Topic: Widgets/features

I've read all the posts here, and the ideas of everyone, from a practical standpoint, just wanted to summarize what I've gleaned, and what I feel would be the most useful in general:

- Store your zipcode, and have an anytime weather report
- Have a quick browser for text of top news headlines (if it can be done for cell phones/google mobile, this would be really cool, as it's the first thing I would look for. Just maybe text is fine.
- Get onto shoutcast as part of the music alarm, with the station of your choice
- Since some people have their alarm clocks beep on the hour, have a nice hourly flash video (only after a set "wakeup time" and before "bedtime") play a video off the chumby server, pertinent to season, holiday, etc, with theme selected by user (nature. kids, pets, spiritual, etc., even ads which would be streamed and in turn reduce premium service costs for poor users).
- If used in the kitchen, as many folks may do, have also a text based recipe hint show up, pertinent to time of day, and save the users' prefs if they ever want to see that one again. There are huge recipe db's on the web, and the text could be gleaned for chumby.
- Be able to play and navigate though mp3 collections on USB drives, and have a speaker jack for external amplified speakers.
- Be able to read a book, even if the user has it on some USB drive format (pdf, etc), and possibly convert it to a chumby-simple file on the fly, text with pagination. Other non-pdf formats too.
- Have a way to create shopping lists, reminders, schedule stuff, etc., perhaps in conjunction with USB drive, and an easy way to pull them up, also with sound and auto-reminders (if turned on) for appointments, etc., like a daily/weekly to-do list, etc.
-Have a chat client (gaim, etc.)

Re: Widgets/features

It would be nice to be able to get up, pick up my chumby, and see the weather for the day/week, and some news headlines.
I also would like to be able to read books with it, so I can say lay on my bed and read one of the various PDF's I've downloaded.
Chat clients though perhaps should stick with other devices. Since the keyboard hasn't been fully sorted yet, it would just be a pain.

Oh, and the chumby has a headphones out jack, so with a converter you can plug it into an amp, or plug it into powered speakers that support a normal stereo jack, for example, computer speakers.

Re: Widgets/features

I'm definitely keen for the reading pdfs thing to happen. That is a big priority for me...FYI we have posts elsewhere on this. See the "E-books - is this possible?" thread in Feedback and Suggestions.

Also, I have been collaborating informally with a team working on a personal organisation program. They are implementing outputs of tasklists into pdf. It would be good to be able to get the program which sits on my desktop to send my todo list to my chumby for a quick review when I wake up.

I could slowly wake up with my todo list and news headlines...nice music...and be focused on the day ahead before my feet hit the floor. (Maybe a warning message like 'Remember don't trip over that ethernet cable you strung across the doorway!' might also be a practical use for chumby!) smile

Re: Widgets/features

I would also like(although im sure this is probably not likely) but to have a skype wideget and a built in mic.

Also some sort of music streaming widget should be devoloped, so you can somehow access the music on your PC or Mac in the house and play it on your chumby, as well as go through your music, maybe pick tommarows wake up toon. A search function for this would be extremly helpful, for those of us with large music libraries.

Also can this thing multitask? That would be a very handy feature...

Re: Widgets/features

^^

music is a possibility. chumby has an NFS client. no all that is needed is a widget, and an NFS server for windows.

need upload space for the forums or a chumby blog? right here then
http://www.nophus.com/useru
username is chumby
password is chumby

Re: Widgets/features

"Widget?"
"Is that a type of dessert, like a donut?"
"Um....no!"

(sorry) Man I love all this hype over a clock. OMG i really cant wait till day 1 release. Thinking of getting 2? (sorry)