com

You have heard of Parallels and Boot Camp but Codeweavers solution for Windows applications is even neater.  Basically CrossOver Mac will allow you to run COMPATIBLE Windows applications without having to own Windows!   There are now over 2000 Windows applications that will simply just run in OS X.  You’ll need an Intel-based Mac and 120 MB of free hard drive space but this is an exciting development that might be the answer for many of us that only occasionally want to run a Windows app.  CrossOver Mac allows you to install your favorite Windows applications and games on Mac OS X. CrossOver includes an easy to use, single click interface, which makes installing Windows software simple and fast. Once installed, your application integrates seamlessly in OS X. Just click and run your application directly from the OS X Finder. Clicking a Windows file or document – including email attachments – will launch the appropriate Windows program, allowing you to work on the files. Best of all you do it without needing a Microsoft operating system license.

This product will be about $60 when it is released but you can download the beta now and check out the long list of compatible applications.    I do not own many Windows applications so I’d appreciate a first-hand review from any of you that do and I’ll include it in our next issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

http://www.codeweavers.com/products/cxmac/

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On the iPhoto File Structure By Ed @ Smalldog.com

I could condense all my iPhoto wisdom in one sentence: for your own benefit, please never, ever open the iPhoto folder library folder and move files around. That’s it. This is because iPhoto has to maintain a very strict innovatory of it’s data. To read about the data structure, read this explanation:

http://www.iphotolibrarymanager.com/Documentation/iPLM/pgs/ libraryfolder.html

There really is no reason for the vast majority of users to ever open their iPhoto library folder. That includes me!

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Make Multiple iPhoto Libraries, or Make an iPhoto Library on an External Hard Drive By Ed @ Smalldog.com

With iPhoto 5 and 6, it’s very easy to create and maintain multiple iPhoto libraries. You might do this to keep separate personal and business iPhoto libraries, or to keep one iPhoto library installed on your computer’s hard drive, and a separate iPhoto library installed on an external hard-drive.

To create a new iPhoto 5 or 6 library, click on the orange iPhoto icon, and then quickly hold down the “option” key. You will be prompted to choose an iPhoto library, or to create a new library. If you create a new library, and you want to switch back to the old iPhoto library, simply hold down the option key again when launching iPhoto.

You can also download a great shareware program called iPhoto buddy to manage multiple iPhoto libraries. iPhoto buddy makes it very easy to do this. I recommend trying iPhoto Buddy; you can read about it and download it here:

http://www.iphotobuddy.com/

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Creating a Digital Multimedia Memory Experience By Ed @ Smalldog.com

Two of my friends recently announced that, after a long relationship, they are finally going to get married. It’s a shotgun wedding, so there are only a couple of weeks to get everything ready. They asked if I could scan in a bunch of their older photos, to create a digital slideshow of their lives before and during their relationship, to be projected with music during the reception.

iPhoto does a great job of creating slideshows, for projecting out of an LCD projector, on a TV via a computer connection, on a TV from a DVD, or directly off of a computer. Our plan is to play the slideshow on a PowerBook, while projecting it on a screen from a LCD projector. The slideshow will be on a loop. We will connect portable speakers to the PowerBook so music can accompany the slideshow. We will burn a copy of the slideshow onto DVDs, and give the DVDs to the bride and groom as gifts for themselves and their family. We’ll also burn a basic CD-ROM, with the full resolution photos.

We are also going to create a Life Poster, as a decoration at the wedding, and as a gift. Life Posters are great – you can read how to make them here:

http://www.mikematas.com/2005/01/how-to-make-life-poster.html

However, before I can even start making the slideshow and Life Poster, I need to scan hundreds of photos into the computer, touch them up, and manage and store them on my computer.

Thankfully, iPhoto 6 and Photoshop Elements 3 (or Elements 4) greatly simplifies this process. I started by creating a new iPhoto library (see above.) This way, all the photos I scan in for my friends won’t clog up my primary iPhoto library.

Next, I fill the scanner bed with photos. Photoshop Elements 3 and 4 can automatically divide up the photos, allowing you to scan, divide, touch up, and save large batches of photos at a time. When I save the photos, I try and give them useful names. All the scanned photos are saved to a folder in my Pictures folder. When all photos are finally scanned in, I drag and drop the entire folder into a new iPhoto 6 library. Now I can easily create iPhoto albums and sort the pictures into a useful order, for printing, burning to DVD, and projecting at the reception.

