Archive for the ‘Weekly Websites’ Category

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Weekly Website: Alltop – Top Hawaii News

Thursday, February 5th, 2009
Welcome to another installment of our Weekly Website series.
Our review this week is going to be a little short, but it’s for a site that packs a big punch.
Alltop – Top Hawaii News

The Internet is such an amazing place these days, and the evolution of how I use it in my everyday life keeps making leaps and bounds.  It was only last August when I showed how I use an iGoogle page to keep tabs on Maui. While I still have that tab page, I made a switch a few months ago to rely more on Google Reader and now have close to 30 Hawaii or Maui themed blogs I subscribe to and enjoy daily.  But Alltop goes one further.
Taken right from the Alltop homepage:
“Alltop is an ‘online magazine rack’ of popular topics. We update the stories every hour. Pick a topic by searching, news category, or name, and we’ll deliver it to you 24 x 7.”
And wouldn’t you know it, Hawaii is one of those topics.
Features
The Hawaii section on Alltop features the latest articles from over 100 Hawaii blogs and news sites (including ours!).  And the variety of what you’ll find is incredible.  There are blogs from different news orginizations on Hawaii, various non-profits and other groups, travel advice, a few realtors, and individual bloggers living both in Hawaii and from across the globe.  Some have a statewide focus while others have a feel local to an individual island or town.  Whatever you’re interested in that hour on any given day, you’ll be sure to find something.
Once you find an article from one of the blogs, just put your mouse over the title to see a short abstract.  If you like it, click the link to go to the entire post.  That’s it.  Really.  How cool is that?
It’s a matter of personal preference, but whenever I discover a site or blog on Alltop that I find myself returning to regularly, I grab the site’s RSS feed and load it into Google Reader.  I’ve probably found a dozen blogs this way that might have otherwise been buried in search results elsewhere.  This has been a really great find for me.
About Alltop
“Two guys and a gal in a garage,” according to their About Alltop page. Yet another great concept on the web, demonstrating that you don’t have to be a big company to do cool things online. One of the reasons I love this profession.  There is also a great set of FAQs on the About page, so be sure to check those out if you want more information.

Talk Story
Are you new to Alltop, or have you been using it already?  Tell us what you think, and what other topics you think are pretty useful there.  I’ve been meaning to check out the Hockey and Photography pages, but there truly isn’t enough time in the day.
As always, be sure to leave comments on this review as well. If you know of a website or blog you think we should feature in our Weekly Websites series, check out the contact details below.
Mahalo.
The Weekly Website Series here at our blog showcases various websites and blogs that we like to frequent, as well as recommend to others. There are so many Maui and Hawaii focused sites out there, it might seem a little intimidating at first. By featuring sites that we us ourselves and have found very helpful and engaging, we hope to introduce others to the very best out there.

To follow along with future editions of our Weekly Website Series, be sure to subscribe to our blog feed to get the latest posts and updates. We already have a bit of a queue, but if you haven’t seen one of your favorites yet, you can contact us or send me a note on Twitter.

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Weekly Website: Hawaii Photography

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009

Welcome to another installment of our Weekly Website series.

This week’s website gives us many great views of the Hawaiian islands, through the eyes of both professional and amateur photographers alike.

Hawaii Photography – Share in the Hawaii Photography Community
http://www.hawaiiphotography.com

I really enjoy looking at photos from Hawaii, and on any given day, it can be a toss up whether I enjoy taking photos of Maui more or viewing those taken by others. In any case, Hawaii Photography offers a lovely collection of top rate photographs from local Hawaii photographers and from visitors (like myself) that have really taken a liking to snapping photos on vacation. There is also a sense of community at the Hawaii Photography website, offering features to post and discuss topics with other photographers on the islands with similar passions for shooting in paradise.

Features
When you visit the home page of Hawaii Photography, right away you’re greeted with a slideshow of some 75 photos or so from members on the site. These aren’t tiny little thumbnails, either. They’re 800px by 590px full of Aloha goodness that showcase everything from flora to sunsets, and portraits to whale encounters. Kind of seems like a no brainer to have on the front page of a photography site, but I was (and still am) very impressed when I first saw it.

The next thing to notice is the Members list on the left-hand side. The site currently has about 60 members, which in today’s web terms is relatively small. Yet for a site with a narrow focus (and I use the term narrow lightly) on just the Hawaiian islands, it’s a pretty strong community. Viewing the Members page on the site lists a few Featured Members at the top, showcasing some of the professional photographers capturing the Aloha spirit on the islands.

There are a few other features worth noting that add to the community feel of Hawaii Photography:

  • Customizable home page for members
  • Comment and sharing features for photos
  • A blog to post updates and photos to
  • Individual discussion groups per island
  • An overall discussion forum to Talk Story, share ideas or arrange meet-ups
  • Slideshow badges like the one I posted below


Find more photos like this on Hawaii Photography

There are a few other features, too, that I haven’t discovered yet, so be sure to check it out for yourself. While my profile page hasn’t really been customized at all, I wanted to share the one from Natalie Brown. She is the photographer we booked for our vacation portraits next month when we’re on Maui, and seeing some of her worked online at Hawaii Photography certainly helped make our decision to choose her that much easier.

