Mobile Mac Superguide

Mobile Mac Superguide $9.99 Apple’s first laptop, the Mac Portable, weighed nearly 16 pounds and cost $6,500. It was...

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Mobile Mac

Superguide

$9.99

Apple’s first laptop, the Mac Portable, weighed nearly 16 pounds and cost $6,500. It was a curious thing and people wondered, who would want one? Who could afford one? What would they do with it? But over the years, portable technology improved. The original PowerBook line created an entire subculture of road warriors—digital nomads who worked when and where they wanted. These days, thanks to the light and fast MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air, using a portable computer isn’t reserved for a handful of gearheads. In 2005, 40 percent of the Macs Apple sold were laptops. Now that number is 60 percent. We’ve crossed some sort of dividing line: portable computers are as mainstream as it gets. Of course, even the MacBook Air isn’t the lightest portable computer Apple makes. That distinction goes to the iPhone and iPod touch, which may pose as cellular phones and music and video players but are in fact complete touch-screen computers running a version of OS X. Along with the developments to computer hardware has come another development vital to the growth of portable computing: the massive expansion of Internet connectivity and wireless networks. The iPhone is attached to a broadband Internet connection almost all the time. Cafés and hotels from Maine to Montana offer speedy Internet connections via Wi-Fi. Small computers and easy-to-acquire Internet connections mean that you don’t have to be tethered to your desk to take full advantage of modern technology. In this book, you’ll find everything Macworld knows about using your Mac when you’re out and about. If you’re in the market for something new, our experts tell you what to look for when you’re shopping. Then we’ll make sure you get connected, no matter where you are. We have a collection of essential utilities and accessories for mobile users, and a troubleshooting guide for the most common Mac problems. And of course, when your entire world is on a small, light device, security is important—we share the best ways to ensure your laptop and data stay safe, even when you’re not paying attention. There are a lot of great things about being a mobile Mac user. But being mobile also means there are unique challenges. Let this book be your companion when you’re on the go.

—Jason Snell, Editorial Director, Macworld San Francisco, December 2008 Macworld’s Mobile mac Superguide

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Photograph by Peter Belanger

Foreword

Table of Contents Choose Your Hardware

Essential Mobile Utilities

6 MacBook Pro

30 The Basics

Meet Apple’s top-of-the-line laptop and see if it’s the right choice for your power-user lifestyle.

Savvy travelers shouldn’t leave home without these key troubleshooting and productivity-boosting utilities.

7 MacBook

32 Connections

This classic consumer laptop is faster than you might think. But can you live without FireWire?

These nifty applications are musthaves for mobile workers who need to get online or sync their data.

8 MacBook Air

34 Web Tools

Apple’s take on the subnotebook, the superthin Air, is aimed at a specific group of road warriors.

Work and communicate smarter using the best collaborative Webbased programs.

9 iPhone

36 iPhone Tools

You know it’s much more than a phone, but do you know it can be an effective mobile office as well?

Unlock your iPhone or iPod touch’s hidden work potential with these innovative apps.

10 iPod Touch

Security to Go

It may not have 3G, but the iPod touch is still a remarkably powerful tool for travelers.

40 Prevent Theft These tricks and gadgets will keep your computer from ending up in the wrong hands.

Make the Connection

Anyone who uses your computer can open your files. Make sure your data’s properly protected.

Finding Internet access is half the battle. Here are the best ways to get online and get to work fast.

52 Secure Your Connections

21 Phoning Home

Mobile Mac users are frequently on strange and unprotected networks. Ensure that snoops can’t see your private communications and files.

Learn how to sync up with your home or office computer and access your data from far away.

Macworld’s Mobile Mac Superguide

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Cover image by Peter Belanger

43 Protect Your Data

12 Getting Online

table of contents

What Else to Pack

57 Malware and Other Threats

80 Laptop Necessities

Take a stand against viruses, phishers, and malware with commonsense tips and the right tools.

Trick out your laptop with the best accessories, like sturdy bags, portable storage, and power solutions.

Troubleshooting

84 Security Tools

62 Backing Up

Ward off potential thieves and track down stolen devices with this collection of safety gear.

Having all your data on one device can be risky. Here are the best ways to back up, including online.

86 iPhone Accessories

71 Problem Solving

Your iPhone or iPod touch is a blank slate just waiting for the right accessories. These cases, skins, and screen protectors will guard it from wear and tear.

Be your own Genius. Learn how to solve simple problems while miles away from your IT department and the nearest Apple store.

Also from the Editors of Macworld…

for immediate access; on CD for easy, offline storage; or as a full-color bound book printed on high-quality paper. Go to macworld.com/ superguide-offer to order any of the Superguide books or to download a Enter the code free preview. MWREADER6 to get a discount on your next order.

Get more insider tips and troubleshooting advice from the Mac experts. Our Superguide series offers useful insights and step-bystep instructions for the latest Mac hardware and software. Each of the books in the series is available in one of three different formats: as a downloadable PDF


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Contributors Rich Mogull is a contributor to TidBits (www.tidbits.com) and runs Securosis LLC (securosis.com), a security consulting practice.

Glenn Fleishman writes daily about Wi-Fi at the Wi-Fi Networking News site (www.wifinetnews .com). He is the author of Take Control of Sharing Files in Leopard (TidBits Publishing, 2007; www .takecontrolbooks.com).

Chris Pepper is a systems administrator and a TidBits (www.tidbits .com) contributor.

Senior Editor Dan Frakes reviews iPod, iPhone, and audio gear for Macworld and runs the Mac Gems and Mobile Mac Weblogs on Macworld.com.

Gina Trapani is the lead editor of Lifehacker.com and the author of Upgrade Your Life: The Lifehacker Guide to Working Smarter, Faster, Better (Wiley, 2008).

Senior Editor Rob Griffiths runs MacOSXHints.com, writes Macworld’s monthly Mac OS X Hints column, and offers weekly Mac hints on Macworld’s Mac OS X Hints blog.

Bill Wiecking regularly speaks on mobility and wireless topics. He lives in Hawaii.

Joe Kissell is the senior editor of TidBits (www.tidbits.com) and the author of Take Control of Easy Backups in Leopard (TidBits Publishing, 2007; www .takecontrolbooks.com).


Editor Kelly Turner President and CEO VP, Editorial Director

Mike Kisseberth Jason Snell

Managing Editor Jennifer Werner Associate Editor Heather Kelly Copy Editor Peggy Nauts

Scott McNulty is a senior contributor at Macuser.com and cohost of the cooking podcast Fork You. He also runs his personal Web site, blankbaby (blankbaby.typepad .com).

Art Director Rob Schultz Designers Lori Flynn, Carli Morgenstein Production Director Steve Spingola Prepress Manager Tamara Gargus Macworld is a publication of Mac Publishing, L.L.C., and International Data Group, Inc. Macworld is an independent journal not affiliated with Apple, Inc. Copyright © 2008, Mac Publishing, L.L.C. All rights reserved. Macworld, the Macworld logo, the Macworld Lab, the mouse-ratings logo, MacCentral.com, PriceGrabber, and Mac Developer Journal are registered trademarks of International Data Group, Inc., and used under license by Mac Publishing, L.L.C. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple, Inc. Printed in the United States of America.

Visit Macworld senior contributor Kirk McElhearn’s blog Kirkville (www.mcelhearn.com) for more information about Macs, iPods, books, and music.

Have comments or suggestions? E-mail us at [email protected].


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Choose Your Hardware Which of the Mac’s Fast and Flexible Devices Is Right for You?

Photographs Courtesy of Apple

A

pple has a range of mobile hardware options. Whatever your lifestyle is, there’s a device that’s perfect for you. Do you prefer owning just one computer? The high-end MacBook Pros are powerful enough to be your only system, and there’s no hassle with synchronizing data back and forth between a desktop and a laptop. If you need to haul your Mac with you often and size is a consideration, a MacBook or a MacBook Air makes for much easier transport with slight performance compromises. Finally, if you’re looking for something small to complement your desktop or laptop, the iPhone or iPod touch can keep you connected and productive while you’re away from your office or laptop. Take stock of what you need in a system and then find out which of these Apple options is right for you.

Table of contents

6

MacBook Pro

7

MacBook

8

MacBook Air

9

iPhone

10

iPod Touch


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Choose Your Hardware

MacBook Pro

peripherals. It also has the larger screens popular with professionals. Good for: People looking for a portable Mac with a large screen and no performance compromises. Bad for: People on a budget and those who prefer smaller, lighter laptops.

The MacBook Pro is the fastest, largest, and most expensive of Apple’s laptops. It’s aimed at professionals and power users and offers at least five avenues for increasing performance: processor speed, graphics speed, hard-drive speed, FireWire, and ExpressCard

Photograph Courtesy of Apple

MacBook Pro Screen

15.4 inches

17 inches

Thickness

.95 inch

1 inch

Weight

5.5 pounds

6.6 pounds

Processor

2.4GHz, 2.53GHz

2.5GHz, 2.6GHz

Starting Price

$1,999

$2,799

Rating

mmmm

mmmm

Connections

2 USB; 1 FireWire 800; ExpressCard/34

3 USB; 1 FireWire 400; 1 FireWire 800; ExpressCard/34

Battery Life

5 hours

5 hours


6


MacBook

The MacBook is Apple’s consumerlevel laptop. Recent upgrades of its display, addition of a Multi-Touch glass trackpad, and speedier graphics performance have made it a big improvement over the previous models—as long as you can live without a FireWire port. If you’re on a budget, don’t require

FireWire, and don’t require a matte screen (now only an option on the 17-inch MacBook Pro), the MacBook might be your best bet. Good for: People looking for a light laptop that’s a good value. Bad for: Heavy video or audio editors; people who need lots of screen real estate.


MACBOOK

WHITE

Screen

13.3 inches

13.3 inches

Thickness

.95 inch

1.08 inches

Weight

4.5 pounds

5 pounds

Processor

2.0GHz, 2.4GHz

2.1GHz

Starting Price

$1,200

$999

Rating

mmmm

mmmm

Connections

2 USB; Ethernet

FireWire 400; 2 USB; Ethernet

Battery Life

5 hours

4.5 hours


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MacBook Air

The MacBook Air is Apple’s version of a subnotebook—laptops designed to be smaller and lighter than traditional models. Unlike the MacBook and MacBook Pro, the Air isn’t intended to be a generalpurpose computer. It was created specifically for road warriors with ample budgets. It’s an exceptionally mobile system that can be used to stay in touch, without the restrictions of a palm-sized device like an iPhone or iPod touch. It has limitations: there is no optical drive and ports are limited to a single USB slot, an analog headphone/speaker output, and a Micro-DVI video output. But for people who value light weight and are willing to give up other features to get it, it’s a good alternative to larger laptops. And for those who already have another Mac at home

MacBook AIR Screen

13.3 inches

Thickness

.16 to .76 inch

Weight

3 pounds

Processor

1.6GHz, 1.86GHz

Starting Prices

$1,799; $2,499

Rating

mmmh

Connections

1 USB

Battery Life

4.5 hours

or work, the MacBook Air can be an on-the-go complement. Good for: Frequent travelers; people who want the lightest laptop possible; users without high-end performance needs. Bad for: Performance hounds; anyone who needs lots of disk space; frequent CD/DVD drive users; the budget conscious.


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iPhone

Experienced travelers know you can’t have your laptop on you all the time. You also can’t afford to be out of the loop. That’s where the iPhone can fill a void. It can’t replace a laptop for real productivity, but you can use it to stay in touch with your office, update your to-do list when you’re away from iCal, and handle a surprisingly large number of small work tasks. PDF, Word, and Excel files can all be viewed but not edited on the iPhone. The iPhone doesn’t need Wi-Fi to get online and the app store has great productivity tools. Good for: Light travel-

iphone Screen

3.5 inches

Thickness

.48 inch

Weight

4.7 ounces

Starting Price

$299

Rating

mmmm

Connections

30-pin/USB

Battery Life

varies

ers; people whose work consists mostly of staying in contact. Bad for: Anyone who needs to produce documents or do a heavy amount of typing.


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iPod Touch

The iPod touch doesn’t have the iPhone’s powerful 3G connection, but you can still check Mail, access the Web with a Wi-Fi connection, access the App Store, and view the same kinds of documents as on the iPhone. The new iPod touch comes with the powerful 2.1 software. The touch works best as a portable entertainment and Internet device for travelers. Good for: People with laptops; international travelers who don’t want roaming charges; travellers who need entertainment. Bad for: Anyone who needs

ipod touch Screen

3.5 inches

Thickness

.48 inches

Weight

4.7 ounces

Starting Price

$229

Rating

mmmm

Connections

30-pin/USB

Battery Life

varies

to be in constant contact or do significant amounts of work on the road; people without constant WiFi connections.


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Make the Connection Get Online and Stay in Touch from Anywhere

T

hese days, people are spending less time at the office and more time on the go. It’s not that they’re working less; in fact, it’s just the opposite. Thanks to laptops, e-mail, and ubiquitous Internet access, employees can stay on the job no matter where they are. To help you cope with that new reality efficiently, we offer the Spot Art following tips and tricks for staying TK connected while embracing the mobile work style. This chapter compares the various ways you can connect your MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or iPhone Table of contents to the Internet and other networks. Learn how to use your laptop wirelessly almost anywhere 12 Getting Online you can use a cell phone. 21 Phoning Home


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make the connection

Getting Online

B

instance), and retail stores, like the Apple Store and Panera Bread. The site offers some narrative, too, with details about chains and where to find them. Many U.S. Starbucks outlets offer two hours of continuous free service each day to anyone with a Starbucks Card, a stored-value card you can use for purchases. Any time you make a purchase or add a minimum of $5 to the card, you receive 30 days of access. Starbucks has WiFi only in its freestanding corporate-owned stores, which number about 8,000 in the United States. Other good places to find a WiFi spot include your hotel and the local library. Some libraries require you to have a library card, but many offer free access to visitors. Search for the location you’ll be visiting and the word library on the Web to find branch availability and access policies. Often, visiting a local park is all you need to do to get online. Many cities and even small towns have unwired central and neighborhood parks, or central squares with free service. This includes famous parks like Bryant Park in New York City (right behind the main library branch, which itself has free Wi-Fi),

eing out of town doesn’t have to mean being out of touch. Between cellular networks and Wi-Fi hotspots, the entire globe is wired and ready to connect your device to the Internet. Here are basics for getting online.

Wi-Fi

Experienced travelers know that Wi-Fi hotspots are everywhere these days. Just about every U.S. metropolis has small to large wireless hot zones. When you’re on the road, Wi-Fi offers the fastest and easiest connections.

Locating a Hotspot Many businesses and cities have chosen to offer Internet access over Wi-Fi as an incentive to bring people into stores, downtowns, or lesser-traveled business districts. You can find a list of locations through two resources: JiWire.com offers a comprehensive hotspot directory, and iPhone users can download the JiWire app at the iTunes App Store (see “Wi-Fi Hunting”). Wi-Fi Free Spot (www .wififreespot.com) specializes in no-cost Wi-Fi locations. It’s organized by state and venue, like airports (Las Vegas and Phoenix, for


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make the connection

Corporate networks that use 802.1X, a general standard for allowing per-user logins with a name and password, or WPA/WPA2 Enterprise, a subset of 802.1X, require a special piece of software, called a supplicant. It’s built into both Mac OS X and the iPhone. (The iPhone has a limited set of 802.1X controls available through its Wi-Fi connection interface, but using the iPhone Configuration Utility, a free download from Apple, you or a network administrator can set advanced options.)

and the central square in Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island, Maine.

