If you thought streaming from your Windows computer to your Chromecast was difficult, well now it's surprisingly easy thanks to a free extension for Googles Chromecast web browser, called VideoStream.
VideoStream is very easy to install, simply click the link above, or search the Google Chrome store for VideoStream and click the install button. Wait a minute while it installs and it will, from now on, show up in Chromes Apps tab.
When you want to play a video or music file, just click its icon and you'll see it open on screen with a big button that says "select a movie to play". Click that and browse for the video or music file you want to play, it's that easy.
You'll get a request from the official Google Chromecast extension, it will ask where you want to stream to, just choose the name of the Chromecast you want to stream to, and VideoStream will stream there.
You can control the video or audio volume and its playback position as you can with most media players, and it handles a large number of formats.
In testing VideoStream has played 720p side by side MKV format 3D video with DTS audio, 1080p MKV format video with AC3 audio, mp3 music as well as AVI format video with AC3 audio, all flawlessly with no stuttering or playback issues.
The first time I tried playing a high definition video it stuttered slightly, I went to the VideoStream extensions settings tab where it says "is your video stuttering" and clicked yes. It paused the video, the tv screen went black, and then it restarted with no apparent quality loss but playing very smoothly.
A recommended utility for any one who wants to use their laptop or pc to send content to their Chromecast. But don't forget, it will not play pictures such as a jpeg, it is for video and audio playback only.
Google released the SDK for Chromecast a few days ago, and while that means any app can be made to support Chromecast one new app has already taken advantage of the release, that app is.....Allcast.
To be fair it did support Chromecast before now but Google decided to stop most chromecast compatible apps being, well, compatible and so support had to be re added when Google decided to allow them to stream to their cheap but cheerful dongle.
Allcast will stream a variety of audio, video and image files but be aware that it won't play formats Chromecast cannot support.
The app is simplicity itself, see a file, press it to play it on any available device (Chromecast, dlna tv, compatible games console, etcetera). It really is that easy.
The ad free, full version is the one you will need in order to play files from your Android phone or tablet and costs £3.99, be aware that for Chromecast support you will need to have version 4.2 of Googles Play Services installed.
Many people haven't got that yet as it is still in the process of being released but if you can't wait you can grab the new Play Services courtesy of Android Police.
Googles Chromecast is finally on its way to becoming the all singing all dancing, or should that be all streaming, gadget we all wanted it to be when we first bought it.
Back in July of last year Google released a hdmi dongle that promised to make your tv a smart tv, well sort of. It would stream music, videos and pictures from your phone tablet or laptop to your tv and all for less than it would cost you to buy a new game for your games console of choice.
Things didn't quite work out like that, certain formats aren't officially supported, the device is heavily locked down so only select developers can currently write apps that use it, and there aren't exactly a plethora of Chromecast compatible apps available.
You can buy the dongle in the UK through third party sellers, Amazon sometimes sell them and there are plenty on Ebay, but if you can get one for the price Amazon were selling them at (£35) before they stopped importing them, is it worth while if you're in the UK, for a product released for the US market?
What's available for the UK user of Chromecast? Well there's YouTube, NetFlix, Plex, Google Play Music and a few others but these are the main four.
Between them you can stream online videos and music, and also videos and music from your pc. Of the available apps all are self explanatory but Plex is the one that offers more of what you might expect from Chromecast, offering as it does the ability to stream locally stored content as well as online content.
To get the most of it you need a Plex Pass (around £2.43 a month) although Plex plan to abolish this charge in the near future.
If you have this you can download the free version of the Plex app for Android (or the iOS version for £2.99, although the iOS version also needs a Plex subscription) - be aware that if you have no subscription you can't use Plex with Chromecast, and that if you're an Android user who does have a subscription you don't also need to buy the paid for Plex app, only the free version.
You need to go to the Plex website and create an account, then purchase a Plex Pass subscription.
Download and install the media server (free) onto your pc and mess with any settings you want, such as video quality etcetera and set up your library (all very straightforward).
As long as your pc is switched on you can then use your phone or tablet to stream files from it to your Chromecast dongle and it does so very well, even managing to stream 1080p High definition 3D videos (in side by side format) flawlessly.
Anything Chromecast doesn't support is transcoded into a format it does, by your computer, so you can enjoy all your content exactly as you want and it works very well.
You can stream any local or internet content from a pc using the Chrome browser by installing the Chromecast browser extension, free from the Chrome app store, and simply clicking the cast icon it puts at the top right hand side of the Chrome browser.
You can also press Ctrl and O together to open a file and if Chrome can play the file this will enable you to stream it to the Chromecast by pressing the same cast button.
While streaming via Plex is flawless using the cast button to stream local content, or even online content such as that from iPlayer, is not. For some it works but for others it doesn't, it's that simple.
