Topic: Another article about we're cool but dead

Here's a nice article acknowledging our place as an ancestor of the Amazon Echo Show.

https://thenextweb.com/gadgets/2017/06/ … w_RQJqEvTY

While these articles are nice, they always seem to inevitably say we're not here any more.

This one is a bit weirder than most since it acknowledges the fact that the service is live, and even links to the site, the forum, etc, but still pretty much declares that we're completely dead.  This article even labels the time of our final demise ("swan song") as when I brought the service back.  I'm having trouble following the narrative there.

As most of you know, the current service is nearly the same as it was when Chumby Industries was in business.  The only major difference is the addition of the subscription - not something that's at all rare nowadays.  It's not like your phone works, or you can watch Netflix movies without one.  It's just a different revenue model, and one that's worked solidly for three years now - it's what's financing my work to also save the Sony dash from extinction.

I don't think Chumby Industries actually filed for bankruptcy.  It was put in the hands of a company to be liquidated to pay back vendors - they're the folks from whom I bought the assets - but the company may actually still be "alive" even if just as a file in a drawer in a file cabinet at some law firm somewhere.  The operational side of Chumby is here at Blue Octy, not in that drawer.

Re: Another article about we're cool but dead

Overall, IMO, although not entirely factual, the article was mostly charitable to the Chumby label. (I don't think the media writers can get it completely right most times anyway)
If you could add a comment to this article, I think you could quote Mark Twain. "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated".
Maybe the author is showing his own bias that HE has moved on from seeing that the Chumby was a credible device.
It did occur to me that the NEW Amazon Echo Show is sort of a next generation Chumby on steroids. I actually like the Alexa concept. Some think it is too invasive. I bought the *puck* or the Dot as Amazon calls it. I kept for a short time and it started to misfunction so I returned it.
I think I will wait until the price comes down on the Show to get one. I like the video calling idea. (You can block the video and only do audio calls).
I wonder if it is time for a Kickstarter project to revive the Chumby to compete with this unit. I really like the looks of the Chumby3.

Owner of 3 Sony Dash, 2 Info 8.

Re: Another article about we're cool but dead

I have working designs for new chumbys - it's really a matter of pulling the trigger and generating the funding.

One could think of Amazon as validating the market - even if not a dominant player, I think chumby could generate enough interest to be sustainable - straddling the gap between the Raspberry Pi/Maker ecosystem and the Amazon/Google products.

Re: Another article about we're cool but dead

I don't really like engaging directly with these guys - in my experience they'd rather dig in than admit sloppy research.  There was another journalist I've been talking to that did an autopsy on us and made some pretty glaringly incorrect statements - he assumed we were dead because *his* chumby wasn't working and apparently sourced the rest from the Wikipedia article on Chumby.

I just wish that one of these guys would simply pick up the phone or send me any email if they want to know what's actually going on.  I'm ridiculously easy to find.

Re: Another article about we're cool but dead

A new Chumby would be amazing! Not sure how easy it would actually be though. Compatibility between old and new, deciding what to add to the new versions, what to delete (if anything), getting developers to write new apps, getting the general public to understand what a Chumby is (and what it is not), pricing to make it competitive with Google, Amazon, Apple products, etc.
Considering how many people use their Chumby/Dash as an alarm clock radio on steroids, would a potential new Chumby have better sound? Even the slim chance this could be a thing has me excited.

Tar, feathers, congress. Some assembly required.

Re: Another article about we're cool but dead

You gotta do this! The Chumby View.

Owner of 3 Sony Dash, 2 Info 8.

Re: Another article about we're cool but dead

I am not sure the author of the article was referencing the existing service or the original Chumby organization when he states,

"The swan song for the Chumby came the following year, when Maxwell resurrected the device’s online service with a $3 monthly fee."

I think the author is comparing the original Chumby service which was free and owned by Chumby to Blue Octy which has a cost to get the full potential of the Chumby device. Chumby the company ceased to exist.

Just my take on the article but I do agree it is confusing if you did not follow the history of the Chumby.

Re: Another article about we're cool but dead

at least, he didn't just leave it there, there was another paragraph about picking up used chumbys and subscribing to the service.

Cleaning up any loose bits and bytes.

Re: Another article about we're cool but dead

Duane wrote:

This one is a bit weirder than most since it acknowledges the fact that the service is live, and even links to the site, the forum, etc, but still pretty much declares that we're completely dead.  This article even labels the time of our final demise ("swan song") as when I brought the service back.  I'm having trouble following the narrative there.

Standards in journalism are not what they used to be (or perhaps not what we imagine that they used to be). The writer does not seem to understand what 'swan song' means.
The sentence "The swan song for the Chumby came the following year, when Maxwell resurrected the device’s online service with a $3 monthly fee" doesn't make sense if you take 'swan song' as having its generally accepted meaning of a final performance or accomplishment before death, retirement or similar.
One of the intrinsic qualities of a swan song is that the death or retirement must have either happened or be clearly signalled as imminent. For example, a living artist could announce his retirement by saying that the piece he is currently working on will be his swan song.
At some time in the future, the current resurrection of the Chumby service could be described as its swan song, but it is inaccurate to describe it as such now.

Re: Another article about we're cool but dead

well put

Owner of 3 Sony Dash, 2 Info 8.