The Chromecast is a fantastic little device. It’s relatively cheap, it’s for the most part reliable and with Google pushing the standard it’s still actively being developed; but with only a HDMI connection, it’s limited. JoyDrone from DRZ Creation, which has just launched on Kickstarter aims to let you connect any set of speakers or device with a 3.5mm connection to your Chromecast.
JoyDrone is a small cap for your Chromecast HDMI connection which lets you plug a 3.5mm jack into the end. It’s a female connection, which means you can just plug anything into it with a 3.5mm extension cable. The simplicity of the system is that it’s a mere hardware hack, though packaged into what appears to be a nicely manufactured cap – once it’s clipped on, your software usage is the same as using any Chromecast app.
The project costs a bit to buy into, with a very limited offer of USD$19 per device with a USD$12 shipping charge. The project can be more widely backed for USD$29 + shipping for the Joy Drone with an estimated delivery date of August. The Joy Drone team has purchased an initial 100 unit delivery from Taiwan, so it appears ready to rock, but the project is only at $1670 of a $30,000 goal.
You can see more about the project at the Joy Drone Kickstarter page.
As usual with all projects of this type, we are here to inform not advocate backing the project. All projects on Kickstarter have no guarantee that they’ll end up being produced even if their goal is reached, so please ensure you are aware of all the terms and conditions before you back a project.
