Future Google TV devices might come with a solar-powered remote
Epishine, a company that makes solar cells optimized for indoor lighting, announced that its technology is being used in a new remote control for Google TV devices, as spotted 9to5Google. The remote will run on rechargeable batteries instead of disposable batteries, and thanks to the use of solar cells on both sides, it’s only likely to run out of power when it’s buried and forgotten in the dark abyss of your couch cushions.
The new remote control is manufactured by Ohsung Electronics, which is an official Google reference supplier. Companies making Google TV streaming boxes or dongles can design their own remotes from scratch, but they can also use Google’s reference remote designs as a shortcut to speed up their hardware development. Walmart’s Onn devices, for example, include remote controls based on Google designs.
The new solar-powered option using Epishine’s technology will be known as the G32 Reference Remote, but it’s not yet bundled with any Google TV device and you can’t buy it on its own. Existing versions of Google’s flagship remotes include the G10 with 22 buttons and the G20 with 38 buttons, but companies can customize these designs to provide quick access to streaming platforms in addition to popular options like Netflix and YouTube.
