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Lacie Ethernet Disk Mini Home Edition

Lonnie Lazar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:19:07 -0500

The Ethernet Disk Mini can hold all your digital files and make them accessible to any computer on your network.

It’s been said that when there’s a need, the universe provides. And sure enough, just when multigigabyte digital media libraries began to proliferate on the hard drives of consumers everywhere, along come greatly expanded personal storage devices and external hard drives to keep those libraries housed and backed up.

Enter LaCie’s Ethernet Disk Mini Home Edition, a stylish-looking network-attached storage device with a small footprint for your home or small office network. Using Axentra’s HipServ home server software, it can store and organize all your photos, music, and movies (along with other files and documents), and make them instantly accessible to all the computers on the network, as well as from anywhere on the Internet.

Compatible with Mac and Windows, the Ethernet Disk Mini takes you into the brave world of router administration and port forwarding to install and configure it on your network. Helpfully, the software provides clear step-by-step directions for doing this, and in about 15 to 30 minutes even network-admin newbies can have the hefty little brushed-steel cube humming away.

All of the administrative software interfaces are clear and uncluttered, and setting up files and folders with appropriate sharing permissions is a snap. As with transferring many gigabytes of information to any storage device, initially moving your files and mirroring your Desktop can take many hours. But once everything’s on the Ethernet Disk Mini, scheduled backups track changes to files and directories at intervals that avoid disturbing your workflow or bogging down the network.

The HipServ software allows you to stream music and video to any networked media player (such as an Apple TV, your plug-and-play speakers or home stereo, as well as the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3) and to share files among all the computers on your network. Working with files on the network is easy, and the 7200-rpm, 8MB-cache drive serves them up reliably enough. We tested the Ethernet Disk Mini with Xbench (free, www.xbench.com) and got read speeds of just under 6MB/sec and write speeds around 2.5MB/sec. That’s not enterprise-class, but for under $200, the Ethernet Disk Mini is a solid value.

The iTunes library on the Ethernet Disk Mini appears as a shared playlist to other computers on the network, which means that playlists and songs within the shared library can’t be downloaded to an iPod. The workaround is to copy individual songs, videos, or podcasts from the Ethernet Disk Mini to the local iTunes library of a networked computer, but this is time-consuming and can be fraught with DRM and other Apple Store authorization issues.

You can configure the Ethernet Disk Mini to automatically back up files from all the computers on your network, or do manual backups if you prefer. It allows secure access from the Internet to anyone with the proper login credentials, and access permissions can be defined as read-only, read/write, and administrative, with multiple administrators allowed. Files can be accessed and transferred via http, https, and FTP.

With Gigabit Ethernet connectivity to the network and USB 2.0 connectivity to individual computers or backup drives, the Ethernet Disk Mini is a solid consumer storage device. The absence of FireWire connectivity is perplexing, however, since it’s available on LaCie’s other backup server models.

The bottom line. The LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini is a cost effective, easy-to-use solution to storing and sharing your growing multimedia collection of music, movies, and other digital asset.

COMPANY: LaCie

CONTACT: www.lacie.com

PRICE: $154.99

REQUIREMENTS: Mac OS 10.3 or later, Firefox 1.5 or Safari 1.3 or later, Ethernet router

Easy setup and admin. Small, quiet, and inexpensive. Axentra HipServ software included.

No FireWire connectivity.

Optimus Mini Three 2.0

Zack Stern — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:17:06 -0500

Light-up, animated keys are cool, but we want to do more.

We like the idea of tiny OLED displays embedded in keyboard keys, but until we tried one of these futuristic keyboards, it seemed like nothing more than a way to show off. After all, don’t your fingers usually cover those buttons? But after trying the Art Lebedev Optimus Mini Three 2.0, a three-key version that’s not intended to replace a full-size keyboard, we’re highly supportive of the concept. Customizable, animated keys can show instant feedback. Still, the Mini Three has many shortcomings, and as much as we grew attached to it, its problems keep it in a league with other nerdy, showy tech toys. After we installed the software, which shows up as a pane in System Preferences, the three keys blinked to life. The Mini Three is about the size of a candy-bar mobile phone, and the software let us choose to orient it horizontally or vertically. We activated the built-in macros in a flash, so that one key showed the current time and weather, one displayed the current iTunes song and album art, and one gave the most recent headline on MacLife.com in a scrolling readout. Keys can even be animated, although at 3 frames per second, the “picture” looks much better when it’s gradually shifting weather scenes than when it’s scrolling choppily through album names.

