So Joe...

Google Tries Again With Google TV – NYTimes.com

Joe — Tue, 08 May 2012 16:28:00 +0000

In the future, Google hopes to use the TV sets to beef up the audience for its Google Plus social network. Google Plus will be integrated into future iterations of Google TV so viewers can recommend content to friends and do Google “Hangouts” — Google’s group video chat service — with their friends via television.

via Google Tries Again With Google TV – NYTimes.com.

YouTube For Google TV Gets Recommendations, Smoother Playback And A +1 Button | TechCrunch

Joe — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 22:13:53 +0000

While there hasn’t been much news about Google TV itself lately, the YouTube app for Google TV is getting an update today. Google says that its developers have “been working like it’s a 24/7 hackathon over here to bring all of YouTube to your Google TV.” With this update, the developers have added recommendations, a Google+ button and the ability to search for channels. The new version now also handles suddenly drops in bandwidth more gracefully.

via YouTube For Google TV Gets Recommendations, Smoother Playback And A +1 Button | TechCrunch.

Google TVs TV and Movies app gets to know you better with ratings, favorites and more — Engadget

Joe — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:12:47 +0000

At the center of the revamped Google TV experience that rolled out last fall is its TV & Movies app, which is a blended guide of content currently airing live on TV and available for streaming from the popular internet services Netflix, Amazon, HBO Go. As Product Manager Rishi Chandra mentioned when we caught up with him at CES, personalization is something Google will be focusing on going forward and thats shown in the updated app being pushed out today.

via Google TVs TV and Movies app gets to know you better with ratings, favorites and more — Engadget.

Report: Google TV coming to Europe in September – Engadget

Joe — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:03:00 +0000

Sony is making some more definitive statements on its plans to bring Google TV across to Europe. According to financial paper, Les Échos, Sony Frances marketing director said that two devices, a set-top box, priced at €200 $266 and a Blu-ray player, selling for €300 $399, will launch in France this September. The paper reports that it could launch across the UK, Spain and Germany at the same time. Sonys Stephane Labrousse added that remotes for the new devices would also include a dedicated Android Market Google Play button to access the Android progenitors apps and media content. The Japanese manufacturers own Music Unlimited service will also be baked inside. Phew. Theres no word just yet on whether these are the older Intel-based models or the new, possibly cheaper, ARM range set to ship later this year. However, we expect to hear plenty more noise from Sony on its Smart TV intentions over the next few months.

via Report: Google TV coming to Europe in September – Engadget.

Google TV Adds New International Apps, But It’s Still Only Available In U.S. | TechCrunch

Joe — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 15:44:40 +0000

Google today announced another step in the build-out of its Google TV service: it is adding several new international channels in the form of apps to the Google TV platform, aimed at those who live in the U.S. but are missing content from home. Among them are a mix of entertainment and news services, including al-Jazeera, the Chinese-language PPTV, the IslamBox collection of channels, Yupp TV (another aggregator, this time of Indian content) and Japan’s Crunchyroll.

via Google TV Adds New International Apps, But It’s Still Only Available In U.S. | TechCrunch.

GTVHacker teases Boxee for rooted Sony Google TVs — Engadget

Joe — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 01:43:41 +0000

Since the Boxee Box and original Google TV v1 hardware share Intel Atom processors at their heart users have wondered about the opportunity for a port, and as seen above, that may have been achieved. GTVHacker tweeted out the picture tonight, promising “big things” in store for owners of rooted Sony Google TV devices while showing Boxee running on a Sony NSZ-GT1 Blu-ray player. There’s no other details mentioned so far, but if you managed to open up the capabilities of your hardware before an update put the kibosh on rooting, you should have some extra capabilities coming your way shortly.

via GTVHacker teases Boxee for rooted Sony Google TVs — Engadget.

Plex Media Server upgraded, Google TV app gets a reboot – Engadget

Joe — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 15:21:10 +0000

Real-time media streamer Plex has been refreshed on Google TV, following the smart TVs own recent firmware upgrade. The UI now looks easier to navigate with quicker access to recently added content. When it comes to the streaming media itself, youll still need to have a Plex server setup on a separate PC or Mac but the app still supports your dedicated myPlex content and your friends shared files. Plexs latest Media Server update also solves some iOS app problems alongside a handful of other stability and compatibility issues. The new Google TV version of the catch-all media platform isnt live just yet, but you can grab last months version at the source and gird yourself for the incoming update.

via Plex Media Server upgraded, Google TV app gets a reboot – Engadget.

Rumor: New update coming in Monday patching Sony GoogleTV exploit

Joe — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 16:57:23 +0000

A source has told us that Sony has already started testing a fix for the recent exploit and plans to have it coming out as soon as Monday as an OTA update. If this is correct that means that after you receive this automatic over-the-air update you will no longer be able to run the “recovery downgrade” or perform the recovery exploit to root your Sony GoogleTV.

via GTV Hacker » Blog Archive » Rumor: New update coming in Monday patching Sony GoogleTV exploit.

Is Google TV Getting a Siri Clone?

Joe — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:26:24 +0000

Google’s got a patent application out there for a Siri-like UI for Google TV. What does that mean for Google TV owners? Not much just yet, but it’s a sign you’re not totally abandoned.

The patent outlines a method of transmitting voice data to a TV through an Android phone or tablet, which would handle the voice-to-text processing for the TV. You’d be able to set up which shows you want to watch before you get home, and control basically all of your other gadgets as well, like cable boxes or Blu-ray players.

via Is Google TV Getting a Siri Clone?.

GTVHacker tool brings Sony Google TVs root access, full Flash streaming – Engadget

Joe — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:24:39 +0000

Early Google TV adopters looking for root access can get it easily on their Sony units, thanks to the just released GTVHacker Sony Recovery Downgrader & Rebooter. Unlike brute force hacks weve seen so far for the Revue, this is an all-software method that requires only four 512MB or larger USB sticks to get the job done.

via GTVHacker tool brings Sony Google TVs root access, full Flash streaming – Engadget.