Chumby

When the gods of gadgetry decide to call their latest creation Chumby, you know it’s gonna be good. But what in the name of gizmology is it, we hear you ask? Well basically, Chumby is a cute little Wi-Fi friendly ‘widget machine’ that pulls content off the web and delivers it in a friendly format. Think of it as a touchscreen portal to the best bits of your online life. A stream catcher, if you will.

With Chumby by your side (well, on your bedside table, kitchen worktop or mantelpiece) you can listen to podcasts, audiobooks and internet radio, keep track of friends on Facebook, twaddle away on Twitter, watch vids, play games, gawp at photos on Flickr, check out eBay bids, read the news, groan at the weather…the list is endless. The only thing you can’t do is fiddle with snoozeworthy documents and spreadsheets. Hooray!



Getting started is a doddle. Simply plug Chumby in, let it find your wireless network and pow! – you're on the Chumby network. You can then choose from over 1500 widgets to upload. There are new widgets arriving all the time, and with no subscription fees the online world really is your lobster. Or should that be oyster? We forget. Whatever. This amazing oojamiflip does the lot.


As well as its widget-tastic capabilities, Chumby features an accelerometer (perfect for tilt-responsive games), 2W stereo speakers and a headphone output, so you can listen in peace or irritate housemates – no mean feat, because thanks to its squishy beanbag-ish housing, Chumby is cuter than a dozing puppy. Talking of dozing, it even functions as an alarm clock, albeit an incredibly flash one.

Once you’ve fiddled with your widgets via Chumby you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it. This is the start of a beautiful relationship. So bin your alarm clock radio: it’s time to quit dreaming and start streaming.