If you want to watch online movies or tv from NetFlix, Google Play Movies or YouTube then Chromecast is perfect for sending them to any hdmi enabled tv, if you want to watch downloaded content from your pc then use the Plex app and you're good to go, if you want to stream music then again Google Play Music or Plex will do the job nicely, if you want to stream pictures it's Plex or the chrome browser you need.
The dongle itself is extremely simple to set up and use, and although it is not an officially supported product in the UK the talk about early adopters here not being able to use BBC iPlayer when it is updated with Chromecast support is nothing to worry about.
Why?
iPlayer is region locked, to the UK, it checks for your location and is unlikely to check the version of your Chromecasts firmware, if it did then US users could simply buy a UK version of the dongle and access UK content.
When supported iPlayer will, as it does now, check to see whether your ip address is in the United Kingdom and, if it is, then it will let you stream BBC content to your tv via the dongle.
Back to the dongle and it can stay on indefinitely, it will get warm but never dangerously so. You can plug it into your tv's usb socket (if it has one) to provide power, or use the supplied power adaptor, both options work well and it really depends on personal choice.
As it stands you can stream mainly online content, specifically YouTube, for free. For a small fee you can stream a lot more using Plex, or for no extra charge you can use a pc and the Chrome web browser to stream pretty much any format of picture video or music that it supports - but be aware that streaming via the browsers cast extension is not as smooth an experience as doing so via an app or program such as Plex.
If you already have a Chromecast check out new apps for it here.
If you don't have it yet, well it's actually worth looking at if you don't already have a smart tv with YouTube, NetFlix, etcetera already installed.
When Motorola announced back in October that it was developing a modular phone people stopped, got excited, and then shrugged the idea off as something that was too impractical to ever become a reality.
Project Ara designs
Now however Motorola have announced they have a manufacturer for the parts and are preparing their first prototype, with signs pointing to an actual retail release next year. And it seems more companies are jumping on the modular bandwagon with images of a modular phone design called Magic Cube briefly appearing on the official Weibo page of the Xiaomi's founder, and CEO, Lei Jun, strongly suggesting his company is itself looking into modular phones.
Ok, you may be wondering, but what is a modular phone and why would I want one?
It's actually a rather simple idea - you buy a phone as normal but, when you want to upgrade it, you just swap out the bits you want to replace, for new bits.
Say you want a new 16 megapixel camera and a higher resolution screen, well you simply unplug the current camera and screen - and plug in new ones, it's that simple.
Many of us upgrade our phones for just one or two reasons, not because we don't like our current phones but because we want say that better camera, or more storage space, with Motorolas design the swappable components (modules) simply slide into place and can be removed just as easily, making upgrading your phone as easy as replacing the batteries in a remote control.
It's a simple concept but one that has never been practical, until now. If Motorola can pull this off, and they certainly have the smarts and financial backing to do so, the future of mobile phones could be modular - and upgrading your phone will become easier and a lot more affordable.
Fans of the blocky goodness that is Minecraft could have an extra special Christmas this year - if they own a Playstation 3, 4 or Vita.
Microsofts exclusive deal to keep Minecraft on their Xbox 360 console expired recently and now software developer Mojang is bringing the worldwide hit to Sonys console range beginning December 17th in America (December 18th in Europe) with Minecraft PS3 edition, followed in 2014 with PS4 and PS Vita editions.
Games for all three consoles will be the same as on the 360 and will continue to have the same features although the PS4 and Xbox one versions will of course have additional features more in line with the PC edition.
While there is no word yet on pricing the PS3 edition is likely to be the same price as the Xbox 360 version, around £14.
The BBC launch five new high definition tv channels today, placeholder broadcasts are already in place and in a matter of hours the UK will be able to see all their favourite BBC channels in HD. Available on Freeview, YouView, Sky, FreeSat and Virgin Media from December 10th the new additions arrive just in time for all the good, and bad, festive BBC offerings such as the one off Open All Hours special starring David Jason, the Doctor Who Christmas special and the love it or loathe it Strictly Come Dancing. Sky users who already subscribe to the HD package should find their Sky boxes automatically replace the current channels with their new high def replacements, as has happened with many existing channels, if not then simply add the channels to your favourites list. The channel details for all viewing platforms can be found below.... BBC Three HD is available on Freeview HD / YouView channel 105, Freesat HD channel 147, Sky HD channels 115 or 210 (depending on your tv package) and Virgin Media channel 163.
BBC Four HD will be available on Freeview HD / YouView channel 106, Freesat HD channel 148, Sky HD channels 116 or 211 (depending on your tv package)and Virgin Media channel 164.
BBC News HD will be available on Freeview HD / YouView channel 107, Freesat HD channel 148, Sky HD channel 570 and Virgin Media channel 604.
CBBC HD will be available on Freeview HD / YouView channel 73, Freesat HD channel 607, Sky HD channels 613 or 633 (depending on your tv package)and Virgin Media channel 710.
