Atari 2600 Nostalgia Ported To The iPhone

A "new" game on the iPhone is a blast from the the Atari past. I'm pretty sure the two games that came with the Atari 2600 was "Combat" and "Adventure." Well, someone has ported "Adventure" [iTunes link] to the small screen of the iPhone and it's free in the App Store.

It wasn't much of a game then, and it still isn't much of a game now. There's three levels: easy, hard and expert. Mind you, this is not a difficulty setting. There are only three total levels which get progressively harder.

You use the accelerometer to move your little square. A tap on the screen picks up or drops an item. It's a very simple game.

Only people who played the original game will want to download this. Still, it's a welcome memory from the infancy of electronics.

Ziibii - The River Of Information

I'm always intrigued by iPhone apps that try to do it all. Most of the time, it ends up being a "jack-of-all-trades, master of none." But, I always HOPE that someone can get it right.

This bring me to Ziibii [iTunes link]. It is basically a feed reader mixed in with Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube updates. And the way you read the headlines is in a most unusual way: Each story is on a "surfboard" that's flowing down a "river." You can always pause the river and swipe to see what's downstream. If you don't like the river view, you can choose to see it in a list.

This free app basically does what it says. Personally, I don't feel that the "river" concept is for me. I also don't feel that having Twitter comments mixed in with everything else really fits. If you see a Tweet you want to respond to, you'll have to get out of the app to do so. Also, YouTube doesn't work very well within the app.

Still, I would have to say that this is a very unique way of reading feeds. It's just not for me.

Slifter For Your Holiday Shopping

It's that time of year again. One of the busiest shopping days of the year is almost upon us. And, I just found an iPhone app that could make your shopping a LOT easier.

Slifter is free in the Apple App Store. It uses your GPS to locate where you are. Then, you type in the product that you are looking for. It will give you a list of products to choose from. Click on the one you want and it will list where you can buy it and the prices. You can also filter by retailer and the brand.

Recently, I bought a TV tuner for my PC on eBay. But, that was after I did some personal shopping with no luck. This app definitely would have saved me some drive time that I wasted.

With this native app, you can also build your shopping list. It would be nice to attach some names to the items for a Christmas shopping list.

And finally, there is a "Hot Deals" tab. Unfortunately, to get the most out of that function, you'll need to give up a phone number. You could also skip it but the app says you will lose some functionality.

I can't wait to use this app for my Christmas shopping. I hope it will save me a lot of time and heartache.

As The Economy Worsens, The iPhone Sells!

As a follow-up to my blog about how the iPhone is no longer a status symbol for the rich, the latest report by comScore, Inc. shows that the strongest growth in iPhone sales have been in America's middle-class.
The price of the cheapest iPhone was cut in half back on July 11th of this year when the 8GB iPhone 3G was introduced at $199. So it's no surprise that between June and August of this year, there have been 48% more iPhone users in the $25,000 - $49,999 annual income range. iPhone users who make $50,000 - $74,999 a year also jumped by 46%.
The report says that people are discovering in this tough economic time that having an iPhone actually saves money. Instead of buying a separate iPod, mobile phone, PDA, GPS device and portable gaming device, you can get all of those functions with an iPhone 3G.
But don't count out the rich just yet. 43% of all iPhone users make more than $100,000 annually.

Rebecca Mader: My New Favorite LOST Star!

On Friday, I was having a bad day. But, I'm much better now thanks to LOST star Rebecca Mader!
She accepted my friend request on Facebook today. Now, I have to admit that she might not accept EVERYONE'S friend request. But, luckily, I have a few friends already on her friend list so I suppose I was a safe acceptance.
Still, it DID make my day. At least I know Rebecca Mader does not feel she's above all of us "normal" people. And I do feel like I have some connections with LOST. I did get to visit the set for one day. I've met pretty much all the main cast members.
Now, I'm waiting for Yunjin Kim to accept my Facebook friend request....

EDIT: A reliable source has told me that the Yunjin Kim on Facebook is probably not the LOST actress. Oh well... I'm just glad to have met her in person... TWICE!

UPDATE: I just made a new "Lost" blog called Ben's Frozen Donkey Wheel. All of my thoughts on "Lost" will be there from now on.

iPhone No Longer A Status Symbol

So, you think your iPhone is still a device only for those rolling in the dough? Think again.
I'm sure by now you heard about the rumors that the iPhone 3G will be sold at Wal*Mart. I know that story angered those who feel that the iPhone should be a status symbol like a Mercedes.
Now, MacRumors.com is reporting that Costco could be selling the iPhone 3G in January for $149.
Keep in mind that the iPhone started out at $599 when it debuted in June 2007. The 8GB 3G currently sells for $199 and the 16GB goes for $299. Evidently, the economic downturn has forced Apple to widen its consumer net.
Ultimately, this is good news for iPhone users because a bigger user base means more support for innovative software. And, hopefully, Apple will get its act together and give us everything they promised at the WWDC back in June 2008.

Rovio: HOT Tech Gadget This Christmas

If I wasn't spending some money to get live television on my computer and iPhone, I might have bought the Rovio WiFi-enabled mobile web cam.
It's super cool: a cross between a simple remote-controlled car and a state-of-the-art web cam with microphone and speaker.
And now, Rovio owners can control their little robot with their iPhone with the free RovioDriver app.
Here's a few videos demonstrating with the Rovio can do:

What A Bad Year For Seattle Sports

The Seattle Mariners lost their head coach and finished the 2008 MLB season with a dismal 61-101 record.
The Seattle Seahawks are under first-year head coach Jim Mora and are 2-6 with a banged-up quarterback. They are also missing a great running game they enjoyed in their Super Bowl run a few years ago.
The University of Washington Huskies are 0-8 with no light at the end of the tunnel and head coach Tyrone Willingham will step down at the end of the season.
And, to me, the most disappointing news out of them all is that Seattle no longer has an NBA team.
The team that used to be called the Seattle Sonics (or, Supersonics) is now the Oklahoma City Thunder. I just realized that in the past few days when I looked at the NBA scoreboard.
The Oklahoma City Thunder. They may as well be called the Washington Generals, as they will be the inferior team to the "Harlem Globetrotters" of the league.
This is obviously a year of CHANGE in more ways than one. And some changes are more difficult to swallow than others.

