SAN JOSE, Calif. — Google TV announced a software
upgrade for its television sets Friday to make the interface simpler for
users and add Android app functionality.
Google
TV launched in 2010, offering Sony televisions with the functionality
embedded in the device and Logitech set-top boxes that work with other
televisions. But the service has yet to fully catch on, with Logitech
reporting disappointing sales figures for its Revue set-top box earlier
this year.
In a blog post from Vice President of
Product Management Mario Queiroz and Engineering Director Vincent
Dureau, Google announced that the newest version of Google TV seeks to
address some of the feedback the company has received from users.
“The
initial version of Google TV wasn’t perfect, but launching it gave us
the opportunity to learn. These are still early days, and we’re working
hard to move forward with each update,” they wrote.
The
upgrade intends to simplify the Google TV interface, offering more
ability to browse options instead of searching, and offers a new,
customizable home page. In nods to popular Google-owned properties, the
update also offers a customized YouTube feature specifically for Google
TV and access to the Android Market, where about 50 apps can now be
downloaded for use on Google TV and where developers can now build apps
specifically for the program.
Google TV may soon
face a strong competitor in this sector: Rumors of an Apple TV have
exploded this week after the authorized biography of Steve Jobs hit
bookshelves with the news that the Apple Inc. co-founder told author
Water Isaacson late in life that he had “finally cracked” the television
set.
Analysts said this week that Apple is
already building prototypes for a mass-market television set that would
allow users to access all their media through iCloud and could reach the
market in late 2012 or 2013. The New York Times reported Thursday that
the set will likely utilize Siri, the voice-recognition program
introduced on the iPhone 4S, as a voice-activated remote control of
sorts.
“Absolutely, it is a guaranteed product for
Apple,” an unnamed source told Times reporter Nick Bilton. “Steve
thinks the industry is totally broken.”
Google
TV’s software update will be available for users of Sony devices early
next week and for Logitech customers soon after, the blog post said.
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