Hulu for Chromecast, Sweet!

Finally, after all these years, Hulu has caved to a Google Product.  Likely the reason for this move is that Hulu can no longer block Google from it's site due to the nature of the Chromecast.  But rather than beat them, Hulu has decided to join.

Oh, you haven't heard about the Chromecast?  Well, you're missing out.  Google seems to have skipped over the Google TV into a device that will allow you to share video from any source, not just Android devices.  You can use your iPad, iPhone, Laptop, Tablet, or whatever device can play media and display it on your HDMI-capable TV. By default this means that anything you can play on the Chrome Browser can be played on the Chromecast.

This is especially useful when visiting a hotel room.  I highly recommend taking your Chromecast with you, so that you can use the TV in the room to play your own movies / shows / music / etc...

Oh, nearly forgot to mention that the Chromecast is only $35.  Yes, one-third of the price of the cheapest Google TV.  There are no subscriptions to sign up for, no additional costs, just your TV, Internet, and whatever device you want to watch video from.

If you're a user of Google TV, you may well have been aware of the fact that Hulu has always blocked access to the site, even though Google TV has Chrome.  Hulu allowed Boxee to use the site, and just about every other media box, but not Google TV (it sounds like a conspiracy, right?).

Thankfully, all the bad blood is behind us and now the public can enjoy Hulu through whatever means they please. Granted, it will have to be the paid version of Hulu.

Struggling to [ab]use Unlimited Data

I was so excited about T-Mobile opening up the pipes and allowing a nearly unlimited flow of data.  Realistically there is a definite amount of data that could be use by any account holder; that being the full bore for all time of the billing cycle.  Alas, I've never had more than 15 Mb/s download speeds in any location, so effectively the maximum I could acquire is roughly 5TB.  In any case, my usage did not come anywhere close to that this month.

I expected that I might blaze a trail of downloads and internet streaming services with the new pipe.  I immediately stopped using WiFi at home and work for the audio streaming and podcast services that I listen to.  I moved to using streaming audio in the car at all times.  I went out of my way to download files on my phone including two full length Google Play movies, and even tested the waters of Mobile Hotspot sharing.  In all my activities between September 12 and the end of my billing cycle, I managed to use a whopping 5GB combined data throughput.

Alas, I feel dumbfounded that I cannot burn a hole in my digital pocket like some, but there are many more months of testing to come.