We're live at CTIA 2008 in San Francisco and the Keynote is set to begin in about 10 minutes. On tap is Marco Boerries of Yahoo's "Connected Life Division," plus CEOs of T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, plus the Chairman of Clearwire.

What to expect? We're hoping for new software from Yahoo (Yahoo Go 4.0 would be nice), maybe a mention of the Kickstart from T-Mobile, and perhaps a surprise or two from Verizon and Sprint -- i.e. it's be nice if Hesse talked up Windows Mobile this year instead of the silly Instinct.

Anyhow, it will be relatively low-key, but hit us up after the break for what news we can gather!

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Much of this week at WMExperts has been devoted to pounding the drumbeat leading up to CTIA 2008. We told you that we're expecting Windows Mobile 6.1, showed you about a third of the gear we're packing, and pimped our brand new Twitter feed and Flickr too. Then we had to turn that hyperventilation into a holding of breath as we took the very organization hosting this fine event behind the woodshed for their support for crappy wireless corporate practices. Maybe that article will cause Steve Largent will pull us out the registration line just like an Evolutionist at an Intelligent Design Movie Premier. You never know.

Speaking of people messing up wireless, Motorola decided that it would be a good idea to split in two someday, the press release said all but “We are synergetically realigning the chairs on the Titanic as it merges into this iceberg.” We also grabbed a firmer date of the Treo 800w's purported release, a firmer idea of what the 800w's connector would be, and of course nattered about all of the above for nearly an hour and a half in the WMExperts podcast.

Reviews? We had them too: Blueant Supertooth Light Bluetooth Speakerphone, Monaco Rubber Trim Case for Cingular 3125, and Facade Today Screen Customizer.

All that great stuff almost makes us this excited. Almost.

Let's get one thing clear: we're fond of this CTIA Wireless conference we're headed to. Fond because it's a hotspot of Mobile gadgetry and, just as importantly, a hotbed of people who think clearly and deeply about what mobile gadgetry can do for our lives. It's all sponsored by, naturally, the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association, which is essentially a trade group representing all the heavy hitters in the mobile world.

There's a rub there, though, and it's not that we're filthy Communists who hate all corporations. We just have a love/hate with certain corporations because they so often limit the way we can (and should) use our mobile devices. The term here is “Walled Garden” and we've been railing against them basically since WMExperts has been founded. CTIA does bequeath a great conference unto us and does manage to do some lobbying for good for the companies that they represent -- but they also do lobbying for evil.

Evil you say? Then why truck with evil? Answers to both questions after the break.

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Updated: We've added a ton of photos to the liveblog, after the break. Don't forget - there's real live shots of the all new Blackjack II in red inside!

We're waiting for Steve Ballmer's keynote to start. We're expecting him to announce some server-side services for Windows Mobile to compete with the Blackberry Enterprise Server stuff - device management and whatnot. But you never know - this is, after all, a conference dedicated to “Wireless IT” and “Entertainment.” Dieter wants Slingbox capability built into Windows Media Center - but that's shooting the moon.

In any case, click through and get ready to hit that refresh button. We're starting up in 10.

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Just over a month ago we reported that the International Trade Commission wants to ban 3G chips from being imported into the US because they violated Broadcom patents (Story here). I know a guy who works for Broadcom, and he seems nice enough, but I'm starting to feel like maybe I should punch him in the neck (plus, they're in cahoots with that other popular phone).

In any case, CTIA (they of the superfun wireless conventions) is asking the President to veto the ban because, if it's allowed to stand, they think it will cause $21.1 billion (with a "B") in economic damage. This PDF link provides all the details about how the sky will fall if this isn't stopped. The Spice 3G Must Flow. You go get 'em, CTIA!

CTIA-The Wireless Association® is deeply concerned that the ITC order banning new models of wireless broadband handsets will cause unprecedented economic harm to tens of millions of American wireless consumers, and because of that we urge President Bush to veto the order

Read: MobileCrunch » CTIA Calls for Veto of ITC Chip Ban

Day One-Half, technically, where we go to a press-only event that preceded CTIA proper. What happened at this pre-show show? Lots of fun ogling some of the latest and greatest coming out soon. Read on for impressions of the HTC Vox, the Samsung i760, and the Motorola Q9.

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I didn't go to 3GSM, which made me weep. I didn't go to CeBIT in Germany either, which I'm not too sad about, as MobileBurn points out:

In case you haven't noticed, and I wouldn't blame you for not noticing, CeBIT is taking place right now in Hannover, Germany. As you might have guessed, the mobile phone industry has all but abandoned that show in favor of last month's 3GSM show in Barcelona.

Nevertheless, I suppose it's worth noting that a couple WM devices poked their head out at CeBIT. I'm not very sure these'll make their way to the US, but if you're an importing and unlocking fiend, you may want to take a look at the new E-Ten Glofish X800 that Engadget caught a nice photo of (a whole gallery, actually).

Sure, I said before that I thought the Asus P526 stood a chance of gracing these shores. But I'm not holding my breath for official carrier support.

Like MobileBurn, I'm expecting bigger and better news from CTIA in Orlando next week. Here's even better news: WMExperts will be there providing coverage from the conference.