Author Archives: David W

About David W

David is a native Californian and founder of We Unite - Entertainment. He has a longstanding interest in technology, culture and the future. He holds a Technology and Operation Management degree from Cal Poly Pomona. David is an avid fan of photography, video games and comics. In his spare time, he makes frequent trips to Noodle King in Alhambra for their beef stew noodles.

Droid Bionic Unleashed

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Motorola’s Droid Bionic released yesterday after an 11 month delay.  Does it live up to expectation?  Currently its hard to say, but going into it, it had a lot of hype and I mean a lot.


Initial consensus is that the phone is fast, the 4G LTE (if you have the service) is remarkable.  The hardware has awesome specs with a whopping dual core processor and 1 gig of ram, the first of many from Verizon.  But likewise consensus is that the UI (Motoblur) isn’t desirable, tons of bloatware, and display is just awful.

Motorola’s decision to go with a PenTile screens, leaves a very bad aftertaste for many people.  PenTile screen technology is meant to give you a brighter display at a lower cost with a perceived larger resolution that consumes less power. The results however meant that sometimes colors won’t display correctly, and as many consumers have pointed out, seems to look more pixilated.

Still, if the phone display doesn’t bother you, there are many places to pick up the Droid Bionic. Some places seem more ideal than others.

  • Currently Amazon is offering the phone for $179 with a new contract or $249 for a renewal.
  • Costco is offering two docks, extra battery, screen protector case and vehicle charger all for $299.
  • Letstalk.com is offering the phone for 199.99, for both new and upgrades, and even a 20% coupon from their Facebook page.

(Note: I haven’t had personal experience using Letstalk.com, but many Slickdeal users speak highly of them.  But like any new website, you should do research and check its previous history, justin case.)

In the end it comes to a matter of opinions on the PenTile display.  Currently, Motorola’s Droid X2 and Droid 3 also use the PenTile screens.  We suggest you go into the nearest Verizon kiosk that would have any of these phones and observe for yourself before jumping onto the bandwagon.   There is always another phone  in the future (such as Samsung Nexus Prime).

Sprint Moves to File Suit Against AT&T and T-Mobile Merger

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Sprint has filed suit to block proposed AT&T and T-Mobile merger.  Sprint has joined the battle calling their merger “brazenly anticompetitive,” after the U.S. Justice Department effort to block the pending merger.  Sprint has outlined three main points which they believe would happen if this merger was to take place.

  • Harm retail consumers and corporate customers by causing higher prices and less innovation.
  • Entrench the duopoly control of AT&T and Verizon, the two “Ma Bell” descendants, of the almost one-quarter of a trillion dollar wireless market. As a result of the transaction, AT&T and Verizon would control more than three-quarters of that market and 90 percent of the profits.
  • Harm Sprint and the other independent wireless carriers. If the transaction were to be allowed, a combined AT&T and T-Mobile would have the ability to use its control over backhaul, roaming and spectrum, and its increased market position to exclude competitors, raise their costs, restrict their access to handsets, damage their businesses and ultimately to lessen competition.

“Sprint opposes AT&T’s proposed takeover of T-Mobile,” said Susan Z. Haller, vice president-Litigation, Sprint. “With today’s legal action, we are continuing that advocacy on behalf of consumers and competition, and expect to contribute our expertise and resources in proving that the proposed transaction is illegal.”

The lawsuit specifically cites Section 7 of the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914, which elaborates on specific and crucial concepts of the Clayton Act, an amendment on the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 to stop mergers and acquisitions judged to substantially weaken competition in specific industries (specifically dealing with holding companies).

From the get go, Sprint hasn’t been a fan of this situation and has voiced its opinions from the beginning.  They have urged the government to block the deal believing that the merger would “let the wireless industry regress inexorably toward a 1980s-style duopoly.”  What do you guys think?

 

Visit Sprint Press release in regards to filing suit

For more information on the Antitrust Division can be found on the U.S. Department of Justice site.