More than just giving these immediate details, the keys activate unique functions. The weather key toggles between an analog and digital clock, for example. The iTunes button pauses the current track. And the Web-headline key opens the article of choice in your default Web browser.

These macros are the best—and worst—features of the device. Art Lebedev includes about a dozen, some of which work marvelously well. An email macro, for example, shows when you have a new message, and switches the running app to Mail. The System Monitor macros display the CPU strain or memory usage. And a Wikipedia button launches a random article. You can also program the device to show a different set of macros when you hold down Shift or another modifier key. And the keys can even change function when your Mac is idle, giving you immediate access to certain functions when the main display is dimmed.

However, we have many other applications and ideas for macros that the device can’t handle. Where’s the iChat—or Adium—button to show who’s sending a new message? We also wanted to be able to create simple AppleScript commands that control the device. As is, the software can launch a program or execute a key command, but further customization takes a technical approach. Art Lebedev offers only its included plug-ins, and many of those have bugs; our weather animation regularly froze in the transition from sunset to dark, and the iTunes module couldn’t name Internet radio tracks. (The company says it’s working on those issues.) And we found nearly no third-party options online to make up for these limitations.

The bottom line. The Mini Three is a cool toy, but wait for updates or check out competitors before you buy it and expect it to radically change how you interact with your Mac.

COMPANY: Art Lebedev

CONTACT: http://www.artlebedev.com/

PRICE: $153

REQUIREMENTS: Mac OS 10.4.8 or later, USB

Customizable keys with animated displays.

Limited options make it seem gimmicky.

Axiotron Modbook

Zack Stern — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 09:50:35 -0500

The Modbook can do a lot of things a regular MacBook can’t. We still don’t recommend that you take it for a float in the pool!

Take away a MacBook’s keyboard, and add a touchscreen display, and behold the Modbook. Literally a retrofitted MacBook, this Apple-sanctioned tablet Mac shares the same features and performance. But the Modbook does more—and less—than Apple’s portable. The Modbook’s touch-sensitive screen responds well to the included stylus, making it a great digital sketch pad for artists. With the right software, the Modbook makes a useful in-the-field device for doctors, insurance representatives, and other specialized mobile users. A built-in GPS module even tracks the Modbook’s location. But efficient work, even in graphic and other media applications, often requires buttons—or the keyboard that this tablet lacks. A narrow segment of users will find the Modbook ideal; it’s the only tablet computer that runs OS X, after all. But we wish it had just a few more features.

The Modbook offers a spec sheet identical to that of the current Apple MacBooks. At press time, the Modbook ships with either 2.1 or 2.4GHz Intel Core Duo processors. It has the same camera, the same ports, the same amount of RAM, and the same performance. In a mad-scientist move—and aren’t they the best kind?—Axiotron removes Apple’s LCD and grafts its own onto the touch-sensitive display that sits where the MacBook’s keyboard would ordinarily be. The resulting form factor is slightly thicker than the MacBook that donated its guts, but the Modbook essentially looks like a MacBook with an inside-out display. The screen is sharp and clear, sharing the same size and resolution as Apple’s LCD. Unlike the MacBook screens, however, the Modbook sports a matte display. The screen is noticeably dimmer than Apple’s stock display, but, hey, it’s a touchscreen. Thankfully, the viewing angles on the Modbook screen are better than those on Apple’s MacBook
display, making it possible to use the tablet while it’s flat on a table.

Powered by the same technology that’s built into all of Wacom’s pen tablets, the Modbook’s touch-sensitive surface responds accurately to its stylus, fluidly moving the pointer around the screen. In Photoshop and Painter, we scribbled and brushed creations with greater ease than is possible with a mouse—or even a drawing tablet. Because the ModBook’s touchscreen and stylus can respond to 512 levels of pressure, you have almost unlimited flexibility working on it in graphics apps, and you can easily change the size and shade of strokes. A light touch creates thin, wispy lines, while a more forceful hand results in dark, thick lines. And, as with Wacom’s other tablets, the battery-less stylus flips over to turn into an eraser—just like a traditional pencil.

Other creative programs (audio editors, for example) feel snappy and new with the stylus input. We had fun tuning GarageBand songs and tapping the onscreen piano.

