Honolulu's Parks and Recreation Department bought a laser printer and $500 of software to create interactive forms. Using an in-house transaction system it now allows people to use the Web to request park permits, BusinessWeek reports.

"We're saving $70,000 to $75,000 per year in that one little office, it wasn't a big project. It didn't cost millions of dollars. It didn't require consultants," says Courtney Harrington, the city's director of information technology.

Cheap computing, fast connectivity and easy-to-use interfaces that characterize the Web are just too powerful to ignore as tools for making government more efficient, BusinessWeek says.

E-government saves time and money but Harrington is mystified as to why only 1 percent of drivers have chosen to renew their licenses online.

FLU SHOTS

Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta are encouraging healthy adults to get a flu shot.

"Our priority is to make sure that elderly people and those with chronic medical conditions be vaccinated as soon as possible," CDC Director Dr. Julie L. Gerberding says in a statement.

"It is also a good idea for healthy adults 50 to 64 years of age and anyone who wants to protect themselves from this serious disease to get a flu shot," she adds

Each year, more than 114,000 Americans are hospitalized for the flu and about 20,000 die from flu-related complications. Most who die are 65 years or older, the CDC says.

CAR ACCESSORIES

From practical technology that allows opening a garage door with a flash of high beams, to comfortable tailgate pads that will make any tailgate party a success, the 37th Annual Specialty Equipment Market Association Show is full of new auto accessories.

There are practical products, such as heated windshield wipers and remotes that allow a person to start a vehicle from up to 1,400 feet away, or a product that saves time from repeated applications of tire dressing.

Also available is a LED valve stem covers that add a glowing look to the side of a car.

Consumers can find about products at the Web site enjoythedrive.com.

BOOMERS BUYING SECOND HOMES

Most second homes are purchased for recreational use with only modest interest in renting or investment considerations, according to a survey by the National Association of Realtors.

"The idea of a family retreat is important to many second-home owners, cited by 57 percent of respondents," says David Lereah, NAR's chief economist.

The typical second-home owner is 61 years old, has owned the property for nine years, earns a household income of $76,900, is married and purchased the property for recreational use, the survey says.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 3.6 million vacant seasonal homes in the third quarter of 2002, up from 3.1 million in 1990 and only 1.7 million in 1980.