Plair, Please: How to Beam Videos from Your Phone to Your TV
Remember the first time you saw Gangnam Style? Feels like ages ago. You desperately wanted to show all the people you were with but crowding around your phone and trying to watch a video is one of the more awkward things in Web 2.0 life. Crowding around a computer is a little less awkward, but your MacBook Air isn’t really that much bigger than your phone.
Plair aims to solve that problem, and to make the world of cable-less TV even better.
Developed and designed by the folks at NewDealDesign, this sleek gadget is a wifi-enabled USB dongle that can can connect any wifi-connected device to any television, provided the telly has a USB port. It turns every device you own into a player… er, plair! It’s similar to Apple TV but way more portable – you can throw the device in your purse or pocket and take it just about anywhere.
To get to these videos, fire up the iOS or Android app and search for what you want. Browse by category, search for specific videos or shows, and create a stream of all of your favorites with a few simple gestures.
Images appear in HD (when available) and basically turn your phone into a pocket-sized cable box. You can also easily beam your own videos and pictures to your TV if you want to show friends photos from a recent trip, birthday party, or impromptu Sunday fun day.
At $100 a pop, the Plair isn’t the cheapest option on the video streaming block, but it might be the most convenient. The fact that you can take it easily from room to room, even throw it in your suitcase when heading out of town, makes it incredibly appealing. The next batch of Plairs ship in June 2013 so, if you want it, get on it!
What do you think of the Plair? How do you watch TV? Streaming video from the Internet? Good old fashioned cable? Tell us in the comments below.
