Mylo
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Hands-on with the Sony Mylo
Holy hot damn, we got us a Mylo up in this piece. Yes, unfortunately it's only a late prototype (we haven't actually heard of anyone getting a final production unit yet) but here she is, Sony's ever-hopeful ace in the hole to get a foothold in the pockets of disenfranchised Sidekick 'tweens everywhere (and maybe even some 770 user throwbacks as well). Click on for the full report.
How the PSP can overcome the PSP-inspired mylo
David Carony, executive editor at CNET, has a lot to say about Sony, the PSP, and their newly announced mylo. Sony's attempting to market the device at a whopping $350, which is ridiculous when many, if not all of its features can be implemented in the PSP, or a PSP redesign. With the right accessories and firmware upgrades, the PSP can do every thing the mylo can... plus it can play games. And at $199, it would be a bargain for the consumer. Here's a list of what Carony believes will make the PSP better: Skype support to make Internet (VoIP) calls (using the SOCOM headset). Support for Slingbox (a competitor of Location-Free TV). Sony could make some bling by not selling hardware, but selling a Slingbox application. Built-in IM applications, similar to mylo's support for Yahoo! and Google. Better e-mail integration. Keyboard accessory. Video output for TV. Stop making Connect so crappy. Where's the revamp? These are all great, plausible and reasonable upgrades that Sony can provide. If Sony actually took these suggestions to heart, I know a ton more college students and business people would pick up a PSP. Let's hope Sony has the brains to follow through on some of this.[Via PSP World]
Engadget Podcast 084 - 08.15.2006
We're back! Again! Yes, we're quite sorry for the delayed program (listen in to find out a bit why), but there's no dearth of news to discuss. Fresh from Apple's big WWDC 2006 kickoff event we've got the long predicted and somewhat jejune Mac Pro, the Cinema Display bumps, and some interesting tidbits on Leopard, including Time Machine -- which Ryan sorely needed this week. Sony also pulled a fast one on us with the mylo, an intriguing and beguiling new WiFi handheld that seems to compete more with the PSP than anything else. Also hot off the presses is Engadget Mobile's scoop on the BlackBerry Pearl, RIM's new mobile consumer foray, and their first with a camera, removable media, and media playback capabilities. Thanks for welcoming us back, and enjoy! Get the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3). [RSS] Add the Engadget Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically (MP3). [MP3] Download the show (MP3). [AAC] Download the enhanced show (AAC). [OGG] Download the show (OGG). Hosts: Peter Rojas and Ryan Block Producer: Trent Wolbe Music: Solvent - Instructograph (Ghostly International) Format: 1:00:15, 27.6 MB, MP3 Program: 6:05 - Apple WWDC 2006 6:48 - Mac Pro hands-on 7:03 - Apple OS X 10.5 "Leopard" officially debuts 15:56 - Sony launches mylo 27:51 - The BlackBerry Pearl 44:00 - Listener emails LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast: 1-888-ENGADGET, Engadget (Gizmo Project) or podcast at engadget dawt com
More mylo deets emerge, Linux is under the hood
Now that we've recovered from the initial surprise of Sony's mylo announcement, we're starting to get a few more details on its functionality. Turns out the teeny device is powered by an unspecified version of embedded Linux (possibly from Wind River), with a graphics and application framework provided by Trolltech's Qtopia platform. There's also Java Virtual Machine support, which seems to give homebrewers plenty of options for creating apps for the device -- if Sony hasn't locked things down too tightly. As for that QVGA 2.4-inch screen, Sony is packing in MP4 video support, so ready-to-go videos shouldn't be hard to find. There's also MP3, ATRAC and WMA to round out format support. While the mylo dodges that main Nokia 770 bullet by packing a QWERTY keyboard, Sony's device suffers from a hefty pricetag for its younger target audience, a notable omission of AIM and Windows Live Messenger, and a lack of explicit gaming or 3rd party support. Still, those WiFi and Linux specs hint at a lot of potential, so we're sure that this thing can manage to be a bit more than another Skype handset.
Sony launches mylo
Speaking of unholy abominations, Sony decided to take some design tips from their own PSP, functionality from the OQO, usage scenarios from Nokia's 770 (and a wee dash dash of inspiration from Ixi's OGO), and mash it up all together into a single device: the mylo. The name refers to "my life online," ahem, which we assume probably has a little something to do with the Sony's old school MYLO / My Life Online, a wireless service Sony launched launched at PC Expo 2001 "to offer mobile users an original and personalized way to access information and entertainment content for work and play." (Yeah, that's specific.) This blast from the past now takes shape as a $350 WiFi-centric handheld features a slide-up 2.4-inch screen, VoIP capabilities via Skype, web access, media playback capabilities, 1GB flash, and a Memory Stick slot -- just think of it as a UX180P, you know, for kids.[Thanks to Eric and everyone who sent this in]