CBeebies HD will be available on Freeview HD / YouView channel 74, Freesat HD channel 608, Sky HD channels 614 or 624 (depending on your tv package)and Virgin Media channel 711.
Android may be the worlds most popular operating system for phones and tablets but if you have problems seeing what's on the screen you can't really take advantage of it, so what can you do if you can't see very well?
We don't often consider the problems disabled users face when using our favourite gadgets and gizmos so, to help those who do have sight problems or other impairments, let's look at an answer to that question, starting with TalkBack.
TalkBack is a big part of Android, and one that helps a lot with accessibility.
Included in the settings menu of almost all Android devices, and available from the Play Store for those few that don't have it installed, TalkBack literally talks back to you - it describes everything on the screen, and helps you use your phone or tablet to its full potential.
How?
Slide your finger across your home or app screens and Talkback will tell you the name of everything your finger passes over, from buttons to app icons and literally everything in between - so even if you can't see it you can know what's on screen and you can interact with it.
It will describe anything under your fingers, for instance if you touch a button it will tell you what that button does, if you come across some text it will read that text to you, you can have notifications read to you, when you receive a text or phone call TalkBack will tell you who it's from.
For users with missing digits, or limbs, who perhaps find it hard to type there is another way of interacting with your Android - Googles free (as all Google apps are) Gesture Search.
This allows you to draw on screen, one letter at a time, and will add those letters together and then search for things on your phone or tablet that match.
Let's say you have fingers missing and you want to open the YouTube app.
Instead of having to struggle opening your app drawer and scrolling through it you can use your fist, elbow, even a toe foot or heel to scrawl the letter Y on screen - you can take up the whole screen with the one letter.
You'll see things with Y at the start of their name pop up, contacts whose name begins with Y for example, scrawl an O and only things starting with YO will be shown....soon you'll see YouTube and can just press on it to open the YouTube app.
The same thing works for contacts, start drawing a large letter on screen and names of people you know that start with that letter will appear, press on the persons name to contact them.
Then there are apps that, while not free, are extremely useful yet cost very little such as Virginia.
Virginia costs £2.84 and is a simple easy to use app designed to help those who can't speak, or who can't communicate well, to talk. It turns your device into a communicator, like the sort that typically cost a lot more than a cup of coffee to buy.
It shows on screen a simple set of large tiles, each tile has a picture of an action (for example the icon for "my back itches" is a picture of a persons back being scratched) and the text of what pressing the tile will make your Android say.
With Virginia you can say hundreds of different words and phrases from a simple "yes" "no" or "thank you" to more detailed phrases such as "I would like to have some pasta" or "I have a pain in my right ear".
AAC is the same format, it uses tiles on screen, but rather than press one tile to get a quick preset word or phrase spoken you can press several tiles and then have them spoken aloud when you are ready, allowing for more unique and very highly detailed communication.
It is a very good app, and can produce more complex speech than Virginia while remaining easy to use, but be aware it is not quite as polished looking, however it is free and it is a very useful app for those who need help communicating.
Getting manufacturer specific now, Samsungs recent phones and tablets, such as the Galaxy series, have additional features that help. By default you can answer phone calls with your voice, if your phone rings simply say "answer" and the call will be put on speakerphone for you.
In the accessibility settings for Samsung devices you will find other options (a lot of manufacturers offer similar features so don't be afraid to dig around your settings if you're not using a Samsung device), you can have passwords spoken out to you as you enter them, useful if you can't see the characters on screen or if you can't read very well.
You can change font size, adjust your Androids colour, change the audio balance, zoom in and out of any screen to make what's displayed larger when needed and there is a setting called "improve accessibility" that makes additional changes specifically for users with reduce dexterity.
Back to free apps and there is one app that, if you have decent battery life, could be a big help, Utter.
Utter is a voice assistant that can be used with or without an internet connection. You can either press a button and then speak your command or (this is the bit that needs good battery life) have it always listening for your command so that you can wake it up and have it obey your commands at any time with no physical interaction needed.
With Utter you can send a text, make phone calls, update your facebook status, check the weather, open an app, play music or videos etcetera completely hands free.
And finally one more app, built into all recent Android phones and tablets, Google Now.
Google Now is a voice assistant that can do a lot of things for you. You can say "set an alarm for ... o'clock" and it will set an alarm for that time, you can ask it questions like "is it going to rain tomorrow?" or "how old is the American president?" or "what is a .....?" and it will answer them for you.
You can say "navigate to ...." and name a place to have Android give you directions to a particular place, "convert <currency, length, etcetera> to <currency, length, etcetera" to convert between units of measurement, for example "convert ten inches to feet".
Android has features that make disabled users lives a lot easier, as well as some useful apps (the majority of which are free) and hopefully this post will point those who need them in the right direction.
VideoStream is very easy to install, simply click the link above, or search the Google Chrome store for VideoStream and click the install button. Wait a minute while it installs and it will, from now on, show up in Chromes Apps tab.
