Sigh. Remember Google TV? Yeah, we barely do. Anyway, the Bay Area’s most well publicized employer is working on their first real foray into the world of entertainment hardware, with the intent of releasing something that’s only being referred to as an “entertainment device” sometime this year. The Wall Street Journal reports today that the thing is a music device for the home, probably Bluetooth-enabled, and we’re guessing unattractive.
Anyway, it’s built on the Android platform, smartphone-controlled, and they started testing it out in employees’ homes last week. Basically, they want to be like Apple, and they’re trying really really hard. We also heard recently that Apple is very close to releasing their own iTV product, which appears — if this leaked Best Buy survey has it right — to be a 42-inch $1500 HDTV with iPhone/iPad remote capability, 1080p LED display, access to the iCloud, etc.
Google’s thing may in fact have a TV component attached too. But it took all of about five minutes of internet time after word of this device trickled out for people to start assuming it will be a disaster. Mashable says the thing is “an entire home entertainment system” which will have both TV and music components. But will it really be as thoroughly tested and slickly designed as Apple’s version? Will anyone even pay attention to it? Analysts all say Google has to get into new fields to stay competitive, as desktop computers and laptops may ultimately become obsolete, but we’ll take a wait-and-see approach with this one.
[Business Insider/WSJ]
[Business Insider/SF Gate]
[NYT]
[Mashable]
Filed in News
and tagged apple, google, tech companies
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Article source: http://mobile.sfist.com/2012/02/10/google_at_work_on_some_sort_of_musi.php