Business travelers who need to remain connected face special challenges outside their home country, especially those who work out of their hotel rooms. Electricity varies by voltage, cycles, and electric-plug shape. Likewise, telephone jacks may vary from country to country and, for the most part, American cell phones work only in America.
If you find yourself on an overseas assignment, how will you keep your laptop computer charged? How will you access the Internet? Can you free yourself from expensive hotel telephone surcharges?
Pick a country to “visit” (your professor may assign one instead), and report on specific solutions to each question. Be sure to include the manufacturer and model number of any hardware you may require. Cite all your sources.
a. What do you need to bring with you to keep your laptop computer charged?
b. What do you need to bring with you to connect your laptop’s modem to the local telephone network?
c. What will you use in place of your handy cell phone?
d. Use a collaboration-enabled system such as Blackboard, Web CT, Dreamweaver, or Front Page to merge, organize, and publish your results with the rest of your class to create an online resource.