

Amazon has announced a new SDK for developers called Amazon Fling which allows Android and iOS apps to “cast” media to the Fire TV. The Fling SDK also allows developers to build companion apps that remotely work with apps on the Fire TV. At its core, Amazon Fling gives Chromecast-like functionality to the Fire TV, but can be leveraged to do much more.

Amazon Fling lets mobile apps send audio, video, and images to Fire TVs connected to the same network as the mobile device. The SDK handles all the discovery and communication between the two devices, simplifying the process for developers. Amazon has gone a step further by providing developers who already use Google Cast in their apps with instructions to easily integrate Amazon Fling into their apps.

This new SDK isn’t only about sending media to Fire TVs. Developers can use Amazon Fling to send any communication between their mobile apps and Fire TV apps. Amazon Fling can even be used to remotely install the Fire TV version of an app from within a developer’s smartphone or tablet app.

Amazon has highlighted two apps already using Amazon Fling. The first is Karaoke Party which displays song lyrics and videos on the Fire TV. The app allows customers to use their smartphone as a microphone by sending audio captured on the smartphone, via Amazon FLing, to the Fire TV. The second app already using Amazon Fling is Rivet Radio which lets you listen to news on a mobile device or the Fire TV, and seamlessly transition between the two devices using Amazon’s new SDK. Rivet Radio achieves this with the new Fling SDK without even having a Fire TV app.

Amazon Fling capabilities are included in the latest Fire TV and Fire TV Stick software update that has been making its way out to devices since the beginning of July.

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