The booming market for streaming video has created another venue for Google and Apple to battle, and Google appears to have ridden lower prices to yet another market-share victory over its Cupertino rival.

Parks Associates reported Wednesday that Google's Chromecast streaming-media device jumped ahead of Apple TV in 2014, challenging Saratoga-based Roku for the title of most popular dongle. The Mountain View search giant failed to crack the top five after debuting the Chromecast in 2013, when Roku and Apple commanded nearly three-quarters of the market, but Google and Amazon have made the fight for access to consumers' televisions a four-horse race this year.

While the devices aren't bringing in huge money for the three Silicon Valley companies, streaming-video can help marry consumers to a company's ecosystem -- a key target for Apple, which wants to sell more gadgets, and Google, which wants to sell ads.

From the article "Biz Break: Google Chromecast tops Apple TV in streaming battle, report finds" by Jeremy C. Owens.

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