Topic: Chumby-Wear

What if you could put a Chumby on a purse or tote? So the screen faces outside and you can have the screen saver playing while you walk down the street?

This would also be great for nextbus, news, calendar widgets....portable stereo!

The only problem I can think of is the battery life- but maybe if we embedded a rechargeable battery into the tote?

Re: Chumby-Wear

Currently the chumby doesn't have a battery pack. Until someone comes up with an easy hack we are connected to the wall...also it is a wifi device...so for updates we need to keep chumby in a wireless zone...

Then again...with a battery...it would be super cool to read your news in the cafe on your handbag! Definitely wifi available in cafes....

I wonder if it could display a changing set of flickr images that it has already downloaded? Might have to ask the software threaders about that one.

I actually make and sell handbags...so will add ideas as they come...pictures after I get a chumby (maybe they'll get the hint...either that or blacklist me for digital harassment! smile )

Re: Chumby-Wear

Oh dang...when I signed up for the free chumby, my idea was to put it into a bag... maybe I'll try to hack through and put some sort of li-ion battery in it... I'm somewhat decent in hacking..

Re: Chumby-Wear

ShadowRoseKasumi wrote:

Oh dang...when I signed up for the free chumby, my idea was to put it into a bag... maybe I'll try to hack through and put some sort of li-ion battery in it... I'm somewhat decent in hacking..

I think Phillip Torrone from MAKE was planning to embed his chumby into his courier bag and even try to run the whole package using a solar panel (also mounted on the bag). Will be cool to see if he can pull it off!

Joe

5 (edited by ShadowRoseKasumi 2006-08-30 10:07:55)

Re: Chumby-Wear

joegrand wrote:
ShadowRoseKasumi wrote:

Oh dang...when I signed up for the free chumby, my idea was to put it into a bag... maybe I'll try to hack through and put some sort of li-ion battery in it... I'm somewhat decent in hacking..

I think Phillip Torrone from MAKE was planning to embed his chumby into his courier bag and even try to run the whole package using a solar panel (also mounted on the bag). Will be cool to see if he can pull it off!

Joe

I have an old iPod from a few years ago, right before the click wheel died, I got the battery replaced, so it's in good condition. I want to see if I can somehow shove that in the chumby, since the battery is just lying there... I don't have a solar panel since they're expensive >< This would be my cheaper alternative xD

Re: Chumby-Wear

its whether it can push out the 350ma needed by chumby at peak demand.

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: Chumby-Wear

YES!!! I was thinking of solar panels! That's a great idea- and shiny is always fashionable smile

ShadowRoseKasumi wrote:
joegrand wrote:
ShadowRoseKasumi wrote:

Oh dang...when I signed up for the free chumby, my idea was to put it into a bag... maybe I'll try to hack through and put some sort of li-ion battery in it... I'm somewhat decent in hacking..

I think Phillip Torrone from MAKE was planning to embed his chumby into his courier bag and even try to run the whole package using a solar panel (also mounted on the bag). Will be cool to see if he can pull it off!

Joe

I have an old iPod from a few years ago, right before the click wheel died, I got the battery replaced, so it's in good condition. I want to see if I can somehow shove that in the chumby, since the battery is just lying there... I don't have a solar panel since they're expensive >< This would be my cheaper alternative xD

Re: Chumby-Wear

Good luck figuring out how to charge the ipod battery and installing it, etc >__<

~Ryan~

Re: Chumby-Wear

I really doubt the battery will be powerful enough. A good battery for this aplication may be the Sony infolithium, thats a standard for portable making.
I think the easiest thing to integrate a chumby in would be a backpack. Large, simple, useful.

Re: Chumby-Wear

Good luck figuring out how to charge the ipod battery and installing it, etc >__<

Seriously. Most of those iPod batteries use LiPoly cells, which are much harder to charge and need an even more specialized charging circuit than the one I picked from Analog Devices that can charge LiON batteries. Then again if you were really determined you could go through the iPod and find the charging circuit and buy whatever chip it's using to do it.

Sony infolithium

After Sony's big battery recall, I will never buy a Sony battery again. Ever. The battery pack I designed for Chumby uses LG batteries that are pretty industry standard for making battery packs; they're smaller than InfoLiths and cheaper to boot. I'm currently working on the PCB design for the charger, but I've been stalling to wait for the schematic for default daughtercard to become available so I can integrate the charger with it. I'm also working on breadboarding the prototype charging circuit but I haven't had any time to work on it yet this week.

For more information, check out the Power thread in hardware, I'll post everything I'm working on there.

11 (edited by chumbawomba 2007-03-02 15:44:50)

Re: Chumby-Wear

Advances in Li-poly construction have led to HUGE increases in capacity and abilities to deliver current. See this site for example. http://www.cheapbatterypacks.com/main.asp
Large Cap Lipo batteries are widely used in the consumer market of radio control toys and some military apps. The problem, of course, is the rather strict charging schemes they require and the dire consequences when the schemes are ignored (KA_BOOM!).
I would like to explore the possibilities of compartmentalizing portable power for the Chumby as I have some extensive experience with lithium energy sources.
I am currently exploring Lithium sulfur cells that do not explode under high discharge conditions.

May I please have a Chumby for this exploration?

Re: Chumby-Wear

Hi chumbawomba

You can pitch your ideas for chumby through the chumby home page.

Re: Chumby-Wear

It's funny, because these are way too understated for me. I wanted a big ole chumby thingie on it.

Re: Chumby-Wear

I never wear t-shirts with the logo dead centre, for some reason. Bu I like the fact they're from Alternative Apparel