Labor Day Weekend Reminds Me of a Man Who Scored 4 Touchdowns in a Single Game

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Labor day in the United States can represents many things.  Some see it as the last fashionable day for women to wear white, others may see it as the return to school and end of summer, and some may see it as the beginning of NFL and college football season (Go Chargers!).  For me, I see it as a period of rest for all the hard working people out there.  The Average Joe who works hard for their money, but may not always get the respect they deserve.  In short, this holiday reminds me of Al Bundy.

Al Bundy

Al Bundy, played by Ed O’Neill, is a fictional character from a TV show called Married with Children.  For those who never heard of Married with Children (shame on you), it is a comedy show featuring a dysfunctional family living in Chicago. It was broadcasted on Fox from 1987 until 1997, and at the time the first prime time television series to air on Fox.

Al Bundy, a once-glorious high school football player (who scored 4 touchdowns in a single game), eventually became a woman shoe salesman while struggling to support his family.  A simple man, who finds himself in a series of hilarious hi-jinks and likewise a run of very bad luck. Despite it all, he’s able to endure and enjoy the simple pleasures in his life.

Growing up, you couldn’t help but enjoy the adventures of Al Bundy (and his family).  Every Sunday night, I would find myself glued to the TV at 9pm without fail.  The show had many great moments celebrating Labor day weekends like throwing a BBQ (and using the ash remains of Steve and Marcy relative), to being stuck in dead-lock traffic.  Honestly, it has been a while since I seen an episode of Married with Children (though I do have many of the seasons on DVD, that I may revisit soon).

So why am I thinking about it now?  Very recently, Ed O’Neill received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star!  Though he was hesitant at first to accept it, with some persuasion from his daughter he decided to accept with pride.  In a certain irony, his star is outside a shoe store on Hollywood Boulevard.

Ed O'Neill posing with his Walk of Fame Star

So to all the working stiffs out there, a happy Labor Day to you all!

 

You can find more information on Ed O’Neill on IMDB as well as the popular TV show Modern Family on ABC.

For more history on Labor Day visit Wikipedia.

Electric Zoo 2011 This Weekend at Randall’s Island Park

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An epic weekend for New York City residents and visitors, as Electric Zoo starts today at Randall’s Island Park!  An annual festival of lights and sound usually held over Labor Day Weekend, bringing top international DJs and live acts from multiple countries.  What was typically a 2 day festival is now a 3 day festival!  Come visit and watch such headliners like Tiesto, Armin Van Buuren, Above & Beyond, and Skrillex just to name a few.

Armin Van Buuren performing last year at Electric Zoo 2010.

There will be an art exhibit, FLOW, on display under the coordination of Aimee Boden, the Executive Director of the Randall’s Island Sports Foundation.  FLOW is a unique project aimed at fostering an appreciation of the waterfront environment through large-scale outdoor sculptures and art installations.  A portion of the sale of every ticket from 2010 and 2011 helped donate to the project.

FLOW art work in progress.

Tickets can still be found online, all ages welcome!  Electric Zoo occurs from September 2nd to the 4th 2001.

Stay safe and hydrated for those going out there!

 

For more information, go to Electric Zoo home page.

Artist line up can also be found on the Electric Zoo home page.

WonderCon 2012 Moves to Anaheim, CA

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On March 16 to the 18th 2012, Anaheim, CA is getting a new tenant and its WonderCon!  Traditionally in San Francisco, Wondercon finds itself having to either cancel the show or move due to renovation at San Francisco’s Moscone Center.  In reaction to WonderCon announcement, ReedPop’s C2E2, which has been waiting to announce dates for its own show in March 2012, will now seek alternative dates while Wizard World has announced that it will postpone its April 2012 Anaheim show to help alleviate an overcrowded calendar.

“It certainly was not our wish to move,” commented David Glanzer, director of marketing and public relations for the nonprofit event. “However, when faced with the prospect of canceling the show for a year or moving locations, after careful consideration we decided to keep WonderCon on the 2012 calendar at a venue that could accommodate our needs.”

