Review: Google Chromecast

Google Chromecast. It’s probably the most overused quote in tech writing… which sucks, because I’d really like to use it to describe how I feel about the Chromecast.

The Chromecast is deceptively simple: you plug it into your TV, then stream video and music to it from apps running on your iPhone, Android device, or laptop. The Chromecast itself has no remote; whatever device you’re streaming from is the remote. The Chromecast has next to no user interface of its own, either; it’s got a single screen that shows the time and whether or not it’s connected to your WiFi that appears when nothing is being streamed, but again, the device you’re streaming from largely acts as the interface. The Chromecast is a wireless portal to your TV, and doesn’t try to be anything more.

A Box Full Of Surprises

I’ve been thinking about it all night, and I don’t think I’ve ever been as surprised by a device as I am by the Chromecast.

The price? Surprise! It’s $35. Are you kidding me? According to Google, they’re not selling them at a loss. Even after accounting for the Wi-Fi chip, the CPU, 2GB of flash memory, the RAM, licensing the right to use HDMI, assembly, packaging, and shipping them to the states, they’re somehow making money selling these things for thirty five dollars. Sure, their profit margin is probably like, four cents — but that they’re not selling these at a loss at that price point is kind of absurd.

The setup? Surprise! It’s ridiculously easy. Plug it into HDMI, give it some juice (through USB, which most new TVs have, or a standard wallwart), then run the Chromecast app on a laptop to tell it what Wi-Fi network to connect to. Done.

App compatibility? Surprise! It’s already there on day one in some of the most notable online video apps, including Netflix and YouTube. I didn’t even have to update the apps — I just launched ‘em on my phone and the Chromecast button was sitting there waiting for me. They’ve even already built an extension for Chrome that drastically expands the functionality of the device (though, in its beta state, it’s a bit buggy — more on that later).

Hell, even the very announcement of the Chromecast was a bit of a surprise. Google somehow managed to keep the Chromecast a secret until right before its intended debut, even with a bunch of outside parties involved. Netflix, Pandora, teams from all over Google, everyone involved in the manufacturing process — all of them were in the loop, yet nothing leaked until someone accidentally published a support page a few hours too early.

Now, none of that is to suggest that the Chromecast is perfect. It’s not! Not yet, at least. But its biggest issues are quite fixable, assuming that Google doesn’t look at the “overwhelming” sales of the Chromecast and say ‘Oh, well, screw this thing.’ And for just $35, the few blemishes it has are pretty easy to overlook.

Taking The Bad With The Good:

Video streaming quality is quite good (on par with what I get on my Xbox 360 or my Apple TV, at least) particularly when pulling from an app or website that’s been tailored for compatibility — so Netflix, Youtube, or Google Play, at the moment.

If you’re using the Chromecast extension for Chrome on your laptop to project an otherwise incompatible video site (like Hulu or HBOGO), however, video quality can dump quite a bit depending on your setup. It’s using your laptop as a middle man to encode the video signal and broadcast it to the Chromecast, whereas the aforementioned compatible sites just send video straight to the dongle, mostly removing your laptop from the mix. When casting video tabs on a 2012 MacBook Air running on an 802.11n network, the framerate was noticeably lower and there were occasional audio syncing issues.

While we’re on the topic, the Chrome extension packs a bit of an easter egg: the ability to stream local videos from your laptop to the Chromecast. Just drag a video into Chrome, and it’ll start playing in a new tab. Use the Chrome extension to cast that tab, and ta da! You’re streaming your (totally legitimate, not-at-all-pirated-am-i-right) videos without bringing any other software into the mix. I tried it with a bunch of video formats (mostly AVIs and MKVs. MOVs kinda-sorta work, though most won’t push audio from the laptop to the TV for some reason), and they all seemed to work quite well, albeit with the lowered framerate I mentioned earlier.

Even within the apps that have already been tweaked for Chromecast compatibility, there are some day one bugs. Sometimes videos don’t play the first time you ask them to, instead dropping you into a never-ending loading screen. Other times, the video’s audio will start playing on top of a black screen. These bugs aren’t painfully common, but they’re not rare, either.

Fortunately, it’s mostly all good — and it can only get better

Even with a bug or two rearing its head, the Chromecast is easily worth its $35 price tag.

Remember, this thing just launched, and it came mostly out of nowhere. Those bugs? They’ll get patched away. The sometimes-iffy framerate on projected tabs? It’ll almost certainly get better, as the Chromecast extension comes out of beta.

Pitted against the AppleTV — or, in a fairer comparison, against the AppleTV’s built-in AirPlay streaming feature — the Chromecast’s biggest strength is in its cross-platform compatibility. Whereas AirPlay is limited to iOS devices and Macs (with limited support for Windows through iTunes), Chromecast will play friendly with any iOS, Android, Mac, or Windows app that integrates Googles Cast SDK. Having just launched, the Cast protocol obviously isn’t nearly as ubiquitous as AirPlay, either in terms of Apps that support it or in terms of other devices (like wireless speakers) that utilize it — but assuming that developers embrace the format (and really, they should), both of those things could quickly change. If developers support the protocol, Google could quite feasibly open it up to third parties to be integrated directly into TVs, speakers, and other types of gadgets. If that happens, AirPlay could be in trouble.

