Here's a quick look at some of the highlights from last week's CTIA Wireless 2005 show in New Orleans, where the cell phone industry trots out the latest cell phones and other handheld devices that aim to ooh and ahh us through the spring and early summer.

LG showed off its VX8100, successor to the VX8000 phone currently being sold by Verizon Wireless that works on the Code Division Multiple Access Evolution-Data Optimized network and has the ability to view on-demand video clips. The VX8100 phone has all the features of the VX8000 (including a 1.3-megapixel camera with a flash and a camcorder that can record up to 15 seconds of video) with the addition of Bluetooth connectivity and a mini-Secure Digital memory card slot for additional storage.  LG and Sprint also announced the MM-535, a phone with a slider design that also includes a 1.3-megapixel digital camera, mini-SD card slot, speakerphone and 3-D sound capabilities. Pricing and availability of the phones was not announced.

There are always accessory-related announcements at the show, and Bluetooth headsets are always in abundance. Plantronics showed off two new headsets, a premium model code-named Tahiti features an entry-level headset (code-named Tonga) that has up to nine hours of talk time and has an easier way to answer and end phone calls, and adjust the volume (instead of multiple buttons, users press one button to answer/end calls or move it forward or backward to adjust the volume). Plantronics officials say the Tonga headset will cost around $50, making it affordable for first-time Bluetooth headset users. Pricing for premium models usually ranges from $70 up to $150.

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Here's a quick look at some of the highlights from last week's CTIA Wireless 2005 show in New Orleans, where the cell phone industry trots out the latest cell phones and other handheld devices that aim to ooh and ahh us through the spring and early summer.

LG showed off its VX8100, successor to the VX8000 phone currently being sold by Verizon Wireless that works on the Code Division Multiple Access Evolution-Data Optimized network and has the ability to view on-demand video clips. The VX8100 phone has all the features of the VX8000 (including a 1.3-megapixel camera with a flash and a camcorder that can record up to 15 seconds of video) with the addition of Bluetooth connectivity and a mini-Secure Digital memory card slot for additional storage.  LG and Sprint also announced the MM-535, a phone with a slider design that also includes a 1.3-megapixel digital camera, mini-SD card slot, speakerphone and 3-D sound capabilities. Pricing and availability of the phones was not announced.

There are always accessory-related announcements at the show, and Bluetooth headsets are always in abundance. Plantronics showed off two new headsets, a premium model code-named Tahiti features an entry-level headset (code-named Tonga) that has up to nine hours of talk time and has an easier way to answer and end phone calls, and adjust the volume (instead of multiple buttons, users press one button to answer/end calls or move it forward or backward to adjust the volume). Plantronics officials say the Tonga headset will cost around $50, making it affordable for first-time Bluetooth headset users. Pricing for premium models usually ranges from $70 up to $150.

Sometimes you don't need a cell phone-related product to make a splash at the show. GN Netcom was showing off its GN 9350, a wireless headset that connects to a traditional desktop phone and can be connected to VoIP applications through an integrated USB adapter. With the click of a button on the wireless headset, users can switch from their office phones to VoIP soft phone applications and answer different calls. The company wasn't saying what wireless technology it was using, but said it wasn't Bluetooth because it wants to achieve a range of up to 450 feet in an office environment. The 9350 also includes digital signal processing technology that is designed to help enhance and clean up the incoming signal to help improve call sound quality, GN Netcom says. For example, the headset can monitor and adjust the signal volume on each call (whether it comes from a VoIP connection or a regular analog call) so that users hear every call at the same level. It also features an extendable boom arm and noise-canceling microphone, so it can adjust to the shape of a user's face more comfortably. The device is scheduled to be available in the fall. Pricing was not announced

The product I got most excited about had no cell phone network attached to it. Research In Motion showed a prototype of its upcoming 7270 handheld, which uses a Wi-Fi connection to provide users with the same wireless e-mail capability they get through a wide-area connection. While some users might scoff at having a Wi-Fi-only connection, this device should be interesting to corporations that have a Wi-Fi network on their campuses. They can have a device that lets roaming employees (not road warriors but those who wander from their desks) keep up-to-date on their e-mail and a VoIP application that lets them make and receive phone calls as if they had never left their desks. More details are promised later this spring.