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Vizio's Dolby Atmos home theater speakers arrive starting at $500
You have to pay if you want room-shaking Dolby Atmos vertical surround sound, even if you're looking at value brands. Vizio has revealed pricing and availability for its upward-firing home theater systems, and the cheapest is the $500, 36-inch 5.1.2 home theater system. The 46-inch 3.1.2 and 5.1.4 models, meanwhile, will cost you $800 and $1,000 respectively.
Google's next Chromecast may offer improved connectivity
Google may soon release a Chromecast with full Bluetooth support and sturdier WiFi connectivity, an FCC filing indicates. It seems likely the dongle will have the same design as the current version, with Google only making internal changes.
The best Chromecast speaker
By Brent Butterworth This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter, reviews for the real world. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here. After a blind listening test and more than 40 hours of casual use with a variety of speakers, we think the JBL Playlist is the best Chromecast speaker for most people. It sounds good and looks great, and is priced low enough that you can buy several for the price of one high-end Chromecast or competing Wi-Fi speaker.
Tribeca Shortlist now streams movies on Android devices
Last year, Tribeca Shortlist arrived on the video-streaming scene touting quality over quantity. At launch, the service was only available for iPad and the web, but it has since expanded to iPhone, Roku, Fire TV and, most recently, Apple TV. Now, Tribeca Shortlist is announcing support for Android devices, giving Google's mobile users access to over 150 movies on demand. In addition to that content, you can also watch exclusive interviews with actors, directors and other members of the film industry.
Chromecast app expansion prompts a name change to Google Cast
Google's trying to redefine the TV and audio experience with its Casting technology, and it is getting the help it needs from manufacturers to do just that. One of them being Vizio, which today revealed a new set of 4K, HDR TVs that rely solely on Google Cast to get streaming content from third-party apps. As part of this, Google is now changing the name of the Chromecast app to Google Cast, in what's supposed to represent the broadness of the platform, according to the company.
Sony's PlayStation Vue internet TV gets Chromecast support
Back in November, Sony said PlayStation Vue would soon start working on the Chromecast. Now, having teased that over a month ago, the electronic company's finally making its internet TV service friendly with Google's $35 dongle. The only caveat is that this feature's only for iOS users right now, since Sony doesn't have a PlayStation Vue app available on Android. There's no word on when, or if, that's going to change, which means you have to own a compatible device if you want to get a subscription.
Google Chromecast celebrates its second birthday with freebies
Today marks two years since Google debuted Chromecast, the small and affordable streaming device. To celebrate its second birthday, the company's letting owners get in on a couple promotional offers: a free movie rental and access to 90 days of Play Music. Google did something similar last year, but back then it only included the complimentary subscription to its audio-streaming service. For those of you who don't have a Chromecast yet, the deal will be available until December 31st, so there's still some time to take advantage of it.
Getting the most out of your Chromecast this Christmas
Google's Chromecast makes it easy to stream pretty much anything to your TV. Movies, TV shows, music, games, photos -- whatever you're interested in, there are plenty of smartphone and tablet apps equipped with Google's little Cast button. So, whether you have one hooked up to the main TV in your living room, or a second screen somewhere else in the house, Chromecast could be a useful tool to have on hand this Christmas. For our UK readers, here's a quick rundown for maxing out the tiny dongle over the next few days.
Use YouTube to queue videos for Chromecast viewing
Chromecast and YouTube are like a match made in heaven. And, since they're both part of Google's big picture strategy, it makes sense for both things to be as friendly as possible with each other. To that end, YouTube's taken to to Google+ (how meta, eh?) to reveal that Chromecast owners can now use its site (as in YouTube.com) to queue videos -- essentially, this is meant to simplify the process, since it lets you arrange what to play next from a single tab on your browser. Just as well, there are more changes coming to the YouTube watch page on the web (pictured below), including an easier way to create playlists and share videos across social networks, plus a new description box. The Chromecast feature is available now, while the other tweaks are expected to rollout over the next few days.
Google+ puts your social feed on a TV with Chromecast
Just when you think the Chromecast can't get any better, it does. So, with more and more services offering support for the diminutive (and very cheap) device, it's only natural for Google to make its own apps work better with it. To that end, Google+ on Android now lets you display photos from your social stream on a nearby television, thanks to a newly added button in the search giant's networking application. Technically, doing that was already (sort of) possible with Android's screen mirroring on Chromecast, but this is something actually designed to be viewed on a TV. Once it starts casting, the Google+ app can cycle through posts from your feed and put them in a loop -- that said, you also have the option to pause, in case there's a photo you really like and want to use as a wallpaper of sorts. Right now, the feature appears to be limited to Android, though it wouldn't surprise us to see it come to the iOS version of the app later on.
Deezer joins the small list of music streaming apps that support Chromecast
Google's Chromecast dongle is, first and foremost, a cheap piece of hardware for flinging video from various devices to the biggest screen in your home. It makes sense, then, that you should also be able to stream music to your TV just as easily -- not everyone has a dedicated audio setup or convenient ways to connect to one wirelessly, after all. There's plenty of music on YouTube, of course, but Rdio, Pandora and Google's own Play Music are the only high-profile music services to include Chromecast support so far. Streaming outfit Deezer (which still doesn't operate in the US) is set to join those ranks tomorrow when it updates its Android and iOS apps. Multiple users will even be able to connect to the same dongle and fight over who has the worst taste. There is one catch to streaming through Chromecast, however: you'll need a paid Premium+ account to do so, although you need one of those to use Deezer's mobile apps, anyway. No free option is a bit of a downer, but at least Deezer's made something of an effort, which is more than can be said for that other popular music streaming service.
