Congrats to the Obnubilated Newlyweds!
Congratulations!
And yes, the picture is purposely obnubilated… or is that obfuscated?
Life
Playing Around with Animoto
I had heard about the movie making magic of Animoto.com but never really checked it out until now. Very cool and easy to use. For an automated system, the end product is very good. There’s not much you can do to edit the movie but really, you don’t have to. Here’s a movie I “made” from a few still pictures.
Warning: the default audio is very loud. Turn down the volume before you start playing.
Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.
Only bummer is that the free version of Animoto limits movies to 30 seconds. Otherwise, you have to pay per movie or an annual fee. Animoto is a well thought out service, covering the basics of movie making to easily sharing the great results.
Pulp on Pad!
What’s pulp look like on the new iPad? Like this!!
Not mine, but thanks Jason. I gave this pic a standing ovation when I saw it!
Looking for a New Mac App Launcher
I’m on the hunt to find a new Mac app launcher to replace my favorite but aging launcher, Quicksilver. Quicksilver hasn’t been under active development for some time and each Mac OS X release and update is one step towards Quicksilver’s demise.
After upgrading to Mac OS X 10.6.3, QS stopped launching at startup. Even after manually starting QS, it just didn’t act right. This problem might be fixable, but it’s also a good time to see what other app launchers are out there. But I am baffled that with all the MacHeist deals and MacUpdate bundles I’ve bought in the past, there isn’t an app launcher among them?!
I found this review which is a good start. I was told about Butler which seems to do a lot but has its own menu interface. I love the simplicity and speed of Quicksilver’s Control-Space key combo to kick things off. And of course, free is good.
Sorry, I still think Mac OS X’s Spotlight is too slow. I’m trying out Namely right now and customized the key stroke activation to mimic Quicksilver. We’ll see how this app launcher performs.
Anyone have recommendations for a Mac app launcher?
Sunday Afternoon Delight
A special Sunday afternoon treat when the colorful Tats Shave Ice van was spotted nearby.
President Obama, I still don’t know how you can get your Windward-side shave ice anywhere else?!
Spotted: Farmers Hawaii Above Easter
While delighting on free ice cream, there was Farmers Hawaii, spotted above an Easter display.
Personally Calling Out Google Gigabit
The entire state of Hawaii is campaigning for Google’s Fiber for Communities project with the goal of bringing ultra high speed network access to selected communities. Can you imagine gigabit speeds to your home?
I can’t, and I doubt Google can deliver on this promise. A 100x network speed increase? When donkeys fly! as Flo would say.
Prove me wrong Google and jack Pulp HQ into the matrix. I dare you! I double dare you!! I even triple dare you!!!
Heck, I’ll even throw in my Practical Peripherals PM2400SA modem in exchange.
Did You Get Your Free Ben and Jerry’s?
A double whammy! Not only was Tuesday free pastry day at Starbucks, but ice cream fanatics of Ben and Jerry’s got an afternoon treat with a free scoop.
From 12 to 8pm, participating locations were giving away ice cream. For Hawaii, that meant ice cold action at Windward Mall, the mall that cares. And yes, there was action with a line much longer than at Starbucks waiting for a free pastry.
But it was all worth it after getting some of these!
To Get a Free Pastry…
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 was Free Pastry day at Starbucks. Did you get yours? Here’s what I saw on my way to get a free pastry.
Stuck behind a school bus that made several stops, and yes, legally both lanes of traffic must not pass.
As expected, there was a line at Starbucks, pretty short though.
At last, my free pastry (coffee cake in the bag) with the purchase of a bold coffee in my OG Starbucks traveler’s cup.
Trust and Social Media at Unconferenz 2010
It finally dawned upon me after attending the various social/new media sessions at Unconferenz 2010. New media as well as old or traditional media is about trust, plain and simple. Attendee Todd Ogasawara might have said it too mentioning the term “Trust 2.0,” but it just didn’t sink in at the time. All these “new” social networks and tools are about building trust, and the eventual success of eBay was used a prime example. After adding seller and buyer ratings to increase the trust level of its service did online bidding really flourish. The lesson is the better and faster you can establish trust, the more successful your community (and business) will be.
This same dynamic is at work in many instances knowingly or not. At Hawaii startup, Peer News, owner and eBay founder, Pierre Omidyar, is using his previous experience to incorporate trust relationships in the forthcoming news service. At Unconferenz 2010, Peer News editor, John Temple talked about Peer News and its direction.
Also at the social media sessions was Jared Kuroiwa, formerly of KGMB9 and Hawaii News Now. While he provided great insight and retrospect of his past industry, his presence reminded me of this post, Trusting KGMB9. At the time when the Hawaii television news industry crumbled, KGMB9 stood above the rest in my view. Trust was at the core of this. Through Jared’s social media strategy, I trusted KGMB9 and all its voices. Most of those voices, sadly, have gone silent, and I quietly wonder about the trustworthiness of the new news conglomeration.
Taking a step back, I realize that my reasons for attending Unconferenz were based on trust.
Trusting that Burt Lum and Ryan Ozawa would put together a great event leading to great discussions and trading of ideas for Hawaii tech enthusiasts. Thanks guys!
Doing Flips at the Bishop Museum “Circus”
The Bishop Museum’s latest exhibit is Circus! Science Under the Big Top which allows guests to take part in circus activities. Kids and adults can balance on a high wire, dress up as circus characters, learn about sword swallowing and body contortionists, identify circus animal turd, and yes, even perform acrobatic flips in mid-air. Take a look as I do some flips…
Dudes, the safety harness is kinda uncomfortable in all the wrong places but hey, it’s for safety right? Doing a back flip isn’t too hard but is disorienting as your world suddenly whips around. Doing a front (head first) flip is another story. It’s harder, but I’m not sure if it’s a mental or physical block. Throwing yourself headfirst makes you automatically want to correct your balance and pull back, and physically, you need to get your legs over the top so you can rotate all the way. I got stuck halfway around on my front flips to the disappointment of the watching kids.
If you want do flips at the Bishop Museum, be ready to wait. Since there’s no time limit for this ride, it can take awhile. After a few minutes suspended and flipping in the air, I did feel nauseous but was much better after coming down and drinking water. Bouncing and doing the flips was a a surprising workout, breaking a sweat after my session.
Head on over to Circus! Science Under the Big Top, and let me know if you could do a front flip.
Kailua CPK Now the Real Deal
The CPK in Kailua is no longer an express ASAP version. After some remodeling to expand the outdoor seating, the restaurant is now a full blown CPK featuring the full California Pizza Kitchen menu.
If you haven’t tried it yet, get the new Hamburger Pizza. It tastes surprisingly like a Big Mac. The kids love it.