Hasta La Gadget!

Google intends to enlist the assistance of shock jock Howard Stern (seen above) in order to gain more prominence for its Internet TV software known as Google TV which frankly, has yet to light up the world of living room entertainment ever since it debut a good 19 months ago. Not only that, this particular combination will also see Google rope in satellite radio provider Sirius XM who will also make available the entire range of its programming on Google TV, where Stern’s shows are thrown into the mix as well, alongside live sports courtesy of a new app which will enable listeners to pause live programs – and continue playback within a 5 hour time frame where its content is concerned.

Sirius XM intends to announce this particular deal at Google’s I/O developer conference that is happening in San Francisco tomorrow morning, and it will add to the growing list of Google TV partners including Netflix and Amazon.com. Sirius XM says that their app will be made available to download later this summer, although there was no release date provided, so we will just have to wait for an official notice.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Google TV & Movies App gets an update, Sony Google TV now rooted by GTV Hacker,

There has been some proof of a Nexus tablet that will make an appearance at Google I/O Conference later tomorrow morning, not to mention having some specifications details listed as well in recent memory. Well, a new report has surfaced, where folks who claim to be “in the know” have informed Bloomberg that the co-branded tablet (Google and Asus) will be announced at Google I/O Conference. It is tipped that this particular tablet will show off the next generation of Google’s mobile operating system, calling it Jelly Bean in order to continue the dessert naming convention that has long been part of Google’s game plan for some time already.

No idea on what the final size of the tablet will be, but earlier rumors did point towards a 7″ form factor. The Wall Street Journal did mention last week that this Google tablet will roll out in a matter of the “coming weeks.” Do you think Google’s efforts in the tablet arena will turn the table on Apple? Image courtesy of Gizmodo.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Asus MeMo glasses-free 3D tablet at Computex 2011, EXIF data reveals ASUS Nexus 7 device, could this be the Google Nexus tablet?,

On the eve of its I/O event, Google is continuing to roll out new features, one of which is expanded functionality for its ubiquitous +1 sharing buttons that can be found all over the web (and on this site). For users that are a member of its platform preview test group, other than clicking once to +1 something, or clicking again to share it on Google+, now on mouseover it will display recommended pages as seen above. According to the corresponding blog post, it pulls in related content and stuff shared by friends, and will only display selections from the same domain or subdomain as the page the button is on. Google anticipates this will go live to all users “in the next few weeks”, if you can’t wait until then hit the more coverage link below to join the preview and give feedback on how well it’s working.

Google adds same-site recommendations to +1 buttons, but only for platform preview testers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jun 2012 21:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google I/O 2012 is almost upon us, and already Google TV is rallying for its second charge at the smart TV segment. Sony and Vizio have each revealed their Google TV set-top boxes, throwing hardware up for pre-order, and while Android tablets are expected to dominate the search giant’s keynotes this week, there’s likely to be at least a little time spared for the company’s TV strategy. It’s vital it does, too; sparse updates to the Apple TV in its third-generation has given Google a window in which to act, but it’s an opportunity that’s rapidly expiring.

Google TV has already addressed what was perhaps its biggest flaw: using Intel processors initially, rather than ARM chipsets. Those x86 chips were more power hungry, less high-def media capable, and – crucially – more expensive than the sort of CPUs running most smart TVs and set-top boxes, meaning first-gen Google TV hardware was hot, over-priced and underwhelming in performance in comparison.

Now, with ARM at its core, Google TV has sidestepped the performance and price conundrum. What’s left is a legitimate play for an holistic ecosystem within which it can slot: not just “here’s the internet overlaid onto your TV” but a compelling portfolio of interactivity features that combine with Google’s other strengths in phones, tablets, Chrome OS and the cloud.

So far, you see, companies still aren’t convinced that Google TV is the way to go. Only last week we saw LG announce a smart TV proposal of its own, diluting its own Google TV commitment from CES back in January with an alternative strategy it’s shopping around competitors. Google TV’s lack of existing traction in the segment means there’s little motivation to adopt it; if it also had the combined heft of Android on mobile devices at its back, however, that would be a far more alluring proposition for OEMs.

“Is a Nexus Google TV the way forward?”

Is a Nexus Google TV the way forward? It’s still probably too early for that; Google has previously saved its “reference designs” for when products are midway into market penetration, and when manufacturers are beginning to stray from the company line. If there’s any new Nexus at Google I/O this week it’s most likely to be a tablet.

Nonetheless, with third-party application support now onboard, and ARM at its core, Google TV is likely to be more of a platform play than a standalone revolution in the living room. Tablets and phones are already finding themselves in regular circulation among sofa-surfers as second screens, something Apple is yet to join the dots on with the iPad and Apple TV. If Google can not only announce its own portfolio of connected services, but push them to the new hardware with alacrity, then it stands a chance of giving Google TV the reboot it deserves.

SlashGear is at Google I/O 2012 this week, so stand-by for all the news worth reading!

I/O 2012 is Google TV’s last chance for a reboot is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
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