Goin' Mobile

Just like Shaquille O’Neil you too can be behind the wheel of your very own, limited edition 2002 Ford Shaq SST Expedition. The first car ever to feature a sports celebrities’ likeness, O’Neal teamed with custom car manufacturer AutoOz to create the souped-up Ford SUV. "According to the Lakers big man, "I want to make sure the Shaq SST looks classy and different. I want it to be a truck but not really ride like a truck.” Initial test drives prove that despite its size the Shaq SST doesn't get ticketed while driving in the lane, no matter how much it punishes other players (I mean vehicles). Only 500 Shaq SSTs will be sold. Reserve one today, and be sure to use your Patrick Ewing Gold Club Card.



While the Shaq mobile may be out of reach, there are a number of hot new mobile products for rest of us. Take for example Blaupunkt’s new San Jose MP41 in-dash car stereo CD receiver. This bad boy is the first in -dash car stereo that plays back all those MP3 And Windows Media (WMA) files you ripped off Napster. One recordable CD of MP3 music can hold 10X the music of a traditional CD, while the new higher compression WMA format can get you from LA to New York with 20X the song storage capacity. Other features include AM/FM Stereo tuner and a cool graphics display screen. It will sell for under $400.




Don't have a car. Don't fret. Get a YEPP, Samsung’s newest MP3 player. Perfect for long walks to work, jogging, bicycle rides or subway trips, the YEPP is decked out in a translucent blue shell and features 64 MB of built –in internal memory (enough to hold hours of music). Other features include USB connectivity for easy PC to player transfer, headphones and an additional memory card slot for adding postage stamp size memory upgrades. Best of all, it sells for under $200.




For something a little bigger and weirder check out JVC's Sound Rock—It boom box. Straight out of the Jetson's, this portable, backpack jet pack, CD Player/AM/FM Stereo boom box has four huge speakers that deliver 12- watts each of bass thumping power. It has a shoulder strap for mobility and fold out stand for land, beach or lunar walks. Other features include a remote control, anti-skip protection and a splash resistant membrane that keeps dust and water out of the CD carousel. Sound Rock-It comes with an AC power cord and operates on about 1,200 “D” size batteries --10 to be exact (not included). About $200 will get you one.

Speaking of space, the most talked about mobile product of the year is satellite radio. Two competing start ups, Sirius and XM, are offering a number of different versions of these pay for play (about $10/month) radios that allows you to receive hundreds of music, sports and talk radio stations 24/7 via satellite in your car. While the jury is out on whether people will pay for radio programming, the satellite radio folks are spending big bucks to make you want it. After all, paying for cable TV was once considered stupid too.

Sports fans will love satellite radio. XM and Sirius have lined up all the big names to deliver sports content. Sirius vows to keep its satellite radio content commercial free. XM on the other hand will have commercials on about 35 of its 71 music channels.

Sirius has many of the carmakers backing its satellite radio system. New cars from Ford, BMW, Mercedes Daimler Chrysler, Volvo and Mazda are expected to install new 3-band (AM/FM/SAT) radios in new models this year. Kenwood, Pioneer among others will sell units off the shelf.


XM’s coolest offering is a Sony branded satellite radio that works in the car and in the house. Simply plug it in your car and pop it off and connect to your home entertainment center when you get back home. You’ll need an extra antenna but at least you’ll get more airtime. It sells for around $300.