14 DAY TRIAL // The Ubuntu developers are finally working on a new feature called Aethercast for Ubuntu phones, which is a way to connect to the Miracast protocol.
One of the issues with the Ubuntu convergence is that it’s only available for the Nexus 4 devices, which can output video via an MHL connection. Other Ubuntu phones don’t allow this, which is annoying since the Nexus device is pretty old and scarce.
The simplest way of solving this issue is with a software solution, in this case, by implementing support for the Miracast service. This is basically Wi-Fi Display and allows for the connection of a device to a monitor that has Wi-Fi networking capabilities. It’s best described described as "HDMI over Wi-Fi."
Aethercast for Ubuntu phones
A new entry has been spotted on Launchpad, thanks to Carla Sella, one of the Ubuntu insiders. It’s called Aethercast, and it’s just that, a software solution that should allow users to connect to the display that supports the Miracast protocol.
Miracast is already pretty widespread, even if it’s not present in most of the monitors and TVs, but at least, it’s something more than just a cable for a very old phone. This is likely just the beginning, and it’s probable that Aethercast will support other protocols in the future.
Canonical was teasing just a couple of days ago something about convergence coming “soon.” We figured that it could be something related to the new BQ phone that’s supposed to provide hardware connection to displays, but it’s not more likely that they were talking about Aethercast.
This is really good news since a lot of users were asking for some kind of a solution so they could use the Ubuntu phone as a PC while connected to a display. It will take a while to get the project going, but we’ll probably have more information after the holidays.