Android 3.1-powered Google TV 2.0 and ‘Fishtank’ developer program detailed

By on Jun 25, 2011 at 10:05 AM
General June 25, 2011

The original Google TV products were met by lukewarm reviews at best, and according to Geek.com, the search giant is hard at work on its new Google TV 2.0 product. Developers have been joining Google’s new “Fishtank” program to get early access to tools that will allow them to create compelling new content for Google’s next attempt at entering our living rooms. Google TV 2.0 runs a barebones version of Android 3.1 (Honeycomb) and there are reportedly only 50 developers partaking in the initial Fishtank program. Fishtank includes an Intel CE4100 reference platform with a beta version of Google TV 2.0 preloaded, and a wireless keyboard. Intel’s Sodaville SoC, part of the CE4100 reference platform, also includes support for 3D gaming and Flash. Geek.com noticed a new “dual-view” feature that allows users to watch TV and use the OS at the same time; and the user interface has the same glowing-blue Tron-like effects as the tablet version of Honeycomb. Developers are said to be up in arms over the “Live TV” application on Google TV 2.0 — many want to interact with the TV interface directly, but Google isn’t allowing that just yet. Will it be enough for Google to tackle Apple TV? We’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, another shot of the box and a couple of UI images can be seen after the break.

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  • http://mitchs.posterous.com Mitch Samuels

    I love how you post Apple news instantly. But old Android news. This is like two days old.

    • Anonymous

      And this is a surprise here on BGR how??

      • Anonymous

        because android is a fragmented piece of crap,and noone wants this google tv garbage.

    • Khos09

      I totally agree. I used to love this site and now it has become an Apple fan Club and some news about others. Just look at the coverage Apple iPad 2 got and the Samsung Galaxy tab 10.1.

  • sirpaul

    LOL, tackle Apple TV? Really? Pretty sure that was a flop.

  • Anonymous

    How is this tackling the apple tv, when in sense its better than the apple tv, terms of functionality and not just the fact the apple tv is more of a appendage to the ios devices. 
      

    • Anonymous

      Let’s be real both of them suck.

      • Zac Caslin

        It’s obvious you haven’t used them.

      • Anonymous

        Well, I own a google tv and absolutely love it! Internet rocks, and I can watch tv at the same time! The only thing it really needs is a slight speed boost and android market

      • Anonymous

        youre the only person in the world who owns a “google tv”

        android market? to download all the wallpapers and virus scanners?

      • Oldhippy08

        I too like Google tv. It was poorly markets like a lot of Google products. It seems they throw projects at a wall and whatever sticks is pushed and everything else dies. If Google wants this to work they need to aggressively pursue Hulu and build Google tv with Hulu as part of it’s foundation.

      • Mad Catter

        I too have goodle tv and simply love it.  Those who seem so negative must not know that much about it, imo.  The control is very user-friendly.  Love being able to stream netflix.  Or when music-only is desired, there is pandora.  Crackle has some pretty good free movies also, and there is much more.  I needed a new tv anyway and google tv was built into the sony I bought, so there was no added expense and it is really awesome.  Anybody who visits and watches are stunned and typically comment that they had no idea this tecnology existed.  By the way, I ditched my cable tv as the built-in antenna picks up local channels and so it provides a nice monthly savings also and there is so much more to watch with google tv!

  • Mistawha

    Apple tv was a huge flop and is probably one of apples worst decisions. Google tv 1.0 while it has its issues is far greater than apple tv ten fold. I laughed pretty hard when you said can google compete. Shot, does apple even remember they have a apple tv. You must be someone who owns neither device or you just have a hardon for apple.

    • Anonymous

      I completely agree. I returned my Apple TV after one week of abysmal service and exchanged it for a box of Cheerios.

      For real.™®©π

    • Zac Caslin

      Apple tv’s are selling a lot better than apple thought it would for a hobby product. For $99 bucks it’s worth it just to stream netflix.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ZX7I3VN423YBFEWTEQOQ5JR5ME Retro

      I use apple tv to stream my photos, home videos, personal music in itunes, plus I can rent movies and listen to internet radio if i’m in the mood.

