Sony's Google TV remote looks like it was designed blindfold. In the 80s

Google haven’t often seen design as a priority, which has led to some rather ugly products. Useability, however, the aspect of design that concerns itself with the ease with which we learn how to operate things, is rather a strong point for them. Which is why it was something of a surprise to see this giant brick of a remote control in a demonstration of the upcoming Google TV system.

Sony's Google TV remote as featured on ABC's Nightline. Screen grab by Engadget

As well as a full qwerty keyboard, which is laid out in a grid so it looks nice on the drawing board but makes it more difficult to type on, it drips with obscure buttons and symbols, two thumb pads, different kinds of shift keys and rocker switches.

Despite the marketing for Google TV focusing on a search paradigm for video instead of individual channels the most prominent space is left for a channel up-and-down selector, there are play, pause and shuttle buttons so presumably neither of the two thumb pads takes care of those functions, and there’s a record button as though it operates a VHS machine. If it had a built-in Snoopy Tennis game I’d assume this was a retro gadget that had been hidden away in a forgotten cupboard for decades until it was finally unearthed on eBay but this, according to Sony, is how the future of television will be controlled. Sony’s own website announcing their new partnership has lots of shots of the lovely sleek screen, but the remote is nowhere to be seen.

Google themselves appear to have other ideas, pushing the remote control app for Android phones on the Google TV website instead of a piece of hardware that comes with the screen, which seems like a much more sensible idea. Samsung have been selling a touch-screen remote with their high-end 9000 series LED televisions, allowing different modes of input from one manageably-sized device, and Apple’s iPhone and iPad Remote apps for iTunes and Apple TV are excellent, but Sony appears to be wedded to its rubber keys and instruction manuals.

The remote, which appeared in a Google TV special edition of ABC’s Nightline programme in the US, will presumably only be shipped with Google-enabled Sony screens. I’m hoping that other manufacturers will come up with something at least a little more imaginative.

Buy ‘What Would Google Do?’ by Jeff Jarvis from Amazon.co.uk (UK)

Buy ‘What Would Google Do?’ by Jeff Jarvis from Amazon.com (US)