The View From Space

As noted in an earlier post I did a comparison of twitter apps  Twidroyd and Twitter for Android http://www.theviewfromspace.net/2010/06/twitter-for-android/

Now that I’ve had a chance to put both through the paces I’ve made a decision as to which one will be my working app.  The pros and cons noted earlier still hold for both so the deciding factor came down to speed and ease of use.  The winner for me was Twitter for Android.

Although there were definitely some features that I liked better in Twidroyd (like the bit.ly account inking), Twitter for Android came out ahead due to it’s faster updates and snappier screen refreshes.  Twidroyd appeared to clunk along when updating.  And once I got used to the Twitter interface it was much more intuitive than Twidroyd.  So while both apps perform their job admirably I’d have to give the nod to Twitter as I’m an impatient person and don’t like waiting around for my screen updates.  However, if you’re into tracking the traffic of  your bit.ly url’s  you should consider Twidroyd as it does allow you to link your twitter and bit.ly accounts.

My wife and I recently celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary by traveling to Laie and visiting the Polynesian Cultural Center.  There, after a buffet dinner we were treated to the highly acclaimed show Ha: Breath of Life.

True to form the show centered around the various dances of each polynesian culture.  Here they introduced the concept of Ha (breath of life) and tied each culture together with it.  They also used the life story of Mana (a boy) as the backdrop.    His life starts in Tonga and as he grows they take you through each of the island cultures.  Hawaii, as a young boy where he grows and learns. Samoa, where as a young man he falls in love with a Samoan beauty.  Tahiti where he is married.  Then to Fiji to witness the death of his Father in battle.   All the while using dances unique to each culture to help tell the story.

While the message is very deep and spiritual the show is not without it’s fun moments.  In Samoa, Mana is caught wooing the girl of his dreams and must prove himself worthy to her father.  This entails doing the fire dance and suffering the hilarious consequences.

Here are some pics and short video snippets.

They’re currently offering Kamaaina’s a great deal, for $30 you get a buffet dinner and the show.  Hurry before the special ends August 31.  It’s well worth the price.

Like The Mighty Casey in Mudsville, I’ve struck out in my search for a hard case for my Samsung Vibrant.  The only thing available at the moment is one made of soft silicone sold by T-Mobile.  Even though the basic model (Galaxy S) was released internationally a few months earlier I guess there’s enough of an external difference to make cases for each model unique.

So like the iPhone 4 early adopters  I’ll have to wait for the market to catch up.

I recently upgraded my 2 year old G1 to one of the latest Droid phones to hit the market, the Samsung VIBRANT.  I was in smartphone heaven.   Early on resisted the urge to blog about it for a couple of days to let the “new car smell” wear off.  Now I can take a good look at it and make some sensible evaluations of the phone itself.

Pros:

• It’s NEW (sorry couldnt resist)
• The 4″ AMOLED screen is simply captivating.  Personally, I’d put it on par with the iPhone’s Retina display.  Yes the iPhone’s display does look a little sharper due to it’s higher resolution but Samsung’s color replication has it coming in pretty close.  Both displays are absolutely mind numbing.  If you dont believe me, drop by a T-Mobile store and check out Avatar on one of their display units.  By the way my co-worker has an iPhone 4 and I’ve had a chance to look at both displays.
• This phone is LIGHT!  Weighing in at a miniscule 4.16 oz
• Android 2.1 (Elcair) installed with 2.2 promised.
• It looks like an iPhone 3G/3GS (although some may say its a negative)
• 5MP camera and the 720p video recording capability.  (WOW to the 720p video, the picture is sharp and the colors are vibrant… get it…)
• USB tethering built in.  So far havent gotten wireless tethering to work but devs are working on it and I envision it becoming available soon (Note 1:  Wireless tethering requires you to root the phone.  Note 2: I believe Verizon or Sprint offers wireless tethering for a fee, no root required only $$)
• Swype – allows you to enter words from the keyboard without having to lift your finger.  Once you get the hang of it you will rarely use the old hunt and peck method.

