Chromecast: Google’s New Miracle Device
Putting a web browser on TV is a difficult task
The tech industry in general has been struggling with it for a long time and for regular people
it’s just easier to plug in their laptops
The problems faced in incorporating a web browser in TV are many
Interface problems, weird remotes and clunky performance are just some of the roadblocks
faced by the tech industry
Google’s last attempt with the Google TV platform was a spectacular failure and their
hardware partner, Logitech, almost went out of business in the process
But now Google is back on track with Chromecast, their newest device which promises web on
TV without performance hassles
The Chromecast is a HDMI dongle which essentially competes with Apple’s AirPlay system
Plug it into your TV or music system and you can control it easily using any Google enabled
device
Services such as YouTube and Netflix played on your phone, tab or computer can be
transmitted to the TV using the new Cast button
Entire Chrome browsers from Macs and PCs can also be put up on any TV site or service
In view of the previous unsuccessful attempts, this is a lot more than any other service has been
able to provide till now
AirPlay from Apple was the only sustainable TV browser but it also has the drawback of
having very few Apple users
The Chromecast dongle itself is a compact and convenient to use device
It measures a little less than 3 inches in length and looks similar to a pen drive
The back of the device is fitted with an LED, a Micro USB port and a button
The Chromecast draws power through the Micro USB port and Google recommends using an
external power adapter to charge the Chromecaster using a wall outlet, when it is not charging
via the USB port
Once the Chromecaster is plugged in, the next step in setting it up is to establish a Wi-Fi
network
To set up Wi-Fi you need to download the setup app for Mac, Android or PC and the
system automatically prompts you to choose a network
Chose a network, input password name your Chromecast and download Google Cast Chrome
you are all set
The rest of the operations are similar to web browsing and can be carried out on apps or a
computer
As of now there are just a limited number of apps available for this device. But given the
success rate of the Chromecast, users can expect much more to come soon
