The Chromecast is a media streaming device from Google, allowing you to play your favorite content from Netflix, Spotify, Google Play Music, Pandora, and countless other services on your television. The device is a small HDMI dongle, and retails for $35.
Vimeo, the popular alternative to YouTube, has just released a brand new update to its Android app. Within the update, the company has finally enabled a feature which should have been there a long time ago: Chromecast support. Anyone downloading the app, or updating, will now be able to beam content straight to their Chromecast-connected TV with just the press of an onscreen button.
A month after your bday, you receive a card. It serenades you with a 90s slow jam before you slam it shut, mortified. But you smile — because Grandma loves you. *And* because Chromecast has arrived.
Late is better than never, and Vimeo loves you a ton too, and now you can tap the Chromecast icon to seamlessly stream videos to your big screen. We appreciate your patience, pals!
Oh and we fixed some bugs and crashing issues, also.
You can download the app free from the Play Store, or if you have the app already installed, check for updates and you should see it available to download right away.
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[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/694211128591777792 align=’center’]
Update: It looks like 1st, 2nd, and 6th taps get you 3 free songs on Google Play, and the 10th tap gets you a free Chromecast. Great deal.
It doesn’t look like Google has made any official announcement about this yet, but we’ve been tipped off today on a new Android Pay Rewards program called “Tap 10” that looks to give away free Chromecast devices and Google Play music downloads to some Android Pay users…
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When we first exclusively leaked the 2nd generation Chromecast, we were dumbfounded by its design. Ditching the dongle-like look of its predecessor (that many other streaming sticks have come to mimic), the new Chromecast is more like a miniature hockey puck with a long HDMI cord attached, and comes in three bright colors. Many asked why a streaming device that sits behind the TV would need three colors, and Google has come out to answer this question and many others in a new interview…
LG has unveiled a new range of audio products for both home entertainment and for parties. As Google fans, it’s the home entertainment range we’re most interested in, and that’s because the company’s new sound bar systems include baked-in support for Google Cast. The SH8, SH7 and SH6 sound bars will be shown off in more depth at CES next month, and come with a boatload of wireless connectivity options…
From now until January 2nd, if you buy a 2015 Chromecast you also get $20 to cast TV shows, movies and more on Google Play. Factoring in the credit, that’s the lowest offer we’ve seen for the new Chromecast. After you make your purchase you can get your $20 Google Play credit here.
You can also find a 2-pack Bundle with $12 Google Play Credit at Costco for $49 shipped. Or save $5 on one at Best Buy today as well.
Enjoy a world of entertainment with Google Chromecast (2015). Just connect to your HDTV’s HDMI interface and your home Wi-Fi network to get started. You can stream your favorite apps from your compatible phone, tablet or laptop, plus use your phone as a remote to search, play and pause content.
Note: You need to wait one week after you register for the Google Play credit to appear.
Full Terms & Conditions:
Must purchase a Chromecast device and complete initial set-up between Dec 13, 2015 and Jan 2, 2016 to qualify for the promotional credit. Not reloadable; no cash value.
Credit must be added to a Google Payments account by January 31, 2016 and used on Google Play by January 31, 2017. Certain devices (including Chromecast Audio) and subscriptions excluded. Offer good in US only. Must be 13+ years old, US resident, have Internet access, and have or activate a Google Payments account. Limit one per Google Payment account.
See Promotional Balance Terms for more information.
To redeem, go to chromecast.com/offers
The Chromecast Audio was announced with the ability to basically replicate the functionality of a high-end Sonos system, but at a much cheaper price of $35. An update rolling out starting today further fulfills that with multi-room and Hi-Res audio support…
Google has today launched the Google Cast Remote Display plugin for Unity, in hopes that developers will now be able to more easily bring their mobile games to the TV. This is the same plugin that many games on the Play Store — including Monopoly Here & Now, Risk, and more — already use…
Today we launched the Google Cast Remote Display plugin for Unity to make it easy to take your Unity games to TVs. The Google Cast Remote Display APIs use the powerful GPUs, CPUs and sensors of your Android or iOS mobile device to render a local display on your mobile device and a remote display on your TV.
