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A few tips to help you stay in touch, electronically. For domestic travel, find out whether your ISP has a local number for your destination(s). Many offer 800-number service, but at an hourly premium price. Check with your ISP to see if you’ll need to make any changes (not likely) to your computer setup. Remember that DSL and other broadband services are NOT portable—you’ll be relying mostly on dial-up connections. Many larger hotels offer high-speed connections using their computers and/or networks, with the disadvantage that your email and address book are on YOUR computer (print out your address book ahead of time). Call ahead to see what they offer and what additional equipment you may have to bring with you. You might consider setting up a free web-based email address, such as those offered by Yahoo, Hotmail, mailandnews.com etc., and have your regular e-mail temporarily forwarded to your webmail, thus allowing you to send/receive on any computer with Internet access. Also, carry a printout of your ISP’s tech support number. Many hotels now provide in-room Internet connections, but check first if the connection is analog or digital (digital lines can damage analog modems, such as in most laptops). And remember, calling even local numbers from your hotel room can be mighty expensive, and some hotels even charge for 800 numbers! International travel is another animal altogether. Some tips: Be aware of power differences (voltage and frequency) and plug configurations. Many portable power adapters will handle the differences, but the plug will likely not fit. Check with your computer’s manufacturer to be sure it’s safe. Many ISPs have overseas access numbers, but the cost can get quite high. Consider leaving the computer at home and using many of the cybercafes (check locations at http://cybercaptive.com). A final note in general, but especially overseas: Be careful (as in best to avoid) using other computers to access your sensitive data, such as financial information or making credit card purchases.

Here’s a breakdown of the three primary Internet suffixes: 10% are .org, 15% .net, and 75% are .com. Yes, some new suffixes are available now (.cc, .tv, and .ws) and others are coming soon (some registrars are taking reservations).

Who will win the IM wars? A recent survey reported that 52% of consumers and 51% of businesses use AOL, while 36% of consumers and 40% of businesses use Microsoft instant messaging. But just like those free or practically free return address labels, the company making the offer is far more interested in your address (for future mass mailing) than in giving you those stickers. So it is with IM. Whichever company you eventually end up with will also likely be the one with your credit card data stored to facilitate on-line purchases, serve as your on-line broker, etc., and thus have a gold mine of information about your buying habits in their database (for their use or to sell to others). Choose carefully.