We'd recently heard that Google employees
have been testing some sort of wireless entertainment device in their homes, and it looks like the product may be seeing the light of day sooner rather than later. The
Wall Street Journal reports that the product is planned for launch later this year, and will be sold under Google's own brand — a notable break from its previous software-only efforts. The center is said to allow music to be streamed wirelessly to Google-made speakers and other devices throughout people's homes, though additional media such as streaming video may also be in the cards. The product has reportedly been in development for several years under the the purview of the company's Android unit — unsurprisingly, it will run a version of the versatile operating system — and would presumably feature tight integration with Android smartphones and tablets. With former Google CEO Eric Schmidt recently
predicting great success for the company's Google TV platform, and rumors of an Apple-branded television
continuing to increase in volume, this could be the year the living room war finally kicks off.
