Google has launched a 2in dongle that connects to an HDTV using HDMI and will stream video and audio from mobile devices and computers.
Chromecast, which launched today in the US at a price of $35, can stream content from Android and iOS apps, and from Google’s Chrome browser on a Mac or Windows PC. Video is streamed from the app or browser, rather than presenting a mirror of the host device’s display, and other apps can be used while content is streaming.
In order to work with Chromecast, apps and websites will have to add support; currently video streaming is available from YouTube and Netflix and audio from Pandora, but third parties, such as the Washington Post, have already promised support.
Chromecast is the second media streaming device Google has launched. It announced the Nexus Q last year, but the spherical device ran into difficulties and never shipped.
Google said Chromecast will be available outside the US ‘soon.’
In another announcement today, Google also launched the second generation Nexus 7 Android tablet. The new version is thinner and faster than its predecessor and has double the RAM. It also has a higher resolution screen, up from 1280 x 800 pixels to 1920 x 1200, a five-megapixel camera, and 4g as an option.
