Google Chromecast*
amazon.co.uk, £44.99

It’s almost 6 months to the day since I got married, which was quite frankly the best day of my life. I know you’re all probably sick and tired of hearing about my wedding, so I promise this is not a wedding-related blog post; it is, however, a husband-related one, as just before Christmas I was approached by Halifax who gave me a £50 voucher to spend on someone special in my life. Of course, my first thought was my lovely husband; he’s my best friend, my soul-mate and one of the kindest people I know. He’s been working extremely hard, so I decided to get him a little something to entertain his evenings and to make our movie date nights a whole lot better!

I got him the latest gadget from Google, called Chromecast; it was launched a few weeks before Christmas, and seeing as we’re both very into our techy stuff, I don’t know who was more excited about it – probably me, but never mind! :) Chromecast basically turns any TV into a Smart TV, allowing you to watch videos from YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, Google Play, and even audio or video from a Google Chrome tab, all straight from your TV.

You can use Google Chrome on your computer, an iPhone, iPad or Android devices to control Chromecast; I prefer using my iPhone and I don’t even have to keep the app running on the background, so it doesn’t drain my battery.

To set it up, connect Chromecast via the HDMI port of your TV and follow the easy instructions that will appear on your TV once the device is connected. It connects via wifi, so, for example, if you’re using an iPhone or iPad, you can download the free Chromecast app from the App Store, which will guide through the set up and you’re done. Next time you open one of the supported apps on your phone, like YouTube or Netflix, you will see the Chromecast symbol, which means you can choose to watch the video on your phone or on your TV. Pretty cool, right?

Of course if you already have a Smart TV or an Apple TV, Chromecast is a bit redundant, but if you’re not ready to invest in a new TV yet, this is a really great way to watch online videos on your TV. The thing that drew me to Chromecast instead of the Apple TV (it basically does the same thing, but a little more) was the price; I bought it for £38.70 from Amazon, which I think is a reasonable amount to pay for such a useful gadget. Chromecast is not widely available yet in the UK, but you can get from Amazon for just under £45 (it seems the demand was really high, so the price has gone up a bit since Christmas).

Needless to say my husband was thrilled to be able to browse YouTube videos and watch Netflix straight from our TV, and because of how easy it is now to watch TV series from the comfort of our sofa, I manage to get him into Breaking Bad (can you spot Mr. White on the background?), so I’ve been re-watching all the episodes again with him; I guarantee, it’s a million times better on a big screen and with someone else to make comments about the trouble Walt & Jesse both get up to! :)

A huge thank you to Halifax for giving me the opportunity to treat my dear husband with this extra treat! Who is your someone special and what would you treat them to, if you had the chance?

*Purchased with gift vouchers.