Is it me? The rant continues. I just don't get the giddy excitement over push-to-talk. People please - these were the walkie-talkies you had as a kid. I understand there are applications that this niche fits - fine - but to supplant normal cell phones? half duplex instead of full duplex? no privacy? this is worse for the user, and worse for the people around him. How many have you have EVER used the 3-way calling feature on your mobile phone?? why don't companies just make THAT feature n-way calling and group services and presence info??

McCarthy said he was recently dismayed to discover someone using the walkie-talkie service while working out at the gym.

"It was absolutely annoying," he said. "I was at the gym the other day and someone was talking on it for about 10 minutes. It beeps every time (a walkie-talkie call comes in) and he had it on speakerphone, and was talking away."

Here's the full story from Wired Wired News: 'Push-to-Talk' Spreading Fast