I knew that title would get your attention. 8) But fo’ real! It’s legit… and just one of the many things I like chat with you guys about today. They are…
Oceanic Time Warner Cable Mobile is having a neat little photo contest that asks you to show off your “Hotspot” (wherever that may be) using a “My Hotspot” graphic. The winning photo will get a FREE Netbook and 1 year of Oceanic Mobile Internet service! Check it out here: http://andhere.com/hotspot/, but you better hurry because the contest ends this Friday!
With my first post up, I am now officially a Time Warner Cable approved blogger for the corporate TWC Untangled web site. Woo hoo, reppin’ us here in Hawaii baby! Here’s my first blog, covering a recent iHeartRadio VIP event at the Road Runner Music Hall.
Hawaii’s Backyard writer Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi wrote a feature article on the Rice Fest in this past Sunday’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser (Travel section). Great coverage!
I know I sound like a broken record about this, but as a co-founder of this event, I guess I feel it’s my duty to help spread the word. Hope y’all can make it down! 🙂 Look for all details in a post tomorrow…
One thing good about having a dad from the muthaland is that he gets the scoops on ono kine Japanese grindz. Whether it be old time favorites that only the “insider” Nihonjins know about, or new joints about to open, papa Sugi is often in the know. Such is the case with Marukame Udon.
Early last month (April 1st to be exact), this pseudo-fast food Japanese noodle chain (known there as “Marugame Udon”) opened their first Hawaii location in Waikiki after opening 467 (and counting) locations across Japan. Thanks to an ad in a Japanese paper that pops subscribes to, we were able to get the jump and check it out just two days later.
Outside Marukame Udon in Waikiki
From the looks of the shot above, it seems like you can just waltz right in whenevah you like, but don’t get it twisted, Marukame is usually mad busy, with crazy lines going out the door! Thankfully, it was not the case on this occasion (on a Sunday, a little before 5pm). Moms and wifey actually had some time to stop and smell the roses, er udon.
Wifey and moms deciding what to order
Here’s what they were looking at (shokuhin/plastic food display)
Since it was indeed Waiks (located on Kuhio where the old Jack in the Box used to be), pops dropped us off earlier in the hopes of us snagging a place in line as he looked for parking. Since there was no line to speak of, I used this time to snap up photos of the joint before the mad rush came.
“How to Order” menu from Marukame Udon
Marukame Udon Menu
Basically, it’s cafeteria style service here. You pretty much just stand in line…
Standing in line at Marukame Udon
… grab a tray, and tell the folks behind the counter what you want.
Marukame Udon employees ready to take my order
You can choose from a selection of 7 types of udon dishes: the Kamaage Udon (their #1 seller), Curry Udon, Niku Udon, Ontama Udon, Bukkake Udon, Kake Udon, and Zaru Udon.
You then scoot down the line, picking up your desired treats along the way.
Miscellaneous tempura/”age” treats along the way
Miscellaneous tempura/”age” treats along the way
Inari zushi and a variety of musubis at Marukame Udon
When you make your way to the end, the cashier awaits and tallies up your total, which, for what you get, is VERY inexpensive (some udons start at just $3.75!)! And did I mention that the udon is made fresh, with “Nippn” brand Mentakumi flour, right before your very eyes!?
Udon noodles made fresh at Marukame Udon
Once you pay, you can get additional condiments off to the side if you wish, and then find a seat in the relatively spacious dining area.
Marukame Udon dining area
With pops still trying to find parking, I pass the time with some Internet surfing via with my Oceanic Mobile 4G hotspot.
Oceanic Mobile Works Here: Marukame Udon (Waikiki)
Alas, pops arrives. There’s still no line so he’s able to order his Kamaage Udon and join us fairly quickly.
Kamaage Udon – “Piping hot udon noodles with dipping sauce” ($3.75 regular / $4.75 large)
Moms and wifey both got the Kake Udon. Here’s a shot of wifey’s order with a side musubi and ebi tempura.
