KoushikDutta
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GIF whatever is on your Android screen with 'Mirror'
Recording your Android screen isn't easy, and unless you have a Chromecast device, mirroring it is also a pain. Koushik Dutta, formerly of Cyanogen and now with ClockworkMod, has updated his Mirror app to make screencasting easier and let you record your screen as a GIF. It works on any device running Android 5 or higher and can mirror out to Fire TV, Apple TV and AllCast receivers on Chrome and Android. Though the app is from ROM-maker ClockworkMod, your phone doesn't need to be rooted.
Mirror your Android device on your Mac or PC with Vysor
There are plenty of ways to mirror your smartphone onto your desktop, but none are as apparently easy (or snappy) as this one. Vysor has been cooked-up by AllCast creator Koush as a seamless way to mirror your Android device's display onto a Windows, Linux or Mac computer. All you'll need to do is connect one to the other over USB and install the Chrome plugin and in a few seconds, you should be able to control your phone with a keyboard and mouse. It may have been intended as a developer tool, but one keen-eyed Reddit user spotted the app while it was in private beta and shared it with the world.
AllCast media streaming inches closer to iOS release with a beta test
Apparently the vague "slowly but surely" AllCast's Koushik Dutta teased not too long ago was referring to a beta test on iOS -- not the final app. Taking to Google+ once again, the developer has posted a beta sign-up form for the media streaming application's Cupertino-device test-period. The questions it asks are pretty typical ones regarding the TV-connected device you'll use with the app, and what kind of media you'll use it for. Betas usually signal an impending release of the full product in the near future, so the iOS faithful might not be far from seeing what their Android-loving pals have been crowing about for around a year.
AllCast now sends your phone's media to anything with a Chrome browser
For Koushik Dutta, it's not enough that his AllCast app can stream an Android device's content to set-top boxes and other mobile gear; he now has it streaming to PCs, too. His new AllCast Receiver for Chrome lets you send photos, videos and your device screen to anything with a Chrome web browser on the local network. If you want to use your Chromebook as a makeshift TV, you can. It's not quite as slick as sharing content between native apps, though. You can't use the wireless headset feature with video, and screen mirroring isn't seamless. With that said, this is still one of the easier ways put your phone's media collection on a bigger display.
AllCast's screen-mirroring magic arrives on Amazon's Fire TV App Store
Been putting off sideloading AllCast's SDK to your brand new Amazon Fire TV? Well, friend, your procrastination has paid off. Now, all you have to do to install the casting and screen-mirroring app is download it straight from the Amazon App Store. So long as you also have AllCast installed on an Android device, you can beam photos, videos and music from your phone or tablet to Amazon's set-top box. Plus, you can use the app to view images and videos saved on Google+ and Dropbox. If you don't plan to pick up a Fire TV (waiting for the second one, eh?), you can still use AllCast with a number of other devices, including Chromecast, Xbox One, Roku, Apple TV and a smattering of smart TVs.
AllCast Android app brings screen-mirroring to Amazon Fire TV
After making fast friends with Android and Chromecast, AllCast is naturally ambling toward the next newest living-room device. If you're already bored using Amazon Fire TV for its intended functions, AllCast and Mirror support are currently in beta for Bezos' streaming box. And really, all you have to do is sideload the screen-mirroring app's APK onto your Fire TV and it should show up as a target for the Android application's content beaming. On Google+ developer Koushik Dutta writes that the receiver app's been submitted to the Amazon App Store, and he's just waiting on approval for it to go live. If you're feeling impatient however, well, maybe try reading a book -- we hear Amazon has a device for those, too.
You can now mirror your Android screen on Chromecast, if you have a Nexus 5
Cyanogen's Koushik Dutta has been teasing the prospect of mirroring your Android screen on Chromecast for a few weeks, and today you can finally try the feature -- if you have the right smartphone, that is. An updated version of the Mirror for Android beta includes early support for mirroring to either a Chrome browser or Chromecast, but only if you have a Nexus 5. Google's phone is the sole device with the hardware video decoder needed for this mirroring technique, Dutta says. You also have to get root-level access to the operating system with the current release, although that won't be necessary in the future. Provided you meet the app's exacting requirements, you can give mirroring a spin at the source link.
AllCast creator demos Android screen mirroring through Chromecast
AllCast developer Koushik Dutta has hinted that he could do more with Chromecast than just queue up media, and he now has a demo video to prove it. The clip (below) shows Dutta using Google's peripheral to mirror an Android phone's screen on a TV, much like you might with Miracast (or an Apple TV, for that matter). There's some noticeable lag, but the frame rate is smooth enough to reproduce a couple of rounds of Flappy Bird. Dutta hasn't said just when he expects to release the new code. However, he hopes to build the feature into AllCast; you'll likely get Chromecast screen mirroring on Android at some point, even if Google never officially supports more than Chrome tab casting.
