A local body shop owner explained to me recently how the center brake light that began showing up on the rear deck of cars a few years ago killed business for him and his pals. Seems that all of a sudden, folks weren't rear-ending each other as often.

The future is still bright for satellite radio. On December 8, XM Satellite Radio Holdings, Inc. announced that it had signed a deal with Toyota Motor Corporation to begin factory-level installation of XM receivers in 2006. The most popular brand of automobile in the world, Toyota is the last large automaker to commit to either XM or its competitor, Sirius Satellite Radio.

<B>BRIAN WILSON: <I>SMiLE</I></B><BR>
Nonesuch 79846-2 (CD). 2004. Brian Wilson, prod., mix; Mark Linett, eng.; Kevin Deane, Daneil S. McCoy, Pete Magdaleno, asst. engs.; Darian Sahanaja, mix. AAD? TT: 47:01<BR>
Performance <B>****&#189;</B><BR>
Sonics <B>****</B> (footnote 1)<BR>

In early 2000, the British magazine <I>The Economist</I> published a lead editorial addressing America Online's acquisition of media giant Time Warner. In the editors' view, TW was a clunky, old-style media company that needed a fresh injection of dot-com blood to help them reach a more narrowly targeted audience. "Sex, shopping and violence," the editors wrote, echoing Internet visionary George Gilder, "...are what people have in common. What differentiates them is their enthusiasm for folk music, tropical fish, or Viennese waltzes."

It didn't seem like such a big deal. After all, when designer Kevin Voecks added a passive radiator to the bottom of Revel Loudspeakers' powerful <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/loudspeakerreviews/90">Ultima Sub 15</A> subwoofer, no one expected that the resulting 6dB increase in bass output below 35Hz would be so audible. However, Revel's sophisticated double-blind listening tests (described in my review of their flagship <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/loudspeakerreviews/96">Ultima Salon</A> full-range loudspeaker in the March 1999 <I>Stereophile</I>, revealed that a big change had occurred. With now twice the radiating surface, the modified Sub 15 produced significantly deeper, more powerful bass.

It didn't seem like such a big deal. After all, when designer Kevin Voecks added a passive radiator to the bottom of Revel Loudspeakers' powerful <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/loudspeakerreviews/90">Ultima Sub 15</A> subwoofer, no one expected that the resulting 6dB increase in bass output below 35Hz would be so audible. However, Revel's sophisticated double-blind listening tests (described in my review of their flagship <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/loudspeakerreviews/96">Ultima Salon</A> full-range loudspeaker in the March 1999 <I>Stereophile</I>, revealed that a big change had occurred. With now twice the radiating surface, the modified Sub 15 produced significantly deeper, more powerful bass.

It didn't seem like such a big deal. After all, when designer Kevin Voecks added a passive radiator to the bottom of Revel Loudspeakers' powerful <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/loudspeakerreviews/90">Ultima Sub 15</A> subwoofer, no one expected that the resulting 6dB increase in bass output below 35Hz would be so audible. However, Revel's sophisticated double-blind listening tests (described in my review of their flagship <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/loudspeakerreviews/96">Ultima Salon</A> full-range loudspeaker in the March 1999 <I>Stereophile</I>, revealed that a big change had occurred. With now twice the radiating surface, the modified Sub 15 produced significantly deeper, more powerful bass.

It didn't seem like such a big deal. After all, when designer Kevin Voecks added a passive radiator to the bottom of Revel Loudspeakers' powerful <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/loudspeakerreviews/90">Ultima Sub 15</A> subwoofer, no one expected that the resulting 6dB increase in bass output below 35Hz would be so audible. However, Revel's sophisticated double-blind listening tests (described in my review of their flagship <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/loudspeakerreviews/96">Ultima Salon</A> full-range loudspeaker in the March 1999 <I>Stereophile</I>, revealed that a big change had occurred. With now twice the radiating surface, the modified Sub 15 produced significantly deeper, more powerful bass.

It didn't seem like such a big deal. After all, when designer Kevin Voecks added a passive radiator to the bottom of Revel Loudspeakers' powerful <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/loudspeakerreviews/90">Ultima Sub 15</A> subwoofer, no one expected that the resulting 6dB increase in bass output below 35Hz would be so audible. However, Revel's sophisticated double-blind listening tests (described in my review of their flagship <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/loudspeakerreviews/96">Ultima Salon</A> full-range loudspeaker in the March 1999 <I>Stereophile</I>, revealed that a big change had occurred. With now twice the radiating surface, the modified Sub 15 produced significantly deeper, more powerful bass.