Google Chromecast celebrates its second birthday with freebies
Today marks two years since Google debuted Chromecast, the small and affordable streaming device. To celebrate its second birthday, the company’s letting owners get in on a couple promotional offers: a free movie rental and access to 90 days of Play Music. Google did something similar last year, but back then it only included the complimentary subscription to its audio-streaming service. For those of you don’t have a Chromecast yet, the deal will be available until December 31st, so you still have some time to take advantage of this deal.
[Image credit: Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty]
Filed under: Misc, Home Entertainment, Peripherals, HD, Mobile, Google
Source: Google
Google celebrates Chromecast’s second birthday with a free movie rental
On this date two years ago, Chromecast was made available to people around the world. The technology behind it that simply mirrors content from phones, tablets, and computers to your television has been called upon nearly two billion times. Chromecast shows how affordable and simple streaming can be. It could be why the Television Academy opted to give voters their own Chromecast to view nominees for this year’s Emmy Awards. Now, on the dongle’s second birthday, Google is celebrating with a free movie rental from Google Play.
Google has seemingly placed a limit on the amount of rentals available to a single account; therefore, redeeming previous offers that are similar to this one may prevent anything here. The offer, though, does work with Android TV devices as well.
This offer must be redeemed by December 31. Happy birthday Chromecast!
Source: Google Chrome (Twitter)
Come comment on this article: Google celebrates Chromecast’s second birthday with a free movie rental
Get a free movie rental from Google to celebrate Chromecast’s second birthday
Want to escape the heat this weekend? If you’re looking for something to do indoors, Google has a small offer that may be worth your while. To celebrate the Chromecast’s 2nd birthday, Google is giving out one free movie rental to all owners of the media streaming device from now until December 31st, 2015.
To redeem your free movie rental, first you’ll need to make sure your Chromecast is set up and connected to your Wi-Fi network. Then, open up your Chrome browser on your computer, head over to this link, then click on the offer you’d like to redeem. Once you select your streaming device from the list, you can then head to the Google Play Store to claim your free rental.
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It should be noted that Google does have some restrictions in place for the number of free movie rentals you claim on your Google account. So, depending on how many offers you’ve already claimed, you might not be able to take advantage of this deal.
Don’t have a Chromecast? Right now, you can buy two Chromecasts from the Google Store and save $15 at checkout. This isn’t the cheapest we’ve ever seen the media streamer, but it’s a pretty nice deal, nonetheless.
NVIDIA Shield Portable now receiving Android 5.1 update, brings Chromecast support and more
NVIDIA has just begun rolling out the big Android 5.1 Lollipop update to its Shield Portable gaming system, which will not only bring along some new functionality, but will also remove a few apps and features that are no longer supported.
The big news here is that the Shield Portable finally has Chromecast support. Now you can easily cast games to your television via Chromecast or any other Google Cast-ready device in your home. With the addition of these new casting features, though, NVIDIA has decided to remove support for Miracast streaming. We’re not quite sure how many users actually use Miracast to stream their games from this device, but the company must have a good reason for removing support.
This update also permanently removes support for Sonic 4, Episode II, Expendable: Rearmed, as well as the stock Android Browser.
NVIDIA in Video
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For those interested, there are a few other minor improvements that come along with this update. Check out the full 5.1 changelog below:
- Android 5.1
- Upgrade to the latest Lollipop OS
- Fixes a bug that does not allow books to be read in the Google Play Books app
- Permanently removes Sonic 4, Episode II, Expendable: Rearmed, and Android Browser
- Adds support for Chromecast
- Enables SHIELD portable as a source device for Chromecast or any Google Cast Ready device connected to your TV
- Miracast is no longer supported
- Updates Twitch app with latest version
NVIDIA notes that this update is completely optional, but I’m not sure why anyone wouldn’t want the latest software version. I suppose if you’re a big fan of the default Android Browser you might want to stick with your current OS version. If not though, the update is live now, and comes in at a hefty 435MB.
Chromecast Ethernet adapter back in stock in the Google Store
Google’s Ethernet Adapter for the Chromecast is back in stock in the Google Store. Google released the adapter last week, however, it was met with a good amount of popularity and quickly ran out of stock.
Wireless networks have made leaps and bounds in technology, but they’re not always the most reliable of solutions. They can easily get hung up or even disconnect, and many factors contribute to that–your ISP, how much data is being pulled down or uploaded, and etc.
Fortunately, the Ethernet Adapter for the Chromecast is a guaranteed solution to keep your Chromecast connected to your network. It eliminates all of the issues of wireless connections, giving you a stable connection to your home network. However, keep in mind that it isn’t a fail-safe against ISP issues.
