(Image source: Phandroid)

BY EVAN THOMAS

ANCHOR JIM FLINK

Good news for Google Music users -- A report by the Wall Street Journal suggests you might be able to use a Google dongle to stream your Google Music to Google speakers soon.

The Journal reports Google’s still-unnamed streaming system has been in development for several years now. According to their sources it will pipe music wirelessly to various enabled speakers and screens.

There’s speculation the system will handle video, as well, and you’ll probably be able to control it with your Android smartphone.

Wedge Partners analyst Brian Blair tells Bloomberg -- Google’s taking some cues from Apple’s successful model: to control both the software, and the hardware it runs on.

“We’re going to see them move more in the direction of Apple, where they’re taking software, and they’re going to take Motorola’s hardware expertise, and I think we’re likely to see families of hardware products from them.”

And Blair says – more devices for the home.  But will it work? This would be Google’s first foray producing and marketing hardware itself. Business Insider says – that’s not likely to end well. Google’s expertise is in the cloud.

“Google has never successfully sold anything to consumers. Not a single thing. Google is really good at building fast, useful, responsive software that runs at Internet scale, and at hooking up the users of that software with advertisers to make gobs of money.”

GigaOM agrees. Software and service know-how does not translate to hardware know-how. Google has no experience with the logistics of retail.

“...Google thinks that it will actually be able to crack the consumer electronics marketplace. Amazing, to think that this company will build a supply chain and manage relationships with retailers and get people to buy it.”

But Gizmodo is the contrarian to that point of view – saying – there’s an opportunity for direct competition.

“The rumor makes sense: with Android, Google has tablet and phone offerings, just like Apple, along with its own music store, just like Apple. What they lack is a way of beaming all of that music to speakers and boxes around your house—which Apple very much has...”

Google is believed to be aiming for a price point that undercuts most of the current streaming-device market. And TechCrunch says -- that might make it work.

“If it is real though, and Google can churn out reliable — and preferably cheap — units, they stand a chance at yanking the rug out from under ... Apple and its $99 Apple TV.”

But never mind the technicalities of hardware and marketing, says CNET. Is there room in consumer consciousness for this kind of music system?

“Once, people used to listen to albums with friends and family, but since the iPod debuted in 2001, we've stuck ear buds into our ears and listening has largely been a solitary experience. The question for this market segment is whether people still want to share music in this way.”

The Wall Street Journal reports Google’s streamer -- whatever it ends up being called -- will be available later this year.