SKYPE
There are now about 60 million users of Skype, the free global phone service that utilizes computer to computer (peer to peer) Internet connections. That's a lot of people who are bypassing the traditional phone companies -- and doing it for free.

For a small fee you can also get a traditional phone number that people without the Skype software on their computers can use to call you. This is an "add-on" that most Skype users don't have.

We once had a missionary doing a brief PowerPoint presentation during our Sunday morning worship. He hadn't realized that the church building is a hotspot and that his laptop was connected to the Internet during the service. In the middle of his presentation the Skype box announcing an incoming call started flashing across the screen. It was humorous but it illustrated what the budget-minded world traveler is currently using to keep in touch.