Chumby (latte)
Manufacturer: Chumby Industries Part number: CHLATTE3NXXXX
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Whether you use it as a digital photo frame, Internet radio receiver, an advanced alarm clock, or some Web 2.0 task of your own devising, the Chumby is an extremely fun tech toy for the wired, modern home.
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Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com Marketplace | ![]() | In stock | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 12/08/2009 |
CNET editors' review
Chumby (latte) price range: $199.95
- Reviewed by: Donald Bell
- Reviewed on: 02/25/2008
- Released on: 02/25/2008
The good: The Chumby is an adaptable, fun, wireless multimedia device made to bring bite-size Web widgets and streaming Internet radio into your home.
The bad: The Chumby's versatile features paradoxically make it hard to figure just what to do with it. The required power adapter limits its portability. If your home lacks Wi-Fi, then the Chumby is just a cuddly brick.
The bottom line: Whether you use it as a digital photo frame, Internet radio receiver, an advanced alarm clock, or some Web 2.0 task of your own devising, the Chumby is an extremely fun tech toy for the wired, modern home.
The Chumby ($179) is a plush, softball-size Linux computer that includes a 3.5-inch touch screen, speakers, and Wi-Fi. An adorable little machine for hosting music, photos, videos, and Web applications, the Chumby distinguishes itself from the world of ultramobile PCs and portable video players with its deliberately simplified scope and approachable, durable design.
Design
With its beanbag shape and soft exterior, the Chumby resembles a computer designed by Teddy Ruxpin. Measuring 5 inches wide by 4 inches tall by 3 inches deep, the Chumby feels like the perfect gadget to place under your arm and take around the house, if it weren't for the fact that it needs to be plugged in to operate. It's tragic that a gadget with all the cuddly appeal of a newborn puppy must be leashed to a wall-wart at all times, but we expect the Chumby's socket-dependence to be undone soon. In fact, the manufacturers include an "unsupported" empty battery terminal in the guts of the Chumby, which industrious hackers have already spliced batteries to.
Gazing at the Chumby's face, you'll find a color touch-screen LCD, a small metal grommet for personalizing your Chumby with decorative charms (a few are included), and three pinhole openings below the screen that conceal a small microphone. Like most computers, all the geek stuff is located on the back of the Chumby, including a 3.5mm headphone jack; power switch; power adapter input; two USB ports; and a pair of stereo speakers. The top of the Chumby is visually bare, except for a dime-size marking that covers a multipurpose button beneath the leather upholstery.

Features
The biggest hurdle Chumby faces is its ambiguous purpose. We love that the Chumby can be used as an RSS reader, an Internet radio, an alarm clock, an iPod speaker dock, a photo frame, an IPTV, and countless other things--but it's hard to decide exactly where it belongs in the house. Whatever use you find for the Chumby, its essential features can be divided into three basic camps: clock, audio, and widgets.
Given its small size, legible display, and the snooze-worthy button on its top, the Chumby's suitability as a bedside alarm clock is unmistakable. Putting the Chumby in Night mode dims the LCD and displays the current time in oversize digits. Alarm options range from basic beeps to customizable snooze durations and audio sources (including Internet radio). The Chumby's Achilles' heel as an alarm clock, however, is that should the power or Internet connection give out during the night, your morning alarm may be in jeopardy.
As an Internet radio, Chumby offers an ever-growing list of listening options, including AOL's Shoutcast, RadioFree Chumby, MediaFly podcast channels, or the capability to directly enter the URL of an audio stream. If you want to listen to your own music collection, you can connect an iPod or MP3-filled memory stick (OGG, WAV, FLAC or M4A files will also work) into one of the two USB ports on the back of the Chumby, or stream music from any networked computer in your home.
The most novel of all of Chumby's features is its Internet widget functionality. As with the customizable Web applications you may have used on Google, Facebook, or your own PC, the Chumby can host a growing assortment of Web-based utilities, ranging from practical newsreaders to absurd flying pig screensavers.
The Chumby does not include a standalone Web browser, however, so configuring your Chumby's widgets has to be done by logging on to Chumby.com from a PC. The Chumby Web site includes a treasure trove of widgets for your Chumby, with categories such as News, Photos, Social Networks, Games, and Weird. Some of the more practical Chumby applications include a widget that displays your personal Flickr photo collection, Google apps such as Gmail and Calendar, eBay auction statistics, local weather, and a YouTube video browser. At the time of this writing, Chumby widgets number by the hundreds and mainstream content partners such as CBS and VH1 are just starting to come on board. It's also worth noting that fellow Chumby users can send widgets and customized eCards between each other, providing a means to share photos and information within your Chumby clan.

