UPDATE: Whoops! It seems Motorola’s set top box won’t be running Android after all, but the KreaTV platform based on Linux.
Android is not, as recent attempts at an Android Netbook attest, just for mobile phones. Google’s free operating system is set to appear on a range of consumer electronics, including a TV set-top box for Japanese manufacturer KDDI.
Android is proving to be quite an attractive proposition for budget-conscious gadget makers (which includes pretty much all gadget makers, in these uncertain economic times) due to its free and open licence and rapid development cycle.
Why bother paying for something like Windows Mobile/CE or Symbian or even coding up your own custom operating system when you can get Android for free and leverage all those other compatible systems?
No surprises then, that the OS intended for mobile phones is now beginning to appear in other systems. We have heard rumours of Android-powered netbooks and even desktop computers, but one of the first Android devices out of the gate is this new set-top box from Motorola.
The au Box will make its debut at Japanese gadget showcase CEATEC in October. Motorola is putting the set-top box together on behalf of Japanese telecoms company KDDI (responsible for that crazy 3D phone).
The auBox will allow ripping, storing and playing digital movies and audio through a TV as well as transcoding them for use on mobile devices via KDDI’s network.
It is unlikely that the au Box will ever reach these shores, being so closely tied to KDDI, but it is a definite indication of the kind of Android gizmos that will be appearing soon. bring ‘em on, we say.
TBC | ¥tbc | KDDI (via AndroidGuys)
