One of Funimation’s bigger announcements last weekend at Sakura-con was the introduction of their first mobile app for Android and iOS devices. The free version will allow fans to see clips and trailers from their favorite shows. The $9.99 paid version will feature full streaming episodes, albeit with commercials. For $7.95, you can get the Elite subscription without any commercial interruptions. It’s great to see more companies jumping on the streaming bandwagon as DVD sales continue to tank. Does anyone know if this will work on Android Media Player set top boxes?

Source: Anime News Network.

This odd scene came in courtesy of 4chan, and if it weren’t for the supporting documentation (see gallery) I would have assumed it was another photoshop.
Apparently, the contractor responsible for the booths at Sakura-con, DWA Trade Show and Exposition Services, is in the middle of a labor dispute with the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters. According to the union,

DWA does not meet area labor standards on all of their projects, including providing or fully paying for family health care and pension, for all of their carpenter craft employees on all of their jobs

It’s pretty bizarre a Union go after an employer’s customers rather than the employer itself. Then again, Sakura-con is a high profile event, so the sign probably makes for a more effective protest. Sakura-con publicity had this to say about the situation.

Our position is that we are willing to hear out their copmplaints, but they have done next to nothing to explain themselves. They finally sent us a letter just a couple of weeks ago, far too late for us to make a change. We told them last year to contact us early before we make any hiring decisions, not weeks before out event when we can’t really do anything to make a change.

It seems this union is using our well respected, 100% volunteer, 501c3 non-profit event to garner more publicity for themselves more than they seem to be serious about working with us. It’s very disappointing. They are giving out a personal cell phone number on their flyers and unfairly maligning us to the public.

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