Safe and Secure File Backup and Off Site Storage
Low End Mac Reader Specials
Download Typestyler, still the Ultimate Styling Tool for Internet, Print and Video Graphics. Works great in Classic with a Native OS X Version on the way. Free Tryout: www.typestyler.com
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Mac users can finally play Party Poker for Mac. Not only that, they can also learn how to play PokerStars for Mac.
Laptop Hardware Provided by TechRestore - Overnight Mac & iPod Repairs.
Compare products like desktop computers, laptops, and LCD TVs side by side! All the information and reviews to make the best purchasing decision for a new cell phone GPS products or MP3 players. The Ciao network makes searching products easy for you.
New MacPro Memory 800Mhz With Apple Spec Heat Sink 2GB $104 / 4GB $172 / 8GB $338. Click to Maximize your Macs...
- 2006.03.28 - Tip Jar
This week we'll address some of the security problems when you're using a portable Mac and want to protect your documents.
As you already know, always back up (see Quick and Easy Disk Maintenance and Backup for Your Mac).
Let's say you're using someone else's computer or just want more peace of mind when using your own 'Book. That's where this article comes in, and I'll tell you what works and what I do.
Here's my scenario. In Iraq, it was always unpredictable - and it still is. Let's say you back up once a week or even every day, but then a bomb blows away your compound and your computer - you're left with nothing.
A good solution is to burn a DVD-R with all your important and mail it home (be sure to encrypt the disk with Toast), as discussed in my earlier article. An easier, more portable solution is to use online storage of your files if you have broadband Internet access.
There are lots of places online for online file storage starting with email accounts and Apple's .mac service. They're all great, but I wanted up to 1 GB of space for free and easy access from any platform.
My solution was to create a Mac disk image (.dmg). That's easy - just open Disk Utility (in the Utilities folder inside your Applications folder).

- To create a disk image simply click on "new image"
- Select where you want to save it in
- Select the size you want the disk to be
- Select AES-128 encryption
- Select "read/write disk image" to make it writeable.
It will then ask you for a password. Make sure you use a nice long password. Now your private, protected disk is ready for use.
When you're done copying files to it or from it, simply eject the disk image. Then go to your favorite online storage service and upload the .dmg file. I use www.yousendit.com, which has a 1 GB upload limit. That's way more than I would ever use - and best of all, its free.

Once you've upload your disk image file and want to access it, there's a link in your email. Simply download the file, open it, enter your password, and your files are available.
You can also use Stuffit to compress files with passwords into
.sit and .zip formats so they are multiplatform compatible. I use
these procedures for local files, remote files, and even files on
thumb drives and on my iPod - just in case they get in the wrong
hands, all the files are encrypted, so I'm safe just like my data.
If you find Joe's articles helpful, please consider making a donation to his tip jar.
Recent Mac Fallout Shelter articles
- My Newton: Why I won't buy an iPhone or iPod touch, 09.07. The iPod touch and iPhone sound wonderful, but I love the handwriting recognition, fax support, and email abilities of my Newton MessagePad.
- Network administration tools for Mac OS X users, 06.25. Thanks to Mac OS X, today's Macs are great network citizens and excellent tools for doing network administration.
- Apple's secret battery reset utility for WallSteet and Clamshell iBooks, 07.05. If your old 'Books battery isn't taking a charge like it used to, Battery Reset 2.0 could help recover its useful life.
- More in the Mac Fallout Shelter index.
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- Mac Pro overclocking, Windependence with Darwine, Blu-ray for Macs, and more, Mac News Review, 07.04. Also more on running Leopard on non-Apple hardware, Ubuntu on a Mac mini, the first autofocus webcam with Zeiss optics for Macs, and more.
- Wouldn't life be great with an iSlate?, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 07.04. PDAs and smartphones are too small for some tasks, full-fledged Tablet PCs are overkill, and ebook readers are too limited. Apple has the tech to own this niche.
- Mac of the Day: Original iMac G3/233, Aug. 98 - The Bondi blue wonder that bounced Apple back to profitability and into the public eye.
- List of the Day: Mac Pro List is for those using a Mac Pro.
- July 5 in LEM history: 98: The iMac: First of a family? - iMac Perfect for schools - 00: Apple is not your friend - 01: 75 Mac Advantages - Do you trust me? - 02: The joy of X with Classic - The good, the bad, and the intrusive - 05: No Quartz Extreme for Pismo - A brief history of NeXT - 06: Education iMac - iTunes and the French interoperability law - TopXNotes - Apple's secret battery reset utility - Misleading hard drive capacity
- The Macintosh Portable started a notebook revolution, Carl Nygren, Classic Macs in the Intel Age, 07.03. Before Apple introduced the Mac Portable, notebook computers were text-based and ran MS-DOS. Ever since, graphical interfaces have been the norm for laptops.
- More links in our archive.
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