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By wire services
Published June 19, 2005

A PLEASANT SURPRISE from a friend or loved one is a delight, but a surprise at work usually means bad news. Spring one too many surprises on bosses or co-workers, and your career can careen into a tailspin, warns Annie Stevens of Boston executive coaching and outplacement company ClearRock. Problems to be avoided include overpromising, missing deadlines, cost overruns, failing to explain to a new employee the true nature of the position, and not telling employees when someone new is hired.

THE INTERNET HAS DIVIDED American society into two camps, Technology Review says. There are those who thrive on free copying of everything on the Internet, and others who profit from copyrights. "These are probably unstoppable trends," the magazine says in an edition devoted to intellectual property issues.

IS YOUR BUSINESS one a mother could love? A new book says it should be. The book says about 75 percent of America's 108-million women have children and control more than half the buying decisions in the economy. The Mom Factor: What Really Drives Where We Shop, Eat and Play, by California consultant Nora Lee, gives stores, restaurants and other family venues a checklist to lure and please mothers. It advises paying attention to health and safety, and offering value, fun and attentive service.

COLLEGE STUDENTS may be wising up about credit card use. The average outstanding balance on undergraduate credit cards fell last year to the lowest level since 1998, according to a study released by Nellie Mae, a leading originator of student loans and a leader in helping students understand the responsibilities of borrowing. Still, students' outstanding balances averaged $2,169, the study showed. "Undergraduate students and credit cards remain a dangerous combination," said Marie O'Malley, vice president of marketing for Nellie Mae.

FORGET PAYING for long-distance calls. You can make free computer-to-computer calls anywhere in the world by downloading free software from one of several Internet telephony services that offer it, Kiplinger's Personal Finance reports. The magazine says Skype at www.skype.com is the most user friendly. Simply download its software, choose a name and a password. To make a call, highlight a name from your contact list and click on a phone-receiver icon. Kiplinger's said Skype calls often sound better than phone-to-phone calls.

Compiled from Times wires and Web sites.

[Last modified June 17, 2005, 22:51:02]