Secret You Should Know About Honeymoon Planning

(MS) - It seems as though with the Internet and its many travel Web sites there would be no need to have an actual person book your travel. Surprisingly, however, more and more people are going back to using travel agents for at least some of their travel needs. According to a New York Times article, Forrester Research, a technology consulting firm, reports 9 percent fewer people booked travel online in 2007 than in 2005.

This is probably not news to brides and grooms embarking on their honeymoon planning, and who may find themselves turning to an experienced travel agent for the very first time in their lives. Most honeymoon couples are young enough to have incorporated the Internet into most aspects of their personal and professional lives, so why shouldn't they just book a honeymoon online themselves?

"Honeymoon couples have many reasons for using a travel agent to help plan and book their honeymoon, not the least of which is the time they can save and focus on other wedding details, instead. An experienced travel agent can help them plan the itinerary, book airfare, hotels and activities, saving them time and, frequently, money," according to Scott Ellingboe, CEO of The Honeymoon (www.thehoneymoon.com), an online honeymoon resource that has a honeymoon gift registry service, destination information, honeymoon packages, and a nationwide network of experienced travel agents.

While it's true that travel agents can save a couple the time they might otherwise spend on research and planning themselves, can they really save them money?

"If a honeymoon were simply a matter of booking an airline ticket from point A to point B, then using a travel agent is going to cost more," says Ellingboe. "But travel agents have relationships with tour and package providers that they can leverage in ways the average consumer cannot. Also, honeymoons can involve complex itineraries to various places throughout the world." This is why The Honeymoon has put together a network of honeymoon and destination specialists throughout the country. "These agents don't pay us to be there, we chose them because we wanted our honeymoon registry customers to have the most experienced and knowledgeable travel agents in the industry," offers Ellingboe. In fact, honeymoon and luxury travelers have never really stopped using travel agents for this very reason. Ten years ago the travel agent was going to be 'disintermediated,' a fancy word for 'put out of business.' But today agents are still a viable part of the travel industry.

What it really boils down to is this: there is so much information and so many travel options from which to choose that using a travel professional with the "been there, done that" experience can make the difference between a good trip and a "trip of a lifetime." Long live the travel agent!

CAPTION: Locate a local travel agent who can help you plan a honeymoon trip of a lifetime.

Keywords: honeymoon travel travel+agent brides grooms honeymoon+planning wedding technology

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Combat Computer-Induced Eye Strain

(MS) - In a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota, high school kids were found to have drastically increased the amount of time they spent using a computer each week. High school boys spent over 15 hours a week using a computer in 2004, up from nearly 10.5 hours a week in 1999. High school girls over the same period of time saw their usage increase from 8.8 hours per week to just over 11.

While this may or may not lend credence to the notion that Americans are becoming more sedentary, another problem could also be resulting from so much time being spent in front of a computer. Too much time spent staring at a computer screen could potentially be very damaging to a person's vision, regardless of the person's age. To combat eye strain that might result from hours looking at a monitor, consider the following tips.

· Keep your distance. Whether you use a desktop or laptop computer, maintain a distance of at least 20 inches between you and the monitor.

· The need for speed. A slower computer will force you to spend more time staring at the screen. A faster computer will save you time and do less damage on your vision.

· Keep the screen clean. A dirty computer screen can be akin to a dirty windshield on a car. With a dirty windshield, drivers are constantly straining to see the road in front of them. A dirty computer screen forces users to strain to see what they're trying to read. Keep your screen clean by giving it a daily dusting and cleaning any smudges or finger marks.

· Catch up with the times. Older monitors don't boast the resolution of LCD monitors that have lower emissions and provide greater focus across the entire monitor. Most new computers are available with LCD monitors that, when compared to the damage they might cause on your vision, are well worth the extra money.

· Sit up straight. Mom and Dad were right about the importance of maintaining good posture. Slouching or leaning forwards or backwards while sitting at a computer puts your eyes at a disadvantage, forcing them to strain to see the screen, even if you can't feel that strain. Sit up straight when using the computer and, if you use a laptop, don't keep the computer at an odd angle that makes it more difficult to see the screen.

