Chumby, the Internet widget platform, pretty much telegraphed their move from dedicated info stations into connected television products nearly two years ago. And we’ve finally started seeing the fruits of their labor, such as that Best Buy TiVo television and the Pace cable set-top.
But, beyond licensing their platform, Chumby will also be rolling out their very own NeTV connected television device this fall. As Engadget points out, it’s pronounced “Any TV” as this little gadget performs the nifty Google TV-esque trick in sitting between your cable box and any television. By connecting in this manner, NeTV will overlay Internet content on top of your television programming and the primary feature is an adjustable (size, location, content) ticker of Internet and/or phone-based data. Additionally, folks with Android and iPhone devices can maximize NeTV’s capabilities by sharing photos or webpages from the small screen onto your presumable larger television. Like prior Chumby initiatives, NeTV is openly extensible and developers can run wild.
The question that remains… How much are you willing to pay for this sort of solution?