NEW YORK—Google Inc. is teaming up with Intel Corp. and Sony Corp. to create and launch a “Google TV” platform of products to bring Internet and dynamic applications to the living room, the New York Times reported today, quoting insiders with knowledge of the project.
It is not clear whether Google TV is a product or a platform that will enable a suite of similar products from competing vendors in the TV industry, such as LG, Panasonic and other hardware manufacturers. But reports indicate that Google TV would be based on Google’s Android operating system and run on the Google Chrome browser.
The platform will also allow third-party developers to develop applications that can be installed on the Google TV. Developer toolkits and more concrete hardware offerings are expected to be released around summer 2010, according to the New York Times report. Google TV would also come with applications that allow users to access current popular video providers, such as Youtube and Hulu, easily.
It was believed that Logitech is involved in the development of peripheral devices for the platform, most likely “a remote with a tiny keyboard,” the report said.
Google’s Android operating system is already running on many smartphone platforms today, and it is in version 2.1. Its Google Chrome browser is available on all three major operating system platforms—Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux—and recently overtook Apple’s Safari as the third most popular browser, behind Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.
Google is also working on a Chrome operating system, which is reportedly aimed at the class of small mobile computers known as netbooks—slower, less expensive versions of laptops that mainly serve to allow users to access the Internet.
The Google TV project would represent Google’s newest effort to put offerings at the heart of a user’s online experience. Industry analysts widely believe that Google is trying to expand into new technology and markets using free offerings in order to drive people to its products, and thereby make more advertising and other revenue from people using Google products.
For Intel and Sony, the Google TV project would be important strategically. For Intel, it represents a market for its small, mobile family of processors known as Atom chips. For Sony, it offers a chance to get back into the game for televisions by enriching its offerings. The erstwhile Japanese electronics giant has long been losing marketshare in the mainstream and large-television market.
Earlier efforts by other technology giants in this area have floundered. WebTV, which was acquired by Microsoft, was among the first companies to offer products allowing people to browse the Internet on their TVs. More recently, there have been offerings by other companies, such as Apple with Apple TV, but none of these products have taken off.
On the other hand, more specialized and less expensive TV set-top boxes offering specific functionality—such as TiVo, Roku and Boxee—have had slightly more success. “On the TV, people want specific TV apps, not a browser experience,” the New York Times quoted Anthony Wood, founder and chief executive of Roku, as saying.
It is not clear whether Google TV is a product or a platform that will enable a suite of similar products from competing vendors in the TV industry, such as LG, Panasonic and other hardware manufacturers. But reports indicate that Google TV would be based on Google’s Android operating system and run on the Google Chrome browser.
The platform will also allow third-party developers to develop applications that can be installed on the Google TV. Developer toolkits and more concrete hardware offerings are expected to be released around summer 2010, according to the New York Times report. Google TV would also come with applications that allow users to access current popular video providers, such as Youtube and Hulu, easily.
It was believed that Logitech is involved in the development of peripheral devices for the platform, most likely “a remote with a tiny keyboard,” the report said.
Google’s Android operating system is already running on many smartphone platforms today, and it is in version 2.1. Its Google Chrome browser is available on all three major operating system platforms—Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux—and recently overtook Apple’s Safari as the third most popular browser, behind Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.
Google is also working on a Chrome operating system, which is reportedly aimed at the class of small mobile computers known as netbooks—slower, less expensive versions of laptops that mainly serve to allow users to access the Internet.
The Google TV project would represent Google’s newest effort to put offerings at the heart of a user’s online experience. Industry analysts widely believe that Google is trying to expand into new technology and markets using free offerings in order to drive people to its products, and thereby make more advertising and other revenue from people using Google products.
For Intel and Sony, the Google TV project would be important strategically. For Intel, it represents a market for its small, mobile family of processors known as Atom chips. For Sony, it offers a chance to get back into the game for televisions by enriching its offerings. The erstwhile Japanese electronics giant has long been losing marketshare in the mainstream and large-television market.
Earlier efforts by other technology giants in this area have floundered. WebTV, which was acquired by Microsoft, was among the first companies to offer products allowing people to browse the Internet on their TVs. More recently, there have been offerings by other companies, such as Apple with Apple TV, but none of these products have taken off.
On the other hand, more specialized and less expensive TV set-top boxes offering specific functionality—such as TiVo, Roku and Boxee—have had slightly more success. “On the TV, people want specific TV apps, not a browser experience,” the New York Times quoted Anthony Wood, founder and chief executive of Roku, as saying.