      I don’t have a BluRay player or a PS3.

      Best $120 i ever spent.

      • http://profiles.google.com/frayserboy Mike Cunt

        ur dumb, ever hear of a roku player, more functionality for a lot less monies

      • Anonymous

        Xbox 360 does even more for the same price

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ZX7I3VN423YBFEWTEQOQ5JR5ME Retro

        Can the roku go into my iphoto folders for streaming to my TV?
        Come out from the basement your grandma needs breakfast?

  • Anonymous

    Let’s be honest google tv and apple tv both suck. They were a huge flop and are very limited to what they do. And they are hobbies of both company’s.

    • Anonymous

      android is a fragmented pos thats why google tv fails.

      xbox 360 sold 80 mill units. thats the winner in the living room. xbox live > google shitstain tv

      • Anonymous

        If fragmented pos = #1 in the US, UK, and worldwide… I will take it… Now go back to that OTHER os…lol

      • Anonymous

        yea the motorola razr was #1 at one point in time too. lots of people like pieces of cheap crap.

  • http://technojourney.com nik@technojourney

    Can’t wait anymore for this.. its awesome..

  • http://twitter.com/Kevniv Kevin N

    I want one

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=590310882 Joseph Frawley

    What they need to do is put Google TV in the PS3. Then you will have the impact Google is looking for in everyones living room. 

    • Anonymous

      not happening, that would be too logical.

      this product will end up like google health, google buzz, orkut, picasa, android fragmentation, android UI consisting of a grid of static icons and battery hogging widgets, motorola droid shitty battery life, motorola droid screen issues, moto droid HTC evo 2 hour battery life, HTC thunerbolt 3 hour battery life, samsung galaxy s battery life,  myspace, geocities,  htc evo 3d 1.5 hour battery life on idle.

  • Anonymous

    Fishtank? or fishTANK???

    • Anonymous

      I think its fragmen-TANK-ion

      • Benjamin Akhigbe

        it means your a troll and you suck steve jobs wrinkly hairy penis. apple fag

  • Nicastro78

    Apple TV is not a flop when it is not marketed as a mainstream product. As others have already stated it is a hobby product for Apple. Apple is testing delivery methods for centralizing delivery of content to a central location within the home. Apple had sold over a million units without one ounce of advertising.

    Google TV brings a different experience than what Apple TV is doing. Google wants people to interact with their TV, Google’s problem right now is that they don’t have content providers blessing.

  • Anonymous

    That actually looks like it might be pretty cool. Wow.

    http://www.real-privacy.no.tc

  • Electric4u

    Will 2.0 be upgradable on current google tv hardware (Sony tv ) ?

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_WNIQDT7O2EXD44F6GNJFNTYZA4 Harry Sullivan

    Apple TV is not a flop when it is not marketed as a mainstream product. @Bob, I paid $32.67 for a XBOX 360 and my mom got a 17 inch Toshiba laptop for $94.83 being delivered to our house tomorrow by FedEX. I will never again pay expensive retail prices at stores. I even sold a 46 inch HDTV to my boss for $650 and it only cost me $52.78 to get. Here is the website we using to get all this stuff, LiveCent. com

  • Anonymous

    I own and am very happy with my Roku.  I wish Google TV were good enough to be compelling, but I’d rather a more limited product that works as advertised than a high priced prototype.

  • Anonymous

    Why on earth do you need notifications on a TV?

  • Getagrip

    I loved my Sony google tv
    It was the bomb for netflix surfing and loved large print email
    BUT I couldn’t open PDF an d some of my kids homework sites loved the google t but pdfs didn’t run
    AND darn Sony was 60 not even 120
    This next google tv has to be everything and it all has to work together in google docs or they are sunk
    If apple tv set is for real I would buy it for the grandparents!

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