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Amazon Fling is an Apple AirPlay and Google Cast rival for Fire TV

Apple has AirPlay, Google has Cast and now Amazon has Fling.

The retail giant has announced (via TechCrunch) a new SDK that will allow iOS and Android developers to make it easy for their patrons to send media content to an Amazon Fire TV media player.

Just like the AirPlay on Apple TV and Google on Chromecast, apps with Fling capabilities will display an icon allowing users throw music and video to Fire TV in a single tap.

Once the content is on the larger screen, those users will have the choice of controlling playback via their mobile device or the Fire TV remote.

A couple of developers are already making use to the SDK, with the Karaoke Party app sending both the lyrics and the singer’s audio to the TV via a smartphone’s built-in mic.

A second app, Rivet Radio, has been adapted to allow audio news content to be sent to the Fire TV, allowing the whole family to listen in.

Related: Amazon Fire TV vs Apple TV

Amazon says Fling is able to “leverage two-way communication between Amazon Fire TV and mobile apps to create engaging second screen experiences.”

This opens the possibility for iOS and Android owners to use their mobile device to interact with apps already built into the Fire TV experience.

Amazon also pointed out how simple it would be for devs already using Google Cast to add Fling compatibility to their apps. To aid the transition the company is also providing support documentation.

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