On the topic of its cross-platform compatibility: the experience on Android is a slightly better than it is on iOS, as Google has considerably more freedom on the platform; for example, apps that use Chromecast can take priority over the lockscreen, allowing the user to play/pause/skip a video without having to fully unlock their Android device. That’s just icing on the cake, though; for the most part, all of the primary features work just as well on iOS as they do on Android.

Conclusion

It’s one of the easiest recommendations I’ve ever made: If the Chromecast sounds like something you’d want, buy it. It’s easily worth $35 as it stands, and it’s bound to only get better as time goes on, the bugs get ironed out, and more apps come to support it.

Source : http://techcrunch.com/2013/07/28/review-google-chromecast/

Chromecast - Google's Chromecast makes your TV smarter

NEW YORK — You don't own a new Smart TV that lets you go beyond standard TV and cable fare and watch shows and movies off the Internet. Nor have you invested in an Apple TV, Roku or other set-top solution that lets you stream content to the television.

So the $35 tab to try out Google's new Chromecast gizmo seems like a mere pittance for anyone seeking a low-cost and simple way to make a TV just a little bit smarter. And it is.

Chromecast is a clever sub-3-inch-tall dongle that looks a bit like a car key. Instead, you're driving your TV into cyberspace. When you plug Chromecast into a high-definition television, it lets you wirelessly stream — or in Chromecast lingo "cast" — movies, TV shows, videos and music from the Internet using the Netflix, YouTube and Google Play apps on your Android or iOS smartphone or tablet. You can also use Chromecast with the Chrome browser on your Windows PC or Mac to display the Web page you are looking at on your computer onto the TV, though this last feature is still being "beta" tested.

I got Chromecast to work with a slew of devices: an iPhone 5, Nexus 7, Chromebook Pixel, iMac, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and Dell Windows 7 laptop. I connected it to Sony and LG televisions. In fact, you can move Chromecast from TV to TV without any additional setup, provided Chromecast is connected to the same Wi-Fi network. You can also easily bring Chromecast with you when you travel, keeping in mind that it might not work with the Wi-Fi configuration in certain hotels.

Chromecast doesn't have a central user interface as on Apple TV or Roku. And it doesn't come with a remote control. So you directly interact with the phone, tablet or laptop to control the volume or to pause and play whatever it is you are watching or listening to. It can turn on your TV in certain instances, though you may have to tinker with your TV settings to make it happen.

As part of the initial setup, you can fetch an Android app for Chromecast in the Google Play store or visit google.com/chromecast/setup to download an app on your computer. You can't set up the device using iOS yet, though Google says an app for that purpose is coming soon. Once Chromecast is set up using Android or your computer, it will work with your iOS devices.

Chromecast's compatibility with both iOS and Android provides an advantage over the AirPlay technology used in Apple TV, which in its current iteration only supports iOS devices or Mac computers. But Apple TV (which costs $99) and Roku (which starts at around $50) are compatible out of the gate with a lot more apps.

You'll need a decent Wi-Fi connection as part of the Chromecast setup. One end of the gizmo plugs into an available HDMI slot on your TV. The other end of the Chromecast has a USB port that you'll use to power up the device, posing the first potential challenge in setting the thing up. You'll have to plug Chromecast either into a power outlet, or directly into a USB port on your TV if it happens to have one. Depending upon where your TV is situated, you might have to add your own USB extender. During setup, you must be within 20 feet of the TV.

Google does supply an extender for the HDMI plug that makes it easier to plug the dongle into some televisions. Added benefit: using the extender may reduce the "noise," or interference, from the TV in some instances to actually bolster your Wi-Fi signal.

If all goes according to plan as it did in my tests, you'll see the words "ready to cast" appear on your TV screen along with the name of the Wi-Fi network to which you are connected. The devices that you want to cast from must also be on the same Wi-Fi network. When you're ready to "cast" content off your phone, tablet or computer, you merely tap or click on the button that appears inside the app or Chrome browser. It's that easy.

Two people can actually cast to the TV at the same time with the latest person to hit the button gaining priority. Do I sense a fight between the spouses waiting to happen?

Out of the gate, Google supports apps from Netflix, YouTube, Google Play Movies and Google Play Music — and the quality is quite good. When Google first announced Chromecast, it offered three months of Netflix for free, but the promotion has been pulled because so many folks rushed out to buy the thing.

While Hulu, HBO Go and other video services are not among the list of supported apps, I was able to watch South Park via Hulu Plus and the McEnroe/Borg: Fire & Ice HBO documentary through streaming it off the Chrome browser on a laptop.

But there's a reason that the ability to cast a Chrome browser tab onto the TV is still in beta. Some of the video I watched that way paused or hiccupped, and some of the audio was out of sync. And not all computers are supported, including some of Google's own older Chromebook models.

