In 2001 AOL launched a new mobile communicator program called "Anywhere". This would allow cell phone activity to link with online capabilities such as email and instant messaging…
With the flash and dash of 2006, Sony is the talk of the town with its installment of Mylo, "My Life Online", a newly designed mobile communicator. Mylo has been compared to the AOL mobile communicator, but there are a few differences between these two pocket sized communicators. Mylo, has a sheik design that can be a reminder of the PSP and can come in two colors of black or white. It's initial launch will be in September 2006. We can rest assure that Mylo will not only turn heads with its external designs, but also with a pocket full of features.
We will begin with the external beauty of Mylo weighing in at 0.2851lb (you do the math), with a 2.4" color screen, and size and durability like its bigger sister the PSP. Mylo will also feature a QWERTY keyboard that flips from under the LCD so that users can type without the hassle of repeated key entry, and also a Lithium-ion battery for longer talking and web browsing. For the internal junkies, the Mylo will come with 900MB of free space to store and playback MP3, WMA or ATRAC music. You will have the use of a Memory Stick slot to add even more memory to your Mylo. Other abilities include the ability to browse any HTML website, and you can even watch MPEG-4 videos and view JPEG image files.
Communication functions for the Mylo will allow users to access Google Talk, Skype, and Yahoo messenger to send instant messages to friends across the globe. You will also be able to access your email from your Mylo by using the Wi-Fi broadband connection. Owners of Mylo will also be able to make free internet calls by using the broadband connection, not cellular. The free-online calling function and Wi-Fi broadband only connection has caused a bit of speculation over the pricing for the service. Also, there is further speculation over the availability for connection to the internet. The mobile communicator lacks cell phone capability, and will have to rely solely on Wi-Fi broadband connection such as "Hot Spots" in order to attain access to the internet. Sony backed up these issues by saying that there will be about 20,000 "Hot Spot" listings to assist users in searching for internet access. They also claimed that there will be no service fee for using the service, such as AOL that charged its user $40 a month to access the "Anywhere" service.
This disadvantage may cause a devastating blow to Mylo, but Sony with their advanced features and the stylish look of Mylo, hope that consumers do mind being a little patient to get connected to the net. The cost for Mylo will run in the $350 range, which is $20 more than what AOL sold their "Anywhere" network for at $330 back in 2001. With technology ever changing the way that the world can communicate with each other, whether it be your Sidekick's, Palm Pilot's, Blackberry's or other mobile communicators, I believe that Mylo will have great success this fall.
by: Teschia L. Blakley
President & CEO
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