Logitech may have taken a bath on the Google TV-powered Logitech Revue set top box, but we have to give points to the company for not abandoning the handful of customers who purchased the product. Logitech has announced it will be pushing Android 3.1 to the devices this week, bringing the most recent version of Google TV and access to the Android Market so users can load up on apps.
The latest version of Google TV includes a simplified user interface and improvements to the Logitech Media Player so users should experience fewer glitches with their entertainment. The update also offers improved browsing and searching capabilities, full keyboard navigation, and support for Adobe Flash Player 10.2—although Adobe has announced that it’s not going to continue developing Flash for connected TVs or mobile devices.
Perhaps the most significant addition is access to the Android Market, where users can try out a handful of apps designed for HDTVs (including Google Music)—although, as Google continues to push the Google TV platform, that number should grow.
Existing Revue users should receive the update automatically so long as their unit is turned on and connected to the Internet—they just need to confirm they want to install the update. New customers—if any—should receive the new version when they activate their units.
Logitech bet heavily on the Revue last holiday season…with disastrous results. Logitech was hoping being the first out the door with a Google TV set top box would be a savvy business move; instead, online video providers immediately started blocking Google TV, making the amount of programming available to the device paltry compared to other offerings. Logitech admitted initial Revue sales had totalled just $5 million, and the company was forced to slash the device’s price to $99 and say goodbye to its CEO.
