testsetset
In Douglas Adams’ book The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy, a vast computer named Deep Thought spends several eons constructing an answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything.
A full 7.5 million years later, it arrives at the answer: 42.
Google appears to be referencing that bit of geek cult humor in a new device, the H2G2-42, that it is currently submitting to the FCC for regulatory testing. H2G2 is a Wikipedia-ish guide to “life, the universe, and everything” inspired by Adams’ books.
There’s little data available about the device, but Google does say it is a “media player,” and a “fixed base station” with 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, which would make it almost certainly a replacement for Google’s failed Nexus Q. The Q was Google’s “first social streaming media player” that met with almost universally negative reviews, underwhelmed users, and is no longer for sale.
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Above: Google device H2G2-42 is in FCC testing
One change that seems likely: It appears that the H2G2-42 will allow users to plug in external monitors via provided USB ports:
Above: Google’s H2G2-42 may be connectable to external monitors
As The Verge notes, Google’s new streaming music app broke compatibility with the Nexus Q. The Google Play Music All Access product is impressive, enabling personalized “radio stations” and inexpensive streaming music. Google calls it “radio without rules,” and it seems reasonable that Google would want a shiny new device to go with this major new music push.
Photos are not yet available and more details will have to wait until 45 days after certification. And it’s unlikely that a music streaming device will be the ultimate answer to the ultimate question.
But meanwhile, enjoy:
Image credits: Google, FCC
