The Wall Street Journal Print Version Review of Crossloop Sept 25 2008
1. CYANMAGENTAYELLOWBLACK
CMY K
Composite
Composite
P2JW269031-4-D00100-1--------XA
****
AZ,CX,EE,MW,NE,NY,SC,SW,WE
5914134
09/25/2008
P2JW269031-4-D00100-1--------XA
P2JW269031-4-D00100-1--------XA
T
rying to help a less-knowledgeable
friend or family member solve computer
problems can be very frustrating—espe-
cially if you can’t sit with him or her in front of
the PC. It can be slow and awkward merely ex-
plaining the steps you’d like the other person to
perform to diagnose and solve the problem.
The best approach is to control the distant
computer remotely—with the owner’s consent—
during the problem-solving session. That way,
you can directly manipulate the machine while
explaining what you’re doing over the phone.
There are a variety of services and software
that allow such remote control. Tools for doing
so are even preinstalled in obscure corners of
the Windows and Macintosh operating systems.
But many are too complicated for average users—
even those with enough knowl-
edge to help solve common prob-
lems. Others cost money, or re-
quire you to establish an ac-
count with a service, or are
aimed mainly at folks seeking
unattended access to their own
remote computers.
This week, I tested a remote-
control product designed specifi-
cally for collaborative help ses-
sions solicited by the person seeking help. It is
free, simple and can be used without setting up
an account. And it also has an added dimension:
If you have a problem and lack a tech-savvy
friend or relative who can help, the company
that makes the software maintains a directory
of thousands of geeks who can help you, usually
for a fee.
The product is called CrossLoop and can be
downloaded at crossloop.com. It currently
works only with Windows computers, but the
company plans to release a Macintosh version
in a few months.
To use CrossLoop, both you and the person
you are helping must download and install the
free program, a quick and simple process. When
you run the program, you are invited to create a
free account, which allows you to track your ses-
sions and rate people who help you. But there’s
a clearly marked Skip button that permits you
to use the program with all of its features even
without an account.
The software has a very clear, simple inter-
face. It consists of two large tabbed sections: a
grey one labeled Share for the person whose ma-
chine is to be operated remotely, and a green
one labeled Access for the remote operator,
called the “helper” by the company.
For security reasons, CrossLoop doesn’t
allow its users to gain control of unattended
machines. The process must begin with a per-
son at the remote machine clicking the Share
tab. That click generates an access code that is
different for each remote session. The person
seeking help then gives that code, usually over
the phone, to the helper. The helper then clicks
on the Access tab on his or her PC, and types in
the code. The person on the other end must con-
firm that he or she wants to go ahead. Only
then is the connection opened.
Once this process is complete, the helper
sees a large window replicating the desktop of
the remotely controlled machine, and can con-
trol that PC using his or her own mouse and key-
board. The helper can even transfer files to the
remote machine.
On the other end, the person being helped
can be passive or can share control of the com-
puter. At any time, the person being helped
can disconnect the session or limit the helper
to just viewing the screen rather than control-
ling it.
The company says that it keeps no record of
any of the sessions and that its software en-
crypts all communication between the two com-
puters involved.
I tested CrossLoop in two scenarios. In one, I
used it to help my friend Alan configure his new
copy of Microsoft Office to save files in the
older Office formats. The remote-control ses-
sion worked fine, although Alan’s Internet con-
nection was so slow that there were long delays
in seeing changes occur on his screen.
In the second scenario, I hired one of Cross-
Loop’s listed consultants for $25 to clean up a
Sony laptop I own that was running sluggishly.
He spent over an hour deleting needless pro-
grams and removing others that were unneces-
sarily set to launch automatically. He carefully
consulted me by phone to make sure he wasn’t
cutting anything I needed or wanted. Again, I
considered the session a success.
The only problem I saw in my tests was that
when helping someone with a Vista machine,
you may have to temporarily disable a security-
warning feature called User Account Control,
which pops up frequently and cuts off the con-
nection.
CrossLoop eventually hopes to make money
by charging the paid consultants in its network
a fee. But it doesn’t guarantee that they are ef-
fective or honest, and merely relies on the rat-
ings of others who have used them. It is theoret-
ically possible for such a person to steal your
data or plant malware on your computer.
Still, if you are helping a friend or relative
with a PC problem, or are willing to trust a well-
rated stranger to give you help, CrossLoop is a
simple, effective way to do the job.
