WHENEVER YOU SEE A movie from the late '80s or early '90s, something always stands out: The cell phones are gigantic. Compare one of those toaster-size devices to the svelte flip phone that's in your pocket, and you're amazed at how far they've come.

Today, we have cameras, PDA hybrids, extensive phone books, internet access, ring tones that sound like songs on the radio, and entertainment applications all built into our cell phones. So what will the future of mobile phones bring? Rather than trying to figure out what phones will look like in a decade (they'll probably be implantable), we wanted to take a peck into the next few years.

By the time you're ready to upgrade your current phone, the capabilities could be very different. One thing holding back the hardware is the limitation of current batteries. Battery technology just doesn't move that fast. Expect slow capacity gains, but also expect to keep a charger handy as more and more power-hungry features are built in.

A couple of years ago, everybody was breathless at the thought of 3G broadband services coming to U.S. cell phones. So far, 3G isn't coming down like a tidal wave so much as a trickle. But the good news is that it's finally arriving. Early adopters take note: Major cities like Dallas, Phoenix, San Francisco and Seattle will be the first to benefit.

AT&T Wireless' service allows data transfer at speeds of about 320Kbps with streaming video and audio available. Verizon Wireless' network, currently running in San Diego and Washington, DC, goes up to 500Kbps. Look for Nextel and Sprint to make progress on their versions before year's end. Entrepreneurs in smaller markets will have to wait a bit for services to become available.

Peter Skarzynski, senior vice president of wireless terminals at Samsung Telecommunications America, points to KOrea as an example of where cell phone services in the United States will eventually end up, albeit a few years behind. "Next year, you'll start seeing things [in Korea] like video on demand, and things like m-commerce [mobile commerce] the year after," he explains. Megapixel camera-phones are new on the U.S. market, and 2- and 3-megapixel versions are on the horizon. Videophones will become increasingly popular as services such as news feeds catch up. Skarzynski expects wide-based broadband to be a reality by the 2006-07 time frame. Then you can start thinking about videoconferencing on your cell phone.

Location-based services are another matter. With E911 requirements being met and GPS services hitting the mainstream, getting directions or even location-based marketing offers could become commonplace. But, once again, don't hold your breath. The phones will be ready before the services themselves are. "There are lots of capabilities in our phones still to be tapped," says Skarzynski.

Work is underway to meld two of the most popular wireless technologies: cell phones and Wi-Fi. Currently, the carriers are trying to figure out how to handle the handoff between the two to allow for a seamless experience. The phone hardware will be out widely in the first part of 2005, with manufacturers like Hewlett-Packard, Motorola, NEC, Nokia and Samsung all onboard. For businesses equipped with Wi-Fi and VoIP, this could be a big step to reducing phone bills. Imagine walking into your office and having your mobile phone automatically switch your call over to your VoIP network.

But the news on the mobile phone front isn't exactly all sweetness and light. Viruses and worms are setting off warning buzzers across the industry. Though they are concerns, most users don't need to worry much, says Muzib Khan, vice president of product management and engineering wireless terminals division with Samsung Telecommunications America in Richardson, Texas. "You could cause trouble by buying or downloading uncertified applications," he says. Entrepreneurs need to stay on top of security issues in much the same way they take steps to protect desktop computers with anti-virus software, firewalls and employee training. The same will apply as issues of cell phone spare and telemarketing crop up.

Put it all together, and here's what your future mobile phone might be like: You're out at a coffee-house for lunch, checking your calendar and e-mail while listening to a streaming MP3. An impromptu videoconference call comes in--you work out the details of a sales contract with your mobile sales representative. You then take an old-fashioned telephone call from a client, and it hands you over to your VoIP system as you step back into the office. Expect many challenges as these innovations hit the market over the next few years, but the upshot will be more flexibility for mobile entrepreneurs.

Now that more wireless networks can support higher-speed data connectivity, operators have begun to dabble with streaming multimedia to the wireless phone. To some, these initial offerings may be disappointing. With maximum speeds of just a few frames per second, video offerings are jerky. Rather than attempting to simulate motion, some content providers have instead opted to deliver the equivalent of a narrated slide show.

But apparently, a nation of couch potatoes is so eager to get its fix that it will put up with the challenges involved in getting it while on the run. Talk to anyone involved in providing these services and you'll encounter an enthusiasm reminiscent of the earliest days of the Internet.

