Google's media streaming gadget Chromecast launched one year ago Thursday, and to celebrate its big birthday, the company announced an impressive stat: It has streamed more than 400 million casts and Google has sold "millions" of the devices.
The Chromecast, a dongle which "casts" (or streams) online videos from your tablet, smartphone or computer to HDTVs, has added hundreds of apps in the past year, including HBO Go, ESPN, PBS Kids, Gooogle+ Photos and Hulu.
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More than 6,000 developers are actively developing apps for the device across Android, iOS and Chrome, Google said. One incentive for investing in the device is Chromecast's $35 retail cost, which puts it ahead of its pricier competitors like the $100 Apple TV and the $50 Roku. Other features the device has added in the past year include mirroring and the ability to stream content from a central TV to multiple phones using ultrasonic sound.
Google has also expanded its market for the device, and is now available in more than 20 countries, from the U.S., UK and across Europe to Japan, Australia and Brazil.