Chumby
Billed as an Internet alarm clock, Chumby was a small soft beanbag-shaped device that consisted of a 3.5-inch touch-screen LCD, some wireless networking components, and a network of widgets designed to keep you entertained and informed 24 hours a day. Susan Kare, designer of Apple’s original iconic desktop icons, was the company’s creative director. Launched in 2007, the $179 leather-cased device predated the days when everyone had a smartphone on their nightstand. As a result, Chumby hoped to become the go-to gadget for checking news headlines, Letterman’s Top Ten, or the latest Chuck Norris Fact (Chumby was so Aughts it hurt) each morning. Still running the servers to drive Chumby’s software, the company is largely defunct, though it is still selling off used inventory.
