Sony has introduced Internet TV powered by Google while Logitech has announced it will be providing Set-To- Boxes to those who already have a pricey HDTV.
Sony: Tuesday, 5/20/2010, Sony announced that it is offering Internet enabled televisions in partnership with Google and Intel. The announcement was considered the biggest news of the two day Google I/O Developers conference in San Francisco. The new Bravia models will arrive with fully enabled Blue-ray Internet access and are expected to be available this fall for the all important Holiday Season.
The new systems will be powered by Google’s Android Operating System and will allow you to finally watch what you want on your television. With solid 3D functionality and now Internet , Sony expects to remain the leader in true Home Entertainment Centers.
These systems will utilize an on-screen search box similar to Google’s popular web search to access live programing, recordings, and the web. I fully expect this to change not only how we watch TV but basically how we handle all entertainment and even work activities. What sets this apart from previous attempts to just connect a computer to your TV is the Google software being used. As we all know, Google makes it simple.
Logitech: Calling it the Logitech Companion Box, Logitech has announced it will provide the first set-top-box for Google TV. The slick and shiny box will add Google TV to your existing HD television. 
As you would expect Logitech is also supplying a covey of peripherals for your pleasure, including keyboards, mini controllers, and remotes to name only a few.
Google has gathered its collaborators well. It is set to trounce any chance Apple had with iTV or even the iPad for that matter. Intel’s powerful Atom processor is outshining anything Apple. Logitech has long been a leader in computing peripherals and recently the best remote options available. Sony Television, what can I say?
Google’s Android operating system and Chrome browser are open source, so when Google invites developers to produce the next wave of applications for Google TV you can expect Android apps that are beyond anything you’ve seen. Here’s the quote from GoogleBlog:
“Soon after launch, we’ll release the Google TV SDK and web APIs for TV so that developers can build even richer applications and distribute them through Android Market. We’ve already started building strategic alliances with a number of companies — like Jinni.com and Rovi — at the leading edge of innovation in TV technology. Jinni.com is a next-generation TV application working to provide semantic search, personalized recommendation and social features for Google TV across all sources of premium content available to the user. Rovi is one of the world’s leading guide applications. We’re looking forward to seeing all of the ways developers will use this new platform.“
Google’s “Earth Eating Strategy” continues. Lightening fast and open source, Google’s Android and Chrome will certainly produce a flurry of new applications. Google is set to do everything for everybody, from Social Networking to setting your heaters.
VentureBeat reports that Chrome users have grown from 30 million users last year to 70 million users by this June.
It looks like this fall is going to see an increase in sports widows, man caves, and beer , with a corresponding downturn in razor sales. Thanks to Google for knocking it out of the park and bringing them all home.
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