Performance
The Chumby's performance is dependent on the context of its use. For instance, it might not be the best way to read RSS newsfeeds, but it's probably the best RSS reader you can plug next to your coffeemaker. It's not the gold standard for alarm clocks, but it is the best alarm clock we've seen that will also let you watch YouTube videos before going to bed and browse The New York Times headlines upon waking up.

From an audio perspective, the Chumby makes no pretentions of high fidelity, and for the most part its multimedia performance is tied to the inherent restrictions of the Web content being streamed to it. The built-in 2-watt stereo speakers won't knock you over, or hold up under golden-ear scrutiny, but they'll certainly get you out of bed and meet the demands of YouTube soundtracks. To fully take advantage of the Chumby's audio potential, you'll want to run audio from the stereo minijack output to a pair of headphones or external speakers. The Chumby's visual performance as a photo frame and video player is rather good, considering you're only working with a 3.5-inch screen. The Chumby's images are bright and colorful, although the screen's resolution is only average.
Final thoughts
We can think of dozens of interesting uses for the Chumby: such as a breakfast table newsreader, an Internet radio alarm clock, or a digital photo frame. Unfortunately, despite the Chumby's adaptability, there's no one feature it can hang its hat on as a compelling default selling point. You're either convinced that all of the Chumby's little features add up to the final price, or you're not. A product like the iPod, for instance, includes an alarm clock, video playback, a calendar, games, and podcast support, but at the end of the day people buy it because they value its MP3 player above all its other features. It remains to be seen whether the world will find the Chumby's Internet widget-hosting capabilities to be its keystone feature, or a passing novelty. Of course, given the Chumby's open development platform (Adobe Flash Lite) and user-submitted widgets, it's possible that the killer app for Chumby just hasn't been written yet (we'll update this review as new features roll out).
As it stands now, the Chumby isn't the most practical device, but if you have a general love for the Web, digital music, and new technology, you'll have no problem finding a fun use for the Chumby in your home.
User reviews
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Chumby ROCKS!
by waxspeaks on February 26, 2008
Pros: instant information, versatile, easily altered, entertaining to others
Cons: nothing really bugs me about the chumby
Summary: I've owned a chumby through the Insider's Release program for a few months. What makes chumby great is its current AND future versatility.
It really doesn't matter ...Summary: I've owned a chumby through the Insider's Release program for a few months. What makes chumby great is its current AND future versatility.
It really doesn't matter whether or not you think of/remember chumby for ONE killer app, as mentioned in the review. If you own a chumby, you will tend to use it for different activities, depending on the time of day or your mood.
My chumby has added to my personal efficiency at home because it feeds me information I need without having to boot up a computer, log onto a website, or turn on a TV, especially late at night or first thing in the morning.
Yes, chumby acts as MANY devices, all in one convenient and wonderfully updatable package.
- Alarm clock
- Digital photo frame
- iPod speaker system
- Internet radio
- Podcast player
- White noise generator
- Stock ticker
- Daily news source
- eBay auction watch
- And much more...
What I use regularly:
* The Weather Channel - key to prepare for the next day
* Flickr photos
* Sleep sound generator (white noise+)
* Shoutcast
* Mediafly.com podcasts (I work there)
* Chuck Norris Facts
* CNET news
* Engadget news
* Google news
* The Onion news
* "Screen Clean"
* You Tube videos
I also cycle different widgets in and out of various channels I've customized on chumby.com. (As I mentioned, the chumby is amazingly versatile!) Originally, I was just looking for a quality iPod clock radio, many of which are around the same $180 price point, if not higher. In buying a chumby, I got so much more! I personally do not think I have ever owned a device that is so versatile and will continue to evolve long after the initial purchase.
Critics may say that you can get most of the chumby information from a computer; while I love my computers, that's a completely different experience.
I guarantee you that if you really try a chumby, you'll like it- a LOT!10 out of 11 users found this user opinion helpful.
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The best alarm clock ever!
by billydakid56 on March 2, 2008
Pros: Small design, internet enabled
Cons: Can't play music purchased off the itunes store
Summary: I have had my chumby since december and love it. The only problem is that is doesn't play purchased itunes music and i can't get mine to play ...
