Gigaom | Personal Web Systems Raises $1.2 Million For Web-to-TV Browser
Summary
Founder and CEO Gordon Campbell, a former *Intel* CMO, confirmed that the round was a mix of VC investment and private funding, but declined to disclose the participants. The so-far unnamed device will retail for about $150 and give users full access to the web through their TV; people can navigate via keyboard, mouse and even the iPhone or *Palm* Pre. Campbell says that it will give users full access to the web — not just streaming video sites or publisher-supplied widgets. Sounds a bit like WebTV, which, though innovative for its time, was the epitome of an awful browsing experience. But if Personal Web Systems can make its adapter’s user interface more fluid and user-friendly, then it’s entering the market at what appears to be the right time: there’s significant broadband penetration, and there’s tremendous interest in porting web content to the TV (from both publishers and consumers).