Posts Tagged ‘Time Warner Cable’

Royal Hawaiian Center Launches TWC WiFi Service

January 23, 2014

Thanks to a recent deployment of Oceanic Time Warner Cable’s TWC WiFi service – the largest of its kind in Waikiki – Royal Hawaiian Center guests are now able to shop, dine, and relax with the added convenience of free WiFi access.

“Previously, free WiFi was available only in the Center’s Pā`ina Lāna`i Food Court”, according to Royal Hawaiian Center general manager Marleen `Ākau, “but now our mainland and international visitors as well as our local resident customers can surf the Internet at lightning-fast speeds on the upper levels within all three blocks of Royal Hawaiian Center, along Kalākaua Avenue”.

To celebrate, Oceanic Time Warner Cable, in association with Royal Hawaiian Center, held a WiFi launch event last week which included a dine around with local celebrities, members of the media, and Time Warner Cable executives. Below are some scenes from the night.

Reigning Miss Hawaii Crystal Lee, and OC16 TV Show Host Jenn Boneza (Photo Credit: Kiman Wong)
Reigning Miss Hawaii Crystal Lee, and OC16 TV Show Host Jenn Boneza (Photo Credit: Kiman Wong)

Mobile Product Management Senior Director Vijay Venkateswaran and Wireless Director Kiman Wong (Photo Credit: Kiman Wong)
Mobile Product Management Senior Director Vijay Venkateswaran and Wireless Director Kiman Wong (Photo Credit: Kiman Wong)

Elvis with Senior Marketing Manager Shelley Thomas (Photo Credit: Anne Butac)
Elvis with Senior Marketing Manager Shelley Thomas (Photo Credit: Anne Butac)

Cheesecake selection from Cheesecake Factory (Photo Credit: Stephen Claro)
Cheesecake selection from Cheesecake Factory (Photo Credit: Stephen Claro)

Vijay Venkateswaran with Royal Hawaiian Center's Marketing Director Sam Shenkus (Photo Credit: Kiman Wong)
Vijay Venkateswaran with Royal Hawaiian Center’s Marketing Director Sam Shenkus (Photo Credit: Kiman Wong)

One of the six groups enjoying the dine around: Social Media
One of the six groups enjoying the dine around: Social Media

Advertisement

Hawaii Officially Launches TWC WiFi

September 19, 2013

At an event at the University of Hawaii’s Stan Sheriff Center last week, Oceanic Time Warner Cable officially announced that the company has begun deployment of TWC WiFi™, a statewide WiFi Hotspot network for its customers. Access to the TWC WiFi network is free to Oceanic Time Warner Cable customers with Standard Internet or above and to Oceanic Time Warner Cable Business Class Internet customers.

“Increasingly, our Hawaii customers want to take their high-speed Internet with them out of the home and on-the-go,” said Oceanic President Bob Barlow. “The TWC WiFi network we’re building for Hawaii will allow our customers to greatly maximize their TWC Internet subscription – at no additional charge.”

Oceanic Time Warner Cable's President Bob Barlow
Oceanic Time Warner Cable’s President Bob Barlow

On Oahu, customers can access over 400 TWC WiFi Hotspots with hundreds more coming in 2013 as Oceanic Time Warner Cable builds out the network. TWC WiFi will be introduced at popular locations where residents eat, live and play. Recent additions are Sunset Beach, Kailua District Park and the Stan Sheriff Center. Below are some scenes from the night.

