Apple has released a trio of similar updates for the following mid-2010 models: Mac mini EFI Firmware Update 1.5, MacBook EFI Firmware Update 2.1, and MacBook Pro (13-inch) EFI Firmware Update 2.5. Each of these updates enables Lion Recovery from an Internet connection (and all of them require Mac OS X 10.7.2 or later). Additionally, the Mac mini EFI Firmware Update 1.5 fixes an issue with the setting for restart after a power failure. As with any firmware update, you should read the installation instructions carefully before installing. To ensure you get an update only if it’s necessary, we recommend relying on Software Update; if an update doesn’t appear for you, it’s not appropriate for your Mac. (Free, 3.1 MB)
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Smarter Parental Controls
If you've been using the parental controls options in Mac OS X to lock your child out of using a particular computer late at night, but would like to employ a more clever technique to limit Internet access, turn to MAC address filtering on an Apple base station.
To do this, launch AirPort Utility, select your base station, and click Manual Setup. In the Access Control view, choose Time Access to turn on MAC filtering. You'll need to enter the MAC address of the particular computer, which (in 10.5 Leopard and 10.6 Snow Leopard) you can find in the Network System Preferences pane: click AirPort in the adapter list, and click Advanced. The AirPort ID is the MAC address.
Written by
Tonya Engst
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