Ubi Ubiquitous Computer pre-orders now available

Back in August, a tiny little computer called Ubi popped up on Kickstarter. Ubi – which is short for Ubiquitous Computer – was a big hit with Kickstarter backers. Team Ubi was only asking for $36,000, but by the time everything was said and done, the group had a whopping $229,594 to work with. It seems they wasted no time in getting to work either, as Ubi went up for pre-order today.

The Android-based Ubi plugs into a regular old power outlet and connects to the Internet through Wi-Fi. Once you've got the Ubi set up and ready to go, you can do things like search the Internet through voice commands. The Ubi will communicate back by either using the lights on its side or through speech, which we have to say is pretty awesome.

It can also be used to monitor the environment around you, as it comes equipped with sensors to monitor temperature, air pressure, and ambient light. You can program Ubi to send alerts to your email or your phone thanks to the handy app the Ubi team has developed for iOS and Android. The microphone and speakers on the device mean that the Ubi can also be used as a speakerphone or for conference calls, which is a nice little touch.

Even better is that you can sync Ubi to the other devices on your network. The computer is available for pre-order now, and if you manage to order one before they begin shipping in early 2013, you'll be saving a significant chunk of change. Those who pre-order the device will only pay $219, whereas the Ubi will cost $269 once it's been officially released. Are you picking one up?

[via Ubi]