Google developing its own home audio entertainment system

Amir Efrati for the Wall Street Journal:

Google’s Android unit has led a multi-year effort to develop the device, which may possibly stream other digital media besides music and is expected to be unveiled later this year, people familiar with the matter said.

Very strange. I get why Google might have tried to shake up the smartphone business, which is dominated by carriers and growing insanely fast.

But home stereos? There must be more to it than this. Is it a small TV, or a Chumby or something? Why would I ever buy this?

So…

• Google definitely isn’t just buying Motorola for the patents.
• Larry-Page-Google is up for some very weird stuff.
• Is this what life in North Korea is like? Will there be Official Google Announcements piped through? “Special offers”? (Based on the audio going on in my house?!)
• I actually really want this to be awesome and amazing, because we deserve more than one great, innovative consumer electronics hardware company. But… we’ll see.
• Let’s hope they’ve figured out basic things like customer service this time, unlike the Nexus One fiasco.