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Chromecast stand-in CheapCast now beams browser tabs to your display
CheapCast is a great way to get some of Chromecast's functionality for free, sure, but it's been lacking a few of the Google dongle's features since the app launched. If you've been hankering to beam browser tabs to your TV (via an HDMI-or-WiFi-connected mobile device, of course), CheapCast's latest update enables just that. Android Police notes that this seemingly only works with tabs and not fullscreen casting, while DRM'd services like Netflix and Google Play Movies "actually might never work." However, this should make it easier to play Vimeo or other Flash-based video content on your flatscreen -- right where it belongs.
Cheapcast app turns your Android device into a Chromecast (video)
Glowing Chromecast reviews have come in from all angles, but what if you didn't get an order in and missed out on the sold-out dongles? If you have an Android 2.2 (or higher) device you can give its features a whirl using an app called Cheapcast. Designed to mimic Google's $35 dongle, it instantly gives a phone or tablet the ability to stream from Chromecast-enabled apps to other devices on the same WiFi network. If the device acting as a receiver has a small screen, you can also connect it to a TV with no WiFi via an HDMI cable. Cheapcast's Google Play page warns that since it's at the early stages, it can't display Chrome tabs, and some of its other functions might still be on the fritz. It's free to download, though, so there's nothing keeping you from trying it out -- it might even quench your desire to get a Chromecast, if only for a while.