VIP access passes [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]
VIP access passes [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]

Our sales team ready to address any TWC WiFi related questions [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]
Garrison Yuen, Todd Silva and Travis Santos from our sales team are ready to address any TWC WiFi related questions [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]

Senior Director of Mobile Product Management Vijay Venkateswaran, University of Hawaii Associate Athletics Director John McNamara & VP of Wireless Engineering & Technology Ahmed Bencheikh [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]
Senior Director of Mobile Product Management Vijay Venkateswaran, University of Hawaii Associate Athletics Director John McNamara & VP of Wireless Engineering & Technology Ahmed Bencheikh [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]

Senior Manager of Mobile Product Management Dave Hawkins, John McNamara, Ahmed Bencheikh & Project Manager Les Young [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]
Senior Manager of Mobile Product Management Dave Hawkins, John McNamara, Ahmed Bencheikh & Project Manager Les Young [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]

Ahmed Bencheikh, Bob Barlow & Vijay Venkateswaran hanging loose [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]
Ahmed Bencheikh, Bob Barlow & Vijay Venkateswaran hanging loose [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]

Director of Outside Plant Engineering & Construction Mitch Miyoshi & Ruckus Wireless' Edwin Menor [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]
Director of Outside Plant Engineering & Construction Mitch Miyoshi & Ruckus Wireless’ Edwin Menor [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]

University of Hawaii Associate Athletics Director Marilyn Moniz-Kaho'ohanohano, Wireless Coordinator Gwen Kojima & VP of Marketing & Sales Clara Long [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]
University of Hawaii Associate Athletics Director Marilyn Moniz-Kaho’ohanohano, Wireless Coordinator Gwen Kojima & VP of Marketing & Sales Clara Long [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]

Project Manager Courtney Hubbard & boyfriend Clint [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]
Project Manager Courtney Hubbard & boyfriend Clint [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]

Executive Administrative Assistant Leatrice Galicinao, Business Class Support Manager Shannon Morgan-Peirce & Director of Sales (GM) Maryann Sacharski [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]
Executive Administrative Assistant Leatrice Galicinao, Business Class Support Manager Shannon Morgan-Peirce & Director of Sales (GM) Maryann Sacharski [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]

Web Content Developer Cy Shinkawa, CyberCom, Inc.'s Peter Kay & Senior Marketing Manager Shelley Thomas [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]
Web Content Developer Cy Shinkawa, CyberCom, Inc.’s Peter Kay & Senior Marketing Manager Shelley Thomas [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]

Former Olympian and Beach Volleyball star Kevin Wong & Executive Producer of Live Sports Candace Fujishima [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]
Former Olympian and Beach Volleyball star Kevin Wong & Executive Producer of Live Sports Candace Fujishima [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]

Lt. Governor of the State of Hawaii Shan Tsutsui addresses the crowd.
Lt. Governor of the State of Hawaii Shan Tsutsui addresses the crowd. Read about the launch event on his blog here.

University of Hawaii Athletics Director Ben Jay
University of Hawaii Athletics Director Ben Jay

The crowd
The crowd

John McNamara, Ahmed Bencheikh, Shan Tsutsui, Ben Jay, Interim University of Hawaii President David Lassner & Bob Barlow [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]
John McNamara, Ahmed Bencheikh, Shan Tsutsui, Ben Jay, Interim University of Hawaii President David Lassner & Bob Barlow [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]

Clearly M's Rob Bertholf and Ann Boots & Director of Marketing Matt Mishina [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]
Clearly M’s Rob Bertholf and Ann Boots & Director of Marketing Matt Mishina [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]

Business Class Marketing Manager Yvonne Yanagihara, Director of Wireless Kiman Wong & Marketing Specialist Maribel Quemado [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]
Business Class Marketing Manager Yvonne Yanagihara, Director of Wireless Kiman Wong & Marketing Specialist Maribel Quemado [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]

VP of Business Services Cyrus Driver & Vijay Venkateswaran [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]
VP of Business Services Cyrus Driver & Vijay Venkateswaran [Photo Credit: Kiman Wong]

AT Marketing's Toby Tamaye, Shelley Thomas, Wireless Manager Edward Sugimoto & Maribel Quemado
AT Marketing’s Toby Tamaye, Shelley Thomas, Wireless Manager Edward Sugimoto & Maribel Quemado

Oceanic Time Warner Cable Internet customers also have access to the nation’s largest free WiFi Hotspot network, with over 150,000 hotspots, through the Cable WiFi network name. The network enables Oceanic Time Warner Cable Internet customers to access the hotspots operated by TWC and other cable companies in major cities across the country including New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Orlando, Tampa, Kansas City, Austin, Charlotte and more.

