Web sites for Savvy Execs

Most business executives today are aware of key mainstream Web sites and how to navigate them to get the information they need, but there are many other, less familiar sites that they might find beneficial.

I put together a short list of sites that could prove useful to Southwest Florida executives, including Google products and services, technology and review sites, and Internet forums.

Google is not just a search engine, it is a revolutionary product. Although its Web advertising revenue is projected to be $7.5 billion in 2008, the company’s true value is in the array of products it offers. As a search engine there is none better. Google has enhanced the customized search, so that you can type in an obscure question and get an answer. But its capabilities go well beyond the search. For example, Google Zeitgeist is a great tool for tracking news trends, by indicating the stories most searched in a given time period. Google news, which aggregates news stories from around the world into one site, has proven to be a great time-saver for me. Google can be valuable to any user, and it gets my vote as the top "must-know" Web site for executives.

If you are intrigued by new gadgets that might enhance your business’s performance and want to know the latest developments in technology-related products, www.engadget.com does an excellent job reviewing and reporting on what’s new and hip. As an example, executives in the building industry might be interested in learning about product from NEXTCOMputing, which has a variety of portable, rugged computers with high-end 3D graphic cards. They are valuable for viewing plans and performing other real-time tasks, making them a great tool on a construction site.