Week 10 Blog Reflection

Miller, C. C & Stelter, B., Google TV Announces Its Programming Partners, but the Top Networks Are Absent, The New York Times (October 04, 2010), Accessed 8th October 2010

This news article outlines a new advance in interactive technology called GoogleTV. I believe it is an important article as it tells of how advances in technology impact on the large television corporations and their predictions of it's success. It is relevant in expressing the impact that these new interactive technologies could have on a family's lifestyle at home, and the increasing interaction of humans and technology. The article provides a current update on the literature of new technologies.

The new GoogleTV is built into a Logitec set-top boxes, Sony HD TVs, and Blu-Ray players to connect the television to the internet so viewers can, for instance, search the internet to find an actor's details while watching them in a TV show all on the same screen. However, the lead American television programmers, CBS, ABC, Fox and NBC, will not be joining GoogleTV. Google say they will make all of a home's TV rooms audio and video instantly searchable and accessible on the internet. The people behind GoogleTV say it will "open up the living room" and allow a new medium for advertisers, developers, programmers and content creaters. The people from Forrester (a technology research firm) believe it will become very popular (from 12 million this year, to 43 million on the US by 2015). However, statistics show that only 3% of people in the US have TV's with enabled internet, so will this idea take off or will the population stay unintersted? Personally, I do believe the idea of GoogleTV will be quite popular in the future (depending on price) but it will never take over the personal laptop and be more of a family living room item.

The relevance of this acticle stems into how as a modern society, we are becoming more reliant and attached to technology. The internet can connect any thought to readily available information by a click of a button. Through the use of GoogleTV the find your laptop/turn it on/ connect to the internet, is all cut out enabling faster downloading of information. I found it also interesting how some executives involved in GoogleTV see this opportunity as a way to make money and attempt to inforce restrictions on people sharing their TV programs illegally. Furthermore, the introduction of applications to GoogleTV (such as the NBA time app)

This article appears to be well researched by two journalists from the New York Times who usually cover other technology news, so therefore, relatively credible in content. They cite references through hyperlinks for easier access. They present the emotive opinions of the people dealing with GoogleTV and is based on factual information. The source is available online through the Technology section of the New York Times website, and was in print on October 5 2010 on page B2 of the New York edition.