"The product is wildly successful. People love it, and we get really positive feedback on it," says Paul Scanlan, vice president of marketing and sales for Idetic, the developer of MobiTV, which converts content from MSNBC, ABC, Fox, the Discovery Channel, and other sources for delivery to users of Sprint's PCS Vision service. "It's really easy to use," says Scanlan. "It's like a TV, and everyone can use a TV. There's no training involved. It literally is like using a remote control to a TV. The phone is almost like a remote control. We call it the 75-year-old killer app."

Other multimedia boosters sound a bit like media visionary Marshall McLuhan in their pronouncements. "We think of it as the third screen," says Jeff Hallock, vice president of consumer marketing for Sprint PCS, the wireless operator that has been most aggressive in delivering streaming multimedia offerings. "Television is the first screen, and the personal computer is the second. We've got the opportunity to deliver an experience where users can watch things happen on the third screen that combine a lot of the functionality of the first two--and it's the only one that's with you at all times."

Sprint launched its first streaming multimedia applications, available as part of its PCS Vision service, in January 2003. Wireless customers can get MobiTV or other streaming multimedia offerings when they sign up for one of several data service packages.

Each package includes either five or ten discretionary dollars that customers can spend on games, multimedia or other offerings. MobiTV costs $10 a month for unlimited usage and provides 18 content channels, which are primarily based on feeds from cable TV networks. Sprint also offers streaming multimedia services from V-Star, RealNetworks, Sony and Warner Music that start as low as three dollars a month. Some of the content is audio-only, but some of the music services include an accompanying visual slide show.

Sprint has more than a dozen phones that support the streaming multimedia offerings. Some come pre-loaded with the software required to access the content, while others require the user to download the software, which can be done over the air. The software provides a menu for content selection and provides connectivity to servers owned and managed by the content providers.

Other network operators, including Nextel and AT&T Wireless, also have begun to offer similar streaming multimedia services from some of the same content providers, although their offerings are not as extensive and may not include unlimited monthly usage. Content providers say they're seeing interest from all the major network operators, however. All of them seem to be gearing up to get more serious about streaming multimedia when a new generation of phones becomes available later this year that will support higher frame rates.

SRS Mobile EQ software-based graphic equalizer supports up to 10 frequency bands and offers superior audio quality through adjustable frequency band controls. Manufacturers can apply SRS Mobile EQ on a variety of mobile devices including mobile phones, PDAs and portable media players, providing extremely accurate control of frequency range. With Mobile EQ, SRS Labs introduces a proprietary filtering algorithm that minimizes interband interference. This is a marked improvement over EQ solutions currently in the market that use a series of bandpass filters where the filters in one band often cause interference in the adjacent frequency band.

For product developers, SRS Mobile EQ implementations can start as low as only 4 MIPS/channel. EQ is a standard function for music phones; however, in mobile phones battery life is always a critical factor because music listening time reduces talk time. SRS saw the need to provide a significantly lower MIPS/memory EQ for mobile devices, which not only saves precious battery life, but also provides up to a full 10-bands of extremely accurate EQ for superior sound quality for music and video. SRS Mobile EQ provides [+ or -]12dB per band to achieve higher quality sound at higher decibel levels on the small-sized speakers common to personal telecommunication and portable media devices, meeting the "loudness" requirements of many telecomm carriers.

For mobile phone and portable media device users, SRS Mobile EQ, one element of a range of mobile audio solutions from SRS, offers unprecedented audio control, allowing consumers to craft and save their preferred sound styles, for headphone and speaker listening, as personalized mobile music and video presets. In addition to user presets, SRS Labs, a leader in audio processing, has expertly tuned presets for SRS Mobile EQ.

SRS Labs is a leader in audio signal processing for consumer electronics. Founded in 1993, SRS Labs holds 129 worldwide patents, with another 34 pending, for advanced audio, voice and surround sound technologies that optimize and improve the listening experience through techniques based on research into the human auditory system. Through partnerships with leading global manufacturers and semiconductor and software partners, over one billion products have shipped worldwide utilizing SRS audio technologies, primarily from one of three main technology families, SRS WOW[R], SRS TruSurround[R] and SRS Circle Surround[R]. SRS Labs audio and voice processing provides the best possible sound from all content and in every environment including HDTVs, mobile phones, portable media devices, A/V components, PCs and automotive entertainment. And with 38 percent of the 58 million flat panel televisions shipped in 2006 featuring SRS audio processing, SRS Labs sets the standard for HDTV audio processing. Additionally, SRS Labs surround sound solutions provide the professional broadcast and recording industries with high- performance production, back-haul, storage, and transmission capability. SRS Labs supports manufacturers worldwide with offices in the US, China, Europe, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

Some head units are flimsy and weak. Some are built to last. Usually the best way to determine this is by the weight of the unit. Also, check to see if anything doesn't "fit", or if there are parts that are cheap or flimsy. The truth is this: The bigger name units tend to be better. Also, the more expensive units tend to be better. This isn't always a big deal for everyone, but I believe that build quality is very important.