Types of Networks Not all Wi-Fi networks offer the same degree of ease when you want to hook up. You should be able to use your laptop or iPhone to access any network that has no security enabled or that uses basic consumer encryption, either WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) or WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) Personal or WPA2 Personal.

Wi-Fi Hunting JiWire.com has a comprehensive database of free and forfee Wi-Fi spots around the world. Macworld’s Mobile Mac Superguide

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make the connection

TIP

Free Airport Wi-Fi Some airport authorities have chosen to stop charging for Wi-Fi or never charged in the first place. This typically includes slightly less traveled but still well-situated airports, such as Phoenix, Las Vegas, San Diego, and Sacramento, among others. If you’re buried in work and your travel plans let you choose such an airport, free Wi-Fi might be worth putting on the itinerary.

Logging On

Plopping down $2 or $5 or $10 for an hour or two or a day of Wi-Fi access can add up quickly. For frequent travelers, buying a monthly unlimited service plan makes sense. The cost ranges from $20 to $60 per month, depending on which operator you choose and the scope of the network (United States or worldwide). For that price you can often find fast service when you need it and access to customer service. Here are the two best options for Mac users. Boingo Wireless Currently, Boingo Wireless (www.boingo .com) is the best option for unlimited monthly Wi-Fi service. It has an aggregated network of tens of thousands of hotspots drawn from hundreds of Wi-Fi operators that it resells under one price. Boingo also operates service at dozens of North America airports. In the United States, Boingo has over 20,000 locations that cost $21.95 per month. Its worldwide network of 100,000 hotspots is $59 for un-

At purely open networks, you connect and immediately have access to the Internet. At free locations with usage agreements, you connect, view a Web page, and agree to the terms of service. At a home or in an office that uses one of the Wi-Fi network encryption options, you connect the first time and enter the necessary password; you’ll likely choose to store that password. In the future, the laptop or iPhone will automatically recognize you and re-connect without prompting you.

Paying for Service Many busy locations (like airports or chain restaurants) offer for-fee hotspots. To access them you first connect, then view a gateway Web page that gives prices or a login for existing accounts. If you’re new to the network, enter the appropriate information to join, including a credit card number (which is virtually always protected with a secure Web link).


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make the connection

DSL and fiber-optics customers, as well as millions of remoteaccess business subscribers, pay no additional fee for access to this network; you can use your account login with AT&T to activate Wi-Fi service. The Premier service adds about 1,000 hotels in the United States, and nearly 60,000 hotspots outside the country, for $19.95 per month. Free Basic users can upgrade for $9.95 per month to Premier.

limited use (see “Well Covered”). Boingo has a special laptop program you download from its site for free that automates logins at its locations. AT&T The AT&T WiFi network (wireless.att.com) has two tiers of network: Basic and Premier. The Basic tier has 18,000 locations, including about 7,000 Starbucks and 10,000 McDonald’s. Between the two chains, you can find coverage just about everywhere. AT&T

Well Covered Boingo’s site has a helpful interactive map showing all its Wi-Fi locations in the world. Macworld’s Mobile Mac Superguide

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make the connection

Cellular Data Service

can get online at near-broadband speeds in most metropolitan areas, and at slow but still usable rates in less-populated places. Recently, major carriers have made it easier for Macs to take advantage of their networks, making a cellular data plan one of the best—if not the least expensive— ways to get online from the road (see “Pick a Plan”).

Sometimes, there aren’t enough Wi-Fi hotspots available where you want them. Also, if you’re working with sensitive data, they can pose a security issue if you don’t enable a virtual private network, or VPN, connection (see the Security to Go chapter for details). One alternative is cellular data service from the same wireless carriers who connect your cell phones. The advantage of cellular data service is its ubiquity. Like cellular voice service, it’s based on networks of base stations that are located in most cities and airports and along most major highways in the United States. That means you

Find a Carrier AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon each offer speedy, roughly comparable, third-generation (3G) cellular data networks in the United States. T-Mobile does not currently offer cell-data options for Mac owners; it offers just a single PC Card, with no Mac drivers or software. The cost of 3G service depends

Pick a Plan Monthly Bandwidth Limit

Carrier

Monthly Cost

Overage Charges

AT&T

$60

N/A until you 5GB hit the limit

Sprint

$40

$1/MB

40MB

Maximum charge: $100/ month

Sprint

$60

none

5GB

Warnings if you exceed limit regularly

Verizon Wireless

$40

$0.99/MB

50MB

Verizon Wireless

$60

$0.49/MB

5GB


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Notes

Warnings before you reach the limit

make the connection

on your carrier’s plans and how much bandwidth you want. Plans range from $40 to $60 a month and all include monthly bandwidth limits, with varying overage charges. Some carriers used to offer month-to-month plans, but they all seem to have dropped them in recent months, moving toward a required commitment of at least one year and often two. The $60-per-month plan from any carrier is the best choice for most travelers. The 5 gigabytes per month limit translates to under 200MB a day on average, which isn’t a reasonable limit for normal laptop use, so you’ll need to watch what you do. If you’re not buying movies from the iTunes Store, using peer-to-peer networks, or constantly installing huge software updates on the road, you should avoid exceeding this daily average. Before picking a plan, be sure to check its coverage in the places you travel to the most.

Typically, the least expensive USB adapter burns more power and is bulkier than pricier counterparts. It’s important to note that speed is a function of the network, not the card. The cost of the hardware will vary by carrier and whatever deals it’s offering when you sign up for service. Most carriers offer discounts if you buy online, and some offer instant online or mail-in rebates. In the end, your choice of cards will depend largely on the Mac laptop model you have. USB Every current Mac laptop—including the MacBook and the MacBook Air—has a USB jack, and each carrier offers one or more USB adapters. Some USB modems may require a cable or an extender to plug in alongside other USB adapters; newer and moreexpensive USB adapters tend to be smaller and sleeker than older units. Some USB modems even have internal batteries and can be charged separately from the laptop; this can extend your laptop’s battery life by more than an hour. MacBook Air owners take note: Because your laptop is so thin, it may need a USB cable extender— which may come with the modem—to make a good connection. Both of Sprint’s USB modems and Verizon’s most expensive USB modem (the USB727) include micro-SD slots; that means they can double as USB flash drives. If

Choose the Right Hardware All three major carriers offer USB, ExpressCard, and PC Card hardware options, all with Mac OS X support. Comparable hardware options cost roughly the same amount, regardless of the carrier. Hardware offerings change constantly, and the main differences between them are card format, battery consumption, and size, but not performance.


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make the connection

party, just make sure the antenna you buy is designed to work with your carrier’s 3G frequency ranges. In conclusion USB modems are the best choice for most users. They work with pretty much any Mac, and they’re easily exchanged between systems: if you buy an ExpressCard for your MacBook Pro but then need to borrow someone’s MacBook or MacBook Air, or if your home broadband goes on the fritz and you want to plug your 3G modem into your desktop, you’ll be out of luck. A USB modem can connect pretty much any Mac (or PC, for that matter). The only downside is that USB modems stick out, so you can easily damage them.

your laptop has just one USB port or the port’s positioning makes it hard to insert a USB drive, this feature might make it worthwhile to choose Sprint or the pricier Verizon. PC Card Most PowerBook G4 models came with support back to 10.3 or 10.4 from the three carriers; you can still add cell data service to your older PowerPC laptop. ExpressCard Only the MacBook Pro has an ExpressCard slot, and that’s likely to remain the case. External Antennas All of Verizon’s and all but one of Sprint’s modems sport external antenna jacks that allow you to attach higher-gain (in other words, farther-reaching) external antennas. That can be handy if you frequent remote areas or use the adapter in your car (the frame can block reception). You can buy external antennas from the carriers or through third parties. If you go with a third

Software

A b

Pick a Card You can choose from PC Card a and ExpressCard b hardware options to get online. Macworld’s Mobile Mac Superguide

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pc card Photograph by peter belanger

In addition to a 3G service plan and the hardware, you’ll also need some software to help OS X work with your cell data adapter. This

make the connection

Unless you purchase a modem from a cellular reseller who agrees to activate the service for you, you’ll use the carrier’s software to register the modem on the network and make it ready for use. VZAccess Manager can also manage Wi-Fi connections for you; Sprint’s software can’t. Leopard itself includes minimal support for several cell data modems. OS X will recognize the adapter when you insert or connect it, and will then give you a menu-bar menu you can use to connect to or disconnect from the network, eject the card, and

software recognizes when you insert or connect the adapter, lets you connect to the network, and shows you the signal strength and the current rates of upstream and downstream bandwidth. From the Carriers Verizon offers VZAccess Manager. VZAccess works with all Verizon cell data cards (see “Easy VZ”). Sprint’s Mac compatible Sprint SmartView works with all current and most older mobile broadband hardware. AT&T still relies on customized versions of the software designed by its hardware manufacturers.

Easy VZ Verizon Wireless’s VZAccess Manager gives you a slick Mac OS X interface to monitor your 3G connection. Macworld’s Mobile Mac Superguide

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third-party software options. Smith Micro Software (which makes VZAccess Manager for Verizon) offers the $30 QuickLink Mobile. QuickLink supports the cell data modems sold by nearly every major (and minor) U.S. carrier. Nova media offers the $75 Launch2net, which works with hundreds of phones, cards, and USB adapters worldwide. Since the software from the carriers works well, only use OS X’s built-in tools if for some reason you can’t use the vendor’s. And unless you need a particular extra feature in Smith Micro’s or nova media’s software—such as launch2net’s support for multiple profiles based on GSM authentication modules— there’s no reason to spend any more money.

Ready to Launch Launch2net supports multiple profiles.

see how long you’ve been online. But OS X’s software can’t help you activate the adapter or take advantage of extra features, such as the GPS built into some Sprint hardware. Third-Party Software In addition to the vendors’ software and OS X, there are a couple of


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Phoning Home

B

cess to a VPN that will protect your surfing, e-mail, and other connections over the local network. WiTopia.net ($40 per year; www .witopia.net) and publicVPN.com ($70 per year or $7 per month; www.publicvpn.com) offer full OS X support (see “Protection via VPN”). WiTopia uses an SSL/ TLS VPN, which requires downloading and installing a simple connector package; publicVPN uses OS X’s built-in L2TP-over-IPsec service. With WiTopia, you receive a custom configuration that, once installed, lets you connect, while publicVPN requires very minimal configuration to get up and going. Both services also offer PPTP: WiTopia, because the iPhone doesn’t work with SSL/TLS VPNs yet (see below), and publicVPN in case a hotspot blocks the L2TP-over-IPsec connection.

eing on the road often means you’re separated from your home computer, your work computer, and any networks or servers you rely on. Luckily, once you have a reliable Internet connection, getting in touch with your data is a snap.

VPN

A VPN is a way to securely connect to a remote network over the Internet without having to worry about someone eavesdropping on your traffic. A VPN client connects to a VPN server or gateway, creating an encrypted tunnel between the two. It allows you to check your e-mail, access servers, or perform any other activity as if you were on the local network. Most VPNs use a protocol called IPsec, although an older, less secure standard called PPTP is still in wide use. A more recent addition is SSL/TLS, the same technology used to secure Web sessions, applied to VPNs.

VPN on the iPhone Laptops aren’t the only way Mac users are connecting to the Internet while on the road. Apple’s iPhone and iPod touch can also connect to Wi-Fi networks to surf the Web, check e-mail, and perform numerous other tasks. With the release of the iPhone 2.0 software, Apple has

Choosing a VPN VPNs used to be an option only for employees of large corporations. However, you can now “rent” ac-


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Protection via VPN With WiTopia’s VPN software installed, you’ll know your data is hidden from others on a wireless network.

option for iPhone owners. When you purchase its $40-per-year VPN service, WiTopia throws in a free PPTP connection for the iPhone. To set up the VPN in iPhone 2.0 software, navigate to Settings: General: Network: VPN, and tap on Add VPN Configuration. The Add Configuration dialog displays the three support flavors: L2TP, PPTP, and IPsec. Check with your network administrator if you’re not sure which one to use. If you use L2TP, for instance, you’ll enter a description that’s displayed in the main VPN setting

made it much easier to maintain secure communications. As with laptop users, iPhone owners should use a virtual private network (VPN) when connecting to unfamiliar Wi-Fi networks. The iPhone 2.0 software supports three types of VPN connections and lets you set up multiple VPN profiles, each with unique information. This is great for users who require two or more VPNs for their job. A couple of services provide a Mac-friendly VPN for a monthly fee. WiTopia.net (witopia.net) may be the best and least expensive


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make the connection

to the VPN). L2TP connections also require a shared secret that a system administrator will give you. We recommend selecting Send All Traffic, which makes the iPhone encrypt all connections. When you’re done, tap on Save. The profile appears in the VPN setting screen. Tap the profile to select it as your default. You can enable your VPN through the On/Off switch on the VPN setting screen. If you have just one VPN profile set up, that switch will also appear on the main Settings screen below the Airplane Mode and Wi-Fi entries. If you have multiple profiles, you’ll see the message “Not Connected,” which, when tapped, takes you to the VPN setting screen. Unfortunately, the iPhone’s VPN feature isn’t as seamless as it should be. VPN connections drop off as your iPhone switches among Wi-Fi, 2G, and (for iPhone 3G models) 3G networks. This means you’ll have to turn the VPN off and back on manually when you switch from one network connection to another.

VPN to Go The iPhone 2.0 software offers three VPN options.

page, the VPN server’s host name, and your account name (see “VPN to Go”). Some VPN servers require just a password, while others use two-factor authentication. In the latter case, you’ll also enter a constantly changing code that appears on an RSA SecurID token generator that you carry with you (you’ll do this every time you enable the VPN connection). If your corporation requires that, turn on the RSA SecurID option. If a password is required, you can choose to either enter it in the setup (in which case the iPhone will automatically use it) or leave the field blank (the iPhone will then prompt you each time you connect

Back To My Mac

Back To My Mac is a Leopard feature that performs the nifty magic of letting you remotely access another computer you own over a local network or the Internet, gaining access to its shared volumes and controlling its screen. Back To My Mac is a great option for


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make the connection

Publicly reachable IP address A public IP address is one that any computer on the Internet can reach, not just machines within a local network, such as one run by your Internet service provider (ISP). If you’re not sure whether your router has a publicly reachable IP address, check with your ISP. Some ISPs provide this address for you to enter manually when you configure a router; others may assign this via DHCP to your router or a broadband modem with a router built in. If a computer has its own publicly reachable IP address, then the router requirements are eliminated. But if that’s the case, your com-

those people who maintain multiple mobile and fixed computers and need easy, secure access. Setting up Back To My Mac can be tricky, but if you meet all the requirements and follow the directions, you will be connecting in no time (see “Two on One”). Note that Back To My Mac is asymmetrical: if computer A is connected to a network that meets the following specs, and computer B is not, B can still connect to A; the reverse is not true.