To connect to TWC WiFi, users should look for the TWCWiFi network name in their connection manager, open their browser and login. To easily locate and access TWC WiFi Hotspots, customers are encouraged to download the free TWC WiFi Finder app available in Google Play and the Apple App Store or visit coverage.twcwifi.com to view the hotspot coverage map. For more information about Time Warner Cable WiFi, visit www.twc.com/wifi.

2013 Pro Bowl Weekend with Victor Cruz

January 30, 2013

You’ve probably already heard about Time Warner Cable’s #ProBowlCatch campaign which encouraged fans to vote for Victor Cruz to get onto the 2013 Pro Bowl roster. The campaign was a huge, viral sensation garnering over 1.33 million views through three videos.

Earlier this week, prior to the game, Hawaii’s Oceanic Team had the honor of catching up with Victor in an exclusive interview as he relaxed at the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort with his family on Friday.

Oceanic Time Warner Cable's Production staff filming Coach Darren Hernandez's interview with Victor Cruz
Oceanic Time Warner Cable’s Production staff filming Coach Darren Hernandez’s interview with Victor Cruz

Victor Cruz sporting his Time Warner Cable branded 'Enjoy Football Better' hat
Victor Cruz sporting his Time Warner Cable branded “Enjoy Football Better” hat


Victor Cruz video interview

The following day, Oceanic Time Warner Cable, along with the NFL Network, sponsored the Pro Bowl VIP Party at Wolfgang’s Steakhouse at the Royal Hawaiian Center, which was all part of the Pro Bowl All-Star Block Party held in Waikiki that evening. Here are some scenes from the night.

Miss Hawaii USA 2013 Brianna Acosta poses with the Pro Bowl trophy
Miss Hawaii USA 2013 Brianna Acosta poses with the Pro Bowl trophy

Oceanic Time Warner Cable employees in front of the media backdrop outside Wolfgang's Steakhouse
Oceanic Time Warner Cable employees in front of the media backdrop outside Wolfgang’s Steakhouse

Local Sales Manager Kendall Char happy to pose with Atlanta Falcons' Cheerleader Sabrina Clark and Philadelphia Eagles' Cheerleader Casey Baldwin
Local Sales Manager Kendall Char happy to pose with Atlanta Falcons’ Cheerleader Sabrina Clark and Philadelphia Eagles’ Cheerleader Casey Baldwin

Our Direct Sales boys with New England Patriots' cheerleader Patricia Fox
Our Direct Sales boys with New England Patriots’ cheerleader Patricia Fox

Pro Football Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson seems delighted to pose with our ladies of Customer Care
Pro Football Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson seems delighted to pose with our ladies of Customer Care

On Sunday it was game time, where Victor showed off his hands, catching 10 receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown en route to a lopsided 62-35 NFC win over his AFC rivals. What a fun Pro Bowl weekend here in Hawaii. Victor Cruz and Time Warner Cable… helping all of us Enjoy Football Better.

(Photo Credit: Kiman Wong)

How Remote DVR Saved My Life

October 28, 2011

OK, so the story I’m about to share is not as dramatic as my title suggests, but let’s be honest… for many of us TV fanatics, forgetting to set our DVR to record our favorite show(s) often does seem like life or death.

Let’s take a few steps back and talk about what Remote DVR is. In fact, maybe I should moonwalk a little further and talk about what DVR itself is because, believe it or not, I still get asked this question on the regular.

