Get it Fast: Chromecast

Apparently some people were getting sassy with me about writing about Apple. Sigh, I guess some of my friends just don’t realize who the real me is. For those who don’t know, I used to be a HUGE fan of Google. And by used to be, I mean, I still am. Obsessions don’t really die, they just fade a little… even the word fan was an understatement. I had ambitions, hopes, and dreams attached to Google. I bugged my dad for years for a Motorola Droid before it had even come out. Back in high school, I baked a cake for Google’s birthday and took it into my class to celebrate the grand occasion. I had this infatuation with always needing the newest Google product and using it before other people had even heard about it. (Ever heard of Google Health? Yeah. I know. I have; I used it.) Slowly over the years though, I learned to mask my passion for Google. I got a MacBook (wanted a Chromebook), and a few years later, I got an iPhone (sorry, Droid 2. Your battery just didn’t make the cut.).

That, however, did not stop me from buying Google Chromecast when I first heard about this year. First things first, the cost. Chromecast is only $35. That’s a perfectly appropriate amount to pay for watching TV shows actually on my TV screen. (Keep in mind, I just graduated from college. I didn’t have the luxury of a TV there. I totally would just Netflix and Hulu all my shows and watch them from the comfort of my twin-sized dorm bed.) However, as of August, I am a working woman, and I needed to up my standard of living. So now I watch my Netflix and Hulu shows from my futon on my TV from my Chromecast.

I’m pretty sure the next best thing about Chromecast is how amazingly simple it is to set it up. Three steps: (1) plug it in, (2) download the extension/app on your laptop or phone, (3) time to watch! As long as your device (laptop, phone, etc.) and the Chromecast fob are both connected to the same WiFi network, you’re good! I was going to watch one episode of Parks and Rec after setting up Chromecast, but it got set up so quickly, I had time to watch two episodes! That’s double the love for Ron Swanson and Leslie Knope!

Even though you need individual subscriptions to different services to watch using Chromecast, the good thing I’ve discovered is that I can also just click-and-drag any movie or video file into my Google Chrome tab, and next thing you know, it’s being beautifully broadcasted on my TV. It is LITERALLY. The best thing ever. (Bonus points if you recognize that reference.) You also don’t need to worry about whether or not Chromecast supports that service. Yeah, there are the popular options like Netflix and Hulu, but pretty much anything you can see on your laptop screen in a Chrome browser, you can cast it over to your TV. Seriously though, I very rarely spend 100% of my attention to what I’m watching on the TV. I usually have my phone and laptop out anyways. I may as well use my phone or laptop as my remote control and control my TV that way.

The only downside I’ve discovered (which is not really applicable to me) is that you don’t get to watch shows live. Or, for people who are big sports watchers, watch sports live. So, that’s a definite downside. (Unless you stream the game from your Chrome browser and watch it on your TV?) However, in that sense, it’s not really meant to be a replacement for cable TV, more so just an alternative to something like Apple TV ($99) or Roku ($49)…..not that I’m trying to prove something by giving the prices…coughChromecast is coolercough.

At the end of the day though, Chromecast seems to be the cheaper, convenient, and super cool option. I definitely enjoy it, and with $35 and this link, you could too 😉

iOS 7? More like, iOS Heaven

This summer I had a lottttt going on: relatives visiting, travelling to India, moving to a new place, starting a new job…and yet, one of the highlights was downloading the beta version of iOS 7.

I’ll be honest, when I first got it, I loved it and hated it at the same time.  It was really cool, it was pretty new, but it was horribly laggy. Then again, it was a beta version. (Should have been an alpha version.) Nah, it was ok. Especially after the first update, when it was actually fast enough for me to use!

Anyways, so the very first thing that I noticed and that impressed me was the lock screen. It was beautiful. It was flat. It was very….dare I say it, Windows 8.  And, I totally liked the fuzzy-but-still-can-see-the-background thing! As for the flat theme, that extended beyond just the unlocking.  All the stock apps suddenly had new icons.  It was a change, but it was a pleasant one.  I definitely liked the feel of it.

Control Center

The Control Center is wayyyy cool. Absolutely. Totally. Mind-blowing.  So the way to access it is to swipe up from the bottom.  In the beginning, I kept accidentally opening it, but once I got over that little hiccup, it was SO CUTE.  Pretty much, it’s a swipey menu that has a lot of the little settings & apps that people use often.  The five buttons on the top just turn on/off things: Airplane Mode, WiFi, Bluetooth, Do Not Disturb (which seriously, who actually uses that? Does it even work??), and Portrait Orientation Screen Lock.  I think they did a pretty good job of picking which five things to button-ify.  Then, there’s a slider for screen brightness (as there should be). You have music control, which is nice. Andddd the four buttons at the bottom that open apps: Flashlight, Timer, Calculator, and Camera.  Those are nice….although I do wish they were customizable though.  I would have switched Timer to the Alarm Clock. Regardless, those are nicer since you can access the Control Center without unlocking the phone….so quick-draw flashlight? pretty sweet.

Photos

So, another thing that changed was Photos!  Essentially, photos were no longer photos; they were now moments.  All the moments are organized by time, separated by location, and grouped into Collections. Nice concept. I like it.  Actually, for me, that definitely helped me find pictures.  I think, before I think about when a photo was taken (or should I say moment), I remember where it was taken.

Another great thing about the new Photos is the awesome levels of zoom.  There’s the single picture level and the standard level (which was the only one in iOS 6).  But the new one is AWESOME. Seriously. You can zoom out to see pictures separated by location (the Collections), and then zoom once more and you get the Years view. Sweeet.

iTunes Radio

I believe iTunes Radio is yet another new feature.  I haven’t really used it much, but if you have constant access to WiFi? Why not?!….Top 40 Pop songs allllll the time! 😀

[Actually I listened to the Bollywood radio more.  And they had pretty good songs! New songs, which I was surprised about and pretty impressed by.]

They still need to figure something out about a Play Next feature for general music though. I thought Apple would have learned by now 😦

Other Stuff I’ve Noticed

• The camera view has a Square option now…seems like people want to take Instagram-like pictures without Instagram? omg. yay.

• OhMyGod. I seriously almost forgot one of the biggest additions to iOS 7.  And since it’s actually important, I’m going to go back up and add it as the first subsection.
• Alright guys, done with the Control Center section. I’m back down here.
• Oh! And FINALLY. Apple added timestamps to all the texts in Message. Only took them about forever to add that. But, now if you swipe left on messages, it’ll display what time it was sent/received.
• The Notification Center is a little different.  They added tabs: Today, All, Missed.  I don’t think I ever use Missed, I just see everything in All.  Regardless, I guess it’s nice to have.  Today has weather and the calendar! So that’s nice of it. Pretty much the two things I need to help me decide what to wear in the morning.

I would say that’s pretty much it….I like it a lot 🙂 Took a bit getting used to, but I like the way they’re thinking! So, good work, Apple! Can’t wait to see what you’ll do next!