INFINITY.

Apple announced their new line of products, improved line of products and reduced in price line of products. Being in Hawaii, I was able to read updates on their announcements at Macworld as well as view a live stream at Greekbrief.tv where Cali Lewis basically read the updates that I was getting at Macworld, but hey it’s so Web2.0. As each announcement rolled out, I began salivating and fantasizing…iTunes customized ringtones with 50,000 songs to choose from, iPod Nano being reintroduced with video, the newly named iPod classic $100 cheaper, the expiration of the 4GB iPhone to make room for the newly reduced in price 8GB iPhone, but when they announced the iTouch with the option of either 8GB or 16GB featuring multi-touch interface, Wi-Fi web browsing and iTunes downloads, well I just had to call my Mom!

You see, I can attribute my gotta-have-GADGETS to my Mom, she’s a Gadget Queen so to speak. As much as there were humbling times while growing up, my Mom managed to amass an array of electronics. We had an awesome Trinitron television, (2) entertainment systems boasting dual cassette tapes, CD players and television all with auxiliary capabilities. We also had an Atari and Calico Vision game system. I know what you’re thinking, but this was late 70’s, early 80’s…and we were a very electronically entertained household!

My Mom still owns the original Ninetendo Entertainment System stored carefully in the huge case with original control pads, and games which boast the first edition of Super Mario Bros. and Zelda. She had her very own Gameboy, well actually it was the only gameboy in the house and it was hers so we would have to ask permission to play with it. With all of the use it was getting, she quickly sprung for the ’battery pack.’ She upgraded her game systems to the Sony Play Station, which she only relinquished the ownership rights just a few months ago. She owns a Ninetendo Game Cube, but didn’t really ‘bite’ with Xbox. My sisters and I agreed that it was only appropriate that we gave her a Nintendo Wii this past Mother’s Day, she was absolutely ecstatic!

Her gadgets didn’t end with game systems, our first computer was the ill-fated Apple DOS today she‘s loyal to DELL and recently upgraded her hard drive. She owns a handful of digital cameras, a Sony DVD Handycam, and the latest Verizon camera phone. On a side note she once texted me, “Where you at?”

During the “Tetris” craze she organized a family tournament complete with winning and consolation brackets, and each participant was assigned a handicap. All participants were notified ahead of time, given practice rounds, and opportunity to strategize. But, she emerged victorious by a landslide.

But, back to iTouch and iPhone. iBroke. But one of these days…

My interest in the world wide web is hardly a secret, but it’s always been just a hobby. But, after reading a story in the Honolulu Advertiser about lifecasting my interest and hobby ignited a passion. The story featured Ryan Ozawa and his approach to lifecasting which span from his morning commute to his children’s school plays for their grandparents who reside in Florida to a simple day at the beach. I was immediately fascinated, and began reading and researching, discovering and uncovering everything Web2.0. Furthermore, OZAWA is also the webmaster of HawaiiThreads and HawaiiStories, the host of my blog, “INFINITY”.

This wasn’t an easy task to comprehend this “Web2.0,“ new acronyms like RSS and API were as common on websites like ‘About‘ and ‘Contact Us‘. New terminology like ‘widget’ were now mandatory if you wanted to “Mashup.”

A few years earlier, during the MySpace frenzy, not wanting to depend on my 14 year old cousin Ashley to ‘pimp my space’, I began reading and obtaining the basic codes of HTML, (Hyper Text Markup Language) and soon was comfortable and knowledgeable enough that others were inquiring with me to customize their spaces.

But, with Web2.0 I was soon realizing it was more comprehensive, it involved some serious reading and understanding. It was as if I was Kikaida, and all of these new terms and acronyms were the green and red androids I aptly named the “Get ums” because that’s what it sounded like they were saying when chasing down Kikaida.

My previous blog, SOCIAL NETWORKING took a humorous approach at the subject, but the reality is, I’m realizing this is reality…and more.

And so, I continue to read, learn, test, and battle Web2.0 which now has become an ally. Not because I’ve mastered it, but because I can appreciate it.

I’ve started with a few blogs, but stay tuned for a podcast, videocast, lifecast or all of the above!  Some might say that I’m late in the game for Web2.0, but I’d like to think that I’m early for Web3.0.

Where are you on the path of social media?

Here’s a glimpse of ours:

“Gonna find my baby, gonna hold her tight, gonna have some afternoon delight…”

Regardless of the generation, the lyrics to the song by the Starland Vocal Band inspire humming, memories, and sly grins. It’s a song that ‘sets the mood’ and gives permission for “some afternoon delight.”

This Labor Day presented Hawai’i with weather begging for a day at the beach. We declined two invitations, and were committed to a day of complete relaxation. A hearty local breakfast of Portuguese sausage, eggs and rice washed down with Pog juice, and a marathon of either CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit or America‘s Next Top Model.

While the others compromised, I chose, as I normally always do if it’s the television over the ‘net, to customize our different membership sites. It takes a lot of patience, and it’s not as simple of copying and pasting, especially with Wordpress. But, it’s the process of learning that keeps me compelled, otherwise I’d still be trapped on MySpace. The success of MySpace is phenomenal, however it has peaked for me and I’ve been scouring the ‘net for other options which I’ve successfully found, as you can see from our sidebar.

Focused intently on customizing our social network sites, my compulsive disorder demands that they all have uniformity. This is difficult when your options are limited or it’s not written so plainly and you have to actually understand acronyms such as FTP or API, challenges for me when I’ve only just begun to understand RSS and XML.

I also realized that due to time and not necessarily inspiration I have neglected my blogs which were begging for attention somewhere in my subconscious.

And then, as though my soul was being pulled by a magnet, I looked over my shoulder towards Lilinoe. As we most always do, we smiled at each other when our eyes met. Our connection was fierce, our minds in sync, I began humming, “Gonna find my baby, gonna hold her tight, gonna have some afternoon delight.” Bravery caused me to motion with my eyes to the right, and she nodded. Caution caused me to motion with my eyes to the left with a bit of a frown towards the kids, she shrugged it off. The song was now louder in my head, “Aaaaaaaa AFTERNOON DELIGHT!”

We both stood up at the same time, our smiles never ceased, took a few steps from the living room, and entered our ‘special room.’ I spoke only two words as I closed the door tightly, “What flavor?” She answered, “Macadamia nut.” And we enjoyed two hearty bowls of ice cream on a very hot Labor Day!

“Aaaaaa AFTERNOON DELIGHT!”