“Somebody’s happy with her new toy #Chromecast”
AND so were we greeted when we checked our Instagram account recently, the post belonging to
@soulwarden, also known as Gianna Maniego, one of the marvelous people we follow in the social-media landscape, and also former newspaper editor, budding entrepreneur and a cherished contributing writer in this part of the paper.
As a gadget junkie, we were instantly jealous of her new toy, which belongs to a line of devices developed by Google that allows audio/video content to be played on a high-definition television or home audio system from one’s smartphone, tablet or laptop via a Wi-Fi connection. This process has been dubbed “casting” (obviously from “broadcasting”), and the tech giant unveiled the first Chromecast device in 2013—a dongle that was attached to the HDMI port of a TV for the joys of casting to quickly commence. This simplification of streaming technology easily won widespread acclaim from the global tech media.
Since its unveiling, Google’s Chromecast device has found its way into homes around these parts, with consumers buying the device either during a trip to Hong Kong or the US, or in the robust gray market in Greenhills. Now, if you have been itching to get your mitts on this streaming wonder but are iffy about the obvious risk in going gray, as we have been, you will be pleased to know that Globe Telecom, the country’s top mobile brand and a purveyor of the Filipino digital lifestyle, is bringing Chromecast to the Philippines to offer Filipinos a new way to stream their favorite entertainment content at home.
With Globe making Chromecast available to subscribers, customers can now cast their smartphone, tablet, or laptop to a bigger screen for a better and more inclusive viewing experience. The device can also be used to set up a party at home with the TV set as instant DJ or VJ, enjoy family game-time with smartphones as controllers, watch shows that only selected users can hear, and view Chromecast-ready apps. Chromecast is compatible with Android devices, tablets, iPhones, iPads, Apple or Windows laptops or Chromebooks, allowing users to cast their favorite entertainment and apps to the big screen. To use Chromecast, customers can plug-in the device to an HDMI TV and a power source, download the app on a smartphone device, tablet, or laptop; authenticate the code, and click the cast icon on their apps to view content on TV.
Filipinos can enjoy the following apps which are Chromecast-ready:
- TV and movies: HOOQ, CrunchyRoll, Stream2Cast, AllCast, Flixster, Dailymotion, Viki, SkyOnline and more.
- Games: “Just Dance Now,” “Monopoly Dash,” “Wheel of Fortune,” “Rube,” “Catch Phrase Blitz,” “FitFlap,” “Scrabble Blitz,” “Alien Invaders,” “Big Web Quiz” and more.
- Sports: NBA App, MLB, Red Bull TV and more.
- Photos and videos: YouTube, Chrome, Piccastr, BubbleUPnP, Pixlr, Lyve, Avia, Picture Cast, DayFrame and more.
“We are excited to be working closely with Google to bring Chromecast to Filipinos who are huge fans of everything entertainment: from movies, TV shows, games, sports, to photos and videos. With Chromecast, our customers get instant access to quality entertainment experience at home as they get to see their favorite content and apps from the small screen to the big screen. Offering Chromecast supports our commitment to enable the Filipino digital lifestyle further as we provide our customers a platform to enjoy entertainment at the comfort of one’s home,” says Dan Horan, senior advisor for Consumer Business at Globe.
The telco’s global content partners are also Chromecast-ready, allowing customers to enjoy thousands of movies and TV series on HOOQ, watch live and on-demand NBA games via the NBA League Pass, and stream music and video content on YouTube.
Soon, Globe customers can get the Chromecast for free starting at Globe Home Broadband Plan 1299 with free access to HOOQ as well as across all Home Broadband Plans with free access to HOOQ and Spotify or the NBA League Pass.
Meanwhile, Platinum Home Broadband customers can avail themselves of the Chromecast for free starting at Plan 3749 to Plan 9999 with free access to HOOQ, Spotify and the NBA League Pass.
Globe’s latest partnership with Google was the big reveal at the “Wonderful World of Globe: The New Connected Life”, the seventh iteration of what has become an annual event for the mobile lifestyle purveyor. The event was held in late September at the SMX Convention Center in SM Aura Premier.
Of course the partnership with Google was not the only thing the telco giant talked-up; its other new service offerings enjoyed their moment in the spotlight as well. These include:
Shopify, an end-to-end e-commerce solution that should appeal to budding entrepreneurs like our Gianna Maniego; Seats, a restaurant booking service; and, more interestingly, KonsultaMD, a 24/7 medical “service” manned by skilled and licensed Filipino doctors whom, for a minimal fee of P15 weekly, you can call to consult with a medical/health concern (there is a P1-per-minute charge for the call—and we don’t want to hear any harrumphing about the charge, please, when just about everyone splurges on those fattening frappuccinos several times in a day); and GOcery, which brings online shopping beyond the realm of clothing and gadgets and furniture to include everything you typically find in a grocery or a supermarket. (Currently, the GOcery service is limited to residents in Bonifacio Global City, but assurances were given at the Globe event that other areas in the metropolis will be serviced soon enough.)
(With additional reporting by Gerard Ramos)