I've been on the road so long that I recall being labeled a "high-tech business traveler" because I owned a dual-time-zone watch and a carried a phone card rather than a pocketful of coins to feed a public phone.

To say that the tools of business travel have come a long, long way in the last 30 years is an insane understatement. In fact, now we suffer from high-tech overload. There's a temptation to adopt every new gadget or software gimmick, stuff it in our carry-on bag, and take it one the road—just in case.

Worst of all, high technology has robbed us of control of our own schedules. Back in the day, the only way our offices could reach us was when we chose to call in from our hotel room or a pay phone. We were able to go about our business on the road while someone else worried about what was going on back in the office. But with email, texting, cell phones, BlackBerries, and iPhones, it's never acceptable to be out of touch. So we end up having to balance the work we're doing on the road and all the minutiae back in the office. Even for experienced multitaskers, that's a lot to manage while battling airline delays, snarky hotel clerks, and the occasional crazed cabbie.

Yet retreat is impossible. We're all high-tech travelers now, and we might as well make peace with the cornucopia of options in front of us. And if the following choices seems sparse—almost a Luddite's list—remember that it's not the amount of stuff you use, it's the time you save using what you choose to carry.

One Great Flight Tracker

Whether you prefer the online or the mobile version, FlightStats is the killer app for keeping track of flights and delays. It's easy and intuitive to use and offers the best array of useful historical data.

One Great Computer Manager

To keep abreast of what's stored where on my various computers—home and office machines, laptop and netbook—I rely on LogMeIn. I think it's the best of commercial services that offer Web-based remote computer access, support, and management. There are several versions at several price points, and each offers plenty of flexibility. The free version suits my needs just fine, but your mileage may vary.

One Great VOIP System

Voice calls over the Internet (VOIP) are, needless to say, a remarkable innovation. And for those of us who travel internationally, it obliterates the high cost of calling, either from traditional landlines or from mobile phones. Skype works just fine for me, and there's a version for any laptop or netbook and most cell phones. There's an iPhone app too. Unfortunately, Skype for WiFi-enabled BlackBerry devices has yet to materialize, although a third-party bit of software called iSkoot is available. And if you've graduated to using Internet-based videoconferencing, a service called ooVoo allows as many as to six participants per session for a reasonable monthly fee ($17.95).

One Great WiFi Roaming Service

The world is full of WiFi hotspots, but most of them are behind a confusing array of high-priced firewalls. Boingo vaults you over most of those walls at a fair price: $9.95 a month for unlimited access in North America or $59 a month for unlimited global access. More than 125,000 hotspots accept Boingo, including the WiFi systems at more than 500 airports and 20,000 hotels.