Microsoft may be planning Chromecast rival

Microsoft could be about to launch a Chromecast rival, with evidence provided by one of the company’s latest FCC filings and a certification granted by the WiFi Alliance. 

Microsoft has unveiled details of a device called the HD-10, including WiFi, HDMI and USB connectivity. A separate document on the WiFi Alliance website identifies a certificate issued on August 19 for a media adaptor described as a Miracast dongle, a Linux-based device certified to operate in the 2.4GHz band. Miracast is the wireless screen-cast standard supported by the WiFi Alliance, also supported by Google. Miracast enables wireless ‘mirroring’ of content from a handheld device such as a smartphone to a connected TV, and is used by Microosft on Windows Phone 8.1.

The certificate, initially reported by the Nokia Power User website, suggests that Microsoft may be planning a dongle that can mirror phones, tablets and PCs on a TV, as Chromecast already does. Chromecast additionally enables users to consume media independently of the device they are mirroring.