Storing E-Mail Address Books

I use Microsoft Outlook Express for e-mail. Is there a Web site that will store my address book so I can use it from any system? I'm looking for a site similar to www .clickmarks.com, where I store my URLs.

The Web is crowded with contact-management programs, but none integrates well with Outlook Express. If you want access to your address book outside your main computer from anywhere, you'll have to export your data periodically—or switch e-mail programs. Try one of these free workarounds:

1. Set up a Web-based e-mail account at www.yahoo.com. From Outlook Express, use the File/Export menu to save your address data in comma-separated-value format. Import that data into Yahoo Mail, and use Yahoo as your e-mail client when you're on the road. You'll periodically need to update your Web address book with changes from the PC-based version.
2. If you're willing to switch to Outlook 2000, you can synchronize your address and appointment information with a free Web-based e-mail account at Excite (www.excite.com). From the Excite Inbox, go to the Planner module and install the TrueSync software. With this utility, you can click the Sync button to seamlessly exchange data between Outlook and Excite.
3. For an all-in-one Web site that can handle your address book in addition to your bookmarks, try Web Address Book (www.webaddressbook.com). You'll have to export your data from Outlook Express periodically, but you get a first-rate, Web-based e-mail program and a handy place to store your favorite links.

Tracking ADSL Speed

I've recently installed an asymmetric DSL line at home. Is there a network transfer rate "speedometer" that would allow me to monitor the line's speed? I can download files and time them, or I can use a modem speed test, but I'm looking for something that can run in the background constantly.

A $30 browser add-in from VitalSoft called Net.Medic may do the trick for you. (You can download a free trial version at www.ins.com/software/medic/index.asp.) Instead of measuring raw throughput, Net.Medic identifies network bottlenecks—in your PC, at your ISP, along an Internet backbone, or at a distant Web server—and offers suggestions to speed things up. Unfortunately, we can't recommend this utility wholeheartedly. Telecommunications giant Lucent gobbled up VitalSoft in 1997, and the software has languished ever since. If you use Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 (the default in Windows 98 Second Edition and Windows 2000), key Net.Medic features are disabled.

IE5 users who are looking for an online speedometer should check out the free Net Monitor utility from Kiss Software (www.kissco.com). Net Monitor provides a digital display of your current connection speed in addition to limited statistics about the Web site you're viewing. To optimize your connection, though, you will need to pay $25 for a copy of Modem Wizard.

Using CD-ROMs For On-Hold Music

How can I use my CD-ROM to play music for customers I have on hold? I've tried some products, but they play elevator music. I want to choose the music to be played by using my CD-ROM.

Elevator music is surprisingly popular in the background-music industry, for two good reasons: It's inoffensive, and it's royalty-free. Of course, if you want to play Led Zeppelin or Yani for your callers, that's your choice.

Instead of playing music directly from a CD-ROM, convert the tracks into MP3 files using WinAmp (www.winamp.com) or RealJukebox (www.real.com/jukebox), and then use HoldWare from On-Hold Plus to mix the tunes with your recorded "thank you for waiting" announcements. The software is available in Home Office, Small Office, and PBX Office editions. It ranges in price from $50 to $150. To download a free trial version, visit www.onholdplus.com.

Just be aware that if you play commercial tunes for your callers, you must pay royalties.

Cleaning House at the Office

My business is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Coincidentally, it's been about 10 years since my last spring cleaning. I'm drowning in paper, but I'm afraid to throw away any business records. Which documents should I keep, and which can I safely toss?

It's always best to err on the side of caution with anything that has the potential to be involved in a tax audit or lawsuit. Although the IRS usually initiates audits within three years of the filing year, the feds can come after any business for as long as seven years after the fact. If the government suspects fraud, the clock never stops ticking. To play it safe, follow these guidelines for how long to store typical business documents.

Permanently: Corporate documents such as articles of incorporation, legal correspondence, year-end financial statements, general ledgers, employee benefit plan documents, and tax returns and related documents.

Seven years: Bank statements, purchase orders, inventory records, canceled checks, expense reports, commission records, accounts payable/receivable ledgers, and employee personnel records.

Three years: Bank reconciliations and internal reports that contain financial data.

One year: Routine correspondence, notes, purchase orders, and employment applications.

When you finally discard these files, remember to shred the sensitive documents. Otherwise, anyone can rummage through your dumpster and collect confidential information about you, your business, and your customers.

If you store computer data, make sure to use a format that will be usable when you need it. For long-term storage, avoid magnetic media such as floppy disks. It's safer to store data on CD-recordable or CD-rewritable discs, which last longer.

And just because these files are electronic doesn't mean you can't shred them, too. Electronic file shredders, such as Shredder from Infra works (www.infraworks.com/products/shredder), will protect your privacy by overwriting files after you've sent them to the Recycle Bin.