>
> 1 - What type of mains outlets will we use? I faintly remember having
> read this one, but can't find it again. An A plug? B plug? [1][2]
> Any other? And the voltage? 127V?
Just about all computers here in the USA with the exception of (some) battery chargers use B-Plugs.. You can plug A-Plugs into B Sockets.. It's a safe bet that all the dorm rooms will have at least one B-Plug, but it would be good to get a confirmation and whether or not there are any guarantees in regards to that...
> 2 - The "What to bring" section of the Welcome page [3] says that one
> should bring a "long" ethernet cable. How long should that be? Are 3
> meters sufficient?
>
> [3] http://wiki.debconf.org/wiki/DebConf10/Welcome#What_to_bring
>
I'm bringing one long enough to reach across the size of my dorm room. Don't think I really need Internet access any place else..
> 3 - How much money should one bring? Say, how much does "an average" bus
> trip cost (say, from the JFK airport to Columbia University)? Should
> one bring money for tips? (Is this a common usage?)
>
Yes you should bring money for tips, Tips are expected for the Taxi, usually 15-20%.. Also, Toll charges are the passenger's expense as well.. You do not need to tip bus drivers..
How much money you should bring depends on how easy it is for you to get cash.. If you have a Visa, Mastercard or something along those lines you should have no problems getting money from an ATM.. Travelers checks might be a little more difficult... Just don't carry all your money in one pocket and don't carry all your money around with you everywhere you go..
You can pay Taxi fares with a credit card yourself in the back seat of the cab, you just swipe your credit card and there's a touch screen or you can pay the taxi driver in cash.. Depending on the bus service, you can also buy bus tickets with a credit card before boarding the bus if it's one of those more expensive all-day tour bus tickets.. Most other buses will accept an MTA card, which is the same card you'd be using on the subway..
> 5 - Are there any regulations regarding, say, getting out of the campus
> at night, if one needs to? Say, one is hungry in the middle of the
> night or one needs to go to a drug store or to a hospital?
That's up to you, I suppose.. I definitely wouldn't be walking around NYC at night.. It's just not a good idea.. If you ever do find yourself going on the subway, make sure you stay with other people.. If they get off the subway, move to a different car.. You don't ever want to be alone, for your own safety.. That's true whether you're standing around on the corner or whether you're on the subway... If you go out in the middle of the night, grab a couple friends and bring them along..
>
> 6 - What transportation means would be needed to get to commerce as
> above?
>
When I was in NYC, I don't recall there being any 24/7 bus services.. However, most subway routes are 24/7.. I think some subway routes change a bit to skip some locations after certain hours.. So of course, plan ahead or you might find yourself needing to take an expensive taxi, unexpectedly..