Sony mylo 2 firmware version 1.100 adds WMV and SHOUTcast support

Sony's do-everything-except-for-make-calls mylo has been updated to firmware version 1.100, and is now available at Sony's support site as a 61MB download. Because you ran out of things to do with your mylo about, say, ten minutes after unboxing it, rejoice -- the update adds WMV file support, SHOUTcast widget support (the widget is a separate download), a "Game" item on the HOME menu for easier access to all those games you downloaded to the COM-2 unit, and, of course, improved "system stability".

[Via Pocketables]

[Sam Zebian @ Apr 12th 2008 3:08PM]

They probably blocked an exploit like they do on the PSP

[Jamma @ Apr 12th 2008 3:12PM]

I doubt it. there's not much to exploit.

But at least Sony are supporting it

[nxtiak @ Apr 12th 2008 3:18PM]

Does anyone know anybody that owns one of these?
I saw the original Mylo at a Sony store in a mall in Vegas. That's it.

[Flashpoint @ Apr 12th 2008 3:23PM]

They should have added GSM

[prateeko @ Apr 12th 2008 3:33PM]

Seriously. Why not throw on a little GSM/3G support and make it a solid alternative to the sidekick?

Seems like Sony isn't realizing the full potential of this device in its current state.

[Rob @ Apr 12th 2008 3:46PM]

@prateeko:
In true Sony practice, they kept up with their habit of releasing hardware with great potential in a crippled state. Leave it to the open-source community to bring value to their wares. XBMC, nice. PSP with Pandora's battery, beautiful. And so on, and so forth. But, I need to read more about the Mylo2.

[LesbianHam @ Apr 12th 2008 4:12PM]

You can't compare XBMC with a hacked PSP. XBMC is fucking amazing, and so is a hacked psp, but a hacked psp is just that, a hacked system, whereas XBMC is one app on a hacked system.

Sorry, no idea why I felt that was important enough for me to say, but I've had a bit to drink and I felt it should have been said.

As you were! :)

[starkruzr @ Apr 13th 2008 4:23AM]

Are these even hackable? Do they run a remotely useful OS or some proprietary Sony garbage?

[JohnTitor @ Apr 12th 2008 3:25PM]

they should get rid of the Spiderman fonts

[Zorque @ Apr 12th 2008 7:09PM]

They must have paid a lot for someone to design it, because they're damn sure trying to get their money's worth.

[paul-engadget @ Apr 12th 2008 3:28PM]

the mylo1 ran linux and trolltech's qtopia, but most of it was closed source, and noone could be bothered to try and unlock it (as they have with the archos and other linux devices). I wonder if the mylo2 also runs linux+qt+ and whether anyone can be bothered to break this one or they couldn't care less.

note: the above saying is the correct version. "couldn't care less" means you don't care at all. some idiots say "I could care less" which means they still care at least little bit, which is often NOT what they mean.

[paul-engadget @ Apr 12th 2008 3:29PM]

ps. why didn't Sony combine the PSP and the Mylo?

[Rob @ Apr 12th 2008 3:42PM]

So they can sell you two products, which seem to have very similar functions, in two different packaging.

[kyle allen @ Apr 12th 2008 4:09PM]

once the voip feature comes out for the psp than it will be the ultimate power in the universe... or did it already come out? i havent been paying enough attention

[tekdroid @ Apr 13th 2008 7:42AM]

Because as a gaming system, the PSP competes with the DS. Why pay to include functionality only a small piece of the market will want?

Even a cost reduction of one dollar per unit to Sony means millions in lost revenue because they sell heaps of these things (assuming they sell at the same price, and if they don't sell at the same price, every dollar extra counts against it versus the DS, and faces the risk of being considered too expensive.

Not to mention associated support and RMA issues a more complex / fragile device will have.

Not always a Sony fan by any stretch but some devices just need to be different for different markets in order to make a decent return on investment and to compete basically in its core competencies without pricing itself out of the market.

[tekdroid @ Apr 13th 2008 7:58AM]

"Even a cost reduction of one dollar per unit to Sony means millions in lost revenue because they sell heaps of these things"
---
Sorry, that was meant to read "even a cost increase of one dollar...". By that I mean manufacturing cost.

PS. I would love a keyboard myself, but I can definitely understand why it's not happening (and won't IMO, unless Nintendo releases their DS or equivalent with a keyboard and Sony has to compete, basically...which won't happen, IMO).

[rexmo @ May 1st 2008 10:39PM]

Huh

[xValentine @ Apr 12th 2008 3:46PM]

Well if they will make the Mylo a mobile phone, it will be Sony Ericsson and not "Sony" only.

[Jonathan-DBOSS @ Apr 12th 2008 3:55PM]

Mylo =

Myloest. pun. ever.

[cswallow01 @ Apr 12th 2008 4:03PM]

WOW!!! That's 2 more features than they added to the Mylo 1. They didn't add crap to the Mylo 1 via a firmware update and I know they could've added more!

I have a PSP, PS3 and Mylo 1. I have no intentions of getting the Mylo 2 until they drop the price to $199 and add Location Free support, which I'm sure it can do!

Besides, I played with a Mylo 2 last night at Fry's and it wasn't very fast just operating the GUI. For $299.99 and iPod Touch is looks more viable.

No GSM is because this is for teens, contrary to the $299.99 price teens can't afford. Also, I'm sure they would end up working with Sony Ericsson, if they went GSM with a Mylo.

