Computers can indeed be a blessing and a curse. On the one hand they give you instant access to mountains of information; on the other hand you’re the one who has to organize and keep track of all that data. There are a lot of programs out there that claim to help you stay organized, using everything from day-planner software to relational databases. There’s only one problem, you have to actually use those programs. That typically means learning new third party software, loading all your data and schedules, and then trying to keep it current, even if you move it to a different computer. This paragraph defined the problem; the next provides the solution.
When Apple introduced OS X, they touted it as a digital hub. The concept of a digital hub involves placing your daily schedules and contact data into the system one time. Then the hub would keep the data up-to-date and in sync with any other places the same data is stored. With the release of OS X, and applications such as: iSync and iCal, the folks at Apple achieved the dream of creating a true, easy-to-use digital hub. I have a graveyard of applications that promised to organize and make my life easier. However, the programs were difficult to manage, and they didn’t move information easily between systems. In short, the promise was not the reality. When Leopard was released, along with improved versions of its syncing and management programs, I was finally able to get control of the mountains of information that make up my daily life.
iCal is the Macintosh version of a scheduling and time-management application. There are other programs out there that schedules and manages your time; however, iCal’s native architecture (built by Apple), it’s stability, and ability to transfer and sync information easily across multiple applications, makes it an easy choice for the busy executive, the harried designer/animator, or anyone who owns a Macintosh, and wants to keep track of what they’re doing. iCal assists you by helping you automate repetitive events such as: Yoga every Friday at 8pm, the kids soccer practice, or that quarterly conference call with management. In addition, iCal notifies you of an event by using an alarm sound, pop-up note, or even e-mail. iCal uses a new look user interface and iTunes style-style sidebar to make it easier to use (New!). To access iCal, click the iCal icon in the Dock or open the Applications folder, and then double-click the iCal icon.
Okay, you’ve created this awesome calendar that lists all of your appointments, plus things that you have to do (my wife calls this a honey do list). Not only does the iCal application let you create a To Do list, complete with every task on your list; it also helps you stay on schedule using audio or pop-up reminders. This is an easier solution than your wife tapping you on the shoulder, and asking you if you remembered to fix the screen on the back porch door.
Click the iCal icon in the Dock.
Click the Pushpin button.
To add an event, double-click in the To Do Items pane, and then press Return.
Click the File menu, and then click Get Info.
Add or modify the following To Do information, and then click Done:
Completed. Select the check box when the task is complete.
Priority. Click to select a priority setting.
Due Date. Select the check box, and then enter a due date.
Alarm. If Due Date is checked, Alarm notifies using a Message, Message With A Sound, E-mail, or Open A File.
Calendar. Click to select the calendar this list is linked to.
URL. Click to add a URL address to the To Do.
Note. Click to add any notes.
To sort To Dos, click the To Do Items pane pop-up, and then select a sort command.
To remove, select an item, and then press Delete.
Click the Pushpin button to close the To Do Items pane.
With iCal, you can keep track of all your activities, either work or personal. You can create separate calendars for different people, such as your family, or a team, or different types of activities. Separating your calendars makes it easy to focus on the information for a specific activity and share only that calendar with the people you want. You can also group related calendars together to make it easier to manage. iCal is not just a standard, one-size-fits-all calendar. As a matter of fact, you can customize the calendar to fit your particular needs. iCal gives you the ability to change how the calendar displays days and weeks, and months. In addition, you can instruct iCal when to delete old events and To Do items, and even turn off alarms and time zone support.
Click the iCal icon in the Dock.
To add a calendar, click the Add (+) button, type a name for the calendar, and then press Return.
Use the following buttons to navigate a calendar:
Today. Click to display the current day.
Day, Week, and Month. Click to display a day, week, or month at a glance. Use the Left or Right Arrows to move by the selected view.
Mini-Month. Click to show/hide the mini-month calendar in the Calendar list.
Use the following to work with calendars:
Rename. Click the calendar name, click it again, type a new name, and then press Return.
Delete. Control-click the calendar, and then click Delete.
Color. Control-click the calendar, click Show Info, change the color, and then click OK.
Click the iCal menu, and then click Preferences.
Click General.
Select from the following iCal preferences:
Day and Week Defaults. Use the pop-ups to specify defaults.
Show Time and Birthdays Calendar. Select to show time in month view and the birthdays calendar.
Default Alarm. Select to add a default alarm to all new events and invitations.
