Sticks, Eldest, DG:  “What does it do?”
Bigdog: “How much did it cost?”
The Pug: “What r doze udder pugz doin in mah livin’ room?”
Me: “It’s fun and it’s less than $200.  That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.”
Bigdog: “It’s a chick toy.”
DG: “It’s a geek toy.”
Everyone:  “What exactly IS a Chumby?”

Good question.  What is it?  Well, probably the closest description would be an Internet device, but that doesn’t really describe it.  It’s got a nice big bright touchscreen, a beanbaggish container, speakers, two USB ports and a handful of widgets.

Of course, the widgets are the key.  I expect that the announcement of OpenSocial, and the Google/MySpace/SixApart alliance will make OpenSocial the newest hot topic in the blogosphere and rightly so.  So imagine a device that’s based on an open source platform, that runs light widget apps, has an always-on wireless connection to the Internet and a cadre of developers making widgets that bring information, communication and connectedness to a little screen wherever you want it.  That’s a Chumby (and I do agree with BD that the name implies chick fun more than it should…).

I have the Twitter, Flickr, YouTube and Facebook gadgets running on my default channel.  Right now, they’re purely one-way:   I can see tweets, photos, videos and status updates but can’t make them.  I have another channel with my private calendar and email update widgets running, and another one with major news feeds : Huffington Post, New York Times, Technorati, etc.

Right now it’s a many-to-one device.  But I imagine it won’t be that way long, particularly with today’s announcement.  As widgets are developed and refined, it will become a portable container for the social aspect of our online lives.  I think it’s entirely possible that the big update the Chumby developers are hinting at will begin to incorporate some of the open social platform features into the widgets.  They already have a ‘chat’ widget with a touch keyboard…how far away can updating Twitter, Facebook or other services be? 

I have to say that this is the first device that makes Twitter something I can use often.  It just doesn’t work in a browser when I have a zillion other apps open.  I’m already working on two monitors with no room for a third one that accommodates my Internet social play, so having a little handy (and cute) device like Chumby sitting by my coffee cup is a great way to have a look at Twitter (or Flickr) while I’m waiting for something to print, or update or whatever.

Chumby folks, here are some things on my Chumby future wish list:

1. I want more control over the Flickr feeds — any Flickr feed I can subscribe to should be one I can get on Chumby.  Specifically I want my Flickr widget to display my contacts’ latest photos. 
2. Twitter is inconsistent — sometimes it’s updated and sometimes it recycles tweets that are long past. 
3. The option to view feeds like HuffPo and NY Times in smaller fonts.
4. The ability to read eBooks. — it’s so much easier to read an eBook before bed than a regular one…BD hates having lights on and I always go to bed after he does.
5. A recipe widget, where I can feed my recipe box from Food Network or Epicurious to Chumby and use him to hold my recipe and even read it to me.
6. A way to have Chumby cycle through all of my channels when I want so I don’t have private stuff in my shared Chumby on Facebook but can view everything on Chumby without changing channels.
7. Bluetooth Internet connectivity when I’m on my office wired network, so I can connect via Bluetooth to my laptop and have Chumby work in the office.
8. An option to run it on batteries.  This is less for portability and more for emergencies, though I guess I can also use my cell phone for that, too.

Overall, I think it’s very fun and it’s certainly inspiring some photography ideas…”where in the world is chumby?”, “chumby’s friends”, “chumby and the pug…”.  I wish I weren’t tethered to a plug to implement those ideas, but it’s still very fun, very geeky and most especially, has tons of potential to become a truly useful device down the road.

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Tags: nablopomo, chumby, widget, gadget, device, opensocial, flickr, twitter