AllCast Android media streamer and Chromecast are friends again now that the SDK is here (updated)
Google's Chromecast has teased seemingly limitless potential since its release last year, but until the Cast SDK came out yesterday most developers couldn't take advantage of it. That includes Koushik Dutta, creator of the AllCast app that we've already seen featuring screen mirroring or streaming music, video and pictures from Android devices to the dongle, but that's all changed. He reports that adding Chromecast support to his existing app (previously limited to streaming with Apple TV, Roku, Xbox, Playstation and other DLNA/AirPlay ready devices) took about 20 minutes in a "trivial" procedure requiring almost no extra code. A video demo of the feature is embedded after the break, and while it loads a little slower than other devices, pushing media from phone to TV is now just a button press away. That bodes well for other apps we'd like to see supporting Chromecast, and hopefully means that tiny button will pop up everywhere soon. As for AllCast, an update with Chromecast support is coming "soon," interested users can grab a free version that works for one minute to try it out, or upgrade to the unlimited premium edition for $4.99. Update: A new version of AllCast, complete with Chromecast support, is now available to download on Google Play.
AllCast for Android leaves beta, streams media to your Apple TV, Roku or Xbox (video)
Worried that you won't get to watch your favorite videos while visiting family this holiday? Don't be: After a brief beta phase, ClockworkMod's Koushik Dutta has released a completed version of AllCast for Android. The polished app lets you stream both local and cloud-based media to relatively common living room media hubs, including Apple TV, Roku players, the Xbox 360 and the Xbox One. Many Panasonic- and Samsung-made smart TVs will also handle content, and numerous DLNA-capable devices should make the cut. Chromecast support will likely have to wait until Google opens up its ecosystem in the new year. We can't promise that your relatives will share your taste in movies, but it won't hurt to grab AllCast from Google Play.
Mirror app for Android can record your screen or stream it to Apple TV (video)
CyanogenMod developer Koushik Dutta has followed up his CM 11 Screencast display recording app with one for a wider range of Android users with an extra feature. Mirror for Android can not only record whatever's happening on your tablet or phone's screen, but it can also display it wirelessly, AirPlay- or Miracast-style, on an Apple TV. Currently it requires Android 4.4.2 and root access, but Dutta says there is a non-root solution on the way. If you'd like to try it out and have the appropriate hardware, just click here to join the Google+ community, click here to join the beta and then download the app from Google Play. That may not be possible for individuals without a Nexus device and / or CyanogenMod 11 nightly build, so if you just want to see what it's like, check out a quick video demo embedded after the break.
CyanogenMod 11 Screencast video recording is as easy as taking a screenshot
One of Android KitKat's new features is a way for developers to easily make video recordings with the SDK, but what about every day users? After previously demonstrating display streaming software, CyanogenMod developer Koushik Dutta has released a new beta app in the Play Store (join the Google+ Community first for access) that simplifies the process. It does require users to be on one of the latest nightly builds of CyanogenMod 11 to work, but once loaded it can make recording a video of one's screen just as simple as taking a screenshot. As demonstrated in a video (embedded after the break), users can even activate it with the volume up + power combo on a Nexus 5, just like the volume down + power button that takes a screenshot. If you're not on CyanogenMod there is still hope however, as Dutta revealed over the weekend that he has it working on any rooted device running Android 4.4.1, and may have a way for it to operate even on hardware that's not rooted. Koush has been a busy guy lately, also revealing that Google may add Android-to-Chromecast mirroring soon and releasing a new version of his media streaming AllCast app, we almost feel bad about hoping the Cast SDK adds on a few new opportunities. Update: Dutta's latest post confirms "it is possible to do on device screen casting and AirPlay mirroring on stock, without root."
Android 4.4.1 shows signs that mirroring to Chromecast is coming soon
So far, the ability to wirelessly stream the display of an Android phone or tablet to your TV has been limited to solutions like Miracast, but information spotted by Cyanogen Inc. cofounder Koushik Dutta suggests that will change soon. Dutta, who has been working on a similar feature (embedded after the break) for CyanogenMod 11 with AirPlay support, posted notes from the Android 4.4.1 patches showing APIs related to the capture of video output from the device. Currently mirroring from a Chrome browser tab on a PC to Google's HDMI dongle works, but so far on mobile devices it's been locked down to just supported apps. Unfortunately, what he's seeing also indicates this API will keep things locked down to approved devices, so setting up receivers for other hardware like an Apple TV or Roku might not work. Between this feature, the Cast SDK that we hope will open up access to more developers and services, Chromecast support for the platform formerly known as Google TV and rumors of a Nexus TV set-top box, our list of most-anticipated TV announcements from Google is starting to get full.
