World's biggest mobile show opens

It seemed only fitting that I use my mobile phone to make my way to Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress, so for the first time I downloaded my boarding pass to my iPhone, checked in while on a bus, and handed my phone to the British Airways check-in staff upon arrival at Terminal Five. She did not blink an eye. I'm not sure why I waited so long to fully use the BA app. Then, of course, I promptly turned my phone off after getting to the gate, and then had to stand aside to restart the damn thing (why does the iPhone take so long to boot up?). Lesson learned. Then we were packed into the A321 full of tech geeks and gurus. I had a look around and saw the normal amount of iPhones, BlackBerrys and iPads. But I also noticed a healthy number of Nokia phones with Windows OS. Nokia’s Lumia phone was a star at the CES in January. We await Nokia's press conference Monday to see what handsets Europeans can get their hands on. Of course HTC, Samsung, Huawei, Blackberry and the rest will also have something to say. I want to have a good look at any of their new super fast quad-core devices – only a year on from dual-core phones hitting the market. Then there is the so-called hybrid devices – bigger than a phone and smaller than a tablet. Think of a 5-inch screen. Samsung and LG are leading this drive. But it’s too big for my pocket, right? I've also read of a new tablet with a detachable phone (sounds fun) that would negate the need for a hybrid. We then have to get used to Android 4.0, with the tasty codename “Ice Cream Sandwich.” With Android quickly taking half the smart phone OS pie, any hardware maker showing off 4.0 deserves a look in. There will also be a car unveiled at Barcelona – a first for Mobile World. Stay tuned for that one. Oh, and forgive any spelling mistakes, I write everything at this conference on my beloved BB Bold. When in Barcelona...