The past few months has seen Microsoft create and update a lot of its apps for other platforms, adding a lot of features and capabilities that would make people use it even more than their own, native apps. The latest update they’re giving us concerns their cloud storage app OneDrive. It now comes with Chromecast support, meaning users can cast their videos and images onto a larger screen, so you can view and show them off to other people.
Just in case you were living under a rock and didn’t know what a Chromecast is, it is an HDMI dongle that allows users to cast content using selected apps from their supported devices and onto an HDMI supported larger screen device. It is a relatively cheap device at just $35 and was launched just over a year ago, with app support continually growing. OneDrive is just the latest one to add Chromecast support, and is probably the first major cloud storage app to do so, beating Dropbox and even Google’s own Google Drive.
Using the dongle and OneDrive is pretty easy. Just connect the Chromecast device to your TV screen and then make sure that both the device and whatever device you’re using, whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, are connected to the same network. Then from the OneDrive app, choose the photos and/or videos that you want to cast, and voila, you now have an instant slideshow or video screening.
OneDrive is just the latest in a growing number of apps that have applied Chromecast support. Some of the newer ones include TED, MTV, CBS, Fox Now, and for productivity purposes, Polaris Office Viewer and Google Slides. The update should be rolling out to OneDrive users by now or you can update it through the Google Play Store.