Basic Head Unit Features:

Power output:

Most head units have built-in amplifiers. These drive the speakers. Some head units do not have internal amps, and therefore, require the use of an external amp. Head units without amps are usually high-end models. Anyway, power is measured in WATTS. We'll talk more about watts later, but for now, just see more watts as more volume. Most head units (unfortunately) are deceptive about the power output. Usually, the power output spec on a unit will say "50Wx4 MAX output". This means that when the laws of physics are on your side, it's a clear day everywhere in the world, the planets are aligned, the bass hits really really low and hard, and for about a tenth of a second, yeah, your head unit will put out 50Wx4. However, most of the time, your head unit is probably putting out a quarter of that. It's not that the head unit manufacturer is lying, it's just that they are exaggerating the truth, AND MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW BETTER. So, anyway, many people put a lot of importance on a head unit's power output. I don't because head unit amps suck, and no serious car audio person uses the head unit's amp anyway. Most head unit brands have about the same power output anyway. 9 times out of 10, an aftermarket head unit will put out more power than your factory head unit, and as such, will sound better.

RCA Preouts:

These are used to connect external amps to your head unit. These are the same red and white cables that you use for your home system. Basic head units usually have one set of preouts (front left, front right). Some head units have two sets (front left, front right, rear left, rear right), but most decent head units have 3 sets (front left, front right, rear left, rear right, subwoofer left, subwoofer right). One quick note about subwoofer outputs: Sometimes they're called "non-fading" outputs because they are not effected by the head unit's fade control (front to back balance). If you're not planning on adding an external amp, you don't need to worry about RCA pre-outs. If you want to add an external amp (or amps), I would always recommend getting a unit with three pre-outs.

RCA Pre-out voltage:

Usually this spec is next to pre-out spec. It is measured in VOLTS (which we'll go over later). Basically, the higher the voltage, the LOUDER the music will be at your amp. Don't look at this as "free power" because it is not. In addition, the higher the voltage, the less noise that will be introduced to your system. Again, this spec doesn't matter if you don't plan on using an external amp. If you do plan on using an external amp, try to find the HIGHEST voltage you can. 2 volts is basic, 4 is standard for a good unit, sometimes you'll see units with 5 volts. I know Eclipse units have 8V(!) pre-outs. In short, more voltage=less noise and cleaner sound.

Digital time correction:

This is used to simulate a perfect stereo environment. If you're at home listening to music, you want to situate yourself in the middle of the two speakers to get the best sound. The same is true in the car, EXCEPT that it's a hell of a lot more difficult. Usually, the passenger side speaker will be farther from your ear than the driver side. Since sound travels fairly slow (comparfed to light), you'll have one ear receiving a portion of sound before the other ear. The digital time correction delays the music slightly so your ears will be perceiving the same music at the same time. This is a very important feature if you are planning an SQ system.

Crossover:

This feature is incorporated into many components in a car audio system. If your head unit doesn't have it, don't worry. Just be sure your amps have it. Basically, this makes sure the right speakers are playing the right sounds. I will go into more detail about crossovers later.

Equalizer aka EQ:

This feature allows you to tweak the sound. The most basic EQ is a two-band, and controls BASS and TREBLE. Some head units have 3-bands, BASS, MIDS, TREBLE. More advanced head units have 5-band EQs. If you are serious about tweaking your sound to perfection, you won't use your head unit's EQ; You will get an external unit, and some of these units have 30 bands! I will go into much more detail about EQs later.

There are a few options when it comes to head unit security:

Detachable Faceplate:

The most common method is a detachable faceplate. Basically, you remove the faceplate of the unit (where the screen and controls are), and the unit won't function. This will deter thieves, but please don't leave the faceplate in your car. Thieves know most people do this, and will still break into your car, find the faceplate and steal your head unit.

Password:

Some other units have a password function. When the unit is disconnected from power, then reconnected, the unit will require some sort of password. The unit will not function until the password is provided.

