Teacher Librarian Mentions RESCUECOM in Article on Traveling with Technology

Airline rules continue to change regarding carry-on toiletries as well as carry-on laptop computers. Some airlines banned the batteries of certain laptops because of the risk that they might explode midair. As of this writing, rules for each were easing.

But other perils threaten those who travel with electronics. One company that offers rescue services to travelers whose laptop or PDA conks out is Rescuecom, at www.rescuecom.com. The company offers general technology tips to make your trip successful. "Traveling can be stressful, and technology should make your trips easier, not add to that stress," said David A. Milman, founder and CEO.

To help ensure a smooth and relatively stress-free travel, Rescuecom suggests taking the following steps.

Check the airline's rules. Airlines such as Virgin Atlantic, Qantas, and Korean Air banned certain Dell and Apple laptop batteries on their flights because of concerns about overheating and potential explosions.

Load up. Do not get caught without a needed program. If yours is a company computer, make sure you have all of the programs that you need, installed and working properly.

Power up. Fully charge your laptop before traveling. Bring all of your chargers and adapters, not only for your laptop but also for your handheld, cell phone, and other electronics that you may be packing. It can be smart to have spare batteries, and make sure you charge and pack them as well.

Look for outlets. Save your battery power for when you need it. Some airplanes provide electrical outlets accessible with an adapter. The same applies for some hotel lounges and coffee shops.

Check with your hotel. More and more provide high-speed or Wi-Fi Internet access, but not all do. Visit your hotel's web site or call to confirm.

Check with your wireless phone/PDA provider. You want to make sure that you will have voice and data access along your route. Several cellular phone providers, for instance, have come out with internationally compatible cell phones in recent years-most using the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) standard-but many phones work in only the United States, so you may have to rent a phone if you are traveling abroad.

Protect your data. In case of theft, encrypting and password-protecting your sensitive files will ensure that your data are safe. Do not conduct confidential business over a Wi-Fi connection in the airport or at your hotel, which may not be secure. One option for conducting important business through e-mail while on the road is to have your IT department or computer support consultant set up a virtual private network.

Consider a USB "thumb drive."These handy little drives, about the size of your thumb, are becoming more and more popular for storing and transporting presentations and other important files. If you will have a laptop waiting for you at your destination, you can save space by traveling without one. Make sure that you also encrypt and password-protect sensitive data stored there.

Respect others. Using noise-reducing headphones when tweaking a presentation or watching a movie in flight will prevent you from disturbing others.

Have fun. Movies, games, and audio books can make a long flight or unexpected layover less stressful.

If your laptop or Blackberry does act up while on the road, you can try to sleuth the problem yourself, call on a tech-sawy colleague, access your company's IT department remotely, or see if the hotel you are staying at has an IT person who can help.

Another option is to use a computer repair company such as Rescuecom. Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Syracuse, NY, it has 95 franchises around the country. Those franchises are concentrated on the East Coast and in California, but it also has a fair number in the Midwest and Texas and a sprinkling in larger cities elsewhere.

The company provides 24/7 emergency on-site service, which you can access (with a contract or without) by phoning (703) 986-3233. The company's main selling proposition is its fast response time: If you request and pay for it, Rescuecom will guarantee a response within 1 hour.

A further option is to use an online repair service. PlumChoice Online PC Services, at www.plumchoice.com, can solve computer problems remotely by viewing your computer screen through the Internet and controlling your keyboard and mouse while you watch. Of course, to take advantage of it, your computer and Internet connection cannot be completely trashed.

If you are working on a critical presentation and you experience a computer glitch late at night, solving it quickly can mean the difference between a successful trip and a washout.

Fully charge your laptop before traveling. Bring all of your chargers and adapters, not only for your laptop but also for your handheld, cell phone, and other electronics that you may be packing,

Other perils threaten those who travel with electronics. One company that offers rescue services to travelers whose laptop or PDA conks out is Rescuecom, at www.rescuecom.com. The company offers general technology tips to make your trip successful. "Traveling can be stressful, and technology should make your trips easier, not add to that stress," said David A. Milman, founder and CEO.

Power up. Fully charge your laptop before traveling. Bring all of your chargers and adapters, not only for your laptop but also for your handheld, cell phone, and other electronics that you may be packing. It can be smart to have spare batteries, and make sure you charge and pack them as well.

Consider a USB "thumb drive."These handy little drives, about the size of your thumb, are becoming more and more popular for storing and transporting presentations and other important files. If you will have a laptop waiting for you at your destination, you can save space by traveling without one. Make sure that you also encrypt and password-protect sensitive data stored there.Airlines such as Virgin Atlantic, Qantas, and Korean Air banned certain Dell and Apple laptop batteries on their flights because of concerns about overheating and potential explosions. Several cellular phone providers, for instance, have come out with internationally compatible cell phones in recent years-most using the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) standard-but many phones work in only the United States, so you may have to rent a phone if you are traveling abroad.