Alongside the announcement of user profiles, Google TV is getting another fairly big upgrade in the near future. Soon, the Ambient Mode screen on Google TV will add support for cards that show information and content from select apps and services.
“Glanceable” cards on the Google TV ambient mode screen will appear during the first few minutes the TV has been idle. Users will have the ability to scroll through content while the cards are visible, immediately start the usual slideshow, or go back to access the normal Google TV interface.
Google TV’s new ambient cards will be fed primarily by Google Assistant. This includes information such as the weather, sports scores, news, and other bits of data that you’d find through the Assistant on other devices. Google Podcasts and other music apps, both first-party and third-party, can also feed cards into this new interface.
Google TV already lets you see your favorite memories from Google Photos when your TV is idle. Now, we’re making ambient mode more useful by bringing in more personalized information and recommendations at a glance. From the latest game score, to the weather, news and more, your TV will keep you up to date with info based on your profile. You can even scroll through the on-screen shortcuts to jump into your photos or start playing your music and podcasts with just a click. If you are off for a longer break, your TV will shift fully to your ambient mode’s photos or curated artwork after a few minutes.
Google tells 9to5Google that this feature will start rolling out after user profiles, meaning it should show up sometime around November.
More on Google TV:
- Google TV starts rolling out user profiles next month on Chromecast, televisions from Sony and TCL
- The first Google TV streaming stick since Chromecast will launch on October 13
- Philo adds deeper integration with Google TV including ‘Live’ guide on homescreen
Author: Ben Schoon
Source: 9TO5Google