Find all of Walt Mossberg’s columns and videos
online, free, at the All Things Digital Web site,
walt.allthingsd.com. Email him at
mossberg@wsj.com.
By Sarah Nassauer
And Andrea Petersen
W
ith packed planes, new baggage
charges and sky-high hotel rates, travel
is pretty miserable these days. But there
is still one place where you can sometimes get
something for nothing: hotel loyalty programs.
Unlike airline frequent-flier programs, which
have been cutting rewards and reserving many
benefits for only their most loyal customers, hotel
loyalty programs are actually adding perks and in
many cases offering them just for signing up.
“If there is a trend among hotel reward pro-
grams, it’s actually been in the direction of adding
valueinsteadofstrippingawayvalue,”saysTimWin-
ship, editor-at-large for Smartertravel.com.
Many hotel programs highlight the long-term
benefits of membership. The extras—which range
from points for free stays and airlines tickets, to
room upgrades and free coffee—get sweeter as
youmoveup totheelitetiersof amembership pro-
gram by staying more nights. We decided to find
out what perks you get right off the bat, when you
first sign up for a hotel loyalty program.
We tested the entry-level tier of four programs
to see if filling out the online form is worth the
time, even for those who don’t travel enough to
earn theupscale perksof elite status. Not allmajor
hotel chains offer something beyond earning
points to entry-level members. We tested only ho-
tel programs that promised to give guests some-
thing special for signing up. All but one of the pro-
grams didn’t require a membership fee. In more
than one case, we found many of the entry-level
perks were standard for every guest.
AttheOmniBerkshire PlaceinNewYork, anup-
Please turn to the next page
By Mary Pilon
T
he idea of saving for retirement always
terrifiedZackTeibloom.Withthestockmar-
ket’s big drop this year, it seems even more
daunting.
“I don’t even have one K, let alone 401 Ks,”
says the 23-year-old Mr. Teibloom, a recent col-
lege grad who works as an editor for a small maga-
zine in Chicago. “I’m worried that if I put money
away, it won’t even be safe the way the markets
are going.”
The saving and investing habits of young
workers have long been dismal. Only 49% of eligi-
ble workers in their 20s participate in 401(k)
plans offered through their employers, accord-
ing to a 2007 study from Hewitt Associates Inc., a
Lincolnshire, Ill., consulting firm. And less than
20% of this group is
saving anything at
all for retirement.
Declining stock
prices actually favor
young investors, be-
cause it means the
shares they buy have
more room to grow in
the decades before
they hit retirement.
But anecdotal evi-
dence suggests the
rocky stock market is
scaring off many
young people.
“There’s a lot of
fear right now,” says
Pamela Hess, direc-
tor of retirement re-
search at Hewitt. “A
lot of employees
aren’t contributing.”
Recent changes
may make it easier
for some younger employees to begin building a
nest egg. Two years ago, Congress altered the law
to make it easier for employers to automatically
enroll workers in retirement-savings plans. Em-
ployers can deduct money from workers’ pay-
checks and invest it in a number of conservative
investments, such as so-called balanced mutual
funds, which hold both stocks and bonds.
Employers often set the contribution rate at
3% of workers’ salaries, and some auto-enroll
workers at a higher rate to ensure they get the full
company match—the amount an employer con-
tributes into an employee’s account beyond their
salary. Some employers also automatically in-
crease workers’ contributions each year. Employ-
ees have the option of opting out of automatic re-
tirement-savings plans, but few do. Often, the
time frame for dropping out of automatic enroll-
ment is limited to as little as 10 days.
The law is having an impact. Fidelity Invest-
ments,whichrunsretirementplansfor16,700com-
panies, says that as of June, 2,343 plans had auto-
Please turn to page D3
Showing in Milan:
The Frugal Look
ON STYLE D8
Do You Save or Buy
More at Costco?
CHEAPSKATE D3
By Daniel Michaels
And Stefania Bianchi
T
he mammoth Airbus A380 may
notquiteliveuptoitsmaker’smar-
keting hype as “the eighth wonder
of the world.”
But the first three airlines to
fly the world’s largest passenger plane are
pulling out all the stops to help travelers for-
get they’re packed inside with almost 500
other people. Singapore Airlines, Dubai’s
Emirates Airlines and Australia’s Qantas
Airways Ltd. are using their new A380s to
push the envelope on cushiness, entertain-
ment and design.
