10/23/95 HERE COME THE HELL'S NERDS

HERE COME THE HELL'S NERDS

DESPITE LOTS OF HIGH-octane hype, sales of wireless handheld communicators--such as the Apple Computer Inc. Newton--have never gotten out of first gear. So Motorola Cellular Service Inc., which makes the Envoy communicator, came up with an idea: Why not attach the gizmo to a Vespa scooter and, as a spokesman puts it, ``expose it to a new audience.''
The Motorola Inc. unit has teamed up with underwear maker Joe Boxer to create the Cyberscooter--just the thing for fashion- and technology-minded road warriors. The polka-dotted motor scooter is equipped with Motorola's MicroTac Elite cellular phone and an Envoy, allowing simultaneous I-way and byway cruising for the terminally bored. Also included in the deal are a bright yellow ``happy face'' helmet, 30 pairs of hip boxer shorts, and your very own page on Joe Boxer's World Wide Web site (www.joeboxer.com).
How much? Just $10,000, exclusively through Neiman Marcus' 1995 Christmas catalog. Could be just the gift for your favorite nerd who has everything.
EDITED BY JOHN W. VERITY