So much Tech, so little Money. Being a Tech Geek is both a both a blessing and a curse. You absolutely love Tech, but you also love eating and having a roof over your head so with a Tech budget you’re limited to how much gear you can purchase. With the near limitless supply of Tech, it can seem impossible choosing your favorite and especially when you have a super limited budget. In this case, we’re talking about my favorite piece of tech in 2015 that’s below the ultra-cheap budget of less than $40. Tech keeps getting cheaper and cheaper daily so it was pretty tough to choose one that provided the best value for the money. Less than $40 and valuable? Hmmm…let me see…..hmmmm…hmm…mm. Yup that’s impossible! But there is a winner.

And the winner of my Favorite Tech device below $40 in 2015 would have to be the Chromecast. Now prior to the Chromecast, it was not easy to find a way to wirelessly send your content from your device to the beautiful Big screen HDTV. Also, wireless screen mirroring was even more expensive and complicated to setup. Typically the easiest way to get your content on the big screen was to use a cable, usually a mini-HDMI adapter cable, and connect it directly to your TV. And although this was fairly simple and lag-free, it wasn’t convenient when you wanted to control your content from your couch. And then came Chromecast. When I first saw this device a few years back at Google IO, I was blown away! It was super small, simple to use, and just plain cool when you considered it worked on multiple platforms including IOS. I was thinking this device is at least $100 but the Bomb dropped when Google announced a retail price of $35! Now the Chromecast wasn’t going to be a solution for wireless mirroring onto the big screen TV, but it took care of the apps I use most for content consumption namely YouTube and Netflix. Those were the first big apps supported on Chromecast and the process seemed like Magic when my YouTube app first recognized my new Chromecast device. Also, I could do the same thing on an IOS device and even through any desktop Chrome Browser for any platform with the correct plugin. Now a high-speed Internet connection is a must in experiencing a seamless, near lag-free experience, but wow it was amazing then and it still is now. I probably use this device more than any I’ve purchased this past year.

Initially, Chromecast only supported the big content apps like YouTube and Netflix, but now there’s numerous compatible apps including Spotify, Pandora, HBO Now, HULU,Showtime, ESPN, etc…and it’s growing daily. With this device, you’re also able to enjoy content from the comfort of a couch or bed without getting up and changing the content. Convenience, compatibility, and costs are the Three C’s that every Tech Geek loves to hear especially when it’s a device that you enjoy using daily. I don’t think there will be a better device offering this much value for less than $40 in 2015. I can’t wait to see what ultra-cheap devices that will show up in 2016, but it’s gonna be hard to top this Chromecast favorite.

-Geek Outside!