ConnectReviews

Wouldn't it be great to keep tabs on weather, news, and your social networks anywhere in your home? Now there is a way to with the Chumby. What is Chumby and what else can it do? Read on to find out more.

Chumby comes in three different colors: pearl, latte, and basic black and are about the size of a coffee cup. It has a 3.5" color touchscreen, and a 350MHz ARM processor along with 64MB of SDRAM and 64MB of NAND flash ROM. All of this and more in a soft leather casing to make it feel more like a consumer device. How does the Chumby get its information? It logs onto your home WiFi network and pulls content straight from the internet. You can however, attach a USB ethernet dongle if there isn't a WiFi network available.

All content comes in the form of widgets, similar to Apple's Dashboard inside of Mac OS X and Microsoft's gadgets inside of Windows Vista. You can find widgets from things like viewing the Golden Gate bridge, to widgets displaying the latest Chuck Norris facts and anything in between. It's more than just viewing internet content too, you can also plug in an iPod or USB storage device to listen to music through its two stereo speakers. Have a favorite online radio station? You can listen to that as well. Music playback from our 3rd generation iPod nano worked like a charm.

Setup is relatively easy, though you'll need a PC or Mac standing by for the initial setup and to add new widgets through the Chumby website. You'll also need to plug it into a wall socket, which limits the Chumby's portability.

Chumby has also partnered up with CBS for bringing you the latest news and sports scores. The Chumby network stays free by adding special widgets from Chumby Industries with tips on how to use your Chumby. Hey, at least it's not as distracting as those stupid Flash ads!

The Chumby is a great device for the kitchen, or office but there are a few quirks. The touchscreen isn't as accurate as an iPhone but it works. You might not be willing to shell out $180 bucks for it, but with the support of the Chumby community making widgets on a daily basis - content stays fresh at all times.

Pros

• Innovative leather bag design.
• iPod and USB music support.
• Brings your favorite content to any room in your house.

Cons

• Pricey.
• Touchscreen isn't the best on the market.
• Limited portability.

Final Verdict
4 out of 5 stars.

Similar Articles You Might Enjoy

• Sony Introduces Dash Personal Application Viewer
• 2010 Back to School Guide: Apple iPad
• Daily Gift Idea: Motorola Droid
• Incase Slider Case for iPod touch Mini-Review
• Submit a Product for Review
• Macworld Expo 2008 Coverage at MacSpark This Week!
• The Early iPhone 4 Reviews Appear
• First Look: B&W Zeppelin iPod Speaker System