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Start Soapbox By Don@Smalldog.com

Save Internet Freedom, Support Net Neutrality

I was a speaker at a press conference today in support of net neutrality.  We joined a coalition of groups to lobby Vermont Senator Jeffords to actively support net neutrality in the telecommunications bill coming up to the Senate this month.  The senator came out in favor of net neutrality last night but we presented him with petitions and held the press conference to encourage his support. Vermont’s other Senator, Patrick Leahy has been a net neutrality supporter from the beginning.   This is one of the few times that I stood up with the ACLU, Vermont Public Interest Group and groups such as the Christian Coalition and the National Gun Owners association to talk about a public policy issue.  This is a vitally important issue that you should be aware of and talk with your senators, too.  More information is available at:

http://www.savetheinternet.com/

The current telecommunications bill does not have protection for the concept of net neutrality included in the legislation.   At the urging of a handful of telecommunications companies, namely, Verizon, Comcast, Bell South, AT&T the legislation would allow these very same internet “gate-keepers” to charge different rates for different levels of access to the net.  This would mean that the larger companies could and would pay for faster page-loads and preferred access while smaller companies, bloggers and others may be left with slow access or no access.   The internet has been the most free common ground for communications in the history of man.  A small company in the middle of nowhere, with some good web design skills can look as good and provide the same goods and services as a company that is much larger.  With a tiered internet, that new entrepreneur might be locked out in their new venture because they cannot afford the extra fees to have the higher level of access.

The impact upon bloggers, news sites and a free press are even more troublesome.  An aggressive ISP might price these grassroots newsgroups and bloggers out of the market or even make it so their pages load so slow that they are unusable.   The only ones advocating for overturning the status quo of a free neutral net are those same large telecommunications companies that want to make more money and exercise more control over the content on the net.   Some of the very companies that could afford to pay these higher fees to gain faster access are the most vociferous supporters of net neutrality. Companies like Microsoft, Amazon and Google could easily pay to be in the upper tier but have been very vocal and active in supporting a free internet.  They do not see any benefit to allowing Comcast, Verizon and Bell South to control internet content or speed.

Small Dog Electronics was born on the internet.  The company was a gleam in my eye and operated out of my living room and garage for the first year of operation.  We never would have achieved the success we have achieved from the boonies in the Green Mountains without net neutrality.  It is a concept that is near and dear to us and one that we will continue to support with our public voice and our votes.

How do you feel about net neutrality?  Share your opinion at the Small Dog Soapbox;

http://www.smalldog.com/PHPbb/viewforum.php?f=1

End Soapbox

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Specials!

Here are the specials for this week, valid through September 8 or while on-hand supplies last. Be sure to use the wag URL to get this special pricing.

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Small Dog Groove Cube portable speakers – $14!

To order: http://www.smalldog.com/wag16884/mymac

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Apple iPod Hi-Fi Speaker System – FREE 3-day express shipping – $349!

To order: http://www.smalldog.com/wag10018/mymac

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MacAlly BTMouse – Bluetooth Full-Size Optical Mouse – $38!

To order: http://www.smalldog.com/wag16888/mymac

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Mophie Relo Run 5G Black – $19!

To order: http://www.smalldog.com/wag16889/mymac

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LaCie 300gb Extreme Triple Interface FireWire 800/400/USB – $169, limited time only!

To order: http://www.smalldog.com/wag16858/mymac

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MacBook Pro 15-inch 2.0GHz 1gb/100/SuperDrive(r), Canon Printer/ Copier/Scan, Office, MORE – $2239!

To order: http://www.smalldog.com/wag16830/mymac

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MacBook 1.83, Canon iP1700 Printer, Belkin Surge Protector, Cable for printer, Ogio Case – $1189!

To order: http://www.smalldog.com/wag16817/mymac

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Canon DC10 DVD Digital Video Camera – FREE SHIPPING – $549!

To order: http://www.smalldog.com/wag16870/mymac

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Canon Optura 50 Digital Video Camera – FREE SHIPPING – $599!

To order: http://www.smalldog.com/wag16874/mymac

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See all specials, bundles and rebates here:

http://www.smalldog.com/allwags/wag119/mymac

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It looks like the remnants of tropical storm Ernesto will visit us here in Vermont just in time for the long holiday weekend.  I have a long list of stuff to do inside and outside depending upon where Ernesto goes but it will be nice to have a 3-day weekend to celebrate Labor Day!  I hope that you have a great weekend!

Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,

Don, Ed & Holly