Kaio's Korner - Apps & Stuff

Panda Sandwich = Cub + Keeper + Cub All in a Tree!

2012-05-16T22:15:00.003-07:00

Greetings, Earthlings & Panda Fans!

Something cute and fun happens every day over at the Explore.org HD Panda Cams. Check out this latest fun pic of one of the Keepers just hangin' around with 2 adorable little panda cubs. This time they got him cornered up a tree.

Don't You Wish Your Children Were As Helpful As This Cute Little Panda Cub?!

2012-05-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

"Hey lady, I can help ya sweep up; I'm all over it!"

Watch excerpts of the panda cubs daily activities on their HD webcam from China!

Michael Jackson Earns His Rightful Place Amongst Hollywood Royalty at Grauman's Chinese Theater

2012-04-30T13:13:00.002-07:00

Greetings, Earthlings & Michael Jackson Fans!

We decided to treat ourselves to a special outing last week, and finally made it to the landmark Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, to see Michael Jackson's hand and foot prints in cement amongst all the other Hollywood legends honored there.

Check out the Heart that magically appeared in Michael Jackson's cement handprint - cuz MJ was filled with so much L.O.V.E.

Back in June of 1989, Michael placed his own hand and foot prints into cement for a Vegas project that never came to be. Fortuitously, the Jackson estate recently located the cement slab Michael did for that Vegas project in the basement of a casino, and began to make arrangements to have that slab put on display at Grauman's Chinese Theater. To mark the occasion, this past January, Michael's children (Prince, Paris and Blanket) placed their own hands in cement, along with their father's shoes and sequined glove. The ceremony was done in conjunction with the opening of Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour in Los Angeles. (Click here to see our post about this show.)

Both cement slabs were then put on display together at the Grauman's Chinese Theater. This is a huge honor that Michael would be very proud of. Here in Los Angeles, we've heard many stories over the years about stars being turned away from placing their hand and footprints in cement at the Chinese Theater, because there simply isn't enough space for every star that would like the honor. Yet Michael and his children's slabs have been placed on display front and center.

We went to the theater to finally catch a glimpse for ourselves, and it was sure fun to see fans of all ages and nationalities squeal with delight "Michael Jackson! Michael Jackson!" It was very difficult to get a clear shot of the cement slabs, because people kept on running up to it and pointing, or placing their hands and feet within Michael and his children's cement impressions.

About a hundred feet away, you can also see Michael's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Many souvenir shops have Michael Jackson window displays, and we saw many people asking about and buying different keepsakes and mementos. We went to the theater wearing a couple of custom printed Michael Jackson t-shirts, and got many smiles and acknowledgements from fans. One lady stopped us and said her daughter just adores Michael Jackson, and wanted to know where we got our t-shirts. So we got her email address and emailed her the images along with the contact info to the company that printed our t-shirts. She was very excited and grateful, and plans on surprising her daughter with the t-shirts.

It was nice to finally see this great honor for Michael in person, and we're glad we made the trip. We even got FREE street parking 1/2 a block away, which is unheard of for that end of town! (Thank you, Michael.) If you live in L.A. or are planning a trip, we recommend you check it out for yourself. Pictures are nice, but it's not the same as seeing something with your own eyes, and feeling with your own hands or heart.

Congratulations, Michael, to you and your family. You've more than earned the honor.

Kaio's Klassroom: WiFi Tether Your Android Tablet to Your Cell Phone - LG Marquee Infrastructure vs AD-Hoc

2012-03-07T09:21:00.000-08:00

Greetings Earthlings and Android Fans....

Want to tether your tablet to your cell phone, but Ad-Hoc got you down? How about trying this nifty little tweak that got me up in running in a jiffy!!

I recently got a new LG Marquee Prepaid Phone with Boost Mobile @Amazon and I really love it. Only problem is, I was spoiled with my last phone because it was rooted to support Infrastructure tethering and I had no idea how difficult and unusual that was. I've since done some research with my new Boost Mobile LG Marquee, and after a little trial and error (and some lucky Google searches) I have successfully tethered my LG Marquee to my Toshiba Thrive tablet!!!

Here's what I did:

Mandatory Disclaimer - The following information is for informational purposes only. Proceed at your own risk!!! Rooting will void your warranty and could "brick" your phone if you do something wrong!! So if you damage your phone, or any of your tech, that's on you.

NOTE: If you don't have an LG Marquee, just search "your phone model" + "root" and you should find plenty of information specific to your phone. There's always people wanting to do the same thing you are, so it's just a matter of finding the information that's already out there. Once your phone is rooted, come back here and start on Step 2.

(Continued...)

Step 1 -- Root your LG Marquee

The following information was taken from LG Cell Phones Blog and are for the LG Esteem, which is a generic root mod.

> Enable USB Debugging on your LG Marquee: Go to Settings > Applications > Development > Enable Debugging and check the box.

> Download and install the LG USB drivers at: LG Cell Phones Blog You want the file "LGUnitedMobileDriver_S4981MAN32AP22_ML_WHQL_Ver_3. 2.1_2.exe"

> After installing the USB drivers connect your phone to a PC. On the phone, pull down the notification bar at the top of the phone's screen and click on USB Connected. Set the phone to Internet Connection mode (CHARGE ONLY not Mass Storage).

