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While some digital cameras are loaded with gimmicks you'll never use, a few new ones have genuinely practical tools. We're listing retail prices; you can probably do better by using a comparison-shopping site like PriceGrabber or DealTime. Flash control If you're taking a picture indoors, or even outdoors in soft light, chances are the flash will go off automatically. Too often, the results are faded backgrounds and washed-out faces. Fujifilm's FinePix V10 ($350) can capture two images in succession: one without the flash, one with. Decide which turned out better, and delete the other. Wireless connectivity Equipped with Wi-Fi, the Nikon Coolpix P2 ($400) and Canon's PowerShot SD430 ($500) let you transfer images to a computer or printer without fiddling with wires. With Kodak's EasyShare-One ($400), you can upload and e-mail photos in seconds, assuming you're in a hotspot. Split-second response Most digital-camera users know the frustration: You push the button, and a few moments later, after the deer hops behind a tree, the camera finally records the image. Until recently, digital SLR cameras (single-lens reflex, with the benefit that images are captured at almost the exact moment you click) cost too much for amateurs. But models as responsive as what the pros use, such as Nikon's D50 ($760) and the Olympus Evolt E-330 ($1,100), are now within reach.

To most pets, traveling ranks somewhere beneath a bath and the vet. Few people know more about taking their dogs on flights and into hotels than American Kennel Club staffers (akc.org). We hit them up for tips on making the experience easier for both pooches and owners. Be sure your pet's crate has extra hooks or latches so the door doesn't jostle open if it gets bounced around in transit. --Ray Scott, field representative, owner of Digby, a beagle Request to be on the hotel's first floor so you can be closer to the outdoors and avoid disturbing other guests. Ask where the correct exercise area is. And always bag it! --Laura C. Bollock, senior internal auditor, owner of Australian shepherds Tucker and Gulliver Most airlines accept reservations for carry-on pets ahead of time, but some companies may have a limit of three pets per flight: two that are reserved early, with the third on a first-come, first-served basis. Confirm the policy and book as early as possible. --Michelle Barlak, public relations coordinator, owner of toy Manchester terriers William and Daisy, and Alydar, an Ibizan hound Traveling with a big bag of dog food is inconvenient. Order food online before you leave, and have it delivered to the hotel. --Niki Marshall Friedman, public relations director, owner of Boston terriers Rocky and Buster Bring your dog's rabies certificate. It's the only vaccination required by law in all 50 states. Also, get a certificate from your vet 15 days before you travel that lists up-to-date inoculations, and search online for area animal hospitals. --Lisa Peterson, director of club communications, owner of Norwegian elkhounds Obie and Jinx Always have a photo of your pet in case he gets lost or stolen. That way you can make signs quickly. --Stacy Mason, field representative, owner of Cujo, a Brussels griffon I opt for Red Roof Inns or Baymont Inns because most locations don't charge pet fees. --Gail Storm, field representative, owner of border collies Lyn, Bea, Rip, and Tag Tip baggage handlers well, as they're the ones who are mainly responsible for your pet. --Michael Canalizo, field representative, owner of Silver,a German shepherd Research local dog parks or good walking spots near your hotel. --Bronwyn Taggart, AKC Gazette editor, owner of Henne's Baxter Beans ("Baxter"), a Boston terrier Get the hotel to confirm that it allows pets and to specify rules about sizes and surcharges. Don't rely on what's on the website. And if you leave the hotel, confine your pet to the carry crate so there's no chance he'll destroy the room. That can cost you a fortune. --Daphna Straus, director of business development, owner of Zabar, a Pembroke Welsh corgi

By midsummer, companies selling outdoor gear and clothing are already looking to the next season, unloading warm-weather inventory at steep discounts. You can get backpacks, hiking boots, tents, sleeping bags, binoculars, and more for as much as 75 percent off. REI created a special URL just for discounted merchandise, rei-outlet.com. To find deals online at Eastern Mountain Sports (ems.com), look for Outlet Store on the left-hand navigation bar. You can access Campmor's Web Bargains section via a link at the top of campmor.com. There are also sites whose sole mission is to sell discounted gear. SierraTradingPost.com has a full range of equipment for folks who love the outdoors, including tons of brand-name clothing and footwear (Patagonia, Teva, Carhartt) and items as varied as fishing waders, ATV cargo bags, bike helmets and cranksets, and a Gerber Mantis Clamp LED Lamp like the one above (we got it for $18, $10 off retail). The site's Bargain Barn, on the left-hand nav bar, features discounts of at least 60 percent. The specialty of CheaperThanDirt.com is hunting gear, but that includes knives, compasses, canteens, cooking accessories, and other stuff that'll interest folks who've never wanted to pick up a rifle.

For years, traveling within Mexico has meant choosing between long bus rides on awful roads, navigating those same roads on your own in a rental car, and expensive and often inconvenient flights. No mas. A discount airline boom is underway south of the border. Five new carriers are either already flying or in the works, and all have business models that mimic global trendsetters Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, and EasyJet. Fares connecting major cities, like Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey, and beach resorts, such as Cancun, Zihuatanejo, and Acapulco, have plunged in a few instances. During one airfare promotion, a round trip from Mexico City to Veracruz on Click, launched last summer by former national carrier Mexicana Airlines, cost $180. Click's parent company was charging $350 for the same trip. The growth of Mexico's low-fare airlines comes on the heels of the government's decision to privatize Mexicana; it's expected that private investors will buy Aeromexico, the other state-run airline, by the end of the year. The more-open marketplace has attracted some of the biggest names in Mexican business. Carlos Slim Helu, one of the wealthiest men in the world, and Grupo Televisa, Mexico's largest media company, are jointly bankrolling Volaris, whose name comes from the verb volar, meaning "to fly" in Spanish. Volaris took to the skies in March of this year. Another carrier, Interjet, was launched in December by the grandson of a former Mexican president. It was an Irishman, however, who made the biggest news splash. Tony Ryan, whose Ryanair helped change the airline business in Europe with occasional $2 flights, announced that his new venture, tentatively named Viva AeroBus, will connect Mexican airports to a handful of U.S. cities starting in September. Of the airlines flying already, Click serves the most cities (19 in Mexico, plus Havana, Cuba, and soon, Miami), followed by Avolar (17), Interjet (7), and Volaris (5). For the most part, passengers are expected to be Mexican nationals attracted by cheaper fares and better connections than those offered on the older carriers. Many routes make sense for American travelers as well, especially people interested in hopping around or tacking on an extra city or beach to their getaway. As with low-cost carriers elsewhere, Mexican airline fares aren't always rock-bottom cheap. We found a round-trip Avolar flight from Oaxaca to Zihuatanejo for $290, which seemed mediocre considering the flight's only about an hour each way, as well as a $220 Cancun-Guadalajara Volaris round-trip (via Toluca) that's arguably a much better deal because it's a journey of 1,000 miles. Thus far, booking can be a challenge. Most websites are in Spanish only. You may have trouble figuring out which routes are offered, whether they have nonstop or connecting flights, and how many times a week a route is flown (daily is rare). It's harder than it should be to locate airline phone numbers and sometimes difficult to find an English-speaking agent. Also, prices are generally given only in pesos. Travelers accustomed to getting around on bumpy, crowded Mexican buses, however, may prefer the new headaches to the old ones. Mexico's new airlines Avolar 866/370-4065, avolar.com.mx Click 011-52/55-5322-6262, clickmx.com Interjet 011-52/55-1102-5555, interjet.com.mx Viva AeroBus vivaaerobus.com Volaris 011-52/55-1102-8000, volaris.com.mx