John McCain Wins!!!

...in my blog's presidential poll at least.

Congratulations John McCain!

You are the president of iPhone 3G & Me!

I'm the CEO and owner, so I'm YOUR boss! :P

2008 U.S. Presidential Election Results

Keep track of who is winning the presidential race! And don't forget to vote in the poll in my previous blog entry.

Insomniac Presidential Poll

I can't sleep. So, I'm making a presidential poll. I already cast an absentee ballot and I was surprised at all the people who are running for president and vice-president. So, in fairness, I am including all of them in my poll. The poll closes a minute before midnight, Hawaii Standard Time, on Election Day.

Japanese iPhone Commercial

Here's an interesting iPhone commercial from Japan. It features a talking dog who loves the iPhone. If only his paws could actually take advantage of the iPhone's multi-touch screen. :P Enjoy!

Looks Matter More For Female Presidential Candidates?

FOXNews.com is reporting that a study by Northwestern university researchers show a female presidential candidate needs both looks and competence to win over the public, while male candidates can get by with only competence.

However, I believe in the modern age I think looks DID play a part in the presidential elections. Let's take a look back:

• President Bush vs. Al Gore & John Kerry - To me, Gore and Kerry looked like the stodgy Republicans while Bush has always been loosey-goosey. Bush barely wins.
• Bill Clinton vs. Bob Dole & Bush Sr. - No contest. Clinton wins hands down.
• Bush Sr. vs. Michael Dukakis - I don't think ANY presidential candidate in the modern era had bushier eyebrows than Dukakis. This election was a case of "who's less uglier." Bush Sr. wins.
• Ronald Reagan vs. Walter Mondale & Jimmy Carter - Who could look better than an actor from yesteryear? Reagan wins.
• Jimmy Carter vs. Gerald Ford - Carter fares much better in this beauty contest. Carter wins.

Except for John F. Kennedy, looks probably did not play a huge role in presidential politics before the mid-70s. They all looked like stodgy old guys... and they liked it!

Have A Safe And Happy Halloween!

Used without permission from @buzzbunny...

My History Of iPhone 3G Cases

Like many other iPhone users, I have gone through a LOT cases in the short time I have had my iPhone 3G.

I tried to get by with a $10 original iPhone silicone cover, but that blocked the 3G's proximity sensor (which is bad because the screen won't disable when you put the iPhone to your face as you take a call).

The cover I really wanted was the Agent 18 ClearShield, which is very nice. I still have it and use it on occasion. I also bought a Marware CEO Premiere leather holster, which fit the iPhone well even with a cover on. While the ClearShield was nice, it is very FLASHY. If I'm not at a fancy party, flashy doesn't suit me very well. Also, the ClearShield is very slippery.

Then, I got a great deal on a black Griffin Wave case. This is one of my favorite cases and I used it for a very long time. I love how it's sleek, but not slippery. It has a matted feel but easily slips out of your pocket. The case is also somewhat transluscent so you can tell I have a white iPhone without blinding you with that fact. The one downfall about this case is that it has a two-piece design. The one time I dropped the phone about 5 feet onto concrete, the cover came off on impact and slightly scuffed the bezel. Although there was no major damage, it was a shame that I couldn't get FULL protection with that design.

So, finally, I came across the Contour Showcase for the iPhone 3G (shown in picture). The case itself is a one-piece design and it comes with a holster. I have accidentally dropped the phone with and without the holster and it holds up very, very well. No damage whatsoever. I love the holster because it has a vertical clip, which is exactly what I wanted. The clip also acts as a horizontal stand to watch movies.

Drive Car In-Game Before Real World

USA Today is reporting Nissan will show off its new 370Z in the game "Need For Speed Undercover" months before it hits the showroom.
The game will be released in stores on Nov. 18.
This comes on the heels of the campaign for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama buying ad space in an X-Box 360 video game.
We've seen software makers advertise their own games in other games they create. Third-party advertisers, however, are a completely different story. The idea of advertising in a completely virtual world is quite bold if you ask me.
Hopefully, this could lead to the underwriting of software to make games cheaper for the consumer. But, I know that's not realistic.

I plan to buy the iPhone app version of "Need For Speed Undercover" and I'll review it here when it is released.

Spore Halloween: Black Cat

I created and uploaded a Spore character called "Black Cat" just in time for Halloween!

Next Time You Go To Outer Space, Leave Behind The Scotch Tape

FOXNews.com has an interesting article about our favorite adhesive: Scotch® Tape. Evidently, Scotch® tape emits X-rays when you peel it off the roll. But, here's the catch: it only happens in a vacuum.

I'd love to see the conversation before the scientists figured this out:

Scientist #1: Scotch® tape... I bet I could find a way this could be hazardous to people!

Scientist #2: Oh really? Bet you $5 you can't!

Scientist #1: You're ON! Uh... let's start with unraveling the tape in a vacuum...

Actually, the article goes on to say that this discovery could lead to inexpensive X-ray machines for paramedics or in places where electricity is at a premium.

Hawaii Makes The Highlight Reel... Again!

