Google announces the Nexus Q, its attempt to make media sharing more social and spherical
Not at all like Apple TV. Nope.
One of the more surprising announcements to come out of Google's I/O 2012 conference was the unveiling of the Nexus Q, an experimental 'social streaming device' which is also the first fully-branded piece of Google hardware to be produced.
The simple spherical design of the Nexus Q speaks to its simple design purpose – the Android-powered computer acts as a designated bridge that allows users to stream music and videos wirelessly from their Android devices to a connected TV or audio system.
In terms of technical specs, the Nexus Q is an impressive little machine. Running Android 4.0 with 16GB of flash memory and 1GB of RAM, it also offers a full suite of input ports on the back, along with a built-in 25-watt amp.
Plug and playBoasting a full set of banana jack speaker outputs and micro-HDMI output in addition to an optical audio port and Ethernet jack (all in addition to native Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC support), users will have a difficult time finding something they can't connect to their Nexus Q.
They may also have a difficult time finding room in their budget for the 'social streaming device'. At $299, the Nexus Q is $200 more than an Apple TV.
The Nexus Q will begin shipping in mid-July, and will only support Google Play and YouTube sharing at launch.