The mylo is a compact device with a slide-out QWERTY "thumb" keyboard that lets users stay in touch with friends via instant messaging (IM) and Skype voice-over-IP calls. As a bonus, the device includes a Web browser and will play MP3 audio and MPEG4 video files.

A drawback for some is that the system uses Wi-Fi, not cellular data systems, to connect to the Internet, which means if you're out and about, you'll need to find a wireless hotspot in a coffee shop or other public place. To help facilitate this, Sony is offering complimentary access to the T-Mobile HotSpot service until the end of next year.

Perhaps understanding the limits of its Wi-Fi-only approach, Sony's target audience seems to be college students. The mylo would be in its element on a campus with ubiquitous wireless access. However, because of those narrow demographics and because it is missing capabilities that some users would find important, its appeal to the rest of us is probably limited despite its attractive form factor and other virtues.

A quick tour

The mylo comes in two colors: white and black. The slide-out keyboard works well for regular text but entering punctuation and symbols can be a challenge since the keypad doesn't have a row of number keys. So, for instance, you enter "#" by holding down the Num button and pressing the period key, and "@" is entered by holding down the Sym button and hitting the W key. All characters are printed on the keyboard, but they are in a tiny typeface that is very hard to read in low-light situations.