The importance of personal safety was pushed to the limit with recent Gulf Coast disasters. Losing your data won't be the first thing on your mind if you experience a risk to your business, but how much would it hurt your business? In addition to nightly on-site backups, remote backup services, such as connected.com, @backup, and xdrive offer automated online backups for a small monthly fee. In a disaster affecting your office or your city, your data could be accessible from any web browser in the world.

I've posted a list of personal and financial security measures you can take, using your computer to store copies of important documents, and making a CD or USB back-up to keep in a safe place. Access the article at www.cclarity.com/staysafe.pdf

Fine-tune your priorities by using all the features of Act. You can set reminders, reschedule tasks, add details to each meeting or phone call, arrange a follow-up with just a click, and sort your activities by priority. Go ahead, print a task list, and see what you can get done by 5:00.

Act! 2006 is now available. After Act was sold to Sage Software, they re-wrote it, using a query language that really s-l-o-w-e-d it down! So the 2005 version was a painful upgrade, and they brought out the 2006 version to speed things up.

I still don't recommend upgrading if your current Act program is working well, because the product Sage created is so slow. But new users, who aren't comparing it to the product we used to know and love, can jump in and get productive.

It's still the best product on the market for managing contacts, relationships, activities and tracking history of events.

When Microsoft Vista launches in mid-2006, what will we see behind the pretty face? We'll mostly see more security features in response to the exploited vulnerabilities in Windows XP. I got a chuckle out of a Microsoft quote in Newsweek saying: "We really tried to bring clarity to the world so you can focus on what matters to you," according to Microsoft group product manager Greg Sullivan. We can hope anyway!

It looks like they will add 'clarity' by launching SEVEN different versions: low-end editions called Starter Edition and Home Basic Edition, that won't include all the bells and whistles. There's also a Home Premium Edition and an Ultimate Edition. Sullivan says there will be three different business editions of the operating system: Professional, Small Business, Enterprise and Ultimate). Right, that will be simple!

1. Clean another thousand temp files.

2. Reply to twenty email messages lingering in your Inbox.

3. Learn ten words in Italian (www.learn-to-speaker.com/Italian/default.htm) or French at http://www.france-pub.com/french/

4. Research next year's vacation. Make it a big one.

5. Start your holiday shopping - sites from eddiebauer.com to levengers.com and redenvelope.com are waiting for you and your credit card.

6. Buy stamps from the Post Office or print mailing labels for packages at www.usps.gov.

7. Still married to Google? Try clusty.com for clustered, organized results.

8. Update your web site.

9. Take out the trash.

10. And, yes, backup your data, again.

Did you know you can access your public library from your home computer?

Use your library card number to log in and search dozens of online databases, including Morningstar, Physician's Desk Reference, and the full text of newspapers, magazines and periodicals. Your library pays thousands of dollars a year for subscriptions to databases and public records for your community and the nation.

Log on or ask a Librarian for help.

If you or a friend needs help understanding the new Medicare prescription benefit, read about it at Illinois Benefits.org, sponsored by the Illinois Dept. on Aging or follow this link to the Medicare Rights Center.

My blog is updated regularly and available free at http://www.cclarity.blogspot.com.

This month I have an example of a phishing scam.

A previous column discussed Flat Panel Monitors: Prices continue to drop for those sleek, space saving flat-panel monitors, but don't skimp on features when you're shopping. It's exciting to see a 15 or 17 inch LCD monitor under $200 but be sure the height and size are appropriate for you. Only the higher priced models have an adjustable slider to control the height. If you can't try it out by sitting at a desk with the monitor you're buying, make sure you get one you can tilt or adjust.

The top of a monitor should usually be about even with your eyebrows, so your head, neck and shoulders aren't strained. CNet has done the work for you, with an exhaustive review of the best flat-panel screens, fully adjustable no matter what your preference.

Read the CNet research as http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-3000_7-5554722-1.html? tag=nl.e404

Visit my blog when you don't know where to turn! You have to register (for free) if you want to leave a message on the blog or ask a question. Otherwise, as always, feel free to email me directly.

Invite a friend or colleague to subscribe to Clarity Connections, by clicking the blue "Get our Newsletter" button at www.cclarity.com.

Next month, I'll have big news about "Computer Ease," my new book. It's at the publisher and I can't wait for you to read it.

Cheers, Helen Gallagher Phone: 847-998-6240