My Life Online (Sony IM device)

So…are folks at Sony really getting the “This is where we live” Web 2.0 vibe or what?

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,71559-0.html

Hoping to tap into the growth of wireless networks across college campuses, other public spaces and within homes, Sony is introducing 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. 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.

So, are we ready to IM with folks using these devices? Can the librarian have presence there?