Summary: I have had my chumby since december and love it. The only problem is that is doesn't play purchased itunes music and i can't get mine to play music off of a flash drive.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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A great whatzit!
by Zortek2006 on May 22, 2008
Pros: size, screen display
Cons: WiFi setup finicky, must use AC adapter
Summary: Well, whatever you use this thing for, it is great fun. The WiFi setup took longer than I expected but once it found the wireless network things started to happen. ...
Summary: Well, whatever you use this thing for, it is great fun. The WiFi setup took longer than I expected but once it found the wireless network things started to happen. It is a great (if pricey) alarm clock. If the little dingus could use a wired network connection it would make a great office desk accessory. Anyway, I love it.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Cool device. Totally customizable. Easy to use
by yaesumofo on February 28, 2008
Pros: simple, fun,custom, open source, evolving,exiciting,
Cons: not very portable. better with a stylus
Summary: The Chumby really is a terrific little device. I have looked high and low and have not found anything like it anywhere. The Web interface is very cool. The Chumby ...
Summary: The Chumby really is a terrific little device. I have looked high and low and have not found anything like it anywhere. The Web interface is very cool. The Chumby really becomes what you make of it. it Can be a simple Internet radio, a clock or a combination of the two. There is weather, traffic, news, games. With 400 widgets as of today the Chumby is extremely flexible.
You design your own channels(groups of widgets) take a trip around the world with all of the webcams.
It really can be a lot of fun and very useful. Enjoy1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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I love this. It takes up most of my free time!
by chumbyacb on November 22, 2008
Pros: My favorite parts are that it is perfect for an alarm clock (it even has a dim night-clock mode), there are developers you can submit great ideas to and they'll make it - like chumbyland, in the bottom - line summary, and it can play pandora!
Cons: It doesn't have a battery, so it is not portable. Not much else!
Summary: It is really hard to hack. It was meant to, but I cant. not even the software. My favorite widget is Chumbyland, where you have a mini avatar that travels ...
Summary: It is really hard to hack. It was meant to, but I cant. not even the software. My favorite widget is Chumbyland, where you have a mini avatar that travels onto other peoples chumbys. This is a surprisingly complex widget, compared to the other ones.
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Downloads advertisements, can not remove them, no local
by szla on October 19, 2008
Pros: Speakers work good for their size. Two usb ports although they don't do much.
Cons: Even though you pay for this thing, they still send you advertisements automatically, that you can not remove. So, you basically have an electronic magazine, half ads half content. Will not display local pictures, and doesn't play local music well.
Summary: You're better off saving your money and buying a cheap laptop, or an electronic picture frame & mp3 player with speaker dock.
Summary: You're better off saving your money and buying a cheap laptop, or an electronic picture frame & mp3 player with speaker dock.
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I love my Chumby!
by robdam1001 on March 2, 2008
Pros: easy to setup/configure/expandable/su pport/
Cons: PRICE $$$$$$$$$$$ Better explanation of battery capabilty
Summary: Highly recommend the Chumby +++
Summary: Highly recommend the Chumby +++
0 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Chumby Industries
- Part number: CHLATTE3NXXXX
- Description: The chumby is a compact device that displays useful and entertaining information from the web using your wireless Internet connection. Always on, it shows nonstop what's online that matters to you. It's just pure 24/7 gratification to be able to have the Internet on tap. Sure, you can get the same information on your computer, but why be stuck behind a keyboard to enjoy your internet addictions?
General
- Product Type Digital multimedia receiver
- Width 5.5 in
- Depth 3.3 in
- Height 4.3 in
System
- Features Upgradable firmware
Audio System
- Output Power / Total 2 Watt
Connectors
- Headphone Jack Yes
Network & Internet Multimedia
- Functionality Digital audio playback, Digital photo playback, Digital video playback
- Connectivity Wireless
- Connectivity Protocols IEEE 802.11b (Wi-Fi)
- Network Protocols Supported DHCP
- Encryption WPA2, 64-bit WEP, 128-bit WEP, WPA-PSK (TKIP), Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)
Clock & Alarm
- Clock Yes (digital)
- Timer Wake
Built-in Display
- Type LCD
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x Headphones ( Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm ) - Rear, 2 x ( 4 pin USB Type A ) - Rear
Power
- Type External
Product series
Manufacturer info
- Chumby Industries
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Chumby Industries products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.chumby.com/










