technology

“Smart Cities” use technology to connect citizens and government. One example is Bandung--the third largest city in Indonesia. The mayor who brought a technology upgrade to the city has just been elected to be the next Governor of West Java. Ridwan Kamil is in Honolulu as part of an event at the East West Center--the “Smart Cities Thought Leaders Forum.” He talked with Bill Dorman about what it means to be a “Smart City” in 21st century Asia.  

Today on Bytemarks Café, Burt and Ryan will get an update on the technology connecting Hawaiʻi's classrooms, and how it's evolving to prepare our keiki for the future. The Chief Information Officer for the Department of Education, Brook Conner, joins the show to share his vision for ed-tech in Hawaiʻi.

High-profile failures of local government technology often make headlines in Hawai‘i. But there’s an everyday cost to those failures that are paid by businesses and citizens around the state. Pacific Business News editor in chief A. Kam Napier has more on the community price of old technology.

  Today on Bytemarks Café, Burt and Ryan talk to the Boy Scouts not only about including girls in the troops, but evolving the Makahiki into the Onizuka Day of Exploration.

The Onizuka Day of Exploration, or O.D.E., combines STEM exhibits and VEX Robotics giving the Boy Scouts and attendees a day to experience Science and Technology.

Seoul is known as the "leading digital city" on earth, and Korea is the world’s number one producer of mobile phones, displays, semiconductors, and other technological hardware.  Digital giants like Samsung and LG continually test new products on South Korean consumers, and the UH Center for Korean Studies is sponsoring a conference that could give us a glimpse into our technological future.  HPR’s Noe Tanigawa spoke with a human-computer interface expert about what’s ahead.

A local non-profit is bringing families together with technology. For the tech education organization Purple Maiʻa, you’re never too young or too old to learn to code. HPR's Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi reports.

We’ll find out how the State and startup community are looking to leverage tech in the AG sector. We’ll explore how tech can disrupt (improve) the agriculture supply chain from the growing, to storing, to the delivery of product to the market.

We’ll explore efforts in workforce development and the IT Works Apprenticeship Initiative. What is the job demand for IT workers, what employers are hiring and how is the apprenticeship program helping?

  We’ll explore the intersection of culture, technology and the hackathon. What happens when you immerse the participants in the cultural experience of Aloha ʻĀina and how does this influence technology?

Burt and Ryan explore how new technology can support the tourism industry. From virtual reality to facial-recognition, what tools are the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority tapping to reach tomorrow's travelers?

Video conferencing has been around for decades, but its use has exploded in recent years. As the business practice becomes more common, certain challenges have emerged. And one in particular has drawn the attention of a major Asian company. HPR’s Bill Dorman explains in today’s Asia Minute.

Supporters of video conferencing say it can cut business travel expenses and provide better communication than old-fashioned telephone conference calls.  But what if you’re working from home---and you don’t really want to get all gussied up just to stare into a camera on your computer?

  With the World Conservation Congress in full swing, we’ll find out how the community can get involved in conservation efforts? We’ll explore how projects using smartphones, internet access and data, can assist citizen scientists in finding solutions.

The Honolulu Rail project continues to be a focus for this week’s mayoral election on O‘ahu. As cost estimates and other complications rise, a recent transit development from China sounds promising. Or maybe too good to be true. HPR’s Bill Dorman explains in today’s Asia Minute.

The state of Hawaii knows its technology infrastructure is behind the times. Now government officials are reaching out to the tech community for help. Pacific Business News Editor in Chief A. Kam Napier has more.

Travelers to South Korea may soon be getting some help from an unexpected source.  The country’s largest international airport is preparing for some new roles to be played by robots.  HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute.

If you’re wandering around South Korea’s Incheon Airport with travel questions, you may soon be able to get help from a roaming robot.  Cleaning robots are already in use at a number of facilities…including Tokyo’s Haneda Airport.

The bigger picture surrounding the state of our reefs just became a bit clearer. New technology and imaging data are helping scientists quickly survey coral reefs from around the world. HPR’s Molly Solomon has more.

Equipped with a 360-degree underwater camera and three powerful processing units, a collaborative research project has become a coral data goldmine.

What’s your relationship with your phone? That may seem like an odd question, but it’s one that psychiatrists in South Korea are increasingly asking some of their patients. HPR’s Bill Dorman has details in today’s Asia Minute.

How fast is your internet connection? Of all the charms and wonders of Hawai‘i, speedy broadband access doesn’t make the list.  In fact, according to one survey last year, we rank 46th in the country for average speed of connection.  And the latest tech news about Asia makes the comparison even more sobering.  HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute.

Ranking technology use by location can be a tricky business.  Several times a year, various groups report on different measures of technological prowess and adoption.

  Today on Bytemarks Café, we'll dive a little deeper into the mind of an entrepreneur. We'll explore the mental health of an entrepreneur and what drives them to risk it all when the odds for success are stacked against them. 

Japan’s largest annual information technology and electronics trade show just wrapped up this weekend outside Tokyo. Of all the gadgets and demonstrations and working models that were on display, there was one in particular that captured the imagination of the crowds….and the attention of the media. HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute.

We got an update on several of the key initiatives from the State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. We’ll get the latest on Broadband, the Creative Media industry, Tech and a new educational program developed by Pixar rolling out to the DOE.

15,000 people in Hawai‘i currently live with epilepsy. The condition causes recurrent seizures inside the brain, but a new technology is giving hope to patients. HPR’s Molly Solomon reports.

Jesse Cabillon doesn’t remember exactly when the seizures began. That’s because he was six weeks old when his parents first started to notice unusual behavior. "My parents said I would turn to my side and my eyes would roll back," said Jesse, now 30 year-old.

There’s a new Science Technology Engineering and Math office at the University of Hawaii. We’ll find out what this office aims to achieve and how it plans to elevate science and technology in Hawaii’s education and economic sectors.

Driving in bumper to bumper traffic is nothing new for residents in Honolulu. When it comes to congested commutes, the city is one of the worst in the country. Now Honolulu officials are turning to the tech community for a solution. HPR’s Molly Solomon explains.

For more information on Reboot the Commute, visit their website. The hackathon kicks off Friday night at ProtoHUB at 6 p.m. Tickets are still available online.

Today, India’s Prime Minister starts his first visit to China since taking office last year.  India and China are the two most populous countries in the world, and they share another characteristic. They’re two of the biggest markets on earth for smart phones. HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute.

The University of Hawaii has launched a new mobile app aimed at keeping students safer on campus.  The app is being called "The Manoa Guardian" and allows students to set a timer that notifies a designated contact person or campus security if the user doesn’t check in, or cancel the timer.  Students can also report incidents on campus, alerting security to the time and location of the witness by allowing campus security to respond using the senders GPS location.  Sarah Rice is the Community Programs Manager for the Department of Public Safety for the University of Hawaii at Manoa. 

 Did you have a restful weekend? According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than a quarter of the U.S. population doesn’t get enough sleep. And new research from Japan shows mobile devices could be keeping people up at night, especially young people. HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute.

On this Earth Day, it’s timely to note that Hawai‘i has more rooftop solar installations than any other state. The federal Energy Information Administration puts the figure at roughly 12% of the homes across the islands. A different use of solar power will soon be coming to O‘ahu from across the Pacific.  HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute.

The company that owns the rights to the movie “The Dallas Buyers Club” has been fighting illegal downloads of the film. And now that battle has stretched to the Asia Pacific. HPR’s Bill Dorman explains in today’s Asia Minute.