Nexus Q: the future living room is wireless, and social

Google’s Nexus Q is a tiny sphere that wants to control your living room.

Google's Nexus Q is a tiny sphere that wants to control your living room.

The $299 gadget is the "first-ever social streaming device." It connects to your home theater system and lets you -- or your friends -- control your TV and speakers with a swipe of the finger across an Android-powered mobile device.

The Q opens the flood doors to movies, apps, music and online content available through the Google Play store.

"It's great to be able to take your entertainment with you wherever you go, but sometimes you want to ditch the headphones and enjoy music with friends and family," says Google Senior Vice President Mobile and Digital Content Andy Rubin. "So we're introducing Nexus Q, which combines the power of Android and Google Play to easily stream music and video in your home—all controlled by an Android phone or tablet."

The Nexus Q is Google's solution to the Apple TV and Apple's Airplay service. It also indirectly competes with Microsoft's Xbox console and Sonos's wireless home theater systems.

The Nexus Q is available for preorder in the US now and will start shipping in mid-July.