We are all creatures of habit. We get used to which side of the door the light switch is on and reach for it in the dark without even thinking. That’s part of the trouble with travel--nothing is exactly the way we’re used to, from the location of light switches to the availability of Wi-Fi Internet connections.

To help alleviate the sense that everything is unfamiliar and uncharted away from home, a map of sorts can come in handy. That’s what we offer here--a showcase of the very best mobile add-ons for your Apple gear, a collection of tried-and-tested tactics for staying connected and winning the productivity battle on the go, and finally, an assortment of apps that can effectively turn your iPhone into a MacBook replacement.

GEAR UP: BEST MOBILE ACCESSORIES

Wondering what to pack on your next plane, train, or automobile trip? Toothpaste and clean undies are always good--and so are these add-ons for your MacBook, iPod, and iPhone.

We know, now is not the time to advocate conspicuous consumption or consumerism for its own sake. If anyone’s feeling the recession’s pinch, it’s a bunch of print-magazine editors, OK? But if you are considering investing a little bit of dough in a well-thought-out collection of mobile gear--depending on your line of work, it could be a tax write-off--it pays to go shopping with a list of recommendations from people who have tested each product in the pages that follow  (even though we can’t necessarily afford to own them ourselves).

BAG, YOU’RE IT!
We could write a whole feature on the amazing plethora of bags and cases designed to tote your MacBook in comfort, style, and safety--but that’s a topic for another issue. Instead, we decided to focus on three key categories: checkpoint-friendly,  ultralight, and rugged.

CHECKPOINT-FRIENDLY

Say, “See ya!” to the poor schmucks juggling their laptops in the security line after you zip through the TSA checkpoint with a specially designed bag from Aerovation, Briggs & Riley, or Belkin.

Jet Through Security Checkpoints. In case you hadn’t heard, the TSA is doing other things besides trying to mess with your hygiene routine by limiting the amount of shampoo and toothpaste you can pack in your carry-on. In the spring of 2008, the agency created a set of guidelines for laptop bag makers to use in designing bags that allow you to send your MacBook through the X-ray machine without removing it from the bag, potentially saving you time and frustration as you stand barefoot and beltless in the security checkpoint line.

Since the TSA’s guidelines are still relatively new, there are only a few bags on the market designed especially for MacBooks and MacBook Pros, but of course any bag that will accommodate a 13-inch laptop should work for original or newer MacBooks, and any bag that fits a 15.4-inch laptop can hold a 15-inch MacBook Pro. We looked at three bags, which all have features we liked: At $59.99, the Belkin FlyThru is affordable, lightweight, and quite stylish to boot. The Briggs & Riley Vertical Computer Brief/Backpack ($199) offers compact style in backpack form, but it’s on the pricey side.

Our favorite checkpoint-friendly bag comes from Aerovation, a company started by an engineer and former fighter pilot, Ben Bosma, and his wife, Ginny. Aerovation’s offering, the 15.4-inch Checkpoint Friendly Laptop Bag ($79.95), has a design that’s slightly different from other checkpoint-friendly bags we looked at. The bag’s main purpose, besides housing your laptop, is to get your bag scanned and you through the security line as quickly as possible. Aerovation’s bag gives the X-ray scanner a clear view of the bag’s contents and makes it virtually impossible for you to pack it in a way that obstructs the security officers’ view of its contents. The bag also keeps your MacBook completely encased during scanning, whereas some bags that claim to be checkpoint-friendly require you to remove panels or feature plastic windows that can snag inside the scanner. When the Aerovation bag comes out the other end of the X-ray chute, all you have to do is pick it up and head to the gate--great news for anyone who habitually cuts it too close to takeoff.

LIGHT AS A FEATHER

Feather-light and relatively easy on the wallet, these MacBook bags offer protection without added bulk. From left to right: the GreenSmart UltraLight Brief, Booq’s Mamba Pack, and the Incase Nylon Sleeve Plus.

Lighten Up. No matter what mode of transport you use most, when schlepping your Mac gear, it’s always nice to reduce the load you’ll be shouldering to an absolute minimum. That’s where an ultralight bag for your ’Book comes in mighty handy.

Since we’re always looking for eco-friendly accessories, we were stoked to discover the featheriest member of our ultralight trio, the GreenSmart Ultralight Brief ($29.99), which weighs a mere 9 ounces and is made out of 100 percent recycled polyester. Despite the fact that it weighs less than your heavy winter parka, it’s large enough to accommodate a 17-inch MacBook Pro--or any other size ’Book you might be carrying--with room to slip in whatever paperback you’re reading (War and Peace excepted) and a file folder or two.

If you want an ultralight shoulder bag that offers more color options (the GreenSmart bag only comes in black), check out the Incase Nylon Sleeve Plus ($59.95), which comes in six colors other than black and can fit a 13-inch MacBook or 15-inch MacBook Pro. With the shoulder strap attached, the 15-inch Nylon Sleeve Plus weighs just 1 pound, 5 ounces and envelops your ’Book in weather-resistant nylon and an impressive amount of padding given the bag’s slim profile.