The University of Hawaii football team shows how tough it is by grinding out a 38-31 victory against a very good Nevada team with a spectacular TD catch by Malcolm Lane with less than 25 seconds left in the game.
Thanks to UHBows for getting the clip of the catch from ESPN.
The previous week, even in a loss to Boise State, the Warriors managed to make the Top 10 plays on ESPN. Check out both of these videos and the Honolulu Star-Bulletin article with a great picture of the winning catch and the post-game press conference.

Could iPhone Be A Terrorist Tool?

Yahoo! News is reporting that Twitter, GPS maps and voice-changing software are being identifed as "terrorist tools," according to a draft U.S. Army intelligence report.
When I read that I thought, "Wow! That's sounds like an iPhone!"
There's a myriad of free Twitter apps on the iPhone; Google Maps already comes with the iPhone; and you can buy an app like Voice Changer [iTunes link] to record and change your voice.
There's even a whole chapter called "Potential for Terrorist Use of Twitter."
At first, rolled my eyes at this article. But then again, terrorists are probably not too different than us. And THAT is a scary thought.

Online "Wife" Goes Warcraft!

Think you're online too much? Think again.
A 43-year-old woman from Japan has been arrested for illegally accessing a computer and manipulating data, according to the Associated Press.
The woman was "married" in the online game "Maple Story" and was divorced without notice. That made her so angry that she logged into the game using her "husband's" character and killed him off.
Now, it's been a while since I've played "World Of Warcraft" but even THAT game didn't give you only ONE life!
After reading this ridiculous story, I actually want to TRY "Maple Story."
I think my virtual credentials are fairly extensive:

• I'm a veteran of the first iteration of "The Sims."
• I maxed out levels in both "City of Heroes/Villains" and "World Of Warcraft."
• I've tried out "Second Life" and just found the newer "Kaneva."

So, I'll update my progress in the game here on my blog.

How Photoshop™ Can Be Evil

Those who are Photoshop™ experts have a great power. But, this same power in the wrong hands can prove to be catastrophic!

Alas!... the sign of the Armageddon...

"LOST: Season 5" Fan Videos

If the iPhone is my 24/7 obsession, then the television show "Lost" is my seasonal obsession.
And, for some reason, "Lost" fans tend to be video makers, myself included.
Knowing how hard it is to cut a "Lost" fan video, I found a couple of great fan videos promoting the upcoming Season 5. Now, if you have NOT seen the finale of Season 4, consider these videos as SPOILERS. You have been warned. Now, enjoy!

To Qik Or Not To Qik

One of the big knocks about the iPhone is that you cannot use it as a video camera, like many other mobile phones. Although it wasn't a dealbreaker for me, I would LOVE to use my iPhone as a simple video camera.
Up to now, the only way to do that is to jailbreak, or hack, your iPhone. One of the programs you can download is Qik. One of my friends used it and I like it for what it does. It's good enough until Apple decides to implement it.
Recently the founder of Digg, Kevin Rose, posted on his blog a non-jailbroken version of the Qik program and he claims that it will be on the App Store soon. However, Qik posted a response on the company blog which says:

• Qikkers and Qik fans out there - I want to clarify the questions that are being raised about Qik coming to iPhone App Store. We are looking into this, but at present are not sure when and how this will happen.

Personally, I hope Qik will end up in the App Store. It would be advantageous to Apple to buy some time while they work on other more pressing software matters like push notifications and cut and paste. Meanwhile, you can watch the Kevin Rose video and dream...

When Tiger Woods Just Doesn't Cut It

Tired of waiting for EA Mobile to release Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 on the iPhone? Well, now you can get a game with the name of the 19th best PGA player in the world - Ernie Els!

Ernie Els Golf 2008 is in the App Store for $6.99. Although there are generally good reviews of it on the App Store, there are also some very negative ones.

Electronic Arts did a great job with Spore Origins, even if it is only 1/5th of the actual desktop game. So, I will save my money for the Tiger Woods game, which I expect to cost $9.99. Hopefully, we'll see this game in November or earlier.

Check out this picture of the Ernie Els website (see, below). He must love the iPhone because he uses Cover Flow right on his home page!

Video Review: Tunic Guitar Free

I knew a written review of "Tunic Guitar Free" wouldn't cut it. A proper review of this guitar tuner would have audio of the guitar before and after. I could have done audio only, but what fun is that? Anyway, enjoy the review!

Can't Wait For The BrightKite iPhone App!

Social networking is HUGE for iPhone users. The Facebook and MySpace apps are some of the most popular apps. There's a long list of Twitter apps available. BeeJiveIM is the most expensive social networking app for the iPhone, but people are willing to pay $15.99 for a great program. And, Fring took it another step forward by including Skype and other VOIP capabilities on the iPhone.

I believe the next social internet network to benefit from a native iPhone app is BrightKite. I have found that it is superior to Loopt, which is a similar app. BrightKite has many features similar to Facebook, but it is more location-based. When I tried out the BrightKite webapp, I knew it was a perfect candidate for the iPhone's GPS hardware. Hopefully, it will turn up in the App Store soon.

Here's a video of the BrightKite iPhone app in action:

Brightkite for the iPhone from Brightkite on Vimeo.

The Blackberry Storm!

This video appears to be the best representation of the upcoming Blackberry Storm. It is Research In Motion's first touchscreen mobile smartphone. As an iPhone user, this is the first smartphone I've seen that I actually like. It's stylish and large enough to be practical without being too bulky. However, it seems the Blackberry won't be intruding into the iPhone multimedia market anytime soon (and vice versa, the iPhone still can't compete with RIM's enterprise features).

