Chumby

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A chumby when downloading software

The Chumby is a consumer electronics device manufactured by Chumby Industries, Inc. through April 2012 . It is an embedded computer with Internet and LAN access via a WLAN connection or a USB LAN adapter. The Chumby can obtain various software widgets based on Adobe Flash via the network connection .

offer

The Chumby was offered as an Internet radio alarm clock. In the standard configuration, in addition to the time and an alarm function, it also offers a current weather report, Internet radio, general news, stock market prices and news from friends. Due to the free availability of the documentation and the software source texts , however, it can be extensively adapted to personal needs; numerous widgets were available for free download.

Due to the fact that the widgets do not run on the device itself, as is the case with Android devices, but are obtained via the web, the Chumby is in principle the prime example of a " tethered appliance ", i.e. H. by discontinuing the service provision of the provider, the device is largely worthless. This is what happened in the case of Chumby, when the manufacturing company was closed and in February 2013 the funding for the services was no longer available. A group of volunteers who had been maintaining the service since the end of Chumby Industries has since maintained a core service that allows the devices to start and continue to use some core functions.

hardware

Close-up view of the back of the Original Chumby with speakers, 2 USB ports, headphone jack, power button and power connection

The layout of the Chumby's circuit board is available under the Open Hardware Chumby HDK license. Due to the freely available hardware specifications, there are already various instructions for hardware extensions.

The classic Chumby is powered exclusively by a plug-in power supply, while the newer Chumby One also has a compartment for a Li-Ion battery of the type NP-120.

The Chumby has the following features:

Original chumby

  • 350 MHz ARM9-based Freescale i.MX21 controller
  • 64 MB SDRAM
  • 64 MB NAND flash ROM
  • 320 × 240 3.5 inch touchscreen TFT LCD with 12 frames / s
  • Stereo 2W speakers, one audio output, integrated microphone
  • two USB 2.0 ports
  • integrated WLAN
  • Bending sensor for user interface features
  • Accelerometer .

Chumby One

  • 454 MHz ARM processor
  • 64 MB DDR SDRAM
  • 2 GB internal microSD card
  • 3.5 ″ LCD color touchscreen
  • 2W mono speakers
  • integrated WLAN adapter (802.11 b / g)
  • FM radio tuner
  • rechargeable lithium-ion battery (not included); fully charged for about an hour of running time
  • 1 USB 2.0 high-speed port
  • Stereo headphone output
  • Volume control
  • Accelerometer
  • ABS plastic case
  • USB ethernet compatible
  • dimmable background light
  • about 11 × 9 × 9 cm (W / H / D)

software

Open-source Linux is used as the operating system . Some widgets are preinstalled together with the embedded version of Adobe Flash Player . The widgets also support the control of the underlying hardware and thus offer the possibility, for example, of programming a time-controlled switching on of the device or controlling the software via the acceleration and bending sensors in the housing. The software is using a BitTorrent automatically update clients.

The open source development environment Ming is available under Linux for creating your own Flash widgets ; under Windows the software FlashDevelop , which is also available as open source, is available .

Using a hidden menu, it is also possible to start an SSH server on the Chumby and then log in to it. A keyboard can also be connected to the USB port, whereupon a terminal appears with a root command line with which the Linux system installed on it can be operated. After entering "gcc" the Chumby asks if you want to install a development environment for compiling.

See also

literature

  • Huang, A., 2008. Chumby: An Experiment in Hackable Pervasive Computing . IEEE Pervasive Computing 7, 3 (Jul. 2008), 55-62. doi : 10.1109 / MPRV.2008.45

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Chumby calls it quits . VentureBeat media company. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  2. ↑ Chumby Industries, Inc. . Chumby Industries, Inc .. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  3. ↑ Chumby Industries, Inc. . Chumby Industries, Inc .. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  4. ↑ Browse widgets . Chumby Industries, Inc .. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  5. ↑ Chumby.com Index . Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  6. ^ Chumby HDK License Agreement . Chumby Industries, Inc .. Archived from the original on June 16, 2008. Information: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved June 8, 2008. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.chumby.com
  7. ↑ Add a VGA LCD to a Chumby . Blogger Bunny. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  8. ↑ Improved Battery Pack . Chumby Forum. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  9. ↑ Mobile Chumby . Blogger Bunny. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  10. ↑ Linux gadget to replace the clock radio? . linuxgizmos.com. June 14, 2007. Retrieved March 11, 2008.
  11. ↑ Embedded Flash Homepage . Anand Joshi. Retrieved January 24, 2010.
  12. ^ Ming homepage . Ming project. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  13. ↑ FlashDevelop homepage . Flash Develop. Retrieved January 20, 2010.

Web links

Commons : Chumby  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files