Chromecast is a HDMI stick
The Chromecast is a product of Google, and is a small dongle that needs to be plugged into an HDMI socket on your television. Then you can use your tablet, smartphone or laptop to determine what is being played on the television. The Chromecast seems to be a USB stick (it also has a USB connection to power the device) and connects to a network via WiFi. Meanwhile, there are a number of applications where it is possible to send the content to the Chromecast. The Chromecast then extracts itself the video or photo material via internet WiFi. It is not the case that the content of your phone is streamed to the television. The device has been available since the end of July 2013 (in the Netherlands only from October) and costs 35 to 40 euro. The primary goal of the Chromecast is to play video, music and photos. Meanwhile, there is also a Chromecast-Ultra available that can be used with 4k quality images. For more information please check out Product guide Chromecast.