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Passengers allowed to use their cell phones while the plane is parked at the gate. A few international airlines--Delta and Northwest among them--are now allowing on board cell phone usage prior to departure. Besides making passengers happier, the new policy is also expediting boarding, since fewer people are lingering at pay phones until the very last minute. In Singapore, free cell phone rentals. Singapore Airlines is offering economy-class passengers holding a round-trip ticket free cell phones while in Singapore. Customers only pay normal airtime charges.

TRAVEL SAFETY

Intelligence database. Air Security International has added special custom features to its World Watch On-Line intelligence database for traveling executives. Clients can add emergency contact and medical information, travel requirements and hotel preferences. World Watch information includes country and city profiles, street maps indicating areas to exercise caution, tactics of local criminals, and law enforcement capabilities. For information: www.airsecurity.com.

Nervous about flying? There is a way to vet airlines based on their safety records. The U.S. Federal Aviation's web site (www.faa.gov) evaluates safety standards at international airports and lists those (among them: Pakistan and Bangladesh) that do not meet International Civil Aviation Organization standards. Aviation consultant Todd Curtis maintains www.airsafe.com, which lists the safety records of every international airline, categorized by name, region and type of aircraft. Industry journal Aviation Week reports on international airline incidents and mishaps and provides editors with lists to other safety-related Web sites; www.aviationweek.com.

NEW TECHNOLOGY

Palmtop alternative. Don't like palmtop computers but still want to transfer your notes from paper to PC? The CrossPad portable digital notepad is the size of a legal pad, and at 2.2 pounds and 3/4" thick, lighter and thinner than a laptop. With bundled software from IBM's Ink Manager series you can store all your notes, search by key word or date, convert some handwriting to text, and fax your files. For information: www.cross-pcg.com.

The "holy grail of unified messaging." Winner of the Best Accessory for the Mobile Office Award from Mobile Office Computing Magazine, JFAX provides a unified service for fax, voice and e-mail transmission. The service provides you with a private local number in 60 cities worldwide; the JFAX software then converts your phone messages and fax transmissions into data files, which are then redirected to your e-mailbox, waiting for when it's convenient to retrieve them from the Web. (Fax messages are submitted as text; voice messages are transmitted over your computer's speakers). For information: www.jfax.com.

Connect with your desktop PC while on the road. Business travelers who rely on daily access to their desktop and/or corporate intranet are often flummoxed by remote connections, which are typically slow or unavailable. One way around that is with Traveling Software's LapLink, which connects users to their desktop via modem, allowing them to transfer the files they need whenever they need them. It can be used to access E-mail, customer databases and other applications or data, and to transfer files between two remote sites. Once back in the office, you can keep your laptop and desktop in synch through infrared and parallel cable connectivity. For information: www.travsoft.com.

Never get lost driving again. Hertz has just began deploying its next-generation "NeverLost" in-car satellite navigation system in North America, with installation in France, Germany, the U.K. and Australia slated for early 2000. At the heart of the system is a Global Positioning System receiver, a computer map and database that directs travelers to their designated destination. The new units feature an expanded database, voice prompts in seven languages, and an Instant Locate Button that displays the vehicle's exact location on the electronic map. Cars equipped with NeverLost cost an additional $6.00 a day.

For worry free plugging in abroad. Road Warrior (www.warrior.com) has everything the globe-trotting business traveler could possibly need for telecommunications--acoustic couplers, hard drive upgrade kits, external hard drives, plugs, connectors, adapters, batteries, even a modem saver. You can also sign up for the free Road Warrior newsletter, which offers advice on everything from extending battery life to laptop packing tips, or reap the wisdom from several newsgroups on the vagaries of portable computing around the world.