WSJ profiles (sub. req.) UK operator mmO2’s new music device, which I saw a demonstration of at the Midem conference last month as well. The small device, the first of its kind to be developed by a telecom company, downloads from O2’s network full versions of the latest chart hits, using a cellphone rather than the Internet. It is a bold move for O2, because the gadget doesn’t have built-in phone functions. It only connects to the O2 network using GPRS…

As the service develops, users will also be able to buy tickets, watch video clips, enter chatrooms about artists and download wallpaper through O2, the company says.

The biggest drawback of O2’s music player is that, at this stage, downloaded music can’t be played on other devices, only transferred and stored on a computer.