Kake Udon – “Udon noodles in a hot broth” ($3.75 regular / $4.75 large)
Although the parking sitch and potential long lines may be a bit of a deterrent, this is definitely one place you should try to check out. Fresh noodles, ono soup bases, and super duper affordable to boot! This one is Papa Sugi (and World Wide Ed) approved. 😉
You like how I combo-plattered dat one yeah!? 😛 Das cause I know I could (potentially) get da fans of both Hawaii Five-0 AND American Idol to chat with me down below. I know, I know, shmall kine desperate, but whatdaheck… We go geev um one try anyway! 😉
#H50
Ho’opa’i – When a crime lord moves against the family of an undercover NYPD detective who infiltrated his organization, it’s up to Five-0 to stop the policeman from exacting revenge.
As usual, there was active and amusing #H50 chatter last night on Twitter to go along with the show. Some notes on the show for us to talk about today:
Hilarious how Kamekona referred to SPAM as “the Hawaiian steak” and “the nectar of the islands”! But wea’s da SPAM Musubi gundtfunnit? LOL!
The return of the ridiculous Waiola Shave Ice ad on McGarrett’s cast. I wonder how much they paid to get on the show??? And how da heck do I get that kind of exposure for Oceanic Mobile up in the heezy? 8)
What did y’all think of Puff Daddy’s/P Diddy’s/Diddy’s/Diddy Dirty Money’s/Sean Combs’ acting? Needs work ah? 😛
And how about those Kia hamsters in the commercial? Cute or annoying?
Just a reminder, next week’s episode is a rerun, but the following 3 weeks should all be new episodes to close out this first season! Woo hoo!
American Idol – Top 7
Here are my notes this week on the American Idol (Top 7) Contestants. Add comments for your favorites below!
Casey Abrams – Wasn’t too fond of his last performance. Didn’t quite get it. And what was with the standing O from the judges?
Haley Reinhart – Hopefully, she rebounds with a better performance this week or Lauren may be the only wahine left.
Jacob Lusk – I like that he’s trying to sing songs straight forward nowadays, but still not too fond of his style.
James Durbin – Turned me off a little with his attitude towards the mentors last week, but gotsta give him props for standing up for what he believes in.
Lauren Alaina – Looking forward to another awesome performance from my favorite to win it all!
Scotty McCreery – Gotta give him credit for keeping his ego in check as of late (or at least acting like it for TV). His singing (or maybe song choice) is picking up too.
Stefano Langone – Here’s one whose ego has gotten the best of him. He’s my prediction to leave this week.
Poni Askew (@streetgrindz) and company are back with their 2nd Food Truck Rally this Friday, February 25th @5pm-9pm at 555 South Street in the Kaka`ako area. Following their wildy successful first event in Kapiolani, this second coming will feature almost twice the amount of vendors, space and parking! Oceanic Mobile will even have a booth there, providing FREE WiFi and FREE hand wipes for one and all! Come on down and enjoy the festivities k?
WHAT: “Eat the Street” Kaka`ako – Hawaii’s Food Truck & Street Food Rally WHEN: Friday, February 25th from 5pm-9pm WHERE: 555 South Street WHY: Ono kine grindz of course!
DJ Mr. Nick & TKO will also be there spinning downtempo/acid jazz/etc. See y’all there! 🙂
Sorry, shmall kine sick right now, so this is gonna have to be a quick one. My aching head is a-poundin’ and my comfy cozy bed is a-callin’!
Photo #1
Where In the Hawaii is Edward Sugimoto? – February 23, 2011
Points for Photo #1…
* Location?: 2 points
* General area?: 1 point
* Closest street(s)?: 1 point each
* Month photo was taken?: 1 point each
* Day of the month photo was taken?: 1 point each
* Year photo was taken?: 1 point each
* Exact time photo was taken?: 5 points
* Google Street View link?: 2 points
Last Week’s Results:
Five of y’all scored last week when Ynaku, che, Masako, carokun, and Coconut Willy all guessed correctly! Big ups knockers, cheche, c-chan, C Dubbs and especially socks for breaking the triple digit mark! WOW! That’s just crazy business! 😛 Check out da leadahboard below for da updates!
