Recently came across a lovely site called newsle. Very simple to set up (especially as I only linked with LinkedIN initially) and allows you to see what your contacts are doing. Think of a more tailored and relevant Google alerts. You can add Facebook friends to the mix and also follow journalists or specific people outside of your current contact/friend base. Give it a go. Oh, and it's free.
The Idea Hunter's blog
Thoughts on better thinking and better presenting