Macworld's best tips, tricks, and How-To's

Connect: Configure Leopard’s firewall

While OS X has long included basic firewall software, Leopard introduced some significant changes to it, leaving many Leopard users confused as to how to keep their Macs secure. But though the firewall interface in Mac OS X 10.5 is indeed quite different from that in earlier versions of the OS, it’s still relatively easy to use.

  • Back up Entourage with AppleScriptJohn C. Welch uses AppleScript to help him back up Entourage, including compatibility with Time Machine.
  • Digital Video: Make iMovie ’08 work your wayDespite iMovie ’08’s seemingly missing features, the program has hidden depth. It can still perform some of its predecessor’s tricks—just not in obvious ways. And a subsequent update, version 7.1, adds other enhancements. Here’s how to get the most out of the software.

Latest Tips, Tricks, and How-To's

More Latest Tips, Tricks, and How-To's
From our Partners
All Product Tips, Tricks, and How-To's
  • Connect: Configure Leopard’s firewall
    While OS X has long included basic firewall software, Leopard introduced some significant changes to it, leaving many Leopard users confused as to how to keep their Macs secure. But though the firewall interface in Mac OS X 10.5 is indeed quite different from that in earlier versions of the OS, it’s still relatively easy to use.
  • Back up Entourage with AppleScript
    John C. Welch uses AppleScript to help him back up Entourage, including compatibility with Time Machine.
  • Digital Video: Make iMovie ’08 work your way
    Despite iMovie ’08’s seemingly missing features, the program has hidden depth. It can still perform some of its predecessor’s tricks—just not in obvious ways. And a subsequent update, version 7.1, adds other enhancements. Here’s how to get the most out of the software.
  • Geek Factor: Leopard power tips
    MacOSXHints.com readers share their best tips for ways to squeeze the most out of Leopard.
  • Mobile Mac: File sharing in Leopard
    If you want to share files with other people (and who doesn’t these days?), you can always send the files via e-mail or iChat. But it’s far more efficient just to give your collaborators shared access to the files, folders, and volumes on your Mac and let them get the files themselves.
  • Digital Photo: Master your image library
    Much of the attention for iPhoto ’08 has focused on the new Events pane, which organizes your photos based on when they were taken. But Apple’s newest photo manager has many more tricks up its sleeve.
  • Time Machine tips and troubleshooting
    Some people will be able to set up and turn on Time Machine with a single click. But you may need to do some manual configuration to get it to work the way you want. You should also be aware of some quirks in Time Machine’s operation, particularly when restoring data.
  • Is Time Machine all you need?
    Although any backup is better than no backup at all, Time Machine may not protect your data to the extent or in the way that you need. A few significant weaknesses offset its impressive strengths.
  • Playlist: Sing along with your iPod
    Lots of CDs provide the lyrics in the liner notes, but songs purchased from the iTunes Store or ripped from your CDs don’t include that information in the file. Nevertheless, iTunes and your iPod can still help you sing along.
  • Working Mac: Spice up your slides
    Tired of rehashing the same static presentations? Consider adding movement. Used judiciously, animations can add power and pizzazz to your presentations, and they can often illustrate a point better than words alone.
  • Excerpt: Take Control of Easy Backups in Leopard
    The inclusion of Time Machine as part of Mac OS X 10.5 shows the importance of good backups for every Mac user. And while backing up and restoring files may be easier than before, you’re still going to need a place to store all that data. In this excerpt from his Take Control of Easy Backups in Leopard ebook, Joe Kissell tells you what to consider when shopping for a backup drive to hold all that Time Machine-saved data.
  • Fitting your files on a MacBook Air
    If you’ve ordered a MacBook Air, you’ve got some storage decisions to make. The 80GB of storage that ships with this thin notebook goes against the trend of higher-capacity hard drives. But not to worry—Joe Kissell has some advice on how to make sure all your vital files and applications fit on your new laptop.
  • Mobile Mac: The portable hotspot
    If you travel with colleagues for business trips, or if your multiple-Mac family brings its laptops on vacation, getting Internet access for everyone can be an exercise in configuration frustration. There is an alternative: a cellular router.
  • Back up multiple computers with Time Machine
    If you have more than one Mac but don’t want to use a separate hard drive to back up each one, Time Machine can help.
All Topic Tips, Tricks, and How-To's
  • Connect: Configure Leopard’s firewall
    While OS X has long included basic firewall software, Leopard introduced some significant changes to it, leaving many Leopard users confused as to how to keep their Macs secure. But though the firewall interface in Mac OS X 10.5 is indeed quite different from that in earlier versions of the OS, it’s still relatively easy to use.
  • Back up Entourage with AppleScript
    John C. Welch uses AppleScript to help him back up Entourage, including compatibility with Time Machine.
  • Geek Factor: Leopard power tips
    MacOSXHints.com readers share their best tips for ways to squeeze the most out of Leopard.
  • Mobile Mac: File sharing in Leopard
    If you want to share files with other people (and who doesn’t these days?), you can always send the files via e-mail or iChat. But it’s far more efficient just to give your collaborators shared access to the files, folders, and volumes on your Mac and let them get the files themselves.
  • Digital Photo: Master your image library
    Much of the attention for iPhoto ’08 has focused on the new Events pane, which organizes your photos based on when they were taken. But Apple’s newest photo manager has many more tricks up its sleeve.
  • Time Machine tips and troubleshooting
    Some people will be able to set up and turn on Time Machine with a single click. But you may need to do some manual configuration to get it to work the way you want. You should also be aware of some quirks in Time Machine’s operation, particularly when restoring data.
  • Is Time Machine all you need?
    Although any backup is better than no backup at all, Time Machine may not protect your data to the extent or in the way that you need. A few significant weaknesses offset its impressive strengths.
  • Playlist: Sing along with your iPod
    Lots of CDs provide the lyrics in the liner notes, but songs purchased from the iTunes Store or ripped from your CDs don’t include that information in the file. Nevertheless, iTunes and your iPod can still help you sing along.
  • Working Mac: Spice up your slides
    Tired of rehashing the same static presentations? Consider adding movement. Used judiciously, animations can add power and pizzazz to your presentations, and they can often illustrate a point better than words alone.
  • Excerpt: Take Control of Easy Backups in Leopard
    The inclusion of Time Machine as part of Mac OS X 10.5 shows the importance of good backups for every Mac user. And while backing up and restoring files may be easier than before, you’re still going to need a place to store all that data. In this excerpt from his Take Control of Easy Backups in Leopard ebook, Joe Kissell tells you what to consider when shopping for a backup drive to hold all that Time Machine-saved data.
  • Fitting your files on a MacBook Air
    If you’ve ordered a MacBook Air, you’ve got some storage decisions to make. The 80GB of storage that ships with this thin notebook goes against the trend of higher-capacity hard drives. But not to worry—Joe Kissell has some advice on how to make sure all your vital files and applications fit on your new laptop.
  • Mobile Mac: The portable hotspot
    If you travel with colleagues for business trips, or if your multiple-Mac family brings its laptops on vacation, getting Internet access for everyone can be an exercise in configuration frustration. There is an alternative: a cellular router.
  • Back up multiple computers with Time Machine
    If you have more than one Mac but don’t want to use a separate hard drive to back up each one, Time Machine can help.
  • Playlist: Digitize your cassettes and LPs
    If your music collection stretches back several decades, odds are you have at least a few beloved analog titles on cassette or vinyl. They need not languish unloved and unheard simply because they’re in an old format.
Name   City
 
Address 1   State   Zip
   
Address 2   E-mail (optional)