Over the past decade, the tech universe has seen two drastic and widely contrasting changes with regards to software. Earlier, developers aimed to pack as much variety and functionality as possible into a single piece of software--and while it worked well at first, users quickly found themselves saturated with features and functionality that was seemingly added just for the sake of being added. As a response, many developers sought to simplify their apps by unbundling related software, eventually leading to what we've seen in the Android with Google Drive (and its offshoots Docs, Sheets, and Slides) and the Google Now Launcher.

The latest chapter of Google's unbundling saga is the publishing of the Android TV Launcher on Google Play, which allows Google to update and tweak the launcher without the need to push entire system updates. This is a colossal step in the right direction, given that one of the biggest reasons Google TV failed in the first place was the lack of updates and slow rate of bug fixes. The ability to provide quick, easy, and modular updates to Android TV may just be what it needs to ensure that it does not meet the same fate as its predecessor.

The launcher is available to download on Google Play, and only works on Android TV devices--namely, the ADT-1 and the Nexus Player.

[Source: Google Play Store listing]