Requirements Back To My Mac’s intent is to provide a secure conduit that connects the services of sets of two Macintoshes. The service has four critical requirements:

Two on One When you use Back To My Mac to control a remote Mac, the second Mac’s screen appears in a separate window.You can use this window to open programs, browse files, change settings, and perform tasks. Macworld’s Mobile Mac Superguide

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make the connection

MobileMe You need a full MobileMe account to use Back To My Mac: either an individual account, or an account that’s part of a family pack. The cheaper e-mailonly add-on account won’t work. Back To My Mac combines many different Internet standards, including a number developed by Apple, including IPv6, Kerberos, IPsec, Bonjour, wide-area Bonjour, dynamic DNS, and NATPMP/UPnP, to name a few. MobileMe gives Apple a place to stash some numbers and provide information lookups for each computer that you control.

puter can be directly reached over the Internet; Back To My Mac just adds a security layer. Automatic Port Mapping If you don’t have a publicly reachable IP address, you’ll need a broadband or Wi-Fi router that supports one of two port mapping protocols that Apple relies on to punch through any gateways or routers on your local network: NATPMP (Network Address Translation Port Mapping Protocol) or UPnP (Universal Plug and Play). NAT-PMP is an open specification but is found only in Apple base stations. All AirPort equipment released starting in 2003 offers NAT-PMP. The more widely used flavor is UPnP (Universal Plug and Play), a broader standard used for a variety of purposes in allowing multimedia and gaming across networks. UPnP is found in nearly all broadband gateways (with and without Wi-Fi built in) from firms like D-Link, Linksys, and NetGear. Leopard Leopard is a base requirement for Back To My Mac, and using 10.5.4 or later is the best choice, as Apple continues to add troubleshooting advice and improve the service’s reliability. If you’re using Leopard on some computers and Tiger, Panther, or even Windows on others, Back To My Mac will not work.

Get Back To My Mac Running Now that you know you are a viable Back To My Mac candidate, you need to set up your routers and system accordingly. Configure Routers Before setting up Back To My Mac, you need to make sure your router has one of the required protocols built in and turned on and that it has the latest firmware installed. Firmware updates can be downloaded from the manufacturer’s Web site. To turn on NAT-PMP on your router, start by launching the AirPort Utility found in the Applications/Utilities folder. Select your base station from the list of devices on the left, and choose Base Station: Manual Setup. Now


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make the connection

steps on each computer you’d like to connect. Remember that you need to log in using the same MobileMe account on each machine. Open System Preferences and click on the MobileMe icon. If you haven’t already set up your account on this computer, enter your MobileMe account and password. Leopard will validate the login and confirm your status. Now click on the Back To My Mac tab and click on the Start button (see “Getting Started”). CONFIGURE YOUR SETTINGS Now that you have Back To My Mac turned on, you need to decide how you’d like to use it. There are two ways to see other computers using Back To My Mac: file sharing and screen sharing. File sharing lets you browse a remote computer’s hard drive in a Finder

click on the Internet icon on the top of the window. Choose the NAT tab and turn on the Enable NAT Port Mapping Protocol option, if it’s not already turned on. Finally, click on Update to restart the router with that setting. Back To My Mac should also work with third-party Wi-Fi and broadband routers that support NAT-PMP or UPnP. Because all routers are different, we can’t offer details for each. But if your router offers one of these protocols, you should find instructions for turning it on in the router’s manual. In many cases, it may be enabled by default. Repeat these steps on additional computers you’d like to connect using Back To My Mac. TURN ON BACK TO MY MAC To prepare your machines for Back To My Mac, follow these

Getting Started To get Back To My Mac running, go to your MobileMe settings in System Preferences and click on the Start button in the Back To My Mac tab.


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make the connection

Back To My Mac even if Screen Sharing is turned on. Selecting the File Sharing option in the Sharing window brings up additional settings that allow you to choose specific volumes or folders to share, and set permission for who has access to those volumes or folders remotely. Since Back To My Mac cannot connect to a computer that is in sleep mode, you’ll also need to open the Energy Saver preference pane and slide the Put The Computer To Sleep When It Is Inactive For option to Never. The display sleep settings can remain on. Begin Sharing To begin sharing with a remote or networked computer, open any Finder win-

window, and drag, drop, copy, add, delete, or print folders and files. Screen sharing allows you to take the connection to the next level— viewing the remote computer’s Desktop in a smaller screen within your own. In screen sharing mode you can launch programs, use shortcuts, and edit and manipulate files the same way you would on your local computer. To enable these options, click on Open Sharing Preferences and turn on File Sharing, Screen Sharing, or both. When you select Screen Sharing, you can choose which users to enable or choose to allow all users remote access. Note that if you exclude your account, you won’t be able to use it with

Make a Connection When enabled in System Preferences, buttons for Share Screen and Connect As will appear in the Finder. Macworld’s Mobile Mac Superguide

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make the connection

techniques to tunnel connections. Timbuktu Pro combined with Skype Since version 8.6, Timbuktu Pro’s remote screen control, file exchange, and other features can be tunneled to otherwise unreachable computers by pairing with Skype (netopia.com) With a free Skype account set up, the software downloaded and installed, and your account logged in, Timbuktu Pro can identify any of your Skype contacts who turned on incoming access via Skype. This method generally works anywhere you can make Skype calls or instant messages. The downside is that you need a copy of Timbuktu Pro for each computer; a two-pack costs $179.95. LogMeIn Free for Mac Another alternative for home users and small businesses is LogMeIn Free for Mac (https://secure .logmein.com). LogMeIn makes a variety of free and paid software for remote administration, and you can set up an account at no cost. To use LogMeIn, download and install the small software package for each machine you want to remotely control. This will make each computer available to connect to from a Web browser (Safari and Firefox are both supported). You can then use the company’s Web site to access remote machines. LogMeIn allows you to control both Mac and Windows computers.

dow. The sidebar’s Shared section will list the computers you’ve properly set up to connect with using Back To My Mac. Click on the remote computer’s name, which will appear as defined in the Sharing preference pane. The volumes that are available to guest logins (password-free access) will appear in your Finder window. In the upper right, Share Screen and Connect As appear if you have screen sharing and file sharing turned on, respectively (see “Make a Connection”). For file sharing, click on the Connect As button and a list of available volumes appears in the Finder window. You can now browse your remote system and transfer files as you like between the two. This is the better choice if you only want to copy or paste files. For screen sharing, click on the Share Screen button and wait for a new remote screen to appear showing the screen of your other system. Try to be patient, as making the connection can sometimes take a minute.

Alternatives

Back To My Mac isn’t the only game in town. Here are two alternatives that each have trade-offs. Both methods typically work on private networks that Back To My Mac can’t by using a variety of


28

Essential Mobile Utilities Work Smarter and Faster Away from the Office with These 24 Tools

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pple made sure your mobile computing device of choice is light, powerful, and chock-full of great features to make your life easier. But chances are it still can’t do everything you want. Or maybe it has the features you need, but they don’t work exactly the way you want. Thankfully, there’s a lot of inexpensive third-party software out there just itching to add powerful new features to your MacBook Pro, MacBook, MacBook Air, and even your iPhone. Here are 24 of our most valuable add-ons for road warriors. For even more great suggestions, check out our Mac Gems Weblog at macworld.com/macgems.

Table of contents

30

The Basics

32

Connections

34

Web Tools

36

iPhone Tools


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The Basics

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hese programs should be in every mobile computer user’s virtual toolbox. They will help you troubleshoot, enhance, and simplify from the road.

AppleJack You’re miles away from your IT department when your MacBook starts acting up. With the Apotek’s AppleJack (mmmm) installed, you can start your laptop in single-user mode (hold down 1-S at startup) and do all kinds of useful troubleshooting on your own—repairing your hard drive, testing RAM, repairing permissions, deleting cache files, and validating preferences files— even when you can’t properly boot into OS X. AppleJack is especially useful for MacBook Air owners, given that Apple’s slimmest portable doesn’t have a built-in optical drive (payment requested; Apotek, applejack.sourceforge.net).

Mira

Preferences, you can choose whether you need to press the fn key to get this special behavior. But if you want only some of the function keys to adopt this special behavior, FunctionFlip (mmmm) is the answer. It lets you choose the behavior of each F-key—whether or not it requires fn—separately (free; Kevin Gessner, kevingessner.com).

Mira If your laptop came with an Apple Remote, Twisted Melon’s Mira (mmmm) makes that accessory more useful by allowing it to work with any application. Although Mira isn’t the most powerful Apple Remote enhancer out there, it’s the easiest to use, thanks to an intuitive preference pane that lets you as-

FunctionFlip A nifty feature of Apple’s laptops is that the function keys, which often go unused, can perform useful alternate functions. Using the Keyboard & Mouse pane of System


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teryMonitor (mmmm), you can even decide when your low-battery warning appears: with 10, 15, or 25 percent of your battery power remaining (payment requested; Colin Henein, orange-carb.org/SBM).

sign actions to each button in each program; there’s an impressive array of options, from keyboard shortcuts to system actions. Over 60 customizable software profiles are built in, and you can create your own for other programs ($15; Twisted Melon, twistedmelon.com).

Smart Scroll X Smart Scroll X (mmmm) lets you scroll from your keyboard—it effectively adds scroll-up and scroll-down keys. It also enhances the trackpad with a Super Wheel feature that lets you “fling” pages up or down; those pages seem to move on screen with their own momentum. You can also grab an onscreen page and scroll around by moving your finger on the trackpad ($19; Marc Moini, marcmoini.com).

Knox If you think OS X’s FileVault is overkill for file encryption, try Knox instead (mmmm). It lets you create encrypted disk images—as large or small as you need—for securely storing data. You can mount and eject these disk images from a convenient menu, and as an added bonus, Knox can automatically back them up ($30; Marko Karppinen & Co., knoxformac.com).

MultiClutch

Mouseposé 2

Apple’s latest laptops feature a multitouch trackpad that lets you use multiple-finger gestures. Since this feature is currently limited to a handful of programs, MultiClutch extends these actions to other programs via a System Preferences pane that lets you assign multitouch gestures— globally or on an applicationspecific basis—to any action that has a keyboard shortcut. Assignable gestures include three-finger swipe, rotate, and zoom. There are also two “combo” gestures: zoom out and then in, and zoom in and then out (free; Will Henderson, wcrawford.org/projects).

If you run a lot of presentations from your laptop, you can enhance them with Boinx Software’s Mouseposé (mmmmh). It can “spotlight” your mouse cursor on the screen, as well as show which keys are being pressed when you’re demonstrating actions ($15; Boinx Software, boinx.com/mousepose).

SlimBatteryMonitor This tool can show you more information in more formats than OS X’s battery indicator, depending on whether your laptop is running off the battery, plugged in and charging, or fully charged. With SlimBat-


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Connections

Y

NetworkLocation

our laptop isn’t half as useful on the road without a decent connection to the Internet and your information. These tools will help you get online and keep your devices on the same page by syncing data such as contacts, calendars, bookmarks, keychains, and preference files.

NetworkLocation If you frequently change locations, you know moving between networks is more of a pain than just tweaking your network settings. NetworkLocation (mmmm) can automatically perform multiple actions when you switch locations: launch or quit programs, run scripts, connect to servers, change the default printer, and more. You can choose your location via the menu bar or the attractive network-location display; the latter appears either when you press a keyboard shortcut or automatically when your computer wakes from sleep or connects to an AirPort network ($15; Centrix.ca, centrix.ca/NetworkLocation/).

and, when you hold your mouse cursor over a network name, displays detailed network information ($8; TastyApps, tastyapps.com).

MobileMe With MobileMe (mmmh)—Apple’s updated version of its .Mac service— information can be synchronized among devices (including iPhones) as it changes, instead of only during a synchronization event. Your data resides in a “cloud” (meaning online), and changed records are updated on all devices as soon as possible. Contacts and calendar events are updated shortly after

WiFind TastyApps’ WiFind (mmmm) makes Apple’s AirPort menu more useful; it’ll tell you at a glance the signal strength of each wireless network


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changes are made on an iPhone, and online when viewing your information at me.com. Records in iCal and Address Book on your computers are updated every 15 minutes. Mail also gets the quicksync treatment for iPhone owners, with messages being optionally delivered as they arrive, even when the phone is not actively checking for new messages. The most visible part of MobileMe is the Web presence at me.com, which takes advantage of advanced Web technologies to come very close to replicating Apple’s desktop application. Me.com gives you access to your mail, contacts, calendars, Web gallery, and iDisk, as well as account settings. MobileMe includes 20GB of combined e-mail and file storage for individuals, or 40GB for the Family Pack. If you work on multiple Macs and want to keep information consistent among them, MobileMe is worth the yearly subscription price ($99 for a single user, $149 for the Family Pack; Apple, apple.com/mobileme).

ChronoSync

ChronoSync Do you have highly specific synchronization needs, or just want more control over the syncing process? This powerful, full-featured synchronization tool lets you sync files and folders between two or more Macs. It’s easy enough for a novice to use immediately but has enough options to satisfy the most demanding geeks (mmmm). ChronoSync gives you a great deal of control over every aspect of file synchronization, including selecting numerous file attributes that, if different between the two sides, will trigger a sync. It’s even capable as backup software ($30; Econ Technologies, econtechnologies.com).


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Web Tools

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eing away from the office can make communication and collaboration with coworkers difficult. Here are a few Web-based tools to help you stay in touch.

Campfire Campfire is a simple group-chat Web application that acts like a cross between an instant messenger and a bulletin board. It doesn’t require invitations, and there’s no need to figure out who uses Apple’s iChat and who uses Adium. Campfire creates a private “room” where you and your coworkers can breeze in and out anytime to ask questions, post updates, or just keep up with water-cooler topics. More than any other Web application, Campfire offers a strong sense of working in the same space with your team, even if you’re across the country (free; 37signals, campfirenow.com).

Calendar (mmmm) for your group scheduling. You can share a team calendar to keep up with travel and vacation days, upcoming events, and any other scheduled happenings. You can also create multiple, separate calendars (such as “Marketing schedule” and “Code deployment”), and then set custom sharing preferences so only certain coworkers can view and edit them. Google Calendar can even send event reminders via e-mail, text message, or instant messenger (free; Google, calendar .google.com).

Google Calendar

Google Docs

When employees aren’t on a single network, it’s hard to use regular shared-calendar tools. An excellent alternative is to switch to Google

If you share and collaborate on word processing documents, spreadsheets, or presentations, you may want to consider Google

Campfire


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will stick around for a while than it is for short-term projects. It ensures that everyone is on the same page, knowledge wise. All the pages inside a wiki are linked, which makes browsing and searching easier. The wiki softGoogle Calendar ware makes it easy to see who made certain revisions, Docs. Keeping on top of revisions (and who did what) is easy, and you and lets you roll back and compare page changes. You can also keep can even chat within documents. up with wiki edits via a convenient Like any good desktop suite, Google Docs lets you update exist- RSS feed. Note that MediaWiki ing documents or create new ones, isn’t a hosted application; you have to download it and set it up on a share them with others for viewing server of your own (free, Mediaor editing, and track revisions. Unlike desktop software, it lets you do Wiki, mediawiki.org). all that with nothing more than your favorite browser. With an online ofBackpack fice suite, you don’t have to worry Backpack is a great way to keep about software licensing, shared track of in-house projects. Made by network drives, or passing multiple the same folks who built Camprevisions back and forth as e-mail fire—and integrated with Campfire attachments (free; Google, docs for project-related chats—Back.google.com). pack offers a simple interface for scheduling and assigning project milestones, posting questions and MediaWiki updates on a message board, and Just as Wikipedia (www.wikipedia assigning tasks. For example, you .org) enables thousands of strangcan develop small-scale software ers to collaboratively document utilities or build to-do lists with rethe world’s collective knowledge, minders. Backpack helps you keep MediaWiki can do the same for track of what’s in progress and your workgroup and its collective knowledge. Compared with Google how far along it is (free; 37signals, Docs, it’s better for documents that backpackit.com). Macworld’s Mobile Mac Superguide

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iPhone Tools

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s we mentioned in the Choose Your Hardware chapter, the iPhone can act as a mobile workspace. Granted, it can’t replace a laptop for real productivity. But you can use it to stay in touch with your Mac back at the office, update your to-do list when you’re away from iCal, and more. Here are eight applications that will help you make sure the iPhone and (in some cases) iPod touch make you more productive, not less.

file server (which works over the local wireless network); your iPhone can then be mounted on anyone’s computer like any other network volume. AirSharing handles scads of document types (including Microsoft Office, iWork, and PDF) and has extensive built-in help ($7; macworld .com/3989).