> Download "LG_Esteem_Root.zip" at: LG Cell Phones Blog. Unzip the file and double-click on the run.bat file.

Note: Kaspersky Internet Security will flag this file as a Trojan: "Exploit.Linux.Lotoor.ag" I don't believe this file is a Trojan, per se. I believe it's required during the root process. When I let Kaspersky eliminate the file, my phone wouldn't root. So I decided to run the root program on a secondary computer, just in case. I disabled Kaspersky temporarily on that computer, and ran the root zip and my phone rooted without a hitch. I later scanned my phone with Webroot Security and AVG, and neither found any viruses on my phone, so I believe the process is safe. Technically, rooting your phone probably does involve a Trojan hack, hence why Kaspersky flags that file. However, I must reiterate to proceed at your own risk.

Just in Case -- How to Unroot Sprint LG Marquee:

Use root explorer and delete superuser.apk from the /system/app folder. Go to the Android market and download and install super user. Use root explorer again and delete su from /system/bin. Go to the market and uninstall super user. Do a factory reset & you will be back to square one.

(Continued...)

Step 2 -- Verify that you have properly rooted your phone with this nifty free app:

Root Checker Basic

If you did everything right, you should get a message that says "Congratulations, this device has root access." If you fail to get that message, go back to Step 1.

Step 3 -- Download the Android WiFi Tether for root users app

Currently, the only version of Android WiFi Tether that worked for me was 3.1-beta7. The newest version doesn't work properly with tablets, so be sure to get 3.1-beta7. Here's a link and QR code for easy access:

WiFi Tether 3.1-beta7 apk

(Continued...)

Step 4 -- Configure WiFi Tether app:

I've tried many settings, but these are the only ones that have worked. Start the app and grant Super User Permissions. Then Click Menu to get into the app's setting. Inside the Settings, do the following:

> Change Device Profile to: Samsung Galaxy S
> Change Setup Method to: Netd (Master)
> Enable WiFi Encryption: Check box to Enable
> Change Pass Phrase to: any 13 digit password of your choice.
> Change SSID to: any name of your choice.
> Change Channel to: 4 (2427mhz)
> Disable Update Check: Check box to Disable.
> Click your phone's Back Arrow to Exit back to the app's Main Screen
> Touch the WiFi button onscreen to start tethering.

> Grant Super User Permissions

Note: If you get Error Code 67, Click Dismiss. If you update, I don't know what will happen; my guess is it will disable the ability to tether. But if I click Dismiss, my tethering is Enabled, and works perfectly.

(Continued...)

Step 5 -- Grab Your Tablet & Start Tethering

> Go to Settings > Wireless & Networks > Check the box to Enable WiFi > Click WiFi Settings > Under WiFi Networks, find the SSID for your tethering app that you entered in Step 4 above. > Click on the SSID of your tethering app > Enter the 13 digit Pass Phrase you created in Step 4 above and Click Connect.

That's it! Congratulations -- your tablet should now be tethered to your cell phone!

Now that you're tethered to your cell phone, be smart, and DON'T download a ton of gigabytes. Just be smart about it, and you should be fine. Remember, tethering to your cell phone probably goes against the terms of service with your cell phone carrier, so DON'T abuse the privilege.

Now that you're the envy of all your friends, why not test your data speeds:

SpeedTest App - Free

My data speed test results with my Toshiba Thrive tablet tethered to my LG Marquee:

Download: 855kbps Upload: 302kbps

That's pretty great for a 3g no-contract cell phone with unlimited data!!

NOTE to Boost Mobile: Before you start plotting ways to disable this loophole, consider the alternative -- it makes smart business sense to let customers tether their tablets to their cell phones WITHOUT rooting. Tablets are essentially over-sized cell phones, minus the calling capability. They process data exactly the same as cell phones, so it really isn't that big of a deal. I know, I know... you want us to pay more for everything, and don't want customers abusing your limited data spectrum. But offering tablet tethering capability to your customers would make you a leader in your field, and I bet customers would flock to sign up for your service. And isn't that what you ultimately want -- happy and plentiful customers who are loyal to your service? It's a win-win all the way around.

Happy tethering everyone!

Go forth and Androidify!

Hugs, Kaio

;oD

Want to Smell Like Michael Jackson Did? Then Get Bal a Versailles

2012-02-19T18:35:00.000-08:00

Greetings, Earthlings & Michael Jackson Fans ~

My hubby bought me a special Valentine gift this year. Michael Jackson's favorite perfume, Bal a Versailles by Jean Desprez. According to his long time make-up artist, Karen Faye, Michael wore this scent for 30 years. I imagine he experimented with many scents over the years, but this is one that he apparently wore the most. It's fun to imagine him wearing it and what it may have been like to be near him, or even better, get HUGGED by him! It's a very nice scent, and a little goes a long, long way. Check it out at Amazon, via the link below. And check out a video beneath that, along with a description about the scent.

