Chumby Looks To Be Getting Chummy With Broader Software Development

So, the Chumby came out awhile ago. It's this little box-like device that pulls information off the internet, like weather, news, and sports updates, and then displays them in Flash format in real-time. It was a pretty original idea, and while it may not have been the sharpest looking thing on the block, its functionality was close to making it worth it. Especially if you don't like alarm clocks, and can't afford the alternative. But, apparently the hardware wasn't the top of the pick for many, and so Chumby is moving over onto the software front, hoping to make a name for itself.

Company executives at Chumby are hoping to ascertain a wider platform as they look to put the Chumby software on other gadgets, and therefore create a "powered by Chumby" brand. Which, for all intents and purposes, is probably better than banking on the $200 Chumby launched back in February of 2008, which is also available in Japan, the UK, and Australia. It's a good strategy to focus on expanding the brand, and not simply pushing the hardware. By doing this, Chumby can see more market appeal, as it may appear on more familiar brands, which people feel "safer" buying.

It looks like Chumby is in talks with Samsung, Sony, Broadcom, and Marvell to be included in digital picture frames, TVs and Blu-Ray players. And if you aren't excited enough yet, Chumby-powered products are set to appear some time later this year, probably by the holiday season, and in a digital frame. Let's hope that Chumby can find a way to stream photos from Flickr, as well as include some other features like internet radio and weather all in one package. That would be a photo frame worth staring at for hours.

[via Wired]