The one thing I appreciate about RIM is that this promotional seems to be up-front about the performance of its device. Apple has been accused of deceptive advertising for the iPhone 3G. Because the video is so honest, it is also a bit heartbreaking. That's because the touchscreen performance is not even close to the iPhone. Blackberry users upgrading to this touchscreen phone may find it acceptable but iPhone users will find it harsh. After every selection, I notice a nearly one second pause. RIM shouldn't feel too bad because the Samsung Instinct, LG Dare and the T-Mobile G1 Android all seem to have this drawback.

I also question the screen size. You cannot view a full widescreen movie or television show at this screen ratio. Disappointing for a smartphone that was supposed to make strides in multimedia. The 3.2 MP camera, however, is superior to the iPhone. It has flash, autofocus and video recording, none of which the iPhone has. I have found, though, that the iPhone is able to take decent pictures. Check out my Flickr set full of iPhone photos: Street Hiking On Oahu.

One MAJOR feature that the Blackberry Storm is missing is Wi-Fi connectivity. Although 3G speeds are nice, a Wi-Fi connection is much faster and saves your battery life. The reason why I went with the iPhone in the first place is internet browsing. And so far, it appears I made the right decision.

Blackberry rules the business world and the Storm will have business users having more fun with its new touchscreen and upgraded multimedia capabilities. However, it doesn't appear it will make a dent into the iPhone multimedia market just yet.

AM/FM Tuner iPhone App - WunderRadio!

One of the criticisms of the iPhone is the lack of an AM/FM tuner. The WunderRadio app fulfills this needs very well. It is $5.99 on the App Store. While that may seem steep as prices on the App Store keep falling to foster competition, it is well worth every penny.

WunderRadio takes the live internet stream of a radio station and broadcasts it on your iPhone. So, if your favorite radio station does not have an internet stream, you're out of luck with this app. Thankfully for me, just about every radio station I listen to (and I don't listen to much) is available.

I also have AOL Radio, which is an adequate app to listen to genres of music. But, it has ZERO radio stations in Hawaii. I was also told that Tuner is a great radio app, but unfortunately it doesn't accept Windows Media Audio 9 streams and that covers just about every ClearChannel radio station. In Honolulu, there's mostly ClearChannel stations.

With WunderRadio, I've had success with about 10 radio stations on Oahu and six radio stations on the neighbor islands.

The list includes the #1 radio station KSSK, KKEA ESPN 1420, Hot 93.9, Star 101.9, 98.5 Island Reggae and KTUH.

It also supports NWS Weather radio and scanners from ScanAmerica.us (although none of these are available in Hawaii).

Apple Rating: 5 out of 5. Strongly recommended.

New iPhone 3G USB Power Adapter

Apple is in the midst of a recall of the iPhone 3G Power Adapter. Here's what Apple says about the problem:

Apple has determined that under certain conditions the new ultracompact Apple
USB power adapter's metal prongs can break off and remain in a power outlet,
creating a risk of electric shock. We have received reports of detached
blades involving a very small percentage of the adapters sold, but no injuries
have been reported.

Today is the first day of the recall, so tonight I went to the Apple Store at Kahala Mall to make the exchange. A couple of people were there to do the same thing and the wait was minimal. You need to return the old adapter and the Apple Store needs your serial number to process the exchange. You can find your serial number right in your iPhone at Settings --> General --> About.

You know you have the new one because there's a green dot sticker on the face of the adapter. I know it's hard to see in the picture I took. The lighting in my bedroom is horrid.

If an Apple Store is not at a convenient distance to your home, you can order it via this webpage: https://supportform.apple.com/200809/

If you do the exchange through the web, make sure you mail Apple back the old adapter otherwise you will be charged $29.

And for those who care, here's a map of my latest cross-town walk using the iPhone app Distance Meter:

Preview Of iPhone OS 2.2

So, it's October. No push notifications, cut & paste functions, stereo Bluetooth capability and voiced turn-by-turn navigation. That's what I want in that order.

But, I'm calm. I'm not raising my voice. I don't see the purpose in getting mad about things like this.

Still, the Google Android OS, the Blackberry Storm and the Nokia 5800 are about to put a LOT of pressure on Apple to get more functionality on the iPhone. Push notifications alone would make the iPhone 1000% more usable. In fact, all instant messaging apps, save for Fring and BeeJiveIM, are practically useless because none of them work in the background and push notifications alone would take care of that.

So what ARE we getting in the iPhone OS 2.2? By the way, none of these have been officially confirmed:

• Redesigned Google search in the Safari browser and different look for the App Store on the iPhone. It's cool but, really, who cares?
• Preference to turn off auto-correction. I really like auto-correction. It's the one thing that makes typing on the iPhone so much easier and faster. But, it's not good if you want to text in Ebonics.
• Emoji support. That's basically "emoticons" in Japanese. By the way, I'm of Japanese ancestry and I think emoji is quite silly. I NEVER heard a lack of emoticons as a reason in the U.S. why someone would not buy the iPhone. But, I'm sure anyone who texts or e-mails frequently will find many uses for it. I wonder if my Twitter app will support emoji? A lack of emoji was cited as the main reason why the iPhone isn't catching on in Japan.
• Google Street View. Probably the most interesting feature in 2.2. It allows you to see the map at street level as if you were really there. Check out this YouTube video:
  

Somehow, I have a feeling Google Street View won't be supported in Honolulu. I can hope, though. UPDATE 10/10/2008: Google Maps does not support Street View in Hawaii.
In the end, I do feel that 2.2 is a relatively weak upgrade considering the other functions that the iPhone really needs. I guess the faster we get to 2.2, the faster we will get to the other functions.