Honestly, anyone wanting a Mylo 2 would be better off getting a PSP. Unless you need phone microphone/earspeaker and a keyboard built in, a PSP would just be better.

The PSP and Mylo both support the same audio codecs, minus DRM. Same video codecs and higher resolutions on the PSP, minus the added WMV and current FLASH, which SCEA could add. They both have a NetFront browser. They both have Skype. They both have RSS, minus RSS news feed capabilities.

Also with the PSP, you're guaranteed firmware upgrades for quite sometime. With the Mylo, don't hold your breath!!!

SCEA and Sony Electronics are 2 different companies.

[Shawin @ Apr 12th 2008 4:24PM]

When I saw this I said to myself: "wth is a mylo???"

[phanbouy @ Apr 12th 2008 4:33PM]

that character from "24"

[Towncivilian @ Apr 12th 2008 4:51PM]

Mylo means soap in Russian. And this does resemble a bar of soap.

[overflow @ Apr 12th 2008 5:14PM]

KIRF XXL: Soap mp3 player with "clean audio" function. 256 mb integrated memory 240x320 16 color screen (waterproof of course)
avi,dat,mov,divx,xvid,wmv,qif,abc,xyz and all remaining 3 letters combination shitty formats you can think of. 2 hours of playtime with 12 AA batteries. on the back an aye-pod logo(to let it feel authentic.) 2 watt speakers so noone can listen with you if a fly buzzes around the room. Fully customisable outer shell (just let water run on it).
And at last but not least dont bend to take it from the floor!!!
just for 99.95 at you local KIRF Store.

[Lora @ Apr 12th 2008 5:10PM]

nICE STAFF...

[vampis06 @ Apr 12th 2008 5:14PM]

cool gadget is this

[Gadget Chick @ Apr 12th 2008 5:14PM]

if this were a cell phone it would kick some serious ass

[kastonie @ Apr 12th 2008 5:51PM]

WHY THE F NOT ADD SHOUTCAST TO THE PSP. IF THEY DID IT TO THIS DO IT TO THE PSP WTF!!!

im not really that mad...

[Dbs143 @ Apr 12th 2008 6:26PM]

Sony needs to market this as a device with one main function, like they attempt to do with the PSP. Tell people it is a kickass game player-fine that'd work. Then you have a solid marketing approach.

Now, they have this device that does NOTHING in particular, that is cool for about 5 minutes. seriously, just slap on a gsm chip and then you'd have a great phone. what does it do now? nothing, in particular, spectacularly.

[tojfs7931 @ Apr 12th 2008 6:49PM]

What -- no Xbar GUI on the Mylo?

[Johan S @ Apr 12th 2008 7:20PM]

Why would I need a WiFi only handheld device? If I am at home, I can use the computer .. if I want to sit on the couch and be online I rather use my laptop!

The only time when I can't have my laptop with me is when I'm on the go .. in which case the device needs to have GSM!

Sony, put GSM on it. And on the PSP2 if you're making it.

[Olivier @ Apr 12th 2008 7:30PM]

Why can't they get 640*480 videos to playback on the mylo2? At the moment max res is 320*240 which is a big waste on a 800*480 screen

[Jman @ Apr 13th 2008 8:55AM]

Sweet gadget. They should've spent some extra time and make it call people though.
To learn some awesome stuff on robots and gizmos go to
http://www.coolgizmotoys.com
Thx

[HSSwan @ Apr 12th 2008 8:48PM]

Well, I've been using the Com2 for about a month now and the firmware update is giving me faster loading times and I now have no trouble with Google Reader, either. I'm also now able to load every web page I've tried including one that I was unable to do before ... So far so good.

For those of you who wonder who might find the Mylo Com2 useful, well, I do. As a motorcyclist I bought one as soon as I heard they were providing Wayport as part of the deal. As I ride on the roads less traveled I can usually find a McDonalds and that means I know where I can find wifi access. That's a big deal, small internet device that I can drop in my pocket while leaving my laptop at home makes for easy traveling. Pretty soon I'll be leaving my cell phone home as well. I've found the Skype feature works very well.

[Johan S @ Apr 13th 2008 7:04AM]

What would the GSM have cost for them to include? $40 at most if not $15 (there are disposable GSM phones for $20 without LCD). I would have paid $50 more for this device if it had GSM. I think a lot of others would have. Honestly the would sel 100 to 200 times more than it currently sells even if they had to increase the price by $50 which I highly doubt.

Sony is s stupid company that cant integrate features properly into a product.

[Abuzar @ Apr 13th 2008 12:30AM]

Why not just get a Windows Mobile phone? Or if you don't want a phone just use a iPod touch. When hacked it seems much more useful than this.

[NoelSM @ Apr 13th 2008 2:15AM]

Im a Big Sony fan but no matter how hard I try I cant seem to like this device at all. Sorry Sony but whats the purpose of this thing? What does it do best? Well at least I tried.

[Bernie B @ Apr 13th 2008 12:16PM]

Because not everyone wants a mobile phone or believes in complete device convergence.

[Diggity @ Apr 13th 2008 11:21PM]

Someone make me some widgets for this thing! The shoutcast thing is cool, but they posted a full set of reference docs on www.mylolabs.com and so far all I got was a gmail checker (which is actually awesome btw).