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Myriad Alien Vue brings Google TV apps to existing HDTVs, set-top boxes (video)
Couch potatoes may soon be able to get a more complete Android app experience without leaving the living room, or picking up a tablet or smartphone. Myriad's new Alien Vue is a customizable OEM platform that enables TV and set-top box manufacturers to bring Android to their existing products, adding support for apps designed for Google TV and HTML5. Myriad is the developer behind Alien Dalvik, which allows you to run Android apps on non-Android devices, including iOS and MeeGo. Alien Vue brings that concept to the living room, and includes a branded app store, web browser and portable device control, letting you control your TV and other home theater devices using a phone or tablet. But unlike Dalvik, it'll be up to manufacturers to add support for Vue -- you won't be hacking your TV and installing the software yourself. We'll be bringing you a full hands-on from CES, but jump past the break for a quick video demo.
SlingPlayer for Google TV is out of beta, still a web app
We don't know what the folks at Sling have in store for CES 2012 but they are finally checking items off of last years list, including announcing the launch of SlingPlayer for Google TV. Officially dubbed SlingPlayer for Logitech Revue (it works fine on the Sony hardware too) any Google TV owners can find a link to the web app under the "Spotlight" section of their menu, and only need to login to enjoy remote TV viewing. The connected device SlingPlayer experience here is similar to that of the one on the Boxee Box, however running as a web app has a few specific disadvantages. While it mapped some of the Google TV's remote functions (channel up/down, pause, FF, rew etc.) directly to the box being remotely viewed, doing a simple thing like hitting back takes you out of the webpage and app entirely without warning. One advantage over the standard Android app however is that this one's free to use, so if you have both kinds of boxes (Sling and Google) at your disposal, go ahead and try it out or check out a video preview embedded after the break. %Gallery-113341%
Google's Eric Schmidt sees Google TV embedded in most new TVs by summer of 2012
Google big dog Eric Schmidt covered a lot of ground in his onstage interview at Le Web this year, but it wasn't all about iOS vs. Ice Cream Sandwich. It appears that Big G has big plans for Google TV, and the Executive Chairman foresees the platform proliferating to the point that "most" new televisions will have it embedded by the summer of 2012 -- that rumored switch from x86 to ARM must be going well. That strikes us as an awfully lofty goal given it's light market penetration thus far, but with Samsung still on board the Google gravy train and others waiting in the wings, Schmidt just may be right. However, until we see just how many sets are packing Google TV at CES, our skepticism remains -- check the interview itself and another video after the break that encapsulates just how we feel on the matter.
Logitech Revue Android 3.1 upgrade starts rolling out (Update: It's official)
It appears owners of the Logitech Revue will finally be able to get their taste of Honeycomb starting tonight, as a few lucky users have already received an upgrade to Android 3.1 and support techs have informed them a wider rollout is beginning this evening. That puts it about a month behind Sony's Google TV boxes in receiving the upgrade, but will finally bring owners a whole new UI, and access to the Android Market -- and live up to those stickers on the outside of the box. The usual considerations apply about it being a rolling update so while your $99 box may not see the new software right away, it's definitely coming. Update: Despite doubt by some over the news earlier, both Logitech and Google have just officially announced the Honeycomb upgrade for the Logitech Revue is going out OTA this week. Check the blog links for more details if you're still not convinced. [Thanks, Brian]
Samsung in 'last-stage talks' to use Google TV, will show off hardware after CES
The true second act of Google TV won't take place until new hardware hits the streets, and Reuters reports that while Samsung is still on board, it will unveil its product(s) next year at an event other than CES. There's no word on when or where we might see hardware from other partners like LG, but at last year's show Vizio and Samsung (pictured above) were the only ones to display their efforts. TV division prez Yoon Boo-keun confirmed the company was working with Google on the rollout, and apparently indicated Samsung's service would "differ" from competitors. We'll have to find out what that means, but in the meantime what we can expect to see in Las Vegas are OLED TVs, which he said Samsung would have on display. After being teased by countless concepts, we'll be keeping our eyes peeled for price tags and shipping dates, but those details will likely remain under wraps until January.
Show off your smartphone photog skills with Sony Ericsson's vscreens
Have you been jonesin' to show off those Epic 4G Touch camera skills on a bit bigger screen? Sony Ericsson has you covered with vscreens, a website / app combo that gets your trip to Everest on your flatscreen to secure bragging rights. Once you install the app from the Android Market, point your internet browsing screen -- PC, Google TV and PS3 included -- to the vscreens website. From there, you simply scan the QR code that appears on your display and presto, you're showing off that trip to the Adirondacks like it's your job, sans cables or Bluetooth. If you're looking to give it a spin, you'll find all you need via the links below. And pretty soon, you'll be able to showcase those Galaxy Nexus panoramas at your next dinner party. Pretty sweet, huh?
