Google TV will push Apple into action

Apple has long referred to its Apple TV product as a "hobby", but the company might get spurred into action by Google's announcement that its next frontier will be TV.

While barely anything is known about the future Google TV device – other than the fact that it will run the Android OS and have the backing of Sony, Intel and Logitech – it will surely pose a threat to Apple TV sales, even though they have never been particularly strong.

The New York Times reports that the Google TV’s aim would be to make it easy to use web applications through the TV and open up its TV platform to developers in order to allow creativity and innovation in app development, similar to that of cellphone apps.

The project has reportedly been underway for several months, though all companies declined to comment to the NYT.

Tension between Apple and Google has been brewing for a number of months, and the companies are now throwing punches left and right. This newest announcement is yet another blow to Apple, whose Apple TV product was introduced in 2007. Its main purpose is to play digital content from the iTunes store, and can be used to extend home-theatre capabilities or act as a digital media receiver.

The device has never fully caught on in terms of sales and popularity, though many tech bloggers have said it would be a hit if Apple focused more on the product to improve its capabilities. After the Google TV announcement, Tech Crunch posted an article encouraging Apple to put more energy into the development of the Apple TV, even though it’s obvious the company is focusing on the iPad. Saying consumers need more choice, the article said, “we, as consumers, need a living room arms race between Apple and Google”.