 Today's workplace extends far beyond the traditional office. From the home office to cafés, bookstores to hotels, and airport terminals to interstate rest areas, you can stay connected to your work while you're on the go. Learn how you can stay connected while you're out of the office. On This PageAccessing E-mailNew ways to connect to the high-speed Internet have made it easier to access your work e-mail. For years, you've been able to check your Web-based Microsoft Hotmail or Yahoo! e-mail accounts from the Web. Recent improvements to the e-mail systems you may use at work—including Outlook 2003 and Outlook Web Access—can allow you to check your work e-mail, calendar, contacts, and tasks from any Internet connection, even if you're not connected to your corporate network. This can be very helpful when you're visiting somebody's house, in the airport, or working in another office. Learn more about accessing your e-mail with Outlook Web Access. Going Mobile with WirelessWireless connectivity is changing the way people access the Internet. Logging on to the Internet no longer means having to plug in a cable. Wireless access brings the Internet to places where people spend their time—which is not always at a desk. Many new computers and devices now come equipped with wireless capabilities. If you use an older computer or device that does not have a wireless capabilities built in, you may need a wireless network card and access to a network through a wireless router. Visit ZDNET
to read reviews of the network and wireless hardware you'll need to make your device "wireless-enabled." Finding a Hot SpotAt public wireless access points, or "hot spots," you'll discover both free and fee-based wireless access. For many small businesses such as independent cafés and bookstores, free wireless Internet access can help draw in new customers. For public places such as airports, university campuses, or public libraries, wireless can be a way to provide Internet access to a large number of people without having to maintain computers and Internet workstations. Popular businesses such as national coffee and bookseller chains may charge for the wireless Internet access—either for daily or monthly use. If you travel frequently, subscribing to a wireless Internet service at your favorite coffee chain may be a small price to pay for convenient connectivity. If you are calling a wireless café your office, see these tips to remember your road warrior café etiquette. The number of WiFi hot spot locations is growing fast. One of the best sources for locating hotspots is at the JIWIRE Web site. Search for both free and fee-based hotspots worldwide by address or type of location such as cafés, restaurants, or airports. Phoning the WebWith a Smartphone or Pocket PC Phone Edition, your entire mobile phone coverage area can be a wireless hot spot. If you spend a lot of time in transit—in cars, trains, or taxis where you can't plug into the Internet—a mobile phone connection to the wireless Web may be for you. Smartphones combine a traditional mobile phone with a personal digital assistant (PDA) that includes access to the Internet and Pocket Outlook for e-mail. Smartphones with Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 software can run in an "always-on" capacity so that you receive e-mails and instant messages just as you would phone calls.1 While Smartphones are small in size and incredibly convenient, others will prefer the Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC Phone Edition. With these devices, it may be easier to type e-mail messages and work with other files on a PDA than on the traditional phone keypad of the Smartphone. If the places you go don't have wireless Internet provider but you still want to access your work e-mail and messages, a Smartphone or PDA Phone may be right for you.1 Note Cellular voice and data plan required for Internet and phone access. Some features may vary due to carrier. See device manufacturer and mobile operator for details. 1 Cellular voice and data plan required for Internet and phone access. Some features may vary due to carrier. See device manufacturer and mobile operator for details. Beaming with BluetoothHelp in sharing files among all your devices can be found in yet another wireless form: Bluetooth. Many laptop computers and mobile devices—including some Windows Mobile-based Smartphones and Pocket PCs, come equipped with Bluetooth, a wireless specification that can help you connect mobile devices and enable them to share information. Let's say you receive a file on your PDA and you'd like to work with it on your laptop computer, but you don't have any Internet connection handy to send the file in e-mail. This is a perfect time to use Bluetooth. Just make sure the Bluetooth is turned on and set the devices close to one another, and the software will help you do the rest. Note Refer to your products user guide for complete instructions on how to use Bluetooth. If your company owns your laptop, check with your IT department to make sure Bluetooth is installed and enabled on your machine.
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