In the upper right corner of any finder window there is a little pill shaped button.  Hold down the Apple key + the Option key while you click that button.  A new window opens containing a selection of icons, any of which you can drag and drop to the tool bar.  In the sample above, I had added vertical separator lines between my folders and other frequently used items.  While you have the icons window open you can also choose to have text added to the icons in your tool bar of turn that option off.  When you are finished click on done.

Finding Your Buddy List

Have you started using iChat yet?  If you haven't and you have friends or family who are frequently on their computers, it is a totally cool way to communicate. 

One of my children works in an environment where personal phone calls are not possible.  She works on a computer all day and iChat is allowed, so we can carry on short conversations as needed.  Another of my children has a very busy schedule.  I can send him an iChat message (something to the effect of "hello son, remember me?") and what do you know, I get a phone call.  Works every time. 

Seriously, I can leave him a message no matter what time of day it is and he will either immediately come back for a conversation or get back with me later. 

My iChat tip is this:  I discovered that if I had a conversation going on with one person I couldn't figure out how to get my Buddy List open to start a second conversation with someone else.  I finally resorted to asking a friend from Apple and as it turns out the answer is quite simple.  Hold down the Apple key + the 1 key (that is the number one) and it will pull the Buddy List up for you.

The Secret Dock Modifier

This next tip I discovered by accident and it was so unexpected and startled me so much that I thought I had messed something up.  It has to do with the Dock and the vertical separator line on the right side of the Dock that divides the icons that are always there from open documents, the trash can, etc.  If you place your cursor right on that vertical line the cursor changes shape.  It looks somewhat like a division symbol.  If, while you have your cursor right on the vertical line and you hold down the control key a window will pop up that will let you adjust the Dock Preferences, change the position of the Dock, adjust magnification, and turn hiding on or off.

Recently I wrote a column about getting a computer ready to pass on to a new user.  Part of that discussion was about making sure that your personal stuff was really deleted.  Following that column a reader wrote me about Secure Empty Trash.  He said that using this feature could even protect your stuff from 8th graders. 

It is not really a secret.  It is listed in plain sight under the Finder menu in any Finder window.  Apparently this works because it deletes your file and then writes over the drive space. Do note, however, that because it is writing over your file, it takes considerably longer to Secure Delete your files.

Secure Empty Trash Window

How Do Mac Users Recycle?

At Mac World San Francisco there was a protest group complaining that Apple Computer wasn't doing enough to recycle used computer components, and comparing the company to what Dell Computer is doing.  Since Dell is located in Austin, TX, where I live, there was some local interest by the newspaper and I was contacted for a quote. 

It is my personal opinion that Apple does a lot toward recycling and a lot of what Dell claims to be "free recycling" is smoke and mirrors.  It is only free is you buy another Dell. 

Anyhow, I got a call about this and my initial response was that to most Mac users recycling our computers means handing them off to someone else because they last for years and hardly ever break down.  To my surprise they actually used my words.  Maybe it has something to do with the fact that they use Mac's in the newsroom.