• Registered: 2008-12-14
  • Posts: 1

Topic: Chumby Impressions & Requests

Ok - First off - THIS THING ROCKS!!!  Lets make it perfect!!
Start up & getting running...  fine - a tad technical... maybe;
*  add a USB connection to connect to a PC to getting it configured and going using a cd plus a wizard - TEAMWORK!
*  iPod compatibility - uh - you have a touch screen - create a screen LIKE the iPod Screen but SMALL, and remotely control the device directly - don't read the songs from it.  Charge it etc... Don't try to access it like iTunes - which is why you can't read the new ones.   Control it/Interface it a little.  Be more compatible.  If my wifes boom box is not complex, and can do it, why can't the Chumby?

Ok - ALARM notes;
*  WHY IS THE DANG SNOOZE BUTTON ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN?!?!  Dead Center is "Turn Off alarm" OUCH!!!  Can we make a MAJORITY of the screen SNOOZE - if you're more awake (hey - consolation for making the snooze button the control panel!), click the CORNER to disable the alarm.  Also - Something different from the backup alarm.  Kinda like a "Make Sure I'm awake by 20 minutes after the hour or I'm going to get mad ..." or something.  Also - can there be a "listen to radio!" button - once in a while, I want to listen to the radio while getting ready.  My point, this is WAY more then a clock radio - we can make sure people are awake.  How about key in "xxx" to stop BACKUP alarm - "123" 3 digit code to indicate that YOU'RE AWAKE (maybe...)

it DOES need a battery backup.  How often does it set itself?  Also my dang Internet was giving me grief (don't ask!) - so Chumby went into a little shock ASKING for internet connection - uh - how about a local network status channel in addition to the default clock?  Kinda like a "hey - I'm sick - here's the symptoms"

I'll think of more...

  • Registered: 2008-10-17
  • Posts: 203

Re: Chumby Impressions & Requests

1. you can listen to music on chumby
2. squishing the top also means snooze
3. you can buy the ER-PHOTO for about $50 from amazon.  It gives 2-4 hours of use and fits inside the chumby.

  • Duane
  • Duane
  • Blue Octy
  • Offline
  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2006-08-24
  • Posts: 8,197

Re: Chumby Impressions & Requests

andrewbytes wrote:

*  add a USB connection to connect to a PC to getting it configured and going using a cd plus a wizard - TEAMWORK!

We're really not interested in getting into the desktop software business - we'd have to make clients for the various incarnations of Windows, Macs, Linux, etc, since we have *many* users running those operating systems.  If we were to do anything like this, it would be to access the device through a browser, which is platform neutral.  In my opinion, too many device require Windows to configure them, and it's often completely unnecessary.

*  iPod compatibility - uh - you have a touch screen - create a screen LIKE the iPod Screen but SMALL, and remotely control the device directly - don't read the songs from it.  Charge it etc... Don't try to access it like iTunes - which is why you can't read the new ones.   Control it/Interface it a little.  Be more compatible.  If my wifes boom box is not complex, and can do it, why can't the Chumby?

You'll also notice that your wife's boombox has a special connector, not USB, to support the iPod (the USB cable that comes with the iPod does not carry all of the signals, just USB) - it also has a license from Apple for all of the proprietary information required to support it, which isn't free.  If we did that, it would increase the cost of the device, and require us to close all of the software in order to comply with the license.

*  WHY IS THE DANG SNOOZE BUTTON ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN?!?!  Dead Center is "Turn Off alarm" OUCH!!!  Can we make a MAJORITY of the screen SNOOZE - if you're more awake (hey - consolation for making the snooze button the control panel!), click the CORNER to disable the alarm.  Also - Something different from the backup alarm.  Kinda like a "Make Sure I'm awake by 20 minutes after the hour or I'm going to get mad ..." or something.  Also - can there be a "listen to radio!" button - once in a while, I want to listen to the radio while getting ready.  My point, this is WAY more then a clock radio - we can make sure people are awake.  How about key in "xxx" to stop BACKUP alarm - "123" 3 digit code to indicate that YOU'RE AWAKE (maybe...)

As noted, you can simply use the top sensor for snooze, which is easier than either on-screen button.   The rest of the suggestions will be forwarded to Product Management.

it DOES need a battery backup.  How often does it set itself?  Also my dang Internet was giving me grief (don't ask!) - so Chumby went into a little shock ASKING for internet connection - uh - how about a local network status channel in addition to the default clock?  Kinda like a "hey - I'm sick - here's the symptoms".

The clock resets itself against the network at least once a day.  When the network disappears, we show a clock - unfortunately, there really isn't too much we can do to diagnose a network problem outside of the device without the network connection in question.  It's a bit like asking what's behind a closed door.

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