Google May Be Launching TV Remote Control Software

Combining the television with internet browsing is not really a new concept and has been around since the mid 1990s.Devices like Web TV, as well as TV tuner cards in PCs combined with the appropriate software were released to try to bridge the gap between television and internet browsing.The problem was, at that time, many people werent yet ready and saw the television and internet as two separate things.Some products had limited success, but even then they were mostly purchased only by techno geeks or professionals, such as TV reviewers who needed to include screen shots of TV programs for their articles and videos.But starting in the mid 2000s, things started to change.New TVs and DVD players were increasingly starting to include web enabled features, such as the ability to watch online videos from YouTube or Netflix straight on a TV rather than on a computer.A few years later, with the increased popularity of smart phones, remote control softwarestarted appearing that would allow users to control their TV directly from their mobile phones.Recently, information acquired by the San Francisco Chronicle shows that Google may be developing a product that would allow more interaction between smart phones and televisions.The report shows that Google has made a trademark filing for the brand Showy, which according to filing documents would be a form of remote control software.Google has also registered the domain name GoogleShowy.com earlier in March.According to information contained in the trademark filing, Showy will consist of downloadable Remote Control Software that will allow the user to control a video display device such as a television or an internet connected digital sign by using a PC, a tablet or a smart phone.The news isnt exactly spectacular, since it has been known for quite some time now that Google was seeking to make in roads in the consumer electronics market.So releasing such a software would be consistent with that strategy.However, no other details are available aside from what was included in the trademark filing.One thing that is worth noting is that the domain registration and trademark filing doesnt guarantee that the product will ever be released for public use.It could still be in the testing phase for quite some time, or this could simply be a product that is meant for internal use.But with internet integration being found on many TVs, plus the availability of devices such as the Apple TVHealth Fitness Articles, many technology commentators are speculating that Google could use Showy as a way to get even more people to use their products as they become integrated with devices that people use in their daily lives.