1. Visit some of these Web sites and evaluate their usefulness to consumers. Recommend some other applications that would enable consumers to find the best gas prices.
2. Why are consumers so concerned about the price of gas and why are they willing to search out stations with lower prices?
It seems a day doesn’t go by without some talk about gas prices. Consumers are more keenly aware of the price now that it costs $40 to $100 to fill up the tank. And many consumers are using technology to help find the lowest prices in their area. The Internet is making it much easier to get price comparisons from Web sites such as GasBuddy.com (www.gasbuddy.com) and GasPriceWatch.com (www.gaspricewatch.com). These sites give price information on maps for a consumer’s zip code area. Consumers can download programs, called widgets, which continually update this information on users’ computers. If you’re not at your computer, you can get this information on your cell phone from www.getmobio.com/learn/cheapgas/. Most of the Web sites rely on volunteers to update prices.