June 14th, 2006
Google Interactive TV: not just a paper
Just last week a paper(pdf) written by some Googlers was published that contains quite a few interesting ideas. Sometimes it’s one thing to be interesting and another to be realistic, but I remember writing an article a few months ago that should be brought back to light. Google is looking for a Project Manager to produce exactly what has been described by the paper.
As others have reported, the paper introduces some pretty cool stuff that would change how people watch TV. It involves having a computer nearby (preferrably a laptop) with a microphone to pick up sounds from the television. Based on what it hears, it can easily determine what is being watched — unlocking a lot of possibilities.
Here is an example of the process this paper describes:
- Power on your laptop and launch the Google TV application
- Tune into your favourite show
- The application will be "listening" to determine what you are watching — done by looking up it’s audio signature
- By knowing what you are watching, Google could serve up relevant information about the program, a chatroom, and to make it worth their time, probably even targeted advertising
This has the potential to become a "cool" product that even passes the "Mom" test. If it does, the product would rocket past the threshold many others fail to reach. I could see myself using it — could you?
Garett Rogers is employed as a programmer for iQmetrix, which specializes in retail management software for the wireless industry.
See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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