Smart Phones
Nextel's World Phone
Sony hand-held smart phone-computer:
SAN FRANCISCO - Hoping to tap into the growth of wireless networks across college campuses, other public spaces and within homes, Sony Corp (NYSE) will announce Tuesday a new pocket-sized gadget for instant messaging and other Internet-based communications.
The Sony mylo, slated for availability in September at a retail price of about $350, is a first-of-its-kind product that uses Wi-Fi networks, analysts say. It is not a cellular phone and thus doesn't carry monthly service fees. And though it could handle Web-based e-mail services, it doesn't support corporate e-mail programs.
Instead, the slim, oblong-shaped gizmo that has a 2.4-inch display and slides open to expose a thumb keyboard is specifically geared toward young, mainstream consumers for messaging and Internet-based calls, commonly known as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) calls.
As long as a Wi-Fi network is accessible, a mylo user could chat away or browse the Web.
The mylo — which stands for "my life online," — will be marketed toward 18- to 24-year-olds, the multitasking generation that relies heavily on instant messaging and is already viewing e-mail as passe, Sony said.
The consumer electronics giant has partnered with Yahoo Inc. (Nasdaq:and Google Inc. to integrate their instant-messaging services, and is looking to expand mylo's support to other services as well, most notably the leading messaging provider, Time Warner Inc.'s America Online.
Sony has also teamed with eBay Inc.'s Skype VoIP service, which offers free voice chats for its registered users.
The so-called personal communicator doubles as a portable media player. It can play music, photos and videos that are stored on its internal 1 gigabyte of flash memory or optional Memory Stick card. It also can stream songs between mylo users within the same network, as long as the users grant permission to share their music files.
Danielle Levitas, an industry analyst at market researcher IDC, called the mylo a "unique, compelling" product, but said it might fare better at a lower price of $299 and with added partners such as AOL.
In addition, though Wi-Fi is spreading across colleges, coffee houses, airports and even entire cities, Levitas said the wireless technology isn't ubiquitous enough yet to help Sony break mylo out of a niche market.
"You need enough Wi-Fi out there to make this a compelling product to reach a wider audience," Levitas said.
Still, Sony is betting that mylo will draw great interest not just among college students but also among households where youngsters might be fighting over the use of a computer just for chatting or Web surfing.
"Our mylo personal communicator lets you have the fun parts of a computer in the palm of your hand," said John Kodera, a director of product marketing at Sony.
Sony said the new gadget will be sold only in the United States. It will be available through Sony's online store and at select retailers in college towns.
Qualcomm GSP-1600
The Globalstar Handheld Phone is designed with the flexibility to
meet the needs of customers who already depend on wireless communications, but find
themselves in areas where cellular or radio coverage is either unavailable or
inaccessible. The Globalstar Handheld phone is designed to complement existing fixed and
cellular telephone networks by switching from terrestrial cellular telephony to satellite
telephony as required. These features provide the Globalstar user the highest level of
service and convenience.
ADVANTAGES:
 | Voice and Data Capabilities |
| Crystal-Clear Voice Quality: Superior CDMA digital satellite quality |
| Unparalleled Reliability: Path Diversity means each Globalstar call connects with at least 2 and up to 4 satellites per call for maximum quality and reliability |
| Real World Data Speeds: 9.6 KBps |
| Automatic System Select: Just turn up the satellite antenna, and your Globalstar phone will automatically seek out the Globalstar network |
| Intuitive Display: Four-line, 48-character display shows battery level, voicemail status, short messages received and satellite signal quality |
| Long Life Battery: 3.75 hours talk time, 19 hours standby time |
Need to drive with your phone?For mobile subscribers, a
vehicle mounted car kit is available. The Globalstar handheld unit can be mounted in a
cradle that provides power to extend battery life and hands-free operation for convenience
and driving safety.
FEATURES:
| Battery Meter |
| Signal Strength Indicator |
| Voice Mail Notification |
| 99 Memory location with call restriction |
| Call History Log |
GSP-1600 INCLUDES:
| GSP-1600 Handset |
| Lithium Ion Battery |
| North American Wall Charger |
| User Manual |
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