Da Leadahboard (Round 2)!
103.0 – Masako
53.5 – Takeshi
46.5 – Paco
26.0 – rayboyjr, tweetpeep22
23.0 – Coconut Willy
22.0 – carokun, kuya.d
16.0 – che
14.5 – AlMan68
11.0 – Rosette
08.5 – NeedaHobby
07.5 – Ynaku
07.0 – HNL2LAS
06.0 – MakiSushi
05.0 – Kage
04.0 – Chicken Grease, am
03.5 – bB
03.0 – kickerbear
02.5 – pink lady
02.0 – onecupcoffee, sshawnn, M, EMM386
01.5 – mcat
01.0 – effenprincess, 9th Island Cuz
Eat the Street is back!
Poni Askew (@streetgrindz) and company are back with their 2nd Food Truck Rally this Friday, February 25th @5pm-9pm at 555 South Street in the Kaka`ako area. Following their wildy successful first event in Kapiolani, this second coming will feature almost twice the amount of vendors, space and parking! Oceanic Mobile will even have a booth there, providing free WiFi for one and all! Come on down and enjoy the festivities k?
WHAT: “Eat the Street” Kaka`ako – Hawaii’s Food Truck & Street Food Rally WHEN: Friday, February 25th from 5pm-9pm WHERE: 555 South Street WHY: Ono kine grindz of course!
DJ Mr. Nick & TKO will also be there spinning downtempo/acid jazz/etc. See y’all there! 🙂
Sorry for da lateness! Shmall kine busy! To reward your patience, let’s do some “Lucky you live Hawaii” shots this week. Can you tell where these are???
Photo #1
Where In the Hawaii is Edward Sugimoto? – December 1, 2010
Points for Photo #1…
* Location?: 2 points
* General area?: 1 point
* Closest street(s)?: 1 point each
* Why wuz we dea?: 2 points
* Month photo was taken?: 1/2 point
* Day of the month photo was taken?: 1/2 point
* Year photo was taken?: 1/2 point
* Exact time photo was taken?: 5 points
* Google Street View link?: 1 point
Photo #2
Where In the Hawaii is Edward Sugimoto? – December 1, 2010
Points for Photo #2…
* Location?: 2 points
* General area?: 1 point
* Closest street(s)?: 1 point each
* Month photo was taken?: 1/2 point
* Day of the month photo was taken?: 1/2 point
* Year photo was taken?: 1/2 point
* Exact time photo was taken?: 5 points
* Google Street View link?: 1 point
Photo #3
Where In the Hawaii is Edward Sugimoto? – December 1, 2010
Points for Photo #3…
* Creative Photo Caption?: 2 points
* Location?: 2 points
* General area?: 1 point
* Closest street(s)?: 1 point each
* Who dat at the Lifeguard station?: 2 points each
* Why wuz we dea?: 5 points
* Month photo was taken?: 1/2 point
* Day of the month photo was taken?: 1/2 point
* Year photo was taken?: 1/2 point
* Exact time photo was taken?: 5 points
* Google Street View link?: 1 point
Last Week’s Results:
Ho, I wasn’t joking when I said was goin’ be hahd last week! Most questions went unanswered. Does that mean I can re-use um? 😛 tweetpeep22, Coconut Willy, Paco and Rosette were still able to eek out a few points though! ‘Grats tp, C Dubbs, 2Pac and Rosey! 🙂
Da Leadahboard (Round 2)!
