Tech Tools To Make Going Away And Coming Home Easier

Missing family, furry friends, favorite shows, and regular routines can take the fun out of frequent travel. Yet the wonderful feeling of returning home is often offset by a backlog of to-dos at the office.

Here's a list of economical technology ideas to help you feel closer to home while away and make the return to the office less painful.

1. Get A Webcam

   For around $50 you can add a basic webcam to your home computer and get priceless live communication with loved ones while you're on the road. Once you see the look of fascination on kids' faces when they see remote relatives appear on the screen, you'll know the dollars for your tiny laptop webcam were well spent.

2. Send The Little Ones To High-Tech Care

   Want to check on your children or pets from anywhere in the world? You're not alone. According to a 2003 Kennel of the Future survey conducted by Best Friends Pet Care, 50% of respondents "would like a video monitoring service that would allow them to look in on their pets via the Internet while they are away." Although it may take some research to find the right high-tech care providers, it's surely worth the peace of mind!

3. Bring Your Favorite Shows Along

   You can turn your laptop into a TV tuner/recorder with a card or a personal recorder for about $100, or extend your TiVo service to your laptop with the new TiVo-To-Go service. So there's no longer a reason to get out of touch with your favorite programs, even if your travel agenda includes evening entertainment.

4. Remote Control Your Home

   Wishing for a warm welcome home? For as little as $50 - $150 spent with technology providers such as X10 Wireless and Motorola, you can arrive home to bright lights, make your house look lived in while you're gone, and use your computer to create intelligent schedules for your favorite appliances. Services such as Xanboo also allow you to take control via the Web while you're on the road.

5. Take Digital Notes

   Does the thought of typing your notes and trip reports when you return to the office make you dread coming home? Logitech offers a digital pen that enables you to skip that step and get on to the rest of your to-do list. Take written notes with this digital pen and special paper, and hours of typing become a quick, simple question of where to cut and paste!

6. Manage All Your Messages From One Box

   Convergence can be a beautiful thing -- particularly if you have the freedom to choose your own tech solutions. There are several offerings on the market to let you check e-mail, voice, and fax messages in one box, so you can check and prioritize messages as they come in rather than waiting until you're back at your desk. Even better, universal call managers from major service providers let you schedule call forwarding and screen and block calls from wherever you are.