Sol Trujillo, controversial head of Australian telephone provider, Telstra, has had his pocket picked. Worse still a mobile phone, probably the same as that illustrated, loaded with top-secret software was nicked at  the same time.

The new-generation software was on a phone given to Mr Trujillo in Barcelona, Spain this week at the World Mobile Congress — which attracts the heads of the world telephone organization . . . . and the world’s best pickpockets. (Before we all feel smug about Trujillo losing a cellphone I had a smallish laptop lifted in broad-daylight near where the Congress is being held. It made me feel very stupid.)

Details are as yet a little scarce but the reports in the press suggest phone is thought to to be either an HTC Touch Pro2 or the HTC Touch Diamond2, which operates on the new Windows Mobile 6.5 software.

A Telstra spokesman yesterday confirmed the phone was given to Mr Trujillo, but said it was in the possession of a senior Telstra executive at the time of the theft.

So someone else will take the rap. As is only right and proper.

Steve Ballmer, head of Microsoft, only unveiled the software this week which is burn before reading material. Journalists were not even allowed to touch the phone. (At a guess, if this story gets any sort of a run in the local papers the pickpocket, whose first language may not be Spanish, will learn of it and a little discreet blackmail will get the cell phone back. It has happened before.)

The phone — not the stolen one but an exact copy —  will be on sale in the US by June, with the new software following by the end of the year. The advertising could be spectacular: “At last, the mobile worth stealing.”

The Windows software on the stolen phone provides users with one-touch access to their favorite songs from their music library, their latest mail messages or their favorite social networking applications.

One can imagine what the message might say. “I am from Barcelona. I know nothing.”

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Entry was posted on Wednesday, February 18th, 2009 at 1:25 pm under Uncategorized.

Read more entries by Gareth Powell.
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