70.5 – Masako
37.5 – Takeshi
31.5 – Paco
18.0 – rayboyjr
17.0 – kuya.d
10.5 – AlMan68
08.0 – Coconut Willy, Rosette
06.5 – tweetpeep22, NeedaHobby
06.0 – che, MakiSushi
04.0 – am
03.5 – bB
03.0 – kickerbear
02.5 – pink lady
02.0 – sshawnn, M, Kage, EMM386
01.5 – mcat
01.0 – effenprincess, Chicken Grease, carokun, Ynaku, 9th Island Cuz
On a somewhat recent episode of Dog the Bounty Hunter, Dog and his posse went chasing down a fugitive in some dense forestry-looking area on our `aina. Upon closer examination, I recogmatized um as da place we biked back in August: The Pearl Harbor Bike Path. What better time to write about it for y’all right?
Now I need to start with a disclaimer. If being on Dog the Bounty Hunter is any indication, there could conceivably be certain areas of the path that may be viewed as “shady” to some. For parts of the ride, wifey kept saying that it probably wouldn’t be safe for people to run/ride by themselves. Personally, I felt perfectly fine, but that’s probably because I’m the proud owner of this intimidating gun show (*flexes*). 😛 All kidding aside, if you don’t feel safe or feel like you can’t protect yourself, take some friends along if you choose to do this path.
With that outta the way, let’s get a rollin’!
I’ve read reports that the trail can be anywhere from 8 to 18 miles or more, spanning the areas between Aiea to Waipahu to even Nanakuli! I guess it just depends where you decide to start and how far you wanna take it (see map from the DOT. Our particular adventures started from Aiea and went to Waipahu and back. Check it!
Depending on where *you* decide to start, the parking sitch may not be the greatest. We opted to start on the Aiea Bay State Recreation Area side, which meant finding parking in the surrounding neighborhoods near Aloha Stadium (to the chagrin of those living in the area). Note: We later discovered that there is actually a parking lot for the park (recreation area) if you enter in through McGrew Loop off Kamehameha Highway (view Google Street View). Whether or not you trust your car parked there – while people watch you unload your bike and ride off – is up to you.
So if you parked in the Aloha Stadium area like we did, just make your way north, down Kamehameha Highway and take a left at this little side street with no name (Google Street View). That will lead you to the Aiea Bay State Recreation Area and beginning (southeast portion) of the Pearl Harbor Bike Path.
Pearl Harbor Bike Path in the Aiea Bay State Recreation Area [Photo Courtesy: Todd Wakida]
(That’s a photo of my friend Jay at the Aiea Bay State Recreation Area on the return trip. Sorry, I didn’t have any photos of us going in the other direction.)
As you start your journey, you will actually travel under a portion of the Moanalua Freeway (HI-78), giving you a neat, not often-seen perspective.
Under the Moanalua Freeway (HI-78)
Soon you’ll find yourself on the backside of Pearl Kai Shopping Center. Perhaps, if you were a member of 24 Hour Fitness back in the day when it was here, you might remember seeing some mysterious road with joggers prancing along it? Well, that was the Pearl Harbor Bike Path! Mystery solved! 😛 Here’s the only shot I have (from AndHere.com) of the backside of Pearl Kai. It’s the parking lot underneath the old 24 Hour Fitness.
The back of Pearl Kai Shopping Center [Photo Courtesy: AndHere.com]
Eventually, you’ll pass by Best Buy, Harbor Center, Cutter Ford, and Neal S. Blaisdell Park.
Neal S. Blaisdell Park
This is a good place to catch your breath and grab some water (and use the potty).
A few strip malls later, you’ll instantly recognize the back side of the Hawaiian Electric power plant…
Hawaiian Electric power plant
… Followed by a cute little taro patch/field.
Taro patch/field
At this point, you’ll be riding parallel with the H-1 (westbound) for a little while with East Loch to your left. Passing Pearl City Peninsula on your left, things will open up at Middle Loch, where you’ll see some pretty cool ships docked out at sea.
