Vincent Oberle’s blog
Skype on the new Sony mylo
While I was busy changing diapers, an important announcement for Skype and especially the embedded team I’m part of was made. Sony will sell in September the mylo, a little device with wifi, a media player for music and videos, a web browser… and most importantly Skype.
I was personally involved in this project by porting the Skype engine on the hardware and operating system Sony is using, as well as helping their engineers use our API to develop the user interface. The embedded team at Skype is working of many different projects, the mylo, the wifi phones and many more not yet announced. And we are hiring 
The Skype client on that device has most of the functionalities of desktop clients. This means of course voice calls (Skype to Skype, SkypeOut, SkypeIn), but also more unusual multi-chat support. Chat was possible because of the full Qwerty keyboard and the nice screen resolution. Since there is a web browser (Opera), connection to Wifi hotspots should be possible.
There is also Google Talk and Yahoo Messenger on the mylo BUT only their chat functionality, not voice. Skype on the mylo allows voice calls too in addition to multi-chat.
August 12th, 2006 13:30
The Mylo, at first sight, it seems to be a nice product ! Since it’s not yet foresale, I couldn’t read a detailed review about the device yet.
Compared with the Nokia 770, the hugh amount of internal memory and the external keyboard seems the big advantages, the disadvantage is the screen (320×240) compared with the 770 (800×480).
I assume more and more companies will announce such kind of devices the coming year, … like for the Nokia 770 a lot of people are involved in porting existing applications to the platform, I assume the same will happen for the Mylo, … the pity is again that each device will have their own community, … each Linux version it’s own userbase.
Is our Microsoft Bill again making use of this to make one universal product ?
By the way, the Linux OS inside the Mylo, on which distro is it based ?
Cheers, Jan
ps. Of course it’s nice, very nice to have Skype on such portable device (a pitty that the 770 is missing this, and probably never will get).
August 14th, 2006 12:40
Jan, the Mylo is not an open platform like the Nokia 770. There is no SDK, 3rd parties won’t be able to add applications. So no open-source community for the Mylo.
Yes it’s running Linux, I don’t think I can say which distribution
October 22nd, 2006 17:47
I just purchased a Sony Mylo last week in the U.S. Here is my review. Overall I’m pleased with it for my purpose though it’s not a good value at $350 USD. I’ve never used the Nokia 770 so I cannot compare.
Skype works great in both voice and chat. Yahoo Messenger also works fine. Import and playing MP3’s is simple and even the onboard speaker sounds great at high volume. Importing photos onto the Mylo is also simple. The screen is small but clear and bright as long as you are inside. In the sun it’s nearly impossible to see and difficult even in shaded areas outside.
It has 1GB onboard flash memory but it will take a 4GB Sony memory card though that is quite expensive (~$160 USD) and makes the Mylo a really poor value.
The WI-FI capability works fine and easily finds HotSpots. In the U.S. HotSpots usually require payment and free ones are not easily found. I wouldn’t buy the Mylo if I planned to use it in the U.S. primarily. I bought it for use while travelling and in Estonia where there is better public WI-FI access.
I also like that the Mylo charges itself via the USB cable while connected to another computer. Neat feature that allows you to not need a 110/220 voltage converter when travelling.
Biggest disappointment was the video feature. The manual states that you need Sony’s Image Converter 2 (not included) in order to load videos to the Mylo. The Sony website says that the software is no longer available. I contact ed a Sony representative via live chat and was told Sony no longer offers the software and I would have to find some third party software for this. I find it unacceptable that they would no longer support the video function on a newly released device. So much for watching movies on the plane
Other negatives would be the keys do not light up at night so forget typing in the dark. Also you can not plug headphones directly into the Mylo. Sony uses some bizarre jack that requires a Sony headphone adapter which is something extra to carry around.
To use Skype you also must use headphones as the device will not use the onboard speaker with Skype. There is a built in microphone on the Mylo.
The Mylo is neat device if you can justify the price vs. features. It suits my purpose but I doubt this will be a success for Sony.
January 24th, 2007 16:53
Fore more details about the Mylo & skype on the mylo please visit www.myloforums.net
January 26th, 2007 15:25
Estonia is such a small country but I noticed that one of the posts is from there. Was Skype developed by an Estonian person? Was he/She a Russian-Estonian? Just curious.
January 26th, 2007 16:07
Yes Skype is developed in Estonia, started by a small team of estonian programmers in 2003.
Now there are over 200 people working in Tallinn Estonia to develop Skype.
January 30th, 2007 23:00
As you helped develop skype or the sony mylo would you be able to port other programs to the mylo?
February 1st, 2007 21:51
The Mylo is not an open platform, external developers cannot add applications to it, you need to talk with Sony if you want your application in it.
March 14th, 2007 11:39
Sony is so lame. They put Linux on PS3 to make it open as as a computer to saves taxes on export an stuff…
but did they learn sth.? The Mylo actually is not that cool and needs a lot of fixing (3rd Firmware upgrade by now),no backlight and so on.
But Skype for MYLO? What did you coders think?
Have u heard about useability? NO!
It is impossible to click a link you get in a skype message.
New messages highlight a new event flag…which is senseless if you chat with 10 ppl simutaniously…you just get an indication that you got a new message…and have to use several clicks to get there.
(e.g. Info or NewMessages)
It would have been easy to make that flag behind the user who sent the message…
Skype is just rite for Sony…
two groups who havent ever heard of accessibility or useability.
April 25th, 2007 13:20
Thank You
August 28th, 2007 22:27
Hello Friends
i lost that crazy headphone adapter that comes with the MYLO … and now I can not get it anywhere exept for SONY PARTS at $69 + TAX + Shipping !!!!!! ridiculous …
does anyone know where can I get one of this adapters ???
thanks a lot ..
M2