If you need more cargo room, look to the Booq Mamba Pack ($135), which comes in four colors, weighs 3.2 pounds, and has an orange lining to make finding stuff inside its depths a lot easier.

TOUGH AS NAILS

The hard knocks of life on the road won’t faze you or your ’Book with one of these protective cases. From left to right: Incase Hardshell Case, RadTech MacTruck, and Speck SeeThru Satin.

Toughen Up. Depending on your line of work or where your weekend pursuits take you, there may be reason to go the rugged/protective route when it comes to a bag or case for your ’Book. For thin protection from scratches and scrapes, Speck and Incase offer your best options. The Speck SeeThru Satin case for 15-inch MacBook Pro ($49.95) comes in five colors and offers your unibody MacBook Pro hard-shell protection with a “soft-touch” finish that’s transparent but durable, snapping on easily to cover your ’Book’s top and bottom panels while still leaving all its ports and optical drive accessible. The Incase Hardshell Case ($49.95) comes in an array of colors and is available for 13-inch MacBooks, 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pros, and the MacBook Air.

If you don’t mind looking like a CIA agent, a third rugged option is the RadTech MacTruck ($219.95 and up), a super-slim aluminum alloy handled case that doubles as a work surface and lock box for your ’Book.

PORTS OF CALL

One limitation to working on a laptop is the relative lack of ports, especially in the case of MacBooks and the MacBook Air, which sports a single USB port and one Mini DisplayPort. These handy add-ons let you expand your horizons by transforming one USB port into two or more.

 
It’s a two-fer! Griffin’s SmartShare USB doubles one port’s capabilities.

Expand-o-rama. USB 2.0 has become the de facto expansion interface, but if a MacBook is your primary machine, a mere one or two USB ports can feel a bit limiting, especially if you use USB flash storage drives, a USB mouse, or other such accessories. One reason we love the Griffin SmartShare USB ($19.99) is because of its slim, flexible design. It turns one USB port into two, allowing you to attach a USB input device, external hard drive, or other gadget, like, say, your iPhone or iPod.

 
The Swivel Hub from Belkin helps you maximize the minimal elbow room on the side of your ’Book, transforming one USB port into four.

Meanwhile, Belkin’s Swivel Hub ($29.95) turns one USB port into four, and its unique design lets you keep the new ports out of the way since you can turn the swivel mechanism attached to the expansion row any direction you need to--left, right, up, or down.

Next: TAKE CONTROL WIRELESSLY

TAKE CONTROL WIRELESSLY

Apple keeps advancing the functionality and versatility of MacBook’s data input, but not all of us are lucky enough to be rocking a brand-new ’Book with a gesture-enabled trackpad. And for some of us, a mouse is just easier to use anyway. (Call us old school. We don’t care.) But a wired mouse is a bit cumbersome when you’re on the move. Enter Bluetooth mice, which keep you productive and comfortable without adding wired gear to get tangled up in the bottom of your bag. Here are some essential wireless MacBook add-ons that keep you in control of your own mobile destiny.

These Bluetooth mice have no tails--making them harder for your cat to “catch” but much more road-worthy. Mice shown from left to right:  Belkin, Apple, and Kensington.

When the Cat’s Away… If you prefer a two-button mouse to your MacBook’s trackpad, you have several solid Bluetooth options. Our go-to mouse is Apple’s Wireless Mighty Mouse ($69). Some people like to bag on the Mighty Mouse--wireless or wired--but it’s what we’re comfortable with and we don’t care what detractors say. If you--like certain Mac|Life editors--prefer to cast your lot with non-Apple mice, the Kensington SlimBlade Mouse with Nano Receiver ($39.99) is a compact, capable input device, with the tiniest Bluetooth receiver we’ve ever seen (which you only need if your older Mac doesn’t have Bluetooth built in). Belkin’s Wireless Travel Mouse ($24.99) doesn’t use Bluetooth, but comes in five colors and costs less than half of what Apple charges for its Wireless Mighty Mouse.

We recommend keeping this tiny, lightweight USB EV-DO modem in a designated pocket in your laptop bag--otherwise it’s liable to get lost.

Over-the-Air Internet. Your MacBook’s built-in AirPort is pretty smart--and clicking on the Wi-Fi icon in the menubar can generally give you the info you need to get online. But depending on where your travels take you, two wireless add-ons could come in handy in your quest for a wireless Internet connection on your MacBook or iPhone.

If you’re not finding all the details about the Wi-Fi hotspot you’re in--or if you don’t know if you’re even in one, the Kensington WiFi Finder Plus ($29.99) comes in incredibly handy. It sports five LEDs to indicate Wi-Fi network presence and signal strength. A separate indicator lights up when you’re within range of an active Bluetooth-enabled device or network, filtering out other 2.4GHz signals from cordless phones, cell phones, and microwave ovens.

