CTIA Wireless, baby -- Blackberry-in-holster heaven

It’s not actually CTIA Wireless today.  The show starts on the first of April — tomorrow — but I popped down today to have a poke about and to see if I can connect with the folks at M:Metrics after a recommendation from regular SMS Text News contributor Ed Cave who’s just joined them.  They’re exhibiting at the Mobile Entertainment Live exhibition across the road at the Las Vegas Hilton.  I think my badge lets me get in.  We shall see.

I would, at this juncture, publish various photos of folk setting up and looking stressed and whatnot.  Unfortunately thanks to British Airways and their screw up at Terminal 5, my little USB device for reading pictures on my Sony camera is in the middle of my suitcase somewhere in London.  Ergo, pictures soon, once I have found somewhere in Las Vegas to buy a Sony camera card reader.

I’m sad to report that I am surrounded by Blackberry-in-holster people.  Everywhere.  And what’s more, bluetooth wireless headsets have been breading big time.  Twice in the last 30 minutes I have turned round thinking someone was asking me a question only to find that people were talking away on their sodding bluetooth headsets.  The trouble with those is that it doesn’t mask your voice.  A phone — even a RAZR — gets in the way of voice projection.  You usually speak *into* the phone.  With a bluetooth dongle hanging out your ear, you chat to the open world and make it very difficult to quickly ascertain whether you’re being talked to. 

I will see if I can take some pictures — some documentary evidence.  It’s all highly unnecessary.  I know this is a Wireless conference but there is a) no excuse for phones in holsters and b) LITTLE excuse for the use of bluetooth dongle things when you’re not driving or fixing a leaking sink.

There’s a huge Nokia Siemens Networks van outside the convention centre sporting a rather large satellite dish.  That’s next to an array of mini Smart Cars covered in WiMAX livery.  I shall investigate that.

My first takeaway from CTIA is this:  There are far too many executives with Blackberries in holsters.  I’m reasonably confident that each of the polo-shirted chaps I’ve walked by today wouldn’t know a mobile application (for example) if it slapped him across the face with a wet fish.   There’s nothing wrong with the Blackberry platform.  I have one.  The issue I have is that these folks *have* a Blackberry because they’ve been given it.  They smile weakly when challenged and explain that they have a shitty Pay As You Go at home in the drawer but that ‘the Blackberry works’.  How then, I want to ask — but don’t, usually, out of politeness — do you profess to speak with authority about mobile stuff when you’re only exposure is to your email — when you don’t even use Google Talk on your Blackberry, let alone the satellite navigation or web browser functions.

Perhaps my immediate opinion is wrong and here’s hoping.  I will take a random sample and report back.

Only seen one guy wearing socks and sandals so far.