Google rolling out music purchases to some Android phones, Music app to Google TV
Just as Google promised, the Android Market is now slinging the tunes on select devices. Our OG Incredible's already received the update and we've received multiple reports from folks rocking HTC's EVO 3D. Just to give it a spin, we downloaded Busta Rhymes' Why Stop Now -- one of many exclusive free tracks -- and in seconds it popped up in our Google Music app. We've also received word that the Google Music app is now available for Google TV, allowing you to stream your music from the cloud. If you've been granted the ability to download your favorite tunes from the Android market, hit us up in the comments below and tell us what phone you're hollering into.
Turkish company builds 65-inch Android 'tablet' with Honeycomb, 1080p support (video)
Want Honeycomb on your TV? You can take your chances with a Google TV-enabled set from Sony, or you can get the full Android experience by adding a connected tablet to your HD mix -- if Istanbul-based Ardic gets its solution out the door, at least. The Turkish company's prototype uses a 10-inch Android Honeycomb-based tablet to power a 65-inch LCD with 1080p support for basic gestures, like pinch and zoom. The display currently has two touch sensors, but a version with four sensors is on the way, which will bring multi-touch support. The tablet is powered by an NVIDIA Tegra 2 SoC, and includes 1GB of RAM, 16GB of flash memory, dual cameras, HDMI, USB, microSD and 3G and WiFi connectivity. A dock enables instant connectivity with the OEM TV, including HDMI for video and audio, and USB for touch input (a wireless version is in the works as well). The devs customized Android to support 1080p output, and it appears to work quite seamlessly, as you'll see in the embedded video. And this isn't simply another goofy demo or proof of concept -- the Turkish company is in talks with education and enterprise customers and hopes to bring this setup to production as a more power- and cost-efficient interactive whiteboard alternative. The company eventually hopes to offer displays in a variety of sizes, that will all be powered by a pocketable device, such as a smartphone, but watch in wonder as the 65-inch proto we have today struts its stuff in the video after the break.
LG might show off Google TV hardware at CES
Turns out the Apple TV isn't the only one to see rehashed rumors making the rounds, as Bloomberg has dredged up "people with knowledge of the project" to say LG could show off hardware featuring Google TV at CES 2012. Of course, slow-to-materialize new software apparently put a stop to LG, Sharp, and Toshiba's plans at last year's show, leaving Samsung and Vizio alone to bear the flag. Making the timing of this rumor conspicuous however, is news of Logitech sitting out the next round of Google TV, the aforementioned Cupertino project, and Sony's promise of a "different kind of TV" floating around recently. Now that the Honeycomb update and Android Market access actually exist, Google's next big task is securing more partnerships for content and hardware -- we'll find out how successful it's been in January.
Logitech's new CEO sees the failures of the Revue clearly in hindsight and doesn't plan a sequel
After the Logitech Revue lost the CEO who spearheaded its progression into the marketplace and saw its price drop from $299 to $99, it's probably not that surprising to hear the new company leader isn't entirely enthusiastic about it. Guerrino De Luca told investors during the company's earnings call back on October 29th that Logitech would not be building a successor to the Revue and it would be "on the bench" waiting for an opportunity to build peripherals to present itself. During an Analyst and Investor Day on the 9th, he was even more frank, crediting the launch of the Revue and the company's issues in the EMEA region as costing it over $100 million in operating profit. While still calling Google TV a "great concept", and believing that success of it or a descendant is "inevitable", he admitted that a massive marketing push for a $300 box with "unfinished" software "cost the company dearly." Clearly, he's working on getting the company back to basics working on high end accessories and remotes -- there's also a note about . Whether or not Google TV -- or any other connected TV platform -- hits it big, expect to see Logitech hawking popcorn in the stands rather than on the field with an IR blaster connected box no one asked for, and running a bunch of creepy ads. Check out both transcripts on Seeking Alpha for more gems -- we'll wait to hear how other Google TV partners react going forward. Update: The Logitech blog has been updated, confirming it will not manufacture new Revue units. For current hardware however, the Honeycomb software update is still promised "before the end of the year."
