X

Photos: Chumby

The Chumby is an adaptable wireless media receiver for hosting music, photos, videos, and Flash-based internet widgets. Because of its plush design and open hardware and software development, there are few products to compare the Chumby to. Whether you're interested in the Chumby as in internet radio, a YouTube video viewer, or a breakfast table RSS reader, the Chumby has geek appeal in spades.

CNET Reviews staff
32853286-2-440-BUTTON.jpg
1 of 9 CNET Networks/Corinne Schulze
The Chumby Touch screen can't hold a candle to the multi-touch technology of Apple's iPhone, but it gets the job done. The Chumby's graphic user interface makes use of bold, well-spaced icons that don't require users to get too precise. Without web browser or notepad applications, there are seldom times when a touch screen keypad is needed.
32853286-2-440-DT1.jpg
2 of 9 CNET Networks/Corinne Schulze
On the back of the Chumby you'll find two built-in speakers, two USB ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, power input, and a power button. Wondering why there's two USB ports? The manufacturers included lots of hardware features in the Chumby that they hope developers will eventually take advantage of, including USB ports, an internal accelerometer, a built-in microphone, and a battery connection. In the meantime, you can connect a USB memory stick loaded with MP3 files to turn the Chumby into a music jukebox.
32853286-2-440-DT2.jpg
3 of 9 CNET Networks/Corinne Schulze
Chumbys come packaged in a soft linen sack, along with a power adapter and three rubber character charms that you can hand from the metal grommet on the side of the Chumby (you know... for flair).
32853286-2-440-DT3.jpg
4 of 9 CNET Networks/Corinne Schulze
By connecting your iPod to the Chumby, you've got a neat little speaker dock with a touch screen jukebox control. While the Chumby's iPod interface looks iTunes-esque, don't expect a lot of advanced functionality.
32853286-2-440-FT.jpg
5 of 9 CNET Networks/Corinne Schulze
On the front of the Chumby, you've got a slightly recessed 3.5-inch color touch screen, and three little holes in the bottom left corner that conceal a microphone. A metal grommet on the top right side that acts as your Chumby's pierced ear, which you can personalize with charms or whatever flair you feel best expresses your Chumby's digital soul.
32853286-2-440-0.jpg
6 of 9 CNET Networks/Corinne Schulze
Aside from the cream-colored rubber front, most of the Chumby is made with stitched Italian leather. The Chumby comes in three colors: latte (shown), black, and cream.
32853286-2-440-PALM.jpg
7 of 9 CNET Networks/Corinne Schulze
Don't let this photo fool you--there's no way to use the Chumby without having it plugged into a power adapter (at least, not yet). We're already seeing users hack battery supplies onto their Chumbys in an effort to go completely wireless. Given the manufacturer's openness to hardware and software developers (and DIY hackers), it's only a matter of time before we see a legitimate battery pack for the Chumby.
32853286-2-440-SD.jpg
8 of 9 CNET Networks/Corinne Schulze
Not much to see here, except to notice how the Chumby's bean bag design helps it to lean slightly back for easy viewing. Don't you just want to squeeze it?
32853286-2-440-TP.jpg
9 of 9 CNET Networks/Corinne Schulze
The top of the Chumby has a dime-sized marking that covers a button hidden in its plushy guts. This multi-function button can be used to access the Chumby's menu screen, or as a luxuriously smack-worthy snooze button.

More Galleries

Go Inside the Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro: See How the New iPhones Look and Work
iphone 15 in different color from an angled view

Go Inside the Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro: See How the New iPhones Look and Work

21 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features and Settings on Your iPhone
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features and Settings on Your iPhone

18 Photos
Astronomy Photographer of the Year Winners Reveal Our Stunning Universe
andromeda

Astronomy Photographer of the Year Winners Reveal Our Stunning Universe

16 Photos
Check Out the iPhone 15's New Camera in Action
A photo of a silhouette of buildings on the water taken on the iPhone 15

Check Out the iPhone 15's New Camera in Action

12 Photos
I Got an Early Look at Intel's Glass Packaging Tech for Faster Chips
Rahul Manepalli, right, Intel's module engineering leader, shows a glass substrate panel before it's sliced into the small rectangles that will be bonded to the undersides of hundreds of test processors. The technology, shown here at Intel's CH8 facility in Chandler, Arizona, stands to improve performance and power consumption of advanced processors arriving later this decade. Glass substrates should permit physically larger processors comprised of several small "chiplets" for AI and data center work, but Intel expects they'll trickle down to PCs, too.

I Got an Early Look at Intel's Glass Packaging Tech for Faster Chips

20 Photos
Yamaha motorcycle and instrument designers trade jobs (pictures)
yamaha01.jpg

Yamaha motorcycle and instrument designers trade jobs (pictures)

16 Photos
CNET's 'Day of the Dead Devices' altar (pictures)
dia-de-los-muertos-3318-001.jpg

CNET's 'Day of the Dead Devices' altar (pictures)

9 Photos