Gatekeeper Security

Mountain Lion can monitor the origins of applications you add to your machine and warn you if they might not be what you prefer. This feature is known as Gatekeeper. With Gatekeeper, you can choose to run only apps from the App store written by developers registered by Apple, allow App store apps by unregistered developers, or allow any apps from any source to run. Depending on how Gatekeeper is configured, you'll see various alerts about the security of apps you add to your machine.

1. Go to the Apple menu and choose System Preferences.
2. Click the Security & Privacy icon.
3. Click the General tab.

The Gatekeeper section at the bottom of the dialog helps to control what happens when you try to download new applications. These options control warning messages that you'll see when you try to install something that this choice doesn't allow.

• If you choose the Mac App Store option, apps that you didn't download from the App Store will not be allowed to run when you try to launch them.
• The safest option is Mac App Store and Identified Developers, which limits your new programs to App Store apps created by Apple identified developers. This means that the app has been submitted by a developer that registered with Apple and received a personalized digital certificate they can use to sign their apps cryptographically. Signed apps can be checked to see who developed them and if any modification has occurred since the developer submitted the app to the App Store.
• The riskiest option is Anywhere. Choose this option and you'll instantly see a strongly worded warning message. This option lets you install anything you want that isn't yet known to be malicious software.

Excerpted from OS X Mountain Lion: Peachpit Learning Series by Lynn Beighley

Create Your Own Font Collections

MAC TIPS

A Collection is a subset of the installed fonts. It's simply an easy way to look at fonts you like, instead of having to grope through a lengthy font list of typefaces you don't know or want. To make a new Collection, begin by opening Font Book in your Applications folder or in Launchpad. (If you don't see the Font Book window, choose Window > Font Book.) Then click the plus (+) sign at the bottom of the Collection pane and name your new Collection. Click the All Fonts collection (so you can access all fonts); then drag font names from the Font pane to the new Collection name. To disable (turn off) an entire Collection, select it in the Collection pane. Then choose Edit > Disable Collection Name.

Excerpted from Mac OS X Lion: Peachpit Learning Series by Robin Williams and John Tollett

Make the Spell Checker Behave

MAC TIPS

Options for the spell checker are found at the bottom of the Edit menu in Apple applications. You can also turn these features on or off as defaults in the preferences for the application. The menu option will override the default for that document. You'll have a more successful experience with the spell checker by controlling a few of the options:

• Stop automatic corrections while you're working. Under Edit > Spelling and Grammar, the Correct Spelling Automatically > While Typing setting is what makes the text correct itself as you type. If that behavior makes you crazy, uncheck the While Typing option.
• Ignore the spelling temporarily. If the spell checker keeps telling you the same word is misspelled, but you like the word spelled the way it is, click the Ignore button when that word is highlighted by the spell checker. The spell checker will ignore it for this document, but will correct you again in the next document.
• Teach your spell checker new words. Spell checkers typically don't recognize most people's names or jargon specific to different specialties. If you often use a particular word that the spell checker thinks is a mistake (because it's not in the dictionary that the spell checker is using), click the Learn button in the dialog box to add the word to the current dictionary. It will never bother you again. If you're not using the spell checker dialog at the moment, Control-click (or right-click) a word that the spell checker thinks is a mistake (it probably has little red dots under it). In the contextual menu that pops up, click the Learn Spelling option while the word is selected. The spell checker will add that word to its dictionary and not whine about it anymore. If the word is misspelled, spelling suggestions will appear at the top of the contextual menu.

Excerpted from OS X Mountain Lion: Peachpit Learning Series by Lynn Beighley
Picture thanks to toonlet.com/creator/dcannell (Peachpit MAC Tips)

At Least be in a Different Room

From Jan Fisher's Facebook Post

iCloud Tabs: Continue Your Online Reading on a Different Machine

MAC TIPS

"Since I use several devices throughout the day, I often begin to read something on one machine,and then want to continue later when I'm using another Mac or my iPhone or iPad. With my iCloud account, I can click the iCloud Tabs button to view which windows and tabs are open on any of my devices, and pick up right where I left off."

Excerpted from OS X Mountain Lion Pocket Guide by Jeff Carlson (Peachpit MAC Tips)