If you’re interested in picking up an Ethernet Adapter for the Chromecast, hit the source link below.
source: Google Store
via: Android Police
Come comment on this article: Chromecast Ethernet adapter back in stock in the Google Store
Plex gets updated with new features, bug fixes, and Material Design makeover
Plex for Android has received a major update today, bringing with it the Material Design makeover and a handful of new features. Plex is one of many Android apps to see the move to Material Design as of late.
Here’s the full change log of features from Plex’s forums:
- [Android TV] Add the ability to filter and sort items within a library section
- Update quality selection to allow selection of “Original” quality, as well as only showing valid qualities during video playback.
- Detect and warn about buffer underflows during video playback.
- Improve playback of MP4s when using the Experimental Player.
- Add the ability to select a specific version of a video, if multiple different quality versions are available.
- Add support for multi-part video playback.
- [Chromecast] Add ability to change quality and audio/subtitle during playback.
- [Android TV] Enable support for searching channels.
In addition to features, Plex has knocked out a handful of bugs and performance issues plaguing the app. There’s been a lot of fixes to Android TV issues, along with some issues resolved where the app would crash during certain actions. Users experiencing these bugs should see a noticeable difference. You can check out the full change log of features and bugs here.
Plex migrated to a single app and updated its music platform to be your “go to” music player earlier this year.
If you haven’t received the update yet, scan the QR code or hit the download link below. Alternatively, you can grab the APK straight from Plex here.
Come comment on this article: Plex gets updated with new features, bug fixes, and Material Design makeover
Plex gets updated with new features, bug fixes, and Material Design makeover
Plex for Android has received a major update today, bringing with it the Material Design makeover and a handful of new features. Plex is one of many Android apps to see the move to Material Design as of late.
Here’s the full change log of features from Plex’s forums:
- [Android TV] Add the ability to filter and sort items within a library section
- Update quality selection to allow selection of “Original” quality, as well as only showing valid qualities during video playback.
- Detect and warn about buffer underflows during video playback.
- Improve playback of MP4s when using the Experimental Player.
- Add the ability to select a specific version of a video, if multiple different quality versions are available.
- Add support for multi-part video playback.
- [Chromecast] Add ability to change quality and audio/subtitle during playback.
- [Android TV] Enable support for searching channels.
In addition to features, Plex has knocked out a handful of bugs and performance issues plaguing the app. There’s been a lot of fixes to Android TV issues, along with some issues resolved where the app would crash during certain actions. Users experiencing these bugs should see a noticeable difference. You can check out the full change log of features and bugs here.
Plex migrated to a single app and updated its music platform to be your “go to” music player earlier this year.
If you haven’t received the update yet, scan the QR code or hit the download link below. Alternatively, you can grab the APK straight from Plex here.
Come comment on this article: Plex gets updated with new features, bug fixes, and Material Design makeover
HBO NOW, the standalone service, is now available for Android with a 30 day free trial
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The cord cutting community has been begging networks like HBO, Starz and Showtime to bring standalone apps to consumers for a monthly fee. While they all offered an app to watch and buy movies/shows, you still were forced to have a supporting subscription through a traditional cable or satellite provider. HBO broke that mold not that long ago, but limited the run to Apple devices. Now the associated stand alone app is finally live on the Play Store.
The app is free to install, but will require you to sign-up for monthly charges based on the installation time. Signing up today gives you 30 days to check out the app and the service with a scheduled payment through Google of $14.99 per month. In this case, signing up today makes your first payment due on August 15th.
Amazon accompanied the announcement of HBO NOW for Android with inclusion that it is available for their Fire tablet line and it will be making its way to Fire TV and the Fire TV Stick soon. I gave it an install to check it out as the wife loves a lot of what HBO offers and we have been cable free for 8 years. The app seems to work well and looks pretty solid. Navigation isn’t all that difficult, but you can certainly expect to watch it on the device unless you want to cast the screen to your Chromecast as I see no support for Chromecast. Which still worked, but was a bit glitchy on from the Galaxy S6, might be better on a lower screen quality device. HBO’s announcement video does state that Chromecast support is coming soon though. I have a feeling that will be a big hit when it drops.
Hit the Play Store to grab the app and sign-in if you already have a HBO NOW account. If not, start one up, you do get 30 days to see if you want to keep it before you see a charge.
