Snakebyte gamepad evolves into Unu Android tablet, promises to replace your Smart TV
What defines ambition? Maybe it's building an Android tablet after first setting out to build a Bluetooth gaming controller. That seems to be the backstory behind the Unu, a pair of seven and 10-inch gaming tablets that started life as the Snakebyte gamepad. The German made tablet is built to take the role of game console, music player, internet device and Smart TV, packing in a TV docking station, a whitewashed variation of the original Snakebyte game controller and a qwerty-equipped air mouse. The tablet is also said to include a proprietary UI for easy navigation and a button mapping app for games without native controller support. Technical specifications, availability and price details are scarce, but Sunflex CEO Mike Steup seems confident it'll impress. "It's the entertainment center of tomorrow," he says, explaining that the Unu will be available sometime in 2013. Luckily, the slab seems to be making an appearance at CES - we'll let you know if we can scrounge up some more info on the show floor.
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unu™ The World's First All-in-One Tablet, Gaming Console and Smart TV System at CES 2013
The multifaceted device that first greeted the world at gamescom 2012 under the name "snakebyte eins" is now celebrating its world-premiere at CES 2013 in Las Vegas, as well as a new name, "unu™". The pre-release version will be playable for the duration of the event.
What is unu™?
unu™ is entertainment. unu™ is gaming. unu™ is different. Unlike previously announced and currently available Android-based gaming platforms, unu™offers a truly multifaceted experience. Whether in your lap as a tablet, in the docking station on the TV or right in front of you on the table, unu™ goes where you go, ready to be used wherever and however you want. Games, videos, music, apps, mobile surfing and email – unu™ provides the total package. Developed and designed entirely in Germany, unu™ draws on fifteen years of experience in the games industry.
With perfectly balanced components, unu™ enables users to experience their familiar media and games in totally new ways. The heart of unu™ is the tablet and its custom-coded user interface. But there's more to the package: unu™ comes with a docking station, a game controller and an air mouse, opening up optimal gaming, media and smart TV experiences. Thanks to the docking station, the unu™ tablet can be quickly connected to the TV so that users can enjoy movies and music as well as games on the big screen. With the tablet docked, the user interface can be operated by the game controller or the air mouse.
The unu™ air mouse makes it possible to intuitively and comfortably interact with the user interface while sitting on the couch, just as easily as if you had the tablet in your hands. No other smart TV manufacturer has been able to offer that kind of ease of use. Touch-based games like Angry Birds can be comfortably played on the TV while relaxing on the couch. A full-fledged keyboard for surfing, writing email and posting to social media is integrated on the back of the unu™ air mouse.
When it comes to intense gaming experiences, the unu™ game controller has all the bases covered. Games optimized for controllers can be played as though they were real console games. snakebyte has been designing and manufacturing gaming peripherals for more than fifteen years and that wealth of experience shines though, reflected in the high-quality components employed. There are already many games with controller support and the number is continually growing. Thanks to an integrated button mapping app, games without native controller support can also be enjoyed with unu™ and the game controller.
Tablet. Gaming Console. Smart TV.
unu™ unites the worlds of tablets, gaming consoles and smart TVs. The heart of the unu™ concept is diversity. unu™ isn't just a stationary gaming console like its competitors, unu™ is also a tablet that can be used while on the go, out in the back yard or curled up on the couch. But unu™ isn't just a tablet. With its docking station and game controller, unu™ delivers a 100% authentic console experience on the TV. And thanks to its multimedia features and the wealth of digital content providers, like Netflix and Maxdome, unu™ is the television of tomorrow – a truly smart TV.
unu™ at CES 2013
Every day during CES 2013 in Las Vegas, unu™ will be playable at the snakebyte booth (LVCC, South Hall 2, Booth 25200). Appointments for personal presentations are also available.
You'll find more info on Facebook on the official unu™ page:
www.facebook.com/Unutablet
get more images of unu here:
www.sunflex-europe.com/fileadmin/galerie/
Comments on the unu™ premiere
Mike Steup, CEO of Sunflex Europe:
"unu™ unites the market for Android devices. With unu™, we're offering our customers a perfectly balanced entertainment package. unu™ can be used everywhere thanks to its custom GUI, docking station, air mouse and game controller. It's a full-featured Android tablet, a full-featured gaming console with a controller when docked on the TV and it's a smart TV device. It's the entertainment center of tomorrow. 2013 is going to be a great year as we present our customers with unu™, the first optimally-tuned Android system that addresses all their entertainment and gaming needs."
Christoph Lasch, Head of Marketing, Sunflex Europe:
"From the initial concept onward, unu™ has served a completely new purpose. Our goal wasn't just to focus on the underlying technology and improved hardware performance, as other makers of Android-based gaming hardware do, but to really try to address the needs of our users. We no longer just play games while sitting in front of the TV or PC – these days, we're mobile and we play all the time. We surf the Internet and enjoy movies and music on PCs, TVs and while on the go. We've combined all these use cases in one device with unu™. Tablet. Gaming console. Smart TV. Surf and play games while you're on the go – and then slide unu™ into the docking station at home, pick up the controller, and keep playing on your TV. unu™ is the first device to make it all possible.
