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It amazes me that after 13 years in the mobile electronics industry that I can still be wowed with the new technology that's being introduced each year. I mean every year manufacturers are releasing products that are cutting edge. I can remember getting in my uncles Pinto when I was 7 years old and he would pop in an "Eagles" 8 track and I thought that was amazing. Last week my friend Brad and all my other truck club friends were leaving for a show and on the passenger seat was 4 DVD'S to keep him entertained for the 6-hour ride to the show. This year will be the introduction of a new media in car and home audio. The new media is the introduction of satellite radio, which is scheduled to hit the air this summer. Think about it, digital quality sound anywhere in the United States, no more bad reception, no more commercials. Scanning the radio for a good station to only find out that the only thing that you can pick up is something your grandmother would listen to would be a thing of the past. Right now two satellite-based companies are battling to be the first to go on the air. The two companies are Sirius Radio and XM Satellite, which will be filling our skies with digital quality sound. Another company iBiquilty Digital is building a land based digital audio network. Sirius Radio now has three satellites orbiting earth and will be broadcasting 50 channels of commercial free music and 50 channels of new, sports, and entertainment. The monthly service fee for there service is $9.95 per month. There is a serious list of entertainment companies such as C-Span, CNBC and A&E Television to name a few.
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XM Satellite has launched three of the most powerful satellites known to man and with ground repeaters located all over the U.S. to beam the tunes to your ride. XM notes that they will host 100 different stations for you to choose from. They too will offer you all this for the low monthly fee of $9.95 a month. I know what your next question is, "am I going to have to purchase an ugly head unit that looks awful in my dash." With the list of companies that are online to include a digital receiver in there models, the answer is no. Some of the companies that have said yes are Kenwood, Alpine, Pioneer, Clarion and Sony just to name a few. What is really shocking is the fact that new car manufactures have also agreed to include digital receiver radios in there line up. And if you like your present head unit that's ok too several companies will be making adaptors so you can get the digital quality tunes anytime and anywhere. I guess this gives a whole new meaning to the saying "Beam Me Up Scotty". Ben Husser
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