Though I am a bit sad to know they had to move, I am happier to know that its moved significantly closer to home

For more information go to WonderCon Home page

Lost: iPhone 5 – Found: New Viral Marketing Strategy

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In what seems to be an annual tradition, Apple has once again lost an iPhone 5 prototype in a bar.  Of course the internet is now abuzz and curious about this prototype, like what is it capable of, does it sport a larger screen, can it still play Angry Birds?  As for me, I’m calling shenanigans!  Why, you ask? Because I can’t help but wonder if this is the equivalent of viral marketing to give iFans a sneak peek and build hype. We’ve all seen viral marketing used on youtube, heck even some companies got in trouble for faking a leak only to be the originator of the “leak.”

Much like many of those leaked screenshots of the latest phone, such as Motorola’s Droid Bionic, this all helps to build speculation and fuel dreams as to what the phone may be capable of.   The results can help drive sales and earn “free advertisement” in one fell swoop.  Looking back, the results of the iPhone 4 caused a huge surge of demand that Apple had to suspend advance sales so they didn’t exceed their supply.  Of course retailers couldn’t keep up with the demand and the supply eventually dried up.  1.7 million iPhone 4’s were sold in the first three days of availability.

Currently, Apple went to the police after it was reported missing but nothing has turned up yet.  Last year, the phone ended up going to Gizmodo for $5,000 after it was found, the people who did find and sell it got a misdemeanor fine for selling it and Gizmodo got off scot-free (not to take anything away from Jason Chen, editor responsible for reviewing the prototype, whose house was raided looking for the missing prototype).  Gawker (parent company of Gizmodo), got a lot of traffic and publicity for the iPhone 4 due to this mishap.

Don’t be surprised if another publication ends up with this prototype (we’re not in San Francisco where the phone “disappeared,” so it won’t be us) or another manufacturer “misplaces” a product in the future.

 

For more information go to The Register about the Missing prototype.

UPDATE: Included an article from PC Magazine implying this is a hoax

How to Get Your Ambassador Games for Your 3ds

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UPDATE: Ambassador Program is now Live!

As a reminder for those who bought their 3ds early on and qualified for the Ambassador program, September 1st is rolling around the corner!  With that in mind, Nintendo support has now posted instructions on how to acquire these games.  The quickest explanation is that you are re-downloading titles you now own, instead of getting some sort of voucher to redeem these games.

Likewise, owners will also get an Ambassador Certificate (a video file), which can be used to receive updates regarding the program and notify users when new titles are available to download.

The 10 NES Virtual Console games available to download on Sept 1st:

  • Super Mario Bros.™
  • Donkey Kong Jr.™
  • Balloon Fight™
  • Ice Climber™
  • The Legend of Zelda™
  • Metroid™
  • NES Open Tournament Golf
  • Wrecking Crew
  • Zelda II – The Adventure of Link
  • Yoshi

For more information go to Nintendo Support

Related Articles: Handy Dandy Ambassador Checker

Try Restarting If It Doesn’t Work

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Doomsday is coming August 31st, 2011 to the DC Universe!  It’s the end of the universe as we know it!  Sorry this isn’t the character named Doomsday, but this is a reboot of many of the franchises out there.  How many you ask?  Try 52 brand spanking new series!  Okay so many of them are from the same franchise like Batman (Batman, Detective Comics, Batman: The Dark Knight, and Batman and Robin just to name a few).  But you do have a name like Jim Lee as co-publisher!  Likewise some folks get new shiny costumes!

Yes those are blue tights on the bottom, not red.

But what does this really mean though I’m not quite certain.  Does this destroy 70 years worth of lore and streamlined to newer folks, or perhaps a different way of retelling a story without having to dig through priceless comic books that can’t be opened to retain its sell value?  I can’t help but reflect what Marvel tried around mid 90s by rebooting various comics like the Fantastic 4 and the Avengers after Onslaught.. the idea was scrapped of course and any mention of it was considered an alternative reality.  Perhaps the same may occur if it doesn’t do well and we’ll consider it Earth 3 or something.

