It isn't hard to tell that one of my interest points is the concept of a non-computer information device. I've previously labeled these devices hardware widgets, after the widgets (gadgets, etc...) that have become so common on desktop computers over the last few years.

The great thing about widgets is that they tend to do a simple task very well. I have desktop widgets that show me the weather, the time, recent pictures from my flickr account, and a month calendar. The month calendar is an interesting widget because of it's usefulness. Pre-Widgets, the easiest way to get a month calendar was to double click the time in the system tray, bringing up the window that allows me to change the date or time on my system. I never actually change it, but just use it for reference and then close it again. Opening up a system time change dialog just to see what day the 17th is this month was a terrible misuse of system utility, but it was the easiest way to get the info. The month widget gives me a way to get the same info without abusing a system utility and risk setting the system time to something odd by accident.

Hardware widgets are cool, as I've mentioned previously, but fresh on my mind is how cool the concept of widgets can be on Google's Android cell phone platform. I frequently turn on the computer in the morning to check the weather forcast. How stupid is that? While thinking about what I would want my cellphone to do, I concluded that many of my items were things currently handled best by widgets of some sort. The Weather forecast, stock quotes, website stats, and sports scores would be handled beautifully well on a cell phone as a widget. I could grab my phone in the morning and quickly see what to wear, how my website is doing, progress of the stock market, and other useful things that are nice to know at the start of my day.

Widgets can really just be applications, but applications specifically designed to solve a single information need. Installing just my favorite widgets on my phone will make it a truly powerful hardware widget, and one that I keep with me all the time. My desire for a Chumby or Widget Station has just been replaced by the desire for a more flexible cell phone.