After a relatively uneventful drive from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, I, your humble technology reporter, has finally arrived to Gitex. The conference hasn't yet begun and I'm one of the only reporters sitting along the rows of HP laptops (outfitted with Windows 7, no less) with a Mac. Actually, I'm one of the only reporters here, period. In any case, you might want to bookmark the Beep Beep blog starting now as I'll be providing in-depth coverage of the event throughout the week. Interviews, quirky tidbits, geek news, that sort of thing. Just as long as there's enough caffeine around to keep me going. To start things off, check out the regarding Etisalat launching a new entertainment portal - think Xbox Live and iTunes, but geared for the UAE resident. And, if you're actually at Gitex, feel free to drop me a line at or via my . <i>(Photo: Flowers in the media room? At least it adds some colour to the bare white walls. Looking towards the maze of exhibtors in the Sheikh Saeed Hall. Credit: David George-Cosh / The National)</i>