iPhone App Review: i.TV

I try to search the App Store everyday to find the latest and greatest iPhone apps out there.
This morning, I found a gem of an app. It's called i.TV. That's "eye-dot-tee-vee." It's a free app with your local television and movie listings. It's an all-in-one entertainment app.
It's great as a movie listings app. It does just about everything Now Playing does, except for Rotten Tomato ratings and a link to imdb.com. But, it also has features I haven't seen elsewhere. You can save your favorite actors and it directs you to where you can see them on television.
As a television app, it also does quite well. But, since it is very graphic intensive, the program does move slower compared with a paid app like What's On. In fact, the app suffers from intermittent crashes. The i.TV website says it knows about this problem and will be addressed in an future update.
Because browsing through hundreds of channels can be slow, the ability to sort through television programs is indispensible. My favorite "sort" is by genre. You can even save your favorite programs to quickly see when it airs next. However, I wish I could save my favorite channel.
It's a very good app considering it is free (with advertisements). And it looks like the company who made the app put a lot of money into its software, its website and this commercial:

Apple Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Docked a point for crashing problems and a half point for relatively slow browsing performance in television listings.

Update: As of 10/10/2008, i.TV is the #1 free app on the App Store.

FSU Kicker: Acting - A+, Kicking Field Goals - F

I promise this will be my final blog about the Hawaii vs. Fresno State football game.
Here's a clip from the game you won't see on any ESPN highlight:

The kicker for Fresno is redshirt freshman Kevin Goessling. Apparently, he's a great actor. I'm not sure if his act was despicable or brilliant. Either way, missing those field goals cost his team the game. Call it karma or "what goes around, comes around" or "athletic justice." The people in Hawaii call it "bachi."

McMackin: Right Coach For The Warriors

What a difference a week makes. I know a lot of Hawaii football fans are riding high after the amazing overtime win against No. 22 Fresno State at Bulldog Stadium, 32-29. But, you should watch this video from KITV.com of head coach Greg McMackin after the heartbreaking loss to San Jose State a week earlier:
Uncut: UH Coach Mac 'Devastated' After 'Must Win'
After hearing from McMackin and seeing just about everything he talked about translate to a win on the field, I know that he is the right coach for the Warriors.
I couldn't believe my ears when I was listening to local sports talk radio this past week about how many chances UH should give McMackin to prove himself as a head coach. A week ago, the Warriors were 1-3 with the only win of the season coming against a team that's not even in the same NCAA subdivision. But isn't it a little early to call for the coach's head?
Hawaii's losses came against now No. 12 Florida [there was no way we were going to win this one], Oregon State [whom USC couldn't even beat in Corvallis], and a well-[Dick Tomey]coached San Jose State team.
But, after seeing the win against Fresno State and going back to the San Jose press conference I know that Coach Mac is the right person to succeed June Jones.
McMackin talked a lot about turnovers. And, granted, some of the Bulldog turnovers were just sloppy football. But three of the turnovers were interceptions, which tells me that the coaches were making adjustments and the players executed. It's amazing that Coach Mac had a vision for winning the turnover battle and actually made it happen on the field.
McMackin also talked about the heart of Ryan Mouton, who actually played while hurt in the San Jose State game. Mouton ran a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to start the Warriors scoring effort against Fresno State, and was undoubtedly the spark the team needed.
And, the injured quarterback carousel finally came to a stop at Inoke Funaki. Hopefully, his two-touchdown, 170 yard performance is a sign that he is coming into his own on the field.
Hawaii may not have as much talent as last year, but it has the right coach in place to be competitive on any given Saturday.
Don't be a fair-weather fan who dwells in the past.

The Crown Jewel Of Walks

I found a quicker and shorter way to walk from my home in Kalihi to Pearlridge Center. But, it was a LOT of uphill walking. If you click on the full screen version of the map, you can choose to see the elevation. It was nasty.

Still, I was lucky. It was an overcast day with breezy winds. If it was very sunny with no winds it would have been brutal. And phsyically, I don't feel very sore or tired. I'm going to need a new challenge.

As usual, I used the Distance Meter iPhone app to track my walk.

iPhone App Marketing Takes A "Quantum" Leap

I think iPhone app marketing will become a useful tool in the worlds outside of computing, namely politics and entertainment, as evidenced by a couple of interesting applications in the App Store.
Yesterday, the presidential campaign for Barack Obama came out with an app called "Obama '08." It's basically a way for volunteers to get together. The app also lists where Obama stands on all the issues. Not bad for a free app. And, of course, you can donate money through the app and make calls to your friends for Obama (yeah, right).
Today, I found an interesting free movie promotional app called "James Bond - 007." The title and the logo immediately caught my eye.

It features trailers, video blogs, movie synopsis, list of cast & filmmakers, as well as a chance to preview and download the movie's main song.

Although this isn't more than what you would find at the movie's website, an iPhone app is the perfect venue for this kind of content. Next to no one would waste their precious free time at home sitting at the computer watching 007 videos. BUT... when you're bored and on-the-go, anything goes!

This is how a movie should be promoted on the iPhone. "The Dark Knight: HaHaHa" was a silly and poorly executed attempt at promoting a movie.

My Favorite iPhone Apps

It's been officially 12 weeks since the iPhone 3G came out and my new smartphone has taken over my life.
No doubt one of the best things (and sometimes worst) about the iPhone is the relatively new Apple App Store. It is Steve Jobs' attempt to make every iPhone customizable depending on the user. To some degree, it has deterred jailbreakers. Unless you want to do video recording, home screen customizations and running programs in the background.
Still, you can find a lot of gems in the App Store for free or very little cash. We've all gone through the tip calculators, the lightsabers and the beer drinking apps. But, how many apps do we USE on a daily basis?
Here's some of the apps that I have been using a lot in the last few months:


AirMe/Exposure - One of the features of the iPhone 3G that I was dying to try out was the ability to geotag photos. That means every picture you take is embedded with a GPS location that can be put on a map. That's exactly what I did with my Flickr photoset Street Hiking On Oahu. If you click on the "Map" feature you will see exactly where each photo was taken. Each photo is also tagged with the current weather conditions. I use AirMe to take the photo which is automatically uploaded to my Flickr account. Then, I use Exposure to check if it is there. Exposure is also great at looking at the photos that have been taken near your current location and featured pictures from all over the world. There is an Exposure Premium but the only difference is the ads, and they don't bother me too much. Otherwise, both apps are free.


