The pocket-size device comes embedded with the ‘Google Talk’ instant messaging service, Skype and ‘Yahoo! Messenger’. These services are free.
It’s ideal for people who want to stay connected to their online friends and family, but not be weighed down by a PC or buffeted by charges for IM and texting on cell phones, says John Kodera, director of product marketing for personal communication devices at Sony Electronics.
Sony says the Mylo encourages users to roam available wireless networks, by incorporating JiWire’s hotspot directory which lists more than 20,000 Wi-Fi networks in the US.
The device’s embedded HTML browser lets users connect to full web-pages on the internet, as well as receive text emails with web mail services like the Yahoo! Mail and Gmail web mail services.
The communicator comes with 1GB of flash memory to store music and photos, offers 45 hours of music playback, seven hours of instant messaging and web surfing, and three hours of Skype telephone call time. Skype software is built in, allowing registered users to make free internet calls with the 113 million other Skype users worldwide.
Sony says the Mylo will be available in September for $350.
