Web browser on the Infocast

A couple months back, Name that Ware featured the Insignia Infocast by Best Buy Exclusive Brands. While it’s marketed as a device for viewing chumby apps and sharing photos, as far as the DIY crowd is concerned, the Infocast is a $169, 800 MHz linux machine with an SVGA touchsreen, 128 MB of DDR2, and a 2GB disk drive.

An example of the versatility of the platform is hb‘s recent port of the Qt UI framework running webkit to the Infocast, pictured running above. For those who want to build it themselves, there are instructions on the chumby wiki and a forum for questions; or you can just download a pre-packaged binary image that you can uncompress to a USB thumb drive, toss it into one of the ports on the back, reboot and use. Note that the implementation assumes a USB keyboard plugged for text input.

Of course, this is just scratching the surface on what you can do with the platform. There are folks working on porting Android and OpenEmbedded, and the hardware reference schematics are available for those inclined to the soldering iron.

39 Responses to “Web browser on the Infocast”

  1. Gip says:

    But Bunnie, how are we going to get it in europe? Please, resell it on the chumby shop… I want it!

  2. Hello Bunnie!
    It is a fun little tool! I look forward to seeing what the many developers come up with, for it. Definitely interested in the Droid functionality.
    Kind regards.

  3. ERock says:

    Does this make any permanent changes or will it forget it ever ran if I just remove the external USB drive?

  4. Shady says:

    Love the Infocast so far. I’ll have to try the browser and see if it works well with MiCasaVerde’s Vera for Home Automation and Control. Also see how it works with my IP Camera’s. The Infocast is the pefect bed-side solution for total control and connectivity at the perfect price. Hopefully the Infocast gets a huge dose of modding as I have hit a limit with my eeepc 700.

  5. David says:

    I’m extremely in interested on getting Android onto this device, but couldnt find anything on the forum. Do you have a link for such project? Thanks!

  6. Dafydd Roche says:

    Can it run EMC2? I’m wondering if I could use it as a CNC front-end. :)

  7. Braulio Herrera Gutiérrez says:

    HELLO ALL

    I WANT TO BUY 2 INFOCAT’S BUT I CAN NOT FIND IT IN MEXICO “BEST BUY” SHOP’S. I ALREADY GO TO 2 SHOP’S BUT IS IMPOSSIBLE OF FIND.

    ¿ANYONE KNOW WHEN IT WILL BE SELLING IN MEXICO?

    SORRY FOR ENGLISH

    THANK YOU

    Kindly,

    Braulio Herrera Gutiérrez

    • Rob Sharp says:

      Buenas, Braulio

      No estoy seguro, pero creo que no se vende esta portatil en mexico,¿ pero puedes comprar una de best buy en el red? Yo vivo en inglaterra, y no es possible para comprar la infocat en mi pais, que pena. Se debe enviar un email a best buy con su pregunta. Lo siento mucho de la calidad de mi espanol, y la falta de punctuaction – mi ordenador no le gusta la lengua…!

      Buena suerte!

      Rob Sharp

  8. […] simple media device being sold at Best Buy. Marketed as a way to share photos and run Chumby apps, hackers are starting to release packages to extend its features. [Bunnie] shows us one package in particular that allows it to be used as a web browser with an […]

  9. orvtech says:

    I want in!!! i have been looking for a replacement of my NSLU2 a long time… it would be awesome to have a screen so i can display real time traffic statistics

  10. bugaboo says:

    HACKADAY.COM

  11. […] you want to take a shot at it, there are instructions on the Chumby wiki and more information on Huang’s blog. For text input, though, you will have to use an USB keyboard plugged into the […]

  12. clamshell says:

    I again come, please support!

  13. […] September 16, 2010 by roscoer Leave a Comment From BestBuy, comes a device based on the cool Chumby.  I saw from Wired.com originally, but it links to Bunnie Huang’s excellent site. […]

  14. […] simple media device being sold at Best Buy. Marketed as a way to share photos and run Chumby apps, hackers are starting to release packages to extend its features. [Bunnie] shows us one package in particular that allows it to be used as a web browser with an […]

  15. […] the penetrate is assumingly a sincerely easy process. According to the Bunnie Studios blog–home of Chumby co-founder Bunnie Huang–some […]

  16. […] Teleread, via Wired and via Bunny's Blog] RELATED STORIES Air Display for iPad reviewed: make your iPad a secondary […]

  17. […] Instruction on how to prepare the hack are available from the bunnie website and Chumby […]

  18. […] instrucciones completas de cómo realizar el corte están disponibles en los sitios bunnie y Chumby […]

  19. Instruction on how to prepare the hack are available from the bunnie website and Chumby wumby.

  20. […] want to try this hack (and not for the timid or anyone who is concerned about warranties), go here for more […]

  21. […] full instruction, please head on to Bunnie’s blog or Chumby Wiki. Quite a good weekend DIY […]

  22. Anonymous Coward says:

    First use for this that comes to mind, is as a kick ass master VoIP Phone Console.

  23. […] instrucciones completas de cómo realizar el corte están disponibles en los sitios bunnie y Chumby […]

  24. Neil Garcia says:

    Hello,

    Would this web browser hack work on a Sony Dash?

    I await for your response.

    Neil

  25. I would like to buy it… but i’m in Europe too :| discrimination :P :P

  26. shdw says:

    So are they really working on android on this??!?! Make this beyatch a droid tablet for $169 that shit will be hot!

  27. […] you want to take a shot at it, there are instructions on the Chumby wiki and more information on Huang’s blog. For text input, though, you will have to use an USB keyboard plugged into the […]

  28. I like this webbrowser.Where can i buy?

  29. […] brand in Best Buy are on sale for Black Friday. The original 8″ Infocast device — an 800 MHz linux PC with an 8″ SVGA LCD and touchscreen — is rumored to be on sale for as low as $99 in […]

  30. TwIzTeD says:

    Any progress with getting the android os on the infocast. I love the device but not partial to the chumby linux at all. Just curious. I’d love to work on it myself but I need to go back to school first.

    Thanks

  31. Bly says:

    Thank you for all that you did to make these devices a reality! After hearing they were being discontinued I purchased my 2nd through 4th units, one of which I opened up. Upon doing so I found your signature there, and recalled seeing this site about the web browser. YOU ROCK!!! This device is so excellent it deserves a community portal to itself, especially if the promised Android and/or OpenEmbedded projects ever come to fruition.

  32. Bawb says:

    It’s a decent device, but I wonder why nobody’s put Android on the damn thing.

  33. Phreon says:

    Just picked one up from Best Buy for $79 shipped with tax. Looking forward to putting the browser on it.

    Thanks for all of the info on the hacks. Too much fun.

  34. I will immediately grab your rss feed as I can not find your e-mail subscription link or newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Kindly let me know so that I could subscribe. Thanks.

  35. Maddy says:

    Hello, great Blog, should be developed! I have bookmarked for future reference! All the best for the future