Ships at Middle Loch
As you pass Middle Loch and make your way towards West Loch…
Path between Middle Loch and West Loch
I noticed something really disturbing.
Pollution along the Pearl Harbor Bike Path
At the end of the little river/canal/stream that ran alongside of the bike path (Kapakahi Stream?), there was a build-up of trash and waste, including a shopping cart and even a spare tire! This is hereby a plea to the city to please take a close look into this! Mahaloz!
Finally, you’ll make it to Waipahu Home Depot Road where you’ll take a right to head towards Farrington Highway. Along the way, you’ll notice HUGE stacks of compacted recycled goods (at an Ewa Repair Shop? or Depot Metal Inc.?), a good a time as any for a photo opp! 🙂
Compacted recycled Goods at Ewa Repair Shop
Continue to make your way towards Farrington Highway and you’ll start to get your bearings. You’ll pass by Servco Auto Leeward when you hit the highway. Strange coming from that direction yeah?
Since we were hungry, we decided to stop by at Tanioka’s to rest our bones…
Our bikes outside of Tanioka’s
And pound some ono poke.
Poke and rice (with the IntelliGo) next to the Tanioka’s Menu [Photo Courtesy: AndHere.com]
A big mahalos to bruddah Donovan for hooking us up with some ono grindz!
With our bellies full and bones well rested, it was time to make the return trip back to Aiea. Rather than listening to my annoying commentary, let’s press the mute button on me and enjoy the photos of the ride back in peace and quiet.
Jay with his leftovers
Above Middle Loch
Todd and wifey
Wifey and I [Photo Courtesy: Todd Wakida]
Signage
Todd and Jay
More fields
Behind HECO
Todd’s “handsome” face
Peesu
Jay and wifey
All smiles
East Loch [Photo Courtesy: Todd Wakida]
Right next to the freeway
Almost there…
We made it! [Photo Courtesy: Todd Wakida]
I wanna say the entire trip probably only took like 2-3 hours, including the lunch break, but that’s just my guesstimate. An overall fun, and different adventure that you and your homeys can enjoy one (or every) weekend. Just remember to bring a friend if you’re not with me. 😉
When wifey and I spontaneously decided to have date night out in Haleiwa the other night, I did what any unassuming young American would do: I checked out Yelp one fast one. At the top of the list was this curious place called Opal Thai Food. Curious because 1) it was a wagon and 2) it was a wagon that didn’t serve your banal Haleiwa shrimp. What are the chances? 😛
No offense to you non-locals, but my strategy when it comes to review sites like Yelp is to give higher precedence to da kama`aina. We’re usually quite honest about our eateries and tend not to get caught up in the hype of a place. After that, like most, I take into consideration the rating level and the number of reviewers rating it. Opal Thai Food had a winning combination of all: great reviews from us locals, high ratings (4.5 out of 5), and a high review count (currently at 75).
Done. We were off to visit our north shore neighbors for some curious Thai food for din-din.
Opal Thai Food Wagon in Haleiwa
Ed’s Tip: If you Google their listed address, it’ll actually show that they’re somewhere near Matsumoto’s Shave Ice. The Opal Wagon is actually more in the beginning of Haleiwa (coming in from the south), across the street from McDonald’s, where some of the other shrimp wagons are.
We started with their Spicy Glaze Garlic Chicken Wings (with deep fried basil) appetizer.
I’m not even a basil fan, and I loved the way the flavor of the deep-fried basil matched up nicely with their sweet, semi-spicy glaze. This is a MUST TRY!
Next up, we ordered our two go-to Thai dishes: Shrimp Pad Thai and Yellow Chicken Curry, with a side order or Sticky Rice.
Shrimp Pad Thai Noodle – $8.75
Yellow Chicken Curry – $8.25, with a side Order of Sticky Rice – $1.75
Like what some of the Yelp reviewers wrote, the wagon’s proprietor Opal was very friendly. He brought over a tub of a dry chili flake mixture and suggested that we add it to our Pad Thai. Later, he came over and poured the cucumber/onion namasu looking side dish (see above photo) into our curry and said that it’ll enhance the flavor. It did.
