theregoesdave

I have Chumby fever. If you’re not familiar, many people describe the Chumby as a web alarm clock. This is partially true in that it will display the time and allow you to set alarms that trigger any number of Shoutcast streams, pictures, weather or other responses. I just find that description to be lacking in describing the poor Chumby’s full potential

It’s basically a tiny linux touchscreen device that’s wrapped in an adorable little beanbag. It connects to the web via wifi and allows you to configure any number of available Flash widgets for your Chumby to display. You can also set the order and how long each module shows up. Chumby has a developer community that is continually pumping out new Flash widgets for your Chumby.

The widgets are varied and not dissimilar to a Google Gadget for Google IG or a MyAOL module. They range from top news to particular blog feeds, sports, weather, or Joke of the day. You can also get your twitter updates, track your facebook friends’ status. There’s even a new Myspace dashboard.

Now you may not spend a whole lot of time sitting in your boudoir watching your alarm clock and neither do I. I imagine it in my workspace playing in the background to keep me posted on my latest twits and new Make projects. If only it ran on batteries so that I could cradle it in my arms. Until I can justify the $180 price tag for a review and a smile, you can check out my Virtual Chumby.

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