Something new for the globe trotting types:

Early next month, a small company called Cubic Telecom will release what it’s calling the first global mobile phone.

A Cellphone Without Borders - New York Times

You don't have to get Vista just yet. Microsoft gives its users an OS reprieve.
PC World - Microsoft To Extend XP Sales For Five Months

This article lists briefly several options for getting online with a desktop PC.
Simple Wireless Upgrades - Expert Help by PC Magazine

Groan…

The New York subway system, that bastion of gentility and mutual respect, is about to get a cell-service upgrade, allowing people to talk n' text in all 277 underground stations.

Cellphones: NYC Subway Stations Will Get (More) Cell Service - Gizmodo

From Wired:

Just like going to the video store without your movie list, visiting the internet without your bookmarks can lead to endless Google side trips and a possible stop at eBay. Wired's How To Wiki delivers a guide to making your bookmarks portable and keeping them in sync anywhere you go.

Manage Your Bookmarks / Wired How To's

What you always wanted….

According to the Hindustan Times, Google plans to release an offline version of Gmail.

Offline version of Gmail in the works? | Tech news blog - CNET News.com

Check it out! Techdirt presents a brief article about three new competing Office suites, two of which (Google Docs and IBM Lotus Symphony) are free! If you are frustrated with Microsoft, give these newcomers a chance. Do a little reading first, however, these packages may not have everything you need or something you don't want. It's always worth a look.

Techdirt: Microsoft's Tough Night: Google And IBM Both Launch Free Office Products

Faithful readers, this week Help with a Smile welcomes a new writer joining the tech-blog for Non-Geeks… Rosannafe!

So you have a fast computer, but it is still slow? You see a ton of icons near your clock yet you didn't put them there! You may have a great deal of programs starting up when you load Windows. How do you control them? With a handy free program called Startup Control Panel (CPL). This program is not for novices as you are removing/disabling programs in your startup folder. Great examples of programs to remove: quicktime, messenger, adobe quick start etc. If you are unsure if you need the program to load at start up, try to disable it first. Remember, you are not removing the program completely, but stopping it from starting up when your PC starts. You could see a dramatic improvement in start-up time and general performance!

Startup Control Panel

Below is a link to an insightful and very thorough article from Wired, explaining what goes into writing effective emails:

And for god’s sake, have a subject line. One that makes sense. Some of the most important emails I’ve received didn’t have a subject, and they almost fell through as a result. Don’t waste that space with words like “Important” or “Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:”. If the topic changes, change the subject line to match it. Remember that on recipients’ screens, your subject competes with a large number of others for their attention.

Write a perfect email / Wired How To's