Google TV on the cards in three-way project
Mar 20
Google is working with the technology companies Intel and Sony on a new platform designed to further the bridging of the divide between the internet and television screens.
The New York Times reports that the three companies have entered the “Google TV” venture with a view to “getting a leg up on competitors”, with the intention of creating a television platform which would enable living-room viewers to switch seamlessly between a variety of content types.
The report indicates that the platform will be open-source and based on Google’s Android operating system used for smartphones, creating opportunities for developers to craft new software applications.
Functions within the Google TV software include the ability to conduct ordinary web searches, download new web applications, and quickly access content from sites such as YouTube and Hulu.
News of the project comes just a week after reports that Google was working with an American satellite TV corporation to develop web search capabilities on set-top boxes, but the venture with Intel and Sony appears to be more ambitious.
A prototype set-top box using Google TV software and Atom chips from Intel has been constructed, and there are plans to integrate the technology directly into television sets and other electronic devices.
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Cyril Washbrook March 20th 2010