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Cable Technology Feature Article

December 10, 2013

A Coup for the Chromecast: Time's 2013 Gadget of the Year Roster Emerges

By Steve Anderson, Contributing TMCnet Writer


With the year rapidly coming to a close, people are becoming increasingly inspired to take a look back at the whole year and see all the exciting new developments, all the flops, and all the things that should make us eager for 2014. Time magazine is no exception here, and has already revealed its top gadget for the year 2013: the Google Chromecast.

So, what earned the Chromecast the top slot on Time's big gadget review this year? According to Time, the distinction was actually pretty simple: “Lots of companies have built devices to do this; Chromecast is the first one that gets it right.” Here, Time refers to the overall ease of use of the Chromecast, as well as the device's basic sense of focus.

This list actually represents a pretty big coup for Google (News - Alert); the top slot has been held by Apple devices every year since 2010, so seeing the newest iPads occupy the number two slot for the first time in three years is actually a pretty big stroke. There are some other exciting developments on the list, as well: Apple is the only company to have two items in the top 10, with the iPad at number two and the iPhone (News - Alert) 5S at number 5. The only other tablet on the list is Amazon's Kindle Fire HDX at number seven, and the only other phone is—and this one might surprise some—the Nokia (News - Alert) Lumia 1020. The Nest Protect and the Leap Motion Controller was given nods on the list, as did the Pebble Smartwatch.

Even gaming got some attention on Time's big list, as the Xbox One came in at number six (the PlayStation 4 did not appear, interestingly) and the Oculus Rift Development Kit hit number three, which is a pretty big move and probably the best the Rift could have expected against Apple (News - Alert) and Google's impressive entries.

While the list itself is likely to spawn a lot of discussion all the way into 2014, overall, it seems to be a very sound list. There's appreciation for both mobile and non-mobile devices, wearable technology, machine-to-machine (M2M) technology, and even gaming. It's a fairly complete cross-section of the technology landscape as we know it, and though some individual specimens on the list maybe shouldn't be there, it's a great overall look at a such a large field.

The Chromecast may not have been the biggest invention of 2013 to some, but it certainly is a big step in the world of streaming. There's plenty of room for discussion, though, and with 2014 well on its way, there will be a whole new year of big new inventions and exciting new developments to come. Only time, as ever, will truly tell what 2014 brings along for the ride.




Edited by Blaise McNamee


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