It’s a little on the nose, but there are times when Google is the most binary company on the face of the planet. To wit: Google’s branding is either brilliant (see Gmail), or boneheaded (see every messaging permutation ever).
The latest rebranding that doesn’t really matter? Chromecast. Erm, Cast. Actually, Chromecast built-in.
Here’s the deal: Chromecast is the long-standing product that makes it super easy to send content — usually video, but not always — from your phone to a TV. It uses a protocol to do that, which basically means the software that makes that little bit of magic work.
Chromecast was (and still is) the hardware. Cast was the protocol.
Where things got a little messy was when it comes to other devices that you can send media to. Targets, if you will. We’re talking other screens — and speakers, for audio — to which you can hand off video and music or podcasts or whatever. That could be a Nest speaker. That could be a Nest Hub, which is a screen with a speaker. That could also be a Google TV television, which is, uh, also a screen with a speaker. It might not be a Chromecast, but it uses the Cast protocol. Take, for instance, the new Onn 4K Pro, which basically is a newer, better Chromecast.
But at some point, Google decided to highlight that these other devices didn’t just have Chromecast built in, they had “Chromecast built-in.” As in, that’s the name of the feature, and not just a description. And Google recently decided not to do that anymore, and that things are back to just “Cast.”
Welcome to a tech journalist’s nightmare.
The good news is that this sort of nonsense only matters to someone trying to crank out news posts (that’s us), or someone whose job it is to make sure there’s some sort of slight distinction in branding. (That’s Google.)
But to the end users out there — the folks actually spending the money and using the things? This change shouldn’t matter at all. What’s important is finding the Chromecast — erm, Cast — icon, and then a supported target. What Google calls it and whether it’s a built-in service or an external device shouldn’t matter at all.
So there’s one fewer thing for you to have to worry about.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
Technology evolves every day, transforming how we live and work. Our devices are becoming more than tools we use. They are increasingly capable companions that help streamline day-to-day routines and spark creative ideas. If you have been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your tech setup, the Discover Samsung Shopping Event offers an opportunity to explore what connected, AI-powered living can look like.