And...it's gone!
Google on Wednesday added a new item to its online store, that being a tiny Ethernet adapter for its Chromecast dongle. Chromecast already comes with 802.11n Wi-Fi connectivity baked in, but if you need a wired connection for any reason, you were out of luck. Not anymore (well, sort of).
The Ethernet adapter sells for $15 and is easy to install -- just connect the included USB cable to the Chromecast, then run an Ethernet cable from your router to the adapter, and plug it into a wall socket. Easy cheesy, except that it was in such high demand (or short supply, or both) that it quickly sold out.
Google didn't say when it expects to have more in stock, though for Chromecast owners who have their dongle installed in a Wi-Fi dead zone or otherwise suffer from unreliable wireless connections, more inventory can't come fast enough. Apparently there are a quite a few who could benefit from something like this, hence why Google ran out of inventory in less than a day.
The Chromecast itself normally sells for $35. With the adapter, the total cost of ownership (for those who need an adapter) comes to $50. If you don't yet own a Chromecast but are interested in one, keep your eyes peeled for sales -- it can often be found on sale for $30, or as low as $25 for a refurbished model.
Alternately, you can wait for the next generation of Chromecast. Google has yet to officially announce a Chromecast 2 device, but while on the topic, Google's VP of Product Management Mario Queiroz told Gigaom that the Chromecast 2's "hardware capabilities will give us a better opportunity to take full advantage of a large screen paired with a small screen."
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From maximumpc
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