Hasta La Gadget!

Now that Google has let its $35 Chromecast HDMI dongle out of the bag at its breakfast press event, it’s gonna need developers to chip in some apps for it. To help boost that effort, the company is releasing the Google Cast SDK to help those folks bring content from mobile and the web to TVs. By using the kit, developers won’t need to build new applications for the big screen from scratch; they’ll just need to make a few tweaks to their existing mobile apps. Mountain View expects Google Cast tech to be embedded in future hardware from its partners, with Chromecast being “the first instantiation” of such an ecosystem. You can now grab a preview (at the source) for iOS, Android and Chrome — which is good news, since the wee dongle already appears to be sold out on Play.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Google

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Source: Google Cast

Google’s Chromecast is Mountain View’s next foray into the television market. In brief, it’s a $35 HDMI dongle that mirrors content being played nearby on a tablet, smartphone or computer. Hrm, that sounds familiar. The 2-inch device runs “a simplified version of Chrome OS” and requires separate USB power; connect it to your local WiFi network and similarly connected devices work with Chromecast. It can be ordered right now on Google Play and will apparently ship in one to two days. Of note, the device seems US-only for now, as our UK colleagues are showing a “not available in your country” prompt. Early buyers get three months of free Netflix with the purchase. Additionally, it’s also heading to retail (read: Best Buy) on July 28th. Google ended its presentation with a quick word that Chromecast functionality will eventually come embedded in various other devices, and that it’s working on getting other countries access “as quickly as possible.” No specs were given during the presentation, but its Google Play page lists the device as HDMI-CEC compatible, and it uses 2.4GHz 801.11 b/g/n WiFi. Given the separate USB power required, the $35 nets you a Chromecast device, an HDMI extended, a USB power cable and a separate power adapter.

Apps that work with the device include a “Cast” button that allows users to push video to their televisions and control various aspects remotely (volume, play, pause, etc.). “Once Chromecast is plugged in, you just go to YouTube on your smartphone,” Google reps said. “You’ll see the cast button in your UI and you press it — Chromecast will pull the info you requested from the cloud and play it on your TV.” Meanwhile, an on-stage demonstration showed YouTube video being pushed “via the cloud,” thus enabling other apps to be used while a video is being viewed on a television screen. Netflix was up next, and it has similar remote control functionality. Google Play movies and television (expectedly) also work with Chromecast, and Google delightedly demonstrated it with Vin Diesel vehicle Fast Five. Finally, Google demoed full Google Chrome projected on a TV and controlled remotely with a “standard $500 Windows 8 laptop.” The feature is “still in early days,” but a promise has already been made: that users will be able to easily project content to televisions via their web browser.

Update: We’ve added Chromecast’s first commercial (which demonstrates much of the device’s functionality) just after the break, and a source link with Google’s formal announcement.

Update 2: Aside from the Google Play store and Best Buy, you can also buy the Chromecast from Amazon. Thankfully, that three-month gratis Netflix would still be applicable if you buy it from the online giant.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Peripherals, Internet, Software, HD, Google

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Source: Google, Amazon

While it’s not the Mario Kart movie we’d all been hoping for (c’mon, right?,) it’s arguably the next best thing. Sony is reportedly developing a film about that other petrol head game — Gran Turismo. It’s claimed that Mike de Luca and Dana Brunetti (The Social Network / Fifty Shades of Grey) are onboard with the project, which no doubt hopes to capitalize on the PlayStation title’s solid following. That or Sony got sick of waiting for a certain other series to end before pursuing the idea. While we’re not suggesting that our plot expectations are low, there’s still hope other game crossovers might give us some faith in the format first.

Filed under: Gaming, HD, Sony

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Via: Eurogamer

Source: The Wrap

The folks in Mountain View are ready to follow up YouTube’s Comedy Week, and their leaning on the troves of nerdy content filling their servers to kick off Geek Week. Come August 4th, the site will spotlight more than 100 channels using highlights and new videos with the help of Nerdist in the US and Channel Flip across the pond. Six themed days including topics from gaming to superheroes will each be hosted by an American and UK channel, with Geek and Sundry, Machinima and Guinness World Records being a few among them. In addition to the fresh clips, Schmidt and Co. will be hiding easter eggs throughout the week, and will give users the chance to collect badges when they spot ’em. Over in the UK, early ’90s kids show Knightmare, famed for its sketchy CG effects and sets, will return for a very welcome limited run. And if that wasn’t all enough, an exclusive Thor: The Dark World trailer is slated to arrive through the event next Wednesday. If you’re hankering for some extra nerdery in your diet, hit the bordering source link to stay in the loop for Geek Week.

[Image credit: YouTube Geek Week]

Filed under: Internet, HD, Google

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Source: YouTube

We’re on the eve of a Google event with Sundar Pichai, and while we have some idea of what we’ll see, the folks in Mountain View might’ve just shown us some of their other cards. Droid Life spotted “Chromecast” listed as a device on Google Play’s support docs, but the entry has since been removed. The outlet speculates — with the help of an anonymous tipster, of course — that Chromecast is related to a TV dongle dubbed Chromekey, which streams content from mobile devices to television sets. What’s more, a Droid Life reader chatted with a Google Play support representative who mentioned that “Chromecast is a TV service that’s provided in some areas.” The whole picture is fairly murky at this point, but we’re hoping things will become clearer tomorrow.

Update: Version 5.1 of Google Play Music just started to trickle out, and an APK teardown has revealed even more mentions of Chromecast. By the sounds of an error message buried within the app’s code, Chromecast devices will stream songs over the internet rather than from local hardware.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Google

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Source: Droid Life, Android Police