Google’s Photowall uses Chromecast to collaboratively showcase photos

By Mike Flacy March 24, 2014

chromecast pretty home screen photos weather info photowall — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Announced on the official Google Chrome Blog earlier today, Photowall for Chromecast is a new mobile application that allows multiple people on the same Wi-Fi network the ability to beam photos to a Chromecast-connected television in the home. Available for free on both iOS and Android devices, Photowall also allows users the ability to write captions on shared photos or add creative doodles. Working through a Web interface in the default browser on the mobile device, users can choose from existing photos stored on their mobile device or from new photos taken with the camera.

This type of application would be ideal for family events when pictures are often shared. Anyone connected to the same Wi-Fi network can also add pictures to the photo stream by visiting g.co/photowall and entering the unique security code for the main photo collage.

Interestingly, all of these photos can be turned into a short YouTube video automatically using the Photowall application, thus allowing people that weren’t at the event to check out the photos shared through the Photowall app.

Speaking about the release of Photowall as it relates to the public launch of the Chromecast SDK, creative director Ian Tait wrote “We got excited about using the TV as a place for people to collaborate, so we started tinkering with ways for people to play with photos using their phones and tablets—like an interactive slideshow…If you’re a developer and you want to make your own multi-screen experience, we hope you’ll roll up your sleeves and start experimenting with Chromecast as well.”

It’s likely that many third party developers will release applications for the Chromecast in the coming months, both from U.S. and international developers. Google recently expanded the availability of the Chromecast into new countries. Announced last week, these countries include Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Finland.

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