Wireless Wednesday for 4/8/15 - Hawaii Tech from Lana'i

It's Spring Break for Rick and his wife, but he is still "working" as he's hopping across our 50th state.  
He's on the island of Lana'i at the Four Seasons Resort Manele Bay and played golf at  Jack Nicklaus', Manele Golf Course.  Then we'll take a look at some technology that is uniquely Hawaiian.

Have a listen:

listen to ‘Wireless Wednesday for 4/8/15 - Rick is Live from Lana'i’ on audioBoom

Dole Pineapple used to have the island as their pineapple plantation, but no more, due to foreign competition, etc. Now, Lana'i is the ultimate destination for relaxation, golf and tennis.

Lana'i facts:

Lānaʻi  - smallest of the publically accessible Hawaiian Islands
Nickname: The Pineapple Isle     
Size; 140.5 sq mi (363.9 km2)     
Population 3,135     22.313/sq mi (8.615/km2)     
Highest pointL Lānaʻihale     3,366 ft (1,026 m)
No chain restaurants or chain stores
 
1.  98% of Lanai' is owned by Larry Ellison (Founder and Chairman of Oracle), with the remaining 2% owned by the state of Hawaii.

Ellison the owner of every hotel room on the island of Kauai.

He owns two golf courses, the community swimming pool, the water company, and a cemetery. He also owns nearly a third of all of the island's housing.

Welcome to Larry's Island - but it's really your island to explore!
 

2.  There is not a single traffic light on the Island of Lana'i and Rick loves that... not even a four-way stop.

 

3.  iPads provided in all the rooms at the Four Seasons Manele Bay

iPads in every room is fast becoming a Four Seasons brand standard (many of their new and soon-to-open hotels have them), we thought we'd give you a run down on how to use it.

The iPad can be found on the desk in the room and when you arrive, it has been charging in anticipation of your use. As we mentioned a few weeks ago, the WiFi is free so long as you are doing basic internet activities like browsing the web and checking your email.

You can also order room service, use the iPad in place of the in-room information book and looked up all the things to do at the hotel and nearby the hotel on the iPad. Again, navigation was easy and we were guided by big, colorful photos. There wasn't anything mind-blowingly creative or cool that was being offered through the iPad--a lot of the same services can be found on the TV as well, such as reviewing your bill--but simply being able to pick up the iPad and call up whatever we wanted at the swipe of a fingertip was just rather cool.
The iPad in the room is a great perk.

4.  The Four Seasons Lanai at Manele Bay app

Keeps you updated with everything going on around the resort and more...

Download the FS Lanai app to plan your visit, and to enhance your experience at Four Seasons Lanai at Manele Bay. Before you arrive, learn about hotel amenities and local attractions, arrange dining reservations, and more via the FS Lanai app. During your stay, utilize the app to schedule a wake-up call, request housekeeping service, arrange transportation plus a host of other services from your personal mobile device.
 

5.  Drone Aircraft Help Save Taxpayer Dollars in Hawaii

In Hawaii, agencies and researchers are integrating drones into their work to not only save taxpayers money but also limit accidents on the job.

Drones are giving federal government researchers the ability to model beach erosion along an entire stretch of shoreline in minutes, according to Honolulu Civil Beat. Before the use of drones, modeling just a small section of sand would take months.

University of Hawaii researchers monitoring groundwater runoff no longer pay $1,000 an hour for a manned aircraft on pre-approved Federal Aviation Administration flight paths. A drone costing roughly the same amount offers large-scale mapping in real time.

“Since it’s our tax dollars paying for this research, it’s great to see such interest in using technology to not only save money, but to speed the research and the application of the results, all while saving time and keeping everyone safe,” Jason Rushin, a Civil Beat contributor, wrote in a recent guest article.

But drones are being used off the beach as well.

Monotonous jobs like surveying farm irrigation systems can sometimes be dangerous for pilots. Those flights are now being replaced with drone technology.

Honolulu’s fire department, which covers the entire island of Oahu, uses such unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to safely spot brush fires.

With increased drone use has come the emergence of the Hawaii Drone Club, whose members to facilitate their everyday use, while one part-time resident’s manufacturing company plans to make the devices “smartphone simple”—guided with the swipe of a finger.

Hawaii’s drone users still have to contend with the FAA’s requirement that UASs be flown within the line of sight of the operator.

 


App of the Week:

Photojojo's new Disposable Camera app

- Free to download
The Good: Prints! Remember those? 27 glorious prints. Also, the way that having a dispo cam in your pocket keeps you on the look out for the next photo opportunity.

No more, forgetting to take your camera to the photomat and no more paying twice (cam + developing).

Pay just $12.99 for one camera and when you shoot your last frame, we’ll take it from there. We print your photos out and mail them right to your doorstep.