Of course, none of this device’s know-how will help you if there’s no Wi-Fi present. That’s where a 3G wireless modem from Sierra Wireless comes in. We’ve relied on a Sierra Wireless modem for the last couple years to get online during Apple keynotes--which often take place in auditoriums where the Wi-Fi signal has been blocked--so that we can live-blog them on MacLife.com and bring you the latest Apple product news as it happens. Sierra Wireless’s smallest 3G wireless modem yet is the USB 598 Modem (prices vary), which weighs a mere .9 ounce.

ROCK OUT WITH YOUR ’BOOK OUT

It’s hard not to feel sorry for those poor suckers on the plane whose sole source of entertainment during a transatlantic voyage is the in-flight movie or the horrendous music programming piped into the armrest. You, on the other hand, are sitting pretty with your MacBook or iPhone by your side--especially if you’ve loaded your iTunes library with your favorite music and video selections. Here are some add-ons for keeping that smug smile plastered on your face throughout your road or plane trip.

Turn It Up to 11. You’re not always going to be listening to your music or videos using headphones or earbuds. On some occasions, a set of miniature speakers is just what you need to enjoy your iTunes selections in a hotel room, borrowed office, or other small enclosed space. For these occasions, the Chill Pill Mobile Speakers ($39.99) are as travel-friendly as speakers come, at only 2 by 4 inches when collapsed, offering the ability to separate the two capsule-shaped speakers by 17 inches (we gave the Chill Pill 4 out of 5 stars in our review).

Now Ear This. For the most part, you’ll probably come to regard a good set of headphones or earbuds as your trustiest travel buddies--and if you don’t have a pair you like, we’ve got lots of recommendations. To start, the Wi-Gear iMuffs MB220 ($149.99) stereo Bluetooth headphones can help you keep the wires to a minimum while rocking out.

Don’t judge Grado’s cans by their appearance. They’re the best-sounding sub-$100 ’phones we’ve tried.

In the world of wired cans, you could spend hundreds on a quality pair. That’s why we like Grado Labs’ SR60 ($69). They don’t look like high-end audiophile ’phones, but they offer bumpin’ sound that belies their slightly cheesy-looking construction. On the subject of value, we can’t overlook the Kensington Noise Canceling Headphones ($39.99), an affordable pair of noise-canceling cans that don’t cheap-out on sound quality, using a built-in microprocessor to analyze background noises and create an inverse sound wave that cancels the extraneous sound, so you can enjoy your own tunes without interference.

 
Bose trumpets its TriPort acoustic headphone structure, which features tiny vents in the ear cups to produce tonally balanced audio performance from portable--though certainly not affordable--headphones.

If you’ve got more scratch to spend, take a look at the Sennheiser PXC-350 ($299.95) headphones, which are priced high for retail but can be found online for less than half their list price (about $130). Big spenders and brand-conscious music consumers--do such people still exist in this economy?--can put the Bose Quiet Comfort 3 ($349) ’phones on their shortlists, too. We’ve always been partial to the M-Audio Studiophile Q40 headphones ($179.95), which offer an awesome blend of quality and affordability.

M-Audio’s excellent Studiophile Q40s can be yours for about half the price of the Bose cans. We like the sound of that!

When it comes to in-ear earphones, we can’t say enough about the Etymotic Research hf2 noise-isolating earbuds ($179), which are compatible with the iPhone and allow you to answer calls and control audio playback with the single-button inline remote.

Next: MACBOOK POWER, ACTIVATE

MACBOOK POWER, ACTIVATE

Despite advancements in laptop battery technology, most truly mobile MacBook users’ worst nightmare is getting caught with a dead battery and no AC outlet in sight. Here are a half-dozen power accessories that help you keep your ’Book juiced up--in some cases even when there is no wall outlet nearby.

The Apple Juicz helps you stay off the grid without leaving modern technology behind.

Here Comes the Sun. Portable solar panels! They make it possible to take your MacBook off the grid and into the wild--as long as there’s a little bit of sunshine to draw on. Mac|Life readers are probably tired of hearing us gush about the QuickerTek Apple Juicz ($599 and up; 4 out of 5 stars), but its alt-energy powers are such that despite its high price, we simply can’t help ourselves. Another solar option for charging a laptop is the Voltaic Systems Generator ($499), a shoulder bag with a built-in solar panel that’s powerful enough to charge a laptop. The 15-watt Generator juices up in about 5 hours and can offer the power needed to top off your ’Book’s battery.

Power your laptop from the car’s power port using the Kensington Ultra Portable Power Inverter 150.

