PRODUCT REVIEW
Chumby: Fun, Functional, Squishy

In April, after I favorably reviewed a wireless product that elegantly displayed baseball scores, Don wrote:

"How could you recommend that, especially at the price of (US)$200 for a unitasker? This isn't worth $20 for what it does. What a joke. Please check out Chumby for a slightly cheaper and much more functional alternative."

A Concession

I'll stand by my review of the graceful Liveboard. But Don, despite his manners, had a point: It does one thing in an era when we expect our gadgets to be multitaskers.

The Chumby does hundreds of things. It is a small, adorable device that uses WiFi to deliver simple Internet programs, like weather updates and news headlines, directly to your nightstand.

The Chumby is a glorified clock radio connected to the Web that continuously displays the programs, known as "widgets," you've selected. These little gems provide the data or frivolity you want -- stop on one for more info if it catches your eye.

A variation of this approach is found on Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPhone, with its third-party "Apps" for specific tasks, and on the Dash Express, a GPS device that offers widgets to find nearby playgrounds or local real estate listings. But the iPhone and the Dash both have more critical functions (making calls or giving turn-by-turn directions), while all the Chumby does is play widgets, including those that get you out of bed.

When you get the Chumby, all you want to do is play. I spent several hours with it after unwrapping its burlap-like packaging, just browsing the content I could access.

Amusing and Useful

The Chumby is fun and functional. It measures a squishy 5 inches wide by 4 inches tall and 3 inches deep. I say squishy because it's wrapped in a soft leather (with three color choices) you can squeeze. It is controlled by a touch screen and a "home" button on the top. The touch screen needs some work because you need to press much more firmly than on the iPhone.

Why would you want this? Consider Don's opinion: Why get a gadget that does one thing?

On the Chumby, I can get baseball scores plus David Letterman's Top 10 list from last night's show.

When I wake up, I can access the local weather and update the status on my Facebook page (Eric needs coffee).

I can check my Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) calendar for the day's agenda or scan news headlines.

I can read inane captions attached to odd cat pictures from Web phenomena ICanHasCheezburger.com or watch a pug lick the touch screen clean from inside the Chumby.

I can even check my e-mail, but I'm starting to think we have enough gadgets with that capability.

No Local Radio

While the Chumby is fun, it is not perfect.

You can listen to and wake up with an Internet radio station -- a great feature -- but not local channels via AM or FM. If you want to hear a traffic report, enjoy the banter of a wacky disc jockey or just want some local news, you're out of luck.

Saying that, there are nearly 900 widgets available to download onto the Chumby, and many of them feature local news and traffic reports.

But the offerings are sporadic, and at the moment not one is from a local Chicago news agency. (I put in a word.)

The Chumby was simple to set up and it recognized my home network without issue. Registration was completed on the computer, where you also can pick widgets to put on the device. You can add and delete at any time.

If you have a home WiFi network and would like a clock radio that does quite a bit more than you're used to, check out the Chumby. A back-up alarm will sound if you set your primary alarm to an Internet radio station and your WiFi connection is lost over night.

The Chumby costs $180 and is sold only at Chumby.com.

Potentially Promising Device

I planned to suggest another WiFi-enabled clock radio, but I cannot recommend the Aluratek Internet radio alarm clock because it won't recognize my home network.

That's a shame, since it also has a number of other useful functions, including an FM radio and a USB hub to connect an MP3 player (not an iPod) for music.

Aluratek took a more traditional approach to a clock radio, focusing on audio playback, claiming access to more than 11,000 Internet-based radio streams. Slightly longer than the Chumby, the Aluratek model still fits nicely on the nightstand.

I would call it a promising device based on the reviews at Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN) , where it sells for about $140.

Your thoughts, Don?