It seems Google has this really interesting business model going right now, wherein they try to stay all cutting-edge and popular and relevant and on top of the competition and shit by, you know, constantly rolling out innovative things (or, at least, 9 times out of 10). Last year, they made streaming media players work slightly better with the introduction of Chromecast, a “thumb-sized media streaming device that plugs into the HDMI port on your TV” allowing users to “simply use an Android phone, tablet, iPhone®, iPad®, Mac or Windows laptop, or Chromebook to cast your favorite entertainment and apps right to the big screen.” Fuck, I wanted that for Christmas. Didn’t get it. I got socks. And a Billy Joel biography. You can’t even stream those things, MOM.. Grrr. Anyway!
So this week, the company took to — what else? — its own blogging platform, Blogger, to unleash the sheer techno-savvy brilliance of Google Cast for audio. The title… needs a little work, granted. But just what is Google Cast for audio? Well, for starters, it’s neither socks nor a Billy Joel book. It’s… this THING… “which embeds the same technology behind Chromecast into speakers, sound bars, and A/V receivers.” Just like with Chromecast, all users have to do is “tap the cast button in your favorite music or radio app on Android, iOS, or the web, and select a Google Cast Ready speaker to get the party started.”
Awesome. Wait. So, but just WHAT is a “Google Cast Ready speaker” then? Shit that’s easy. Take it away, block quotes:
Google Cast Ready speakers pull content directly from the cloud, so you’ll get the best audio quality and can freely multi-task on your phone, tablet, or laptop, all without straining the battery. These speakers will work with a growing list of apps including Deezer, Google Play Music, iHeartRadio, NPR One, Pandora, Rdio, TuneIn, and many more […] The first Google Cast Ready speakers will first be available in the US this spring from lead brands Sony, LG, and HEOS by Denon with more brands coming later in 2015 with the support of chip makers Broadcom, Marvell, MediaTek and system integrator Libre Wireless. These products will join a growing Google Cast ecosystem, which includes more Android TVs, game consoles and set-top boxes.
Any MORE questions, dude? I mean, if so, no worries. I’ve still got a hip, Google-owned YouTube video to show you too.
• Google Cast for audio: http://www.google.com/cast/audio
