A $35 stick which puts the best of the internet on any television highlights just how far Australia is behind the US when it comes to internet video.

Every week it seems you hear of a new way for Americans to enjoy Netflix and other internet video services. The latest offering comes from Google with the US$35 Chromecast, a tiny stick which slots into an HDMI port on your television and lets you tap into Netflix and the Google Play store.

Chromecast

The Chromecast runs on ChromeOS, like a Chromebook, so it also packs extra features such as the Chrome web browser. You can also stream from computers and handheld gadgets. This week's unveiling caught people's attention to the point where they've all but ignored the Nexus 7 tablet update, but I might look at that next week.

There have been several attempts at Android media players in recent times, some more clunky than others, and it will be interesting to see how the Chromecast stands up running ChromeOS. I've ordered one via a US mail forwarding service, but demand is strong so I don't know how long I'll have to wait. The Chromecast sold out on Amazon quickly and then people starting reselling them for more than double the price, so I'm ordering one direct from Google.