Jaadu VNC If you’ve used Leopard’s screen-sharing or Back To My Mac (or, for that matter, Timbuktu or Remote Desktop), you’ll get what’s so cool about the Jaadu VNC iPhone app: it gives you screen control over any computer (Mac or PC) that has Virtual Network Computing (VNC) enabled. Once you’ve established a connection with the remote computer, you can use Jaadu VNC to control any application from your phone. That means you can, for example, run Keynote or PowerPoint presentations (using your iPhone as a clicker), or view Flash-based Web sites that iPhone’s Safari can’t display. The

AirSharing Software vendor Avatron claims that 10 percent of all iPhone users have downloaded AirSharing. If you aren’t one of them, you should be: AirSharing lets you mount your iPhone or iPod touch as if were a wireless thumb drive, accessible by any Mac, Windows, or Linux computer. Let’s say you’re headed to a meeting. Before you go, you drag and drop files to your iPhone. Then, at the meeting, when you want to share one of your files, you activate AirSharing’s built-in


36


program includes a rich set of combo-keystrokes, so you can do almost anything from your iPhone that you could from your computer keyboard. It also supports VPN encryption. Tip: Don’t get confused by the archaic terminology: the “client” is actually the computer being viewed, not the reverse ($25; macworld.com/3830).

this isn’t the solution for you; if you want to get your note via e-mail and don’t need it transcribed first, see Note2Self below.) The basic Jott service is free, and there are two upgrade plans: $4 a month lets you send e-mail and text messages from any phone; the $13 a month Pro plan gives you more access time (free; macworld.com/3754).

Jott for iPhone You’re

Mobile News Network

commuting to work, and Jott think of something you need to remember to do that day. Instead of scrambling around for a pencil and scrap of paper, wouldn’t it be better if you could just make a quick note on your phone? Jott is an existing service that lets you dial a toll-free number—from any phone—and leave yourself a voice memo; the service then transcribes that memo into text and sends it to you via e-mail. The Jott (mmm) app extends that service to the iPhone: after you say whatever you want to remember into your iPhone, your voice note is sent to Jott’s server, where it’s converted to text, and that text is then synched back to your iPhone. (It doesn’t send your transcribed note via e-mail, so if you need that text on your Mac,

If your job requires that you know what’s going on in the world, you need the free iPhone version of the Associated Press’s great Web app (mmmh; macworld.com/3759). It gives you easyto-read screens of news in all sorts of categories—including finance, politics, and sports. And it’s not like browsing a news site with the iPhone’s version of Safari: the screens are specifically optimized for viewing on the iPhone and are easy to read even if you’re in a hurry. It’s a great way to stay informed when you’re on the move (free; macworld.com/3759).

Note2Self While the free Jott for iPhone transcribes your voice memos, Web Information Solutions’ $5


37


Note2Self Note2Self does not. So why would you want to pay $5 for it? Because, once you’ve recorded your voice memo, Note2Self will automatically send it to any e-mail address you specify; the free Jott doesn’t do the e-mail part. Also, you can record without pressing any buttons; the software uses the iPhone’s accelerometer and proximity sensor to turn on automatically. All messages are also automatically tagged with location information and integrated into Google Maps. You can e-mail your message to anyone in your Address Book, but be careful: hit the wrong address, and whatever you just said will automatically go to them. Also, make sure you have the default e-mail setting configured correctly ($5; macworld .com/3983).

SpeechCloud Voice Dialer Voice-activated dialing on phones isn’t rare, but it usually requires you to train the phone to respond to certain names before you can dial them hands-free. The $5 SpeechCloud Voice Dialer does voice dialing better: if a name is in your address book and therefore

your contacts list, you can dial it by simply speaking the name after touching the app icon. This is great not only if you’re too busy to dial, but also if you want to keep your hands free for, say, typing on your laptop ($5; macworld .com/3986).

SugarSync Apple’s MobileMe is supposed to keep current copies of your files, calendars, and contacts in a “cloud,” accessible from any of your Macs and iPhones. In practice, it doesn’t always work so well. Which is why we still need an app like Sharpcast’s free SugarSync and the service that goes with it. SugarSync has Mac and iPhone components: drop a file into the Mac app, and that file will be uploaded to Sharpcast’s servers; then a pointer to it will show up on your phone. You can view the file or (without waiting for it to download to your phone) e-mail it to others. It works with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF files as well as photos, and it’s a great way to share documents with others when on the road (free; macworld. com/3985).


38

Security to Go Keep Your Laptop and Data Safe from Theft and Snoops While on the Road

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raveling with your Mac laptop can be a risky endeavor. For one, it’s a looker and a tempting target for criminals. For another, bad guys don’t need physical access to your Mac to do you wrong. They can snoop on your network traffic (unencrypted Wi-Fi connections at coffee shops and airports are especially easy), eavesdrop on your e-mails, or catch you with malware or phishing scams. This chapter will give you the essentials to protect your laptop, files, personal information, and communications while on the road. And since no amount of security can protect you 100 percent, you’ll also get the basics on how to back up your system, just in case. With a little work, you can greatly decrease the likelihood of your laptop and information falling into the wrong hands.

Table of contents

40

Prevent Theft

43

Protect Your Data

52

Secure Your Connections

57

alware and Other M Threats


39

Security to go

Prevent Theft

M

ac laptops are an attractive and all too easy mark for thieves. Unfortunately, you can’t keep a watchful eye on your computer every second of the day, so here are other ways to protect your computer while on the road. With the right combination of gear and planning, you can greatly decrease the chances of having your Mac stolen.

great for carrying and protecting your laptop from harm, they’re also good at drawing attention to what’s inside. Frequent travelers should consider dressing it down—swapping flashy computer cases for a protective notebook sleeve, which can be tucked into any nondescript bag or backpack (see the What Else to Pack chapter for more laptop cases).

Store It Safely

Lock and Key

Many commonsense techniques provide security that’s stronger than any gadget. When traveling, a hotel safe or a locked office is the safest place to keep your laptop. If you’re on the move, keep your laptop on your person or lock it in the trunk if you must leave it in a car. (Be sure to put it in the trunk before arriving at your destination so thieves don’t see you do it.) If you leave it someplace unsecured like an unfamiliar office, stash it in a locker—or at the very least, a drawer.

Every Mac laptop has a small slot (marked by a lock icon) designed to accommodate security cables. You can wrap the cable around an immovable object or attach it to a desk with a mounting bracket to prevent someone from walking off with your laptop (or opening its case—say, to remove your hard drive). This will discourage thieves hoping to make a quick getaway with your Mac.

Mark Your Property It’s key that you put at least some kind of label on your computer, with a phone number or an e-mail address. Not all missing laptops are stolen—some are just lost. Another way to mark your computer is to create a special account named “guest” with no password

Be Discreet Your laptop isn’t much use to you locked away, so chances are it will be out in the open a good percentage of the time. Although elaborate computer cases and bags are


40

Security to go

Be My Guest Hoping for the best? Create a guest account on your machine that doesn’t need a password and leave your contact information in it.

tracking software such as Orbicule’s Undercover ($49; orbicule .com). If your computer is stolen, Undercover sends back network information to help you find your Mac’s location. It also takes frequent screenshots and photos (using iSight) to help you ID the thief.

(see “Be My Guest”). In this account, set up a Text Edit document with your name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, and what you’d pay as a reward if your laptop is stolen and recovered. Go to the Accounts preference pane, click on Login Items, and add this document. If someone finds your laptop and turns it on, the login window will show this account. A Good Samaritan may see all this information and give you a call.

Buy Insurance Your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance may not cover your portable computer equipment against theft or damage while you’re traveling. Consider purchasing a computerspecific policy from a company such as Safeware (safeware.com).

Get Tracking Software If you’re leading a high-risk, mobile lifestyle, consider using laptop


41

Security to go

TIP

What to Do if Your Device Goes Missing Once your laptop or iPhone goes missing, act immediately to change every password you can at every Web site that has your credit card. If someone gets hold of your user name and password, these accounts might be in jeopardy—especially if you use a keychain and you use Safari’s AutoFill feature to automatically fill in your user names and passwords online. Also, if you have a VPN password, tell your system administrator about the theft immediately to prevent the thief from accessing the company network.

laptop, usually under the battery or in the Hardware Overview of System Profiler. Apple also provides two helpful forms you can print and fill out: a “My Mac Cheat Sheet” for your Mac’s vitals and e-mail and Internet configurations (macworld.com/3553), and an “Email Settings Cheat Sheet” for detailed e-mail account settings (macworld.com/3554). Keep your filled-out forms along with a copy of your receipts in a safe place. You’ll need both for the insurance company, and a serial number will help identify your computer or accessory if it turns up. However you choose to track this information, be sure to store the printouts or data files separately from your laptop. Don’t leave the only copy of it on your hard drive because if your Mac goes kaput (or missing), you will not be able to access it.

A $10,000 policy, for example, costs $200 per year, with a $200 deductible. It covers accidental damage, theft (even, under certain circumstances, from an unattended vehicle), vandalism, and other losses, and provides the full replacement cost of both your hardware and software.

Keep a Paper Trail Whether or not you buy insurance, if your Mac or its accessories are ever stolen, you’ll need serial numbers and detailed information about the equipment to help you find and recover your system. Create a simple spreadsheet or text document that lists each piece of software and hardware you own, along with its model or version number, serial or registration number, specifications and features, and date of purchase. You can find the serial number on the


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Security to go

Protect Your Data

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thenticate with your administrator password. Then turn on the Disable Automatic Login option (see “Not So Fast”). This will ensure that all user accounts have the Automatically Log In feature disabled.

hile traveling, you’re frequently in strange locations, on strange networks, surrounded by strangers. Since the data you have on your computer may be as valuable as the laptop itself, it’s important to make it as difficult as possible for people to gain access.

Secure Other Access Points Your Mac is now protected when you log out or turn it off, but what about when you just step away? Anyone can come by, wake your computer, and access your files. Prevent this by requiring a password when anyone deactivates the screen saver or wakes your computer from sleep. Go to the General tab of the Security preference pane and make sure Require Password To Wake This Computer From Sleep Or Screen Saver is enabled. If you don’t want to lock your screen every time the screen saver activates or your computer wakes from sleep, skip the preference pane and go straight to Keychain Access. You can use this application (in your Applications/Utilities folder) to quickly activate your screen saver from the menu bar and require a password to turn it off—even if the Security pane option isn’t enabled.

Smart Settings

Your Mac has numerous customizable settings that you can set to make trespassing difficult for others. If someone should find, steal, or attempt to use your computer, the right preferences will ensure they don’t get through the front door.

Disable Automatic Login By default, OS X logs you in when you turn on your computer. This is convenient, but it also leaves your Mac and its files vulnerable to anyone who pushes the power button. Forcing your Mac to ask for a password on such occasions can increase your security. Open the Security preference pane in System Preferences and click on the General tab. If necessary, click on the lock icon at the bottom of the window and au-


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Not So Fast Disable automatic logins so only authorized people can access your Mac.

Preferences Pane option prevents changes to systemwide settings without an administrator password. The Log Out After X Minutes Of Inactivity box logs you out of your account—locking up any encrypted disk images in the process—if you step away for an extended period of time. You can also turn on the Use Secure Virtual Memory option, which encrypts portions of your RAM as they’re swapped out to your hard disk. Then, if someone were to examine the virtual memory files written to disk as you use your Mac, they wouldn’t be able to find unencrypted traces of your data.

In Keychain Access, go to Keychain Access: Preferences. Click on the General tab and select the Show Status In Menu Bar option. A small lock icon will appear in your menu bar. Close the Preferences window and quit Keychain Access. Now click the lock icon in your menu bar and choose Lock Screen to start your screen saver.

Set More Options There are several additional safety measures for keeping your data secure in the Accounts pane in System Preferences. The Require Password To Unlock Each Secure System


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Instant Lockdown

one who was determined enough could use an OS X Install disc to reset your password, or remove your hard drive and view the files on another computer. To protect your information, you should consider encrypting any truly sensitive data on your hard disk. Encryption ensures the privacy of data by making it essentially impossible for anyone else to read it. Encrypted data is thoroughly scrambled and can be unscrambled only with the correct password. The best encryption methods—known as strong encryption—make it essentially impossible to decrypt data, no matter how much trickery or brute force the thieves use. You can encrypt anything from a single file to the contents of an entire volume. Encrypted folders are particularly good if you carry your data around on a laptop. OS X itself has built-in encryption tools that address part of the problem, and third-party software can help with the rest.

Particularly useful for mobile users is the ability to block access to your Mac the minute you stand up. There are a couple of quick ways to do this while leaving all of your programs running. One is to set your Mac to require a password to disable the screen saver and then activate the screen saver using a hot corner (you’ll find this setting in the General tab of your Security preferences). Another method is to show the login window, without actually logging out. You can do this by enabling fast user switching in the Accounts system preferences pane. Click on the Login Options button, and select the Enable Fast User Switching option. Once this is enabled, you’ll see either an icon or a name in your menu bar. Click on your name or icon in the menu bar and select Login Window from the pull-down menu. When you return to your Mac, log in as you usually do. All your applications will be just as you left them—even your iTunes music will start up again where it stopped playing.

FileVault Introduced in OS X 10.3, the FileVault feature encrypts the entire contents of your entire user folder. To activate FileVault in Leopard, go to the Security pane of System Preferences and click on the FileVault tab. If you haven’t already done so, click on Set Master Password and specify a password that

Encrypt Data

User accounts and passwords will protect your files from casual attempts to sneak around your files. However, serious thieves can work around these roadblocks. Some-


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Safety Net If you’ve encrypted your user folder with FileVault, then for some reason forget your regular login password, you can still get your data by providing the master password.

Disk Utility

can be used to unlock FileVault if you forget your regular login password (see “Safety Net”). Make sure the password is secure but memorable as there’s no way to recover it if you forget it (see the “Solving Password Problems” sidebar). Then click on Turn On FileVault. The process of encrypting your user folder takes time, so you’ll have to be patient. Remember that, before you start, you’ll need at least as much free space on your disk as your user folder currently occupies. Once FileVault is on, logging out will encrypt all your files, and logging in will decrypt them again.