About Hawaii Photography
Hawaii Photography was created and managed by Hawaii Web Design, and looking at the dozens of websites they’ve put together for businesses and groups on Maui and across the islands, they sure know a thing or two about portraying the beauty of Hawaii online. Be sure to check out their portfolio to see if any of your favorite sites are done by Hawaii Web Design. Looking at my list of future sites to feature in our Weekly Website series, there are one or two coming up shortly.

Talk Story
Head on over to Hawaii Photography and let us know what you think. If you’re like me, you’ll probably be drawn into all the amazing photos, so be sure to share your favorites. And for any other vacation photographers or Hawaii enthusiasts with a hard-drive full of photos, why don’t you sign up while you’re there?

As always, if you know of a website or blog you think we should feature in our Weekly Websites series, check out the contact details below.

Mahalo.
– Kris

The Weekly Website Series here at our blog showcases various websites and blogs that we like to frequent, as well as recommend to others. There are so many Maui and Hawaii focused sites out there, it might seem a little intimidating at first. By featuring sites that we us ourselves and have found very helpful and engaging, we hope to introduce others to the very best out there.

To follow along with future editions of our Weekly Website Series, be sure to subscribe to our blog feed to get the latest posts and updates. We already have a bit of a queue, but if you haven’t seen one of your favorites yet, you can contact us or send me a note on Twitter.

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Weekly Website: KGMB9 News Hawaii

Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
Aloha and welcome to another edition in our Weekly Website series.
We’re taking a somewhat different approach to our series this week by featuring, of all things, a TV News website in Hawaii.
KGMB9 News Hawaii

First, I’ll say that we always enjoy watching the local news when we’re on Maui. For us, it’s not about seeing the weather forecast, but staying more in tuned with the everyday life on the islands and learning what happens on Hawaii from day to day. Sure, there’s some of the same national stories and, like back home, there’s always the bad news being reported (violence, crime, the economy, etc.). Yet, there’s always at least two or three local stories that are very heartwarming and showcase individuals or local organizations spreading the Aloha Spirit.
Okay, back to the website portion of this post. Why KGMB9, and not one of the others online? Two words, “Streaming Video”. Well, there’s actually more than that, so read on.
Features
Now that the cat is out of the bag, my favorite feature of the KGMB9 website is the Streaming Video they have right there on the home page. It’s easy, always on (at least from the times I’ve tried it) and free. Depending on daylight savings time here on the mainland, I can tune into the 6pm news airing on Hawaii instead of watching the 10pm news locally. Pretty neat, I think.
Also, if you’re looking for an alternative to the national network morning shows, how about one with a Hawaii flavor to it? Their website also features stories and content from Sunrise on KGMB9, the Hawaii morning show that starts off at 4:30am HST (which again works out nicely if you’re on the mainland).
There is one other thing I wanted to mention about KGMB9 that has really drawn me to their website, and it’s their engaging use of the micro-blogging service Twitter. You can follow along and get first tips on breaking stories by following @KGMB9, and if you’ve never heard of Twitter before, KGMB9 even has a short article to get you started.
For us on the mainland, it has never really been this easy to stay tuned to all things Hawaii without actually being there. Of course, visiting the Aloha State is always the best option, but the KGMB9 website can certainly help out in a pinch.

Talk Story
Mahalo for playing along with our little change of pace here in the Weekly Websites series. If you have any thoughts on this review or about the KGMB9 News website, we invite you to talk story here.
Also, if you have a website or blog you think we’d be interested in, check out the contact details below and tell us about it.
Mahalo.
The Weekly Website Series here at our blog showcases various websites and blogs that we like to frequent, as well as recommend to others. There are so many Maui and Hawaii focused sites out there, it might seem a little intimidating at first. By featuring sites that we us ourselves and have found very helpful and engaging, we hope to introduce others to the very best out there.

To follow along with future editions of our Weekly Website Series, be sure to subscribe to our blog feed to get the latest posts and updates. We already have a bit of a queue, but if you haven’t seen one of your favorites yet, you can contact us or send me a note on Twitter.

