Laptops in Space

The astronauts use two networks of IBM ThinkPads, equipped with Microsoft Corp.'s Windows 98 operating system. One network is used for e-mail and word processing, such as writing reports. The other network is designed for the heavy lifting, such as command and control functions.

The crew can even use the laptops to analyze the station's performance. A PC card, designed for the laptops by Rick Alena, a computer engineer based at NASA's Ames Research Center near Mountain View, Calif., allows the crew to gather data on the space station and troubleshoot complications.

"The laptops collect extra data and help the crew isolate and resolve problems," Alena says. Using their laptops, astronauts were able test the space station's new gyroscopes-which keep it on course-to determine whether they had survived the trip from Earth. "The laptops determined that the gyroscopes had been delivered in shipshape condition," Alena says. NASA will soon equip the orbiter with the next generation of laptops. The space agency is considering whether to equip the crew with handheld computers that would fit nicely inside a spacesuit.

SURFING GEAR

With the Google Toolbar (toolbar.google.com), searching the Web has never been easier. The free plug-in lets Web surfers conduct a Google search from any site on the World Wide Web. Installing the toolbar is simple and takes less than a minute. The toolbar takes its permanent place under Internet Explorer 5.0's address bar.

The toolbar provides a space for typing in search queries, thereby eliminating visits to the Google home page. It also enables surfers to search for terms on specific Web sites. Using the highlighter feature, surfers can scan and flag their search terms to quickly determine a site's usefulness.

But beware: the Toolbar comes in two flavors. The first fuels Google's PageRank technology by transmitting data about the sites you visit back to Google. PageRank is Google's way of helping surfers determine a Web site's quality and credibility. If you do not want Page Rank, install the second flavor, "without advanced features."

WEBWATCH

The Web site for The Negotiation Skills Co., -www.negotiationskills.com- offers advice about negotiating everything from promotions and pay increases to cultural diversity and settling disputes. Much of the site's advice is free. Users can write in and ask how they should handle difficult or unexpected workplace situations.