Despite the ease with which you can set up FileVault, few Mac owners use it. For one thing, it’s kind of silly to encrypt all your music, photo, and video files along with your truly confidential documents. What’s worse, encrypting all your data with FileVault can be dangerous; even a minor disk error could leave you unable to access any of your files. Luckily, your Mac also includes a less blunt instrument: Disk Utility. With it, you can create encrypted disk images that act (in most respects) like regular folders, except


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Utility (in /Applications/Utilities). Choose File: New: Blank Disk Image (see “Bundled Up”). Enter a name for the disk image file and choose a location. Next, enter the volume name—the name you want the mounted image to have. From the Volume Size pop-up menu, choose the maximum size you want your disk image to have (for example, you might want to use 4.7GB, so even if you fill up the disk image, you can still burn it to a DVD-R). Select Mac OS Extended from the Volume Format pop-up menu. Finally, choose 128-bit AES

for one big difference—they won’t mount unless you supply the correct password; when unmounted, they’re digitally scrambled. You can even set up such an encrypted folder to open automatically (with a password) whenever you restart or log in to your Mac. You can then put only the files you really need to protect into that encrypted folder, while leaving your iTunes and iPhoto libraries, browser cache files, and less sensitive documents unencrypted. Creating a Disk Image To create a disk image, open Disk

Bundled Up When creating an encrypted disk image in Disk Utility, use these settings for the best results (alter the name, location, and size to meet your needs). Macworld’s Mobile Mac Superguide

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Third-Party Privacy Tools

Encryption from the Encryption pop-up menu, leave Partitions set to Single Partition - Apple Partition Map, and choose Sparse Bundle Disk Image from the Image Format pop-up menu. Now click on Create. When prompted, enter and repeat a password and click on OK. Adding Files To use your new disk image, just double-click on the file. Enter your password when prompted, and the volume mounts in the Finder. Since the disk image is a working folder, not an inactive archive, you’ll be adding files to it all the time. Perhaps you just need to protect certain project folders; in that case, those are the only ones you need to copy into your disk image. Subfolders are fine; you just want to make sure you have everything you want to protect, and nothing you don’t, in one place. Once you’ve figured out which files to include, just open your new disk image and copy them into it. Testing To make sure everything works, eject the disk image and try to remount the virtual disk. Log out and back in. Open the files you copied into the virtual disk to make sure they work properly. Once you’ve confirmed that your data is safe yet accessible, you can safely erase the unencrypted originals (or keep backups somewhere else). Choose Finder: Secure Empty Trash to make sure they’re really gone.

If neither FileVault nor an encrypted disk image suits your needs, you should consider a third-party encryption program instead. Numerous Mac programs can encrypt individual files or folders (or create “vaults,” sometimes in the form of proprietary disk images, for holding multiple files). Good examples include Intego’s $40 FileGuard X5 (intego.com), Marko Karppinen’s $35 Knox (knoxformac.com), the $99 PGP Desktop Home (www .pgp.com), and Smith Micro’s $80 StuffIt Deluxe (www.smithmicro .com). These programs typically offer greater flexibility and more features than either FileVault or Disk Utility. For example, StuffIt Deluxe not only encrypts but compresses your files, while PGP Desktop can also encrypt e-mail and instant messages. FileGuard can be set to securely overwrite the original versions of your files automatically when they’re copied to an encrypted image. If you want to encrypt an entire volume (other than your startup volume), consider the free, opensource TrueCrypt (www.truecrypt .org), which can also create hidden encrypted volumes.


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Solving Password Problems Locked out? Try these fixes to common password annoyances. Keychain Amnesia If you keep getting prompts to enter your password, even though it’s in your keychain, your keychain may be corrupted. If the Keychain file becomes damaged, you may not be able to save new passwords and applications could crash. To repair a damaged keychain, open the Keychain Access application (/Application/Utilities) and choose Keychain Access: Keychain First Aid. In the box that appears, enter your login password and select Repair. Click on Start. Keychain First Aid reports any errors and repairs them. Forgotten Account Password If you can’t remember your password—or if you recently purchased someone else’s machine—you’ll have to reset it. There are a couple of ways to do this. If you’re not the Mac’s administrator—or if your Mac has a second administrator account—you can have someone with an administrator account reset your password for you in the Accounts preferences pane. You can also start fresh. Insert your OS X installer disc and hold down the C key while you reboot. Choose a language and then go to Utilities: Reset Password. Select your main disk and choose your user name from the pop-up menu. Enter and verify a new password, and then click on Save. Quit the Reset Password utility and the installer and then restart. If you set your keychain password to match your administrator password, the keychain won’t unlock when you log in (since it still uses your old password). In this case, you’ll have to delete it—along with all of the passwords saved within—and create a new one. (To avoid this problem, make sure your keychain has a different password than your account.) Launch Keychain Access. To delete a keychain first choose View: Show Keychains. Select the keychain you want to delete and choose File: Delete Keychain keychain name. Select File: New Keychain, choose a name, enter a password, and click on Create. Select the keychain you’ve just created, and choose File Make Keychain keychain name Default. Whenever you store a new password, Mac OS X will automatically add it to your default keychain.


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Passwords

anyone who can access your Mac will be able to open your password-protected items. If you use Safari’s AutoFill feature, that could include your bank account, your Amazon.com account, your .Mac account, and more. For an added level of security, give Keychain Access a password that’s different from your user-account password. Open Keychain Access (Applications: Utilities), and select your keychain in the list of keychains. If there’s not one with your user name, then the login keychain will be the default. Select Edit: Change Password For Keychain keychain name, and then enter a new password and type it again in the Verify field (see “Changing Passwords”). Once your keychain is unlocked,

All the encrypting and logging out in the world won’t protect your data if your password is “p@ssw0rd.” Make your passwords easy to remember, and someone may guess them. Make them hard, and you may forget them yourself. Mac OS X has the answer: the keychain.

Using Keychain The keychain is a nifty utility that can hide all sorts of information, from password hints for Web sites to notes on a confidential business deal. It can also help you ensure that you’re choosing good passwords that can’t easily be guessed. By default, Keychain Access unlocks as soon as you log in to your Mac. Unfortunately, this means that

Changing Passwords The color bar indicates how strong your password is. For help creating a stronger password, click on the key icon. Macworld’s Mobile Mac Superguide

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begin with words and numbers that have significance to you. Therefore, you should never use the following as passwords: your name or nickname; the names of your spouse, kids, or pets; your birth date, anniversary, or spouse’s or kids’ birthdays; any part of your address or telephone number; favorite sports teams; or anything else that someone who knows you well might be able to guess, or that could be found in public records. Also avoid obvious choices such as Password. It’s important to try to use different passwords for each account. If you use one password for all your accounts, a thief only has to guess it once to access everything.

it usually stays that way until you log out or shut down your Mac. To give your passwords a little more protection, set the keychain to lock when it’s inactive. Open Keychain Access and select Edit: Change Settings For Keychain “User Name.” In the Keychain Settings window that appears, select the Lock After Number Minutes Of Inactivity option, and specify how much time should pass before it locks. Also choose the Lock When Sleeping option here.

Choose Strong Passwords Anyone wanting to break into one of your accounts would start by trying to guess your password. They’d

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Extra iPhone Protection The data on your iPhone or iPod touch might be just as valuable as what’s on your laptop. Keep it safe by turning on a few settings. First, go to Settings, select the General tab, and enable the Passcode Lock feature. This will require anyone trying to use the device to enter a four-digit code of your choosing first. You can select how long your iPhone or iPod touch will wait before requiring a passcode (up to four hours), but the immediate setting is the most secure. There are two additional safety options on the passcode settings screen. You can prevent others from seeing bits of your text messages by turning off Show SMS Preview. If you are worried about someone guessing your passcode (and confident you’ll never forget it), you can also set the Erase Data option to On. This will wipe all data from your iPhone or iPod touch after ten failed attempts at entering the passcode.


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Secure Your Connections

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(which intercepts packets of data and sorts out the text), connect to a Wi-Fi network, and see all of the data passing over it. Snooping on wired Internet connections is harder but still possible. In theory, anyone who can tap into the network at any point between you and the servers you visit (for example, an employee of an ISP, a government agent, or someone else with physical access to one of the many routers your data passes through) could pick out your passwords, account numbers, and other private data. When joining unknown networks, you have options to keep your communications safe. You can, for example, use a virtual private network (VPN), which protects your entire network connection (see the Make the Connection chapter for details). Here are some other techniques.

hen you connect with the outside world, you open yourself up to intruders and snoops. Defend your information with these tools and tricks.

Be Snoop Savvy A criminal doesn’t need physical access to your Mac to do you wrong. He or she can snoop into your network traffic looking for strings of characters that might be passwords or account numbers. That’s why it’s particularly important to take precautions when joining public networks. Public hotspots rarely use WPA encryption, and even the few that do aren’t necessarily secure. That’s because WPA protects the data only between your computer and the base station; you have no way of knowing what’s happening between the wireless base station and the Internet. Also, anyone with the same WPA password on a hotspot network has as much access to your data as if there were no encryption. A cracker can install readily available, free packet-sniffing software

Use OS X’s Firewall As you install and use programs on your system, you often open ports without realizing it. And there’s always the possibility that a chink in


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Firewall Settings The Security preference pane lets you configure OS X’s socket filter firewall, which filters network traffic application by application.

are already behind another firewall. The Allow Only Essential Services option will block anything except a few default networking services, such as Bonjour. It prevents file sharing, remote access, and other optional services. Use this option if you really want to block everything—for instance, when you’re on potentially hostile networks, such as those in hotels or public hotspots. The third option, Set Access For Specific Services And Applications, is a good choice for office and home use. It’s actually a new kind of firewall for OS X. Choosing this turns on what is known as an

OS X’s armor will lead to a wave of new exploits. That’s why it’s imperative that mobile laptop users who use unsecured Internet connections turn on OS X’s built-in firewall. To turn on your firewall, open System Preferences and go to the Security pane (see “Firewall Settings”). When you click on the Firewall tab, you’ll see three options: Allow All Incoming Connections, Allow Only Essential Service, and Set Access For Specific Services And Applications. Leopard’s Allow All Incoming Connections option turns your firewall completely off. This is not a recommended setting unless you


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For Specific Services And Applications, and the firewall will restore your original settings.

application firewall. That means it blocks traffic targeting specific applications, not specific ports. In the Firewall configuration tab, below the three options, there is a list of network services that are currently authorized to accept or deny incoming connections. If you’ve enabled any services in the Sharing preference pane, they should appear here; you can’t disable them from the firewall. After you select the Set Access For Specific Services And Applications option, when you launch a program that uses networking, Leopard will ask if you want to allow or block incoming connections to it. If you select Allow, that program will be added to this list and digitally signed (if it isn’t already) so Mac OS X can detect if it’s been tampered with. If you choose Allow Only Essential Services or Set Access for Specific Services And Applications, you should then click on Advanced and select Enable Stealth Mode. This hides closed services from someone probing your computer, which adds extra security. It’s akin to bricking over a door in addition to locking it. Enabling your firewall is an absolute must when you are on the road. You should switch your Leopard firewall to Allow Only Essential Services and enable Stealth mode when you are traveling. It’s an easy way to avoid exposing yourself to attacks; when you return home, you can switch back to Set Access

Encrypt E-mails Even on a protected network, your communications can be intercepted at another point during their journey to the recipient. Sending something confidential via e-mail is the equivalent of writing it on the back of a postcard and dropping it in the mailbox. Any e-mail message can pass through numerous servers, and it’s not difficult for outsiders to intercept your data anywhere along the line. To protect the contents of your e-mail, use one or more of the following techniques. Use SSL The easiest place to start in ensuring secure communication is to make sure you use SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). Virtually all modern e-mail services (including Apple’s MobileMe) offer SSL as an option for receiving mail (using IMAP, POP, or Exchange) and for sending mail (using SMTP). SSL encrypts e-mail as it travels between your computer and your e-mail provider (in either direction); messages will still be stored unencrypted on your mail server and the recipient’s mail server. In most cases you just need to turn on this option in your e-mail program—but before doing so, confirm that your e-mail provider supports SSL, and check its online


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If you use another e-mail program, consult its documentation to learn how to turn on SSL. Web Mail Want protection when you use Web-based e-mail? A service called Freenigma (freenigma.com) offers just that, providing a simple encryption system for Gmail, Yahoo mail, Hotmail, and other services. All that’s required is Mozilla Firefox and a special Firefox extension (which means that you probably can’t use this encryption on a public terminal). Freenigma is a simple way to harness security features for your Web-based e-mail accounts. Be Extra Safe There are a few other ways to send files via e-mail or the Internet in total

documentation to find out whether it requires the use of a special mail server address or other configuration changes. To activate SSL in Mail, choose Mail: Preferences, click on Accounts, and select your e-mail account in the list on the left. To use SSL for incoming mail, click on the Advanced tab and make sure the Use SSL check box is selected. To use SSL for outgoing mail, click on the Account Information tab and choose Edit Server List from the Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP) pop-up menu. Select the SMTP server associated with this account, click on the Advanced tab, and make sure the Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) check box is selected. Then click on OK.

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Send an Encrypted Disk Image One option for sending sensitive files is to put them in an encrypted disk image and attach them to an e-mail. To learn how to make an encrypted disk image, see the Safeguard Your Data chapter. After you’ve created the encrypted disk image, you can send the file as you would any other e-mail attachment. However, there are a couple of hitches: the recipient must also be using a Mac, since encrypted disk images created on a Mac can’t be opened on a Windows or Linux computer. Also, to open it, your recipient will need the password you specified when you created the disk image. You can’t send that password in an e-mail message; that would defeat the purpose of the encryption. You’ll need to either agree on a password beforehand or exchange one over the phone.


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Some IM programs (such as Skype) encrypt chats automatically. iChat can encrypt chats if you’re a MobileMe member (see “Encrypting iChat”). To set this up, open iChat and choose iChat: Preferences. Select your MobileMe account in the list on the left, click on Security, and make sure the message at the bottom of the window says “iChat encryption is enabled.” If it says “iChat encryption is disabled,” click on the Enable button. You can also transfer files through your instant messaging client. While it’s not mentioned in the help documentation, iChat can encrypt files you send through IM, in addition to your text, audio, and video. Another alternative is to create an encrypted disk image and send that over iChat. You can also opt for a third-party encryption solution.

security. You can purchase an encryption program such as PGP’s PGP Desktop Home (pgp.com) to use with your e-mail client. You can also create a “digital certificate” with some e-mail programs (such as Mail), and send and receive encrypted messages transparently (macworld.com/2972). If your recipients use Macs, you can also just send files as an encrypted disk image (see the “Send an Encrypted Disk Image” tip for instructions). Just be sure that you don’t send the password with the disk image: give it to the recipient by telephone, fax, or iChat.

Instant Messages If you exchange business plans, financial details, or other confidential information using IM, you should consider encrypting your chats.

Encrypting iChat You can protect your instant message conversations from peering eyes by using your MobileMe account to enable iChat encryption. Macworld’s Mobile Mac Superguide

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Malware and Other Threats

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ware installed, like Norton Antivirus (symantec.com), will have the best odds of remaining unscathed. If you do run Windows on your Mac, you should install a Windows antivirus program on your virtual PC. Symantec and Intego (intego .com) offer dual-protection products for users who run both Windows and OS X on their Macs. Just as important as having the software is making sure its virus definitions—the information antivirus software uses to recognize viruses—are up-to-date by checking for updates regularly.

iruses. Spyware. Internet hackers and wireless prowlers. We live in a dangerous world. And although your Mac is the safest personal computer on the market, it’s by no means invulnerable. But with a little work and knowledge, you can keep your personal information out of the wrong hands and your Mac out of trouble. Here are the biggest threats to your Mac and some simple ways to protect yourself.