Power on the Move. Another mobile power option is a charger that plugs into a vehicle’s cigarette lighter and charges your laptop by drawing power from the car’s battery. This requires a device such as the Kensington Ultra Portable Power Inverter 150 ($69.99), which works in a car’s cigarette lighter or airline Empower port to provide AC power to mobile devices that need up to 120 watts of continuous current. Its compact design makes it easy to toss into the car’s glove box or a side pocket of your laptop bag or backpack.

Satisfy your MacBook’s appetite for surge-protected power with the PowerSquid Surge3000 Calamari Edition.

Strength in Numbers. Another hassle we’ve all encountered with our MacBooks on the go--in airport waiting areas, hotel rooms, and cafés--is a shortage of power outlets. That’s why outlet multipliers are worthy travel companions. The PowerSquid Surge3000 Calamari Edition ($69.95) is an outlet multiplier and surge protector that’s designed for flexibility, whether you pack it in your suitcase or leave it plugged into the wall in your home office. We especially like the way its flat-profile plug swivels full circle to fit in with anything else plugged into an outlet. Meanwhile, Belkin’s Mini Surge Protector ($24.99) offers surge protection in a compact form factor, expanding one outlet into three and featuring two powered USB ports for charging your iPhone, iPod, or other USB-powered device.

The Outlet Multiplier turns one outlet into five and comes in MacBook silver.

If you don’t need surge protection, save some cash and look to the PowerSquid Outlet Multiplier ($17.95), which turns a single power outlet into five, for less than 20 bucks.

PACK YOUR DATA TOO

Your MacBook’s hard drive isn’t the only place your data can live. It’s the obvious place, of course, but there’s a range of options when it comes to road-worthy external drives--both the magnetic spinning variety and flash drives. Here are our top picks.

Supplement your MacBook’s storage capacity with an external drive--magnetic drives for larger capacity and speedier performance and flash drives for pocket-sized storage. From top to bottom: Seagate FreeAgent Go for Mac, SanDisk Cruzer Contour, Western Digital My Passport Elite, and OCZ Rally2.

Drive Time. In our Feb/09 issue, we brought you a comprehensive roundup of external drives (“You Can Take It with You,” p38), each of which we tested to measure its read and write times as compared to the other drives in our roundup. Our top-rated magnetic drives in that roundup were the 500GB Seagate FreeAgent Go for Mac ($189.99), the 500GB Western Digital My Passport Elite ($169.99), and the 320GB OWC Mercury-on-the-Go ($147.99). We loved the form factor of LaCie’s 120GB Little Disk ($159.99), but its performance wasn’t quite up to snuff.

Where portability’s concerned, flash drives are perhaps the most conducive to traveling light, but you’re more limited when it comes to capacity, and the performance of all flash drives is going to look pretty weak compared to that of magnetic drives. Our top picks for 16GB flash drives are the OCZ Rally2 ($53.99) and the SanDisk Cruzer Contour ($108.99).

A SAFE ZONE FOR YOUR iPHONE

If you think life on the road is easy, just take a close look at the next trucker you see filling up next to you at a gas station. To keep your iPhone from getting beaten down by the bumps and potholes you’ll inevitably run into along the way, consider these super-protective cases.

 
Crystal-clear polycarbonate plastic keeps your iPhone visible and usable in Mophie’s Hard Case Plus.

Armor for your iPhone. Even though the iPhone 3G’s purchase price was offset by the subsidy from AT&T--or whatever carrier Apple teamed up with in your home country--that’s no reason to leave it exposed to the dangers of life in the fast lane. These four rugged cases shield your iPhone from the wear and tear of a mobile existence. We all need more clarity in our lives--and that’s what the Mophie Hard Case Plus ($29.95) brings to the party: Its clear outer shell protects your iPhone from scratches and nicks, while a thin flexible clear panel covers the touchscreen, keeping it safe from sharp-edged keys, loose change, and other bits and pieces that invariably end up at the bottom of a briefcase or purse on a long business trip.

 
Go ahead, let the rugrats play with your iPhone. If it’s protected by the OtterBox iPhone 3G Defender, it’s probably safe from anything they can dish out--except a dunk in the toilet.

If your travels take you into truly rugged terrain, test-pummel the Speck ToughSkin for iPhone 3G ($34.95) and the OtterBox iPhone 3G Defender ($49.95). We tested both cases recently by putting our iPhone 3G in each one and handing it to an 18-month-old, who in the course of jabbing at the touchscreen managed to text-message a few people in our contact list gibberish messages that--we learned later--the recipients perceived as vaguely insulting. Um, sorry about that.

We don’t know why, but it gives us a thrill just to say words like polycarb, silicone, and grippy out loud. You get all three with the DLO HybridShell for iPhone 3G.

Finally, DLO’s HybridShell for iPhone 3G ($24.99) gets props for its ultramodern hipsterism while still keeping your phone protected from dings.

Next: UNCENSORED MEDIA

UNCENSORED MEDIA

The iPhone is a capable portable media player, but you can enhance your listening or viewing pleasure even more with these add-ons.

