Back in 2004, AT&T Wireless introduced the Ogo, which was essentially supposed to be a cheaper Sidekick or Blackberry -- a wireless e-mail gadget for the wallet-impaired. The Ogo had a whole bunch'o problems, including a headache of a screen and a very weird interface. After Cingular ate AT&T, they lost the Ogo in their couch cushions.

Well, the Ogo's back (in black), with a more serious attitude and over-the-air syncing with Exchange servers, thanks to Synchronica's SyncML gateway. Like with the Blackberry Intenet Service, this doesn't require any IT-department involvement or even knowledge -- Synchronica uses WebDAV, the protocol used by Outlook Web Access, to sneak in and grab e-mail, calendar and contact information.

The new Ogo also surfs the Web (albeit at dog-slow GPRS speeds) and works as a phone through a Bluetooth headset, both features that were missing on the original model. It's on sale in Germany right now for around $60, with a $12/month service fee.

That price is what makes the Ogo compelling. Blackberry monthly service fees can be $40 or more. If the Ogo lets you get into your corporate e-mail, calendar and contacts for $12/month, that could appeal to a lot of more poorly-paid white-collar workers. IXI, the makers of the Ogo, told me they're working on getting the new model into Americans' hands, but don't have a timetable or a carrier.

Synchronica stopped by the PC Magazine offices today with a new Ogo, and I got some shots of the interface. Click here to see them.