Rebooting isn’t technically anything new, folks die one day and then resurrect the next time following (Jason Todd comes to mind), but a whole universe is another story!  Some may find some form of success like the “Ultimate” series from Marvel, others may not.  Smallville seemed successful (to some extent, but that was TV).  It does raise questions about the current storyline that exist right now, do they continue or just a dream and filler for the reboot.  Is Dick Grayson back to being Robin or does he continue on as Nightwing?  Which Green Lantern is coming back first, Hal Jordan or John Stewart or do they both represent different sectors of the Green Lantern corp?  In the end I can’t help but think of a computer when something goes wrong, the first question that comes to mind from any technician was, did you try restarting?  Was it really broke in the first place? Guess time will tell.

 

For more information go to DC’s 52 Page

What Are You Doing This Weekend?

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The weekend is approaching and we can’t be everywhere at once (as much as we try) however I thought we try highlighting events for this particular jam packed weekend!  Which one will you find yourself at?

Deadmau5: Meowington Hax Tour at Hollywood Palladium
Los Angeles, California

He started yesterday at Hollywood with great success and will continue to play at the Palladium this weekend. Unfortunately the event is already sold out for tonight and tomorrow but Sunday is still available! Better get there quick Mau5 fans!

More information can be found here: Deadmau5 Homepage

 

Exxxotica LA
Los Angeles, California

For adults 18 and over, here you can meet your favorite adult stars. Next door, there also Hemp Con as well.

More information can be found here: Site could be NSFW Exxxotica LA

 

Identify Festival
Woodland and Dallas, Texas

Perhaps you are at Texas and decided to go see Steve Aoki, Afrobeta, Rusko, LA riot and more. On Saturday Identify fest will be at Woodland and on Sunday Dallas, Texas.

More information can be found here: Identity homepage

 

Penny Arcade Expo (PAX)
Seattle, Washington

What started as a small little convention turned into a full blown festivities for gamers of all type.  Best part about PAX is hanging with a bunch of like-minded folks.  Unfortunately tickets have sold out already, unless you have previously purchased them, hopefully you got your badge already!

More information can be found here: PAX Prime

 

Burning Man
Black Rock City, Nevada

Not quite the weekend but its Burning Man! An annual week long celebration of what many described as an experiment in community, radical self-expression, and radical self-reliance. There isn’t truly any words that can describe Burning Man

More information can be found here: Burning Man

 

Staying at home and playing Borderlands

Borderlands is on sale at Steam for this weekend!  There is even an option to buy 4 copies for the price of 3!

More information can be found here: Steam weekend sale article
Steam

 

What will you be doing this weekend?  Got an event you are going to?  Add to the comments below!

Borderlands is 75% off on Steam This Weekend

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Aww man.. Steam weekend sales.. they usually hurt my wallet, now they can hurt yours too!  Normally $19.99, you can now get Borderlands for $4.99 or you can buy a 4 pack for you and your friends at the cost of $14.99 (its like buying 3 games and getting the 4th for free!).  Likewise the Game of the Year edition is also $7.99 (originally $29.99) and that too has the 4 pack option at the cost of $22.49.

What’s the difference between the two you may ask?  the Game of the Year edition comes with the following DLC:

  • Zombie Island of Dr. Ned
  • Mad Moxxi’s Underdome Riot
  • The Secret Armory of General Knoxx

Borderlands is a First person shooter with an RPG element that takes place in a futuristic western situation where you can be one of 4 mercenaries (with co-op no less).  I myself haven’t gotten very far, due to time schedules with my fellow players, but from what we did play it seemed like a lot of fun!  But don’t take my word on it, take a look at Metacritic site for more reviews from multiple publishers and players (81/100 for those wondering).

Source: Steam

Samsung Galaxy S II Will Not Makes Its Way to Verizon

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In an odd turn of events, Samsung announcement for Samsung Galaxy S II will not including Verizon Wireless (VZW). Verizon spokesperson Brenda Raney has also confirmed the announcement and can’t help but wonder why.  There are rumors that perhaps Samsung is bringing Samsung Stratosphere, a QWERTY-slider along the same lines as the Epic 4G, as well as the Nexus Prime to Verizon instead.  Maybe Google’s takeover of Motorola had some effect.  Whose to say, but looks like VZW is out one potentially nice phone.  Oh well, at least there is the Droid Bionic.  VIVA LA BIONIC!

Source: WSJ