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Mylo (Sony)
Encyclopedia
My Life Online is a device created and marketed by Sony for portable instant messaging and other Internet-based communications, browsing Internet web sites (using the Opera web browser
) and playback and sharing of media files. The pocket-sized, tablet-shaped handheld device has a screen which slides up to reveal a QWERTY keyboard. The brand name 'mylo' stands for My Life Online. Using Wi-Fi
instead of cellular networks the mylo is targeted to the 18–24 age group.
By using WiFi networks for Internet connectivity, mylo provides users the possibility of reducing connectivity costs by avoiding the necessity of using GSM
, CDMA
or 3G
cellular networks which would usually be used for devices of this size and functionality.
The first version of the Sony mylo was launched on September 15, 2006 and includes 1 GB
of onboard flash memory and a Memory Stick PRO Duo
expansion slot.
The mylo is 23.9 mm (31/32 in) thick, 123 mm (4⅞ in) wide, 63 mm (2½ in) tall, and sports a 6.1 cm (2.4 in) QVGA (320 × 240) LCD screen. Its form factor is similar to the T-Mobile Sidekick in that it is held in landscape mode and has a slide out QWERTY keyboard. Its initial model colors were a glossy black and iPod like white.
Mylo COM–2
On January 6, 2008, the second edition of the Sony mylo was announced at CES 2008 in Las Vegas. This version was based on PSP technology and includes AIM
, a touchscreen, and a camera. The Internet Browser has been changed from Opera
to NetFront
. It now supports Adobe Flash for viewing Flash content such as YouTube
videos and for playing Flash-based games. The mylo COM–2 has 1 GB flash memory that can be used for music and video playback. Two colors are available: black and white. The mylo COM–2 now features wireless G connectivity. The keyboard is now backlit as well. System software version 1.201 added support for video recording. The mylo COM–2 was released on SonyStyle.com on January 25, 2008 for $299. It was reduced to $199 before the holiday season and was quickly drawn from production due to its poor sales.
Communication
The following applications in the main menu group use the Wi-Fi connection:
Web
COM–1. The Opera
web browser allows a number of configurations to help minimize the limitations of the small screen (320x240) including Zoom (%), Text Size (Small, Normal, Large) and View Mode (Normal or Fit to Screen).
COM–2. NetFront
with support for Flash Lite is the web browser that is supplied with the mylo COM–2.
Media
COM–1. The player supports the MP3, WMA (secured and unsecured) and ATRAC 3 audio formats. The image viewer supports JPG, PNG, and Bitmap formats. The video player supports the MPEG-4/AAC video format. The text application is a simple text editor.
COM–2. The player supports the MP3, WMA (secured and unsecured), AAC (no DRM) and ATRAC3 formats. The image viewers supports JPEG, PNG and BMP formats. The video player supports the MPEG-4/AAC Simple Profile and MPEG-4/AAC AVC H.264 baseline profile. It also supports WMV starting with firmware version 1.101, which was released in April 2008.
On both models DRM content in Windows Media Audio and Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding 3 is limited to the internal 1GB memory. DRM playback is not possible via Memory Stick as Magic Gate is not available and Windows Media DRM is not currently possible on Memory Sticks.
Tools
10. While connected via USB, the mylo screen displays the USB mode currently in use and suspends whatever program previously was running.
The 802.11b Wi-Fi connection is started either with the Wireless LAN slider button or automatically when one of mylo's Internet applications (i.e., Skype, Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk, Opera) attempt to access the network and an infrastructure mode Wi-Fi connection has not yet been established. The Wi-Fi mode can be switched to Ad Hoc mode to enable use of the Ad Hoc Application. Although the device is marketed for persons on the go, the Mylo does not have any commonly used Bluetooth
capabilities, to provide easy connection with other wireless carrier enabled mobile devices.
Owners of the COM-1 model receive access to any T-Mobile Hotspot for the first year. Owners of the COM–2 model receive access to over 10,000 Wayport Hotspot locations nationwide, through December 31, 2010. Over 9,000 of these locations are McDonald's restaurants.
Model (and generation)
Image
Capacity
Changes introduced
Connection
Original release date
Launch price (US$
)
COM–1
1G
1 GB
First release. Available in White or Black.
USB, Wi-Fi (b)
September 2006
$349.99
COM–2
2G
1 GB
Second release. Available in White or Black.
