Sony Signs On T-Mobile Hotspot for Mylo

Sony said Thursday that it was sweetening the deal for users of its mylo communication device by including a years worth of Wi-Fi service through T-Mobile Hotspot. The year of service would begin the date a device first connects to the network, the company said.

The promotion would be available for both new and existing customers, and would begin in mid-November. T-Mobile Hotspot locations can be found at a variety of retail, hotel, and dining locations including Kinkos, Starbucks, Borders, as well as several airports and airport clubs.

"By offering complimentary access at thousands of T-Mobile HotSpot locations, we are giving mylo communicator users more opportunities to stay online while they're out and about," Sony product marketing director John Kodera said at the Digital Life Expo in New York.

The capability to connect the Hotspot network would be made available through a software download that would soon appear on the Mylo homepage. New devices would soon ship with the software included.

The mylo device is available for USD $350 from the Sony website, as well as through select dealers. The device can connect to the Google Talk and Yahoo Messenger instant messaging networks, as well as send and receive e-mails and view Web pages.

In addition to communication features, the mylo is also multimedia capable. Sony said the device will play MP3, ATRAC3, and secure or unsecure WMA files. MPEG-4 videos and JPG and GIF photos can be played back on the device as well.