Bring your movies and TV shows to the little screen, with audio amplified by DLO’s Portable Speakers for iPhone.

Sound On. Just as the Chill Pill mini speakers mentioned earlier keep you and your MacBook rocking, DLO’s Portable Speakers for iPhone ($49.99) let you amplify your music or the soundtrack of your stored videos in your hotel room, borrowed office, or other indoor space. The pieces of this compact speaker dock snap together to form a 6-inch pod powered by the included AC adapter or four AAA alkalines. For watching video, the stand accommodates the iPhone in landscape orientation--or portrait if you’re just listening to music.

Get FM radio and an alarm clock in your iPhone speaker dock: Altec Lansing’s inMotion M600 makes it happen.

Altec Lansing’s inMotion M600 ($149.95) is not quite as compact as DLO’s offering, but as portable speaker docks go, it’s got features to spare, including an FM radio, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, capable remote, and alarm clock functions. And it only weighs 2.1 pounds.

Hold, Please. We used to scoff at our friends who complained about aching hands from holding their iPhones at the best viewing angle for watching videos or playing games during long plane or train trips. But we’ve got to admit, they have a point. Special arms, clamps, and stands that fit the iPhone and/or iPod touch have come to the rescue, and can be used on the go or at your desk, depending on your needs.

The flexible, gooseneck design of the iFlyz stand lets you watch video on your iPhone or iPod touch in-flight--without causing a hand cramp.

For frequent air travel or marathon train rides, the iFlyz ($29.95) is an adjustable gooseneck clamp that attaches on one end to the seatback tray (in locked or down position) and sticks on the other end with a suction cup to the back of your iPhone or iPod touch.

The Xtand turns your iPhone into a what looks like a mini iMac and allows you to turn the phone 360 degrees.

If you rely on your iPhone to provide evening video entertainment in your hotel room, think about packing the Just Mobile Xtand for iPhone ($39.99), a solid aluminum stand whose design mimics the base of the aluminum iMacs and Apple Cinema Displays. It holds your iPhone vertically or horizontally and allows for 360-degree rotation, staying solidly on the surface in front of you thanks to nonslip feet.

The iBend is one of those simple but brilliant inventions you wish you’d thought of yourself: a thin piece of bendable vinyl with notches that hold your iPhone horizontally at a good viewing angle.

For a stand that’s truly portable--and affordable--check out the iBend ($4.99 for two), a piece of flexible but strong vinyl so thin you can store it in your iPhone’s case between the back of the phone and the case material. Remove an iBend from the case, remove the case, curve the iBend into shape, and pop your iPhone into the slots in the front. Now the iPhone show can begin.

iPOD POWER AID

The trouble with electronic gadgets is just that--they require electricity to stay running. Here are the best ways to keep your iPod or iPhone juiced to the gills when you’re on the move, even if there’s no AC outlet handy.

Got sunshine? If so, you can charge your iPhone with the solar- and wind-powered HYmini.

Stay off the Grid. Our recent green tech guide offered a number of alt-energy options for recharging your iPod and iPhone, including the miniWIZ HYmini ($49.99), a combination solar charger/miniature wind turbine that charges 5V gadgets using the power of the sun or wind (when attached to a bicycle).

The fuel-cell technology Medis uses in its 24-7 Power Pack is easy to use and easy on the earth.

Meanwhile, the Medis 24-7 Power Pack ($29.99), is a fuel-cell-powered charger with enough juice to charge an iPod or iPhone several times--after which you send the emptied cartridge back for a refill from Medis for $24.99.

The powermonkey eXplorer’s silly name belies its serious purpose: to charge your gadgets with solar power.

If your travels take you where the sun shines, consider a solar gadget charger. Our two current faves are the Powertraveller powermonkey eXplorer (£64, about $93 at press time) and the Solio Magnesium Edition ($169.95), both of which can charge an iPhone and other portable gadgets with nothing more than power derived from the sun’s rays.

Snap On. As any iPhone 3G owner knows, enabling the phone’s 3G access means faster mobile Web surfing and clearer voice calls. The downside, however, is the toll that using 3G exacts on your iPhone’s battery life. Add-on battery packs snap on to the back like a supercharged case, plugging in to the phone’s dock connector.

We love a stylish iPhone case, that can also extend battery life, like the Incase Power Slider.

Our favorite snap-on iPhone battery is the Incase Power Slider ($79.95). It snaps on like Incase’s Slider case and offers about 120 percent of the battery life of the iPhone 3G on its own. The Power Slider’s caselike design keeps your phone protected while extending its charge life. The Mophie JuicePack for iPhone 3G ($99.95) has a similar but slightly bulkier design--which is why we prefer the Power Slider when push comes to shove. But Mophie tells us they have a slimmed-down version of the JuicePack due out soon, which we can’t wait to try.