The best goodies are, as to be expected,
in first class. Singapore Air’s “Sky Suites”
are so big they include both a seat and a bed,
appointed with sheets and dishware de-
signed by French fashion house Givenchy.
Emirates has two “shower spas” with
heated floors, where first-class fliers can
book 25-minute sessions, including a five-
minute shower. Qantas’s first-class seat
spreads into a bed that is half the width of a
queen-size mattress.
There are also new offerings in coach class,
where all three carriers are providing electric
socketsinalmosteveryseatand,forafee,Inter-
Please turn to page D4
Loyalty Plans
At Hotels—
For Beginners
B
attling a health insurer when it re-
fuses to cover certain treatments can
be aggravating and time-consuming.
But if you choose to join the growing number
of people who are appealing coverage deni-
als, there are several strategies that can bol-
ster your case.
Some health-coverage problems—such as
when your doctor enters a wrong code on a
claim form—can be resolved with a phone call.
But other issues can be more difficult, because
they center on complex medical questions like
whether a certain cancer treatment is appro-
priate for you. Faced with
such a situation, you may
need to enlist help from your
doctor, and even do some sci-
entific research of your own.
As a last resort, most states
will consider appeals that
havebeendeniedbyprivatein-
surers.
Insurance companies gen-
erally don’t disclose how
many appeals they receive. But state regula-
tors keep data on the frequency of cases filed
withthem,andthetrendisup—12%growthbe-
tween 2004 and 2006, according to a survey
byAmerica’s Health InsurancePlans,anindus-
try group, which says such appeals repre-
sented less than one out of every 10,000 in-
sured people. That’s a small share of the total,
though, since most appeals never get to the
state bodies.
New York’s regulator, the state Insurance
Department, is one of the few agencies that
also keeps track of how many people in its
state file appeals with health insurers. In
2007, the number was 33,355, up 18% since
2004.
Why the increase in appeals? Patient ad-
vocates and state officials say the weak
economy and ever-rising health-care costs
put pressure on insurers to squeeze ex-
penses by denying claims, and leave con-
sumers watching their spending more
closely. But the insurance-industry group
says the growth is likely fueled by insurers’
efforts to educate consumers about their
rights. Several companies say they are
working to make the process easier, but
many aspects are mandated by state regula-
tors.
In any case, appealing an insurer’s deci-
sion is often complex and tricky, and the
deck can seem stacked against you. It is of-
ten hard for consumers to know what is cov-
ered and what isn’t in an insurance plan. In-
deed, insurers have been winning a majority
of the cases reviewed by state regulators in
recent years, with victories for insurers at
59% in 2006.
Herearesomeways youmaybeabletobet-
Please turn to page D6
Pushing BackWhen Insurers
Deny Coverage for Treatment
Spas in the Sky:
Inside the Big Jets
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
Opportunities are rife
for young investors in a
beaten-down market.
Some tips:
n Contribute enough to
your company’s
401(k) plan to capture
the full matching
contribution.
n If you’re not eligible for
a 401(k), start a Roth
or traditional individual
retirement account.
n Don’t be too
conservative. Younger
investors have time on
their side and can
recover from short
sputters in the market.
By Anna Wilde
Mathews
Having a game plan when fighting a health
insurer’s denial of coverage can better your
odds of a successful appeal.
n First, find out what led to the insurer’s
decision, and keep a careful paper trail.
n Be prepared to prove that your treatment
qualifies for coverage under your plan.
n Even if your insurer rejects your appeal,
most states will consider appeals as a
last resort.
PERSONAL TECHNOLOGY
s Copyright 2008 Dow Jones & Company, All Rights Reserved
Study supports broader use of clot-busting
drug for stroke patients — HEALTH D6
Thousands of stock trades canceled due to
electronic glitches — PERSONAL FINANCE D3
Market Turmoil
Frightens Off
Young Investors
Participation in 401(k) Plans
Is Dismal, as Is Savings Rate;
‘I Don’t Know Where to Start’
By Walter S.
Mossberg
Singapore Airlines touts its ‘Sky Suites’ for
first-class passengers on the superjumbo A380.
Self Protection
In Depth: STYLE 7
HOME
Getting Started
An Airbus A380
flown by Emirates
Airlines comes with
two ‘shower spas.’
AgenceFrance-Presse/GettyImagesEmiratesAirlines
HEALTHY CONSUMER
With CrossLoop,
Users Can Get Help
From Techie Friend
Landov
* * * * Thursday, September 25, 2008 D1