Still, despite the fact that the tablet is designed to leapfrog a QWERTY keyboard, we missed having even a few buttons. You can forget hitting the spacebar to start playback in most audio and video editors, for example. Command-Z, Command-A, and other essential key commands don’t exist. Even with painting and photo retouching, we constantly had to reach for palettes and menus, when we’d normally rely on muscle-memory, tapping out keyboard shortcuts to zoom, change tools, and otherwise adjust settings. A few user-programmable buttons would have vastly improved our experience and productivity.

One workaround for the somewhat limiting interface is Apple’s Ink handwriting recognition. The software digitizes clean handwriting and uses gesture motions to activate often-used commands. The Modbook also includes a floating onscreen keyboard, which we often pecked at to enter URLs, passwords, and other critical text. One of the two stylus side-buttons comes preset to toggle this window.

Although the stylus interface gives new control options a mouse can’t replicate, it also has shortcomings. Accuracy is impressive over the vast majority of the Modbook’s surface, but the mouse pointer can drift away from the stylus tip near the screen’s edges. There were also plenty of occasions where we just wanted to tap the screen directly with a finger, but the Modbook’s screen only responds to the stylus. For tasks like launching videos, scrolling through webpages, or entering details in a custom database, fingertips would be a more convenient option.

Mac users might be glad to have a tablet laptop at all, but some Windows-based tablet PCs include all of the Modbook’s missing features at a similar price: hard buttons, a keyboard that lives behind the screen and is accessible by pressing a button and swiveling the screen around, and fingertip recognition. And the 5.5-pound Modbook feels heavy and a bit clumsy, especially compared to keyboardless Windows-based tablets.

The bottom line. The Modbook is a competent drawing tablet and Mac laptop mashed together. But the lack of any physical buttons, a keyboard, or a finger-readable touchscreen limits its audience.

COMPANY: Axiotron

CONTACT: www.axiotron.com

PRICE: $2,279 or $2,479

REQUIREMENTS: 2.1GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 1GB DDR2 SDRAM, 5,400-rpm 1202GB hard drive, Combo Drive, Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor with 144MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory, 13.3-inch TFT LCD display with Wacom touch-sensitive digitizer, two USB 2.0 ports, mini-DVI port, analog audio-in & out, iSight, 802.11n AirPort Extreme, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR.2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB DDR2 SDRAM, 5,400-rpm 160GB hard drive, SuperDrive, Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor with 144MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory, 13.3-inch TFT LCD display with Wacom touch-sensitive digitizer, two USB 2.0 ports, mini-DVI port, analog audio-in & out, iSight, 802.11n AirPort Extreme, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR

Touch-sensitive screen effectively tracks stylus on majority of the surface. Built-in GPS module adds unique abilities. Only tablet Mac available.

Cursor drifts from stylus tip slightly at tablet edges. Doesn’t respond to fingertip touches. Lack of any hard buttons slows down all work.

Healing Rhythms

Zack Stern — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:21:59 -0500

You can practice meditation techniques with biofeedback from these sensors.

To us, biofeedback has always seemed like the natural direction for input devices, where sensors can hook up to your body and read subtle changes in brain activity that would control what’s displayed on the computer—or, in our most advanced sci-fi fantasies—what the computer does. Companies such as NeuroSky (www.neurosky.com) are developing EEG brainwave-reading systems to control machines. These applications could eventually lead to a retail product that lets you move the cursor with your mind. Healing Rhythms introduces us to a few other biofeedback sensors designed to teach users about meditation and quieting the mind and body. The hardware and software don’t control the Mac otherwise, but instead monitor your responses as you move through various exercises. We got a kick out of watching the software change with biofeedback, and we even learned a few useful basic meditation techniques in the process.

The Healing Rhythms hardware-and-software bundle includes three sensors that attach to your fingertips. These clips measure your skin conductance level and variations in heart rate. Skin conductance changes with subtle variations in perspiration. When this factor rises and falls—almost instantaneously with your emotional state—the software interprets it as an increase or decrease in stress. Heart rate variability marks the subtly fluctuating time between heartbeats. This measurement also changes with emotional states and might indicate your ability to control your normally autonomic circulatory functions during a meditation session.