Viruses A virus is a self-replicating program that inserts copies of itself into other running applications and can spread from computer to computer. Although Apple computers are not somehow magically immune to viruses and other malware, they’ve been free of such pests for most of their history. Chances are, if you don’t run Windows and you don’t mind passing along virus-laden e-mail attachments to your Windows friends, you don’t need Mac antivirus software. On the off chance there ever is a virus attack, users with good, up-to-date antivirus soft-

Phishers E-mail messages that attempt to get you to reveal a password or other personal data are referred to as phishing attacks. By now you may already have received hundreds of fake messages that appear to have come from a bank, PayPal, eBay, or another site that stores and processes financial information. They often warn you of dire consequences unless you click on a link to “confirm” or “verify” your account. If you do, you’re


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Reliable Sources Downloading programs through sites like Version Tracker ensures that they’ve been screened for viruses.

taken to a Web site that mimics the real thing but whose only purpose is to collect your login information. Remember that legitimate banks and online vendors would never send you an e-mail asking you to confirm account information in this manner. When in doubt about where a link in an e-mail message leads, there’s a way to check its real destination without having to click on it. If you’re in Mail, just hover your mouse over the link for a moment and a dialog showing the true URL will pop up.

sources like Version Tracker (see “Reliable Sources”)—do exactly what they say they’ll do. However, it is possible to write software that tampers with the system it’s installed on. To protect against this danger, OS X performs an automatic security check at startup. If it finds a suspicious startup item, it displays this alert: “The startup item name of item has problems that reduce the security of your computer.” It then gives you three options. The Fix option changes the settings for the startup item in question so OS X won’t flag it again in the future. Choose this option if you’re confident that the item is

Malicious Programs Most software—especially programs downloaded from trusted


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keystrokes, but these programs don’t get installed covertly. They’re designed for people who want to monitor the activity of their users: businesses, schools, or parents install these to keep tabs on employees, students, or children. If you travel with a company laptop and an administrator has installed software like this, there’s not much you can do: you’re not allowed to remove it, since you don’t have administrative rights. The best you can do is ask why it’s there and behave accordingly.

safe. The Decide Later option will ensure the item does not launch during the present startup process. Before your next startup, you should investigate (by searching on the Web or by calling the software vendor) to determine the item’s safety. The Disable This option permanently disables the item. Select this if you suspect that the item is a security danger.

Spyware Spyware—programs that record information, such as browsing habits or keystrokes, and then send it to a remote server—may run rampant on Windows, but they’re currently nonexistent on the Mac. There are programs that can monitor what you do by taking screenshots at different times and recording your

Hackers Hackers attempt to attack your computer over the Internet by finding open, unsecured ports and exploiting them—using them to get inside your computer and steal files

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Stay Up-to-Date One way to protect yourself from malicious software is to make sure that your Mac is always upto-date. Apple and makers of security programs do a good job of keeping their software updated to handle new problems, but if you don’t download and install those updates, they won’t do you any good. Mac OS X security updates include fixes not only for OS X but also for the various tools Apple provides with each Mac. Make sure your Mac’s Software Update preference pane is set so that your Mac checks regularly for new software. Checking weekly should be sufficient for most people. But if you’re in a higher-risk category—if you regularly visit unknown Web sites or use personal file sharing or Web sharing, for instance—you should check daily.


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Keep Those Doors Locked Your Mac lets you use network services to share data, but you should only activate those you really need.

options such as File Sharing (which lets other users access files on your Mac), Screen Sharing (which lets them see your screen), and Remote Login (which lets other people access your Mac using SSH). Turn off any services that you don’t need by removing the check marks from the boxes next to their names (see “Keep Those Doors Locked”). You should also make sure that your Mac ignores hackers’ attempts to sniff out open ports by turning on your firewall (see the “Secure Your Connections” section for instructions).

or damage your operating system. A port is simply a door through which computer data can be passed. Open ports are a necessary part of your daily computer activities. An open port isn’t necessarily bad—as long as your Mac’s operating system and the application using the port verify that only legitimate data is passed through. The first thing you should do is make sure you open only the ports that need to be open. Access your Sharing preference from the System Preferences window. Here you’ll see a checklist of sharing


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omputer problems are the last thing a mobile Mac user needs when he or she is miles away from home, the office, or a Genius bar. Unfortunately, even if your laptop is the picture of health, hundreds of things can go wrong at any moment with such a complicated system. When something does go wrong, a good backup of your system can help get you back on your feet quickly—which is why Apple has included a user-friendly backup program in Leopard called Time Machine. We’ll show you different options you have for backing up your system from the road. Then we’ll give you a crash course in fixing your own Mac. These step-by-step instructions will guide you through the process of solving persistent crashes, stalls, and other possible problems.

Table of contents

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Problem Solving


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Backing Up

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start up from that drive, and you’re back in business. You can also move the drive to another Mac if, say, your laptop has gone AWOL in a coffee shop. Bootable backups require a second hard drive that can fit all the data that’s on your main drive and can take several hours to run. Because of this, you may choose to update the backup less frequently, which increases the likelihood that you won’t keep current with recently updated files. But it might be wise to run it occasionally.

raveling Mac users need to be vigilant about backing up. If your computer is stolen or crashes, having a backup system in place will allow you to quickly recover recent versions of your files or even move everything to a new computer. Even if you don’t back up while traveling, it’s imperative to keep thorough backups of your system at home, should anything unfortunate happen to your laptop.

What to Back Up

The first decision you need to make is deciding what you want to back up. Some things may not be worth the amount of space they would take up on your external media or the time they would take to back up online. The amount of memory your backup requires will dictate what media and programs you should use to back up. Here are your options.

Just the Essentials If you don’t have the space for a bootable backup, be sure to make copies of your important and frequently used files. The easiest and safest way to do this is to back up your entire user folder, which should contain most of the files you work with regularly (see “Back Up the Basics”). If this folder is very large, though, backing up the entire thing can take time and require a lot of storage space. You can back up these files on almost any medium, from recordable CDs and DVDs to network volumes. However, if you have room in the suitcase, hard drives provide the fastest possible backups, they don’t require that you manually

A Bootable Backup If anything damages your system, the quickest way to get up and running again is with a bootable backup (also known as a duplicate or clone). You store this complete exact copy of your startup volume on another hard drive. If something happens to your computer while you’re traveling, you can safely


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Back Up the Basics Your user folder, or Home folder, should contain all of your important files and settings. When in doubt, back up this entire folder.

sure you back them up. Apple Mail stores all your saved messages in your user folder/Library/Mail. Entourage stores e-mail, along with contact, calendar, and other information, in your user folder/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office 2008 Identities/Main Identity. Calendar, Address Book, and Keychain Data Apple iCal stores data in your user folder/ Library/Application Support/iCal. Address Book stores it in your user folder/Library/Application Support/AddressBook. And your keychains—filled with all those important passwords you no longer remember—hang out in your user folder/Library/Keychains. Purchased Audio and Video You can always re-rip music from CDs you own, but you

swap and label optical discs, and they can typically hold several months’ worth of archived files. If you do choose to carry only some of your personal files, consider including the following important data in those backups. Active Documents Files you work on actively and change frequently—spreadsheets or your novel, for instance—need protection most urgently. Many backup programs have a feature that lets you choose files according to their creation or modification date. Use this to select the files you’ve created or changed during the past month or two, as those are the ones you’re most likely to need again soon. E-mail Messages If you rely on saved messages to keep track of important information, make


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Choose a Method

need to back up purchases from the iTunes Store. These files are mixed in with other iTunes tracks in your user folder/Music/iTunes Music. Using your backup program’s selectors, pinpoint files that have an extension of .m4p (audio) and .m4v (video) (see “Just the Videos”). Your Preferences When reinstalling lots of applications after a crash, one of the most time-consuming tasks is reentering settings, serial numbers, and other options. You can greatly reduce the work by backing up your user folder/ Library/Preferences. Browser Settings Safari stores its settings, including your bookmark list and AutoFill information, in your user folder/Library/Safari. If you use Mozilla Firefox, the critical folder is your user folder/Library/Application Support/Firefox, which also contains any extensions or themes you’ve added to Firefox.

Backing up from the road presents unique challenges. Picking the best backup strategy for you depends on what kind of Internet access you’ll have while traveling, and how much hardware you can pack. Local Backups If you are traveling places without high-speed Internet access, you’ll need to copy your files to a physical medium. One option is to burn files to a CD or DVD. Insert a blank disc into your laptop’s drive. Select Open Finder in the window that appears, and click on OK. Drag your files onto the disc icon on your desktop. When you’re done, select the disc and choose File: Burn Disc. Portable hard drives hold more data and provide the speediest backups when you’re on the road. With a hard drive, you can use Leopard’s Time Machine and also create a bootable backup, which

Just the Videos If you value your movies more than your work documents, do a search or train your backup system to only make copies of .m4v files. Macworld’s Mobile Mac Superguide

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you have a fast connection and not too huge an amount of data, you can back up over an Internet connection. This means that your files are stored in a safe place—if your laptop is lost or stolen, your data remains accessible. (If you back up files over a wireless connection, it’s best to encrypt them first. See the Security to Go chapter for instructions.) There are multiple ways to back up over an Internet connection, including to your home computer using the synching techniques and programs described in the Make the Connection chapter. Another method is to use a third-party online backup service.

will allow you to keep working if your laptop dies (see our drive picks in the What Else to Pack chapter). Another option is your iPod, which can pull double duty as a music player and backup device. To use it as an external drive, connect your iPod to your computer, open iTunes, and select the iPod in your devices list. Click on the Summary tab and select the Enable Disk Use option. Your iPod will mount on your desktop, allowing you to copy files to it. Note that Apple doesn’t recommend booting your machine from an iPod. Online BackUps Carrying around an external hard drive isn’t always a feasible option. Luckily, if

A Place to Crash CrashPlan allows you to conveniently back up your files online, but it does take time. Macworld’s Mobile Mac Superguide

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Using Time Machine

Online backup systems mean you don’t have to deal with connecting to your other computer or messing with additional hardware or media—you just take advantage of the online service’s hardware. There are downsides, however. If your Internet connection falters, or if the online service has server problems, you could be stuck without access to your data. Also, if you have a computer meltdown, you won’t be able to boot up your computer from an online backup. The biggest drawback of online backup is speed. Even if you have a fast broadband connection, backing up your data online will be much slower than backing up to a local hard drive. You will want to carefully consider whether you have too much critical data to make online backups practical. If you choose to go with an online backup system, the best options are services that include their own software. Since everything is integrated, these systems are easier to set up and maintain. CrashPlan (crashplan.com) and MozyHome (mozy.com/mac) let you schedule automatic backups, and they go a step further by including the option to back up only new or changed files throughout the day (see “A Place to Crash”). They also encrypt your data for safety and compress it, which means you can typically squeeze more into your storage space.

Leopard’s Time Machine is Apple’s attempt to turn the complex and sometimes confusing world of backup and restore into a simple, visual operation using a unique 3-D interface. For regular physical backups it’s really your best bet. Once activated, Time Machine works behind the scenes to automatically create time-based snapshots of your Mac, letting you instantly retrieve archived versions of files, folders, and programs by month, week, and time. When mobile Mac users aren’t connected to their external hard drive, Time Machine keeps tabs on changes made to files for the next time you can back up.

How Time Machine Works Time Machine copies the files on your computer to a destination you designate—such as an external hard drive or a second drive inside your Mac. Then, once per hour, the program runs again, updating your backup to include whatever files have changed since last time. With each hourly backup, Time Machine makes a snapshot of your entire system. If you look through the folders on your backup disk, you’ll see what appears to be a complete copy of all your files for each of numerous backup sessions. But to some extent that’s an illusion; Time Machine copies to your backup disk only those files


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and folders that are different from the ones in your previous backup. Using a bit of Unix magic known as hard links, Time Machine can store just one copy of a file or folder but make it appear to be in several places at once. That way, your disk doesn’t fill up with multiple copies of files that haven’t been changed. Time Machine keeps the last 24 hourly backups, the last 30 daily backups, and as many weekly backups as there is space for. You can count on it to keep the first backup of any given day for an entire month. Even after a month, it preserves the first backup of each week until your disk is nearly full. Only at that point does the program begin purging files from your oldest weekly backups.

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Set Up Time Machine Time Machine can often be set up and turned on with a single click. But you may need to do some manual configuration to get it to work the way you want. Choose a Hard Drive Time Machine stores your backups on an external hard drive. You’ll need to make sure the hard drive you choose has enough available space to hold your backup. Begin by checking on how much space is currently occupied on your startup disk. Select the disk in the sidebar of a Finder window and choose File: Get Info. In the Gen-

Size It Up Select your drive in the Finder and press 1-I to see how much space it uses A.

eral section next to the word Used you’ll see how much space your data is using (see “Size It Up”). If you plan on backing other drives up in addition to your startup drive, add that number to your total. Now, multiply that number by 1.2; the result is the minimum amount of disk space Time Machine can work with. However, more space is


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force Time Machine to do an immediate backup by control-clicking on the Time Machine icon in the Dock and choosing Back Up Now from the contextual menu. Note that you do not need to turn off Time Machine before disconnecting or unmounting its destination disk. Time Machine stops automatically and will resume backing up to the destination disk once it is available again.

always better because it enables Time Machine to retain backups that go further into the past. A backup disk with at least 1.5 times as much free space as is occupied on your startup is recommended. Time Machine works best when it has an entire disk, or at least a partition on a disk, all to itself. So if you have a suitably large drive that’s completely blank or can be erased, that’s ideal. You can use Disk Utility (in /Applications/Utilities) to erase a disk if needed. Make a Connection When you first plug in a hard drive that’s suitably formatted, Time Machine will display an alert asking if you want to use that disk for backups. Click on Use As Backup Disk to turn on Time Machine and set it to use that destination. If no alert appears, or if you want to choose a different volume as your destination, open the Time Machine preference pane and click on the Choose Backup Disk button (which switches to Change Disk after your initial selection). Select the volume you want to use and click on Use For Backup. Run Automatically or Manually Time Machine ordinarily runs in the background, updating your backup disk once per hour. This isn’t always convenient for mobile Mac users. To disable automatic operation temporarily, click on the Off switch in the Time Machine preference pane. You can

Recovering from Problems After the initial setup, you probably won’t give Time Machine much thought. It works invisibly in the background. But when something goes wrong, it’s ready to spring into action to recover lost files. Quickly Restore Files When you need to retrieve something from your backup, click on the Time Machine icon in the Dock. You’ll be transported to the Time Machine interface (see “Time Warp”), which shows the front most window in the foreground and a line of archived versions of that window stretching back in time. Simply use the timeline along the right side of your screen or the back arrow to “flip back” through time and find the files you want to restore. To immediately jump backward to the last time a selected file was changed, highlight the file and click once on the back arrow. If you don’t select a file and click on the arrow, it takes you to the last time an item in that folder changed.


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box, or select a particular mailbox or album. Then click on the Time Machine icon in the Dock and navigate to the point in time where the item reappears. Click on Restore to bring it back to the present, or, in Address Book and iPhoto, click on Restore All to copy all your contacts or photos from the time of that backup to the present. Note that iPhoto places restored photos in a new, untitled album, while Mail places restored messages, notes, and to-do items in a new mailbox called Recovered Items, inside a Time Machine mailbox in the On My Mac portion of the mailbox list. Restore An Entire Disk Although it’s more time-consuming, Time Machine can also return your entire disk (including OS X itself) to

Time Machine will search through your backups and automatically stop at the point where the file was last modified. Select the file or folder, click on the Restore button, and the file comes back to the present. Restore from Apple Programs Apple’s Mail, Address Book, and iPhoto ’08 include enhanced support for Time Machine. That means you can go back in time to find a particular e-mail message, contact, or photograph without having to worry about where the underlying file is actually stored. To search for an item in these programs, first navigate to a view where the item would normally appear—for example, type a name or keyword into the Search

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b c Time Warp Use the scale along the side A to jump to a specific date or click on the back arrow B to jump to the last time a selected item was modified. When you find the file you want, click on Restore C. Macworld’s Mobile Mac Superguide

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Then select the particular backup you want to restore (most likely the one at the top of the list) and click on Continue. Select your internal disk, click on Restore, and confirm your choice. Note that Time Machine assumes the drive you’re restoring to is blank. If it isn’t, you can erase it prior to restoring your backup by choosing Utilities: Disk Utility and clicking on the Erase Disk button on the Erase tab.

its state at some point in the past. First, start up from your Leopard Install DVD (you can choose the DVD as your startup volume by holding down the C key as you restart). After the language selection screen, choose Utilities: Restore System From Backup. Click on Continue, select your Time Machine backup disk, and click on Continue again. If the disk contains backups for more than one computer, select the one you want from the Restore From pop-up menu.