DVR, which stands for Digital Video Recorder, is the greatest thing since sliced bread. And I’m not just saying that because I work for the company. 😉 It’s basically a smarter, “nu skool”-ier version of the beloved VHS recorder. Instead of using tapes like the VHS, it uses an internal hard drive (like a computer). And instead of relying on you and your fading memory (let’s face it, we’re getting old) to check the guide in the daily paper and set your recordings manually, the DVR automatically syncs to the on-screen guide through which you can set all of your recordings. You can even set it to record a whole series of shows, adjust start and end times, and much more!

Remote DVR, which was recently launched here in the Hawaii market, takes this convenience to the next level. Thanks to the power of the Interwebs, you can now log in to http://dvr.timewarnercable.com (using TimeWarnerCable.com’s MyServices portal) from any Internet connected device, and manage your DVR recordings even when you aren’t home.

How Remote DVR Saved My Life

For Apple iPad users, you can leverage the power of our uber popular TWCable TV iPad App to similarly manage your DVR recordings. As a new father, I’ve found this service particularly useful & convenient because once baby goes to bed, the wife mandates that the TV be off. Not a problem. If I forgot to set a recording, I’ll just whip out my trusty iPad…

How Remote DVR Saved My LifeTWCable TV App on the iPad

fire up the TWCable TV app…

How Remote DVR Saved My LifeTWCable TV app launching

go into the DVR screen, and record away.

On this particular occasion, I forgot to set all of my UFC 137 related recordings. As a HUGE UFC and MMA fan in general, this event is of particular interest to me – as well as the rest of the state – because our local boy BJ Penn is headlining the card. (Read an interview I did with BJ Penn back in 2009.)

Since the “no TV when baby is sleeping” rule was in full effect, I simply did a search for “UFC” in the TWCable TV app and found all shows in the next 7 days with “UFC” in the title.

How Remote DVR Saved My LifeSearching for “UFC” in the TWCable TV app

From there, I simply selected the shows I wanted to record and, bingo-bango, they were all automagically set to record without even having to turn on my TV. Sweet right? Here’s what one sequence looked like when I scheduled a show (UFC 137 Prelims) to record on Spike HD.

How Remote DVR Saved My LifeSelecting UFC 137 Prelims in the search results brought up this options window

How Remote DVR Saved My LifeSelecting the HD version brought up this window that displayed additional show info and the Record button.

How Remote DVR Saved My LifePressing the Record button brought up the options screen where you could adjust the Save Time (“Until space needed” or “Do not delete”) and the Start and End times.

How Remote DVR Saved My LifePressing the Confirm Changes button set my recording

Not exactly life saving, but definitely time saving. Now, with all this extra time, I can concentrate on preparing for my UFC 137 BBQ/Party! 8) Goooooo BJ!

How Remote DVR Saved My LifeUFC 137 Poster (Poster Art Courtesy: UFC)

For Oceanic Time Warner Cable customers here in Hawaii, you can follow along through our UFC Video Content page. For more information on how to order, click here.

VH07V!

Ready, Set IntelliGo! – Sharing Your Road Runner Mobile Connection Just Got Easier!

July 1, 2010

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
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
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
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
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).

Order Road Runner Mobile Here

What Is Road Runner Mobile and Where Does It Work?

June 1, 2010

Road Runner Mobile first launched in Hawaii earlier this year, and, as with Road Runner High Speed Online residential service (launched back in 1997), there were a lot of early adopters. Like those who were “in the know” about broadband technologies (compared to dial-up) in ’97, those who are aware of 4G technology today have quickly jumped on the Road Runner Mobile bandwagon.

Road Runner Mobile Works Here!
Road Runner Mobile Works Here!

There are some though, who need and want more information. With any new technology, that’s very understandable. This article will attempt to demystify everything Road Runner Mobile for you. I’ll break it down – in layman’s terms – so that it will hopefully give you the right tools to educate yourself as to what Road Runner Mobile is and see if it’s right for you.

What is Road Runner Mobile?

