As last year's hurricanes and tornadoes demonstrated, Mother Nature can be devastating. When the storms came and the power went, some people relied on high-tech innovations to cope.
Skip Holmes and his family, for instance, turned to their vehicle's TracVision satellite TV antenna to stay constantly connected to live television updates. Rugged and durable, TracVision antennae pick up hundreds of channels of DirecTV satellite television, ensuring that travelers on the road - and people whose homes have lost power - have access to live news and real-time weather.
Holmes, an expert in mobile electronics, was one of millions of Florida residents pummeled by four hurricanes in a row last August and September.
With no power inside their home, Holmes and his family often could be found in their driveway, huddled together in their Chevrolet Tahoe watching live satellite TV using their TracVision A5.
"We would actually run out the front door to the car in the middle of the storm," Holmes said. "There were periods of rain that were so bad, you couldn't even see across the street. Quite frequently, I'd be sitting in my SUV, watching The Weather Channel. Throughout it all, we never lost the reception."
That live TV access helped the family keep up with the hurricanes, especially after original forecasts began to change. It also came in handy in the two long weeks that they were without power after the storms.
In less chaotic situations, Holmes and his family enjoy their TracVision A5 on long road trips.
The TracVision A5 sits 5 inches high and receives more than 125 channels of satellite TV and commercial-free music while a vehicle is in motion.