Facebook - Version 2.0 of this app just came out and it has really put it over the top as the best social networking app on the iPhone. You can do just about everything on this native app as you would on the web. The only things you don't have access to are third-party applications. I have been reconnecting with high school buddies on Facebook and this great iPhone app helps me to do that on the go. Free.

Twittelator Pro - Since getting the iPhone, I have also become a Twitter addict. I used to use Twitterfon but I didn't like the light blue motif (although that is very Twitter-ish) and it was pretty straightforward without added features. So, I decided to invest $4.99 into Twittelator Pro, a native Twitter app with features that aren't even on the Twitter website. My favorite feature is the thumbnails of uploaded pictures. Also, Twittelator just came out with a set of emoticons.

Asphalt 4 Elite Racing - To me, this is the BEST game hands down. The use of the accelerometer is phenomenal. The game is fast-paced and rarely misses a beat. Even though I'm done with the whole game, I keep playing it for the rush. It's also fun derailing your opponents. It's like a PS2 racing game on your iPhone. It is well worth the $9.99.



Distance Meter/iPump Total Body - A couple of iPhone apps have been encouraging me to exercise more and to lose weight. I have been walking long distances lately and I found a great app to track it. Distance Meter shows my total time, distance, speed and calories burned after each workout. I can then upload the stats to MapMyFitness.com and have my route put on a map. Here's an example of one of my very long walks: Kalihi to Pearlridge. Distance Meter is $2.99 but you can also get Trailguru. It has very similar features and is free.

iPump Total Body is like having a personal trailer right there in the gym with you. A workout regiment is outlined with each exercise. There are great pictures and a written explanation, and if that's not enough there's a video with a narrator! The video is probably the best feature. When you're done with the exercise you can log it in the app. This also costs $2.99, which is cheaper than other similar apps which are not as good.

Here's some other worthy apps by genre:

• Reference: Bible - Easy to read, lots of translations and can be used offline. Free.
• Sports: MLB At Bat - Great live game features, lots of player/team stats and video highlights. But, it is subscription-based ($4.99 for half a season; $2.99 for postseason only) and will have to be bought again next year. It also never had team standings in the native app; it directed you to MLB.com. Still, sports iPhone apps have been disappointing to say the least and MLB At Bat has been the best effort by a professional league.
• News: Associated Press Mobile News Network - Quick loading and easy to read with a lot of pictures and videos. Free.
• Music: BeatMaker - A $200 drum machine becomes a $19.99 iPhone app.
• Productivity: Air Sharing/Datacase - Use your iPhone like a hard drive with the ability to read your files. $6.99 each.

New Look For iPhone 3G & Me

As much as I liked my old Blogger template, it was too restrictive. Especially when it comes to making some money with ads on my blog. I've been researching what it takes to make money on the web and I got some inspiration today to get going on that.

For those who come here regularly - thank you for listening! My blog shouldn't change all that much. I might want to blog more often just to keep the site fresh. But, my blog will be about ME and the things I like.

And who knows? Maybe I can quit my day job. Or maybe not. But, I'm curious to take a ride on the blogging circuit.

Waikiki Sunset

It's that magical time of the day - the sunset. Most of my life I've only seen the sunrise over the mountain. But, I've seen a lot of sunsets. I barely made it to Waikiki to catch it. I could have gone to Sand Island instead but the magic isn't quite the same.

My New Gym Workout

I just bought an AWESOME iPhone app called "iPump: Total Body."

I've been with 24-Hour Fitness for a while but I never studied all the different exercises. So, I kind of randomly did my weight training. The app was only $2.99.
Now, I have a plan. The app is really cool because for each exercises there is also a video with a narrator showing and telling you how each exercises is done. That's PERFECT for me!

The plan in the app is basically circuit training, which I have never done before. So, this is what I did this morning:

• 20lb Dumbell Squats - 10 reps, 3 sets
• 20lb Dumbell Bench Press - 10 reps, 3 sets
• 15lb Dumbell Prone Row - 10 reps, 3 sets
• 15 lb Dumbell Reverse Lunge - 10 reps, 3 sets
• (This is when I began to feel tired.)
• 15lb Lateral Raises - 7 reps, 2 sets
• Reverse Cruch - 7 reps, 2 sets

I was four exercises away from finishing the circuit. But, I was POOPED! It says to do this 10-exercise circuit once a week. I might have to split it up to twice a week and do 5 exercises each. And I have to stick with this first 10 exercises for 4-6 weeks. Something tells me that I'll probably need all 6 weeks.

So, this is what I'm doing in addition to my urban hiking! Hopefully, it will help me to lose weight, make my liver less fatty and make me slimmer!

Mixing Up Alaska & Canada

Being that part of my job is to add content to the web, I found this gaffe at KGMB9.com very funny:

About halfway down, Sarah Palin is all of a sudden Governor of Canada!

T-Mobile G1: Epic Fail

There was a lot of buildup for the first Google Android phone and we get this?!

The T-Mobile G1 was unveiled today. And I'm not impressed.


Check out that picture. The keyboard is even bigger than the screen! It just looks clumsy.


It has a 3.1MP camera, GPS mapping and up to 8GB of storage with a memory card (which means there's either little to no onboard memory and you'll have to get an 8GB memory card).


