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Sen. Akaka Backs Obama
Hawaii’s Sen. Daniel K. Akaka is the latest “superdelegate” to back Hawaii-born Barack Obama‘s bid for President of the United States. His announcement was first noted by NBC’s Domenico Montanaro on...
View ArticleHawaii Marine Expelled for Puppy Video
David Motari, the Hawaii marine who was engulfed in controversy over a video clip posted to YouTube in March, has been expelled from the service. The video showed Motari throwing a puppy off a cliff...
View ArticleObama Comes Home
Rush transcript of Barack Obama’s remarks to Hawaii at Keehi Lagoon Beach Park: Aloha! First of all, everybody who doesn’t know, this is Michelle Obama. My partner, my love, and the person who knocks...
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Obama, Letterman on Hawaii
Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama appeared on “Late Show with David Letterman” last night to talk about Bill Clinton, Sarah Palin, and foreign policy. Part of the conversation, however,...
View ArticleNeil Abercrombie for Governor
Last July, journalist and columnist Bob Jones said you could “bet on it”: longtime U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie would run for governor. Even though Abercrombie said no to challenging Gov. Linda Lingle in...
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Proudly Purple
The “Purple States” project aims to merge the best of citizen journalism and the established media. Described as “reality news” and a cross between “The Real World” and “The Huffington Post,” it...
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Rally to Support Act 221
A cross section of Hawaii’s tech sector — ranging from entrepreneurs and venture capitalists to business leaders and everyday geeks — will present a united front at tomorrow’s opening day at the Hawaii...
View ArticleOkino: Homosexuality causes disease
There’s a maelstrom of controversy surrounding Hawaii House Bill #444, which “extends the same rights, benefits, protections, and responsibilities of spouses in a marriage to partners in a civil...
View ArticleStudy: Hawaii Loves Porn
A nationwide study of online porn consumption has been raising eyebrows, most pundits seizing on the strong correlation between conservative and religious states (a.k.a. “Red States”) and the number of...
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Abercrombie Announces Gubernatorial Run Online
Hawaii Rep. Neil Abercrombie is hoping to move from Washington D.C. to Washington Place in Honolulu, today making official his long-anticipated run for governor. True, it was the worst-kept secret in...
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Mufi Hanneman: How Not to Engage on Twitter
From the heady, shaky days of Howard Dean to the triumphant ascent of Pres. Barack Obama, there’s no question that the web is a vital tool for organizing and fundraising. Social networks have turned...
View ArticleAct 221 on the Brink
Act 221 is on the brink of being gutted. A bill that would hack out the heart of tax credits aimed at building and sustaining a high tech industry in Hawaii is expected to come to a floor vote...
View ArticleSupporters Rally to Revive Civil Unions Bill
Supporters of House Bill 444, or the “civil unions bill,” are not ready to give up. While Tuesday, May 5 Thursday, May 7 is the effective deadline for any last-minute action on the stalled bill, late...
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Honolulu Advertiser Harps on HotU
“A Web site for college students subsidized with millions of dollars in state income tax credits is now an adult-oriented Internet portal.” So begins Sean Hao’s article in the Honolulu Advertiser,...
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‘The Fuel Film’ Comes to Hawaii
An award-winning documentary on America’s addiction to oil and the promise of alternative energy is coming to Honolulu. “The Fuel Film” (formerly “Fields of Fuel“) will be screened one night only,...
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Amazon Dumps Hawaii Affiliates
Amazon.com has pulled the trigger. As reported earlier, a looming Hawaii state tax law change relating to online affiliate marketers has prompted the Internet retailer to close the Amazon Associates...
View ArticleGov. Lingle Vetoes Online Tax Bill
A quick update to my last post on Amazon.com dropping Hawaii affiliates. As the online giant (and many local affiliate marketers) hoped, Gov. Linda Lingle today vetoed HB1405. Now the ball is in the...
View ArticleGovernor Lets Tech Credit Cuts Become Law
Today was the last day Gov. Linda Lingle could veto bills from the 2009 legislative session. And while she didn’t sign SB199, she didn’t veto it, either. So, despite the extensive lobbying efforts by...
View ArticleHawaii County Band on Chopping Block
The Hawaii County Band, a 127-year-old institution on the Big Island, has been singled out for elimination in the county budget, expected to be unveiled on Monday. The news was announced tonight to...
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Governor Vetoes Civil Unions
Gov. Linda Lingle this afternoon announced that she has vetoed HB444, which would have legalized civil unions in the state of Hawaii. A rush transcript of her remarks, and the subsequent Q&A with...
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Civil Beat Puts Public Data Behind the Paywall
The headline proclaims, “Civil Beat Shares Hawaii State Employee Salaries” — but there’s a catch: you have to pay to get full access to the information. To be sure, there’s a reasonable and deep...
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Inouye, Akaka Get Low “Digital I.Q.” Scores
Hawaii’s representatives in the U.S. Senate, Sen. Daniel Inouye and Sen. Daniel Akaka, have less than stellar “Digital I.Q.” scores, according to a new study by researchers at George Washington...
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George Takei Speaks Out on Hawaii Equality
On this week’s Bytemarks Cafe, the weekly science and technology radio show I co-host with Burt Lum on Hawaii Public Radio, we had the honor of interviewing George Takei. He’s best known for his role...