Key CD:

A few units use a key CD. Basically, the first time the unit is used, the unit will ask for a key CD. You insert any CD, and the unit will now designate that CD as the key CD. If the power is disconnected, the unit will ask for the key CD before it will function again.

Black out face:

When the unit is off, the head unit has a completely black face with no visible buttons or controls. Come on. Criminals aren't so stupid that they can't see that the head unit still has its face attached.

Hidden faceplate:

This is common for DVD players with screens, and one unit that I used to own, the Alpine CDA-7998. Basically, the face folds into the head unit, and looks exactly like a unit with the faceplate removed. Neat, but the unit is still vulnerable.

In short, all of these tactics are imperfect. Pick the one that makes the most sense to you, however most units only have a detachable faceplate feature.

CD Changer controls/Optional equipment interface:

This is a feature that allows you to connect other peripherals to your head unit. These peripherals are often CD changers, digital music players, satellite radio units, and video equipment. With this feature on your head unit, you'll be able to add additional capabilities to your stereo system in a convenient way. However, most of these interfaces are only compatible with the same brand. In other words, you'll need an Alpine head unit with the Ai-net interface connected to an Alpine CD changer with the Ai-net interface.

Remote Controls:

Some head units have remote control capability. This is a handy feature because you can control the headunit without taking your eyes off of the road.

OK, so these are some of the features of head units. Now, let's look at the specs of specific types of head units.

Most head units have AM/FM capability built in. Check out this information on getting the best AM/FM performance possible.

Presets: This feature allows you to save your favorite radio stations, and instantly recall them at the push of a button.

HD Radio: A new radio format that is close in sound quality to CDs. Basically, a radio station broadcasts their usual programming, but with an additional signal that can be received by units with "HD radio" capability. The availability of units with this feature is still small, and most radio stations haven't yet embraced the technology. I do expect this technology to take off, however because the sound quality is better, and not everyone wants to pay for satellite radio.

RDS: AKA "Radio Data System". A new feature for FM radios. This technology makes it possible for radio stations to transmit text to your receiver. This text can be used to show the station title or the artist name, and other information.

FM Sensitivity: The ability of your unit to tune into a weak signal

FM Selectivity: The ability of your unit to reject interference from other stations.

FM Stereo Seperation: The ability of a tuner to recreate the proper left/right channel sepearation.

CD-R/CD-RW Playback: This feature guarantees that your unit will play a CD-R or CD-RW that was made with a CD recording device.

CD-Text: This feature displays CD text information that is encoded on some CDs. This information includes artist names, song titles and album titles.

MP3/WMA/iTunes Playback: This spec assures you that certain digital file formats can be played back on certain units.

ID3 Tag Display: Displays text (such as song title and album name) encoded into MP3 files.

DAC: Digital to Analog converter. This device takes the digital signal from your CD, and turns it into an analog signal for your amp. The better your DAC, the more "real" your sound will be.

CD Frequency Response: The range of frequencies that the CD player can reproduce. It should at least cover the 20hz-20,000hz range.

Electronic Shock Protection: This feature prevents your CDs from skipping. If your head unit doesn't offer this, don't buy it. However, most players have it, and technology has gotten pretty good lately, so it's unlikely that you'll have any problems with skipping.

Signal to noise ratio (s/n): A measure of how well a CD player silences noise. The higher the rating, the less noise.

Zero Bit Detect mute: When the CD player detects a series of 0's on the CD (such as between songs), it will automatically mute the output. This feature isn't really important, but is often advertised.

Oversampling: The CD Audio format has a resolution of 16 bits, with a sampling rate of 44.1khz. What the hell does that mean? I really don't know, but think of a digital picture. Zoom in really close to this picture, and you see pixels. Think of each pixel as a sample. When you increase the pixels, you increase the sharpness and quality of the picture. When a CD player has oversampling, it takes the 44.1khz, and turns it into a bigger number. More samples=More realistic sound. Confused? I know. I am too, but a unit with oversampling will sound better than one without. Of course, the good news is that pretty much every unit these days has this feature.

Auto Reverse: A feature that will automatically play the reverse side of a tape at the end of a side.

Dolby noise reduction: There are many Dolby technologies incorporated into tape decks. Most of these features exist to lower tape hiss, and raise the signal to noise ratio.

Frequency response: Again, the frequencies the tape deck respond to. Normal human hearning is from 20 to 20,000 hz.