Sony's CEO is ready to launch a four-screen platform 'that can compete with Steve Jobs'
After announcing that it would completely revamp its struggling TV business after yet another quarter of financial setbacks, what's next for Sony? CEO Howard Stringer tells the Wall Street Journal that R&D is focusing on a "different kind of TV set." He didn't specify whether he was talking about the company's efforts with Google TV or any other technology, however he did note the "really well organized" beauty of the iPhone and said that after a five year quest to build a platform that would compete with Steve Jobs, it's finally ready to launch. This all hinges on Sony's ability to pull its four screens (phones, tablets, PCs, TVs) together with network services like Video Unlimited and Music Unlimited (and hopefully make those Qriocity-birthed offerings famous for something other than being a footnote in its hacking scandal). Sony has finally begun to acknowledge its weaknesses in software and providing a uniform user experience, we'll probably find out more about how it plans to turn that around at CES 2012 in January.
Google might offer TV / phone service over its fiber network
Google has mentioned more than once that its Google TV platform isn't about replacing traditional pay-TV services, and now the Wall Street Journal reports it might be about to offer one of its own. Don't cancel your cable, satellite or IPTV service just yet though, as this would merely be an expansion of the fiber internet it will offer in the Kansas Cities, offering video and phone service as well. Reportedly it's looked into offering channels from the families of Disney, Time Warner and Discovery, but nothing is set in stone at this point. As CBS' attitude towards Apple TV makes clear, actually getting into the service biz can be complicated and costly, but we figure Mountain View has to fill those 1Gbps pipes with something other than Turquoise Jeep videos.
Plex hops on the Google TV train, finds it has plenty of room to stretch its legs
Well, the guys and gals over at Plex are on a roll right now. Less than a week ago they took the wraps off myPlex then, just a couple of days ago, new versions of the desktop and mobile clients hit the web alongside updated server software. Now the streaming media service is landing on the newly revamped Google TV. Even though this is the first release of the client for Mountain View's living room platform, all the most essential features are in place, including myPlex support and some keyboard-friendly UI tweaks. It seems like the only major limitation, and we're using that term loosely, is the limited support for HLS -- an essential ingredient in Plex's transcoding formula. Thankfully, bandwidth over your local network shouldn't be a major concern and Google TV has pretty robust codec support, so you might not even notice it's missing. You'll find a few more detail at the source and you can install the app right now from the market.
Google TV, take two, arrives next week with Honeycomb, Android Market
It has been a long year for Google TV. The first (and only, so far) round of hardware started shipping in October 2010 and at the time, promised the Android Marketplace with its wealth of third party apps early in the next year. That clearly didn't happen, and it quickly became most notable for what it was being blocked from doing, like streaming video from TV providers like Hulu and various network TV websites. After various false starts and delays, Sony Google TV and Logitech Revue hardware will finally receive updates to Android 3.1 Honeycomb (congratulations Google, now where's Ice Cream Sandwich?) starting this weekend with Sony up first and Logitech "shortly thereafter." The biggest additions are the aforementioned apps, a new interface, and a refocused system for content discovery that starts with the new TV & Movies app pictured above. Check out the gallery for more pictures of the new Google TV, while more details and videos follow after the break. %Gallery-137800%
Logitech Revue on sale promising 'new & improved' Google TV with Android 3.1, Market (Update: Logitech responds)
Well, well, what do we have here? These Logitech Revue boxes just hit the sales floor of a major electronics retailer, prominently sporting "New & Improved: Google TV with Android 3.1 and Android Market" stickers. Logitech also released its quarterly earnings overnight, claiming $7.9 million in sales from the Revue and accessories since dumping its CEO and slashing prices to $99. These haven't been cracked open yet to see if any Honeycomb leaks out, so it's possible they're just waiting for the long-delayed OTA update like all the others. Still, if you're trying to get a jump on the second major Google TV push without any hackery needed, it could be worth scouting store shelves in your area. Update: As a few commenters have pointed out, a support rep on Logitech's forums indicates these boxes have been updated with a sticker only. You'll still have to wait Google to deliver the goods along with everyone else. Update 2: Logitech reached out to us with the following statement: We'd like to clarify that these products do not include the next version of Google TV software. The boxes were prematurely updated with the stickers in anticipation of the next release of the Google TV software, which, once available, will be a free and automatic update pushed to all Logitech Revue boxes that are installed and connected to the Internet. [Thanks, DevonTheDude]
Google's Bradley Horowitz: 'we're throwing fewer things against the wall'