Synchronize with .Mac. Select to sync calendars with .Mac. Click .Mac to specify settings.
Click Advanced, and then select to options you want to enable.
Click the Close button.
When you first create your iCal calendar, it represents where you are with your schedule at that moment in time. Unfortunately, things change and they can change often. Therefore, iCal gives you the ability to add new events or modify existing events directly in the Calendar window (New!). The beauty of iCal is that it makes calendar modifications easy, and once complete, they can be transferred to other applications and devices.
Click the iCal icon in the Dock.
Click the calendar you want to add an event.
Click a view button to find the date to add.
Drag a time interval on the day you want to add an event.
Type a title for the event.
To adjust the time and day, use the following options:
Adjust Event Time. Drag the top or bottom edge of the event item.
Move Event Day. Drag the title to a new location.
Double-click the event you want to edit.
Click Edit.
Add the following event options:
Location. Enter a location for the event.
All-day. Check for all day event.
From/To. Enter a From/To date.
Repeat. Sets this to a repeating event.
Calendar. Click to select the calendar this event is linked.
Alarm. Lets you be notified before the event.
Attendees. Adds attendees to the event list.
Attachments. Adds file attachments to the event.
URL. Click to add a URL address to the event.
Note. Click to add any notes.
Click Done.
You can create a calendar that lists all of your appointments with detailed information and a To Do list that helps you keep track of everything from household chores to the research you need to do for next week’s big funding conference. But what good is that information, if you’re out of town, and you forgot to bring your trusty MacBook? By publishing your iCal calendar, you wouldn’t have a problem. If you have a .Mac account or a CalDAV workplace calendar server (New!), publishing your calendar gives you access to that information anywhere there’s a computer and an Internet connection. With CalDAV, you can also check the availability of people and resources (New!). In addition, if someone else has published a calendar, you can gain access to it by subscribing. Not only does this give you access to your calendar, but any one that requires your scheduling information.
Click the iCal icon in the Dock.
Select a calendar to publish.
Click the Calendar menu, and then click Publish.
Type a name for the calendar.
Click the Publish on pop-up, and then select a server location, such as .Mac or CalDAV.
Select from the following options:
Publish changes automatically
Publish titles and notes
Publish To Do items
Publish alarms
Publish attachments
Click Publish.
Write down the URL as it appears. This is very important if you want to view your calendar or allow someone else to subscribe to it.
Click Visit Page, Send Mail or OK in the confirmation message.
To unpublish a calendar, select it, click the Calendar menu, click Unpublish, and then click Unpublish.
Click the iCal icon in the Dock.
Click the Calendar menu, and then click Subscribe.
Type the URL full path name to the calendar with an ICS extension. You need to get the exact URL to the calendar from the person who published it.
Click Subscribe.
Select from the following options:
Name and Description. Type a name and description for the calendar subscription.
Remove Alarms, Attachments, or To Do items. Check to remove any of the items.
Auto-refresh. Select to update the calendar, and then select how often the update occurs.
Click OK.
To unsubscribe to a calendar, Control-click the calendar you want to remove in the Calendar list, and then click Delete.
Just like you can print documents and photographs, you can also print any of your calendars and To Do lists. iCal gives you the flexibility to specify the calendars you want to print and the related details you want to include, such as To Do items with due dates, all-day events, mini-months (next and previous calendar months in the upper right corner of the page), and calendar keys (a print legend).
Click the iCal icon in the Dock.
Click the File menu, and then click Print.
Click the View pop-up, and then select the print layout you want.
Use the Starts and Ends pop-up to specify the date range you want.
Select the check boxes next to the calendars you want to print.
If you select a calendar group, all the calendars are included.
Specify any other print options you want.
All-Day Events. Includes all day events.
To Do items with Due Dates. Includes To Do items with due dates.
Mini-Months. Includes the next and previous months.
Calendar Keys. Includes a calendar legend.
Black and White. Prints in black and white.
Click the Text size pop-up, and then select a text size for event headings.
Click Continue.
Select a printer and any print presets, and then click Print.
When you have a contact and calendar list on multiple devices, such as your Mac computer and a mobile device, it’s hard to keep them both up-to-date. Not any more. Apple gives you the iSync application to help you keep your contact and calendar information on your computer in Address Book and iCal up-to-date with the contact and calendar information on your other devices, such as an iSync-compatible Bluetooth, USB mobile phone, or Palm OS device. The iSync application makes it easy to update all your devices in one place with the click of a button.