Google says that, as of today, developers can download the new Remote Display plugin for Unity from both GitHub and the Unity Asset Store.
Developers with preexisting Unity games simply need to import the Remote Display package to their project, add the CastRemoteDisplayManager prefab, and configure cameras for the local and remote displays. More detailed information can be found at Google’s Developers Blog.
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
Heads up! During Black Friday/Cyber Monday you’re going to have to follow us on Twitter to get the best deals since many sell out too quickly to post.
The second generation Chromecast and the Chromecast Audio were announced at the end of September, and the Google Store is one of many outlets where you can acquire these devices. Now, a couple months after being introduced in North America and other regions, those who are in Spain can grab the new Chromecasts from the Google Store.
You can head over to the Google Store now, where the Chromecast (2nd gen.) is available in three colors, and the Chromecast Audio is available in black.
Dish Network’s Sling TV has been around for a while, but one feature that was long been missing from its Android and iPhone apps was Chromecast support. Now, following Google’s announcement last month that the feature was on the way, watchers of live on-demand TV programming via Sling TV can finally sling that content onto their big screen…
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Following through on a threat made earlier this month, Amazon has pulled Google’s Chromecast hardware from its online stores, regardless of whether it was being sold by Amazon directly or third-party vendors in Amazon’s Marketplace.
Amazon notified third-party merchants that it planned to remove Chromecasts and Apple TVs from its listings, claiming an interest in reducing “consumer confusion” over streaming media players that don’t “interact well with Prime Video,” Amazon’s streaming video service. Chromecast and Apple TV pages currently lead to 404 Document Not Found error pages, while attempts to search for the products now redirect to Amazon’s own Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, PlayStation TV, and a collection of off-brand alternatives. Certain Chromecast accessories remain available for purchase, however…
We first reported last month that Google was bringing Spotify support to the Chromecast, and those who already have the second-generation Chromecast in their possession (like myself) have probably been toying with the feature for a while now. Google did mention at its event last month, however, that support for the streaming service would be coming to the first-generation Chromecast at some point within a few weeks. It looks like that update is now rolling out…
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iFixit’s 2015 Chromecast + Chromecast Audio teardown
Two years after the original Chromecast HDMI streaming stick, Google decided it was ready last week to unveil the sequel with a redesigned and more capable 2nd-gen Chromecast as well as an entirely new product for streaming audio to old speakers called Chromecast Audio. Readily standing by, the folks over at iFixit have already picked up and torn apart both new streamers. Both look remarkably similar on the inside at first glance, and iFixit has some praise for how Chromecast handles HDMI this year…
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I’m an Apple guy. I have enough Apple hardware around my house to serve as a mini-museum and I use Apple’s software and services every single day. But when Google makes something interesting like Chromecast Audio, I can’t help but want to try out the new toy.
Sold for just $35 (Google Store, Best Buy), Chromecast Audio lets you stream audio over the Internet from services like Spotify and NPR to old speakers. This varies from Apple’s AirPlay in that audio streams directly to the Chromecast Audio rather than from device to device, using your iPhone or iPad only as the remote. In practice, Chromecast Audio is most similar to Sonos, but with Google’s accessory selling at a much lower, irresistible price as it relies on your existing speakers rather than all-in-one units.
So what exactly is Chromecast Audio and what can it do? Read on for details…
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Update: It’s gone.
It’s not really a matter that’s up in the air, but now the confirmation is coming straight from Google. At the time of this writing, the “Optimized devices for Android Screen casting” Chromecast support page lists the “Droid Maxx 2,” a phone that hasn’t yet been announced in any official capacity…
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Earlier this month, we exclusively detailed Google’s intention on introducing a 2nd generation Chromecast (and Chromecast Audio), and earlier this week, the Mountain View company made them official. We of course grabbed both the new Chromecast and the Chromecast Audio, and below you’ll find our quick unboxing video of the former…
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A woman receives a package from Amazon that presumably does not contain a Chromecast
If you’re looking to buy an Chromecast online, you may need to look somewhere other than Amazon in the very near future. A new report from Bloomberg claims that an internal email at indicates the retailer will block sales of Google’s streaming device because it doesn’t support Amazon Prime Video.