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Abercrombie & Schatz and Fast Fashion
To island democratic voters, “Abercrombie & Schatz” sounds like the ticket to a brighter future for Hawaii. But for many people, “Abercrombie & Schatz” also sounds like a clothing line. On...
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Candidate Cries Foul Over Twitter Posts
The race for Hawaii governor between Democrat and former U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie and Republican Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona has been a contentious one. A stream of dueling press releases has dominated the...
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State Senator Hosting Twitter Town Hall
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...
View ArticleJournalist Shield Law Extension Advances
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...
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Ready for APEC, But Just Barely
After nearly two years of planning and preparations, APEC is finally landing in Honolulu. This week’s events brings government leaders from around the world (including Punahou grad and U.S. President...
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Gov. Abercrombie on Open Data
Gov. Neil Abercrombie yesterday delivered his second “State of the State” address before the Legislature. And technology was one of the priorities he singled out as key to the state’s long-term...
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Colbert: Lingle TV for ‘insomniacs, people in traction’
On last night’s “Colbert Report,” host Steve Colbert and his writers seized on the news that Linda Lingle was launching her own cable TV channel. The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c Super...
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Journalism film series ‘Deadline’ next week
Hawaii’s media landscape remains in constant flux. Last year brought the end of the Honolulu Weekly, and the launch of HuffPost Hawaii. Hawaii-based entrepreneur Pierre Omidyar is building First Look...
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New Tools to Explore Campaign Finance Data
In an election year, the more citizens know about candidates and their campaigns the better. And while there’s a lot of information available from the Campaign Spending Commission, it can be a...
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Local Makers Urged to Help Shape Tech Policy
Members and fans of HiCapacity, one of Hawaii’s first makerspaces, came together tonight for a combination general meeting and town hall session to discuss the future of the organization and its plans...
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Got Encryption? Revisiting Privacy v. Security
President Obama wants to keep the country safe from cyber attacks. But will he chip away at privacy to do it? The annual “State of the Union” address by the President of the United States isn’t...
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Social Media Meets Politics at Wetware Wednesday
Scott Robertson One of the more interesting research centers at the University of Hawaii, to me, is the Hawaii Computer-Human Interaction Lab. “We are an interdisciplinary team of researchers...
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Bill Would Back Makerspaces in Public Libraries
Hawaii lawmakers are considering a bill that would allocate half a million dollars to host makerspaces in public libraries. As longstanding hubs of knowledge for communities, it makes sense for...
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Snowden Speaks to Honolulu Conference
“It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength,” Vincent Van Gogh is said to have said, and on this Valentine’s Day, there was a special gathering for people who love the First...
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Uber Under Fire in Hawaii
Hawaii lawmakers are mulling a bill that would regulate “transportation network companies” like Uber and Lyft. And while the legislator who introduced the bill, Sen. Glenn Wakai, says he introduced it...
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Dwindling Public Spaces Spark Forum
Public spaces, areas dedicated to the public where people can gather, relax, interact, organize, and protest –are an important part of any community. But in Honolulu, where real estate is in such...
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Hawaii Aims to Quit Fossil Fuels in 30 Years
The Clean Energy Initiative? What Clean Energy Initiative? Today, Gov. David Ige committed the state of Hawaii to nation-leading goals for clean energy generation. Passed wholeheartedly by the state...
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State Gets First Chief Innovation Officer
The man appointed by Gov. David Ige to upgrade the state’s technology infrastructure is apparently taking on a broader role, with a title change from Chief Information Officer to Chief Innovation...
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Wednesday Panel to Tackle Race in Hawaii
An actor, an entrepreneur, a president’s half sister, and a bank vice president turned trustee will lead an undoubtedly provocative panel discussion on Wednesday titled, “What Can Hawaii Teach America...
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Revolution Books Finds New Home
After nearly 40 years in anti-capitalist business, the fiercely independent, counter-culture bookstore Revolution Books was running out of time. Last month, after more than a year of uncertainty, the...
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State Technology Office Gets New Name
The State Office of Information Management and Technology, created in 2011 in a public-private partnership funded largely by the Omidyar Ohana Fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation, quietly became...
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Free Workshops to Explore Kakaako Development
A series of free, weekly workshops beginning this week will explore the many different faces of Kakaako. In the eyes of its majority landowners and deep-pocketed investors, Kakaako is Hawaii’s next...
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Coinbase Pulls Out of Hawaii
One of the world’s largest bitcoin exchanges announced today that it would be closing accounts of customers in Hawaii due to state regulatory policies that “will render continued Coinbase operations...
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Governor pushes for increased access, transparency
Hawaii Gov. David Ige has urged all state department heads to “strengthen efforts to increase access to public information, ensure that government business is conducted as openly as possible, and...
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Face It. Hate is Profitable.
Of all the places I’ve traveled to around the world, my favorite by far is New Zealand. Not only is its natural beauty absolutely spectacular, but its people are incredibly warm and welcoming. And as...
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Who is Every1ne Hawaii?
Ever since Every1ne Hawaii burst onto the local scene in April, aligned with no less than the Honolulu mayor’s office, many people have wondered who was behind this powerful but seemingly benevolent...
View ArticleLawmakers mull cryptocurrency bills
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...
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