I feel special!
This week, a new shiny device came out. And for once, I am actually one of the first ones to get one!
The thing is called a Chromecast. I saw that it was announced at some Google / Android event, it was $35, and on sale that day, so I ordered one. Less than an hour later they sold out, everywhere, so that was kinda cool. Due to paying for two-day shipping, it arrived today.
So, what is it? It's a little thing about the size of a USB stick that plugs into your TV, through an HDMI port (so you need a newish TV). Once it plugs in, you use your laptop to set it up talking to your wireless network (so you need one of those too). Then, it lets you display things on your TV.
What kind of things? Well, out of the box you can do Netflix (this is now the fifth device I own that will stream Netflix to my TV, so I'm not as impressed by that), Youtube, and buying videos off Google Play. Hopefully in the future it will also support Amazon. But the unique thing is, any computer you're logged into Chrome on, you can throw any Chrome tab on to the TV. Even if that tab is playing videos, or a Flash game, or whatever.
It's not super great at doing that for videos or games, because it's a little laggy. But already I can see some interesting uses:
- Running an RPG, the GM uses a web-based mapping thing to draw (and selectively uncover) the map, and the players can all see it. I've actually done this with an iPad and a monitor but it was a hassle to set up.
- Giving a presentation somewhere, plug it into the projector and don't have to worry about setting up a second monitor for your laptop or any of that crap.
- Party, want something inert on the TV? Take any random computer in the house, have it start playing a processing.js demo, instant art piece.
- Since it's also controllable from an Android phone, you can have a group of people on a couch all queuing up Youtube videos on it to show each other.
So yeah, I think it's pretty neat, especially for $35. And it came with three free months of Netflix (which deal they also canceled the day after I ordered mine), so really, knock $24 off that.
The thing is called a Chromecast. I saw that it was announced at some Google / Android event, it was $35, and on sale that day, so I ordered one. Less than an hour later they sold out, everywhere, so that was kinda cool. Due to paying for two-day shipping, it arrived today.
So, what is it? It's a little thing about the size of a USB stick that plugs into your TV, through an HDMI port (so you need a newish TV). Once it plugs in, you use your laptop to set it up talking to your wireless network (so you need one of those too). Then, it lets you display things on your TV.
What kind of things? Well, out of the box you can do Netflix (this is now the fifth device I own that will stream Netflix to my TV, so I'm not as impressed by that), Youtube, and buying videos off Google Play. Hopefully in the future it will also support Amazon. But the unique thing is, any computer you're logged into Chrome on, you can throw any Chrome tab on to the TV. Even if that tab is playing videos, or a Flash game, or whatever.
It's not super great at doing that for videos or games, because it's a little laggy. But already I can see some interesting uses:
- Running an RPG, the GM uses a web-based mapping thing to draw (and selectively uncover) the map, and the players can all see it. I've actually done this with an iPad and a monitor but it was a hassle to set up.
- Giving a presentation somewhere, plug it into the projector and don't have to worry about setting up a second monitor for your laptop or any of that crap.
- Party, want something inert on the TV? Take any random computer in the house, have it start playing a processing.js demo, instant art piece.
- Since it's also controllable from an Android phone, you can have a group of people on a couch all queuing up Youtube videos on it to show each other.
So yeah, I think it's pretty neat, especially for $35. And it came with three free months of Netflix (which deal they also canceled the day after I ordered mine), so really, knock $24 off that.