High-tech remedies reduce vacation stress
| • | Q&A: Set default to play CDs automatically |
By Kim Komando
One of the worst parts of an air-travel vacation is getting there.
You can bypass many lines at the airport and speed things up at the car-rental agency with a few strokes on your keyboard.
Buy electronic plane tickets. It saves you money — most airlines charge as much as $20 more for a paper ticket. You'll also have more options for checking in.
An e-ticket will often allow the holder to bypass the ticket counter to check in. It's faster to use a kiosk — some airlines provide these next to the ticket counters. Simply insert your credit card (for identification), and the kiosk will print your boarding pass. Depending on the airline, you can immediately drop off your bags as well. You can't do this with a paper ticket.
If you are taking a short trip and only have carry-on luggage, you'll save even more time by printing your boarding pass at home. You'll be able to go straight to the departing gate.
Book your car online. Most national agencies allow you to fill out your contract online. When you show up for your car, present your credit card and sign the contract.
If you're delayed at the airport or stuck with a really bad in-flight movie, you'll need a little entertainment. It's the same for long drives. Portable DVD players and MP3 players are the perfect solution.
Yo u can find a decent portable DVD player for about $200. You'll get a five-inch screen, which is fine for one-person viewing. For $350 or more, you can get an eight- or nine-inch screen. This is enough for two people to watch without knocking heads. Make sure the player has more than one headphone jack.
Listening to music is a great way to pass the time. If you need a lot of storage space, the iPod mini (www.apple.com) works well. It retails for $249 and stores about 1,000 songs. If you need versatility, the iRiver iFP-790 (www.iriveramerica.com) retails for $180. It will play about eight hours of music and doubles as a voice recorder.
Even though you are going on vacation to get away from it all, going without e-mail is virtually impossible. It's also counterproductive; five days of not checking e-mail will leave you with tons of spam.
The best way to access the Internet with your laptop is through Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity). Many hotel chains allow their guests to access this fast connection for free. The Wi-Fi Freespot Directory (www.wififreespot.com/hotels.html) has a list. If you don't have Wi-Fi built in to your laptop, you can purchase a wireless card for about $50.
It's also a good idea to sign up for a free trial of a nationwide dial-up service, such as AOL or MSN, before you leave home. This is handy if your hotel doesn't have Wi-Fi. Just be sure to cancel when you get back.
Summer vacations are supposed to be relaxing. Often they're hectic and stressful. But technology can help reduce stress and keep the kids happy.
With reporting by Ted Rybka.
Kim Komando hosts a radio show about computers and the Internet. See www.komando.com/findkimonair.asp for station listings.
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Q&A: Set default to play CDs automatically
Q. When I put a music CD in my Windows XP system, it always asks me what it should do. How can I make the computer simply play the music?
A. Click Start, My Computer. Right-click the CD or DVD drive and click Properties. Select the AutoPlay tab and click "Select an action to perform." Select Windows Media Player (or another player, if you prefer). Click Apply, OK.
Q. I would like to post items in newsgroups. Is there a free "newsreader" program that works with Internet Explorer?
A. Probably the best known is Free Agent by Forte (www.forteinc.com). It's part of Agent 2.0, which costs $29 after a 30-day trial. If you choose not to pay, it reverts to the Free Agent. You can also use Outlook Express, which comes with Internet Explorer 6.0.
Q. I am afraid that my 15-year-old son is into online pornography. Is there a way to find out what he has been doing?
A. Keylogger programs will tell you everything he does on the computer. Try Guardian Monitor ($40) at www.guardiansoftware.com or PC Tattletale ($40) at www.pctattletale.com.
