The future of television is here and it’s called Google TV. A silky smooth blend of television and the Internet, controlled by apps, just like your phone. You can get in the game for only $199, cheaper than a lot phones and most tablets. At this price it’s BYOS (Bring Your Own Screen).
I wish I could say I saw it with my own eyes, but my local Best Buy only had a recorded demo.
While I like to consider Google the first out of the gate with a smart TV, TV Giant Samsung has also quietly released their own smart tv. The app store looks amazingly similar to GTV app store. Samsung doesn’t say what software backs their hardware. I was told it is Bing, by a Best Buy salesperson. Apple TV is planning a come-from-behind charge, using its entrenched army of developers.
GTV works with any HDTV, just hook up the Sony Blue Ray box or Logitech Revue Box. So now I can write this blog on my phone, tablet, laptop, desktop or TV. Just give me a full size keyboard.
My first choice for simple web surfing, TV and movie watching is my phone. Someone needs to write a “Dad” widget, which overrides all other remote controls and phones in the room. This app will need a “hotel” mode. Ok, I’ll add it to the list of apps I’m building.
The Sony answer to user interface is good, and probably fits an Asian person’s hands fine. The Logitech keyboard fits my hands better.
For a UI, I’m thinking more along the lines of this year’s April Fools Day Gmail app. Clap on, Clap off. Give me a full size, virtual keyboard, like an interactive, Heads Up Display.
Right now Google TV doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles or apps. It works with all existing Droid apps, as long as they do not require touch screen, phone or GPS. I’m looking forward to teaming GTV with Google+ to view webcams of beautiful places. The Jetson’s two way TV is finally a reality. Or is it?
Whose job is it, from roughly 27,000 employees, to ensure product compatibility?
I sure hope my Google Music will work on my Google TV. More on that in another letter.
What about ad-blockers? They’ve raised their ugly heads in the Market. Will GTV have ad-blocker blockers to protect Droid developers’ primary income stream?
The following lines from Google.com/tv/ “Kids Again” raises more questions: “Like Android, it will be an open source platform...And before long, anyone will be able to build applications for it.” “Like Android” draws connotations of developers learning JuicyFruit 1.0 for Google TV. Ugh. “Anyone building applications” probably will be like the Droid App Inventor product, which does not create signed .apk files and therefore does not create applications which can be sold in the Market. I like that differentiation. The page closes with, “The coolest thing about Google TV is that we don’t even know what the coolest thing about it will be.” I’ll be happy to point you in the right direction.
Happy 4th of July!
Snap. Snap. Smile. Wave.GoodBye,
Perk
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