Plug-in an iSync compatible device.
Important
To find out if your device is compatible, point your browser to www.apple.com/isync/devices.html.
Open the Applications folder, and then double-click the iSync icon.
Click the Devices menu, and then click Add Device.
Double click on the device to add it to the iSync application.
Click the Scan button to scan for more devices.
Close the Add Device window.
When you add devices such as a cell phone or a PDA, each item has its own unique set of synchronization options. Once you’ve added the device, it’s important to open the options, and decide exactly what you want to happen, when you click the Sync Now button. For example, you own a PDA, and you want the PDA to sync with your iCal calendar, but with your contacts. Device Synchronization options give you the control to decide exactly what does and does not sync.
Open the Applications folder, and then double-click the iSync icon.
Click the button of the device that you want to modify.
Sync a Palm Device. Click the Devices menu, click Enable Palm OS HotSync, and then follow the instructions.
Select from the following options:
Turn on Synchronization. Activates synchronization (default: checked).
Automatically Synchronize. Most devices give you the option to synchronize the device when it’s first plugged in, or after a certain amount of time (default: unchecked).
Contacts. Synchronizes all the contacts on the device (default: on).
Calendars. Synchronizes all the calendars on the device (default: on).
Click the device button to collapse the Options panel.
Click the Sync Now button to perform the sync operation.
When you synchronize your computer with devices using iSync or a .Mac account, the Data Change Alert appears, displaying the information you want to add, remove, or modify, and asking you to confirm the change. You can cancel or allow the synchronization. The Data Change Alert appears when you enable it and when a specified amount of data on your computer will change. You can set iSync Preferences to specify when you want the Data Change Alert to appear as well as other syncing options.
Open the Applications folder, and then double-click the iSync icon.
Click the iSync menu, and then click Preferences.
Select from the following iSync preferences:
Enable syncing on this computer. Select to enable syncing with your .Mac account. This option enables the Synchronize With .Mac option in .Mac Preferences.
Show HotSync reminder when syncing Palm OS devices. Select to display a reminder for Palm OS devices.
Show status in menu. Select to show the iSync Status menu in the menu bar.
Show Data Change Alert when. Select to display the Data Change Alert, and then specify the amount of change needed to display the alert.
To clear the sync log, click Reset Sync History.
Click the Close button.
If you’ve setup a .Mac account, then you’ll want to keep your off-site information up-to-date. You’ll accomplish this by setting sync options on the .Mac pane in System Preferences. You can specify exactly what you want updated, and even let your Macintosh perform automatic updates. You can sync any of the following items on your computer: Bookmarks, Calendars, Contacts, Dashboard Widgets, Dock Items, Keychains, Mail Accounts, Mail Rules, Signatures, and Smart Mailboxes, Notes, and System Preferences. When you synchronize the information on your computer with your .Mac account online, you can access it from any Mac, which you can also synchronize.
Click the System Preferences icon in the Dock, and then click the .Mac icon.
Click the Sync tab.
Select or clear the Synchronize with .Mac check box.
Click the Synchronize with .Mac pop-up, and then select one of the following sync options:
Automatically. Sync selected items when you make changes and connect to the Internet.
Every Hour, Day, or Week. Sync selected items when you make changes at the specified interval
Manually. Sync selected items when you make changes and click Sync Now.
Select the check boxes next to the items you want to synchronize.
To use the .Mac Sync menu in the menu bar, select the Show status in menu bar check box.
To manually sync the selected items, click Sync Now.
Your can also select the Sync Now command on the .Mac Sync menu.
Click the Close button.
If you’re having problems synchronizing information or you’re not sure whether you want to keep all the changes you have made, you can reset the information on your computer to match the information on your .Mac account. You can select the information you want to reset, including bookmarks, calendars, contacts, dashboard widgets, dock items, keychains, Mail accounts and rules, notes, and system preferences. When you reset data, Leopard erases all the information on the destination device with the information on the source, so make sure this operation is what you want to do.
Click the System Preferences icon in the Dock, and then click the .Mac icon.
Click the Sync tab.
Click Advanced.
Select the computer you want to reset sync information.
Click Reset Sync Data.
Click the Replace pop-up, and then click All Sync Info or select a specific item.
