Firefox OS-based Chromecast Competitor Coming Soon
The details were unclear back in late June, but it looked like Mozilla may have been playing some role in delivering a competitor to Google's popular Chromecast dongle, with Mozilla's based on the Firefox OS platform. The rumors abated shortly after they arose, but some people missed the fact that Mozilla confirmed the news in a recent blog post, noting the following: "Mozilla is working with Panasonic to develop next generation SmartTVs running Firefox OS, and Abitcool will launch an HDMI streaming device later this year that allows the user to fling content from compatible mobile or Web apps to an HDTV."
If you thought Mozilla's strategy with Firefox OS is restricted to phones, think again.
"Abitcool, the company that’s making the stick in partnership with Mozilla, said on its website that its first product is “still under wraps.” However, we were able to get our hands on one of the sticks last month, and demonstrate that it doens’t just work like Google’s Chromecast, but actually even works with some Chromecast apps."
The Abitcool website does confirm that it is working on its first Firefox OS product, and it's kind of funny that Mozilla is confirming what the product is.
In any case, it will be interesting to see Mozilla--already used to tussling with Google in the browser market--competing with Google's Chromecast. If you haven't used these devices, they actually are quite useful, and the more you use your phone for interacting with content and information, the more useful they are.
You can watch a GigaOM video of the Mozilla/Abitcool dongle here.
We'll probably hear official news of this dongle shortly. Here's the photo that has been heavily tweeted: