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Google Working On Wireless Home Entertainment System

Thursday February 9, 2012 1:44 pm PST by Jordan Golson
Google is developing a wireless home entertainment system designed to stream music throughout the home, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. The system would be marketed under Google's brand and would be based on Google's Android platform. Google has sold a few items under its own name, but has never designed consumer electronics hardware itself. The Google Nexus phone, for example, was made by HTC.
Google's Android unit has led a multi-year effort to develop the new entertainment device, which may possibly stream other digital media besides music and is expected to be unveiled later this year, people familiar with the matter said.

The new device, along with Google's pending purchase of device maker Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc., shows how serious the Internet giant is about wanting to control both the software and hardware process, a formula used by rival Apple Inc.
The system would allow users to download music and stream it to Google-branded wireless speakers or other compatible devices. The system sounds somewhat similar to those made by Sonos, which the New York Times examined in a recent article.

The WSJ gave no indication as to a time-frame for the public announcement or on-sale date for the Google home entertainment products. Apple has a somewhat similar living room strategy, though the company no longer makes any home speaker products -- instead, Apple uses its AirPlay, Airport Express and Apple TV products as part of its push into the living room. However, in recent months the company has been rumored to be working on a full-fledged television set.
[ 141 comments ]


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notjustjay
61 months ago

Wait for the Google toilet.


That's the one that shows you ads for foods similar to the ones that you've just expelled, right? :D
Rating: 19 Votes
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rdowns
61 months ago
****ers will probably insert ads between songs. :D
Rating: 8 Votes
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GuitarDTO
61 months ago
I feel like at some point these companies need to stick with what they are good at.
Rating: 7 Votes
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rmwebs
61 months ago

Google should stick to Search and Maps. The only areas they excel in. The rest of their portfolio is just derivative junk.


Someones got a narrow mind...


* Search
* Maps
* Mail
* YouTube
* Docs
* Android
* Adsense
* Adwords
* Picasa
* Chrome


Those are just the 'frontline' ones.

Reading through this thread its funny to see how many brainwashed people we have here. It seems that once Apple has a 'fall-out' with a company, everyone suddenly declares that said company is crap, has never done anything good, and should effectively die.

I love Apple as much as the next guy but this is bordering on insane now. Google do what they do well. If Google has decided to attempt to enter a new market, then big whop. When Apple announced the iPhone did you start moaning that they should stick to Macs? :rolleyes:
Rating: 7 Votes
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HiRez
61 months ago
Google speakers? LOL, thanks but no...
Rating: 5 Votes
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gotluck
61 months ago



Um.
There are more Hotmail and Yahoo accounts than Gmail.


There are more PC's then Macs, are Macs crap?
Rating: 5 Votes
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macrumors12345
61 months ago
Double meh.

Translation: We can't get suckers like Logitech to lose money building this crap anymore, so we'll have to build the crap ourselves.
Rating: 5 Votes
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damir00
61 months ago
Each to their own. I use Gmail, Maps and Earth. And Scholar and Patents. Oh, and YouTube. And Chrome over Safari (love the unified search/URL bar).

Are there better alternatives? No idea, and unlikely to find out until an actual need goes unmet.
Rating: 4 Votes
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rmwebs
61 months ago

Where? I may have missed that, sounds like complete fabrication.

This is the Android prototype that was shown at the MWC 2008 in Barcelona:

Image (http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/ne/p/2008/android_prototype_550x385.jpg)

Where are the photos of that mythical pre-2007 no-keyboard Android phone?


Take a look in any number of the android patent threads on here. There was a video released by google BEFORE the iPhone was released demoing two handsets. One was a blackberry style, one was a full screen device that looked a little like the G1.
Rating: 4 Votes
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ftaok
61 months ago

The is the 2nd biggest issue with the Motorola acquisition.
Google will essentially get 100% market penetration through cable companies as it starts to produce cable boxes for cable providers. Consumers rarely have a choice as to what brand of cable box the can lease.

The biggest issue is Googles ability to acquire marketing data (and distribute ads) through these cable boxes again with next to no consumer choice.


Do you really think that Google is just going to grab all of the information off of the STBs and DVRs? They'll have to strike a deal with the cable operators to get that information. What incentive does a Comcast have in putting Google on their STBs?

So for Google to "penetrate" this market, they'll have to pay a pretty penny to the cable operators, or share the data.

I don't think that Google has a long history of sharing their data, nor do the cable operators.

In the end, if this deal were to get done, there will be a lot of compromise and negotiations. It'll take a long time, unless a disruptive tech comes along and forces the cable operators to take action ... hmmm, what could that be?
Rating: 4 Votes

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