Sartorial snafus and giant chocolate bars at wireless show
Published: 20 Mar 2003 09:35 GMT
Sky Dayton left centre stage at the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA) conference this week with a Reese's peanut butter cup in his pocket and the sting of being caught wearing the same outfit two years in a row.
His sartorial snafu was literally caught on tape. A video clip was played of his appearance at last year's convention to reintroduce him and his company Boingo Wireless to this year's crowd.
In the clip, Dayton was wearing a black sweater, white T-shirt and beige khakis, the same outfit he was currently wearing on stage at the Ernst Morial Convention Center.
"I'd like to complement you on your new sweater" quipped Tom Wheeler, president of the CTIA. Wheeler was interviewing Dayton on stage.
The giant-size Reese's came into play at the end of the 20-minute chat. Dayton calls the ongoing merging of Wi-Fi and cellular networks "the peanut butter in my chocolate thing", a reference to an old Reese's ad campaign about a surprising and initially unwelcome combination that turns out to be great. Reese's peanut butter cups are a combination of peanut butter and chocolate.
Wheeler presented him with the chocolate bar as a parting gift.
Phone crushing
Some people download icons of furry creatures to serve as a background for their mobile phone's screen. Others fill their tiny screens with just their name and phone number.
Handset maker Kyocera's chief executive Skip Speaks does neither. He's adorned his phone's screen with the words "Crush Samsung", he said.
At least his phone wasn't broken. One handset maker unveiled a new mobile phone with a screen that swivels 180 degrees until it faces outward. It's meant to make it easier for people to show off photos or videos.
Alas, as the vendor tells it, someone thought they had the "swivel phone" in their hands and tried to see what all the fuss was about. But he actually had the wrong phone, and wrenched it nearly in two finding out.
A rosy glow
The aforementioned Tom Wheeler would like to set the record straight: He's not pregnant.
Never one to miss a straight line, Wheeler was asked before the conference began whether he'd be announcing something of a "personal nature" to start things off. It was a roundabout way of trying to confirm his supposedly upcoming departure as CTIA president.
"Something of a personal nature? Like, 'I'm pregnant?'" he responded. "No, I can put that rumor to rest. I'm not expecting."
Not only was the question badly phrased, it was badly timed. Wheeler had already announced his pending departure a few days earlier.
Ted-isms
Ted Turner isn't called "Captain Outrageous" for nothing.
During his hour-long address to CTIA Wireless 2003 attendees on Wednesday, the air conditioning units made a loud and short whirring sound as they kicked into high gear.
"The war must have started," Turner said.
When interviewer Wheeler asked him about his previous failures, Turner suggested "my marriages".
And with his hour nearing its end, he suggested his own wrap-up question: What would I put on my tombstone?
"I have nothing more to say," he said, and left the stage about one minute later.
Schwag that's flushable
What would a convention be without "schwag", or the pens, hats, T-shirts and other baubles vendors give away for free to attract visitors to their booths?
The prize for best giveaway goes to Nextel Communications, which announced a new business relationship with Roto-Rooter, a US drain-cleaning company, at the show. To commemorate it, they were giving away coffee mugs shaped like toilet bowls, emblazoned with the Roto-Rooter logo.
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