Sony Ericsson Aino: I know, I know, it's the PSP phone

The Sony Ericsson Aino is a prototype that connects to your home via all kinds of wireless -- including your PS3 when you're not even in the country! Blimey!

Richard Trenholm

Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.

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Richard Trenholm

May 28, 2009 6:08 p.m. PT

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Sony Ericsson today unveiled a couple of prototypes alongside the Idou -- sorry, Satio -- including a phone that points the way towards a possible PSP phone. The Sony Ericsson Aino -- Aino being a character in Finnish mythology whose name means 'only', myth fans -- beams your PlayStation 3 content direct to you wherever you are. Wowzers!

The Aino boasts an 8-megapixel camera and comes with a wireless dock and headphones. It will sync with your PC over Wi-Fi or 3G, and features a Bluetooth headset, all straight out of the box.

But what's really rocking our socks is the fact that the Aino can connect wirelessly to PS3 from anywhere in the world. From your living room to Timbuktu, if you have digital content -- TV shows, films or music -- on your PS3, then you can access it through your Aino*. You can't play games, sadly, but you can -- get this -- switch your PS3 on and off. Magic.

Right, that's enough from us. Click through our gallery of ill-lit but lovingly posed photos for more on the Aino.

*Watch those roaming charges. They'll have your house off you for a couple of episodes of Sarah Connor, and no mistake.

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The Aino comes bundled with a dock and headphones.

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The headphones are wireless stereo Bluetooth earstrokers, no less. The dots on the fob show what mode the phone is in, and even pulse to the music.

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The Aino is a touchscreen phone, but only when it's closed...

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...as the keyboard takes charge when you slide it open.

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There was a time when 8.1 megapixels would have dropped jaws. Now we're like "whatever".

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The Aino also records video.

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The Aino's most impressive feature is its ability to control your PS3. If it's digital content and it's on your console, you can watch it wherever you are in the world. Impressive? We know! The Sony Ericsson Aino will be out before the end of the year, we're reliably informed by a Sony Ericsson chap giving himself palpitations with all the nodding and winking he was doing.