While we’re naturally skeptical, Healing Rhythms seemed to accurately, though subtly, monitor our stress level. Celebrity healers Deepak Chopra, Dean Ornish, and Andrew Weil introduced us to breathing and meditation techniques, while the onscreen display showed us our levels of agitation or calm. While we didn’t notice a change in the display with every thought, one demonstration raised animated balloons when we thought of something exciting, and let them drift down when we thought of nothing. Another lesson challenged us to keep an even temperament, stacking animated stones if we maintained that balance.

Dozens of short exercises guided us through this introduction to meditation. We liked the way the real-time, onscreen feedback tempered the occasionally broad statements about meditation. We’ll leave it up to the yogis and doctors to determine if, as the manual suggests, “Studies [indicate] that when you achieve a state of positive, balanced energy, those vibrations ripple outward…even affecting the brainwaves of anyone you touch.”

The bottom line. We’re not sure if Healing Rhythms will lead to enlightenment, but despite our initial skepticism, we enjoyed the calming meditation and onscreen biofeedback.

COMPANY: The Wild Divine Project

CONTACT: www.wilddivine.com

PRICE: $299

REQUIREMENTS: 800MHz G4 or faster processor, Mac OS 10.2.8 or later

Biofeedback sensors seem to gauge emotional state. Many brief lessons and open-ended sessions. Some lessons translate biofeedback into onscreen animations.

Proprietary interface is occasionally confusing. Some lessons grow repetitive.

X-Rite i1Display

Michael J. Shapiro — Wed, 28 May 2008 11:07:39 -0500

The same colorimeter comes with both options—only the software is different.

Color experts are aware that the average Joe isn’t cuckoo for color theory, but we’d all like to depend on the consistency of a calibrated, profiled display. The X-Rite i1Display does an impressive job of attending to the needs of both enthusiasts and pros, depending on the software package selected.

X-Rite provides two options, known as i1Display LT and i1Display 2. Both use the same colorimeter, which is the hardware device that measures the characteristics of a display. Both products include the same software, i1Match. The only difference (aside from $80) is that i1Display LT offers only the “easy” profiling option, meaning a wizard guides you through the process and offers few opportunities to fine-tune the parameters. The i1Display 2 has an “advanced” option containing a host of custom calibration targets.

If you don’t want to learn about white point settings (how warm or cool the display’s whites—and by extension all colors—will be) or gamma (the contrast of the midtones), the automated process is a boon. But the problem with so-called calibration wizards is that their restricted options can produce unsatisfactory results, especially on the low- and midrange displays often used by nonprofessionals. Fortunately, the algorithm utilized by i1Match is an impressive one, and in our tests on a number of displays, the wizard’s magic was commendable.

The LT version limits white point selection to one of three predefined options (5000K, 6500K, or native) and gamma to one of two (1.8 or 2.2). A luminance (brightness) target isn’t user-selectable. But in our tests, only a stubbornly misbehaving 12-inch PowerBook G4 display resisted satisfactory calibration.

The i1Display 2, on the other hand, allows complete customization of every target, including white point, gamma, and luminance, and provides a user-friendly interface for adjusting hardware settings (brightness, contrast, and RGB values) during the calibration process. Both native white points and native gamma settings may be selected—which is what did the trick for that stubborn PowerBook.

The calibration results of both Easy and Advanced modes yielded excellent shadow detail, a notable difference from other tools we’ve used. And the colorimeter is able to take ambient light readings in both Easy and Advanced modes.

The i1Display LT offers an upgrade option for unleashing the power and flexibility of the i1Display 2’s advanced options. The i1Display2, in turn, offers an upgrade option to the i1Pro series, which features a spectrometer (as opposed to a colorimeter), a professional-quality device that allows profiling and calibration of not just the display, but also scanners, printers, and digital cameras.

The bottom line. While the i1Display 2 option is necessary for anyone performing truly color-critical tasks—or needing to match multiple monitors—the i1Display LT provides impressive results given its limitations.

COMPANY: X-Rite

CONTACT: www.xrite.com

PRICE: $169 (i1Display LT), $249 (i1Display 2)

REQUIREMENTS: Mac OS 10.3.9 or later (Leopard not officially supported but worked in our testing), display resolution of 1024x768 or higher, USB

Good quality/price ratio. Calibration algorithms tuned to reveal shadow detail. Ambient-light-reading option built-in. Native white point and gamma options in Advanced mode.

A printable user’s manual would be helpful. Some software features aren’t explained.

