WeKast streaming stick lets all devices stream to your TV

Streaming content from a computer, smartphone or tablet to a large screen is a common way to make presentations now in the worlds of business and education. However, there is all too often a technical problem, such as the inability to get a wireless connection, that gets in the way.

WeKast is a pocket-sized dongle that plugs into any HDMI or VGA port and makes it simple to stream a presentation from a mobile device to a TV, projector screen or other display.

A Wi-Fi connection isn’t required –- just the Android or iOS app that is controlled via the user’s smartphone or tablet. WeKast ships in January at $149. But early bird Kickstarter backers can get one for a pledge starting at $89. Its makers are trying to raise $50,000 by May 10.

This is a handy device for anybody who gives presentations. But it’s no sure thing because there are other products on the market that offer the same functionality, including AirTame. WeKast requires that users preload presentations onto their devices from a PC or a Google Drive or Dropbox account. For now anyway, WeKast only supports ppt and pptx files. But its makers are working to integrate other file formats, including PDF.