CyanogenMod creator Steve Kondik on the challenges of refining the ROM
On the morning after the Oppo N1 launch, Steve "Cyanogen" Kondik was surrounded by several Oppo ambassadors and tech writers at a hotel lounge in Beijing. It's a far cry from where he began: toying with Android ROMs out of "boredom" about five years ago. "When I started this thing, I had, like, no idea that people would actually care," said Kondik, the creator of CyanogenMod. "I was kind of watching out to see who was going to bring Linux to the first mobile device, in a way that it didn't absolutely suck." In the end, it was Android that stood out with its open-source development, and Kondik saw the potential of adding his own enhancements to devices running on this OS. By day, the Seattle-based developer was a lead engineer at a bioinformatics startup in Pittsburgh; but during his free time, he worked on what later became CyanogenMod for the legendary T-Mobile G1, the world's first commercial Android device. And of course, he bought it on the day it came out.
Android to AirPlay Mirroring demonstrated, coming soon to CyanogenMod
Just in case you thought incorporation would slow things down among the folks behind CyanogenMod, dev and VP of Engineering Koushik Dutta just posted this video showing off AirPlay Mirroring from an Android phone. He's been working on Android streaming support to various protocols / devices for the "AllCast" media streaming app since Google's changes cut it off from the Chromecast (for now at least), and Apple's screen sharing feature is the latest target. There are other apps in the Play Store that connect Android devices over AirPlay, but mirroring support integrated into the OS feels fresh. AllCast support is already in place for pushing media to Roku and DLNA-compatible hardware, and he says this mirroring feature is "coming soon to a CyanogenMod near you."
Cyanogen is now a company, aims to be third major mobile ecosystem
CyanogenMod has grown unusually quickly in the past several months, polishing its custom Android firmware and introducing new services. We now know why the team has been so busy -- it's quietly been operating as a full-fledged company since April. The newly announced Cyanogen Inc., led by Boost Mobile co-founder Kirt McMaster, is devoted solely to building CyanogenMod as a platform. Some of the project's veteran developers are now full-time staff, including Steve Kondik (CTO) and Koushik Dutta (VP of Engineering). Read on to learn what the company has in store, including its hopes of eventually competing on the same level as heavy-hitters like Apple and Google.
Chromecast update breaks local media streaming in third-party apps (updated)
We hope you aren't depending on your Chromecast for local media playback. If you are, the device has just become a paperweight -- temporarily, at least. Google's most recent Chromecast update disables playback from external video sources, breaking third-party apps like AllCast and Fling that use the code for local-only streaming. Developer Leon Nicholls is hopeful that functionality will return when the official Cast SDK is ready for public apps, although we wouldn't count on it. As Android Central notes, Google isn't promising local media support on the Chromecast; for now, it's focused on the cloud. Update: In a statement mentioned by dnengel84 in the comments and posted by The Verge, Google says that it's willing to support local content; these are "early days" for the SDK, and the feature set is likely to change. Read the full statement after the break.
AirCast for Android sends local or cloud videos to Chromecast, test it out now
ClockworkMod dev Koushik Dutta has teased us with a few interesting ways to get our own media streaming on Chromecast, but now he's actually releasing one to the public. AirCast runs on your Android device and streams video from the gallery, Dropbox or Google Drive to Google dongle, with playback controls available in the app or from the notification bar. So why is this ready for release now? According to the developer, he's reverse engineered the protocols and is no longer using the SDK. Still, the app is just in testing now and he warns that the button doesn't appear in gallery apps on some devices, including the HTC One. It will stop working on its own after a couple of days while Dutta works the kinks out, look below for links to the download or more information, and check out a video demo after the break.
Dev's CyanogenMod tweak sends content from most apps to Chromecast (video)
ClockworkMod dev Koushik Dutta is showing off another Android tweak that proves what can be done with Google's Chromecast dongle. Following up on his Phone to Chromecast Android app, and a Chrome extension that did the same, now he's added framework extensions to CyanogenMod that pipe audio and video content from any app -- that uses the system's default media player -- straight to the Chromecast. This should apparently work for pretty much anything, as he describes it plays locally stored content or streaming stuff like podcasts. In the demo video (embedded after the break) he shows it working with Twit.tv and BeyondPod. As with the previous examples, this isn't available for mass consumption just yet, but hit the source link to get a peek and ask any questions you have about how it works.
Phone to Chromecast app streams pics and video, but can't be released yet
Google's $35 Chromecast fared well in our review, but something that could make it even more useful is the ability to stream pictures and video from mobile devices. Users have been able to work around that on PCs by entering info for locally stored files into the Chrome address bar, and now ClockworkMod developer Koushik Dutta is showing off a solution for mobile that closes the gap with AirPlay. Demonstrated in the video after the break, his Phone to Chromecast app can fling pictures or videos stored on the phone directly to the dongle -- apparently thanks to web server software he'd already created for Android. There's no specific word on the codecs or resolutions tested, but he reports videos work at full framerate "like magic." The only bad news? The preview SDK terms mean he can't distribute the APK without written permission from Google, so this demo is as close as we're getting for now.