If only we had paid better attention in high school science class, we might have been able to rig an alkaline battery pack like the Griffin TuneJuice ourselves.

Plug In. Though we prefer the more mobile design of add-on batteries like the Power Slider and JuicePack, other portable batteries work by plugging in to the phone’s dock-connector port. The Griffin TuneJuice for iPhone ($29.99) essentially encases four AAA batteries so you can attach the pack to your iPhone or iPod to extend its battery life. The CallPod Fueltank ($69.95) has a similar design but uses a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and lets you juice two devices at once, say, your iPhone and a Bluetooth headset. Finally, the 3GJuice DeLuxe ($53.95) is a nub that plugs in to the dock connector but doesn’t introduce the hassle of a cord, keeping your gear bag as streamlined as possible. Griffin’s brand-new PowerJolt Reserve ($39.99) uses a similar form factor as the 3GJuice DeLuxe but offers a unique twist--it’s rechargeable from a vehicle’s cigarette lighter. We keep Griffin’s original iPhone car charger, the PowerJolt SE ($19.99), in our glove box since you never know when you’ll need a bump.

Next: Get Smart: Mobile Mac Know-How

Get Smart: Mobile Mac Know-How

Being appropriately equipped is only half the battle when it comes to leading a productive existence as an itinerate Machead. These pointers will put you on the right track to staying connected, keeping your hardware and precious data out of thieving paws, and even turning your iPhone into a MacBook replacement.

INTERNET, INTERNET EVERYWHERE

We urbanites are spoiled, rarely venturing somewhere that doesn’t have Wi-Fi. Here’s how to keep that Wi-Fi icon in your menubar up and at ’em--and what your alternatives are when Wi-Fi can’t be found.

 Let JiWire’s iPhone app use your current location to find all hotspots or specify your location by city, state, or zip code.

Hi, Wi-Fi.

A device like Kensington’s WiFi Finder Plus starts you off on the right foot by sniffing out accessible wireless networks within range. But if you’d rather do your Wi-Fi sniffing for free, surf to JiWire’s Wi-Fi hotspot directory before you leave home. (JiWire also has a free iPhone app called Wi-Fi Finder in the App Store that uses the iPhone 3G’s built-in GPS or the iPod touch’s Wi-Fi triangulation capability to find hotspots near you. A second free JiWire app, Free Global Wi-Fi, is useful for international travelers.)

Let JiWire’s iPhone app use your current location to find all hotspots or specify your location by city, state, or zip code.

Depending on what you need Wi-Fi access for, it’s probably smart to consider subscribing to a paid hotspot service like T-Mobile, which is on the pricey side ($5.99 for a 24-hour pass or $29.99 a month for unlimited access).

Boingo Wireless starts at $9.95 a month and offers subscribers their pick of 100,000 hotspots worldwide, including 20,000 Marriott, Hilton, and other hotel chains, 500-plus airports, 14,000 McDonald’s, and 70,000 cafés and coffee shops (including Starbucks). Boingo essentially aggregates nationwide Wi-Fi services like AT&T, Wayport, iBahn, and T-Mobile, giving you access to them all for much less than you’d pay to join just one of them. For those determined to replace their laptops with an iPhone, Boingo offers Wi-Fi unlimited access for mobile devices for $7.95 a month.

Of course, your MacBook’s AirPort can detect Wi-Fi networks automatically--clicking on the AirPort icon in the menubar shows you what your options are. While we wouldn’t normally recommend siphoning off strangers’ unsecured Wi-Fi networks--particularly if you’re sending proprietary info to others via email, and certainly not if you’re logging on to websites that ask for a username and password or other personal data--the number of unsecured networks we run across continues to boggle our minds. In other words, if you absolutely must have an Internet connection to browse the Web or send innocuous work or personal email--Hi Joe, I’ve arrived in Toronto. Call my cell on Monday so we can connect.--we don’t feel guilty suggesting that you seize the opportunity to use the free connection. Just don’t make it a habit.

Wi-Fi isn’t your only wireless Internet option--it’s just the most common, and most commonly free or affordable wireless Internet standard in many parts of the world. If you must be guaranteed a wireless connection even when Wi-Fi is spotty, nonexistent, or--gasp--blocked, a 3G wireless cellular modem and accompanying data service makes sense. (Many of these devices use EV-DO, which operates over the existing cellular network, rather than using the 802.11 Wi-Fi standard, so this option requires network coverage, but it’s a pretty good bet that, unless you’re stuck on a remote mountaintop somewhere--or in a cave--you’ll likely be able to connect.) Sierra Wireless makes the most varied line of compact EV-DO wireless modems--most of which plug into your to your ’Book via USB, and Sprint offers a range of monthly data services.

If you have a 3G, Bluetooth-enabled cell phone other than an iPhone--we’re sorry--you can draft your phone into service as a wireless modem. In order for this to work, though, you probably need to be paying for a cellular data plan on your phone service from a carrier like Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, or AT&T.

