more on Sony Mylo -- maybe not so bad

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Roland Cole <cole () spi org>
Date: August 14, 2006 5:41:37 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: RE: [IP] more on Sony Mylo -- maybe not so bad
Reply-To: cole () spi org

At the last turn of century (1800's to 1900's) there are wonderful  
diagrams
of how one central electric engine, with an appropriate series of belts,
could run the entire house. Now, of course, we have tiny, single-purpose
electric motors in things as small as a toothbrush.

I look forward to having many more devices with CPUs of "limited  
felicity."
I suspect it represents a step forward, not a step back.

I think the general purpose device will remain for "some" purposes.  
But many
of the conceivable purposes will have been "off-loaded" to more limited
devices.


Roland J. Cole, J.D., Ph.D.
Director of Technology Policy
Sagamore Institute for Policy Research
340 West Michigan, Canal Suite B
INDIANAPOLIS IN 46202
317-727-8940; rollie () sipr org; www.sipr.org

-----Original Message-----
From: David Farber [mailto:dave () farber net]
Sent: Monday, August 14, 2006 3:45 PM
To: ip () v2 listbox com
Subject: [IP] more on Sony Mylo



Begin forwarded message:

From: Jonathan Zittrain <zittrain () law harvard edu>
Date: August 14, 2006 3:36:13 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: more on Sony Mylo

It appears from the Sony Mylo website that the Mylo is intended to be a
closed box.  Sony has arrangements with partners (Skype, Opera, Google,
Yahoo), and it doesn't seem as if new applications can be easily  
added to
the machine (though I suppose a lot can be done with Opera plug-ins).  I
can't even tell what OS it runs.

I worry that this is part of an eclipse of the PC -- a fading away of  
the
central device in so many homes and workplaces that could run new  
code from
afar at the click of a mouse, allowing for Skype and other unaccredited
upstarts to gain traction so long as they had code that worked better  
(or
was more appealing in some other way) than everyone else's.  In the PC's
place comes Internet appliances that will slow or halt the kind of
innovation we've seen from all corners, and instead lock in a certain  
set of
prevailing applications (now including Skype).  And with control of  
the app
can come control of the network destinations -- whether light influences
like bookmarks or heavier ones that say all further un-partnered  
innovation
must come through a Web window and use a limited set of markup tools.

There are benefits to such lockdown at the client side -- a more  
predictable
and controlled user experience, pound-for-pound less vulnerability to
spyware and other bad code (since all outside code is limited), and  
perhaps
more willingness from content companies to partner since the user  
experience
will be managed and, apart from the small subset of people who will  
try to
hack it, the use of the content can be negotiated with Sony rather than
thrown to the four winds.

The downsides are legion -- a slowdown of the kind of innovation that  
has
done so much for the industry and for users, replaced by that which is
negotiated among "partners."  The Mylo joins the xbox, blackberry, tivo,
most mobile phones, and the ipod in the list of closed or mostly-closed
appliances that are displacing the PC.  The sooner we can deal with  
the PC's
existing downsides -- such as viruses and malware -- the more easily  
it can
compete with these appliances that otherwise will sideline it.  An open
network with closed endpoints is an undesirable equilibrium -- it's a
freeway connecting prisons.  ...JZ

At EDT 03:02 PM 8/14/2006, you wrote:
> From: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne () warpspeed com>
> Date: August 14, 2006 8:47:36 AM EDT
> To: Dewayne-Net Technology List <dewayne-net () warpspeed com>
> Subject: [Dewayne-Net] Sony's Mylo Delivers Wireless
> Reply-To: dewayne () warpspeed com
>
>         Sony's Mylo Delivers Wireless
>
>
> Sony last week launched a WiFi broadband communication and
> entertainment device to capitalize on the growth of wireless internet
> access.
>
> The mylo personal communicator is capable of operating in any open
> 802.11b wireless network, can be found on college campuses, in public
> spaces and within private homes. The product is for people who use
> instant messaging as a primary form of communications and networking.
>
> The name mylo stands for "my life online" and the communicator allows
> consumers use instant messaging, browse the internet, listen to music,
> send e-mails and view photos.
>
> The oblong-shaped device features a 2.4 inch color LCD with a slide
> out keyboard. The device, available in black or white, comes embedded
> with popular instant messaging services such as Google Talk instant
> messaging service, Skype and Yahoo! Messenger. The services are free
> and the product does not require initial computer setup or monthly
> service contract.
>
> For more about the product, go to: <http://www.sony.com/mylo>
>
> Weblog at: <http://weblog.warpspeed.com>

Jonathan Zittrain
Professor of Internet Governance and Regulation
   Oxford University
Jack N. and Lillian R. Berkman Visiting Professor for Entrepreneurial  
Legal
Studies
   Harvard Law School
<http://www.jz.org>



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