When we think broadband, we might associate it with fast or functional, but we usually don’t think quirky. After all, broadband is typically a rather mundane, perfunctory aspect of our lives. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, there is a wide array of quirky broadband gadgets on the market. Let’s have a look at four of the quirkiest:

A Wireless Sound Hat

Anyone who has ever tried to wear headphones and a winter hat knows that it can be a challenge. Either you put the headphones on top and muffle the sound, or you put the hat on top and it doesn’t fit quite right. So recently, several ingenious manufacturers began making wireless sound hats by integrating the stereo speakers directly into the winter hat itself. The hat includes a transmitter that connects to your MP3 player of choice via its phone jack, and then it transmits the music to the speakers wirelessly. The transmitter is about the size of an MP3 player, so it’s small enough to fit alongside your MP3 player in a pocket or on a belt clip.

Rovio

A webcam is a standard component of most modern computer systems. But imagine a video camera that connected to your home network via Wi-Fi or mobile broadband. Now imagine that the camera is on wheels and can go anywhere within range of your wireless network. Well, you don’t have to imagine any longer because the Rovio roving Wi-Fi camera robot is a reality. The Rovio is incredibly stable due to its three-wheel design, and it even has built-in GPS capabilities so that you can set up predetermined routes. You can also control it directly from the computer or even a Smartphone, and repeaters can help increase range. The Rovio takes still images as well as streams high-quality audio and video.

Chumby

Chumby is a small device that looks a lot like a clock radio in terms of shape and size, but it actually fits in a great deal of functionality. You see, Chumby is a Wi-Fi widget machine. What that means is that it connects to the Internet via your wireless home network, and you can actually define its functionality by choosing the widgets it displays on its large LCD screen. If you want it to be a clock, you can download the clock widget. If you want it to be a radio, you can download one of the radio widgets. And you could even combine the two to emulate a clock radio alarm. But Chumby does a lot more than that including accessing social networks and sports tickers.

This is a guest article by Spencer who writes for Broadband Expert a popular site in the UK for mobile broadband deals and home broadband packages.