Google TV Based on Android Plans to go Open Next Summer

May 20, 2010

SDK will be available early 2011, compatible with Android apps that don't require phone services to function.

In addition to Android 2.2, the other major announcement at Google's I/O conference keynote was Google TV, an Android 2.1 based, Intel chip powered device that adds search and web integration to televisions and DVRs.

The device uses the proprietary Chrome browser to display Web pages and also makes use of Flash 10.1.

What's interesting for open source enthusiasts is the way Google TV interacts with the Android Marketplace. Any application that doesn't require the use of phone-specific features will work on Google TV, opening up an entirely new platform for app development.

Like Android 2.2, Google TV distributes apps through the cloud, so if an app is downloaded on a computer or mobile device, it will appear on Google TV automatically.

Google TV launches Fall 2010. An SDK for Google TV will be available Winter 2011, with the entire project expected to go open source, integrating back into the Android and Chrome source trees. Google CEO Eric Schmidt said that it was the victory of open source that made the project possible.

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