You can now use Chromecast to share your Google Drive Presentation
Google's inexpensive dongle can do a lot of things. Whether it be streaming music or a variety of video programming, the Chromecast is capable of handling it all -- and don't forget live TV is coming soon, too. But while having these entertainment options is nice, sometimes you have to be, you know, productive. Thankfully, it looks like you can start using the $35 dongle to send some of your work to a separate screen near you.
Google kicks off Chromecast offers program with £5 of free Play credit
With Google's Chromecast streaming dongle now fully settled in the UK, the great provider (of search results) has kicked off a promotional program rewarding new and old customers alike. You'll find the offer highlighted in the Play store, where (browser) window shoppers are being tempted with "£4.99 credit towards a movie rental." The truth is, however, that you can spend your free fiver on anything available on Play, like music, books or Android apps. Furthermore, anyone with a Chromecast purchased in the UK is eligible, regardless of when you bought it. The only catch really is you must redeem the credit online by mid-July and spend it before the same time next year. It would appear this is just the first freebie in an ongoing offers program, so don't be surprised to see others in the future that sweeten the deal for newcomers, as well as thank old hands for their patronage.
Batter up: Chromecast now live streams every pitch with MLB.tv
Google's little $35 dongle is like a fine wine: it just keeps getting better with age. Today, the Chromecast is adding support for MLB.tv, letting you push out live out-of-market games right to your TV from a smartphone or tablet. The only caveat is that you'll need an MLB.tv Premium subscription to do so, but chances are most of you hardcore fans of America's pastime already have one of those. If you do, the only thing left to do is grab the MLB At Bat app from Google Play or the App Store -- an update that brings Chromecast support to these apps should be rolling out as we speak. And while you're at it, perhaps you may want to download R.B.I. Baseball 14, so you can have an all-baseball day to yourself.
Weather forecasts and user photos could be headed to Chromecast's home screen
Google could be looking to the put the main screen of its Chromecast to work, just before it beams videos to your TV. Reddit user asjmcguire recently uncovered HTML code for the dongle's home screen that references current weather and the day's forecast (based on location), complete with the requisite icons needed to illustrate the conditions. What's more, it seems that the folks in Mountain View aren't stopping with weather: personal photos and locations are also mentioned in the code. As you may recall, third-party devs have been making their own useful add-ons for the device thanks to the open SDK, and Google has already released an interactive PhotoWall and cozy fireplace for setting the proper mood.
BT Sport channels are coming to Chromecast in the UK
Fans across the Atlantic are about to get an option for streaming UK-based sporting events on Google's dongle. BT is set to make its sports offerings available on Chromecast, joining the BBC iPlayer app in beaming home-grown content to the diminutive living room gadget. Of course, only those who use BT broadband will be able to view action from the pitch. Details are sparse for now, and there's no official word on a launch date for the sports coverage to arrive on Chromecast yet either. The £30 add-on has only been available in Europe for two weeks, so there's sure to be more viewing options on the way. [Image Credit: Carl Court/AFP/Getty Images]
Rdio support for Google Chromecast is in the works
Now that Google has finally opened up the Chromecast SDK to developers, we can expect a whole lot of different applications to start being friendly with the $35 dongle. With this in mind, Rdio, via the RdioHelp Twitter account, let it be known that its dev team is already working to offer native support for Google's Chromecast. As it stands, Rdio subscribers do have the ability to stream music by casting a Chrome tab on the web, though this would indicate that a solution compatible with the service's mobile apps is on the way. The tweet doesn't mention any details about when Rdio for Chromecast could be available -- but, hey, at least we know it's coming.
Google Chromecast adds 10 new apps to its streaming arsenal
For users of Google's $35 Chromecast dongle, the inclusion of HBO Go was pretty much the final piece of the holy streaming trifecta (the others being Netflix and Hulu Plus). Now, however, Google's opting for quantity over quality and adding 10 new apps to its Chromecast-friendly suite. So what's in that grab bag of apps? Well, beyond just supporting its own Chrome browser, Google's now made media casting easier by supporting Plex, RealPlayer Cloud and Avia. But there's also a host of music and video content hubs, like Revision3, VEVO, Red Bull.TV, Viki, Songza, PostTV and BeyondPod, that can now cast straight to your HDTV. Don't fret if you're not seeing the apps update just yet -- Google's said the roll out should take place over the "next few days."
This week on gdgt: the new Nexus 7, the Leap, and two-step authentication
Each week, our friends at gdgt go through the latest gadgets and score them to help you decide which ones to buy. Here are some of their most recent picks. Want more? Visit gdgt anytime to catch up on the latest, and subscribe to gdgt's newsletter to get a weekly roundup in your inbox.
Distro Issue 101: Google takes another stab at streaming with Chromecast
Remember the Nexus Q? Yeah, we do too. After coming up short with that streaming effort, Google pulled the wraps off of another attempt to invade living rooms last week. In this week's issue of our tablet mag, we give Chromecast the proper review treatment to see if Mountain View's goal to smarten up dumb TVs hits the ground running. Hands-On scours the show floor at SIGGRAPH, Recommended Reading has more first-hand Google Glass observations and IRL takes another peek inside our rucksacks. Get cozy folks, because your end of the week tech reading is ready for download. Distro Issue 101 PDF Distro in the iTunes App Store Distro in the Google Play Store Distro in the Windows Store Distro APK (for sideloading) Like Distro on Facebook Follow Distro on Twitter
