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Google Eyes TV As A Platform

Search engine giant Google is entering the television guide and consumer electronics market today, saying at the Google I/O conference that it is working with Sony, Logitech, and others on embedding technology to search for and view both web and television shows within devices. Google said its new technology--Google TV--is based on Android and the Chrome browser, and will allow consumers to search for and browse both web and television content. Google said it expects devices to be available this fall, including televisions, Blu-ray players, and companion boxes, with availability through Best Buy stores nationwide. Interestingly enough, the entree into the TV guide market comes a day after Los Angeles-based Clicker debuted--at the Google I/O conference--a version of its own, web-based web and television guide service for big screen televisions. Los Angeles-based OVGuide is another local online video and television guide startup, and is backed by David Bohnett.