Sony hopes its Google TV remote confuses you into buying it

I've got high hopes for Google TV. From the Wifi-plagued demo at Google IO to a more intimate demo at the Adobe Android Summit, this things got legs. But only if manufacturers don't totally overwhelm an already skeptical consumer base, like with the Sony remote seen above. Sony's baking Google TV into some of its new sets, which we should see next week. But this remote, outed during a GTV preview on ABC's "Nightline," scares the hell out of me, and I'm used to using a button or three in my daily existence. Now imagine how it's going to make your mother feel. Yeah. It'll never come out of the box.

We've got a little more hope for Logitech's set-top box. But we're going to hope and pray for a little more ease of use before launch. Check out the "Nightline" piece after the break if you want. [ABC via Engadget]

Phil Nickinson