Blog

[embedded content]

A Sunday update with Hawaii News Now weekend anchor Annalisa Burgos, previewing a few upcoming tech events:

AIM-AHEAD Inclusive Innovation Symposium: Wednesday, August 10th from noon to 3 p.m. HST. This virtual symposium will showcase artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) uses in health and include a listening session portion to better understand the needs of Hawai’i, Guam, American Samoa, and Pacific Islander communities.UrbanPlan Scholars Presentation: Thursday, August 11th at 4:30 p.m. HST at the First Hawaiian Center. Student teams will present proposals for developing a six-acre site at UH West Oahu incorporating some combination of work-force rental housing, a dual-use office, greenhouse based farming, and renewable energy.Laulima STEM Symposium: First-ever in-person event on Saturday, Aug. 20 in Kroc Center Hawaii in Kapolei. All local scientists, engineers, teachers, and researchers are invited to network and learn about Hawaii’s cool work in STEM. Unlike most conferences, the Laulima Symposium targets broad participation from the community. Guest speakers, activities, and dinner. You can also attend online.

[embedded content]
Sam Spangler reports for KHON2 News.

A handful of bills were introduced at the state Capitol this year to lower roadblocks to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. If there is no change to the law this session, a pilot program that allowed Hawaii residents to purchase digital currencies through exchanges like Gemini will end June 30.

See Also: Cryptocurrency trading to end in Hawaii if legislature doesn’t act

[embedded content]
Guy Hagi interviews me and Nalu Scientific CEO Isar Mostafanezhad on Hawaii News Now Sunrise.

The Hawaii Tech Job Fair celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2019, but the immensely popular event was canceled for 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. This year, the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation is partnering with Chamber of Commerce Hawaii to host the job fair virtually.

More than 30 companies are participating, hoping to fill over 250 positions, including two dozen internships.

For more information, visit HTDC.org/techjobfair.

[embedded content]

Although the Federal Aviation Administration had years to prepare, the agency has requested several delays to the planned rollout of 5G cellular phone and data networks out of concerns that the new frequencies will affect older airplane altimeters, which help planes land in low-visibility situations.

“With safety as its core mission, the FAA will continue to ensure that the traveling public is safe as wireless companies deploy 5G,” the agency said on Jan. 17, 2022. “The FAA continues to work with the aviation industry and wireless companies to try to limit 5G-related flight delays and cancellations.”

See also: Why are airlines squaring off against wireless companies over 5G?

by Ryan Kawailani Ozawa · Published January 18, 2022 · Updated February 9, 2022 My late mother went through several

The Onipa?a Peace March is an annual event and procession from the Hawaiian Royal Mausoleum in Nuuanu Valley to ?Iolani Palace to commemorate Lili?uokalani‘s forced removal from the throne and mark the moment of overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893.

I was able to catch the 2022 procession’s arrival at ?Iolani Palace as well as the tribute to Lili?uokalani at her statue between the palace and the Hawaii State Capitol.

I’ve posted an album of photos on Flickr:

As well as a 360-degree video taken at the gates to the palace as the procession arrived:

[embedded content]

The New Year’s Ceremony at the Daijingu Temple of Hawaii in Nuuanu includes blessings offered to both humans and pets. A popular annual tradition, even in the rain, it draws as many as 4,000 people seeking blessings, omamori (amulets) and omikuji (fortunes). The Shinto temple was established in 1958 and is today led by Rev. Akihiro Okada.

I’ve posted an album of photos on Flickr:

And a video montage of scenes from this year’s ceremony on YouTube:

[embedded content]

One of my favorite small utilities for my Mac is Blotter, by Delaware-based Wireload. It’s delightfully simple and elegant, putting your calendar and reminders on your Desktop.

Unfortunately, it also stopped working a few MacOS versions ago, and the app hasn’t been updated since October 2019.

Not surprisingly, the Apple App Store reviews have become universally bad as a result.

Wireload’s support forum is pretty much full of complaints from others who are disappointed Blotter stopped working for them.

The last time I went looking for an update, however, I noticed that someone had found a fix to get Blotter working again. It’s not an official fix, and involves messing with Terminal commands, but it works.

Even though I’m running the next version of MacOS — MacOS 12 Monterey in beta — Blotter is happily humming away on my MacBook Pro 16″ desktop. I’m elated.

Here’s the fix:

Launch Terminal (in /Applications/Utilities).

2. Copy the following and paste it into Terminal, and press Enter:

defaults write net.wireload.blotter.mac NSGraphicsContextAllowOverRestore -bool YES

3. Then, copy the following and press Enter:

defaults write net.wireload.blotter.mac NSViewAllowsRootLayerBacking -bool NO

And that’s it. You may have to restart your Mac and re-launch Blotter.

Thanks to Gfidias in the Wireload forums and GerryWilliamson in the App Store!

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/blotter/id406580224?mt=12

[embedded content]

As of last month, I’ve been enlisted as a community engagement consultant to the HTDC and its Digital Currency Innovation Lab (DCIL) partnership with the state DCCA Division of Financial Institutions (DFI). The objective is to grow participation from cryptocurrency enthusiasts in Hawaii and help formulate a holistic perspective on the development of digital currency for the state.

It’s going to be a fun assignment. Like many geeks I’m fascinated by where crypto is headed, and after attending and promoting local events related to Bitcoin and other digital currencies, I now have the chance to do so officially, and have a hand in planning them. For the next 12 months, at least.

As national headlines proclaimed a “crash” in the value of Bitcoin and other digital currencies last week, I checked in with reporter Casey Lund and the “This Is Now” team at Hawaii News Now to explore what it means. The segment allowed me to drop a promo for a HTDC webinar coming up this Wednesday, “Crypto for Nonprofits,” featuring Alex Wilson of The Giving Block.

[embedded content]

I’ve been with Hawaii Information Service for over 14 years, serving as its Communication Director and part of its cross-departmental project management team. Although roughly categorized as a Multiple Listing Service (MLS) provider, we are much more than that. We’re a genuine home-grown technology company that has kept up with, and often surpassed, the national real estate industry.

We don’t often get to “toot our own horn” — we’re far too busy for that — but thanks to a nomination from Hawaii National Bank, Hawaii Information Service has now been featured in a “Business Matters” segment on KHON. Veteran reporter Howard Dashevsky visited with us, and with his videographer Erik, put together a remarkably solid profile in just a few hours.

In three minutes, CEO Faith Geronimo and COO Colleen Yasuhara got to tell much of our company’s story, from its history, to its vision, to the next-generation real estate data platform we’ve been building for the last three years. It’s finally going to be released later this year, so the timing couldn’t have been better.

READ MORE: Building a Better MLS System