| Unu Android entertainment/gaming system to begin shipping in November Oct 10th 2013, 23:10, by Nate Swanner The Unu tablet/gaming/home entertainment package has seen its share of delays, but will begin shipping to retailers in Novememer. According to Unu, they are now ready to ship their various packages to retailers and customers, just in time for the holiday season. Available for pre-order now, Unu offers a unique take on the fight for your living room. 
Rather than create a dongle, or set-top box, Unu does all of it — and then some. For $200, you'll get a tablet, docking station, and AirMouse (remote control). For an additional $50, you can add a controller for a full-on gaming experience.
Slide the Unu tablet into the dock, and what was on the screen will be broadcast to your TV via HDMI. You'll have access to anything you can get on your tablet (Play Store, Amazon, etc.), it'll just be broadcast to the TV once docked. The catch is that you'll have to use the Unu tablet, and their remote and controller will only work with the dock via IR. The tablet will be the catch for many of us, but it probably shouldn't be. While a bit vague on the down-and-dirty details, Unu is saying their tablet has a respectable list of specs. With a 1.6GHz processor and 1080p screen fronting 1GB RAM and 8GB expandable memory, it's not top of the line, but it probably won't disappoint, either. Pre-orders can be placed at GameStop or NewEgg, with both sites having conflicting release dates. GameStop notes an October 29th availability, while NewEgg is saying November 8th. VIA: Engadget
|  | BlackBerry in talks with Samsung and others as Fairfax deal weakens Oct 10th 2013, 22:32, by Nate Swanner BlackBerry's offer from shareholder Fairfax Financial may be under some stress. People with knowledge of the situation tell Bloomberg that Fairfax is having trouble lining up financial backing for the $4.7 billion deal, which could mean BlackBerry gets split up before being sold off. 
As a result, BlackBerry advisors (presumably a group the board of directors recently assembled) have approached companies like Cisco and Samsung. Having already dismissed a bid for BlackBerry as a whole, Samsung is reportedly interested in a part — or parts — of BlackBerry. Which segments of BlackBerry are attractive to Samsung isn't clear, but analyst Sachin Shah of Albert Fried and Co. thinks splitting BlackBerry up is smart. "If you break up the company, you're going to get more than the company is worth right now" said Shah, adding that segmenting BlackBerry would be good, whether the original deal with Fairfax goes through or not. It's worth noting that BlackBerry would have to pay Fairfax $0.30/share, or roughly $150 million, if they accepted a competing offer before Fairfax's November 4th deadline to acquire financial backing. If BlackBerry accepts another offer after that deadline, the price raises to $0.50/share. 
Even if the Fairfax deal happens, BlackBerry could still be sold off piece by piece. The deal includes the $2.8 billion cash BlackBerry has, which means the total investment is really about $2 billion. If the parts of BlackBerry are worth more separately than as a whole, Fairfax may have a short-term, high yield winner on their hand — if they can get a deal done. If Fairfax can't get it done, splitting BlackBerry up could cause a tough bidding war for the best segments. With BBM still widely desired and BlackBerry's enterprise solutions still enticing, they also have a unique stock portfolio. As many tech companies continue their talks with BlackBerry, and analysts look toward a split up, we can expect many players to be involved. The only question is who will bid on what.
| | Xiaomi wants to sell you rabbits while they shake up the mobile market Oct 10th 2013, 21:35, by Nate Swanner In China, Xiaomi has overtaken Apple with 5% of the market. To get there, they are taking a unique strategy designed to make something big happen with frighteningly low margins. By offering their phones as close to cost as they can, Xiaomi hopes to shake up the Chinese market, and perhaps the world. 
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Xiaomi founder Lei Jun detailed their ongoing designs on building something big in China. Noting that most things on the internet are free — and widely used because of it — Jun said "It’s through a free model that you can most quickly attract users, so we try to sell our products as close to the cost of materials as possible.”
Xiaomi uses their website to sell most of their phones, as well as a variety of accessories and collectibles. From cases to batteries, anything one needs for their Xiaomi phone is available. Even sales of plush rabbits, the company mascot, dot the bottom line. For the two year period ending in 2013, Xiaomi says they'll have sold 680,000 rabbit dolls to fans. The other part of the strategy is listening to customers, with Jun noting that Xiaomi likes to relate back to fans and tell them when one of their suggestions is heard. "If you give us a suggestion, and we quickly change it, you will have a long-lasting sense of achievement" said Jun, noting that those who enjoy such a close relationship often help with word-of-mouth advertising. 
Although quiet on Xiaomi's plans outside of China, Jun seems to be both aware and objective about the competition. When asked how Xiaomi fares against Apple and Samsung, Jun was well aware of their position. "We have some parts that are weaker than them, some parts that are better" he said, noting that while Xiaomi is on the fast track to success, they're in no hurry. Saying he felt Xiaomi needed three years or so to really be up to snuff, he added “I don’t think we at Xiaomi need the market to decide whether what we’re doing is good or bad. We need to do it according to our own plan.”
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