Opal seems to have a pay-after-you-eat methodology, much like sit down restaurants. We felt a little guilty digging in without paying for anything, but we just went with it. I’m convinced that he does this so that he can speak to each customer as to how they enjoyed their meal.
If you’re a big eater, you would probably think that the portions are on the small side. We did come near the end of the night (they close at 6pm with last call at 5:30pm) though so that may’ve possibly had something to do with it.
Ed’s Tip: Since you’re pretty much “roughing it” and dining on their outdoor tables, you may experience some annoyances from your friendly neighborhood fly or 6. You may consider asking for a take-out plate so you can close/cover things as you eat or take it with you if da little buggahs get to be a little much for you.
Overall a great find that we will definitely return to for future date nights.
Our Yellow Chicken Curry, Shrimp Pad Thai and Spicy Glaze Garlic Chicken Wings in front of the Opal Thai Food Wagon
Late yesterday afternoon, my homey at the Star-Advertiser asked me if I had a blog ready to go for today as they were planning on posting my mug in the print version of the paper again. Apparently, the demand to see my face again was that overwhelming.
CHEEYEAHRIGHT!
I wish. But yeah, a fella can dream right?
Regardless, bruddah ovah hea had to be ready with a blog, so I did what any red-blooded American would do in a crisis situation. Cry.
After wiping away my tears, I was able to regroup and figure out what I was going to blog about…
Last week Thursday, Oceanic Time Warner Cable and Road Runner Mobile held their Official IntelliGo Launch Party – at the Road Runner Music Hall – to introduce their newest wireless product to the public: The IntelliGo. The IntelliGo is their shiny/sparkly wireless device that acts as a personal mobile hotspot, providing a WiFi signal for up to 5 of your friends. (Click here for more info about the IntelliGo).
Various members of the media (both traditional and social media), current customers, contest winners, etc. were invited to this exclusive event which included free giveaways, ono kine grindz, and live entertainment from two killer local bands: Busekrus and Elephant! Check out the scenes and commentary below!
—
Sixty bags of goodies went just like that! Apologies to the late comers who weren’t able to score one! 😦
60 bags of goodies to be given away to everyone who attended
And here’s a shot of the bags (with the IntelliGo poster in the background) from one of @ParkRat‘s tweets!
Photo from @ParkRat’s tweet
What kinda goodies were inside? Check it!
Goodie Bag Contents
The calm before the storm. Busekrus doing sound check before the Road Runner Music Hall gets packed!
Busekrus doing sound check
What we were all there for: the IntelliGo (and Road Runner Mobile) signage.
IntelliGo and Road Runner Mobile signage
The Road Runner Mobile logo getting some air-time on the big screen.
Road Runner Mobile logo on the big screen
The scene from the other side of the Hall: Two staffers relaxing before show time.
Big Mahalo to Lanakila Pacific’s Xpress Chefs for doing an amazing job with the eats! Based on what I was hearing, the Stuffed Mushroom Caps were probably the biggest hit of the night. 🙂
Catered food from Xpress Chefs
@johngarcia snaps a twitpic of the stage just before showtime. The anticipation mounts!
Photo from @johngarcia’s tweet
With the room packed, we were ready to go! Oceanic Time Warner Cable’s VP of Marketing Alan Pollock kicks off the show!
VP of Marketing Alan Pollock with some introductory statements
Standing room only! Busekrus starts the night with some acoustic sounds.
Busekrus on stage
Here’s @johngarcia‘s shot of Busekrus from the front. Yep, that’s @Mel808 tweeting away on her iPad.
Photo from @johngarcia’s tweet
@OceanicCable gets in on the (Tweeting) act with this crowd shot.
