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

In case of emergency

In a summer full of natural disasters how prepared are you (and your Mac) for unanticipated emergencies?

Select hidden drop-down menu choices via keyboardLearn how to activate menu items on certain drop-down menus without first opening those menus.
Installing Nagios on Mac OS X 10.5 ServerJohn C. Welch updates his instructions for installing the open-source Nagios on to the latest version of OS X Server, an operation that will turn a Mac into a network monitoring station that can notify you of hardware and software problems.

Latest Help and Tips

In case of emergency
In a summer full of natural disasters how prepared are you (and your Mac) for unanticipated emergencies?
Select hidden drop-down menu choices via keyboard
Learn how to activate menu items on certain drop-down menus without first opening those menus.
Installing Nagios on Mac OS X 10.5 Server
John C. Welch updates his instructions for installing the open-source Nagios on to the latest version of OS X Server, an operation that will turn a Mac into a network monitoring station that can notify you of hardware and software problems.
Digital Photo: How to buy a camera lens
Still using the lens that came with your digital SLR? Explore the creative possibilities of your camera by buying a new lens. Whether looking for a zoom lens or a prime lens, we'll show you what to look for when shopping.
A Mac geek's take on birth announcements
With a new family member on the way, Dan Frakes takes advantage of his Mac toolbox to set up instant baby announcements.
AppleScript versus Alameda County
Jason Snell battles a wonky Java applet to get a readable version of a court case.
Free iTunes music lessons
Want to be a true guitar hero? A series of free iTunes podcasts can help.
Empty Your Inbox: Gmail tips
For Gmail fans, Google's Web-based e-mail service offers lots of tricks for organizing your e-mail, clearing out your inbox, and finding e-mail messages fast. These nine tips will get you get organized now.
Browse PDFs, organize bookmarks in Firefox 3
Learn how to view PDFs in Firefox 3, and a tricky way to organize bookmarks in folders on your bookmarks toolbar.
Updating Boot Camp video drivers
You've just purchased a new graphics card for your Mac Pro and now Windows lights up a single monitor when two should shine? Time to think like a Windows user.
About iTunes library files
We constantly tell you to back up your iTunes Library and iTunes Music Library.xml files when mucking with your iTunes library, but what are these things?
Combine multiple iCal calendars
Learn a simple way to combine multiple iCal calendars into one new calendar.
Buying Macs to run Windows
Your company plans to purchase hundreds of Macs so you can use Outlook. Huh?
Add full-page zooming to WebKit
Learn how to implement a full-page (text, images, etc.) zoom feature in the WebKit version of the Safari browser.
Start Safari’s private browsing via keyboard shortcut
Learn how to create a keyboard shortcut that jumps directly into Safari’s private browsing mode—and use this technique on certain other menu options as well.
iWork and Office: How to share files
Sharing files between Microsoft Office and Apple's iWork suite can be a pain. John Rizzo explains how to make it work.
Adding 802.11n to older iMac
Have an 802.11n network that's slowed down by an older Mac's "g" wireless card? Here's a solution.
How to update iTunes podcasts
Is iTunes missing episodes from a favorite podcast? Here's how to put things right.
Lighten the load when e-mailing Web pages
If you use your browser’s ability to send actual Web pages to people, there are ways to trim out the extraneous Web page info from your e-mail.
Put 10.5’s help windows in the background
Do the always-floating help windows in 10.5 annoy you? If so, this simple Terminal command will solve the problem in a hurry.