USB, Wi-Fi (b/g)
February 2008
$299.99
As a device, the mylo COM– 1 sports a 2.4-inch 320 by 240 LCD display, 400 MB for flash memory (upgradable to 4 GB), mini-USB connectivity, a Memory Stick Duo slot, integrated 802.11b wireless networking (supporting WEP and WPA-PSK security), and a lithium-ion battery offering up to 45 hours of music playback, 8 hours of video time, and up to 76 hours of VoIP talk time. Add to that a DC input for charging or running "wired" with the AC adapter, a 10-pin headphone/microphone interface (an adapter is included), a slide-out QWERTY keyboard for composing messages, and a total weight of about 157 grams (5.4 ounces), including the battery.
Opera (web browser)
Opera is a web browser and Internet suite developed by Opera Software with over 200 million users worldwide. The browser handles common Internet-related tasks such as displaying web sites, sending and receiving e-mail messages, managing contacts, chatting on IRC, downloading files via BitTorrent,...
) and playback and sharing of media files. The pocket-sized, tablet-shaped handheld device has a screen which slides up to reveal a QWERTY keyboard. The brand name 'mylo' stands for My Life Online. Using Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
instead of cellular networks the mylo is targeted to the 18–24 age group.
By using WiFi networks for Internet connectivity, mylo provides users the possibility of reducing connectivity costs by avoiding the necessity of using GSM
Global System for Mobile Communications
GSM , is a standard set developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute to describe technologies for second generation digital cellular networks...
, CDMA
Code division multiple access
Code division multiple access is a channel access method used by various radio communication technologies. It should not be confused with the mobile phone standards called cdmaOne, CDMA2000 and WCDMA , which are often referred to as simply CDMA, and use CDMA as an underlying channel access...
or 3G
3G
3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union...
cellular networks which would usually be used for devices of this size and functionality.
History and design
Mylo COM–1The first version of the Sony mylo was launched on September 15, 2006 and includes 1 GB
Gigabyte
The gigabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage. The prefix giga means 109 in the International System of Units , therefore 1 gigabyte is...
of onboard flash memory and a Memory Stick PRO Duo
Memory Stick
Memory Stick is a removable flash memory card format, launched by Sony in October 1998, and is also used in general to describe the whole family of Memory Sticks...
expansion slot.
The mylo is 23.9 mm (31/32 in) thick, 123 mm (4⅞ in) wide, 63 mm (2½ in) tall, and sports a 6.1 cm (2.4 in) QVGA (320 × 240) LCD screen. Its form factor is similar to the T-Mobile Sidekick in that it is held in landscape mode and has a slide out QWERTY keyboard. Its initial model colors were a glossy black and iPod like white.
Mylo COM–2
On January 6, 2008, the second edition of the Sony mylo was announced at CES 2008 in Las Vegas. This version was based on PSP technology and includes AIM
AOL Instant Messenger
AOL Instant Messenger is an instant messaging and presence computer program which uses the proprietary OSCAR instant messaging protocol and the TOC protocol to allow registered users to communicate in real time. It was released by AOL in May 1997...
, a touchscreen, and a camera. The Internet Browser has been changed from Opera
Opera (web browser)
Opera is a web browser and Internet suite developed by Opera Software with over 200 million users worldwide. The browser handles common Internet-related tasks such as displaying web sites, sending and receiving e-mail messages, managing contacts, chatting on IRC, downloading files via BitTorrent,...
to NetFront
NetFront
NetFront Browser is a mobile browser for embedded devices, developed by Access Co. Ltd. of Japan, and was designed to function as an embedded browser....
. It now supports Adobe Flash for viewing Flash content such as YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
videos and for playing Flash-based games. The mylo COM–2 has 1 GB flash memory that can be used for music and video playback. Two colors are available: black and white. The mylo COM–2 now features wireless G connectivity. The keyboard is now backlit as well. System software version 1.201 added support for video recording. The mylo COM–2 was released on SonyStyle.com on January 25, 2008 for $299. It was reduced to $199 before the holiday season and was quickly drawn from production due to its poor sales.
Software
The mylo's menu of software applications is grouped by function.Communication
The following applications in the main menu group use the Wi-Fi connection:
- AIM. AOL Instant Messenger (COM–2 only)
- Skype. Includes the features: Dial (Skype to phone), Call (Skype to Skype), Chat (instant messaging), and Send (and Receive) Files. Also can receive (phone to Skype).
- Google Talk. Features text chats (instant messaging) with Google TalkGoogle TalkGoogle Talk is a freeware voice over Internet protocol client application offered by Google Inc. The first beta version of the program was released on August 24, 2005...
and XMPPExtensible Messaging and Presence ProtocolExtensible Messaging and Presence Protocol is an open-standard communications protocol for message-oriented middleware based on XML . The protocol was originally named Jabber, and was developed by the Jabber open-source community in 1999 for near-real-time, extensible instant messaging , presence...
contacts. Included is a link to GmailGmailGmail is a free, advertising-supported email service provided by Google. Users may access Gmail as secure webmail, as well via POP3 or IMAP protocols. Gmail was launched as an invitation-only beta release on April 1, 2004 and it became available to the general public on February 7, 2007, though...