Photo from @OceanicCable’s tweet
Just outside, the media conducted one on one interviews with some of our guests. Here’s Maribel getting ready for her interview.
Back inside, @ParkRat and @maliachu get their hands on the IntelliGo!
Photo from @HawaiiIRL’s Facebook
Then it was time for the second band to take the stage: Elephant. Wow! Lead singer Kevin Jones (who, oh-by-the-way, is also a Star 101.9 personality) has gots some serious pipes!
Elephant’s front man Kevin Jones belting away
All too soon, it was over! Check out @HawaiiIRL‘s hilarious cartoon about the long hallways from the Road Runner Music Hall (featuring @Melissa808, @Mel808, and @johngarcia)! LOL!
Photo from @HawaiiIRL’s tweet
A big Mahalo to Oceanic Time Warner Cable’s VP of Marketing Alan Pollock and Road Runner Mobile’s Wireless Director Kiman Wong for helping to make this event a possibility. Also to the Marketing department (both locally and at the corporate level) for donating all of the great gifts and giveaways. Big ups to James Avis and Kevin Jones of Clear Channel Communications for the support, as always, and to Caroline Witherspoon and Malia Chung (and Marichris Diga) of Becker Communications for your media support as well. A special thanks to all of our guests spanning the local community… from our current Road Runner Mobile customers, to Hawaii’s social media leaders like @Bytemarks @DigitalSignGuy @HawaiiRealty @johngarcia @ktpoy @Mel808 @Melissa808 @ParkRat @peterkay and @ryankanno. Much love everyone!
* For more information about Road Runner Mobile, please see rrmobile.oceanic.com or AndHere.com.
* Tune in to thehall.tv in a few days to watch the encoded version of the event in its entirety.
* Check out the 3:11 mark of the following video to see @Melissa808 reveal the swag that was given away that night.
Late last month, Oceanic Time Warner Cable introduced an exciting, new product to add to the Road Runner Mobile lineup. Nicknamed IntelliGo, the Sierra Wireless W801 Personal Mobile Hotspot acts like a portable mini-router and allows you to share your Road Runner Mobile connection – on the go! – with up to 5 friends via standard Wi-Fi connectivity.
The IntelliGo, from Oceanic Time Warner Cable
Dimensions and Features
This portable little device (3.15″ x 3.15″ x 0.61″ and 4.6 oz) has a 1.4″ LCD display (displays key messages like your SSID and password, battery level, and amount of connected users), and comes with an 1800mAh battery (est. 6 hours of use) and USB/AC charger. There is also a microSD slot that can hold a card of up to 32GB. See below for a diagram and a hands-on video of the IntelliGo.
Diagram of the new IntelliGo
IntelliGo – Sierra Wireless W801 Personal Mobile Hotspot Unboxing
Technical Specs
Technically speaking, the IntelliGo receives in both 4G (WiMax – 2.5GHz) and 3G (CDMA – 800/1900 MHz) frequencies and transmits Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz) using the 802.11 b/g standard protocols.
What does this mean exactly? In layman’s terms, this simply means that the IntelliGo will get the greatest coverage (both 4G and 3G) wherever you go, and will share that via a common Wi-Fi signal that many of your devices already speak to.
Several examples of Wi-Fi devices that you might use are:
Laptops
Netbooks
iPads
Mobile phones (e.g. iPhone, Droid, Blackberry, Garmin Nuvifone, etc.)
iPod Touch
Nintendo DS
Sony PSP
Eye-Fi SD memory cards
Microsoft Zune
Easy Set Up
The IntelliGo is really, REALLY easy to set up. Out of the box, all you would have to do is pop in the battery and hold down the power button to turn the puppy on. It will go through its cycle for a few seconds and display your default SSID (network name) and password on the external display (you can edit these in the settings later). Since it’s shooting out standard Wi-Fi, there isn’t any software to install device(s)!
