THE WORLD IN YOUR HAND

Tech-savvy travelers no longer need to cart heavy guidebooks around the globe, thanks to Lonely Planet’s CitySync, guides that can be downloaded onto hand-held devices. The digital versions have the same cheeky information about attractions, hotels, shops and restaurants as the Lonely Planet books, plus search and sort capabilities, maps and room to write notes in the “margins.” Another advantage over books: free updates. Choose from Bangkok, Boston, Chicago, Edinburgh, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York City, Paris, San Francisco and Sydney, with six more due out by the end of the year.

CitySync guides, $19.99 for one city, $49.99 for a CD with as many as five cities, https://www.citysync.com. (Mac and Windows compatible.)