Finnish telecom equipment maker Nokia said on Friday it had launched its Media Terminal, bringing Internet to the living room, the first in a range of products it was introducing for the "connected home."
The new Linux-based product, which combines Internet media and digital broadcasting technologies giving access to entertainment on the Internet through any home display device, would be available in the second quarter of 2001, Nokia said.
Nokia's Swedish archrival Ericsson is also developing Internet-friendly home appliances in collaboration with Electrolux.
"The Media Terminal enables full Internet access and push-type services over TV broadcast networks," Nokia said in a statement.
"(Its) features ... include full, fast Internet access in the living room, which provides for interactive digital services including home shopping and banking, as well as the possibility to pause and replay live broadcasts or split the screen between TV and Internet," it said.
Consumers can also watch digital TV and record programs on an integrated hard disc, play network games, order video on demand, send and receive email, listen and store MP3 files, and connect printers, digital cameras or other devices, it said.
Nokia said the Internet technology of the Media Terminal had been developed with US chip maker Intel, and it was based on open technologies such as the Linux operating system, Mozilla, HTML and Intel's x86 computer architecture.
