Google developing an ‘entertainment device’
Internet search giant Google is apparently working on venturing more broadly into the consumer electronics arena; with the company stating in a last-week-filed application with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that it would commence the testing of a device which it has simply described as an "entertainment device."
According to tech website GigaOM, which was the first to report about that Google had filed an application with the FCC, the home entertainment device to be tested by Google would seemingly have Bluetooth as well as Wi-Fi connectivity.
GigaOM also added that, as per the application, Google will carry out its trial of the home entertainment device - which reportedly will stream music wirelessly - in the homes of its employees all through the summer so as to test the device's stability.
The `entertainment device' to be tested by Google currently exists as a prototype, and will finally hit the markets as a branded product. Though it will initially boast the music-streaming capability, it will underscore the potential for a much wider use later on.
With Google's new `entertainment device' essentially marking Google's most notable foray in the highly competitive hardware space, and pointing to the company's intentions of gaining control over the design, production and sale of the product, Forrester analyst James McQuivey, like some other analysts, is of the opinion that "Google's future depends on extending its influence beyond the PC screen."
