Is Google going to enter the home entertainment market in a more aggressive way? That"s the word from The Wall Street Journal. The newspaper"s web site is reporting via unnamed sources that the company is developing plans to release its own branded hardware device. The product would be for music lovers as it would stream tunes wirelessly in the home. The story claims that Google will launch the device later this year.
Even if Google is developing such a device, it would not be the first time that the company would be trying to launch some kind of home entertainment product. Google TV is a perfect example. Launched in 2010, the software has been licensed out to other television and set top makers but so far hasn"t made much of an impact. In January, Google announced a number of new hardware partners that plan to install the Google TV software in its products.
It sounds like Google wants to have a dedicated and branded home entertainment product in order to compete with Apple"s line of devices as well as Microsoft"s Xbox 360 game console. However, one has to wonder if Google"s efforts will be seen by other as being late to the party.