Google Launches The Chromecast Streaming Device

It’s powered by Chrome and is designed to bring Google’s browser/OS to the biggest screen in the house.

 Initial orders of Google's brand new Chromecast wireless video-streaming dongle are now gone, though some users are still having luck getting one.


The $35 dongle, which plugs into the HDMI port of televisions and lets users stream content from multiple device platforms, is now listed as "coming soon" with no option to order it from Google's online store. Shortly after sales went up, it was listed to ship between August 2 and August 7, down from the 1-2 days for initial orders.

Subscriptions may be required to use with certain content providers. Chromecast is compatible with WiFi-enabled Android 2.3+ smartphones and tablets; iOS 6.0+ iPhones, iPads, and iPods; Chrome for Mac® and Chrome for Windows®; and Chromebook Pixel. Power cord required (not shown).

The Chromecast is the first expansion of the Chrome operating system out of traditional forms of computing. Up until now, Chrome OS was a desktop operating system, designed for use on a laptop or monitor. Google retooled it for the living room and tapped mobile operating systems to provide the content.

Update: Already, third-party developers are taking advantage of Chromecast's SDK and API. One of the first to hop aboard may surprise you: The Washington Post. The DC-based newspaper and news outlet said in a statement to reporters that it would begin "integrating The Post’s upcoming new video offerings, PostTV, with Google’s Chromecast." The Post said it worked with Google engineers to optimize PostTV for Chromecast, and the channel is due to launch later this month.

It should be noted that The Washington Post is no stranger to experiments with new developer platforms: it was one of the first and only news companies to launch a Facebook "social reader" app back in 2011, along with the rollout of the Facebook Open Graph, though its initial popularity quickly fizzled and the company later pulled it off Facebook entirely, making it into a stand-alone offering. That is to say that: just because it's going to be on Chromecast doesn't guarantee PostTV will find an audience there.

Update 2: Chromecast is now available to order on Amazon.com, with one- and two-day shipping options currently in play. If you're itching to try it out as soon as possible, this is probably your best option. Amazon Prime members will even save money over the Google Play version and its comparatively expensive shipping