Until Apple releases the iPhone 3.0 software this summer, there’s no good solution available at press time for tethering your iPhone to your ’Book to allow both devices to share a Wi-Fi connection. The one tethering app that made it to the App Store, NetShare ($9.99), was pulled after only a day or two on sale, so only those lucky enough to install it during that small window of opportunity can enjoy its benefits. Apple announced that tethering is one of the features of the forthcoming iPhone 3.0 software, but didn’t elaborate much beyond that at the March 17 iPhone 3.0 announcement event, except to mention that the iPhone’s cellular carriers (AT&T here in the U.S.) need to be onboard too. So look for a tethering how-to in Mac|Life and on MacLife.com once the iPhone 3.0 software is available, assuming AT&T allows iPhone users to tether.

Calling Captain Bluetooth.

Using a Bluetooth mobile phone as a wireless modem with your MacBook will require you to run special software provided by your wireless service provider in order to use the network, so check with your carrier to see if your phone supports broadband dial-up networking. Non-3G phones can still use dial-up networking the old-fashioned way: Obtain a dial-in number from your Internet service provider, then, on your Mac, open the Bluetooth dial-up networking controls under System Preferences > Network > Bluetooth. With your Bluetooth phone paired with your Mac, enter the dial-in number and your account name and password, and then click Connect. Of course, most carriers require you to subscribe to their broadband data service in order to use your Mac on the network, so you may still have to pay extra for the ability to use the connection.

iPhone 3G users have a second option: Since you’re already paying for wireless data service on top of your voice plan, you can purchase a 3G wireless USB modem from AT&T (such as the USBConnect 881), along with the Nova Media app launch2net for OS X ($41.93) and, using the SIM card already in your iPhone, you can essentially siphon your iPhone’s 3G data capabilities into the USB modem and connect to the Internet with your MacBook that way.

Mac-to-Mac Connection. Occasionally, it’s not so much an Internet connection you need as a peer-to-peer connection to another person’s Mac. This might arise if, say, you’re a creative pro who needs to share a large Illustrator or Photoshop file with a client or colleague. If it happens that you’re in the same room as that person and his or her Mac (preferably a MacBook, MacBook Pro, or iMac--a Mac Pro will only work if it’s got the optional AirPort card installed), you can use your own ’Book’s built-in Wi-Fi to create a wireless connection to that person’s Mac to share the files that way.

Share files with another Mac by creating your own wireless network. Thanks, AirPort!

Once file sharing is enabled, you can move files between Macs as if you’re moving them around on your own hard drive.

To create a computer-to-computer network, click the AirPort icon in the menubar and select Create Network. By default, the network will bear the name of your Mac, but you can change the name to anything you like. You can also check the box next to Enable Encryption (Using WEP) and designate a password to make your network private. Once other machines join your network, you can use file sharing to transfer files between them.

You can even share files with a PC by checking the Share Files and Folders Using SMB option.

To enable file sharing from a Mac running Leopard, go to System Preferences > Sharing and check the box next to File Sharing. Then select Options and check “Share files and folders using AFP.” To make your files accessible to Windows users, check “Share files and folders using SMB” and be sure to select an account from your Mac to enable sharing from. You can share the data on an external hard drive by clicking the plus sign under the Shared Folders box in the main Sharing pane. Then browse to the drive you’d like to share and click Add.

OUTWIT THIEVES
Most thieves aren’t the brightest bulbs, so it doesn’t take that much to outwit them at their nefarious game. A little bit of street smarts combined with the right antitheft gear will keep your ’Book safe from bad-doers.

The Kensington ComboSaver Combination Portable Notebook Lock comes in fire-engine red and business-basic gray, so you can secure your MacBook in style.

Lock, Stock, NO Smoking MacBook.

Avoid that grueling “woulda, coulda, shoulda” moment after discovering a missing MacBook by investing in a cable lock. Kensington makes the best in the biz. Kensington lock slots appear in all MacBooks except the Air, and there’s no easier-to-use portable option than the ComboSaver Combination Portable Notebook Lock ($24.99). The plastic-coated steel cable comes in a handy coil formation that extends to 6 feet, allowing you to lock your ’Book to the leg of a chair or table that’s bolted down so you can, say, get up to grab your mocha when your name is called, without worrying that some sticky-fingers will walk off with your Mac. The combination lock is slender in profile--a nice complement to the thinner unibody MacBooks--but still easy to read. And best of all for people like us with way too much data floating around in our heads, if you register your lock after purchase, you can retrieve the combination online if you forget it.

There are other means of physically securing your MacBook too, short of barricading it--and yourself--inside a state-of-the-art safe room.

PacSafe’s newest theft-resistant CamSafe bag.