Now, what surprised me the MOST is that T-Mobile has really bad 3G coverage. In fact, there's NO 3G coverage in Hawaii right now.


Look at the map on the left. There's no dark blue which is 3G. And there's really scattered EDGE coverage, which is horribly slow anyway.

In fact, T-Mobile concedes that when the phone will start selling on October 22nd, only 21 cities (more than likely all on the mainland) will have 3G coverage! And people complained about the 3G coverage for AT&T!

So, if you live in Hawaii and you dreamed of owning a Google Android phone, you have a SEVERELY gimped mobile phone which was supposed to be geared toward using the internet.
Now, I know what you're saying. The iPhone guy is just being negative. Actually, I was hoping for a phone either as good or superior to the iPhone. Better mobile phones on the market will force the iPhone to become better. I really believe that. At least until the Blackberry Thunder comes out, it seems that Steve Jobs can rest on his laurels - unfortunately. The Samsung Instinct, the LG Dare and now the T-Mobile G1 have failed to put forth a serious competitor to the iPhone.

Guess Who's In The Wall Street Journal?

A while back I blogged about doing an interview with a reporter from the Wall Street Journal about iPhone games. Well, some PR dude called me at work saying he saw my article!

Well, here it is:

Once Wimpy, Cellphones Got Game

Mahealani Richardson posted it at work so everyone can know how much of a geek-nerd I am.

Trials & Perseverance

It's either irony or coincidence or both that this morning's Bible verse at church was James 1:2-3,

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

During this morning's worship time, I was having an electronic drum crisis. The one song that was supposed to call everyone to worship was horrendous. I couldn't hear the keyboards which the worship leader was playing. Everyone else couldn't hear me and we were all out of sync. And at one point the arm on my snare drum was getting loose and it was unplayable.

I realize that it doesn't matter to God that we play perfectly, but I want to offer up my BEST, which I couldn't because circumstances beyond my control.

So, James, trials produce perseverance, huh? It's hard to keep joy in mind while the trials are going on...

Happy Birthday Day!

It was one of the busiest Saturdays in a long time. Yet, I never felt out of control or overworked. It was all very pleasant.

First up, Shayna Fuller's birthday party in Ewa Beach. I've personally seen Shayna grow up at Kalihi Union Church. She married one of my best friends Tony. Because of a lack of parking space, I organized a carpool betwee myself, Julie, Reyton & Jennifer.

I had a great time with Roman, James, Rodney, their respective families & everyone else who came. Tony & Shayna's 5-month-old son Ezekiel was the star of the party. 3.5 hours there to begin the day. We left around 1:30 pm to get some rest before the next party.

At 5 pm, it was off to the next birthday party in Kalihi Valley for Jennifer Lo. It was at the beautiful Dredla home. I love that breezy porch! So much food! A great night of conversation & eating. Got to see KUC alumnus Tracie. It was also a send off for Julie who is moving to Seattle.


I came home pretty tired at around 10:30 pm. But, tired in a GOOD way.

Knight Rider (2008) Review

iTunes is offering a free episode of the new "Knight Rider" television series. So, I took the bait just to see how it is. The episode I saw is called "A Knight In Shining Armor."

I came away sorely disappointed. Even with my low expectations.


Let's start with the good points. Two actors who stuck out to me: Bruce Davison and Sydney Poitier.

Unfortunately, neither of them had much screen time in this episode. And Poitier doesn't have a juicy character like Jungle Julia in "Deathproof." The acting doesn't get much better than those two.

The actor playing the lead can barely hold his own, much less the entire television series. At least David Hasselhoff was a TV show veteran from "The Young And The Restless" in the first go-around. And this Mike is a more troubled soul. What little personality he has is wasted in one-liner conversations with K.I.T.T.


Speaking of K.I.T.T. , Val Kilmer has nothing on William Daniels (the original voice of K.I.T.T.). Yes, Kilmer's career has descended to doing voice-overs of a car. Unfortunately, he's using that same robotic voice he employed in "Batman Forever." What made Daniels so good in the role of K.I.T.T. is that he didn't try to sound like a computer. He used his normal voice which made K.I.T.T. seem more human. Kilmer sounds like a turn-by-turn GPS device. Even the one in my car sounds better than him.


And, lastly the choice of a Ford Mustang Cobra as the K.I.T.T. car. At least the Pontiac Thunderbird was a hot and classy car in the early 80s. Just to put it plainly, the Mustang is UGLY. And it doesn't exude futurism or hotness. Any black car with a red strobe doesn't make it K.I.T.T. Ford must have paid a high price to get their Mustang to be the K.I.T.T. car.

In fact, a really hot car turned up in this episode that put the Mustang to shame. A blue Spyker C8 Spyder, similar to the one pictured here, made an appearance. The car door hinges upwards, which is reminiscent of a Lamborghini. It even outraced the Mustang in the episode. Spyker is a Dutch automaker.


In the end, I think the show is trying too hard to be an ensemble cast like "24," "Lost," "Heroes," and "Battlestar Galactica." And there are many weak links in the cast.


What made the original show so popular was its simplicity: Michael Knight & K.I.T.T. That's all that you really need.

My Toughest Urban Hike Yet

Today, I did the unthinkable. Walking from my home in Kalihi to Pearlridge. Here's a map of my route I logged with my iPhone 3G:



Yup. About 10 miles of walking. I started early so I wouldn't get too much sun. Anybody know a better route? I had to walk near some homeless near Nimitz Highway and I wouldn't want to take my sister on this walk if I had to go that way again.

iPhone 2.1: Best Update So Far

If you have an iPhone 3G or v1 or even an iPod Touch and are still on the old firmware (2.02 for iPhone, at least) you should download version 2.1 right now.

