Google and Intel are said to have partnered Sony to develop a platform called Google TV which aims to connect TVs to the web using a new generation of TVs and Android-based set-top boxes, the New York Times reports. As part of the project, Sony would produce the first hardware, Intel would supply Atom chips and help make the software, and Logitech is said to create a remote with a keyboard. Google intends to open its TV platform, which is based on its Android operating system for smartphones, to software developers. Google is expected to deliver a toolkit to outside programmers within the next couple of months, and products based on the software could appear as soon as this summer. Google has built a prototype set-top box, but the technology may be incorporated directly into TVs or other devices. The Google TV software will present users with a new interface for TVs that lets them perform internet functions like search while also pulling down web programming like YouTube videos or TV shows from Hulu.com. The technology will also allow downloadable web applications, like games and social networks, to run on the devices. Social networks and other apps for smartphones could be brought to television through the use of Android. Google TV would use a version of Google's Chrome web browser, which currently does not work on Android phones. The Google TV software will be open source at its core, meaning that device and TV makers should have broad access to it. Sony hopes to gain an edge over competitors by bringing out the first appliances and possibly TVs running the software, perhaps under a new brand.
