Top 5 most useful technologies for an executive

This is my stab at the top 5 most useful devices out there:

1) Wi-Fi Enabled Laptop-
This is a must for an executive on the road. I would never, I say NEVER use a public terminal for anything but random surfing. Anyone who enters any secure information of any kind on a public terminal WILL be hacked! (Walmart has just come out with one for under $600)

2 & 3) Bluetooth Anything with a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant)

I particularly like Bluetooth enabled PDA's with built in MP3 capabilities. My husband went on a trip recently with a fellow employee who had a handheld PC with Bluetooth -- he had downloaded an e-book. He used a Bluetooth adapter for his car that allowed him to tune a radio station for them to listen to the e-book in the car. (I show a Bluetooth adapter for the car by Belkin to the right)

I also use Bluetooth to hotsync my Zire 72 with my PC at work. From anywhere in my office I can synchronize my information and surf the net if I actually have to.

My next cell phone will be Bluetooth -- then I will be able to pull up contacts on my PDA and send the dial info directly to the phone. (Even better the Smart Phones are PDA's, MP3 players, and cell phones combined -- look at the Treo devices.)

My brother in law travels to Europe a lot and says that everything over there is Bluetooth - particularly the cars. I believe Bluetooth is a must in your car.

For those who are saying blue-wha? Blue tooth is just another way to transmit information from one device to another. It just has some features that make it more secure and practical!

4) A News Aggregation Service (RSS Aggregator)

I've expounded on the incredible greatness of my bloglines accounts. Get one! There are many RSS aggregators out there. Get one, learn to use it and subscribe to any page of interest with the XML, RSS "chiclet" on there.

No, that's not the gum -- it is the little Orange looking rectangle with RSS or XML printed on it. There is one on this page!

5) A Blog

All the other items are ones you "get" for yourself that feed information to you. This is where you give something back. I believe that all professionals in decision making positions should either have a private blog within their company to expound on their current projects/ ideas, etc. that will be read both by people above and below them in the corporate structure.

But even better, a public blog to share your information. With the inception of blogs as a mass communication tool, it becomes a method to truly disseminate information.

The only drawback to a small town is that I have often felt cut off from the cutting edge ideas that I am addicted to. I simply must have new ideas, fresh thoughts, fresh inspiration. It is a constant effort to get out and grab information, go to conferences, etc. With blogging, I can share my small piece of the puzzle and then discuss ideas with people in the forerunners of their field.

I have not yet found a blogger -- even the biggies -- who has condescended to me yet! It is really a great world on the blogosphere.

My computer science class has created a neat page on blogging with several free resources. Of course, I like blogger.com!

I look forward to your comments and feedback on this one. Perhaps I missed your favorite!