Even though I have not been one of the people with serious reception problems, internet speed problems, serious crashing problems, serious app problems, etc. the new update has noticable enhancements.

First of all, in my bedroom I could get no more than 3 bars. Now, it's 5 bars all the time.

Backing up is much faster with iTunes and it doesn't ALWAYS backup your iPhone when you sync. I hated that. It looks like I don't have to hack iTunes anymore.

Loading new apps is also much faster. Even on the iPhone with 3G.

A minor tweak is a new logo for 3G and EDGE.

Supposedly the battery life is better, but I haven't noticed anything. The only time I run into battery problems is when I use an app that tracks my exercise because the screen has to stay on for the GPS to work. I'm always someplace where I can charge up my phone.

Other enhancements, most of which are associated with the iPod functions, are nicely detailed in this MacWorld article: First Look: iPhone 2.1. I do like the new Genius playlist function. After you install 2.1, make you sure do a sync so that your Genius playlist will show up.

Also, don't forget to download the new iTunes 8.0 which is another great update.

Now that we may have covered the problems of the BASIC functions of the iPhone, maybe we can get to push notifications and cut & paste. Frankly, I don't care about turn-by-turn navigation. I have one in the car and I believe that will always function better than any GPS on a mobile phone.

My First Spore

I've been waiting for Spore Origins to come out on the iPhone since the desktop version, Spore, already came out today. I've been checking the App Store all day to no avail.

So in the meantime, I downloaded the free trial version of the Spore Creature Creator. And just creating a spore is fun! Here's my first spore. I called him "Cockroach." He looks nasty but he's a softie at heart.

I really don't want to buy the full desktop game for $50. The Creature Creator also costs another $10. I'm sure the iPhone version won't cost more than $20 (I'm hoping for $10).

Hawaii Football iPhone Wallpaper

I've been into making iPhone wallpapers lately. So, I made this Hawaii Warriors iPhone wallpaper. Feel free to download it and use it.

The Producer Gets Interviewed By WSJ

As many of my friends know, I am a local morning news producer. But today, the producer had the tables turned on him when he was the subject of an interview. Let me explain:

I am a frequent poster on the EverythingiCafe forums. It's a place where I can geek out and talk about the iPhone. Well, someone from the Wall Street Journal sent me a private message about interviewing me over the phone about my experience with the iPhone game Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D. The article is about how iPhone games are changing the landscape of mobile gaming.

So today, I did a phone interview with the WSJ. The reporter says it will come out this week sometime. I'll post the article when it is published.

Here's a video of Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D:

Food Review: W & M Bar-B-Q Burger

I was told that a great place to get burgers was a place I had never heard of on Waialae Avenue: W & M Bar-B-Q Burger.

I heard it's ALWAYS busy, so something must be up.

Today, I had to fend for myself when it came to lunch so I decided to take a little drive to Kaimuki.

The parking lot was full and there was even two cars parked illegally with someone inside the car and the engine on. Unfortunately, I was by myself so I had to find a side street to park on.

I was able to get a space nearby on 2nd Avenue. The hard part was trying to cross Waialae on a crosswalk with no traffic signals. Those drivers making left turns out of City Mill!

For $8.43 (tax included), I bought a Deluxe Steak Burger (no onions), french fries and a large drink.
For $1.95, there wasn't much fries. I think the next time I'll pass on it.

The Steak Burger consisted of thin slices of teriyaki beef. By the time I brought the burger home it was kind of cold. But, the teriyaki slices were mighty tasty and the sauce in the burger was very good.

This is a case of quality over quantity. W & M had a sign that said that they had to raise their prices because of the cost of fuel. The Deluxe Steak Burger was $4.15.

Overall, I was satified but not blown away. The next time, I'll try the normal Bar-B-Q Burger.

Can't go tomorrow or the next day because they are closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

"Iron Man" Two-Disc Special Collectors' Edition Cover

Man, this is a SWEET cover!

Even if I didn't see the movie, I'd want to buy this DVD!

You need to pay a little more to get this version. The single-disc version comes with the movie poster on the cover. Mark Sept. 30 on your calendar.

I bet there's a slipcover on this DVD.

When you take the slipcover off, you'll see this:

Not Hulking Out Anymore

This is my first post using an iPhone app called Lifecast. It's basically a way to blog from my iPhone.

One good piece of news. My blood pressure is now at a real good place. My blood pressure used to be high. And since I've been seeing my doctor about it I have lost 9 pounds.

Just waiting for the bus...

Posted with LifeCast

Searching For Free Wi-Fi Hotspots

It's been about 3 weeks since I got my iPhone 3G and I love it!

Now, I'm on a mission to find all the great FREE wi-fi hotspots in Honolulu. I found out a way to get 2 hours of free wi-fi at all the Starbucks basically for free. See details on that here.
I also have a webapp on my iPhone called the JiWire Wi-Fi Finder. I search for only the free ones. My mission is to look them up and actually go there and check out if the free service is still going. I found two great wi-fi hotspots so far:

The first one is at the food court at Pioneer Plaza at 900 Fort Street Mall in the heart of downtown (see picture, left). I went there on a Sunday and although all the shops were closed, but the wi-fi was still going. It had an average speed of 1.7 Mbps! That's fast! There was no special setup needed. Although I'm not in downtown a lot, this might be a great excuse to talk a walk to downtown and have lunch there.

Another one that's easy to set up is the free wi-fi at the Honolulu Academy Of Arts. You have to choose the ShakaNet wi-fi option first. Then, go to Safari and there will be a ShakaNet page. Agree to the terms and conditions and you have FREE wi-fi! This one also has an average speed of 1.7 Mbps. I could even get the wi-fi while waiting at the nearby bus stop. Awesome!