CyberAngel is a kind of LoJack for laptops. Try to use the computer without entering the right password, and CyberAngel will lock down the data. Better yet, if a thief plugs in your laptop's modem, CyberAngel will automatically call Computer Sentry for help. Using the same technology that makes possible caller ID service, the people at Computer Sentry can determine the laptop's location. Then they contact you, and you call the cops. CyberAngel sells for $25 plus a monitoring fee of $60 a year.

You'll still have to worry about laptop larceny. But in the long run, you just might catch a thief - and avoid a headache.

Coordinates: Dr Solomon's Software Inc., www.drsolomon.com; McAfee Associates Inc., http://www.mcafee.com; Computer Sentry Software Inc., http://www.sentryinc.com

Hiawatha Bray wathab@tiac.net is a columnist and technology reporter for the Boston Globe.

Action Item: Quick Relief!

Computer makers love to brag about their high-speed machines, but they must be dreaming. If computers are so fast, why do we spend so much time waiting? Waiting for the machine to boot up. Waiting for applications to launch. Waiting for storage drives to zip shut. Somebody, please, wake me when it's over!

If you too feel the need for speed, catch Hurricane 98, Helix Software's new utility for Windows. Hurricane 98 accelerates the boot-up time for Windows by as much as 40% and gooses the time it takes to launch applications by almost 200%. It also saves time by automatically downloading from the Internet and patching into your system the latest version of Hurricane software.

My favorite feature is the WinPack, which lets you compress applications instead of closing them. When you need to access the application, just click on the special icon that WinPack creates. The program pops up without making you wait for it to restart. And by compressing the program, WinPack frees up disk space so that you can use more memory. Hurricane handles both Windows 95 and Windows 3.x.
- Gina Imperato

Coordinates: $39. Helix Software Co., http://www.helixsoftware.com

Calling Nurse Stelter!

Attorney, librarian, neat freak. That's Sandy Stelter of Benicia, California. Stelter helps high-tech pack rats tidy up their computers - right down to the last kilobyte of storage space. She charges between $50 and $75 an hour for an office visit. For us, however, she's giving away three of her most valuable secrets.

Call for Backup

Don't even think about giving your computer a spring cleaning without first copying all the data on it. Backing up saves you from losing a file - and it forces you to swamp out your hard drive. The effort of deciding which files to back up, says Stelter, will yield dozens of items that belong in the trash.

Learn to Say Goodbye

Discard old files and programs that you no longer use. Don't delete only the obvious files. If you use fax-modem software, your hard drive is probably cluttered with old faxes, which suck up vast amounts of disk space. Also, cull through email - and don't limit yourself to the inbox. Stelter regularly trashes copies of old outgoing mail.

Fill the Manila

Most operating systems make it easy to sort data into file folders - though few people do it the right way. Stelter's advice: Create new folders for each major project - and folders within the folders for each task within a project. Then use a directory such as Windows Explorer to display a visual "tree" showing each stage of the work. "Put these folders on your desktop," she advises, "and you'll find them at a glance."

Coordinates: Sandy Stelter, prisma@community.net

Pack Your First Aid Kit!

Any place outside the United States can be a perilous destination for the high-tech traveler. Which is why Stephanie Kelly won't be out of a job any time soon. Kelly is a field sales manager for TeleAdapt, an international firm that specializes in telecom aids for the global warrior. The next time you pack your passport, check out Kelly's favorite gadgets before you plug in your laptop.

The Hole-in-the-Wall Gang

"There are 40 different phone sockets used worldwide," Kelly warns, "and your U.S. RJ-11 cable doesn't work with any of them.''

Before you climb onto the plane, pick up a batch of TeleDaptors - devices that connect your modem cable to overseas phone systems. Sixteen adapters that'll get you plugged in throughout Europe cost $195.

Good Morning, Mr. Phelps

You'll need the skill of a secret agent to use a modem in some Eastern European countries. For $105, TeleAdapt offers its Executive TeleKit, a set of gadgets that lets you dismantle a wall jack and clip directly onto the wires inside - just like a character out of "Mission: Impossible."