· Adjust brightness and contrast. Try tokeep brightness and contrast levels as even as possible. Having a high brightness level and a low contrast level can prove harmful to your vision. Many computers have these levels set at the appropriate levels when you buy them, so you might not need to adjust anything on a new computer.

· Keep things light. Reading a computer screen in a dark room makes it more difficult for your eyes to focus on what you're reading. Keep any room in which you're using a computer well-lit and don't rely solely on the light coming from your computer, regardless of how bright it might seem.

CAPTION: Kids are spending more and more time using computers, making it even more important they take precautions to ensure their vision is not harmed by increased usage.

Keywords: eye strain computer screen combat eye strain kids vision

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Vehicle Technology Offers Safety, Convenience

(MS) - Drive a car, SUV or light truck today and you'll figure out that vehicles are no longer machines designed only to transport people from point A to point B. They're quickly evolving into business and entertainment hubs, offering many of the conveniences of home.

As personal entertainment technology grows by leaps and bounds, automotive companies are continually looking at new ways to modify the features of vehicles to interest the "techie" demographic. With this in mind, Ford Motor Company and Microsoft teamed up to produce the award-winning Ford SYNC® in-car connectivity system that is slated to be in every Ford, Lincoln and Mercury cars and trucks by the end of 2008.

In his keynote address at the 2008 International CES in Las Vegas, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates announced that Ford will expand SYNC to nearly all Ford, Lincoln and Mercury cars and trucks by the end of 2008. Gates also confirmed a new "911 Assist" feature that will help drivers connect with emergency assistance in the event of an air bag deployment.

Introduced in the fall of 2007, SYNC provides customers the convenience and flexibility to bring digital media players - Apple iPods, Microsoft Zunes and other MP3 players - and Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones into their vehicle and operate the devices via voice commands or with the buttons on the steering wheel or radio.

SYNC has been very popular. The new technology - which is exclusive to Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles - topped 30,000 unit sales in its first three months on the market. In fact, Ford says SYNC is on track to reach 1 million sales in early 2009.

In addition to the new 911 Assist feature, SYNC is being updated this year to create, on demand, easy-to-understand reports that owners can use to monitor the health of their vehicles. Plus, because it is a software solution, SYNC will be able to be updated as new innovations arise in this technology.

"From the start, we pursued an updatable software solution with SYNC, using the consumer electronics business as our model," said Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president of Global Product Development. "The ability to add functionality and update the system to work with new devices is what makes SYNC unique in the industry right now. It is a strategy that will benefit our customers over time by ensuring their systems do not become outdated."

Safety Standards

Research shows that safety continues to be a leading driver of purchase consideration. In the event of a serious accident with an air bag deployment, the ability to directly contact the local 911 emergency operator could be a critical need - for both vehicle occupants and the first responders. Beginning later this year, SYNC can help.

When a phone is properly paired, turned on and connected to SYNC - which is designed to happen every time the driver enters the vehicle with his or her cell phone - the system will be ready to assist in placing a call to a local 911 emergency operator should an air bag-deploying accident occur.

Before initiating the emergency 911 call, the system will provide a 10-second window to allow the driver or passenger to decide whether to cancel the call. If not manually cancelled within the 10-second window, SYNC will place the emergency call. A pre-recorded message will play when the call is answered, and occupants in the vehicle will then be able to communicate directly with the 911 operator.

"Being connected means being able to get the help you need, when you need it," Kuzak said. "With SYNC, and specifically with the 911 Assist feature, we will be providing our customers an extra layer of security and peace of mind."

Other Features

Apart from 911 safety features, the technology allows drivers to make calls, and listen to music conveniently from their vehicles. SYNC connects people and their favorite portable devices while in the vehicle, including media players and Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones.

To learn more about SYNC, visit your local Ford, Lincoln, Mercury dealership and speak to a salesperson, or visit http://www.ford.com/.

CAPTION: Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates during his keynote address to the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Lee Celano/Microsoft Corp.

Keywords: vehicle technology automotive bluetooth apple ipods microsoft zunes

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