Samsung Brings Google Maps and Facebook to Connected TVs

By Geoff Duncan June 10, 2010

Image used with permission by copyright holder

South Korean electronics giant Samsung is currently the market leader for connected TV that tap into the Internet for content and information, and the company wants consumers to know that they’re focused on bringing more and more functionality to those televisions via Samsung Apps, the world’s first HDTV-based application store. To that end, the company has launched new applications that enable users to tap into Facebook and Google Maps from their big-screen TVs, or compatible Blu-ray players and home theater systems.

“The addition of Google Maps and Facebook to Samsung Apps shows our commitment to providing quality content and applications across multiple devices and expanding the connected TV experience for our consumers,” said Samsung Electronics America’s VP Eric Anderson, in a statement. “Now, users can enjoy leading location-based and social services directly on their connected TV, Blu-ray player, or Blu-ray Home Theater system.”

Samsung sees these applications as ways to make the television experience more social, and demonstrates the flexibility of the Samsung Apps platform, which is based on Web technologies like XML and Javascript. Other Samsung Apps partners include Blockbuster, Netflix, Pandora, Twitter, USA Today, and Vudu.

Samsung rolled out its Samsung Apps store at CES back in January.

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