Google testing unknown ‘entertainment device’ in employees’ homes

A new Google-made “entertainment device” that can connect to home electronics via Wi-Fi is now being tested in employees’ homes. An FCC filing from December shows that the company requested permission to test about 250 of the experimental units in four cities from mid-January to July of this year. Users will apparently “connect their device to home Wi-Fi networks and use Bluetooth to connect to other home electronics equipment.”

We can’t be sure what the filing refers to, but it sounds very similar to Android@Home, which would connect home appliances like lights or washing machines to smartphone applications. Android@Home was announced last year, but we haven’t heard much about the service lately. Whatever Google has, it’s apparently “in the prototype phase,” and this test run will evaluate both how well it works and the “throughput and stability of the home WiFi networks that will support” it. Further changes will be made after that, so unless you’re one of the lucky 252, don’t expect to see this any time soon.