Can Hawaiʻi Feed Itself?
A lot of elements are needed to make Hawaiʻi self-sufficient in food. Here are a few examples of struggles and resiliency that enable more productive local farming and food production.
Technology
Off-the-grid Air Conditioning
Creator: Briand Achong, president and co-founder of Greenpath Technologies Inc., was an accountant and small-business consultant before establishing his photovoltaic business. “We looked at it from a roofing perspective,” he says. “The roof is the only part of a building…
Dustin Shindo: The story behind what happened at Hoku and his new venture in healthcare IT
Thirteen years after he and his partner, Kaleo Taft, founded their fuel cell startup in a Waikiki apartment. Nine years after he put the company on NASDAQ in a $21 million IPO. Seven years after he and his colleagues gave…
The Navy and private companies collaborate to turn wave energy into electricity
Photography Courtesy of Northwest Energy Innovation Devices to measure wave energy and convert it into electricity will be deployed in Kaneohe Bay near Marine Corps Base Hawaii starting this year, say the Navy, state Rep. Cynthia Thielen and a…
Your Company is a Target for Hackers
It was business as usual as the restaurant’s small staff prepared for the lunchtime crowd. The kitchen was scrubbed, the floor immaculate, and the equipment and fresh ingredients ready. Just the same as every day since the restaurant’s opening seven…
New Attitudes About Social Media
Companies love social media because they can be inexpensive ways to reach lots of customers. But, companies worry about social media because they have little control over what others say about them. In fact, one of the biggest concerns companies…
How Local Businesses Use Pinterest
If you’ve heard about the social-media site Pinterest but are wondering if it’s worth your time, consider these statistics from the social marketing company Piqora: The average order value generated by Pinterest is $169, compared to $95 for Facebook and $71 for Twitter. That makes Pinterest…
Traditional Hawaii Now On Your Phone
It may seem incongruent to have a smartphone app about ancient Hawaiian fishponds. But, if you think about it, both apps and fishponds are technological achievements of their time. Marrying them makes it easier for people to learn about an ancient…
Explore Hawaii's Natural Beauty, Virtually
If you’re a fan of outdoor magazines with beautiful photography, check out unrealhawaii.com, a website that takes you on Hawaii’s edgiest natural adventures with a nod toward conservation. David Chatsuthiphan says he started the site in 2010 to provide information…
Is Hawaiian Telcom's IPTV Rollout a Game Changer?
PHOTOS BY RAE HUO It's hard to avoid baseball metaphors when talking about Hawaiian Telcom. Five years ago, faced with three straight quarters of losses, crippling debt and imminent bankruptcy, the century-old local telephone monopoly appeared to be down…
Innovation: Nimblstand Combines Tablet, Keyboard and Stylus
Many of us love our tablets for writing, drawing, emailing and Web browsing, and often want to add a keyboard or even a stylus. Nimblstand is a clever way of combining all three: an Apple wireless keyboard and a Wacom Bamboo styluswhile cradling a tablet…
Need a Prototype? 3D Printing May Be the Answer
Collin Kobayashi plans to make a paddleboard with his 3D printer. Some people, including his wife, may chuckle at the idea, but the president and chief 3D officer of 3D Innovations LLC has the expertise and technology to do it. He’s already…
Mission to Mars via Mauna Loa
Faced with a problem that’s literally out of this world, scientists went looking for a solution on an isolated part of Mauna Loa. Astronauts who eat the same freeze-dried and dehydrated options day after day tend to suffer from “menu…
Students and Lovers of the Ocean, Rejoice
Around 4 most mornings, I wake up and switch on my laptop. The first site I click is PacIOOS.org, an interactive and informative website that gives me all the real-time information I need to decide which surfboard to take to the beach that morning or whether I should stay in…
Local Tech Firm Goes Global
For those who believe Hawaii’s economic future lies with innovative technology and global thinking, DataHouse can be a poster child. The Honolulu-based company, with offices in Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco, this year signed a contract to design and…
Easy-to-use Pictures That Say "Hawaii"
Problem: Search online for, say, a traditional hula kahiko dancer, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a high-quality image you can easily download and use for your business. Daniel Leuck, CEO of the Honolulu-based creative agency Ikayzo, saw that need for good…
Thirty Meter Telescope could boost Hawaii Island's economy
A $1.4 billion construction project would be a big deal anywhere in the world, but for struggling Hilo and Hawaii Island’s moribund construction industry, it’s a gift from above – figuratively and literally. “It’s a huge project for us,” says…
New Technologies Broaden Opportunities for Blind People in the Workplace
Phillip Ana, an employee at Hawaii’s Executive Office on Aging, leads workshops on state-run disability services, manages an online database of resources and consults with clients by phone about services for Hawaii’s disability community. Andrew Sensano is in charge of…
Professional Videos sell Real Estate
Imagine buying a home without visiting it. That’s what a California buyer did to a Waikiki penthouse listed by Realtor Margaret Murchie, thanks in part to a video the buyer first saw on YouTube. Such videos, unlike a virtual tour,…
Can the University of Hawaii make millions off its research?
These bacteria are a key part of UH’s plan to double the money it collects from federal grants over the coming decade “Micro-organisms dominate this planet,” says David Karl, director of C-MORE, the UH-based Center for Microbial Oceanography, Research and…
5 Great Edu-Apps
Interactive Alphabet What’s Learned? Letters Description: Hawaii-connected app-maker Piikea Street won instant recognition for Interactive Alphabet, which charms your littlest technophile through the early stages of literacy with easy, interactive play. Latest versions offer lower-, upper- and mixed-case letters and…
Building Bridges
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ Papakilo search engine and database aims to become a one-stop site for all things Hawaiian. Though still a work in progress, Papakilo’s creators consider it a “database of databases” as it offers online access to…
Miles From the Telescope, He Watches the Stars
Name: Marc Kassis, Ph.D. Job: Support Astronomer for W.M. Keck Observatory Years of Experience: 9 Starting out: In high school, Kassis thought physics was “the coolest stuff ever” and went on to earn a Ph.D. in astronomy from Boston University.…
Box Jellyfish Sting Experience Inspires UH Researcher to Create Effective Treatment
Problem: Box jellyfish kill more swimmers than sharks in Australia and elsewhere in the Indian and Pacific oceans. Stings from the smaller Hawaii species can be painful and debilitating. Controversial “antivenom” treatments have a poor 40-year track record and fail to…