(WAP version). - Yahoo! Messenger. The text messaging application also includes a link to Yahoo! Mail (WAP version).
- Ad Hoc Application. This Peer-to-peerPeer-to-peerPeer-to-peer computing or networking is a distributed application architecture that partitions tasks or workloads among peers. Peers are equally privileged, equipotent participants in the application...
lets the mylo share playlists and stream songs directly to another mylo. - Cannot be used natively for sending or receiving text (SMS) messages to or from cell phones; it is strictly for messenger and web only.
Web
COM–1. The Opera
Opera (web browser)
Opera is a web browser and Internet suite developed by Opera Software with over 200 million users worldwide. The browser handles common Internet-related tasks such as displaying web sites, sending and receiving e-mail messages, managing contacts, chatting on IRC, downloading files via BitTorrent,...
web browser allows a number of configurations to help minimize the limitations of the small screen (320x240) including Zoom (%), Text Size (Small, Normal, Large) and View Mode (Normal or Fit to Screen).
COM–2. NetFront
NetFront
NetFront Browser is a mobile browser for embedded devices, developed by Access Co. Ltd. of Japan, and was designed to function as an embedded browser....
with support for Flash Lite is the web browser that is supplied with the mylo COM–2.
Media
COM–1. The player supports the MP3, WMA (secured and unsecured) and ATRAC 3 audio formats. The image viewer supports JPG, PNG, and Bitmap formats. The video player supports the MPEG-4/AAC video format. The text application is a simple text editor.
COM–2. The player supports the MP3, WMA (secured and unsecured), AAC (no DRM) and ATRAC3 formats. The image viewers supports JPEG, PNG and BMP formats. The video player supports the MPEG-4/AAC Simple Profile and MPEG-4/AAC AVC H.264 baseline profile. It also supports WMV starting with firmware version 1.101, which was released in April 2008.
On both models DRM content in Windows Media Audio and Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding 3 is limited to the internal 1GB memory. DRM playback is not possible via Memory Stick as Magic Gate is not available and Windows Media DRM is not currently possible on Memory Sticks.
Tools
- The utilities in this menu group include the Connection Manager for managing the Wi-Fi configuration, a File Manager, a firmware System Update tool.
Connectivity
With the USB mode configuration set to the default (MSC) the mylo acts as a USB mass-storage device. Music and other files can then be transferred from a PC with the included SonicStage software or by dragging and dropping using a file manager. With the USB mode set to MTP you can synchronize audio files via WMPWindows Media Player
Windows Media Player is a media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and viewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices...
10. While connected via USB, the mylo screen displays the USB mode currently in use and suspends whatever program previously was running.
The 802.11b Wi-Fi connection is started either with the Wireless LAN slider button or automatically when one of mylo's Internet applications (i.e., Skype, Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk, Opera) attempt to access the network and an infrastructure mode Wi-Fi connection has not yet been established. The Wi-Fi mode can be switched to Ad Hoc mode to enable use of the Ad Hoc Application. Although the device is marketed for persons on the go, the Mylo does not have any commonly used Bluetooth
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security...
capabilities, to provide easy connection with other wireless carrier enabled mobile devices.
Owners of the COM-1 model receive access to any T-Mobile Hotspot for the first year. Owners of the COM–2 model receive access to over 10,000 Wayport Hotspot locations nationwide, through December 31, 2010. Over 9,000 of these locations are McDonald's restaurants.
Mylo models
>United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
)
Specifications
Processor: Freescale i.MX21 (for the COM–1)As a device, the mylo COM– 1 sports a 2.4-inch 320 by 240 LCD display, 400 MB for flash memory (upgradable to 4 GB), mini-USB connectivity, a Memory Stick Duo slot, integrated 802.11b wireless networking (supporting WEP and WPA-PSK security), and a lithium-ion battery offering up to 45 hours of music playback, 8 hours of video time, and up to 76 hours of VoIP talk time. Add to that a DC input for charging or running "wired" with the AC adapter, a 10-pin headphone/microphone interface (an adapter is included), a slide-out QWERTY keyboard for composing messages, and a total weight of about 157 grams (5.4 ounces), including the battery.
External links
- Sony mylo – Official website
- Sony mylo labs – Official developer website
- Sony mylo Review With Video Demo
- Sony mylo Review Comprehensive Review
- Sony mylo Video Encoding Guide Using Free PSPvideo9
- Sony Mylo COM2 review Sony Mylo COM2 review