Cons:

• Bloatware put on by T-Mobile.  Although it doesn’t affect the performance it is a bit irritating as it cannot be removed by the average user.  One needs to root the phone and use an app called Root Manager.
• It looks like an iPhone 3G/3GS (although some may say this is a plus)
• This phone is LIGHT! Weighing in at a miniscule 4.16 oz (Sometimes it get’s a little precarious holding it and trying to text with one hand)
• There has been some noticeable lag when opening/closing some apps.  I got around this by rooting and using an app called minfreemanager.  It speeds up the opening and closing of apps.  So far so good.
• Like the iPhone 4 it’s so new that there aren’t any hard cases available.  There’s only a gel case that’s being sold by T-Mobile (ugh).
• While the video is great the audio is a bit oversensitive.  wind blowing pass the phone is picked up and sounds like a hurricane during playback.

Would I recommend this phone?  Absolutely!  Overall I can live with some of it’s shortcomings, and most of the cons could easily be pros depending upon personal preference.

Recorded this short video, vibrant and crisp colors.  Looks even better on the AMOLED 4″ screen.

Just got the new Vibrant (T-mobile) and was instantly awestruck by the beauty of the phone.  Sleek, lightweight and a gorgeous screen.  Just starting to use it’s many features, like the 720p recording capability.  For now here’s a pic I snapped.  Will upload a short video once I find a good converter program.  It records in .3gp format which apparently WordPress doesnt like.

More about my Vibrant in a later post.

If you haven’t been to one of the Honolulu Zoo’s Wildest Show in Town concerts you need to hurry.  After Ohta San’s performance tonight there’s only 4 more left for the summer.  There’s no better place to bring the family for a relaxing, entertainment filled afternoon.  To top it off you could win a ukulele, there’s at least 1 given away each week.

Have you previously missed the boat trying to get an acting job on a Hawaii based movie or TV series?  Well, here’s another shot at the big screen!  If you’re in the Military, a family member or a civilian DOD employee you’ll get first crack.  Universal Pictures will be filming the movie Battleship on Oahu later this summer and will be looking for actors and extras.  Check out the details here.

There’s also that “other” Magical place, Six Flags Magic Mountain. Comparing it to the Magic Kingdom is like comparing night to day. The mountain is geared towards the “older kids” with many high thrill coasters (X2,Tatsu and Goliath were my personal favorites) and a waterpark. Although California Adventures has Screamin and the Magic Kingdom has the Matterhorn it just doesn’t compare. So if you’re into coasters Magic Mountain is the place for you.

However, if you’ve ever loved a Disney movie, regardless of your age the Magic Kingdom will definitely not disappoint you. Every ride is a trip through Walt Disney’s endless imagination. On a more practical note, Disney definitely wins the parking and people moving experience. From the moment you leave your parked car you’re immersed in the Disney experience, the tram ride to the main gate could almost pass as one of the theme park rides.

In this department Magic Mountain is sorely lacking. An open asphalt field with poorly marked tram stops and even poorer methods of crowd control make the long uphill walk from the parking lot to the gate more inviting than waiting for one of the two trams that run the route.

I did feel safer at Disneyland than at Magic Mountain. Maybe it was the (possibly perceived) reputation of the surrounding area or perhaps it was the metal detectors at the gate, either way it took away some of the “magic” of the experience.

All in all I personally enjoyed both parks. Disney definitely gets the nod for families with young children (including the young at heart) while Magic Mountain wins hands down in the thrill-seeker department.

Summer is here and what better way to enjoy it than spending the afternoon with family and friends enjoying a concert featuring local artists. Well you can do that every Wednesday at the Honolulu Zoo’s Wildest Show in Town. Not only do you have an opportunity to spend time outdoors enjoying the music, there’s also food and even a ukulele giveaway. To top it off, all proceeds benefit the Honolulu Zoo.