[vorpalhex]

> If anything this Google TV "Chromecast" is designed to make Chromecast relevant again.

Chromecast has always had the issue that it's main users are the tech savvy who are comfortable controlling everything via smartphone. That's not a huge percent of the population.

By adding the remote and going for the play of helping you navigate cross app, they seem to be trying to extend out to less savvy users who need a more guided product.

Overall it seems like the longterm plan is to push their subscription services, since I can't imagine they make great money from the devices themselves. Increasing user base is the best way for them to achieve that goal.

[AshleyGrant]

I'm quite tech savvy, but I vastly prefer using a remote control that I don't need to look at to control the TV that I'm already looking at.

[rektide]

Worth asking where the gesture & other potential touchless interface experiments are. Project Soli was supposed to be the high tech radar option to let one gesture above a phone to control things, but just picking it up & using it like a wand would be not-hard to experiment with.