• Registered: 2010-08-13
  • Posts: 89

Topic: New ideas for funding

Seeing all these posts about how Chumby Industries falling apart made me think long and hard about new products.

I noticed on my netbook there is an "Quick Access" button next to the on button. Used to start a linux OS. Well, it kinda sucks, only 4 apps and a lousy browser. I was thinking that if Chumby created their own version of "Quick Access" OS it would be alot better and would reach more customers.

A couple months ago a company put out a refrigerator that had a touchscreen with apps. Not that many apps just 8 or so. Now if Chumby made that refrigerator or partnered up with a refrigerator company their would be loads of apps and functionality.

Adds. I know that nobody wants adds on their chumbies, but for the sake of the company there should be. I can give up 15 measly seconds before I can access my app.

  • Registered: 2012-02-07
  • Posts: 535

Re: New ideas for funding

TBH I'd rather pay a small fee for the Chumby service than see ads.  I would love to see a choice between the two -- default to ad-supported channels, or pay to remove ads.

  • bobsz
  • Blue Buddy
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  • From: Long Beach NY
  • Registered: 2011-01-01
  • Posts: 546

Re: New ideas for funding

This is a great thread- let's try to keep it going. First, I've always wondered why there are no ads on Chumby's web pages or forums. There's an awful lot of blank space on these pages! It seems like it would be a good place for any kind of ads for tech stuff, gadgets, whatever. Even Souceforge has been full of ads for quite a while. I know the visitors to this site aren't a large number, but there are always people looking on this forum- seems like at least 125-160 visitors 24/7. Don't know how many visit the main site. And if the ads were targeted, I think the clickthrough rate could be pretty good. I also didn't mind ads on the Chumby, they just couldn't implement it correctly.  I'd take anything but a buy-out by Google! And, a lot of content providers charge for any kind of content. (I just hope they can keep these servers going. Sad to say, I'm not smart enough to customize alternatives like the off-line firmware.)

Of course, we don't know how much money's in the Chumby pockets. But if it ever ceased being a for-profit, just maybe it could get some money from places like the Linux Foundation.

Since it's open-source, I think the platform will stay around. @phoenixflames is on a great track with using the OS for completely new purposes. The old Chumby hardware guy Bunnie is still cranking out innovations like crazy. I just read he made an open-source Geiger counter.

Hope some other posters chime in with some ideas.

  • Registered: 2010-08-13
  • Posts: 89

Re: New ideas for funding

Another Idea:

Chumby could be marketed for a "Kiosk" device. Instead of companys wasting money on computers they can use a chumby instead. It can show their compays products through a channel, access the companys website, and view pictures of their products.

Cloud to the next level (Android)
I remembered on the chumby.com website that it talked about cloud management etc., but if they could do something like IOS's cloud. For instance, if someone takes a picture or video it can be uploaded and hosted on chumby's server for like $15 a year, but instead of automatically uploading everything, the user can select certain files. But it gets better, an option to download your uploads it to your home computer or chumby or another android device.

  • Registered: 2010-08-13
  • Posts: 89

Re: New ideas for funding

Another Idea:

Smart Calender. The top half is a touch screen to show pictures from sd card, stream rss photos. Bottom half touch quartz calender. When you touch a date you can write or type in your appointment, task, etc. Can have a reminder with alarm that will show show you the task on the top half. Also it will have apps that can show you the weather, sports, traffic news, etc. Can sync to your smartphone/tablet, computer, and facebook

  • Registered: 2010-05-19
  • Posts: 50

Re: New ideas for funding

Redo things from the ground up as far as flash is concerned. Heck, go with android even maybe. Either way, I would think a tablet like device would be cool. I guess it would be like a "docked" tablet. When not in use you could put it on your bedside table and it would function as a picture frame, alarm clock, and all the classic chumby functions. Another idea, and i don't know if it's possible or how well it would even work, but if it was android based you would have access to all the apps in the app store. Maybe you could make it so that the device runs through the different apps the same way that the chumby does. That or i guess it could just run the chumby android app. I don't know, I'm just talking out of my head right now. It would have to have a capacitive touch screen and the ability to function without the internet. Just an idea. Use it as a tablet when you want and then dock it and let it be your awesome, connected, alarm clock and passive internet information delivery device. Easier said than done, just like everything else. Good luck guys. I'm gonna miss chumby.

7 Reply by zurk (edited by zurk 2012-04-21 19:22:18)

  • Registered: 2010-05-10
  • Posts: 222

Re: New ideas for funding

i normally dont participate in discussions like this -- my take is that if it was a viable device it wouldve worked in the market.
that being said, the chumbies are selling remarkably well at the $20-$25 price point for the 3.5" and the $40-$60 price point for the 8 inchers on ebay and amazon. The market obviously exists.
i'm putting my 2c in and saying that if this device can be built with two usb ports, built in random selection of widgets (with the ability to load a different selection using a usb thumbdrive) and functionality as a simple reliable alarm clock then it would sell well at the $25 price point for the 3.5 inch and $50 price for the 8 inch. strip out the LCD and put a el cheapo color eink display, remove backlight and sell some sort of LED strip which attaches on the top for lighting the screen at night, remove everything other than basic ARM cpu with USB, remove the wifi stuff, remove the sd card and just build in 256 meg flash, make it compatible with wifi adaptors on the market and you have something which may sell well. you can strip out the case and mount it in a plexi photo frame as well as an ultra thin device.

basically something like this : http://i00.i.aliimg.com/photo/v0/424340 … _Stand.jpg

  • bobsz
  • Blue Buddy
  • Offline
  • From: Long Beach NY
  • Registered: 2011-01-01
  • Posts: 546

Re: New ideas for funding

How things have changed in a month, huh? In March we were trying to figure ways for Chumby to get some income to stay afloat. Now the end of the company is a done deal, but people are thinking of different ways the platform could have been used or packaged. I guess that's really a compliment to the platform. The funding side also shows how things have changed in the tech world in the past few years. The phone carriers lose money on every iPhone they connect, because their targeted "ad impressions" are so valuable. Same with Google giving away their "free" operating systems and browsers, just in exchange for your privacy. Chumby's recent CEO just didn't seem to have any strategy to make the company viable. He always described himself as "an entrepreneur" so I guess he's got no regrets moving along to more profitable projects.

  • Registered: 2012-04-20
  • Posts: 20

Re: New ideas for funding

For folks like myself who are looking to use these devices as project boxes they are an amazing bargain at the 20-40 dollar level. If you are looking to do something that needs a display, some input, networking and a few other bells and whistles all sitting on a linux foundation ...I tell you it is hard to find something better. The RaspberryPi is 35 bucks but does not have the various bells and whistles built in....Arduinos are for a whole other level deeper into the barebones. For many years now I had always hoped the Chumby boards would make it down the price chain....sadly now that they have the biz is a bust. It is a tough biz to be in..the only upside is the devices will probably bump down in price a bit so folks looking for spares/ project boxes will be happy.

  • bobsz
  • Blue Buddy
  • Offline
  • From: Long Beach NY
  • Registered: 2011-01-01
  • Posts: 546

Re: New ideas for funding

@harmlessgryphon- Thanks, you're certainly right. I think I was just getting sentimental for this safe and private Chumby environment.

  • Registered: 2012-02-07
  • Posts: 535

Re: New ideas for funding

Personally, I only block Flash and other plugin-based ads... while some image ads can be a little annoying, they're very tame (and much safer) compared to Flash-based ads.