After about an hour of playtime with the final version of the squishable $180 Wi-Fi widget ball chumby, I want one on my desk. Is it essential gadgetry? No. It's not meant to be. Until you're addicted to it.

If you're not familiar with the basic premise, chumby is a Wi-Fi gadget with a touchscreen centered around widgets. Think little snippets of the internet that it automatically picks up after you've subscribed to them, kind of like mini-channels. Like Chuck Norris facts. Or the weather, or Facebook, which has a pretty rich widget actually—you can add or delete friends, check out pictures or whatever. You don't pay a monthly subscription for access.

The Chumby Store: http://www.chumby.com/