Google Chromecast, you’re not the only stick in town. Roku announced the Roku Streaming Stick on Tuesday, which manages to pack nearly all the functionality of a full-size Roku box into a device not much bigger than an USB flash drive. It’s actually a new version of Roku’s old MHL-based Streaming Stick, but there are two major differences: it now works with any TV that has an HDMI input, and it’s half the price, at just $49. The Streaming Stick sports Roku’s signature purple color and it’s designed to connect directly into a spare HDMI port on your TV. It’s just a little over three inches long and there’s not much else to the device, save for the HDMI connector, a micro-USB port, an indicator light, and a tiny button to reset the stick. The micro-USB port lets you power the device, by connecting it to a USB port on TV (if it has one) or using the included power adapter.
