INTERNET BEANBAG

I got a Chumby. Read this review if you don't know what I'm talking about.

It's a snazzy and squishy and adorable 'lil lump of technology, which I bought ostensibly to replace my alarm clock.

It does other neat stuff, too, because it's an "always-on, always-connected" WiFi internet device that can run any sort of Flash "widget" that people want to write for it, all available for free at Chumby.com, where you manage your new squeezable buddy via the web and add whatever functions you want it to do.

And there's a lot. As of this moment, my Chumby (which I've named "bumbles") is displaying a rotating plethora of choices from my many intarwebz, including my Flickr stream, my eBay watch list, my Facebook and RSS feeds, and some news and weather. Oh, and it also tells time, and wakes me up with internet radio or tracks from my iPod.

Pros: totally open system that the creators are encouraging people to hack and improve. New widgets arriving all the time, doing all sorts of useful (and useless) things. Lovely packaging (it shipped in that sack in the pic), and a very Apple-like "out-of-box" user experience (very stripped-down manual and ridiculously easy setup). Way cute.

Cons: only uses AC adapter! (for now), no battery available! (yet) -- it would be MUCH more useful if it had a battery, and could move from room to room for short periods (internet radio while you're in the shower or the kitchen, etc. etc.). A tad pricey at $179... they'd fly off the shelves if they were $99.

DO YOU LIKE THIS CORSAGE? IT'S VERY DRAMATIC

I have the best co-workers ever. Let me explain.

A few months ago, I was quite surprised to find out that no-one here in the office had heard of Brenda Dickson. Accordingly, I filled in my gay responsibilities and spread the clip around the office -- and now, we all greet each other with a flat, drama-free "Well, Hello." Eventually, I also showed everyone the hilarious parody, which resulted in an ongoing series of office-wide jokes involving pantyhose in open-toed shoes, and nibbling on nests of baby birds.

Flash forward to this weekend, and I've been invited to go with a group of co-workers to the THEA awards, which is sort of like the theme park Oscars. We're not winning anything -- we're just going to represent Thinkwell and network and mingle. Lo and behold, my queer karma has returned to me in spades -- in preparation for the event tomorrow (which is black-tie) some of my co-workers made me this lovely wrist corsage. As if that wasn't enough, it came in a gift box that had its very own embedded audio clip on a tiny little player built into the box (click here to hear it).

I am completely overwhelmed and humbled by their (twisted) attention to details.

FENTIX CUBE

Ooooh. Sort of a virtual rubik's cube, but way cooler. Click the pic for more info and a video from creator Andrew Fentem -- and be sure to check out his other virtual interfaces and motion-tracking kinetic surfaces. Seriously cool stuff.