Driver Lifestyles
Entertainment that's out of this world
It wasn't so many years ago that when you had a lengthy layover, your options for in-truck entertainment were a little sparse. You read, watched a 13" TV/VCR, listened to the radio or, if you were a techie kind of person, played with the Gameboy.
Well, we've still got those activities and devices available, but they've been improved. There's no longer any reason for boredom to rear it's head, not with these gadgets to keep you informed, entertained and occupied.
Satellite Radio
This technology wasn't designed with just the professional long-distance driver in mind, but it's hard to picture a more targeted market for satellite radio than the trucker or expediter.
Everyone has had the experience of searching the truck's radio dial to find something listenable, only to lose it when exiting that station's coverage area. And, that's if you find something to listen to in the first place. It's still a fact of life that if you're a hard rock fan, all you will find are bluegrass stations; or, if you're looking for country, you're sure to get hip-hop.
Satellite radio answers both of those deficiencies - coverage and choice. Satellite radio companies are comparing the significance of their service to the impact that cable TV had on television 30 years ago.
Just plug a satellite radio into your home stereo, truck/car radio, or boombox and you get CD-quality reception, literally, from coast to coast. With the two main players in the satellite radio business, XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio each offering over 100 channels covering news, talk, sports and dozens of channels dedicated to a variety of music, there's something for everyone.
Content is king, and it's the reason most people buy satellite radio: to find music and news they can't get on their regular radios.
The first commercial satellite radio broadcast was conducted by XM Satellite Radio in 2001. By the end of that year, the company sported a subscriber base of around 28,000. The company now boasts that it has passed the 4 million subscriber mark.
Sirius began operations the next year and now estimates that by year-end 2005, the service will have 2.7 million subscribers.
Both companies have pursued the automobile market by setting up deals with the major automakers. Back in 2001 no new cars were equipped with satellite radios.
Today, a number of manufacturers are offering factory-installed satellite radios in their new models. Eventually, some models are likely to offer the radios as a standard offering. Heavy duty truck manufacturers like Peterbilt, Kenworth and others now offer XM or Sirius radios as an option.
In addition, both XM and Sirius offer devices that receive satellite radio transmissions in the home or via portable radio devices.
The price for an XM or SIRIUS radio is roughly the same - about $149 for a typical "anywhere" unit.
The two companies each charge a $12.95 monthly service fee.
Flat panel TV's - LCD or Plasma?
The biggest television-technology revolution since color, the experts say that flat-panel TVs will eventually replace tubes as the direct-view televisions of choice. You can hang flat sets on the wall, on the ceiling, just about anywhere.
Currently, the two most popular flat-panel technologies are LCD and plasma.
The LCD (liquid crystal display) technology represents a revolution in television design: the truly flat TV. LCD flat-panel displays typically measure around 3" in depth, and are lightweight enough to be mounted on a wall.
LCD TVs are available many sizes, with the 10" to 20" models the most practical for a truck sleeper. And no matter where you put them, the latest models allow uninhibited viewing from angles as severe as 170 degrees off-axis.
LCD technology produces an exceptionally bright picture that can easily be viewed even in very bright conditions. The images are characterized by outstanding sharpness and detail and rich, saturated colors. LCD TVs use relatively little electricity, run cooler and more quietly than most plasma displays.
From about $150 - $500
Plasma televisions can be as little as three inches thick and they display very good home-theater image quality in the best examples. They offer a wide viewing angle and pictures have improved substantially, maintaining plasma's place as the leader in the flat-panel market.
Plasma displays don't come cheap, however. With prices starting at about $1,500 for a 42" screen (a standard size), it will possibly be too costly and too large for only the largest sleepers.
More than any other type of display technology, picture quality varies greatly between different makes of plasma, so be sure to read reviews before commiting your funds.
Despite significant advances in the technology, plasma panels still can't quite replicate the deep blacks that tubes can. Otherwise the best plasmas can produce nearly CRT-quality images, with excellent color and viewing angles.
Archos Pocket Media Assistant PMA430
For travelers who want movie, music, and PDA features in one wireless-enabled device, it would behoove you to check out this device. It can also be used as a wireless-enabled PDA with full PIM application, e-mail, and browser support.
Some other features: Watch and record video; listen to and record music; view photos; transport files; play games; browse the Web; check e-mail and performing basic PDA functions.
Speaking of browsing the Web - The PMA430 comes with built-in 802.11b Wi-Fi, which enables not only Web browsing via the bundled Opera browser but also e-mail access. There's even a PDF viewer.
The price is a little stiff, but the Archos is full of features that just might make this a better world.
Prices from $679 - $800
The Sony PlayStation Portable or PSP. This product largely delivers on its promise of bringing a PlayStation 2-like gaming experience to a handheld gaming platform with built-in wireless capabilities, all at a relatively reasonable price.
The centerpiece of the handheld is its especially impressive 4.3-inch wide-screen display. It's designed to provide a miniaturized PS2 gaming experience--or something like it.
The PSP offers other features such as playing videos and music as well as displaying images.
Prices $269 - $298