Yahoo! Inc. has previewed plans for the Widget Channel with Intel (News - Alert) Corporation. Widget Channel is a television application framework optimized for TV and related consumer electronics (CE) devices that use the Intel Architecture.

 

Widget Channel will be based on a powerful set of platform technologies, including the Yahoo! Widget Engine and core libraries that expose the powerful functions enabled by the Intel Architecture. To lower the barrier of entry for developing applications optimized for TV, the Widget Channel framework will use established Internet technologies. Intel and Yahoo! plan to make a development kit available to developers, including TV and other CE device makers, advertisers and publishers to help create new TV Widgets for the Widget Channel.

 

With the help of Widget Channel, consumers can enjoy rich Internet applications designed for the TV while watching their favorite TV programs. Powered by the Yahoo! Widget Engine, the Widget Channel is a fifth-generation applications platform that will enable TV watchers to interact with and enjoy a rich set of "TV Widgets," or small Internet applications. These applications improve the traditional TV watching experience and bring content, information and community features available on the Internet within easy reach of the remote control.

 

With the Widget Channel, developers can improve the power and compatibility of PC application developer programs to TV and related CE devices as they can now use JAVASCRIPT, XML, HTML and Adobe Flash technology to write TV applications for the platform. Yahoo! will also offer consumers Yahoo!-branded TV Widgets that are customized based on its category-leading Internet services, apart from supporting the Yahoo! Widget Engine.

 

To promote the development of open and consistent standards necessary to grow the TV Widget ecosystem, both Intel and Yahoo! are working with industry members. The companies are sharing an early version of a development kit for the Widget Channel with selected TV Widget developers now as part of their efforts.

 

“On the PC and mobile devices, Yahoo! is a leading starting point for millions of consumers around the world," said Marco Boerries (News - Alert), executive vice president, Connected Life, Yahoo! Inc. "Yahoo! aims to extend this leadership to the emerging world of Internet-connected TV, which we call the Cinematic Internet. By partnering with leaders like Intel, we plan to combine the Internet benefits of open-user choice, community, and personalization with the performance and scale embodied in the Intel Architecture to transform traditional TV into something bigger, better and more exciting than ever before. By using the popular Yahoo! Widget Engine to power the Widget Channel, we intend to provide an opportunity for all developers and publishers to create new experiences that can reach millions of TV viewers globally. Yahoo! plans to enable the Cinematic Internet ecosystem, which will benefit consumers, device makers, advertisers and publishers.”