I'll be arriving in Rio for the first time at the end of this month. I'm hoping to document my exploits with my digital camera but I don't have a laptop to upload my pictures too. I have limited memory for my camera and was wondering if I could just connect by using the USB cable from my camera to a cafe computer, and save my pictures on a blank CD. Will the cafes allow that? Will the computer recognize my camera as 'removable disk' even though the cameras software isn't installed? If so... can I access the camera then 'drag and drop to the CD? Help on this matter will be much appreciated. Thanks

you should buy a usb card reader. That certainly will be recognized as a removable disk. This way you don't need to show your camera to all the thugs, you don't need to install software in the internet cafe, and the guys might not even notice that you are plugging something into the computer

What happens if the place isn't set up for you to burn CDs? Or someone comes running over and asks what you are doing and then demands more money? Or the back of the computer already has the USB slots used by something else and everyone is watching you disconnecting things and wondering what the hell is going on? And do you want to be putting your pictures on a public screen as you review them?

Memory cards have really come down in price in the last year. You can get a 256mb card for around $50 or so when they are on sale which seems like every week at places like Best Buy or Circuit City. Or get two 128mb cards in case one duds out on you. You can review the pictures on a full sized screen by connecting the included camera cable to the TV in your hotel room and no one is around to complain.