Walt Mossberg

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Security at Home and on Your Mac

Q:

Could you tell me if there is a security camera that we could set up at our farm and watch the images remotely on our laptop at home?

A:

Yes, there are a number of such products. One that I have seen successfully demonstrated is called Logitech Alert. More information is at: http://bit.ly/czDY4J.

Q:

I just got a Windows 7 laptop. I’ve always used Outlook and like it. Now it appears that you have to pay for it, which I never have. What should I get instead?

A:

Outlook isn’t a free feature of Windows. It is a paid product, sold either alone or as part of Microsoft Office, though sometimes it’s packaged into the price of a laptop. However, if you want a free email program, you might try Microsoft’s Windows Live Mail, a part of a package called Windows Live Essentials. It’s available at explore.live.com. Or, if you’re comfortable using a free Web-based email program, you could try Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, or Gmail.

Q:

Do you have any recommendations about how to keep data secure in the event that a Macintosh laptop is stolen or lost? We prefer to keep the data on the computer and not in the cloud.

A:

The Macintosh has a built-in feature called FileVault, which encrypts everything in your Home folder so that only somebody who knows the password can view it. You can set up FileVault in the Security section of System Preferences. For more information, see: http://bit.ly/1DxPc0.

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