Select the Left or Right Arrow to specify the direction you want to replace. Left updates your Mac with .Mac information and Right updates your .Mac account with your Mac information.
Click Replace.
Click OK to confirm the replacement.
Click the Close button.
The computer is a fantastic tool, however, the birth of the computer brought along another necessary evil, the creation of passwords. You have passwords for the Internet, FTP sites, login, and your .Mac site. Passwords, passwords, and more passwords, they multiply like rabbits. Even cars and homes have password entrance systems (called keyless entry). The solution to the problem is to create keychains.
Apple’s Keychain works in the background; every time you type your login password, you’re typing in the master key, and Keychain responds by filling in all the passwords blanks from that point forward. Since Keychain functions in the background, it’s invisible to most users. If Keychain were not available, every time you moved around the Internet, or accessed a hard drive, or almost any device, you would be required to type in the proper password.
If you need to make changes to individual keychains, you can use the Keychain Access utility application, which is located in the Utilities folder within the Applications folder.
When you open Keychain Access, you’ll probably already have a list of keychains. If you don’t see any keychains, you can use commands on the View menu to view and organize your keychains. With keychains in view, you can unlock and lock access to them, delete them, and add secure notes. If you receive a digital certificate from the Internet, you can add it to your keychain for easier access next time. A digital certificate validates users and Web sites on the Internet for credibility.
Show/Hide Keychains. Click the View menu, and then click Show Keychains or Hide Keychains.
Unlock Keychain Access. Select the keychain (such as login or System), click the Lock icon, type your password, and then click OK.
Lock Keychain Access. Select the keychain (such as login or System), and then click the Unlock icon.
To change the password for Keychain access, click the Edit menu, and then click Change Password for Keychain name.
Delete Keychain Access. Select the keychain (such as login or System), click the File menu, click Delete Keychain name, and then click Delete References & Files or Delete References.
Add a Secure Note. Click the File menu, click New Secure Note Item, type a keychain name, type the note, and then click Add.
Change Default Keychain. Select a new keychain, click the File menu, and then click Make Keychain name Default
Remove a Keychain. Select a keychain, press Delete, and then click Delete.
Add a Certificate to a Keychain. Drag the certificate file onto the Keychain Access icon or double-click the certificate file, select a keychain, and then click OK.
The Keychain Access application gives you the ability to modify the elements within a keychain. For example, you could add an additional level of password protection, or insert a secure note. It would even be possible to delete or change the parameters of an existing element within the keychain. Since your Macintosh manages the keychain quite well in the background, it just depends on how much control you wish to exert over the Keychain already setup by your computer.
Open the Utilities folder, and then double-click the Keychain Access icon.
Click the View menu, click Show Keychains, and then select the keychain you want to manage.
Double-click a keychain password from the list.
Click the Attributes tab.
Select from the following options:
Name. Type a new name for the keychain item.
Kind. Type a new kind such as a .Mac password or an Internet Connect.
Account. Type a new account name for the keychain item.
Where. Type a new location for the keychain item.
Comments. Type any comments into the comments field.
Select or clear the Show password check box to show the password for this keychain item.
Click Save Changes.
Select from the following options:
Allow all applications To access this item. When selected, this item is not restricted.
Confirm before allowing access. When selected, users have to click through to get to the item.
Ask for keychain password. Select or clear the check box to require users to type the keychain password.
To add specific applications, click Add(+) button, and then select the applications.
To remove specific applications, click the application, and then click the Remove (-) button.
Click Save Changes to record your changes to the active keychain.
Although the Keychain application runs in the background, and is therefore invisible to most Mac users, you have the ability to add additional keychains to the current set. To do this you’ll need detailed information on the keychain that you want to add, and an application to perform the addition. In your Utilities folder is a program called Keychain Access. This program allows you to add addition keychains to the existing set. For example, you might want a keychain to manage your computer (default keychain), and another keychain to manage and secure your business documents. Since the keychain application allows you to modify existing elements within a keychain, you could easily wind up locking yourself out of devices or Web sites. Caution is advised when accessing the Keychain Access application.
Open the Utilities folder, and then double-click the Keychain Access icon.
Click the File menu, and then click New Keychain.
Type a keychain access name, and then select a save location.
Click Create.
Type a password for the keychain, verify it, and then click OK.
Click the File menu, and then click New Password Item.
Type the keychain name or URL for easy reference, an account name, and password.
Click Add, type a password, and then click OK.
