Parental Controls [ MacOS ]

Mac OS X Leopard has a slew of controls meant to keep whipper-snappers at bay protect our kids (and data). They aren't the most powerful tools in the world (especially if Junior knows your administrator password), but they are helpful.

To make use of Parental Controls, you'll first have to create an account other than the administrator account. That's simple enough -- just go to the Accounts Preference Pane and click the "+" button. After naming the user and creating a password, select the user and click the "Parental Controls" button.

There are several options under the following tabs:

1. System
2. Content
3. Mail & iChat
4. Time Limits
5. Logs

Read on to find out how you can use each of these to customize your children's Mac OS X experience.

Click each to set your preferences. For example, the System tab gives you the option to allow access to only certain applications, burn DVDs, modify the Dock or change passwords (probably a good idea to select that last one).

The Content preferences will let you filter profanity from Mac OS X's dictionary and limit web browsing. You can even tell Safari to restrict browsing to certain sites.

The Mail & Chat settings lets you identify permitted email and IM contacts, and sends you an email notification if Junior strays from the list.

The Time Limit preferences does just what you're thinking -- it makes the computer inaccessible after a certain amount of time. You can set up different schedules for weekdays and weekends, as well as a period of time (say, overnight).

Finally, the Log records just what Junior was doing while you were on the phone bragging about how safe your Mac is. To get the most out of the parental controls, make sure you're logged out of the administrator account and that Junior does not know the password (or just change it regularly). Also, while iChat and Safari are subject to these settings, other applications like Adium and Firefox may not be. So either test them out or exclude them from the approved applications list.

The web is a wonderful place, but some corners of it aren't for the little ones. That paper you've been working on for graduate school should also be kept hidden away. Good luck!

Retrieve lost passwords [ MacOS ]

Everyone eventually forgets a password or two. It's OK, don't be ashamed. Even your friends at TUAW have committed this error. Honestly.

Ivan at CreativeBits offers a simple way to reveal a forgotten password with Mac OS X's Keychain Access application. You'll find it in your Utilities folder (which lives in the Applications folder). It lists all the passwords you've stored for different applications (wireless networks, FTP servers, etc.). Just select the one you're interested in and perform a "Get Info" by hitting Command-I. Good luck, and write it down this time, will you?

Right-click on a laptop [ MacOS ]

Oh, the one-button mouse. You either love it or you hate it. Veteran Mac users adore the elegance and simplicity; switchers bemoan the loss of a second (or third) mouse button. Of course, the problem is easily fixed by either holding down the Control button or -- wait for it -- buying a two-button mouse.

On a laptop, you've got another option. MacSupport points out this simple method of using a "two-finger tap" in place of a right click. To set things up, follow these steps.

In the Keyboard & Mouse preference pane, select "Trackpad Gestures" under the Trackpad section. From there, select "Tap trackpad using two fingers for secondary click" and you're all set. Now, tapping the trackpad with two fingers will execute a right click.

Customize your application toolbars [ MacOS ]

Many switchers to Mac OS X have the same question: "how can I customize my application toolbars?" While this is fairly straightforward in Windows, Mac OS X makes it much easier. Just open the customization menu by right-clicking (if you have a one-button mouse you can control + click) on the toolbar, then select "Customize..."

When you do this, you are presented with a dialog box that "rolls down" to display all of the items that you can add. Just drag the ones you want to the toolbar. If you find you don't want a certain toolbar item, just open the customize panel again and drag the item off the menu bar.

System Preferences [ MacOS ]

I know several people who have switched from Windows to the Mac over the past year. While they're happy with their decision, they all tell me the same thing: "I don't know where to find anything."

Typically, the topic arises when they're looking for the "control panel" to change a system setting. Since Apple's System Preference panel looks different that the Windows Control Panel, it isn't immediately helpful.

Until they ask it what they're looking for.

There's a small search box in the upper right-hand corner of the System Preferences window. Typing a keyword or two into that field reveals just where that function lives with a "spotlight" effect. For example, if I want to adjust my alert volume, typing "volume" highlights the Sound panel.

This method also provides helpful text. For example, typing "email" produces this list

• Email faxes
• Email and chat restrictions (parental controls)
• Limiting email and instant messages
• Sending permission emails

Each is accompanied by a link in the preference pane. The search results aren't flawless, of course, but they're better than staring at a field of unfamiliar icons, and have brightened the Mac experience for many a switcher.

Finder window preferences [ MacOS ]

As we know, the Finder offers four ways to display your files. Namely icon view, list view, column view, and Cover Flow. Perhaps you prefer one over the others (let's say column view), but your windows open to icon view by default. That can be annoying but here's how to fix it.

First, open a new Finder window. Next, select your preferred display method and then close the window without doing anything else. Don't open a folder, drag an icon, nothing. Now subsequent Finder windows will default to your preferred setting.

Protect your data with FileVault [ MacOS ]

If you use a notebook Mac, then the risks are higher for getting your computer stolen. However, Apple has included a tool to protect your entire home folder (documents, pictures, movies, etc.) right within OS X. FileVault protects your computer against stolen data by encrypting/decrypting your home folder each time you login and logout.

To use FileVault, you must first set a Master Password. This password is a fail-safe if you forget your user login info. However, if you lose both your user login info and the master password, you will not be able to decrypt your home folder and your data (if not backed up in unencrypted form) will be lost forever. To set the master password, navigate to System Preferences > Security > FileVault > Set Master Password.

Once you have the master password set, you will be able to turn on FileVault and begin protecting your data. Click the "Turn on FileVault" button in the FileVault section of the Security preference pane. You will be asked for your master password, and a disclaimer will be displayed explaining the process. Please note that you will not be able to login to your Mac via SMB (Windows file sharing) after turning on FileVault.

FileVault provides a high level of data security, but some applications have a history of incompatibility with the feature; it's also very important that you have a secure and solid backup strategy if you choose to use FileVault. For best results with Time Machine, make sure that your FV home folder is upgraded to the Leopard image format (if you were using FV under Tiger, you may have to turn it off and back on to convert your home folder) and log out of your account periodically to allow backups to run.