Synology DS107+

Johnathon Williams — Tue, 27 May 2008 10:38:15 -0500

This powerful system comes without a drive, but installing your own is a piece of cake.

Of all the NAS devices we tested, the Synology DS107+ promised the most extensive feature list, and the device consistently impressed us with its Swiss-Army-like capabilities on our network.

The enclosure ships without a hard drive, so your first task is to install one. The instructions for doing so are simple and easy to follow, and we were plugging the device into our wireless router within minutes. (Disclosure: Synology was kind enough to install a drive in our test model, so we removed it and installed a second drive to duplicate the standard user experience.)

After installation, a setup application included on the CD directs you to an administration page within Safari. And here is where you begin to get an idea of just how much this device can do. File sharing and backup are only two core services in a list that includes Web hosting, an iTunes server, a photoblog, and a download station that pulls files from the Web directly to the shared disk. The Synology can automatically back up its enclosed drive to an external USB drive or to another machine on the local network, and the included iTunes server delivers the contents of a preset Music folder as a shared iTunes playlist.

Unfortunately, all that power complicates the Settings page to a degree that will probably intimidate some users. The designers attempted to minimize this by making file sharing active right out of the box and by offering setup wizards to customize the most common services, but the sheer number of options remains daunting. Another drawback is the fan noise that comes from the enclosure, which registers somewhere between an old Power Mac G4 on the loud side and a Power Mac G5 on the quiet side.

Still, those complaints are smoothed by support for Mac networking standards such as AFP and Bonjour, which integrate the drive nicely into a Mac network. The drive appears as a shared device in the Finder’s network browser, and its shared folders can be configured for guest or account-based access. Its support for Windows networking standards should make it an excellent choice for mixed environments.

The bottom line. Although at times too complicated for an entry-level NAS product, the Synology DS107+ delivers reliable file sharing and a truckload of advanced features for the adventurous user.

COMPANY: Synology

CONTACT: www.synology.com

PRICE: $289

REQUIREMENTS: Mac OS 9 or later

Huge feature set, including web hosting and iTunes server. Reliable, consistent performance.

Noisy. Setup may intimidate some users.

Belkin Mini Surge Protector

Stephan Somogyi — Thu, 15 May 2008 09:11:55 -0500

The Mini Surge is incredibly handy for recharging your USB devices while traveling.

Back when FireWire was first introduced, one of its coolest features was that it delivered power and was a fast data conduit. At the time, USB’s trickle of electrons wasn’t enough to power much of anything. As devices became more frugal with their electricity, USB slowly turned into a recharging standard for many small gadgets.

But there’s one major difference in how Macs handle these ports while asleep: FireWire ports continue to receive power, whereas USB ports don’t. So you can recharge a FireWire device while your laptop is asleep, but not a USB device. You have to leave the whole system running just to charge your iPod.

Enter the Belkin Mini Surge Protector. It’s a small, three-outlet surge protector with two power-only USB ports. It has a clever plug that rotates in 90-degree increments to orient the unit relative to the power socket it’s plugged into—this comes in very handy when you’re trying to plug into a two-outlet wall socket that’s got something else plugged into the other outlet.

We weren’t able to conjure up an electrical storm to test its surge suppression capabilities, but we did use the Mini Surge’s USB ports to recharge a BlackBerry Pearl, a fifth-generation iPod, and a Jabra Bluetooth Headset, all with their stock USB cables (two at a time). This process went so well that we found the Mini Surge to be super useful at home as well as when traveling, since it allows you to retire unitasker power bricks and use the standard USB cables instead. Sure, the Mini Surge consumes some standby power when sitting idle, but it’s probably a lot less than the combined total of the replaced power bricks. It’s 110-volt only, but you can use standard converters if you’re traveling overseas where the voltages and plug types are different.

The bottom line. If you travel in the territory of 110V power, you should get a Belkin Mini Surge Protector. And it’s useful even if you’re stationary in 110V-land.

COMPANY: Belkin

CONTACT: www.belkin.com

PRICE: $29.99

REQUIREMENTS: 110V power

Well thought-out industrial design. USB charging is very useful, even at home.

Only works with 110V power. Draws some standby power.

Roam - The Road Warrior's Survival Guide

Robert Strohmeyer — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:19:14 -0600

It’s awful to be stuck without the tools (or skills) you need to stay productive with your MacBook or MacBook Pro. Here’s everything you need to keep you and your Mac in gear.