First thing’s first. Let’s watch the commercial to get warmed up…


Road Runner Mobile Commercial

In the opening scene, you’ll notice a female on the beach propping up some sort of device in her laptop. That is what’s known as a mobile device (or wireless card). Simply put, that tiny little device is what connects you to the Internet. It searches the airwaves for the 4G signal (or 3G if 4G is not available) and connects you to it. All you do is plug it in to your standard USB port on your laptop (or mobile device) and you’re good to go.

Currently, Oceanic Time Warner Cable offers the Motorola USBw100 or the Franklin U301 with more products and devices on the way (including hub/router-type devices, allowing you to share your 4G connection via WiFi). For more information on our current products, see below or click here.

For a hands-on look at the newest Franklin U301 device, check out this unboxing video:


Franklin U301 Unboxing

As the video mentioned, Oceanic Time Warner Cable is currently running a promo that actually allows you to get either card for free with your service (with a 2 year contract). If you’re interested in taking advantage of this offer, inquire with them today.

Every install comes with a free copy of the Connection Manager software, which allows you to easily manage all of your wireless Internet connections (4G, 3G, Wi-Fi) with just a few clicks.

Road Runner Mobile Connection Manager Software
Road Runner Mobile Connection Manager Software

You can customize it to do as much or as little as you’d like. For example, you can have it automatically find and connect to:

  • the Road Runner Mobile 4G network
  • a Road Runner Speed Zone (if you’re in a Road Runner Speed Zone hot spot)
  • Wi-Fi networks if it finds it (e.g. when you use your computer at home, at work, or where hotspots like Road Runner Speed Zones are available)

You can even set the sequence of what to search for first, or turn them all off and set it to manual mode if you wish. The options are endless. It just depends on how you will be using it.

(Ed’s notes: Many netbooks and smaller peripherals these days do not have a CD drive, so you may wish to download them beforehand from the web here. This download should be the latest version of the Connection Manger software, but if there are any updates to it, or any other version(s) you load from the CD, etc., it will automatically download and install it for you as soon as you are connected. You may or may not experience a delay during this initial update.)

Where does Road Runner Mobile Work?

4G, which is short for 4th Generation, is a major upgrade from 3G. In fact, it is up to 10 times as fast as 3G*. For a reference, most mobile phones these days run over 3G. When you open up a browser on your phone and go to a web site, that is running over a 3G network. Imagine that same data going up to 10 times as fast. That’s 4G. (For more on 4G, read Kiman Wong’s articles here and here).

4G is the latest in cutting edge technology and we are fortunate enough to have it here in Hawaii so early on… even before the “big” cities like New York and Los Angeles. Currently, most areas on Oahu and the main towns of Maui are covered. Our unofficial 9th island: Las Vegas, Nevada is as well, as are cities in Washington, Oregon, Texas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and more. Over 35 in fact. For a growing list of 4G cities, please click here. To view a coverage map of ALL areas covered by Road Runner Mobile (4G or otherwise), click here.

Melissa Chang shows that Road Runner Mobile works in Hawaii
Melissa Chang shows that Road Runner Mobile works in Hawaii

In Hawaii?

Perhaps you’re more of a visual person and don’t wish to read a boring, text based list of locations? Well, you’re in luck! Oceanic Time Warner Cable has developed a microsite called AndHere.com that illustrates where exactly Road Runner Mobile works around Oahu (and soon to be Maui). Oceanic Time Warner Cable, as well as some of Hawaii’s social media leaders (like Peter Kay, Melissa Chang, and Russ Sumida) take Road Runner Mobile out and about, take photos of where they’re at, run some speed tests, and post it for your viewing pleasure. It’s a pretty neat way to help us better understand what Road Runner is and where and how you can use it in your everyday life.

AndHere.com
AndHere.com

For more on…

* Based on download speed comparison of 3G’s 600 kbps vs. 4G’s 6 Mbps.