Google is opening up Chromecast to developers of streaming apps, so expect more support soon. GigaOm is reporting that HBO Go, Vimeo and Redbox Instant are among those coming to Chromecast.

Chromecast is by no means perfect in this first incarnation. But at $35 you'll be more than willing to overlook the minor growing pains. And even now, you're getting a lot for the money, especially as a great way to wirelessly stream Netflix and YouTube.

Source : usatoday.com

5 Important App Marketing Tips For Branding

Building a brand is one of the most important things you can do for your app or apps business. Why? Just look at the success of Angry Birds brand, valued at over $1.2 billion. It's not the Angry Birds game that holds the value... the value is in the brand. The brand is the reasons why Angry Birds have been able seal entertainment and merchandising deals, launch additional apps and exponentially grow their business. So how do apps like Angry Birds and Clash of the clans build billion dollar brands? Let's take a closer look.

1. Super-Targeted-Marketing

If you were to ask me, what's the one thing an app developer needs to do to ensure their app brand is successful, my answer is simply this: Only. Focus. On. Your. Target. Audience.
What makes brands like Nike and Red Bull so powerful is that they hone in on a specific target audience and these people become their advocates. There is no one-size-fits-all, and if you still think that your target audience is anyone who owns a smartphone then maybe app marketing isn't your game? I'm only being honest.

2. Use Media / Build Hype

Talking about your app is important. But what's more important is getting others to talk about your app. Spreading the word of your app brand is all about getting people to do the talking for you. I'm not suggesting that you hire a handful of backpackers to spruik your brand outside the local supermarket... What smart marketers do is build a compelling story around your brand. A story that people will want to share with their friends, family and/or colleagues. A great story or piece of marketing has the potential to go completely viral.

3. Look Like You're Worth Talking About

An important thing about building a brand is that you need to look professional. Not like something that's run out of your parents garage... even if it is. This means you need a website, good sales copy, brilliant graphics congruent with your brand, and other potential marketing/branding mediums, i.e. promotional videos, press release, etc.). The other day I saw a TV commercial for Candy Crush Saga and if that doesn't scream "OFFICIAL" then I don't know what does!

4. Be Consistent

Branding is about consistency. Sending out the same message through every single one of your channels. Any deviation from this rule creates a discrepancy in the eyes of the consumer. Be consistent in everything from your copy, to the colours of your brand, slogans, etc. The rule of thumb is that given today's economy, a marketing message has to be seen on 7 unique occasions by the same person (on average) he or she will make a purchase. Consistency in your message will ensure that your audience see the message enough times that they will actually download your app.

5. Build A Killer App

It goes without saying that if your app stinks then you're going to have a hard time branding it. Your app needs to be something that people will want to come back to and use again, and again. The concept doesn't need to be completely unique, but it does need to have a point of difference that matters. Looking at Hay Day by SuperCell. Here's a game that almost completely copies every other social game available (DragonVale, Farmville, etc.) yet its point of difference makes it something that your target audience can love and relate to.

Branding isn't as hard as it is made out to be, but you have to stick to the steps above and follow through on them RELIGIOUSLY. Success in any venture comes down to consistent perfect action. And in app branding, it's the same deal.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7863211

Ubisoft hack: users warned to change passwords

A Ubisoft website has been hacked exposing customer data including names and encrypted passwords. The company released a statement on Tuesday admitting that an account database has been illegally accessed, and that an investigation had begun. Although no credit card or other payment details are kept on the www.ubi.com site, the publisher of such titles as Assassin's Creed and Far Cry 3 has told users to change their passwords.

Originally it had been reported that the hack originated with Uplay, a digital hub and distribution service for downloadable games. However, the statement claims that Uplay is unaffected. The company is, however, advising members of the service to change their passwords, too.

This is not the first time Ubisoft itself has been targeted. In April, news site Gameranx reported that software pirates had managed to exploit a vulnerability in Ubisoft's Uplay launcher to access the Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon title, releasing the code onto torrent sites. At the time, Ubisoft stated, "We are aware of the issue and are working to resolve it quickly. No personal information was compromised."

Gamers are unlikely to be entirely assured however. Last July, a major security vulnerability was discovered in the Uplay browser extension, which opened an exploitable back door into the user's system. Ubisoft quickly plugged the hole with an update, and released a statement to claim that the problems had been resolved.

Data security is becoming more of a problem throughout the games industry as companies move toward digital distribution methods, selling titles online rather than through retail. In January, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe was fined £250,000 after the 2011 PlayStation Network hack that placed the data of millions of customers in jeopardy. A month later, Nintendo servers were hacked, although the company claimed that no personal customer data was accessed. In March, an exploit was discovered in Electronic Arts' online gaming service Origin, which made it theoretically possible for hackers to introduce malicious code into game downloads.

Ubisoft has set up a forum thread for customers who have questions about security. Ironically, the company is currently working on a new game, Watch Dogs, in which hacking is a central component. The development team reportedly hired an expert from Kaspersky Lab to ensure the depiction of hacking was accurate.