Avid Giz readers would know we're quite the fan of the (horribly named) Chumby, so it probably comes as no surprise we chose it for our final Christmas guide hazah. If you are one of the few who haven't heard of it, the hacky-sack-slash-internet-widget , as our ed is want to call it, is an adaptable, wireless multimedia device designed to be hacked and changed by its owners. It's fairly simple to set up, sports a 3.5 inch LCD colour touchscreen and features a whole heap of admirable implementations of simple Web 2.0 things like RSS feeds and social networking. While yes, despite Internode's best efforts, the major flaw remains a lack of local widgets, Giz AU's recently released masterpiece should make it a little easier to justify dropping $299 on this ambiguous- use plush toy.

[Christmas Gift Guide]

Remember late last month when we brought word that Internode was reselling Telstra's ADSL2+ service? Well, they're selling it from today. The pricing looks pretty decent as well - while 2GB for $70 a month doesn't seem like a lot, 55GB for $130 is a pretty good deal, especially when you compare it to the BigPond prices. And while some of you inner suburb dwellers will scoff, remember that some of us out in the outer suburbs have only had once choice for ADSL2+, and that choice being Telstra. Anyway, check out Internode's website to get a full rundown of plans available and see if your exchange is one of the lucky ones.

[Internode]

Great news today for fans of the ABC's iView VOD service, with not one, but two ISPs announcing that they're offering iView content as unmetered downloads. Both Internode and iPrimus join iiNet in offering the national broadcaster's video on demand service, where you can watch any of the six channels available. Now we just need all the other ISPs to follow suit, and add iTunes downloads to the unmetered list as well...

[Internode and iPrimus]

Maybe it's all the cold and flu medication I took last week to try and fight off the summer sniffles that seem to be going around, but I'm actually finding myself not being offended by Telstra's corporate arrogance at the moment. In fact, today I'm actually enjoying it, given the fact that the nation's biggest ISP in BigPond has refused to partake in the Rudd Government's Live trials of mandatory ISP-level internet filtering. Also refusing to take part was Internode, although both Optus and iiNet have agreed to play along, in the case of iiNet to try and prove how unfeasible the plan to filter the net actually is.

Considering BigPond isn't partaking, it begs the question - how can any results be considered accurate if the country's largest ISP wasn't a part of the trials? Isn't it time for Conroy to give up on this whole farce?

If you haven't already, sign the GetUp petition here.

One of the things that is holding back the Chumby in Australia, and something that will influence the review I'm working on, is the lack of Australian content. Almost every single widget available for the malleable internet companion is from the US, and while that means that you can have some cool content (you can stream Pandora radio through Chumby, even though you're in Australia), it is kind of frustrating that there's a dedicated widget for Gizmodo US, but I have to just use the RSS reader for Gizmodo Australia...

Fortunately, Internode has recognised this problem and is running a comp for developers to come up with local applications for the device. Even if you don't own a Chumby, you can still test out your app at Chumby.com, making you eligible for the comp.

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Finally people (like me) stuck in areas where Telstra is the only option for ADSL2+ broadband will get another alternative, with Internode announcing yesterday that they'll be reselling Telstra's wholesale offering. This adds about 900 local exchanges to the 110 that Internode run their own equipment on, plus the 350 that they wholesale from Optus. Hopefully their won't be any price increase for using Telstra's wholesale service, but in any case, Internode's offering is almost certain to be better than what the Big T is offering anyway.

[Internode]

I've been playing with the Chumby Internode sent me to review for about an hour now and despite some early reservations, I'm now completely head over heels in love with the plush Wi-Fi widget.

It's like some kind of high-tech cake, with layer upon layer of fantastic widgets and clever implementations of simple Web 2.0 things like RSS feeds and social networking. After working through the simple setup process and waiting for a relatively quick firmware update, it was a process of discovering just what the Chumby can do. And while I've only scratched the surface in the short time I've been playing with it, my Chumby (affectionately named Chunk) has already become my new alarm clock, internet radio device and de facto Twitter feed reader.

There is a lack of local widgets at the moment - Internode's own offering is a bit disappointing, showcasing only Internode-specific news and their internet radio channels (but you can use Pandora, which is much more comprehensive in its versatility). I'm desperately hoping we can get a Giz AU widget available soon, although at the moment I'm just using the Chumby feed reader to do the job for me.

I'll have a more comprehensive review next week, but as it stands, I'm loving every inch of the Chumby so far...

[Chumby on Giz]

Remember Chumby? That Wi-Fi enabled beanbag widget thing that hit the US back in February? Well it's launching in Australia on Wednesday. Awesome, right? The surprising thing is that it's coming to us not through a regular retailer, but through ISP Internode.

That doesn't mean you need to be an Internode customer to get one though - they'll be completely ISP-agnostic. It'll cost you $299 for the squishy, linux-based device, plus you can pick up a variety of "outfits" for it for $39 each from Internode's website.

At the moment, all the widgets for Chumby are pretty US-centric, but according to APC, Internode are hoping that Australia's tech elite (that's you!) start writing relevant Australian widgets. For its part, Internode will be releasing some Internode-specific applications like Internet radio channels that make the most of their unmetered content.

We're trying to get our hands on a review unit, but if you happen to pick one up before us, let us know what you think. If you're really keen, you can register your interest in the product on Internode's Chumby page.

[Internode via APC]

Most of you download-hungry Gizmodians probably won't be able to make the most of these new entry-level Naked DSL pricings from Internode, but if you have a Nanna somewhere looking for some good value broadbandand VoIP bundles, you might want to point them in this general direction. Essentially, Internode has dropped the price of its entry-level Naked DSL plans to $50.

There are two plans: the Home-NakedExtreme-5 service, which runs of Internode's own equipment and includes 5GB of data, or the Home-Naked-1, which runs of Optus' wholesale equipment and includes 1GB of data. I'm assuming that which option you get depends on where you live and what exchanges Internode's set up on.

On top of these plans you can bundle Internode's Node2Phone VoIP service, with pre-paid bundles starting at $5 a month for $10 worth of calls. And if you exceed your monthly data quota, you'll be happy to know that Internode has doubled the amount of data in their data blocks. So where $5 would have bought you 1GB, it now gives you 2GB.

It's good to see ISPs pushing the naked bandwagon. Now all we need is for one of them to set up their equipment in my local exchange so I can move away from Telstra-run equipment...

[Internode]

Australian hippies and eco-warriors can now enjoy using bittorrent as much as the rest of us. Internode have announced that they are now using 100 percent green power for their offices and data centres around the country, drastically reducing their impact on the environment.

The move to use only renewable energy sources like wind and solar has ensured that their status as a 100% carbon neutral company is maintained. And although there is a 20 percent increase in the cost of Internode's electricity, they currently have no plans to pass that cost onto consumers.

So now Internode customers can happily know that their hours of reading Giz are not only saving the environment, but doing it for the same price, while making you smarter and more attractive to the opposite sex (well, that's what we tell people, anyway).

[Internode]