We like the design variety offered by PacSafe’s ever-expanding line of security-minded shoulder bags and backpacks. PacSafe started with laptop bags like the CentroSafe backpack and messenger bag line ($159.99 and up) and has expanded its slashproof offerings to camera bags, toiletry pouches, money belts, and more. PacSafe’s differentiator is a stainless steel mesh liner called eXoMesh that keeps thieves from slashing through the ripstop nylon or other bag material to get to your valuables. Many PacSafe bags feature locking zippers too.

Get Your ’Book Back.

If, despite your best efforts, your ’Book takes a walk without you, there are ways you can recover it--provided you’ve planned ahead by protecting yourself in advance with one of these laptop-recovery services.

Computrace LoJack for Laptops Premium. Starting at $59.99 a year, this security service installs a piece of software on your MacBook that communicates daily with Computrace’s servers so the company can keep track of your ’Book’s whereabouts. In case of theft, you report it to Computrace, which then goes to work to track your ’Book’s location using its IP address the next time thieves try to go online. The Premium service includes a way to effectively delete your key data if your Mac is lifted, so that thieves can’t access it, though it remains safely accessible to you, even if your laptop is not recovered.

GadgetTrak MacTrak. Starting at $24.95 a year, GadgetTrak’s MacTrak service employs a variety of means--including Wi-Fi positioning, Mac OS X’s built-in security features, and even your ‘Book’s iSight camera, to locate your MacBook after theft and help you get the info you need to get it back, while keeping and/or keep your data out of the wrong hands.

Orbicule Undercover 3. For $49, Undercover works similarly to MacTrak, locating a stolen MacBook using Wi-Fi location and other security features built in to Leopard. If recovery is unsuccessful, you’ll at least get revenge on the thieving you-know-what: Undercover will simulate a hardware failure by gradually making the ’Book’s screen go darker until it becomes unusable, even if the Mac isn’t online. Burn!

THE TINIEST MACBOOK: YOUR iPHONE

Apple is working on making the iPhone a true laptop replacement--especially with the forthcoming 3.0 software release, which will provide the long-awaited cut-and-paste function so key to editing a text document with the iPhone’s minuscule onscreen keyboard. But even before you have a chance to upgrade your iPhone or iPod touch’s OS, you can turn your device into a pocket-sized Mac that can help you stay connected and get work done on the go. Granted, you won’t be writing long passages of the Great American Novel, but you can at least read and store documents--and in some cases, keep notes on projects, thanks to a few handy iPhone apps like Google Mobile and Evernote, as well as and Mobile Safari access to Zoho Office docs.

Store, View, and Share Documents.

Sharing files on the iPhone is almost a no-brainer, especially images--but you don’t need us to tell you that. For viewing, sharing, and storing work-related files—MS Office docs, PDFs, and so on--Readdle Docs ($9.99 in the App Store) makes it even simpler. All file transfers between a computer and the iPhone are made through a remote Internet server as a go-between. This works over Wi-Fi, 3G, or EDGE, and Readdle provides 512MB of free storage space. You don’t even need special client software on your Mac, uploading files instead through a Web browser. But if you’re uncomfortable leaving sensitive documents on Readdle’s servers, you can keep them on your MobileMe iDisk, or any other server that supports WebDAV, a set of extensions to the HTTP protocol that allows users to collaboratively edit and manage files on remote Web servers.

“Seeding” docs by creating them on your iPhone in izoho.com is a start—and can prevent those million-dollar ideas from disappearing into thin air.

Meanwhile, if you already use Google Docs (free) or Zoho Office (free), you can get to your documents created in either a Web-based environment on your iPhone through the Google Mobile iPhone app (free in the App Store) and www.izoho.com in Mobile Safari, respectively. When you install Google Mobile, just tap Apps to bring up instant access to Google Docs--plus Gmail, Calendar, Reader, News, Talk (instant messaging), News, Notebook, and GOOG-411--which launches in Mobile Safari. There, you can edit existing Google Docs documents, though for long text files or spreadsheets, it’s not the most seamless experience. Using izoho.com in Mobile Safari, you can view--but not edit--Zoho documents and create new docs, though without cut-and-paste, it’s a tedious process. Still, it’s better than nothing.

 
Evernote makes creating a new note so fast that you don’t have any excuses for letting those flashes of inspiration get away.

Keep Track of your bits ’n’ Pieces. Speaking of creating new documents, one thing the iPhone is good at is helping you track ideas and info you come across in the course of the day, whether you’re out and about or holed up in your office working away. The best helper tool for this is the Evernote iPhone app (free in the App Store), a companion to Evernote’s free Web-based service. In addition to making your existing Evernote notes available on your iPhone, the app lets you add new notes--pictures you snap with your iPhone’s camera, voice notes, text, or photos sent to your iPhone or iPod touch via email. It’s especially handy for recording late-night inspirations or arresting scenes you come across in the course of a day. Plus, Evernote searches for visible text in your photo notes, so if you take pictures of text with your iPhone, you can search for words that appear in that text.