Wednesday, October 7, 2015
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Monday, October 5, 2015
Gadget Ogling: Eyes on Google
Welcome to Gadget Dreams and Nightmares, the column that gladly steps far away from presidential debates to voice partisan opinions on the latest gadget announcements.
On the rostrum this week is a slew of new Google devices: a refreshed Chromecast; another Chromecast for audio; and the company's first completely in-house-created tablet. We also take a gander at a new LG smartphone that might cause double vision.
Note: These are not reviews. The ratings indicate only how much I'd like to use each item, and do not reflect how much of my life is wrapped up in Google services. That would rate at about a four.
Chromecast (pictured above, Chromecast Audio on the right) helps people easily stream whatever they want through their TV via a simple dongle. Now Google's adding a splash of color to the device, along with a string of new features.
Instead of resembling a USB stick, Chromecast 2 is more like a colorful button, and Google says it is easier to plug into an HDMI slot. It's built for speed, apparently, as it seemingly can stream videos faster and with less buffering.
It also can preload content -- for instance, start downloading a movie -- as soon as you open the Chromecast app, which Google also has refreshed.
On the content side, Chromecast users now can access Spotify and Showtime's latest app, as well as stream NBA and Major League Soccer games.
What's really useful is the option in the latest app to search for content across all the services you use. If you'd like to watch the latest season of Archer -- to use my current obsession as an example -- but don't know where to find it, this universal search can help. It's a great feature we're seeing more often, including in the new Apple TV, so I'm glad Google included it here.
Meanwhile, there's a new version of the device for music, called "Chromecast Audio" (pictured above with Chromecast). It connects to a 3.5mm auxiliary input, RCA jacks, or an optical input, and it can stream music from your favorite streaming services and your computer. It supports Google Play Music, Spotify, Deezer and BBC iPlayer.
What's especially neat is it can play audio from most sources on an Android phone. So if you don't have a TV and are streaming a movie to a tablet, you can cast the audio to your home speaker system and get an immersive surround-sound experience.
Chromecast already was a solid device, and these upgrades and the Audio version only enhance it. Best of all? Google's keeping the US$35 price tag of the original Chromecast, which is far less expensive than most other streaming hubs. Thumbs up all around.
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