Televisions and streaming media players running Android TV have begun displaying sponsored ads on their home screens. The ads were spotted by Zatz Not Funny, among many others, and first reported on by XDA Developers. The ads have been seen on the NVIDIA Shield TV, Mi Box, and Sony televisions. Google has confirmed that this is a “pilot program” that they themselves are running. Unlike the Apps Spotlight row that began appearing on devices a little while ago, this new sponsored ad row cannot be turned off unless you lock the device down by creating a restricted profile.

The Google I/O developer conference is going on this week. This is when Google shares some of the new features coming to Android. As is usually the case, phones are getting the most attention, but Google has shared a few new features coming to Android TV with the P updated later this year. The changes include better performance for low-end devices, an easier initial setup process, and improved settings. Read more ›