Is Time Machine Enough? If you’re serious about protecting your data, it’s best to include some sort of off-site backup—for example, using an online backup service or storing a bootable duplicate at your sister’s house—in your plan. Also keep in mind that even though Time Machine backs up every file on your disk to another hard drive, you can’t start up your computer from your Time Machine backup. That means if your internal hard drive is damaged or corrupted, you’ll have to spend hours restoring your data before you can get back to work. You can use any of numerous programs, such as Shirt Pocket’s $28 SuperDuper (shirt-pocket.com) to create a bootable duplicate of your hard disk. (For instructions, go to macworld. com/2596.) Keep in mind that you must store the duplicate on its own drive or partition in order for it to be bootable.

TIP

Erase Backups Want to make sure no one can recover sensitive files from your Time Machine backup? Open Time Machine, and using the top window, navigate to the file you want to remove. With the file selected, click on the gear icon in the Finder window and select the option to delete all instances of the file from all backups.


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Problem Solving

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and start over, this time holding down the option key. This makes the Force Quit command appear. Use Activity Monitor On rare occasions you may need to quit a program—such as the Dock—that doesn’t have a Dock icon or appear in the Force Quit window. In that case, launch Activity Monitor (in /Applications/Utilities). From the list, select the frozen application. From the toolbar, click on the Quit Process button. In the dialog box that appears, click on Force Quit.

hen your system starts acting up miles away from your office and tech support staff, will you know what to do? Be prepared for the worst with this crash course in Mac first aid.

Quit a Frozen Application It happens to all Mac users sooner or later. You’re about to select a menu command when suddenly your cursor turns into a beach ball that just spins and spins. OS X offers several ways to force-quit a program. You only need to use one—they all do the same thing—but you may find one more convenient than another. Force Quit Go to the Apple menu and select Force Quit (or press its keyboard equivalent: 1-option-escape). This brings up a list of all your currently open applications. Typically, the name of the frozen one will be followed by the phrase “application not responding.” Select the program’s name and click on Force Quit. Use the Dock Menu You can also force an application to quit from the Dock. Click and hold over the frozen application’s Dock icon. When the contextual menu pops up, the item that normally reads Quit should say Force Quit. If it still just says Quit, release the mouse

Recover from a Crash Just as unwelcome as the application freeze is the application crash. In this case, you’re not trying to force a program to quit; you’re trying to prevent it from quitting on its own. When an application crashes, you typically see a dialog box informing you that the application has “unexpectedly quit.” As with application freezes, the good news is that these crashes rarely bring down an entire Mac—they usually just affect the one application. Try these methods, one by one, until the problem disappears: Relaunch The “unexpectedly quit” dialog box includes a Relaunch button. Click on it to launch the application again.


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Safe Relaunch If the crash happens again, wait for the dialog box to reappear. You’ll notice a slight difference now—the message text says that the application unexpectedly quit after it was relaunched. You have the same Relaunch button here. If you click the button this time, however, the application should not immediately relaunch. Instead, another dialog will appear (see “Sit Back, Relaunch”) offering two relaunch options: Reset And Relaunch or just Relaunch. If you click on the Reset And Relaunch button, this should initiate a safe relaunch of the application. OS X disables the application’s current preferences file and replaces it with a new default file. Applications use preferences files to store the changes you make to the program’s settings. But if preferences files become damaged they can precipitate a crash. (Preferences files are stored in your

user folder/Library/Preferences and typically are named after their matching application.) If the safe relaunch eliminates the crash, quit the program (File: Quit). At this point, another dialog box will appear and ask whether you want to keep the new settings. Click on Yes to keep the new settings and reset any custom preferences—a price worth paying if it puts an end to the crashes.

Deal with Recurring Problems If your crashes persist, or if the program misbehaves in other ways, it’s time to move on to a timetested set of potential fixes. Try the steps in order until one works. Restart Your Mac Select the Restart command from the Apple menu. If the crash is so bad that you can’t get Restart to work, press and hold your Mac’s power button until the machine shuts off. As a last resort, pull the power cord.

Sit Back, Relaunch If an application quits after a relaunch, clicking on Reset And Relaunch should temporarily revert the application’s preferences to their default values. Macworld’s Mobile Mac Superguide

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Check for Conflicts and Bugs Make sure the application doesn’t have a conflict with the version of OS X you’re using. For example, if you just updated to Leopard, you may also need to update the problem program. Check the company’s Web site for details. Log In as a Different User You’ve installed new programs and you’ve tweaked preferences—is it one of the millions of changes you’ve made to your system that’s causing problems? Find out by logging in as a different user. If the crash doesn’t occur when you’re logged in as the other account, it means the cause is a file in your user folder, rather than a more general issue with OS X. This usually means the problem can be fixed without something as drastic as reinstalling all of OS X. The cause is most likely a corrupt or conflicting file somewhere in your user folder’s Library folder—either a preferences (.plist) file, a font, a cache file, a plug-in, or some other support file (often found in the Application Support folder). You can use utilities to isolate the specific cause. For instance, check for corrupt fonts with Font Book’s Validate Font command, identify corrupt .plist files using Jonathan Nathan’s free Preferential Treatment (www.jonn8.com), and delete corrupt cache files with Northern Softworks’ Leopard

Cache Cleaner ($12; www .northernsoftworks.com). Ultimately, it might take some good old trial-and-error to ferret out the culprit. Use Disk Utility If the problem program was installed as part of Mac OS X, go to /Applications/ Utilities and launch Disk Utility. From here, select your startup volume and click on the First Aid tab. Finally, click on Repair Disk Permissions. Reinstall the Program Still stuck? Uninstall the program by going to the Applications folder and dragging the program’s folder to the Trash. If you had to doubleclick on an installer to install a program, rerun the installer. In most cases, after you launch it you’ll see an uninstall option. Run this. Now reinstall the program. If an Installer utility came with the program, use it—otherwise, you may not properly install key components of the software, and that in itself could be the cause of a crash. Check Console Logs Launch OS X’s Console utility (/Applications/Utilities). If you don’t see a list of logs in the left column, click the Show Log List button in the toolbar. From the list on the left side, locate the CrashReporter folders (in your user folder/Library/ Logs and /Library/Logs). In here you’ll find a .crash.log file for every application on your Mac that has ever crashed.


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Restart Again If your laptop still hasn’t started, try restarting one more time. Things often work better the second time around. Do a Safe Boot Restart and immediately hold down the shift key until the sundial icon shows up at the gray screen to initiate a safe boot. Eventually, the login screen appears with the words “Safe Boot” below the words “Mac OS X.” This means you have initiated a shotgun collection of potential fixes. OS X runs a disk repair command, deletes potentially corrupted font cache files, disables files called extensions (located in the System folder), and prevents items in your Login Items list (in your Accounts preference pane) from loading. If you succeed in getting your Mac to start up in this minimalist mode, restart immediately (this time without activating Safe Boot). The disk repairs and cache cleaning alone may have fixed the problem. Investigate Your Login Items If you’re still in trouble after a post-safe-boot restart, it’s going to take some detective work to figure out what’s going on. For example, if the crash occurs after you’ve logged in to your account (and the desktop background has appeared), the most likely cause is a login items conflict. To check for this, go to the Preferences folder inside the Library

In the log file with the name of your problem program, you might find a clue to the cause of the crash—for example, a reference to a plug-in that may be the cause of the conflict. Look carefully at any section with a header including the word “Crashed” (such as “Thread 0 Crashed”). The output in the All Messages item under Log Database Queries may also provide a clue as to the cause of a crash. For more advice on using Console, see macworld.com/3302. Reinstall OS X If your sleuth work hasn’t paid off, bring out your OS X Installation DVD and start from scratch. Select the Archive And Install option. If this installs an older version of OS X than you are currently using (such as 10.5.0, when you are now running 10.5.2), use the Software Update system preference to update to the latest versions of all Apple software.

CPR for Startup Problems What should you do when your laptop fails to start up at all? If your Mac seems to start up normally but stalls at some point before the desktop appears—an indication that the problem isn’t with your monitor or your power—use these guidelines for reuniting with your data. Be Patient Sometimes the Mac will take an unusually long time to start up. Take a deep breath and wait to see if it rights itself.


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Trial and Error If you’re having trouble starting up, the culprit may be one of the items in your Login Items list. Eliminating them one by one—by clicking on the minus button— may help you track down the troublemaker.

be back. Delete just the likely culprit item, log out, and log back in. Repair the Disk Mac still not starting up properly? When you do a safe boot, OS X attempts to repair your disk, but it offers no feedback as to what happened. You don’t know if it found and fixed problems or if it ran into problems it couldn’t fix. If the safe boot fails to fix the problem and login items have been ruled out as a cause, try using Disk Utility’s First Aid to repair the disk. Disconnect Peripherals If you’re still having problems with your computer, try disconnecting all USB and FireWire devices (except your Apple-supplied keyboard and mouse). Restart the Mac yet again. If you can start up, you may have had a conflict between OS X and one of the disconnected devices.

folder of your Home directory. Locate the file named “loginwindow .plist” (not “com.apple.loginwindow .plist”). Now, make a copy of the file and store it in another location (such as your desktop). Next, go to the Accounts system preference pane, select your account name, and click on the Login Items tab. Select the top item in the list and click the minus sign (-) at the bottom of the Login Items window (see “Trial and Error”). Next, log out (Apple menu: Log Out user name) and then back in. Continue removing items one by one until the crash stops occurring. When it does, it’s a good bet that the login item you last deleted is the culprit. At this point, replace the active loginwindow.plist file with the copy you made. Return to the Login Items window in Accounts. Your complete list of login items should


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A Clean Slate If all else fails, reinstall Leopard using the Archive And Install option.

wide parameters, such as time zone setting and speaker volume. Reinstall OS X If all else has failed, start over with a fresh installation of OS X. This is often the only cure if your symptom is a persisting blinking question mark icon at startup, which indicates that your Mac doesn’t believe there’s a valid version of OS X installed on your drive.

You may be able to reconnect all the devices and use them, but if you leave them connected, your Mac may fail to start up the next time you try. The only way to cure this problem is by updating the device’s driver software or firmware. (Firmware is the set of programming instructions stored on the hardware itself; it remains unchanged unless specifically modified by a firmware updater utility.) Check the company Web site for details. Reset PRAM Restart the Mac yet again. This time immediately hold down the 1-option-P-R keys until the Mac chimes a second time. This resets the information in the Mac’s Parameter RAM (PRAM) to its default values, which can solve certain startup problems. PRAM is a special area of RAM where data is retained even after the Mac is shut down. PRAM stores an assortment of system-

Treat Panic Attacks It’s an ominous sign indeed: your screen just turned a shade darker and a message appeared—in several languages—informing you that you must restart your Mac. Your Mac is suffering from kernel panic. Despite the name, there’s no need to panic if you experience it. Restart First, restart your Mac as requested. Near the end of the startup, a “this application has unexpectedly quit” message will appear. Don’t worry: your Mac


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And Install (see “A Clean Slate”). To access this option, start the installation process, and after you select the destination, click on Options. Once you’ve reinstalled Leopard, reinstall your third-party software only as needed until you find the one that triggers the panic.

is merely informing you that OS X itself quit unexpectedly prior to your restart. Check for Updates Like application crashes, kernel panic problems often vanish after a restart. If not—and if the onset of the panic is linked to a specific application—there’s almost certainly a fatal bug in that software. Contact the maker for an updated version or for technical support. Ax New Hardware Have you recently added RAM or a PCI card to your Mac? Regard such additions with suspicion, especially ones that add a kernel extension with the word Driver in its name to your Mac’s /System/Library/Extensions folder. These can be potential sources of kernel panics. If you recently added a card or peripheral to your Mac, try removing it to see if that eliminates the panic. Try a Safe Boot If the kernel panic occurs at apparently random moments or during startup, try a safe boot. Restart and immediately hold down the shift key until the sundial icon shows up at the gray screen. Reinstall OS X If the safe boot succeeds but kernel panic strikes again when you boot normally, a file in the /System/Library/Extensions folder is generally the cause. The file was probably installed by a third-party application. The simplest approach here is to reinstall OS X via an Archive

TIP

Find More Help This first-aid guide should help you through most common crises. But if your Mac is still sickly, your next step is to check out Apple’s Support page (macworld.com/1167) or a general troubleshooting site, such as MacFixIt (www.macfixit.com). It also never hurts to Google some relevant search terms and see what you get—sometimes you’ll find creative cures this way. If home remedies don’t work (and your IT desk isn’t easily reachable), it’s time to call the doctor. New laptops come with 90 days of telephone support and one year of service coverage. Apple’s extended warranty—AppleCare Protection Plan ($149 to $349, depending on your Mac model; macworld .com/1169)—gives you three years of telephone support and service. Call 800-275-2273 or visit your local Apple store (apple .com/retail/) for help.


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iPhone Remedies If your iPhone starts crashing, freezing, or acting erratically, these steps should help. Un-Freeze If your iPhone suddenly stops responding and pressing the Home button doesn’t appear to do anything, your device is likely frozen. Try pressing and holding down the Home button for about six seconds. This should return you to the Home screen. Restart If you experience a recurring freeze or crash, restarting may help. Press and hold down the sleep/wake button until the Power Off slider appears. Move the slider to Off. Press the sleep/wake button again to turn the iPhone back on. If the Power Off slider never appears, or if the screen goes black and never awakens, press and hold down the sleep/wake and Home buttons simultaneously for about six seconds. This forces an immediate restart of the iPhone. Reset If freezes or crashes persist after a restart, the culprit may be (possibly corrupted) settings or data on your iPhone. If so, the fix is to delete the information and reenter or resync it. To do this, tap on the Settings icon from the Home screen, select General, and then tap on Reset. Tapping on the Reset All Settings button will revert all your settings to their original values, while leaving your data (music, photos, apps, and contacts) untouched. The Erase All Content And Settings option erases everything and returns your iPhone to its original condition when you first activated it. The content is automatically reloaded the next time you sync. Restore If none of the above has worked, it’s time to erase your iPhone’s entire contents, including the original Mac OS X software that came preinstalled. Connect the device to your computer, open iTunes, and select the iPhone from the Devices list. In the Summary screen, click on Restore. iTunes will download a software update for the iPhone and then restore the original factory settings. A dialog box will ask if you want to set up the iPhone as new or restore all the data and settings from a backup. Unless you believe your backup contains corrupted data, opt to restore. Update Some problems may stem from bugs in the iPhone’s software. In these cases, you’ll have to wait for Apple to fix the bugs via an update to the iPhone software. iTunes automatically checks for such updates. However, you can manually check for them at any time by clicking on the Check For Update button in the Summary tab of iTunes’ iPhone window.


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What Else to Pack Don’t Leave Home Without These Compact Accessories

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ith laptops now outselling desktop computers, it’s safe to say that portable computing has arrived. For many people, that just means it’s easier to take their work to the corner café. But for true road warriors, portable computing means bringing along all your computing essentials without having to schedule a visit to the chiropractor. Before you head out, make sure you’ve packed everything you’ll need to work effectively away from your office or home. Here’s a look at some accessories that should be on your must-have on-the-go list, along with our picks. For more reviews of the latest gear, go to macworld.com/reviews.

