ASUS gets into the Google TV game with the Qube

ASUS today at CES in Las Vegas officially announced the ASUS Qube -- a Google TV device that's been strongly suggested for the past few weeks, both from the FCC as well as Google. ASUS is promising more info today, but so far all we've got is this single picture, the fact that it's a Google TV device and it has access to Android apps and movies and TV and whatnot, can be controlled via a smartphone or tablet app -- and has some sort of "rotating on-screen cube shape," which immediately makes us think of failed Windows Mobile UIs. (Chances are ASUS has done better here, but seeing is believing.)

And that's it for now. More on the Qube as we get it. We've got the whole of the announcement after the break.

Qube with Google TV - Bring the world of entertainment to your TV

Instantly add Google TV to your HDTV with the ASUS Qube.  Qube with Google TV offers both motion control and voice search that integrates Google Play, Chrome™, YouTube™in one compact device. With access to over 100,000 movies and TV shows* from Netflix and Amazon Instant Video, plus numerous apps, videos and games from Google Play, ASUS Qube with Google TV is the perfect media content device.

[Source: Android Central - Click here to read the full story]

Amazon Instant Video app now available on (some) Google TV devices

Hot on the heels of making it available on the iPhone and iPod touch, Amazon's now bringing a native app for its Instant Video service to Mountain View's TV platform. It's always been accessible via the web browser, although navigating the site via remote was painful and the Flash video quality suffered. Granted, the on-demand application doesn't appear to be compatible with some devices at the moment, with a few folks pointing out that they are not seeing it be friendly with their particular Google TV-powered set-top box -- including ones such as the Logitech Revue and the (much) newer Vizio Co-Star. Here's to hoping the giant e-tailer makes Instant Video friendly with more Google TVs pretty soon -- according to Google, it's only available on LG TVs so far, since they've received the latest v3 updates already.

[Source: Engadget]

Hisense Pulse with Google TV priced at $100, now available from Amazon

It's been a while since we saw it at IFA, but it looks like the Hisense Pulse with Google TV is finally available for purchase a month after its promised release date. You can finally snag the Google TV set-top box from Amazon for $100 -- it misses that "under $99" mark mentioned in its initial announcement, but it's certainly close enough. The compact entertainment box supports 1080p output and has WiFi, HDMI, USB and Ethernet ports, letting you pump in content through a host of connections. Much like other Google TV products, the remote that ships with the device is double-sided -- there's a QWERTY keyboard on the bottom and more traditional controls (along with a trackpad) up top. We didn't think much of the touchpad's small size at the initial hands-on, so hopefully the manufacturer's solved that in the final product. Hisense is certainly cutting things close with this late-December release, but if you click "add to cart" now, it may just arrive in time to make its way underneath a tree.

[Source: Engadget]

Netgear's NeoTV Prime (GTV100) is the latest Google TV box outed by FCC filings

Just like the suddenly inescapable 4K, it appears Google TV will be a buzzword for multiple new devices at CES like this Netgear NeoTV Prime (model # GTV100) which GTV Hacker discovered via a pair of curious FCC testing documents. It actually snuck through the FCC before the just-leaked ASUS Qube (more on that in a moment), revealed via a documents for both its Bluetooth-connected remote control and a wireless component, although the box itself remains under wraps. The remote packs a QWERTY keyboard, while up front there's a touchpad plus the usual assortment of control buttons augmented with several app shortcuts for Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, Vudu, HBO Go and Crackle. It may be wishful thinking, but here's hoping the inclusion of Amazon and HBO Go buttons mean dedicated apps are on the way, instead of the current website shortcuts. The wireless module is less revealing, only confirming the name, 802.11n, Bluetooth 3.0 and a lack of ad-hoc wireless network support. Check after the break for a couple of more pics, and info on where Google TV may be headed.

 [Source: Engadget]

LG Google TVs now have integrated OnLive cloud game streaming

LG Smart TV owners may've noticed a new application pop up today on their G2 series sets, as OnLive's cloud game streaming app is being delivered via an over-the-air update today (first announced at E3 back in June) -- it seems that LG Smart TVs are the first to get Google TV's latest update. Beyond just viewing games, the app allows for actually playing them employing OnLive's wireless controller (sold separately). Per normal OnLive service, you can demo various games before buying them, and purchases on one OnLive account transfer across its many platforms (PC, Mac, Android tablets, the Microconsole, and LG TVs). The OnLive app can be found in the "Premium Apps" area, and it'll be pre-installed on future LG sets.

Of course, it's a question of how long any of this will last, as OnLive's had a rough 2012 -- the company lost the vast majority of its staff and its former CEO back in August. It was subsequently spun off into a separate company to keep from defaulting on its many, many overdue loans.

[Source: Engadget]

Hisense Pulse with Google TV set-top box hands-on (video)

Hisense announced its low-cost set-top box, the Pulse with Google TV, a few days ago, and though pricing remains vague at "less than $100," we got a chance to see the device in action at IFA today. The Android-based Pulse supports content in 1080p, and includes HDMI, USB and Ethernet connections, along with WiFi, and the double-sided remote communicates with the square-shaped box via Bluetooth 4.0. Being a Google-branded product, it also gives users access to compatible apps from Google Play.

The remote includes dedicated buttons for YouTube, Netflix, the web and Live TV, and there's a small touchpad in addition to the standard remote-control keys. It's nifty, in theory, to have a trackpad on the remote, but in practice it's quite difficult to navigate across a TV's display this way: the touchpad is too small, and it doesn't support scrolling, which makes it incredibly inconvenient for viewing web pages. On the flip side of the remote, there's a full QWERTY keyboard -- the keys are large enough to make typing in the Chrome browser and other apps very easy. A booth rep told us the Pulse will drop in September, though that contradicts information from this week's press release. In any case, you can take a closer look in our video hands-on after the break.

[Source: Engadget]

Google TV now lists movie New Releases, to let users control YouTube vids from phones and tablets

While hardware manufacturers like Sony and Vizio have been hard at work making new Google TV devices, the folks in Mountain View have been in the lab cooking up new software features for the platform. We got to speak with Google TV's VP of Product Management Mario Queiroz today, and he shared a couple of tasty tidbits with us.

Firstly, he informed us that there's now a New Releases section in GTV's listings, which makes it easier than ever to find the latest and greatest movies. Additionally, it turns out that GTV's taking a page from the Nexus Q and YouTube Remote playbooks to let users control YouTube videos on the big screen from their phones and tablets. Essentially, you'll be able to bring up a video on your mobile device and have it populate on your TV with the tap of a finger. However, unlike Apple's AirPlay -- which delivers a similar UX by streaming video from a mobile device to an Apple TV -- Google's tech simply has your Google TV device stream the video directly from the web. Naturally, Mario wouldn't dish out any more details about new feature, nor would he say exactly when this functionality will be pushed out to the public, but rest assured we'll let you know when it does.

[Source: Engadget]