And with that, a dream dies. Well, maybe that's a bit sensational, but we aren't going to lie -- we wept inside upon hearing Google's Bradley Horowitz (Vice President of Product Management) contritely state that his company is "doing less of throwing things against the wall." In fact, he proclaimed that Google+ was morphing into a platform that would absolutely, without question become a pillar across the company in some form or fashion. In other words, it's too big to fail. He stated that the idea of using the general public as a test bed for products (hello, Buzz!) was fading quickly, and that this "transformation" would be "very healthy" for Google. He did affirm that engineers are still given their token "20 percent time" in order to innovate on whatever they darn well please, but we seriously got the impression that the culture under Larry Page isn't focusing nearly as intently on that kind of frivolous, outlandish and absolutely marvelous behavior. Bradley noted that while "20 percent time" isn't going away, there are changes taking place. There's a "higher bar on what gets put to market, and more of an editing function than before." Continuing on, he stated the following: "Instead of making these decisions in the market... we're doubling-down on ones that are more important across the company." If you're a hardcore, orthodox businessperson, this sounds totally logical. The whole "stop being childish, start being responsible" thing sure sounds appropriate on paper, but c'mon -- this is Google! A huge part of the company's mystique, charm and spontaneous nature came in its "we'll try anything once" persona, and if that truly is dying in even a small way, we can't help but have a heavy heart. The further Google strays from its startup roots (and the more it tries to act like every other bureaucratic mega-corp), the less likely we are to get flops like Google TV. But on the same token, the less likely we are to have that one-in-a-million hit (and oddballs like this) that would've never proved viable in any "research group." Here's one final quote from Bradley when asked to elaborate on this corporate shift: "We would rather do fewer things well -- we're now on a path to remedy prior sins of omissions. I think it's a tradeoff [with losing some of the freewheeling autonomy]. I still think there's a tremendous part of Google culture that'll never change, but what's exciting is that the company is rallying around this, and [the employees] see the benefits of alignment. We've won the hearts of employees, and there's tremendous momentum on what we're doing. My experience is that Larry is a consummate product leader -- it's thrilling, it feels like the company is coordinated in a way that I've never seen. I don't know that it's just Larry, but I couldn't be more impressed with him as CEO. I didn't expect this level of change in company culture when that announcement was made."
Intel may be giving up on smart TVs, ceding market to ARM
Well, it looks like Intel is throwing in the smart TV towel. As originally reported by AnandTech, and now confirmed by the company itself, Chipzilla is closing down its Digital Home Group and folding the team and resources into its tablet division. Its CE processors, which are found in the Boxee Box and the Logitech Revue, will continue to be sold, but it sounds like the focus will shift away from consumer-facing products. Obviously, that leaves the door wide open for ARM to sweep in. We already know that Google TV will be making the move to ARM-based hardware soon and the Boxee Box started life on Tegra before making the move to an Atom CE4100 (not to mention the A4-sporting Apple TV), so this isn't entirely new ground for the big players. Still, we're a little shocked to see Intel abandon the market just as it seems to be picking up steam.
Google TV 2.0: app developers get final add-on for Android SDK
If you hadn't heard, Google TV is (over)due to get a major boost with Honeycomb and access to the Android Market. We've seen a few compatible apps leak out thanks to Google's early efforts to woo developers, but it's only now that we're getting the final add-on for the Android SDK. It brings a couple of revisions, like better placement options for the action and navigation bars, but more importantly it delivers the message that two-point-oh is almost two-point-here.
Google TV apps for TNT, TBS leak out briefly, reveal authenticated streaming on the way
We're still waiting for Google TV products to officially get their big update with Honeycomb and access to the Android Market, but compatible apps are already leaking out. NewTeeVee points out a couple from TNT and TBS (which also allow Google TV streaming from their websites) that briefly appeared and will let pay-TV subscribers stream episodes directly over the internet, similar to the iOS apps both networks have already rolled out. Turner confirmed the existence of the TV Everywhere apps, while Google expressed its hope to see more authenticated apps like these and the existing HBO Go access on the platform, as opposed to simply ending up blocked. That's bad news for cord-cutters hoping for an online only machine, but with the majority of viewers still hooked into satellite, cable or IPTV it may be the only way to make Google TV a viable platform right now. All signs point to the update arriving at the end of this month, we should find out more about these apps and others like them then.
Adobe's launching Flash Player 11, Air 3 bringing HD video and 3D gaming to all
While we've had access to Adobe's Flash Player 11 in beta form for months, the company announced it will finally get official, along with Air 3, next month. Among the many new features included are support for accelerated 2D and 3D graphics with a claimed 1,000 times faster performance than Flash Player 10 and Air 2. That's enough to enable "console-quality" gaming on both computers and connected TVs and on mobile devices (Android, iOS, Playbook) with a pre-release version of Flash 11 (a production release you can take on the go is expected in "the near future"). Other new options include allowing developers to package Air 3 along with their apps in a single install, HD video quality on multiple platforms including iOS, DRM for video rentals, 64-bit support and more. Check out Adobe's pitch to developers with a press release and demo videos after the break, including a look at the hit iPad game Machinarium which was built with its tools.
