I'm not too sure about this product here...it depends on wireless, which doesn't seem to be having the penetration it should. It is still an expensive technology to implement. I remember an Intel presentation I attended last year where their legendary CEO Craig Barrett showed an image of the entire Jumeirah area near the Burj under the umbrella of WiMax. I don't think thats happening any time soon.
Instant success for Sony
Hoping to tap into the growth of wireless networks across college campuses, other public spaces and within homes, Sony is introducing a new pocket-sized gadget for instant messaging and other internet-based communications.
The Sony mylo, slated for availability in September at a retail price of about $350, is a first-of-its-kind product that uses Wi-Fi networks, analysts say. It is not a cellular phone and thus doesn't carry monthly service fees. And though it could handle web-based e-mail services, it doesn't support corporate e-mail programs.
Instead, the slim, oblong-shaped gizmo that has a 2.4-inch display and slides open to expose a thumb keyboard is specifically geared toward young, mainstream consumers for messaging and internet-based calls. As long as a Wi-Fi network is accessible, a mylo user could chat away or browse the web.
The mylo — which stands for "my life online," — will be marketed toward 18- to 24-year olds, the multitasking generation that relies heavily on instant messaging and is already viewing e-mail as passe, Sony said.
Sony has partnered with Yahoo and Google to integrate their instant-messaging services, and is looking to expand mylo's support to other services as well, most notably the leading messaging provider, America Online.