Wow and flutter: This spec tells you how stable the tape deck playback speed is.

Now that you know some of the features of head units, you are ready to buy the right unit for YOU.

Alan Bayer is an entrepreneur and Car Audio enthusiast. He currently resides in some lame suburb in northern California.

Have you ever wanted to combine the benefits of commercial free satellite radio along with listening to your favorite MP3s, all while driving in your car? If so, Sirius Satellite Radio may offer the product that you’ve been looking for. While car receivers that allow you to listen to satellite radio and your favorite MP3 music have existed for some time now, a recent product released by Sirius Satellite Radio takes the satellite radio/MP3 combination to the next level.

The Sirius S50 is a satellite radio/MP3 player that you can listen to while you’re either riding in your car or sitting in the comfort of your home or office. The Sirius S50 comes with a car dock that connects the main unit to your vehicle. While the unit is connected to the car dock, you are able to listen to live Sirius Satellite Radio programming as well as any MP3s that you have stored on the 1GB flash memory unit. You can also pause and rewind the live satellite broadcasts as well as record up to 50 hours of your favorite Sirius Satellite Radio programming.

This unit also comes with a full color display which features channel logos and wallpaper so that you can easily identify the station that is currently playing. The neat My SIRIUS Channels feature automatically determines your three most listened to music channels and captures programming from each. Do you like to create playlists of your favorite MP3s? Well, you will find the Sirius S50 suitable to your needs as you can create playlists from your MP3s as well as from songs that you have recorded from your favorite Sirius broadcast channels. Additional features of the Sirius S50 include: game alerts that prompt you when your favorite teams are playing, a sports ticker with up to the minute scores, 30 channel presets, and a one touch channel jump button.

Along with the main unit itself, you also get a USB cable, earbuds, and PC software that allows you to download MP3s to the Sirius S50 from your PC. The software also supports streaming Sirius music channels over the Internet which is free with your Sirius Satellite Radio subscription. Currently the software is only available for Microsoft-based PCs, therefore all of you Mac users will have to go to your friend’s house to download your music if you decide to purchase the Sirius S50.

The really neat thing about this unit is that it also doubles as an IPOD-like MP3 player, as you are able to listen to your MP3s and pre-recorded Sirius channel programs with the earbuds that come with the unit. You can clip the Sirius S50 to your hip and listen to your favorite tunes on your way to school or work. The unit supplies up to 6 hours of playback on the rechargeable battery. If you’re in the market for an in-car satellite radio unit, you should definitely give the Sirius S50 a good hard look before you make your final purchase. While it may be a little pricier than your average satellite radio unit (Suggested Retail: $329.95), it really puts those extra dollars spent to good use.

Many people just spend too much and in some cases go into debt. What can make this particular situation worse is that people go into debt for a system they realize they do not even like. First, figure out how much money there is available to spend. Then decide how much of the car audio system needs to be replaced. At this point plan a budget – how much can you afford to spend? Therefore you can locate system components in your price range. Deciding what is most important in the car audio system and plan to spend more on the important items. Going over budget is the first and most common mistake car audio system buyers make.

Another thing to consider is how much of the car is going to need to be modified for your potential choices. For example, some speaker installation will require many modifications to be made to the car. Modifications will need to be made by a professional and therefore you will have to budget into the total cost of the car audio system parts as well as labor. Another car audio systems mistake is that the owner of the car does not think about the future. How long are you going to keep the car for? Will you sell the car with the new audio system or will you remove it before sale? Remember audio systems never increase the value of a car enough to balance what was spent on the audio system in the first place. Also, if you plan on remove the system before you sell the car that could be problematic. Having a radio and an audio system are high priorities when people are searching for a new car to buy.

When and for what do you use the car for? If the car sees a lot of use as well as wear and tear, then buying higher quality components like the car speakers is a great idea. Understandably, if you are spending more time in your car then at home you want to make sure it is as comfortable and entertaining as possible. However, if the car is only used for weekly shopping, low end parts are more appropriate.

Another car audio system mistake people make is choosing a system, which is not appropriate for the type of music they listen too. This is probably the most important factor, which should influence the choice of the right car audio system. If the music that you enjoy is strong, bass beats then a high-end power amplifier is needed. In addition, subwoofers would also be a good choice. However, if your music choice is at the opposite end of the music range then you will need a different audio system setup. For example, if you listen to classical music or trendy pop music, you will need to get a car audio that has a strong speaker system that offer even play of the sound spectrum.