Google announced a couple of days ago that a new version of the Google Photos Android app was on the way, Chromecast support, people labelling and album collaboration – features first spotted a week ago. Google has advised that this update is now available …
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During the announcement of Google’s Chromecast Audio yesterday, the company made sure to mention that music subscription leader Spotify will soon be one of the many music streaming services supported by the platform. With many Apple Music subscriptions renewing (or not renewing) and Google unveiling a $35 dongle that retrofits our existing home speakers with Wi-Fi, some are rightfully wondering: What about Apple Music?
According to statements from one Googler (via TrustedReviews), Google has no bar on any platform joining in on supporting Chromecast, and the Mountain View company has already directly asked Apple to play along…
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Following the introduction of new devices yesterday, Google has now updated its list of availability by country for the Google Store for the new Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, second-gen Chromecast, and Chromecast Audio.
For the most part the new Nexus devices arrive in the same countries that the previous generation Nexus 6 was available, while the new Chromecast and Chromecast Audio get support for additional countries beyond availability for the previous generation Chromecast.
Here’s the full breakdown:
Nexus 5X
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United States, United Kingdom
Nexus 6P
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United States, United Kingdom
Chromecast 2nd Generation
Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States
Chromecast Audio
Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States
In case you missed any of yesterday’s announcements, you can catch up with our coverage at the links below:
Watch Google’s Chromecast 2, Nexus 5X/6P event right here [Livestream]
LG Nexus 5X officially announced, $379 gets you full HD display, Snapdragon 808 and fingerprint sensor
Huawei Nexus 6P officially announced, 5.7-inch QHD AMOLED display, Snapdragon 810, more
Google: 1.4B Android actives, 1B active Play users, 30k new Chromebooks/day, 10k companies using Android for Work
Google confirms its ‘Pixel C’ Android tablet w/ detachable keyboard, Android Marshmallow, more
Android 6.0 Marshmallow gets a release date: Rollout starts on next week for Nexus 5, 6, 7 (2013) and Nexus 9
Google launches Google Play Music All Access Family Plan w/ 6 users for $15 per month
New Google Photos features announced: Shared albums, people labeling, Chromecast support
Google unveils the 2nd generation Chromecast w/ better WiFi, Feeds, Fast Play, more
Google’s Chromecast Audio WiFi-enables your speakers, packs multi-room support
Alongside the new Chromecast and Chromecast Audio, Google also today introduced a new version of its Chromecast app. It’s not a drastic departure from the previous version, but it does bring some notable new features including a new “What’s On” section that suggests content from the apps you have installed, support for image feeds from Facebook, Flickr, and other sources, voice search for content, and more…
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If you’re frantically trying to figure out how to buy the new Google-y product goodness, you’re not alone. Alongside two completely new $35 Chromecasts, Google has today announced the new Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P.
Here are some quick links
Google has also added a listing for the ZenWatch 2, although it’s not yet available:
While the two new Chromecasts are currently showing as leaving the warehouse within a couple of days, both Nexus phones are set to ship sometime later in October. The Nexus 6P, in fact, has already slipped to 5-6 weeks from 2-3 for most models.
Google is bringing new Chromecast hardware to its range, as we exclusively revealed last week. But it isn’t just new hardware. Chromecast is adding native support for some new streaming services including Showtime, SlingTV, NBA, NHL and BN Sports. Perhaps the most notable of these video services is SlingTV, which lets you watch live TV using an internet connection.
But, as previously rumored, Spotify is now getting Chromecast support too. Now you’ll be able to listen to Spotify anywhere in your house using Chromecast or one of the new Chromecast Audio products hooked up to a speaker. Additionaly, Google demonstrated that two or more simultaneous uses will be able to sync playlists and control a Spotify stream.
While the support will work with the newly announced Chromecast hardware, it’ll also work with the existing 20M Chromecast devices out on the market.