Fave Friday: Sports

April 9, 2010

First thing’s first. As an MMA fan, I would be remiss if I did not mention tomorrow’s big UFC card that will showcase two of our very own, local, Hawaii boys: Hilo’s BJ Penn and Maui’s Kendall Grove.

World Wide Ed
Local Boys: Lightweight Champ BJ Penn (left) and Middleweight Contender Kendall Grove (right)

Lightweight champ BJ Penn (remember him?) will be defending his belt against top contender Frankie Edgar, while middleweight standout Kendall Grove will take on wrestler Mark Munoz. See bottom for all the details.

A-ight with that outta the way, let’s get today’s Fave Friday show on the road. Now I know the title says “Sports”, but for those of you who aren’t big fans of the stick and ball kine games, feel free to list “Activities” like hiking or swimming, etc. Here’s my list:

Fave Sports to Watch:

* Baseball – Sooooo happy the 2010 season is under way again! Go “pills” right uncle jimmy? 😛 Don’t know what it is, but I could just sit there and watch a whole game without getting bored at all.
* MMA – I used to be all crazy widit and watch every second of every event, but now, with limited watching hours in my day, I pretty much just focus on the UFC, WEC and some Strikeforce events with spot watching of the other ones like Bellator. Even then, I fast forward through the boring fights. I really do miss HDNet and their MMA coverage, especially with Dream. BTW, while we’re on the topic of MMA and local boys, don’t forget to support Brad Tavares who is reppin’ Hawaii on this season’s cast of the Ultimate Fighter, Wednesday nights at 7PM on Spike TV (Oceanic Cable 559 or HD 1559).
* Basketball – Orlando’s my team, but I’ll watch good matchups sometimes. UH is fun watching live, but it’s been really depressing the last few years. 😦
* Football (I guess) – only to follow my fantasy players. LOL! Live games at UH are fun too, but I like the tailgating more! 😛
* Boxing – used to watch a lot, until MMA came along and killed it! RIP. 😉

Fave Sports/Activities to Do:

* Snowboarding – snowboarding is life. Period.
* Jiu Jitsu – don’t get to roll as much as in the past, but the cognitive part of it is soooo interesting to me.
* Baseball/Softball – my first sport ever = my first love.
* Basketball – played a lot of hoops in high school and college, but kinda slowed down later in life. I should get back into it again.
* Swimming – ever since training for the Tinman, I’ve been itching to get back in the water on the regular. Not only is it a good workout, but you get a mean tan to boot.

So what sports or activities do you like to watch/play? Holla!

In other sports-related news, what do you think of Nike’s new commercial with Tiger Woods, using his dad’s voice as the narrative?


Tiger Woods’ Nike Commercial

UPDATE:
Just got shown the new 3-D Channel on Oceanic Time Warner Cable channel 1217 and, lemme tell ya, it looks pretty mean! If you have a new HD 3-D television set, pop on your 3-D specs, turn them on, and tune to channel 1217 to watch some cool, On Demand content – including coverage of the Masters – in crystal clear 3-D. I sound like an infomercial don’t I? 😛

World Wide Ed
Masters Content in 3-D from Oceanic Time Warner Cable

UFC 112 Details

UFC 112: Invincible is being held on Yas Island all the way in Abu Dhabi so it will actually air live at a strange 7AM hour for us here in Hawaii, on Oceanic Time Warner Cable’s channel 701 or HD 1701. Hurr’s the official poster:

World Wide Ed
UFC 112 Poster

… and here’s sistah Bel showing some love for our local boy BJ Penn:

World Wide Ed
Bel Kissing the UFC 112 Poster

If you’re not a fan of waking up early on Saturdays, Oceanic will be re-airing the fight card at 10AM, with an afternoon airing at 4PM (re-aired at 7PM). Just select the time that works best for you. Click here for streaming UFC 112 content or here for ordering information.

K, pau! Sorry. Commercial ova. Have one awesome Friday and weekend gang, and I’ll see you on Monday K!? Shooooots!