Hasta La Gadget!

Swedish manufacturer People of Lava has finally gotten its Android TV, the Scandinavia, into stores. First seen here on Gadget Lab back in April of this year, the computer/TV hybrid is now ready for pre-order in Sweden, with a future US launch planned pending the raising of enough money to do it.

The TVs look gorgeous, made from stone as well as the usual metal and glass, and will come in 42, 47 and 55-inch sizes, all running the rather ancient Android 1.5. That’s not really a problem, though, as the custom UI is designed for a big screen, not a tiny cellphone display.

All models are 1080p and have a backlit LED display, along with every port and hookup you could wish for, and come prepped with YouTube, Google Maps, apps for weather, a calendar, web-browser built in, and other apps like Twitter and Facebook ready to download. Connection to the internet is via reliable ethernet, but you can opt for a USB Wi-Fi dongle if you prefer.

The 42-inch model is available now for pre-order, and will cost 22,000 Swedish Krona, or $3,630 (the price is doubtlessly raised partly because the sets are made in Sweden). The 55-incher will cost a whopping 40,000 Sweden Krona, or $5,800, and because of the bauxite rock used to make it, the set will weigh a wall-busting 40-kilos, or almost 90-pounds.

In some ways, Android is better than Google TV itself. For instance, the TV networks are currently blocking Google TV from accessing their shows. That isn’t yet the case with Android (although in Sweden I case nobody cares about the US networks anyway). On the other hand, most people know the hell of watching somebody else drive a computer, and this can only get worse on a bigger screen. I’ll stick with browsing on my iPad while other people watch soap operas.

Scandinavia product page [People of Lava]

See Also:

• World's First Android TV Comes from Sweden
• Google Introduces Google TV, New Android OS
• Android Holds the Key to Samsung's Smart TV Plans