Blogging the Aloha State and Beyond
The House Judiciary Committee today unanimously voted to advance a bill that would remove the sunset provision in Hawaii’s so-called “Journalist Shield Law,” otherwise known as Act 210 (HB2557) from the 2008 Legislative session. The law gives the press (“journalists and newscasters”) some protections against being forced to reveal sources...
When I’m not blogging, I’m browsing. Here are sites and pages that I bookmarked on February 14th: Europa helps astronomers peer inside Jupiter’s missing belt: The ongoing turmoil inside Jupiter's missing South Equatorial Belt is now visible in unprecedented detail thanks to the Keck II telescope and the icy Jovian...
If three’s a crowd, the group buying space in Hawaii is an all out riot. In just the past week, several different group buying services announced new initiatives in Hawaii. Kanu Hawaii is preparing to unveil Kanu Values, in which the deals benefit community causes. A pair of local entrepreneurs launched...
Honolulu designer John Garcia has been named one of ten finalists in a groundbreaking social media campaign by Audi. He moves onto Round 2, which kicks off on Monday, and with the help of the Hawaii social media community, he and his supporters could win $25,000 for charity. I was...
What is HTML5? Who is using HTML5? And would you know what HTML5 is if you saw it? Ocupop, a boutique design firm with roots in Hawaii, was tapped to help the world find an answer to those questions. HTML5 is “the next major revision of the HTML standard,” essentially...
When I’m not blogging, I’m browsing. Here are sites and pages that I bookmarked on February 4th: Daniel Ho and Hawaiian Music at the Grammys: The reality is more complex, involving issues endemic to Hawaii: the tension between culture and commerce, authenticity and appropriation. So the last six years’ results...
After more than two years out of the public eye, Shawn Ching is returning to the news business. Hawaii News Now announced that he will join Stephanie Lum at the anchor desk for its 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. newscasts. “Having Shawn join Hawaii News Now is a game-changing moment...
“Where the Hell is Matt?” It’s a question for the ages. Or at least those of an age to remember the earliest days of web video. Who The Hell is Matt? Six years ago, former video game designer Matt Harding decided to travel the world. A video clip of him...
I wish I was enough of a foodie to say that I was always familiar with the background and talents of award-winning chef Philippe Padovani. But apart from knowing that he was one of the founders of “Hawaii Regional Cuisine,” I only truly became a fan of his after my...
The Online News Association was founded in 1999, and I signed up pretty early in its history, full of ideas for Islenews.com (which became HawaiiNews.com which is now HawaiiStar.com). My dream of building a robust grassroots local news site is still just a dream, but fortunately, the ONA has soldiered...
When I’m not blogging, I’m browsing. Here are sites and pages that I bookmarked on January 25th: Hawaii falls behind nation in science knowledge: Hawaii fourth and eighth graders performed below national scores on a national science assessment. The average score for Hawaii eighth graders in public schools was lower than...
Earlier this month, Jim Sink, CEO of Honolulu-based game firm Avatar Reality, announced that the company was shifting its strategy for Blue Mars, once touted as a next-generation virtual reality environment that would challenge Second Life. As a result, most of the employees were laid off, including Sink. Avatar Reality...
There is no shortage of big-name travel apps for mobile devices, and there are already more than a handful of Hawaii-specific apps out there. But the Hawaii Aloha Travel app was one I was glad to see. And geeks rejoice, it’s available on both iPhone and Android platforms. Bruce and...
When I’m not blogging, I’m browsing. Here are sites and pages that I bookmarked on January 18th: Ocean FEST forms new partnership with Na Pua Noeau: Ocean FEST has formed a new partnership with Na Pua Noeau to bring hands-on science to the Native Hawaiian community. UH sees research as...
Offer not valid in Hawaii and Alaska. Prices may be higher in Hawaii and Alaska. And yes, Sirius Satellite Radio is not available in Hawaii and Alaska. But that may change. The FCC has granted conditional approval to Sirius to operate ground-based repeaters to make its programming available in the...
I returned to Honolulu from Seoul today, twelve hours before I left. Spending three days in South Korea was an incredible experience, and I can’t wait to return. Thanks again to Hawaiian Airlines for the opportunity to document their new nonstop service between Honolulu and Incheon international airports. Our trip...
Hawaiian Airlines is launching its new service between Honolulu and Incheon International Airport in Seoul, South Korea. And I’ll be among the people aboard the inaugural flight, leaving shortly after noon today. I’ll be representing the geeky, social media contingent, along with Burt Lum (“digital ronin” and my Hawaii Public...
When I’m not blogging, I’m browsing. Here are sites and pages that I bookmarked on January 9th: Honolulu water is safe, health director stresses: The level of a toxic chemical in Honolulu's drinking water found by an environmental research group is "not a huge problem," although government testing is continuing,...
Hawaii voters approved the change from an elected board last year, but it will take legislative action to determine how the new system will work. On Friday, Sen. Jill Tokuda, chair of the Senate Education Committee, is hosting a “Twitter Town Hall,” or “Twitterview.” She’ll be taking comments and answering...
When I’m not blogging, I’m browsing. Here are sites and pages that I bookmarked on January 5th: AskGaijin launches crowd tool to help Japanese companies avoid embarrassing Engrish: In a nutshell, AskGaijin provides a micro-consulting platform for small and medium businesses in Japan to vet English-language slogans and branding quickly...
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