If you’ve recently purchased an iMac, chances are that it came with Airport wireless built in. If you have cable or DSL service, but have yet to purchase a wireless router, then you’re in luck. You can turn your iMac into a wireless router for your home or small office. Here’s how:
First, here’s a basic diagram of what is needed. 1) A cable or DSL modem, which typically provided by your internet service provider; 2) a Mac (with built-in Airport wireless) which is connected to your modem via an ethernet cable; and 3) any number of laptops which have wireless capability.
Next, you will need to configure the Mac (connected to your modem) to share it’s internet capability to wireless devices. To do this, open your System Preferences and click on Sharing.
In the Sharing Pane, click on the Internet tab to bring up Internet Sharing. In this window, you want to select Share your connection from Built-in Ethernet in the drop down menu. Then, you want to select Airport from the “To computers using:” list.
Then click on the Airport Options… button to configure some wireless security options. You don’t want to be sharing your wireless connection with the whole neighborhood.Here, enter a WEP password which will be required from the laptop wishing to join your new wireless network.
I have found this to be an excellent solution for folks who don’t have a wireless router, but would like occasional wireless access in the home or small office.
NOTE: (5-15-07) Some of you have expressed some difficulty when trying to join a non-Mac device to this wireless setup. Apparently, there are some issues around which encryption scheme you choose. Take a look at this Apple Doc for some possible answers: WireLess Encryption
It’s here, the first Blu-ray drive for the Mac laptops. It’s $799.00 price tag is steep, but getting up to 50GB of storage on 1 disc is pretty cool.
Check it out: FastMac
Songbird is an all-in-one web player, combining an iTunes, web browser, QuickTime player mashup that is quite impressive. It’s cross-platform and opensource, built on the Mozilla engine.
It’s still in developer preview, but well worth the download.
Check it out: Songbird
Apple announced that iTV is now shipping.
Download movies, sync wirelessly to your Mac, then watch everything on your widescreen HDTV. Cool.
But folks want to know what that USB port in the back is for. No, I mean what is it really for?
Check it here: iTV
Includes general operating system fixes, as well as specific fixes or compatibility updates for the following applications and technologies:
- RAW camera support
- Handling of large or malformed images that could cause crashes
- Image capture performance
- Mouse scrolling and keyboard shortcuts
- Font handling
- Playback quality, and bookmarks in DVD Player
- USB video conferencing cameras for use with iChat
- Bluetooth devices
- Browsing AFP servers
- Apple USB Modem
- Windows-created digital certificates
- Open and Print dialogs in applications that use Rosetta on Intel-based Macs
- Time zone and daylight saving for 2006 and 2007
- Security updates
Check details here: Tiger 10.4.9
