???? – 2024retired
Caffeine (service)
“Poured out for the last time: $146M in beans, no profit, all heart.”
“The little dongle that made every dumb TV feel like a smart one.”
Chromecast was Google's line of small dongle media players that could stream internet audio and video to a high-definition TV or home audio system, controlled from a phone, computer, or Google Assistant. Announced in July 2013 at just $35, it made streaming feel effortless — cast from your browser or Android screen and you were watching. Later models even grew a navigable interface and a remote control, acknowledging
The line evolved steadily through the years: the second generation and the beloved audio-only Chromecast Audio arrived in 2015, the 4K-capable Ultra in 2016, and a third-generation HD model in 2018. The final models, Chromecast with Google TV, carried the name until the line was retired in 2024. It left behind a simpler idea worth remembering: your phone already knew what you wanted to watch.
Spotted something wrong? Every fact on this page traces to a dated source. Fixes make the graveyard better for everyone.
“Poured out for the last time: $146M in beans, no profit, all heart.”
“Checkmated at last — folded gracefully into a bigger board, never into oblivion.”
“Cherry and Vanilla, better together; the fountain flows on, but the bottles went home.”