Whether you’re packing for a business trip thousands of miles away, or you just want to get out of the house for a few hours, sometimes you need to take your Mac on the road. While it’s debatable whether “getting there is half the fun,” keeping your MacBook (and your workflow) running smoothly, both in transit and when you arrive, is an absolute must. And we hate to break it to you, but with a more-mobile Mac comes increased responsibility—like making sure your precious ’Book doesn’t get stolen, broken, or disconnected from the world. We’ve got the latest tricks for keeping your precious cargo safe, secure, and connected—and some advice for coping with accidents you can’t avoid.

Hotspot Hunter

If a hotspot is out there, the WiFi Finder Plus can sniff it out.

Away from your home or office, a wireless hotspot is your best bet for getting online. Because free wireless hotspots seem to be a dime a dozen at airports, cafes, and hotels, finding one in a major city is usually fairly easy. But if you’re outside of an urban center, you may have to sleuth around to find a connection you can use.

T-Mobile HotSpot (www.tmobile.com/hotspot) offers a nationwide network of wireless hotspots in partnership with Starbucks, FedEx Kinko’s, Borders, and other chains. But with connection fees ranging from $6 for one hour to $40 per month, it’s way more expensive than free.

A better bet for the frugal surfer is to hunt for free Wi-Fi elsewhere. Online directories like JiWire (www.jiwire.com) and Wi-Fi Free Spot (www.wififreespot.com) offer nationwide listings of free wireless providers, so if you find yourself headed for Cascade, Idaho, you’ll know there’s free Wi-Fi at the Water’s Edge RV Resort.

Of course, if you’re already in the town where you need access, an online directory won’t do much good. In that case a Wi-Fi detector, such as Kensington’s WiFi Finder Plus ($29.99, www.kensington.com), will help you suss out a signal as you cruise the main drag.

Be smart when you use open hotspots, though. By virtue of that lovely, free openness, hotspots expose all of the traffic that runs across them, so anyone can snoop through the files you send and receive. If you’re emailing sensitive files, be sure to encrypt them first. StuffIt ($49.99, www.stuffit.com)not only compresses your files to make them more email friendly, but can also protect them from prying eyes by requiring a password to uncompress them. And if you’re logging in to your online banking service, be sure the site uses HTTPS security by looking for the little padlock in the status bar and checking that the address begins with “https” rather than just “http.”

Fast Connection Via Mobile Phone

Sprint’s AirCard 597E by Sierra Wireless ($329.99, www.sprint.com) slides into the ExpressCard/34 slot of your MacBook Pro for always-available broadband surfing over Sprint’s cellular network.

For on-the-go access in most metro areas, cellular broadband—aka 3G or mobile broadband—is the next best thing to a DSL connection. AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon all offer nationwide broadband service over their respective cell phone networks, making it easy to add high-speed mobile Internet service to your existing cellular account by buying a mobile broadband card and subscribing to a data plan.

The MacBook Pro’s ExpressCard/34 slot is ideal for using any of the leading 3G data cards, because you can leave the card installed and it won’t stick out of the slot too far. But if your notebook bag is a tight fit, you should remove the card when you’re in transit to make sure it doesn’t get damaged. MacBooks don’t have ExpressCard/34 slots, but users can still use 3G data cards with a USB adapter. (Your cellular provider will give you the right cable for your card.) And if you have a PowerBook, you can still find plenty of PC Card options to fit the ’Book’s PC Card slot. Most mobile broadband cards, regardless of how they connect to your Mac, cost between $80 and $130 with a two-year service agreement.

With your cellular broadband card installed, you can set your Internet connection to start automatically every time you boot your Mac, and you’ll surf the Web at speeds up to 1.4Mbps. And even if you’re outside of a 3G service area, you’re not out of luck. The card will still connect to your carrier’s lower-speed network so your essential email and Web traffic can get through.

Internet Over Bluetooth

Bluetooth dial-up networking uses your cell phone as a wireless modem to access the Net.

If you have a Bluetooth phone, you don’t necessarily need to buy a separate cellular broadband card to access the Internet. Phones that support dial-up networking (which most newer Bluetooth phones do) can serve as high-speed modems for your Mac.

The best phones for dial-up networking are those using 3G mobile broadband services, such as Verizon’s VCAST or Sprint’s Mobile Broadband, because they allow you to surf at DSL-like speeds. These phones will require you to run special software provided by your carrier in order to use the network, so check with your cellular provider 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 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.

Note that many carriers require you to subscribe to their broadband 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.

DIY Networks

AirPort lets you create your own wireless network, with your Mac acting as a wireless hub.

No matter how much of a hotspot ninja you think you are, sometimes there just isn’t a hotspot around. And a wireless broadband card won’t help if you’re in an area with no cellular reception. But that doesn’t mean you can’t buddy up to share files—it just means you have to be more creative.

When there’s no way to get to an Internet connection, computer-to-computer networking—or creating an impromptu connection between two or more computers within a limited range—can make it easy to transfer files to someone nearby. This comes in handy when you can’t connect to the Internet but want to give a large Illustrator file to a colleague without burning it to a CD, for example. To create a computer-to-computer network (also called an ad hoc 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.

File Sharing

Mac OS X can turn any MacBook into a miniature server with File Sharing.

To enable file sharing from your 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, also 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.

If your Mac is running Tiger, the directions are almost the same: Go to System Preferences > Sharing, and select the Services tab. Then check the Personal File Sharing box to share with Mac users, and/or check the Windows Sharing box (and specify an account when prompted) to let Windows users share your files.

Lock It Down

The $40 Kensington ComboSaver Notebook Lock Ultra is one of the easiest ways to protect your $2,500 MacBook Pro.

Unless you somehow still live in the 1950s, you wouldn’t think of leaving a bicycle unattended on a street corner or asking a stranger to watch it “just for a minute” while you run into a store. Yet every day you see otherwise intelligent people leave their laptops sitting unattended on café tables while they refill their lattes. In urban centers, laptop theft has reached pandemic proportions as savvy system snatchers have caught on to the easy money of a quick grab-and-run.

To keep your MacBook from running away, you can’t be too cool for school—or for locks. Simple cable locks, such as the Kensington ComboSaver Combination Notebook Lock Ultra ($39.99, www.kensington.com), attach to your MacBook’s Kensington cable-lock slot in seconds, so you can secure your ’Book to a table leg, a chair, or any other nearby object. If a thief is trying to make off with your computer and a table’s attached to it, someone will probably notice. (Note: If you’re securing your MacBook to a table leg, be sure to run the cable through a closed opening, like a support between the table top and the leg. Otherwise the thief can simply slip the cable out from under the leg and go.)

Getting It Back: LoJack

LoJack for Laptops places hidden software on your Mac’s hard drive so you can track it down if it’s stolen.

There’s a not-so-fine line between sensibly safe and paranoid, and you can’t keep your MacBook locked down all the time—when it’s in the trunk of your car that’s just been stolen, for example. But even when your laptop isn’t strapped to an immovable object, you can still protect it from theft. Computrace LoJack for Laptops ($49.99 per year, www.lojackforlaptops.com) is a simple but sneaky little program that hides in a low-level area of your Mac’s hard drive just in case someone steals your computer. Each day, when you’re connected to the Internet, the software secretly contacts Computrace’s server and checks in.

If your Mac goes missing, all you have to do is file a police report with your local precinct, then fill out a simple form on the LoJack for Laptops website. The next time the thief goes online—even if he or she has deleted and reinstalled OS X—the hidden software will reveal the location through the IP address, and Computrace will contact the police to nab the thief and recover your machine. While a mere 7 percent of all stolen laptops are ever recovered, Computrace claims a 75 percent recovery rate for its customers. That’s nothing to sneeze at.

Rejuvenate Your Battery

Do yourself a favor by using your power adapter to condition your hard-working battery.

A properly calibrated battery is the foundation of maximum power efficiency on the go. To keep your battery functioning at its best, follow these steps once a month.

First, plug in your MacBook’s power adapter and charge it until the light on the adapter turns green. Once it does, continue to work with the adapter plugged in for a
few hours. This will let your battery rest while fully charged before you begin to discharge it.

After a few hours, unplug the power adapter and continue using the MacBook
until you’ve drained the battery. After a couple more hours, you’ll get a low-battery warning, which is your cue to save any work in progress. Keep working until the system goes into sleep mode.

Once the system goes to sleep, leave it unplugged overnight (or for at least five hours) to fully discharge the battery. Then plug it back in and fully recharge the battery until the light on the adapter turns green again, which will leave it calibrated for optimum performance.

Live Long and Prosper

To get the most battery life from your ’Book, adjust your power settings aggressively in the Energy Saver preferences pane.