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Posted in Weekly Websites | 6 Comments »

Weekly Website: Maui Beach Guide

Wednesday, January 7th, 2009
Welcome to another installment of our Weekly Website series.
We’re heading to the beach with this week’s website, which looks to be one of the most complete beach guides devoted solely to the island of Maui.
Maui Beach Guide

Maui Beach Guide aims to do one thing, and one thing well, beaches on Maui. We’ve been using their site for our last two trips, and it has come in handy for letting us know what to expect when we visit beaches for the first time.
Because of it’s narrowed focus, the site itself isn’t that large and doesn’t change very often. In that respect, this review isn’t going to seem that exhaustive, but trust us, this site is worth knowing about.
Features
The focus of Maui Beach Guide is to cover all the beaches on Maui, which seems like a large feat to undertake. Although their home page has a listing of close to 40 beaches, not all of them have information. For the bigger known beaches, however, you’ll find quite a bit of info.
What can you expect to find when looking up a beach on the Maui Beach Guide? Well, let’s take a look. The page for Kahekili Beach Park, the sister beach to Ka’anapali Beach, features:
  • An overview about the beach itself,
  • Other names that this beach is often referred to (which happens more than you’d think),
  • Hours of Operation,
  • Weather forecasts (albeit from 2 years ago),
  • Sunrise/sunset times (again, a little outdated),
  • Webcams, if available,
  • Directions and a map on where to go,
  • Facility information,
  • and details on nearby hotels, etc.

That’s a lot of good information, even if some of the weather and sunset times are updated. Things like weather and sunset times you can find elsewhere, so those don’t bother us that much.

I think it’s a really great idea, and as mentioned previously, has helped us plan some of our beach hopping in the past. The webcams and photos have to be our favorites, and seeing the views online (with links to the main sites) are always fun to view. From that perspective, Maui Beach Guide seems to have really done their homework.

Talk Story
We welcome you to talk story if you have thoughts on this review or on Maui Beach Guide. If you have used this site before, or have ideas on how the site can be improved (besides being updated), feel free to share them here, too.
Stay tuned next week for another edition in our Weekly Websites series, and if you have a blog or site you’d like us to feature, read below.
Mahalo.
The Weekly Website Series here at our blog showcases various websites and blogs that we like to frequent, as well as recommend to others. There are so many Maui and Hawaii focused sites out there, it might seem a little intimidating at first. By featuring sites that we us ourselves and have found very helpful and engaging, we hope to introduce others to the very best out there.

To follow along with future editions of our Weekly Website Series, be sure to subscribe to our blog feed to get the latest posts and updates. We already have a bit of a queue, but if you haven’t seen one of your favorites yet, you can contact us or send me a note on Twitter.

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Weekly Website: A Maui Blog

Friday, January 2nd, 2009
Aloha! Welcome to 2009 and another installment of our Weekly Website series.
We’re sticking with a Maui focus for our featured site this week, and we taking a look at one of the categories of blogs that I like to call “life in paradise.”
A Maui Blog
While the sites in our weekly series to this point have been travel and information guides focused on Maui and the other Hawaiian islands, A Maui Blog is the first in our series that showcases life on Maui. The blog is written by Liza, who has been living on the Valley Isle since ’94 (lucky duck). Checking out the archives at A Maui Blog, it was started back in December of 2006, but has really taken off with regular posts now in the past 3 months or so. While that might not seem like a lot, Liza has been blogging non-stop on her original blog, Liza’s Eyeview, for 2 full years now. For those of us that have a passion for blogging, we know that it takes a lot of work to keep up that pace for so long.
I referred to this blog as being in category I call “life in paradise,” because that’s what A Maui Blog is all about. It covers different aspects of living on Maui, from things like local news, weather, and events to updates on what her kids are up to. There are a lot of great photos, too, which we really like. These aren’t all just the typical postcard views either (although there are some of those). We enjoy the everyday photos that showcase life on Maui, whether it’s a day at the mall or outdoor xmas decorations, Hawaiian style. It’s that view of everyday life that I enjoy the most about her blog, as well as the notion that life on Maui isn’t always about sunsets and going to the beach.
Features
A Maui Blog is a traditional blog, which aren’t structured with the navigation and features of a full website. For those types of blogs, the focus in this part of our review looks at some of the regular post series instead of site features.

The are currently three series that are featured on A Maui Blog, with my favorite being the Wordless Wednesday series. There’s something about photos that just capture the pure essence of Maui that need no further explanation. Those always gets to me. I also enjoy the Aloha Friday series each week, because after all, who doesn’t look forward to Fridays?

The Aloha Friday series at A Maui Blog is in participation with many other blogs featured at An Island Life. You can find even more blogs participating there each week.

Favorite Posts
I’ve only been following A Maui Blog for about a month or two, but that’s still enough time to gather a few favorite posts.

We welcome you to talk story if you have thoughts on this review or on A Maui Blog. Mahalo to Liza for sharing a little bit of her family’s life on Maui with all of us, and keep those photos coming!
Stay tuned next week for another edition in our Weekly Websites series, and if you have a blog or site you’d like us to feature, read below.
Mahalo.
The Weekly Website Series here at our blog showcases various websites and blogs that we like to frequent, as well as recommend to others. There are so many Maui and Hawaii focused sites out there, it might seem a little intimidating at first. By featuring sites that we us ourselves and have found very helpful and engaging, we hope to introduce others to the very best out there.

To follow along with future editions of our Weekly Website Series, be sure to subscribe to our blog feed to get the latest posts and updates. We already have a bit of a queue, but if you haven’t seen one of your favorites yet, you can contact us or send me a note on Twitter.

Posted in Blogs, Weekly Websites | 2 Comments »

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