Owners of Android TV and Google TV devices are no longer able to buy or rent films from the Apple TV app, with customers forced to purchase using Apple's other platforms.
The Apple TV app with Apple TV+ is coming to the Chromecast with Google TV—Google's set-top-box competitor.
Adoption of the Google TV platform trails Apple's Apple TV device by a wide margin, and now the search company may be ready to rebrand its television offerings under the Android name in an effort to spark consumer interest.
Google described its new Chromecast HDMI web streaming device as running a slimmed down version of ChromeOS, but hackers have discovered it's really Google TV without the Android features.
While broadly compared to Apple TV, Google's new Chromecast product and the WebRTC protocol behind it aren't really comparable to Apple's AirPlay, the wireless video feature that is the main reason people are buying and using Apple TV.
With its Google TV platform failing to catch on, Google is working on a deal to sell its Motorola Home Business, responsible for building set-top boxes for cable providers.
HDTV makers have shown increased innovation at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, spurred in part by fears that Apple is planning an entrance into the market with its own television set.
LG has taken the wraps off its first Google TV-powered television set, even as rumors of an Apple television loom over the industry.
Even as rumors of an Apple television set continue to swirl, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt has claimed that company's Google TV platform will be embedded on the "majority" of televisions in stores by next summer.
Logitech has confirmed that it has no plans to release a new Google TV-based Revue after implementation mistakes surrounding the device cost the company $100 million in operating profits.
Adobe revealed Wednesday that its cancellation of Flash development on mobile devices will also extend to TV-related "digital home devices," while Research in Motion promised to continue in-house development of Flash for its PlayBook tablet.
Google on Friday announced that it will issue a major update for its Google TV platform to some devices starting early next week, adding more applications from the Android Market as well as a simpler interface.
Executives for both Motorola and Google made clear on Monday that they intend to take advantage of Motorola's existing presence in the high-definition set-top box space, where the Google TV has failed to gain traction against the Apple TV.
Initial reports suggest that the long-delayed white iPhone 4 is 0.2mm thicker than its black counterpart and may not fit all cases. Also, Samsung revealed Thursday in its quarterly earnings report that its profit dropped to the company's lowest figure in almost two years. Finally, Logitech reported disappointing Google TV sales of just $5 million last quarter.
A new report claims that software giant Microsoft will challenge the Apple TV and Google TV platforms when it introduces a stripped down version of Windows for set top boxes and connected TVs later this year.
After announcing that sales of the Apple TV would top 1 million units last week, Apple has confirmed that it met the goal before Christmas, while Logitech has publicly denied a rumor that Google had requested a halt to its Google TV shipments in anticipation of a software update.
Technology journalist Walt Mossberg listed the iPad as his best reviewed product of the year, while he called out the Dell Streak and Google TV as the worst products of 2010.
Logitech has reportedly halted shipments of its Revue Google TV boxes through January while waiting for Google to update its software on the poorly selling units.
Time magazine awarded Apple four slots on its 2010 top 10 gadgets list, naming the iPad the No. 1 gadget of 2010.
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Malcolm Owen
Wesley Hilliard
Kevin Bostic
Daniel Eran Dilger
Sam Oliver
Neil Hughes
Josh Ong
AppleInsider Staff