Ed’s Tip: On the initial setup, I would recommend you use a laptop (something with a larger screen), as the setup wizard will guide you through several screens to configure your settings. I used my HTC EVO 4G (mobile phone) initially, and, although I was still able to get it done, it was a little tricky reading text and hitting buttons.
Once the IntelliGo powers up completely and has your default SSID and password displayed, go to your laptop and scan for new wireless networks. Select the IntelliGo’s SSID (named “TWC4GMobile-xxx”) and enter the password provided (a series of 6 random numbers). The LCD screen will then prompt you to open a web page, which will automatically redirect you to the Time Warner Cable’s Terms of Service page, which you must review and accept. This is a one time process.
One time Agreement screen
Once you have accepted the terms of service, you’re “All G”, unless you would like to configure your device further (change the SSID, password, encryption method, etc.).
Ed’s Tips: By default, the device uses WEP encryption. Probably for compatibility reasons (with older devices). I would recommend changing that to WPA or WPA2, as long as your connecting devices are compatible. I would also recommend changing the default SSID and password to something more personal and secure (the default 6 digit password is easy to crack). Lastly, I would recommend changing the default administrative password (“password” is used to access the IntelliGo’s administrative portal).
All of the above can be accessed by going to the administrative portal at http://twc4gmobile (192.168.0.1) while connected to the IntelliGo. This admin backend acts much like the 192.168.1.1 backend on your Linksys wireless router at home.
The IntelliGo’s Administrative Portal
Via this backend, you can also set up and control two other neat features of the IntelliGo: 1) GPS, and 2) the microSD Card.
You can use the GPS to find local points of interest, like hotels, restaurants, banks and gas stations. You can even pull up local Time Warner Cable offices! Sweet! With the microSD card configured, you can share files, music, pictures and more to your 5 connected devices.
If anything I wrote above went right over your head and confused you even more, here’s a more practical (and visual) look at what the IntelliGo (Sierra Wireless W801) is and how you can use it. It’s Hawaii’s resident tech expert Peter Kay breaking things down in simple, easy-to-understand terms in his video below.
Peter Kay’s Testimonial
Exciting huh? The IntelliGo is a pretty powerful device that I, personally, have been having a lot of fun playing with, and sharing with anyone and everyone who will listen. If you have any questions at all, feel free to email me using the form to the right or post a comment below.
If you’d prefer to educate yourself, feel free to check out one of the following, pertinent links:
If you can’t contain your excitement and know this is something you really want… NEED even 😛 , visit the ordering options page where you can order directly online via My Account, complete an inquiry form for a follow up, chat with one of our online reps, or call Oceanic Time Warner Cable direct.
Ready for some 4G/Wi-Fi fun? On your mark… Get Set… IntelliGo Go GO!
—
Great News!
If you order between now and September 30th, 2010 (with a two year contract), you can have the IntelliGo for just $49 ($50 mail in rebate).
![Pearl Harbor Bike Path in the Aiea Bay State Recreation Area [Photo Courtesy: Todd Wakida]](https://i0.wp.com/www.world-wide-ed.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/2010-12_pearl-harbor-bike-path001.jpg)
![The back of Pearl Kai Shopping Center [Photo Courtesy: AndHere.com]](https://i0.wp.com/www.world-wide-ed.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/2010-12_pearl-harbor-bike-path003.jpg)
![Poke and rice (with the IntelliGo) next to the Tanioka's Menu [Photo Courtesy: AndHere.com]](https://i0.wp.com/www.world-wide-ed.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/2010-12_pearl-harbor-bike-path012.jpg)
![Wifey and I [Photo Courtesy: Todd Wakida]](https://i0.wp.com/www.world-wide-ed.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/2010-12_pearl-harbor-bike-path016.jpg)
![East Loch [Photo Courtesy: Todd Wakida]](https://i0.wp.com/www.world-wide-ed.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/2010-12_pearl-harbor-bike-path025.jpg)
World Wide Ed 