Cast away from home without busting out a password with Chromecast Guest Mode

By Ryan Waniata December 11, 2014

Sharing your favorite content over Google’s ever-evolving Chromecast streaming stick just became a little easier. First teased at Google I/O back in June, Chromecast Guest Mode went live today, allowing Androidians to hop on to a friend’s Chromecast and cast to their heart’s content, without signing in to the local Wi-Fi network.

Grabbing the new feature is as easy as opening the Chromecast app on your Android phone or tablet, selecting Guest Mode, and sliding it on. The device then creates a “special Wi-Fi beacon” that allows users to stream to the device safely by authenticating it using some Google magic that includes inaudible audio tones. Once done, any Android device in the room is ready to “cast” content from any Chromecast-supported app.

For now, iOS devices aren’t part of the Guest Mode party, though you can bet the feature will make it to Apple’s mobile elephant in the room sooner or later.

While Guest Mode may seem like a solution without a problem, it’s one more feature in a growing list of new apps that has helped Chromecast flower into one of the most user-friendly ways to stream video to your TV on the planet. And that’s a good thing, because the little-streamer-that-could is no longer the only game in town when it comes to small streaming devices that pack a powerful punch.

Since the Chromecast hit the streaming scene in July 2013, competition has arisen in the form of two new streaming sticks with similarly meager profiles and plenty of streaming chutzpa, the Roku Streaming Stick, and the new Fire Stick from Amazon. While each has its own special sauce that makes it an appealing alternative, including access to upwards of 1,700 apps from Roku’s device and console-style gaming from the Fire Stick, neither offers the unique mobile based casting that makes Chromecast so special.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Ryan Waniata is a multi-year veteran of the digital media industry, a lover of all things tech, audio, and TV, and a…

Audio / Video

New $129 Moto Buds+ tap Bose for boom and Dolby for head tracking

The Moto Buds in Forest Gray.

Three new phones under the Edge 50 branding weren't enough for Motorola this week. The venerable manufacturer also dropped a pair of earbuds to go along with the new Android fare.

The main contenders for North America will be the Moto Buds+, which are available now for $129 in the U.S., and $179 in Canada. They look as you'd expect wireless earbuds to look; that's worth mentioning because Moto had some wood-clad phones in its drop this week. They're sleek and stylish and apparently available here only in Forest Gray, though press images show other colors, too. (More's the pity -- those other colors look slick.)

Audio / Video

Walmart is having a clearance sale on Vizio TVs — From $148

People watching sports on the 50-inch Vizio V-Series 4K TV.

Walmart is frequently the home of some of the best TV deals around with the retailer being particularly great right now. It’s currently hosting a clearance sale on Vizio TVs with many models on sale ranging from HDTVs up to feature-rich 4K TVs. If you’re looking to buy a new TV, you need to check out this sale. Hit the button below to check it out for yourself or keep reading while we take you through some of our favorite highlights.

What to shop for in the Walmart Vizio TV sale
Vizio is one of the best TV brands for variety and this sale shows how varied it is. One TV that we instantly gravitate towards is the It usually costs $628 but it’s currently $100 off so it costs just $528. The instant highlight is the large screen but it’s packed with features too. It has Dolby Vision Bright Mode for more lifelike accuracy, color saturation, black detail, and brightness. There’s a full array backlight to ensure LEDs are evenly distributed across the backlight, while active pixel tuning provides intelligent pixel-level adjustments that tune the contrast levels frame by frame in over 2,000 zones. An IQ Active Processor ensures excellent 4K upscaling while the V-Gaming Engine ensures you get the optimal gaming experience automatically with sub 10ms input lag, variable refresh rates, and a finely tuned picture mode. It’s sure to be the best TV for many people.

Audio / Video

Anker’s Soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds are next-level sleep aids to block out noise

Anker Soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds worn while sleeping on side

If you had asked me years ago what kind of earbuds I'd be wearing while I sleep, I would have called you crazy. To sleep, I need silence, and anytime someone has a TV or tablet on or makes any noise, it makes me restless. With two kids and a wife who are all loud sleepers, it's safe to say I often have trouble sleeping. Believe it or not, there are earbuds for that. Anker's Soundcore Sleep A20 TWS earbuds, for example, are the second generation of its sleep-aid product. They're specifically designed to be worn while you sleep, thanks to a sleek form factor that doesn't protrude out of your ears or create discomfort while resting your pretty little head -- they're meant for side sleepers.

They also purportedly offer much more substantial snoring reduction than the previous generation via soft ear tips and ear wings that help block out ambient noise. If you like a little background audio, they pair with a mobile device that’s using the Soundcore app and allow you to play sound effects to serenade your slumber. A 4-point noise masking system uses not just the twin-seal ear tips and wings but also masking sounds and smart volume controls to drown out distracting noises. If you snore or your partner snores, it won't wake you up anymore as long as you're wearing these.