Switched On: The Ambient Dashboard moves the needles

Every Wednesday Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a weekly column about the future of technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:

The first Switched On that discussed Ambient Devices - the company that was heretofore known for its luminous Orb and Beacon monitoring devices - focused on the potential of wireless data around the home rather than on one's wrist. The company's 5-day weather forecasting device, being rolled out by Radio Shack, offered a better value than its radiant radios that were described by one reader as "a one-pixel monitor."

Now, Ambient has released its most ambitious information appliances with the Dashboard, which uses three VU meter-like displays to show the status of a wide variety of information. Its three slots are configurable by putting in any of 30 clear plastic FaceCards that ship with the product that reflect changes in basic data such as temperature forecasts, precipitation, and stock indices.

If you have the spare desk space, the the elegant Dashboard fixture is a good deal classier than the gaudy distractions you�ll find at The Sharper Image. The device lacks even a power button. The product�s facade includes a few icons that glow dimly in its lower left corner and the company logo in the lower right corner. Most of its front surface is dedicated to three large brown status needles that can move within a 90-degree field to indicate the status of whatever FaceCard you�ve inserted. Two storage bins on top of the unit�s rear can accommodate up to 14 additional FaceCards.

Meat Loaf might bemoan that there is no paradise by this Dashboard light as it lacks any kind of illumination, making it hard to see in the dark. An undocumented connector on its back will, like most undocumented connectors, likely remain unused.

The Dashboard comes nicely packaged with minimal but helpful and somewhat surprisingly necessary documentation. If the product is confined to just its basic cards, it�s a breeze to set up. Plug it in or install batteries, wait a few minutes for it to acquire a radio signal containing the data, and pop in the cards. Of the 10 cards that don�t require an additional charge, five are used to configure the weather forecast you receive. A companion booklet reveals which card to use depending on where you live. All in all, the free content offerings bundled with the Dashboard seemed a bit thin, but still make for a more versatile offering than Ambient�s other products.

Changing cards is simple. In a sign that Ambient has sweat the details, their backs are textured while their fronts are smooth, helping you know without looking which side is the front. Their insertion yields a a soft snapping sound and feel that�s reminiscent of inserting a videogame cartridge. Unlike cartridges, though, FaceCards have no silicon in them. Instead, they use a row of 10 punch card-like holes and grooves that uniquely identify them to the system, offering more than 1,000 card possibilities. Removing cards was sometimes tricky, though; the finger wells are a bit narrow.

True to Ambient�s philosophy of �glanceable� clock-like technology, the Dashboard could not be less intrusive. Its needles move silently in response to gradual changes in the information it receives. The one hardware glitch occurs if the device can�t access a premium channel. The needle that should be measuring it flops around like a fish out of water, making a clicking sound that is guaranteed to drive one mad within three minutes. Ambient should have simply assured that errors were confined to its red error status light.

However, without content, the Dashboard is merely a $150 paperweight. Next week�s column will focus on the content available for the product, its subscriptions, Web configuration, and implications of its wireless delivery system.

[n8 @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

Wah? We have to wait a week for a review of the content on this device? What's up with that? Run out of keystrokes this week or something?

I love the idea of this device, and I like that it doesn't have to be connected to a PC, but charging for the content and not being able to configure the content makes it much less appealing. I'd rather have it unwired with BT or WiFi so that I could control the content myself, and not have to pay for the service.

[lupinstel @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

subscription service..no thanks.

[geekmorgan @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

It takes my radio controlled clock at least 2 days to get a signal when I replace the batteries, I can't imagine this being worthwhile in my apartment if the weather is 2 days behind. It would be much better as a simple USB device, or BT or wifi. I'd love to be able to add my own meters and set them manually - like mood, or where my libido is at.

[MikeV @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

He's probably waiting a week to see if Ambient comes up with any more of its "premium" channels. The premium offering is still in a relatively beta stage, and the site to set it up is very much under construction.

Owning one of these dashboards, I've already got the faceplates I plan on using set aside in the storage behind the device, but of the various premium ones I want to use, only one of them is currently available to be used. Fortunately, they're waiving premium charges for a couple of months while they finish up the whole premium content offerings, but once they get it all going, I think it'll be worth it.

[MikeV @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

But the non-premium content - weather, financial indices (Dow, Nasdaq, S&P), and those kinds of things - are updated at least hourly, and I was amazed at how fast my Dashboard picked up the signal. Just a matter of minutes.

[egg @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

I found this entry incredibly difficult to read for some reason. Also, it sounded like an infomercial.

[Mike Outmesguine @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

The delay in testing premium channels might have something to do with a problem upgrading the device through the MyAmbient.com web interface. I noted that glitch in this unpacking and first look writeup: http://wireless.weblogsinc.com/entry/1234000687039375/

As soon as I can upgrade the subscription, I will be examining the potential of premium and custom channels. Hmm... How about metering the "Percent Change in Wi-Fi Hotspots?"

[nemi @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

I guess you could make your own very cheaply (<$40), there are plently of resources on the web on the subject of interfacing to a PC paralel port and you can get analogue dials from RadioShack.

If you are a programmer then you can write your own software to get the feeds you want and drive the dials.

[Ben Sinclair @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

I just returned my Dashboard to Brookstone this afternoon.

I like the idea of neat analog dials showing my data, but Ambient should have gotten things going before releasing this product.

They have little to no data available, especially for my city. Their developer tools don't exist yet. Their web site is mostly non-functional.

The weather displays worked pretty well, but weather data is nothing special.

This was also the second unit I've had. I returned the first one because the face was all scratched up. I think this is due to their packaging. They really need one of those peelable protectors over the face for shipping. My replacement unit was also mildly scratched.

When I returned mine today I noticed the price has dropped to $99.

I'll buy another when the price is $50 and they have content and developer tools available.

[Marc @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

I got one of these for christmas, and signed up for the premium service. After signing up they show you the impressive list of 3 (out of the 30+ advertised) channels. None of the 3 worked. I emailed Ambient support and they reply "You need to downgrade, and re-upgrade your device". Surprise, downgrading doesn't work online. I email (with a screen shot of the error!), no response. Four more emails, finally a response "ok, you should be able to downgrade your device".

A couple of weeks after that last email, and another failed downgrade, I was able to downgrade/upgrade. Two days later (last week) it stops working. My ambient dashboard has worked 2 days out of almost 4 months. worst. gadget. ever.

[joe @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

nice concept i suppose... but this unit is just plain ugly! their orbs have a flash of color... and not that this should have that 'tacky' orb look (even though I think they are cool)... this dashboard unit is TOO grey and looks like an old device i'd find in my closet from the 70s or earlier.

i think i'd also rather see 'widgets' of some sort displayed like this in the corner of my computer screen... but what they are going after is a good idea. just... this unit looks BORING.

[pete @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

I've been wanting to make a serial port version of one of these for a while, but haven't found any place online to get the gauges from. nemi posted above that they were available from RadioShack, but I'm not seeing them in their online catalog. Is it an in-store only thing? Anyone have another source for them?

[James Mcdisi @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

I would never pay a monthly service fee.. and I love my Dashboard, much like you love a first car.

It's not completely polished, but there's just an emotional connection I can't explain. I have absolutely no idea how they offer the basic channels (like weather and stocks) without any service fees. And it actually works, unlike my friggin atomic clock that I still have to set.

I hope they make more free channels available, and a way to purchase more cards.