Did you think Google (News - Alert) was stretching itself with Wave and Buzz, two ventures which didn't exactly pan out the way Google was hoping? Not to mention their approach to cell phone customer service?
Well, according to The Wall Street Journal (via CNN), Google "now wants bring the Web to your living room."
Google will, in June, "unveil a new software package to help developers better display the internet on TV sets," according to the Wall Street Journal, which quotes unnamed sources familiar with the announcement.
Google TV is an Android (News - Alert)-based software platform, and according to the Journal "has drawn interest from TV makers."
Google is expected to break the news at the Google's I/O conference, which will be held May 19 and 20 in San Francisco, California, the newspaper reports.
At the conference, Sony also will announce a TV that runs an Intel (News - Alert) chip and Google's software, Bloomberg reports. In an e-mail to CNN, a Google spokesman declined to comment, saying, 'We don't comment on rumor or speculation.'
Certainly not. The Journal's blog report says "The technology -- designed to open set-top boxes, TVs and other devices to more content from the Internet -- is attracting interest from partners that include Sony Corp., Intel Corp. and Logitech International SA, which are expected to offer products that support the software, these people said. None have so far discussed the efforts publicly."
This comes, CNN says, as "the idea of 'connected TV,' or television sets that let people browse the Web for video, news stories, video conferencing and to stream music, continues to get a push from electronics and internet companies."
"One person familiar with the matter cautioned the company could also decide to delay discussing it until the technology is more mature."
David Sims is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of David's articles, please visit his columnist page. He also blogs for TMCnet here.Edited by Alice Straight