[HN Gopher] Upgrading my old Chumby 8 Linux kernel
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Upgrading my old Chumby 8 Linux kernel
Author : terinjokes
Score : 73 points
Date : 2022-12-20 10:18 UTC (12 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (www.downtowndougbrown.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (www.downtowndougbrown.com)
| Gys wrote:
| Wow, I thought I misread but this is really about Chumby! I still
| have an original one. Used it for weather and stuff at the time.
| Not very useful now, but did not know they had several follow up
| versions, cool! Still like the idea.
| pjsg wrote:
| My original (Leather covered) Chumby is still my alarm clock.
| The display is no longer as good as it once was, but it keeps
| working! Of course, it never had power fail recovery (or
| battery backup), so if you lose power in the middle of the
| night, then your alarm doesn't work in the morning.
| dstaley wrote:
| Everytime I'm reminded of the Chumby, I'm saddened that there
| isn't a modern version with an open development SDK. While Nest
| Hubs and Echo Shows are now available dirt cheap, they're all
| just e-waste waiting to happen. I wish there was a cheap, highly
| available device with similar specs (WiFi, Bluetooth, nice
| displays, microphone, maybe cameras) that it was trivially easy
| to put your own software onto.
| duskwuff wrote:
| > I wish there was a cheap, highly available device with
| similar specs (WiFi, Bluetooth, nice displays, microphone,
| maybe cameras) that it was trivially easy to put your own
| software onto.
|
| You mean like an Android tablet?
| dstaley wrote:
| No, something more akin to a smart display without a battery
| and a chassis that works well for being on a shelf or
| nightstand.
| ChuckMcM wrote:
| That does kind of describe the modern "cheap" android
| infrastructure. (caveat the battery, which after a bunch of
| years is useless anyway :-)) The other "modern" alternative
| to this is an HDMI display with a Raspberry Pi mounted to
| the back[1].
|
| One could 3D print a different frame in order to mount
| speakers and a web camera, but that isn't really off the
| shelf any more at that point.
|
| [1] https://www.seeedstudio.com/raspberry-pi-ips-hdmi-
| display is an example.
| MayeulC wrote:
| wouldn't most old smartphones fit the bill? With either stock
| Android or postmarketos.
| duskwuff wrote:
| Oh wow! I left this project by the wayside a _long_ time ago; I
| 'm astonished that someone was able to pick it up and make it do
| something useful. :)
| threeio wrote:
| Loved my chumbies... I grabbed a few of the Sony branded ones and
| they were fantastic for music, Netflix and Chumby flash apps for
| a long time.
| ChuckMcM wrote:
| This is such a trip, I've got a number of Chumbies (Chumbys?) of
| the original OMAP processor variety. I even have a "Chumby Guts"
| kit that I got from Adafruit back in the day which has all the
| parts, minus the squishy case!
|
| They are a great tool for this kind of project because learning
| about building embedded Linux systems is easier with something
| that has all the parts already put together for you (it's just
| software at that point).
|
| It also shows how fleeting in time technology is. Building an
| equivalent today is certainly possible, but the parts you would
| use for it would be out of date/obsolete in a couple of years so
| no real "durability" to the existence of the tool.
|
| The biggest challenge is of course display tech. Displays are all
| custom made these days for products that have runs in the
| millions, there hasn't really existed a "standardized" parts eco-
| system for them. I had hoped the phone business might provide
| that but nope.
| kraquepype wrote:
| Why I am just learning of this... the box is priceless.
|
| "it has the WiFi's!!"
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(page generated 2022-12-20 23:00 UTC)