Wow, time flies! I reviewed the original Chumby almost two years ago and coming in early November we’ll get a chance to check out a brand new version: the chumby one clock radio. It looks like this new model is focusing more radio features as it has Pandora (and can access other internet radio stations) as well as a built in FM radio. Like the original version, you can install widgets (there are currently around 1500 of them) to do all sorts of things like show your Google calendar, check the weather, show your friends Facebook status, etc. The display is the same size and resolution 320×240, but the processor has been bumped up from 350mhz to 454mhz. The chumby one will retail for approximately $100. I can’t wait to check it out.
Gadgeteer Comment Policy - Please read before commenting
Ok this thing is cool – I never quite understood the Chumby, but having this next to my bed would be awesome to wake up to. As long as the display can be set to turn off at night (no LCD screen makes a good clock as I’ve learned with various iphone apps), this would be perfect either next to my monitor or on my nightstand.
Ultimately though, I think it falls into the same (unfortunate) category as Violet’s Mir:ror – it solves problems that I don’t really have; I have an iphone to check my calendar, apps to do probably anything the widgets do, and with my charging cradle/speakers, I can’t really imaging this being that useful in replacing it. The price point is awesome for what it can do, but it’s not really a game-changing device.
I have one of the original Chumby devices. While I like it, I agree it doesn’t really fill a need. The BEST place to have it would be near my desk at work (however, due to policy they won’t set it up) where I could just get updates throughout the day without seeking them out.
It does work well as a clock radio (the screen blanks when in that mode), however the sound quality is less than average. Cool toy and that’s it.
Bring the beanbag Chumby back :(…………………………
-Naomi
ps but not in lavender maybe matte black, or garage friendly
I have an original chumby on my desk at work and it’s a perfect device for that use. I use it to stream radio stations and play music all day while the display shows a steady stream of my flickr photos, facebook updates, etc. Truly a nice device. And, yeah, obviously it requires wireless access, so that might be a problem in some offices.
At home, I’d love to have one just to stream internet radio to my stereo. The internet stations are *much* better than anything I can receive locally, so for $100 bucks, I’d basically have a wifi radio receiver to add to my stereo system. Cool!
If you think it needs to be *useful*, you’re kind of missing the point. It’s really convenient, and it’s really nice to NOT be trying to use your one-device-to-do-everything for EVERYTHING.
I got a chumby a couple of years ago as a gift, and I’ve loved it ever since. If they were cheaper I’d have them all over the house and office. I do wish they had louder speakers, and a battery for carrying them from spot to spot would have been nice, but other than that the chumby is just a really well-designed, simple thing that just works, very well.
And I love the alarm scheduling flexibility. I never think about changing alarm times or turning the alarm on or off any more — I just know it’s going to go off at the right time for each day of the week/month, etc.
T
Where is this??? It’s been 6 weeks since the article was written, and I can’t find any Chumby for less than $230!
What happened to $100???
@Mark It actually showed up on the Chumby store today for $99.95. http://www.chumby.com/
I agree that it isn’t as cute as the earlier one, but the price is better. I’ve got one of the original ones and love it. I hear the comments from iphone users who miss the point of having this kind of appliance, which can be left on to monitor craigslist, weather, webcams, etc for a relatively low upfront cost and no data charges. By the way, a usb network dongle can be used if wifi is not available.