Table of contents

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Laptop Necessities

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Security Tools

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iPhone Accessories


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Laptop Necessities

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hen you take your laptop on the road, you’re leaving a whole collection of accessories behind. Thankfully, it’s possible to travel light and smart. Make room for these key gadgets and accessories.

when they do, you’ll often get a much better—and more secure— connection via Ethernet. That’s why packing a compact networking cable is a must. Recommendations: Zip-Linq’s retractable cables ($15; www.ziplinq.com) MacBook Air users will also need Apple’s USB Ethernet Adapter ($29; store.apple.com)

Portable Hard Drive Backing up isn’t just for the home or office; it’s equally important— perhaps even more crucial—when you’re mobile. Thankfully, backing up no longer means lugging around a bulky hard Little Disk USB Hard Drive drive, since portable drives are smaller and lighter than ever. Be sure to keep your backup drive separate from your laptop bag so if one is ever stolen, you’ll still have the other. Recommendations: LaCie’s 60GB, USB Little Disk ($140; www.lacie.com) Other World Computing’s Mercury On-The-Go FireWire/USB hard drive (price varies by capacity; www.macsales.com)

Portable USB Hub If you use more USB devices than you have ports for—that’s you, MacBook Air owners—you’ll appreciate the utility of a compact USB hub. The T3Hub weighs only 21 grams but converts Dr. Bott’s T3Hub a single USB port into three. It can host two low-power USB devices and one high-power device. Recommendations: Dr. Bott’s T3Hub ($20; www .drbott.com)

Multi-Outlet Power Strip If you’re lucky, your hotel room will have a wall outlet so you can plug in your laptop’s AC adapter, but forget about using the chargers for all your other gadgets—unless you bring your own multi-outlet strip,

Network Cable Not all hotels and businesses have wireless Internet access. And even


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What Else to Pack

that is. Portable surge protectors let you turn a single outlet into a slew of surge-protected charging options. Many even provide extra ports for charging and powering gadgets via USB. Recommendations: Kensington Portable Power Outlet Belkin’s Muni Surge Protector ($25; www.belkin.com) Kensington Portable Power Outlet ($25; us.kensington.com)

Photographs by Peter Belanger

USB Power Cables Instead of lugging a separate AC power adapter for each gadget, look for compatible USB power cables; you can then use a USB power adapter—such as the Belkin model noted above—or even your laptop’s USB port(s) to charge your gear. For example, Apple’s dockconnector cable lets you charge iPods and iPhones via USB, and many mobile phones have USBcharging accessories. Recommendations: Zip-Linq’s Charge-n-Sync line ($11 and up; www.ziplinq.com)

A wireless-network detector can save you that hassle by quickly showing you the wireless networks in range, along with network type (802.11b, g, or n) and security status (open, WEP, WPA, or WPA2), for each. Recommendations: Canary Wireless’s Digital Hotspotter HS-20 ($60; canarywireless.com/canary)

Backup Battery If power outlets are few and far between or you can’t swap your laptop’s battery for a fresh one, a portable power source can give you the extra time you need to get things done. Kensington’s rechargeable Portable Power Pack for Mobile Devices is slim and lightweight (just 3.5 ounces) and offers a longevity boost to small gadgets—for example, 5 more hours of iPhone talk time or 14 hours of additional iPod video playback— via a USB connection. If you need to juice up your laptop, Duracell’s PowerSource

Wireless Detector When you’re looking for a place to get online, you could use OS X’s AirPort menu, which shows you nearby wireless networks. But that means hauling out your laptop and waiting for AirPort to scan the area.

Backup Batteries


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What Else to Pack

TIP

Organize Your Extras If you alternate between trips to the coffee shop and trips across the country, you don’t always need your full complement of gear. Instead of unpacking and packing everything each time, keep all your “serious travel” gear in a separate, smaller bag that you can throw in your laptop bag for longer trips. Tom Bihn’s $25 Snake Charmer is a good size with see-through side panels so you (and the TSA) can keep track of what’s inside.

Replacement Battery

Mobile 100 is bulkier and heavier (1.2 pounds), but it features two USB power ports and a standard three-prong outlet for plugging in an AC power adapter. It can extend your laptop’s use by about 2 hours, your mobile phone’s talk time by 15 to 20 hours, or your iPod’s audio playback by nearly 100 hours. Finally, Battery Geek’s External Laptop Batteries use a custom MagSafe cable ($10) to provide 3 to 6 hours of additional usage for Apple’s MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops. However, Battery Geek’s batteries don’t come cheap, and they weigh in at a hefty two pounds. Recommendations: Kensington’s Portable Power Pack ($60; us.kensington.com) Duracell’s PowerSource Mobile 100 ($140; duracellpower.com) Battery Geek External Laptop Battery ($250–$300; batterygeek.net)

Got a perfectly functional older Mac laptop sitting on the shelf because its battery dies minutes after you open the lid? Don’t send it to the tech graveyard just yet. Instead, consider buying a new battery. FastMac offers TruePower batteries, battery replacements for notebooks as far back as the original TruePower Batteries iBook and the Pismo PowerBook, all the way up to the latest MacBooks and MacBook Pros. And each battery gives you more run-time than the laptop’s original. Plus, the company will recycle your old battery for no charge. RecommendationS: FastMac TruePower Batteries ($70–$110; fastmac.com)


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What Else to Pack

organizer, and water-bottle compartments, as well as a separate main section for large items. Recommendations: Case Logic Upright Rollers ($150 to $180; caselogic.com)

The Light Bag

Upright Roller

Right Bag

Roller bags aren’t for everyone. They’re large, and if you’re already packing heavy, they’re a significant burden. If you’re looking for a smaller option that’s easy to carry, consider a laptop backpack. They’re much better for your shoulders and back than one-strap bags, and the smaller bags encourage you not to overload your STM Rogue Small pack. Note that these aren’t packs for the road warrior who wants to haul a load of gadgets everywhere. Recommendations: STM Rogue Small ($90; stmbags.com)

The

The best laptop bag is one that’s comfortable for you to carry, even when it’s loaded with gear. But if you travel frequently, consider using a rolling case instead of a backpack or shoulder bag. You’ll be able to carry more—possibly even a change of clothes—without putting stress on your shoulders and back. Case Logic’s airline-friendly 18- and 22-inch Lightweight Upright Rollers get their rigidity from panels of molded EVA plastic instead of metal frames, a design that reduces their weight while still protecting your belongings. Each Roller features dedicated laptop,


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What Else to Pack

Security Tools

W

hether you’re taking your Mac to the local coffee shop or globe-trotting, the journey is fraught with risk. You can make it a less nerve-racking experience by packing the right gear.

and superglue-strength adhesives. If someone attempts to remove the plate, it will leave a permanent tattoo on your machine. Both the plate and the tattoo explain that you’ve registered your laptop with a tracking and recovery agency and list toll-free retrieval numbers. The cost of the plate includes the lifetime recovery service. Recommendations: STOP Plate ($26; stoptheft.com)

Security Cable A hotel safe or a locked office is the safest place to keep your laptop. But if you must leave it in a less-secure location, a high-quality computer lock may offer enough of a deterrent so that a thief will move on to the next PC Guardian’s object of desire. Ezolution PC Guardian’s Ezolution models use seven-pin key locks or 10,000-combination numerical locks that offer better security than many competing products (for more on keeping your laptop safe, see the Security to Go chapter). Recommendations: PC Guardian’s Ezolution ($40–$58; pcguardian.com)

Return Tag If you can’t spring for the pricey labels, you should still give honest folks a chance to do the right thing by using a security label from StuffBak, TrackItBack, or zReturn. You put a uniquely numbered tag on your laptop, iPod, or other device and register that tag with the service—you can even designate a reward amount. Any Good Samaritan who finds the item can call the

zReturn Stickers

Recovery Plate Easy-to-spot “asset recovery” stickers, such as STOP plates, are an excellent way to discourage theft. The prominent identification labels consist of aluminum plates Macworld’s Mobile Mac Superguide

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What Else to Pack

number on the tag to initiate the return process. Recommendations: StuffBak Standard Label ($5; www.stuffbak.com) TrackItBack Laptop Pack ($10; www.trackitback.com) zReturn Individual User Kit ($7; www.zreturn.com)

protecting your laptop from harm, they’re also good at drawing attention to what’s inside. Depending where you’re traveling, you might want to consider dressing your laptop down—swap your flashy computer case for a protective notebook sleeve, which can be tucked into any nondescript bag. Recommendations: be.ez LArobe Sleeve ($30; www .be-ez.com)

Sonic Alarm

Another, more aggressive way to keep your laptop from wandering off is to install a sonic Emergency Beacon alarm. The Targus Your computer’s not the only Defcon 1 Ultra thing that can get lost Laptop Computer while traveling. If your Security System travels involve heading greets would-be out into the wilderness, thieves with a shriekyou should consider ing, 95-decibel wail. Spot, a satellite-based The device includes a emergency beacon that motion-trigger alarm that lets you send emergency plugs directly into the requests to 911 or upsecurity slot; arming or dates to family and friends be.ez LArobe disarming it requires a key from almost anywhere Sleeve combination. on the planet. It also lets RecommendationS: family members (or whomever you Targus Defcon 1 Ultra Laptop want) track your whereabouts via Computer Security System ($50; Google Maps. Spot is smaller than www.targus.com) traditional emergency beacons, and it’s less expensive to boot. RecommendationS: Subtle Sleeve Spot ($150 plus service fees; Although fancy computer cases and bags are great for carrying and findmespot.com)


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What Else to Pack

iPhone Accessories

T

Chargers

he iPhone is practically naked when you first bring it home from the Apple store. Outfit it with these must-have accessories and take your iPhone experience to the next level.

If you don’t want to run your iPod or iPhone’s battery down while listening to tunes in the car—or if you want your travel time to double as charging time—you need a car charger that plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter. Dock-connector chargers for the iPod should also power and charge the iPhone correctly, although more slowly than an official “Made for iPhone” model. Recommendations: Griffin Technology PowerJolt for iPhone ($20; griffintechnology.com) XtremeMac InCharge Auto ($20; www.xtrememac.com)

Extra Power Whether you’ve just finished a long conference call or forgot to plug in your iPhone last night, sometimes your iPhone needs a little pick-me-up. Try packing a backup battery for your iPhone or iPod touch to get it back into fighting trim. You can juice up most rechargeable lithium-ion batteries either via USB or, using the included wall charger, a standard AC outlet. 30-pin dock connectors make it easy to plug the batteries right into your iPhone. Our picks both claim to provide up to twice the talk or RichardSolo Backup Battery surf time, which should be long enough to keep the phone working in a pinch. Recommendations: RichardSolo Backup Battery ($50; www.richardsolo.com) Mophie’s Juice Pack ($100; www.mophie.com)

Screen Protection Many iPhone cases include a clear, flexible film that protects the phone’s glass screen, but if you prefer to carry your iPhone au naturel— or want a higherquality film—you can purchase a screen protector separately. The best are basically invisible and don’t affect the iPhone’s touch screen interface. Some, such

iSkin Revo


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What Else to Pack

The Portable Desktop If you work at a desk when you travel—for example, in a hotel room or in someone else’s office—you’ll be much more comfortable and productive with an ergonomically sound desktop setup. Here are a few laptop-bagfriendly accessories that help you stay ergonomic: Laptop Stand A laptop stand lets you raise your laptop’s screen to the proper viewing height so you’re not slouched over. Matias’s $60 iFold A (matias.ca) and LapWorks’ $70 Aluminum Stand B (www .laptopdesk.net) are good choices; the two-pound iFold is sturdier and provides a better height, while the Desk Stand is lighter (at 21 ounces), thinner, and has a rotating base. Keyboard and Mouse An external keyboard and mouse let you work with your arms and hands in ergonomic positions. Apple’s $79 Wireless Keyboard C (www.apple.com) is perfect for carrying in a laptop bag, thanks to its super slim design and sturdy build; our favorite travel mouse is Logitech’s $70 VX nano D (www.logitech.com), which has a thin profile, a low weight, and a unique free-spin scroll wheel. Although the nano isn’t a Bluetooth device and hence requires you to connect an RF receiver to your Mac, that receiver is the smallest on the market. Case If you choose to bring along all these desktop trappings, Waterfield Designs E (www.sfbags.com) makes a full line of padded sleeves and pouches that fit inside your normal bag. One example is the $37 Keyboard Case, specifically designed to hold the Apple Wireless Keyboard.

b E

a d c Macworld’s Mobile Mac Superguide

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OtterBox Photography by Peter Belanger

What Else to Pack

as ShieldZone’s InvisibleShield, are case that offers complete proalso available in full body versions tection against shocks and the that protect the entire iPhone withelements. While these cases add out adding bulk or obscuring its bulk to the svelte iPhone, stylish appearance. they keep the device’s Recommendations: features both protectPower Support Crystal ed and accessible. Film Sets ($15 for two; OtterBox’s Defender powersupportusa case, made of a silicone .com) rubber skin over a plastic Body Guardz hard case, strikes a nice ($15 for two; balance between resilience OtterBox Defender Case and portability. And it fits bodyguardz.com) both the original iPhone and the iPhone 3G. Skins Recommendations: For basic iPhone protection, your OtterBox Defender Case ($50; best option is a skin. Among the www.otterbox.com) most popular types of cases, skins Contour Design iSee ($30; www enclose your gadget in a layer .contourcase.com) of silicone rubber—some thin, some thick. Thinner skins prevent scratches without adding much iPhone-Compatible Headset bulk, whereas thicker skins provide Thanks to the popularity of the added shock protection. The iPhone, a number of companies downside of a skin is that getting now sell iPhone-specific headyour iPhone in and out can be a phones with microphones and baminor hassle, especially if you use sic remote-control features built in. your device with dock-cradle Many of the new headphones offer accessories. improvements—in both auRecommendations: dio quality and microphone iSkin Revo ($40; www.iskin.com) performance—over Apple’s Marware SportGrip ($15; www iPhone headphones, and .marware.com) most use an in-ear-canal design for better noise isolation. A Sturdy Case Etymotic hf2 Recommendations: Your iPhone is a pricey piece of V-Moda Vibe Duo ($101; equipment, so of course you want www.v-moda.com) to keep it safe. People who treat Etymotic hf2 ($179; their iPhones roughly or venture www.etymotic.com) into harsh environments will want a Macworld’s Mobile Mac Superguide

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Nobody spends more time with Apple’s computers and software than the writers and editors at Macworld, the world’s foremost Mac authority. In this book Macworld’s team of experts has used its encyclopedic Apple knowledge to create the essential guide to being a mobile Mac user. Whether you’re using a MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iPhone, or iPod touch, this book makes it easy for you to stay on the ball while on the road. First we’ll look under the hoods of Apple’s available mobile devices to help you decide which system best suits your lifestyle and budget. Next we’ll look at the top software options for road warriors, including essential utilities and apps to make your iPhone work-ready. We also examine all the ways you can connect to the Internet when you’re on the road, and the best techniques for accessing your files from afar. Unknown locations and networks can pose a threat to both your computer and your communications. Our chapter on security has everything you’ll need to prevent thieves from stealing your laptop or mobile device and tips for keeping your data safe from snoops. Prevent more worst-case scenarios with the chapter on troubleshooting, which teaches you how to solve common problems as well as the best ways to back up your data. Finally, we share our top-rated mobile accessories on the market, including some must-have gadgets you didn’t know you were missing. Whether you’re a telecommuter, a student, or just a frequent traveler, don’t leave home without reading this book first.

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