11:00 a.m.: WHILE YOU'RE AT WORK

Your Mac is as proficient an office companion as it is a recreational aide-de-camp. Here's how to make sure your Mac helps you sail through the workday.

11. Tap into your home network for files you forgot to sync to .Mac.

Oops - you spent so much time transferring MP3s to .Mac this morning that you forgot your work files. Netopia's Timbukto Pro ($99.95 boxed, $94.95 download) can help. This remote-access app uses a console on your Mac to initiate remote desktop sharing. (LogMeIn Hamachi, a free app in its Basic version, does the same thing but is clunkier to use.) From a remote machine, Timbuktu Pro lets you grab files from, and even run apps on, your home Mac.

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12. Really watch what you eat.

As the day progresses, keep track of your calorie and nutrient intake with CalorieKing ($45), which gives you a constant readout of how your meals and snacks will affect your diet.

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13. Do all of your work in a freeware office app.

If you like to do what you can to avoid supporting that big tech company based up in Redmond, Washington, and you also like free stuff, you've gotta try NeoOffice. Unlike other free apps, NeoOffice is quite full-featured, offering many of the same options you're used to in Microsoft Office - without the ginormous price tag. It can read and write Office formats, too.

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14. Sync contacts between your Mac and your Bluetooth phone.

Apple's nifty little sync program, iSync, was a bright star in early OS X releases. Since then, it doesn't get much play. Part of the reason: Some popular phones are not supported. As usual, third-party Mac developers have solved this problem. For example, we got our Nokia N80 phone to sync with our Mac over Bluetooth using the DIY iSync Phone Plugin (free). Here's how you can do it too:

1. Enable Bluetooth on your MacBook (System Preferences > Bluetooth), or use a Bluetooth adapter. Make sure your phone is nearby. In the Bluetooth pane in System Preferences, click the Devices tab,then click Set Up New Device, and follow the prompts.

2. If you have the Nokia N80 (or another supported Nokia model), download the sync plug-in from en.isync-hilfe.de/phoneplugin-nokia.html and install it. If you have another phone model, search the Internet for that model and the term "iSync," and download and install the right plug-in.

3. Start Apple iSync (/Applications) and the plug-in will let you add the Nokia phone. Sync your contacts as you normally do.

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15. Track your investments.

Wait, you mean you've considered investing in a company other than Apple? Ha, well, your Mac can help you track those numbers as well - even the latest price for MSFT. PowerTicker ($49.95) is a widget that shows you just about every stock detail including volumes and yearly low, converts currency, and even has a tab for news on the selected company.

Track stocks and compare indexes in a widget that looks like a Wall Street trader's screen.

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