In another step towards competing with the ubiquitous iPhone and other smartphone operating systems, Google will be introducing television-based software in May that will run Google Android. The software is said to open up television, set-top boxes and devices to more content from the Internet.

Google is essentially trying to develop a television set operating system. It will be tough to make it work, since many of the television manufacturers will likely be protective of whatever software goes on their hardware. However, it sounds like Sony, Intel and a few other companies are already on board.

This is just another step towards the eventual merger of your home television and computer systems. If Google can succeed in this, Android could become a major player in operating systems, competing with the likes of Microsoft, Apple and Linux.

I can't decide. The new AnyPlay portable PVR from Comcast and Panasonic is either brilliant, or about as good an idea as screen doors on a submarine. On the one hand, we all spend a lot of our time on the go, and there's nothing I love more than a way to take my recorded TV shows and movies with me. On the other hand, you kind of want your PVR to be sitting by your TV 24/7 to make sure you never miss a show.

Here's how AnyPlay works. You set it up by your TV and it works as a regular HD personal video recorder. But you can also unplug it from a docking station and take the AnyPlay with you to use as a portable video player with an 8.5 inch LCD screen and 60GB of memory.

I guess we can hope that the docking station functions as a sort of second PVR and continues recording shows when the P-DVR is unplugged. But really, wouldn't it be a lot easier just to add a USB port or flash card slot to your existing set top boxes to let users copy shows to removable media for viewing on an iPod or other portable device?

Evergreen's new DN-MRC200T recorder is a full fledged PVR in a tiny package. While this is hardly the first device that records TV shows directly to flash storage (Memory Stick, SD, or MMC cards in this case), it is one of the few flash-based PVRs I've seen that packs a built-in TV tuner. That means you can slap an analog cable into the back of the unit and record programs whether the DN-MRC200T is plugged into a TV, cable box, or other device or not.

There's also room for a 2.5-inch hard drive if you want to record programs for watching at home, and not just on the go.

Evergreen plans to sell the DN-MRC200T for about ¥19,999 ($176). No word on if or when it will be available in the west.

[via Engadget]

Normally once I find out a cool new gadget will only be available in Japan I try to close my eyes because I know it will never be mine. But the Sony NW-A910 TV Walkman is just too cool.

The portable device includes a 1seg digital TV tuner for watching and recording Japanese television. It also packs up to 16GB of flash memory, which is enough space to store 16 hours of compressed video. Considering you only get a 2.4 inch display, the video should be crystal clear at that quality. You can also play back videos in most of your popular formats.

There's also an FM tuner in there in case you want to do anything as old fashioned as listening to the radio. The NW-A910 battery should survive about 6 hours of TV viewing or 8.5 hours of recording (with the display turned off). If you turn it into an overpriced MP3 player, you'll get about 36 hours of battery life.

The 16Gb model will set you back about 45,000 Yen (or $390) and will be available in November. There are also 8GB and 4GB varieties selling for 35,000 Yen and 30,000 Yen respectively.

[via New Launches]