The Insignia Infocast Internet Media Display allows you to instantly access your favorite web-based content without the hassle of a computer and to easily view and share apps, photos and videos with friends and family.

Quickly and easily access popular Internet content and services like Pandora Internet Radio, SHOUTcast, Photobucket and more than 1,500 apps from chumby industries with the Infocast Internet Media Display.

With its built-in Wi-Fi connection, you can stay connected to your digital world and even share favorite apps, photos and videos with other users of chumby-powered devices.

In addition, the integrated microphone and remarkable audio with SRS Sound technology enhance both communication and music apps. Plus, there are never any subscription fees for all of this great content.

Featuring a vibrant 8″ touch screen LCD with 800 x 600 resolution for easy viewing of Internet content, photos, videos and more, the Infocast Internet Media Display makes the perfect bedside, kitchen, office or living room companion.

The 2GB internal memory and support for media cards, including Secure Digital, Secure Digital High Capacity, MultiMediaCard, CompactFlash I/II, xD-Picture Card, Memory Stick and Memory Stick PRO Duo, allow you to easily enjoy your favorite photos, videos and music even if there isn’t a Wi-Fi network nearby.

The device package itself isn’t all that entertaining or attractive on the outside, however, the fact that the device is a Linux hackable is pretty cool.

For $169.00, this gives you a 800MHz ARM Linux computer with 128 MB of DDR2, 2 GB of mass storage and an 8-inch, 800 x 600 touchscreen display which you could mod to do a lot of neat things.

There’s even some instructions of the board over on bunnie’s site as well as on slashgear. I see hookup for accelerometer, digital camera, serial connections, and a “mini hack port” with GPIOs and power. He also mentions how to SSH into the device and mentions support for compilations via gcc on the device.

I predict a lot of tinkering and experimentation with this little guy (myself included).

I noticed that in Japan a Chumby development/hacking book has been published. I recently picked up a copy and started leafing through some of the code. Pretty cool!

chumbyで遊ぼう! (単行本)

In 2008, I wrote a chapter on Chumby development that was part of the AdvancED: Flash on Devices book.

I’ve also built several Flash widgets on the platform, some commercially and others just for the fun of it. Ok, so it’s Flash Lite 3.x. That’s ok. The kind of apps (well “widgets”) you build for chumby are pretty basic anyways … if not, you’re doing something wrong.

Speaking of Chumby, I just received a Chumby One the other day, so I plan on blogging about it soon.

Rob Toole had a post not so long ago about the “newer” Chumby where he detailed what he liked about the new Chumby (e.g. new pricepoint, new rigid case, rechargeable battery option, etc).

This is how I feel about these 3 items:

1. Price – a big win here!
2. New Case Design – hmmm. I like the old case, personally, but I imagine this is how they lowered #1.
3. Removeable Battery Option – I already hacked my chumby back in 2007 to do this, but 2 hours is 2 hours … unfortunately, it’s still DIY.

The think the biggest value add for Chumby is not necessarily the hardware (although quite impressive!), but the platform and content it offers.

If you take a look, Sony Dash and some other OEMs are now partnering with Chumby to some extend for content. Building quality content in good numbers on an open-source device is challenging, but they’ve managed to do it to a degree.

I do have to wonder what Chumby will do next if they manage to sell more units and content in the future. The Chumby Platform may get very interesting this year.

Stay tuned for my Chumby One review.

A while back I posted on twitter (@scottjanousek) about the release of the “Chumby One” from Chumby Industries.

I have a long relationship with the Chumby device and platform (i.e. creating content, presentations, etc), so it’s interesting to see this new development.

A little known fact is that Chumby was one of the first devices to support the Flash Lite 3.0 player (it was actually unveiled at a Adobe MAX 2007 session).

Today, the device supports more than 1,500 applications. Of course, it’s like the iPhone, the Chumby content catalog quality really varies, but I have to say there are some real gems in the Chumby content catalog (all of it currently free, of course, which is not ideal for content channel developers, at all).

Among my chumby-like Flash enabled devices, I personally have 2 Chumbies. One for work (i.e. passively watching news feeds, etc) and one for personal use (i.e. my alarm clock) at home. Both are the 1st generation, “squeezable” models (aka Chumby “classics”).

The previous models are $199, but this new rigid body Chumby One device hovers in at $99 for pre-orders (regularly $119.95).

Of course, it’s been easy to pan the earlier device for it’s price point (i.e. too expensive for “what it was” or “wasn’t”), but this new model almost seems like it hits the mark … except, personally, I’m not a big fan of the form factor (see below on building from a kit to make your own enclosure).

Here’s a breakdown of the features of the new device.

Features:
“it’s an internet alarm clock”

• Pandora Radio internet music service
• heartradio, SHOUTcast, tens of thousands of internet radio stations with digital clarity
• Podcasts including NY Times, CBS and Mediafly
• Programmable alarms
• Fall asleep to music or nature sounds
• Music from iPod and memory sticks
• FM radio

“it’s chumby”

• Create custom channels with 1,500+ apps
• Wide variety of news, weather, sports, gossip, games, clocks, and much more
• Facebook photos and friend updates
• Your photos from Photobucket and Flickr
• Twitter tweets
• Play YouTube and TV clips, movie trailers, sports highlights, and other video
• Send customized e-card greetings
• New content added all the time

Here are some of the specs of the device, which appear to be the same or very similar to the original Chumby.

Besides the obvious change in form factor, it also has a rechargeable lithium ion battery, volume knob, FM radio turner, has USB ethernet capability, 2 GB internal microSD card to name just a few of the “upgrades”. Here are the specifications.

Specs:

• 3.5 inch LCD color touchscreen
• Access to free chumby content
• Uses rechargeable lithium ion battery (not included)
• USB 2.0 high-speed port
• Stereo headphone output
• 2W mono speaker
• Volume knob
• FM radio tuner
• Accelerometer (motion sensor)
• Wi-fi connectivity (802.11 b/g)
• USB ethernet compatible
• Over-the-air software updates
• Dimmable backlight
• 454 MHz ARM processor
• 64 MB DDR SDRAM
• 2 GB internal microSD card
• AC adapter included
• 3.5″ wide x 4″ tall x 3.5″ deep

Chumby “Guts” kit from Makershed
Another interesting development with the Chumby … is that Makershed actually has a Chumby kit you can order (limited quantities for around $139), in which you are free to assemble your own Chumby to your own form factor and configuration. Pretty cool, especially if you’re into the hardware hacking scene.

MakerShed Chumby Guys Kit

I’ll be posting more on the new Chumby One as soon as I’m able to. Stay tuned.

Here’s a sneak peak of what’s to come:

Multiscreen Flash realized

Chumby is one of many companies out there taking advantage of Flash across multiple screens; all courtesy of the Open Screen Project. Pretty cool.