If you’re lucky enough to spend only a couple of hours per day working without a power outlet, you may not give much thought to your notebook’s power consumption. But frequent travelers sometimes need to make serious concessions to energy efficiency by adjusting their Energy Saver preferences and turning off unnecessary wireless components.

Unless you’re actively connected to a wireless network or a Bluetooth device, your ’Book’s built-in transmitters make it hemorrhage power. Turn AirPort and Bluetooth off by clicking their icons in the menubar and selecting the appropriate option. That’ll go a long way toward making your battery last all day.
Connected devices, such as USB drives and even CDs in your optical drive, draw power from the system. Eject optical discs and disconnect drives to eliminate the unwanted drain.

To really stretch out your Mac’s battery life, set your sleep options to zealously efficient levels. Under System Preferences > Energy Saver, select the settings for Battery and set the display to sleep when the computer is inactive for five minutes, and have the whole computer sleep after 10 minutes of inactivity. Under Options, be sure to check “Automatically reduce the brightness of the display before display sleep.” That way, you won’t be wasting juice while you’re waiting in line for the bathroom on a transcontinental flight.

Even with the most aggressive Energy Saver settings, you’ll be hard-pressed to get more than five hours out of your MacBook’s battery. If you really need to get a full day’s work done without a power outlet, carry a fully charged spare battery in your bag. FastMac’s TruePower Extended-Life Battery ($99.95, www.fastmac.com) lasts slightly longer than a stock battery, and costs less than a spare battery sold by Apple ($129, www.apple.com).

Keys to Success

Regardless of whatever other backup measures you may take, you should never head off on an important trip without putting your most essential files on a USB thumb drive. That way, even if your MacBook Pro is stolen 20 minutes before your big presentation, you’ll still have your mission-critical PowerPoint or Keynote files ready to plug into a borrowed computer. And just in case you can’t get your hands on another presentation-ready machine, you should also save copies of your presentation as
PDF files that you can readily print at any nearby Kinko’s, or present in a pinch with Preview or even Adobe Reader. To make the PDFs, go to the Print dialog, click the PDF button, and choose Print As PDF from the drop-down menu.

.Mac Backups

One of the easiest ways to keep your data at hand is to back it up online with a .Mac account. (The downside, of course, is that you must be online to back up.) For $99.95 per year, you get 10GB of storage on your iDisk, which you can use to back up your home folder, contacts, iCal, and any other files you like. Once you have a .Mac account, download the latest version of Backup from www.mac.com and set it to back up the data you care about most. That way, whether you’ve left your MacBook on the train or simply at home, you can always get to your latest backup from any Web browser. Your iDisk also has a Public folder to let you share files with friends and colleagues.

Back to My Mac

Get back to your home or work desktop machine from anywhere with Leopard’s awesome Back to My Mac feature.

Leopard, aka Mac OS 10.5, makes it easier to access your Mac back at the compound from another Mac on the road. You’ll need two Macs with Leopard installed and a .Mac account. On each machine, go to System Preferences > .Mac and select Back To My Mac. Click Start, then Open Sharing Preferences, and enable File Sharing. Now whenever you want to access either machine from the other, you can open a Finder window and look for Back To My Mac under the Shared section in the Sidebar. Cool, huh?

Time Machine

Gotta go back in time to before you trashed that important file? Use Time Machine.

As you travel through space, you may occasionally need to travel through time as well, and especially if you’ve lost or somehow unintentionally overwritten an important file. Leopard’s Time Machine feature makes hourly backups of your system so you can look back in time and recover older, less ruined versions of your files. Provided you have a large enough external drive attached, Time Machine will retain hourly backups from the last 24 hours, daily backups from the past month, and weekly backups until it runs out of space to store them. So there’s virtually no limit to how far back you can reach.

For use on the road, we suggest a high-capacity, rugged external drive like the 250GB LaCie Rugged All-Terrain Hard Disk ($199.99, www.lacie.com), which has USB and FireWire. Its ample capacity and sturdy, shock-resistant construction will ensure that you always have plenty of Time Machine backups on hand. Or you can just connect your laptop to the drive each evening (or morning) when you’re at home and let it back up overnight. (Only if your external drive is connected via FireWire will you be able to start up your Mac from it. To restore from these backups using a USB drive, you must have your Leopard Mac OS X Install Disc with you.)