14 DAY TRIAL // Sony is determined to shine at this year's Consumer Electronics Show. Among other goodies, the company has announced to showcase a revamped version of MyLO (My Life Online), a popular Internet access handheld used mostly by teenagers.
The new version is completely refurbished, and the toy-like aspect is memory. The "surgery" shifted the gadget's looks from a children's sophisticated toy to a business-like device. Some key features of the initial MyLO have been preserved (such as the QWERTY keyboard), while others have been dramatically improved (the device can connect to 802.11g wireless networks as well as 802.11b WLANs). Furthermore, the 3.5-inch LCD display is a significant improvement over the previous 2.4-inch screen.
The handheld comes with 1GB of memory which can be extended through a Memory Stick Pro Duo expansion slot. Storage space is now an essential aspect, as the device can play both WMA and MPEG 4 files.
Since the handheld is aiming at spending the free time in the virtual space, the addition of appropriate software is a must. The device can run Skype, as well as the major instant messenger clients from AOL, Yahoo! and Google.
The bundled Adobe Flash Lite 3 allows Mylo to play YouTube videos, while the photo-enhancing algorithms can clear the photos taken with the built-in 1.3-Megapixel camera to be used as avatars or uploaded to a photo-sharing service. Moreover, Google's widgets allow the MyLO user manage their contacts and interact via the social networking websites.
The gadget is rumored to come with some Flash games from the Sony studios to keep users busy while roaming in areas where Wi-Fi connectivity is unavailable. The MyLO battery can last up to 20 hours of music playback mode or six hours of intensive video watching.
The refurbished MyLO will hit the us market later this month at an estimative retail price of $300.