Download: HBO NOW on the Play Store
Press release:
HBO NOW Available on Fire Tablets, Coming Soon to Amazon Fire TV
Start watching HBO favorites on the latest generation Fire devices—all you need is the internet
Amazon customers new to HBO NOW get 30-day introductory free trial
SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jul. 16, 2015– (NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon today announced that HBO NOW is available on Fire tablets, and will be available on Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick in the coming weeks. HBO NOW is HBO’s internet only streaming service, providing audiences with instant access to all of HBO—addictive series, unforgettable movies, thought-provoking documentaries, thrilling sports programs and entertaining comedy and music specials for just $14.99 a month.
“If there’s one thing Fire TV and Fire tablet customers are telling us, it’s that they love to watch their favorite movies and TV shows. This is why the team is doubling down on adding great new movies and TV shows for Fire TV and Fire tablet customers—in less than five months we’ve added over 700 new channels, apps, and games to Amazon Fire TV, and over 300,000 apps are now available on Fire tablets,” said Steve Rabuchin, Vice President, Amazon Appstore. “HBO has produced some of the most groundbreaking and award-winning TV shows and movies, and we are excited to introduce HBO Now on Fire tablets and soon on Fire TV.”
“Amazon has cultivated an incredibly vast and savvy base of customers that we’re excited to provide with unlimited access to all of HBO through HBO NOW,” said Bernadette Aulestia, Executive Vice President, Global Distribution Operations, HBO. “The addition of Amazon devices is another great stride in the distribution of HBO NOW and affirmation of our long standing partnership with Amazon.”
Starting today, customers can enjoy HBO NOW on the latest generation of Amazon’s Fire tablets. The $99 Fire HD 6 and the $139 Fire HD 7 deliver a world-class entertainment experience—in a compact, pocketable design—with a high-definition display, ultrafast quad-core processor and Dolby Digital Plus Audio. Fire HDX 8.9 combines a 339 ppi HDX display with a powerful quad-core 2.5 GHz processor and the latest Dolby Audio—all in a startlingly light design, giving customers the ability to enjoy TV programming, movies and much more wherever they go. Learn more about Fire HD at http://www.amazon.com/fire-hd and Fire HDX 8.9 at http://www.amazon.com/hdx.
In the coming weeks, HBO NOW will also be available on Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, joining the increasing number of developers building for the platform. Selection for Amazon Fire TV has increased by over 700 channels, apps, and games since February, and nearly 2,000 titles are now available, with HBO NOW coming soon. Amazon Fire TV is a tiny box with voice search built right into the remote, and a quad-core processor for seamless streaming; Fire TV Stick is a small streaming media stick that brings an incredible amount of power and content at a great value—it’s just $39. Learn more about Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick at http://www.amazon.com/FireTV and http://www.amazon.com/firetvstick.
About Amazon
Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire phone, Fire tablets, Fire TV, and Amazon Echo are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150716005433/en/
Source: Amazon
The post HBO NOW, the standalone service, is now available for Android with a 30 day free trial appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
HBO Now comes to Android and Fire OS devices, coming soon to Chromecast and Fire TV
Back in May at Google I/O 2015, Google announced that the popular HBO Now television streaming service would make its way to Android sometime in the near future. That day has finally come, and the app is now available for download on Android phones and tablets, as well as Amazon Fire devices. Support for Chromecast, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick is coming soon, according to HBO.
The application has yet to hit the Google Play Store, but you can head to the Amazon Appstore to download it if you’d like. New customers who download the app will receive a 30-day free trial of the service. If you decide to stick with it after your 30 days are up, HBO Now will cost $14.99 per month.
HBO Now is a great way to experience Game of Thrones, Silicon Valley, Veep, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and all of your other favorite shows and movies without the need to subscribe to a cable provider. Oh, and if you don’t have an Android device lying around, you can also access the service from your computer. Pretty nifty!
If you’re interested in downloading the app, check out the Amazon Appstore link below. We’ll let you know once it makes its way to the Play Store.
HBO Now hits Android devices, coming soon to Chromecast and Fire TV
After HBO Now was announced for Apple devices earlier this year, the network promised to bring it to the Android faithful this summer. Well, the time has come. If you own an Android phone or tablet, you can now access the standalone TV streaming option for $15 a month. You’ll still have to wait to employ a Chromecast, Fire TV or Fire TV Stick to do your watching, though, but the service is said to arrive on those gadgets soon enough. Apple’s 90-day exclusive window has ended, which allows folks who prefer Google’s operating system a chance to give HBO Now a shot three months after its debut. And it doesn’t require a cable subscription like HBO Go. If you decide to take the leap, you’ll get access to shows like Game of Thrones, Silicon Valley and True Detective in addition to a library of older series (The Sopranos, etc.) and movies. However, if you choose to wait until you can stream it to your set-top box or dongle, we can’t blame you.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, Software, HD
Source: Amazon, HBO (YouTube)
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