Buy Michael Jackson's Favorite Perfume - Bal a Versailles By Jean Desprez @Amazon

Play the Video:

Save 15% off your entire order at Gravity Defyer! Use coupon code CJ15

About Bal a Versailles

This is what Michael Jackson wore most often -- it's a smell like no other. Launched in 1962 by Jean Desprez, Bal à Versailles is a Floral Oriental with notes of jasmine, rose, sandalwood, patchouli, musk, amber, and civet. Those notes suggest a dark, rich, and powerful scent. And it is. It's unexpected, based on that list of ingredients, how soft and strangely comforting this fragrance really is. Bal à Versailles starts with jasmine whose indolic darkness is almost impenetrable and very agreeable. According to Jan Moran, three rose species were used in Bal à Versailles, Bulgarian, Anatolian, and May rose; based on that I expected the rose note to be more pronounced, and the rose is there, but it only serves as an understated background, which allows the dark jasmine note to flourish more effectively.

The middle stage of the fragrance is sweetly woody and ambery, and not especially remarkable, but it is over very soon, giving way to the most scrumptiously animalic drydown. It is resinous and pitch black and it makes my knees week and my mouth dry. What with the indolic top note of jasmine and the civet in the base, Bal à Versailles is positively dirty. It is dirty, ravishing, sexy and very zoftig is shocking really how unexpectedly velvety this scent is. Bal à Versailles would be a great accomplice if you wanted to seduce, stun and enslave somebody, but it would also work great as a warm comfort scent to wrap around you on a cold, dreary winter day.

Step Aside Skype - ooVoo is here - HD Video Chat with Multiple Friends on Android, PC & iOS

2012-02-19T15:42:00.000-08:00

Greetings, Earthlings & Free Video Chat Fans ~

Move over, Skype... there's a new app in town! ooVoo has Free HD video calls, with multiple friends, and works with PC, Android, iPhone & iPad. Check it out & download the app below:

ooVoo App: Free HD Video Chat for Android, iPhone & PC

Hear Michael Jackson tell you "I Love You."

2012-02-19T11:00:00.000-08:00

Greetings, Earthlings & MJ Fans;

We just found this neat little audio clip of Michael Jackson saying I love you very much. If you ever need a positive affirmation, or just want to hear Michael's voice once again, just come back here and take a little listen:

I Love You

RARE OPPORTUNITY: Play with Baby Panda Cubs in China!

2012-02-17T16:08:00.000-08:00

:oD Greetings, Earthlings & Panda Fans...

If I were fortunate enough to be able to travel, I'd be ALL over this one:

It's been said if you hold a baby panda, you'll become enlightened; transformed by its gentle spirit. If you like giant pandas, this is the trip for you. Not only will you see plenty of these black-and-white bear superstars but you'll also get to play with panda cubs. And, you can climb on the Great Wall and visit the Terracotta Warriors, too!

Classic China, Giant Pandas,
& Yangzi River Cruise

Click Here to Download Full Brochure

May 27−28

Depart from USA to Beijing

May 29

Beijing: Forbidden City, Olympic Village, and Temple of Heaven

May 30

Beijing: Houhai District and Great Wall

May 31

Beijing to Xian: Terracotta Warriors

June 1

Xian to Chengdu: Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Center and Sichuan Opera performance

June 2

Chengdu to Bifengxia National Park: China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda

June 3

Bifengxia National Park: China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda and safari in the Wildlife Park. Drive to Chongqing and board Yangzi River cruise ship

June 4 - 5

Yangzi River cruise: Three Gorges, tour the ancient village of Shibaozhai and Lesser Gorge Danninghe.

June 6

Disembark the ship in Yichang. Fly to Shanghai.

June 7

Shanghai: Shanghai Museum, Yuyuan Garden, and Caoyang Workers' Community

June 8

Depart Shanghai for USA.

Also Available:

Pre-Tour Extension to Chengde Imperial Resort

May 24−28, 2012

Post-Tour Extension to Hong Kong

June 8−10, 2012

Click Here to Download Full Brochure

Trip Details Dates: May 27–June 8, 2012 Price: $4,995 plus airfare*
*Per person, double occupancy. Single travelers are encouraged to book WorldWild Tours on a twin-share basis.

HOT APP: TrapCall - Unblock & Stop BS Calls!!

2012-02-17T02:00:00.000-08:00

Greetings, Earthlings & Android Fans!

Here's a very interesting app, TrapCall unblocks blocked calls and lets you know who's REALLY calling you. The service requires a monthly fee, but if you're getting a lot of harassing or blocked calls, it may be worth your while to get this app and subscribe to the service. If nothing else, you could always get it temporarily, until you get rid of unwanted callers. Just click the link below for more info and to download the app. And check out the video below to see it in action.

TrapCall

Note: TrapCall is a Free App, but requires a paid TrapCall subscription. Sign up and put an end to blocked, unknown, and private calls. TrapCall is the first and only service to unmask blocked calls, so you’ll always know who’s REALLY calling!

Watch the video & See it in action:

COOL APP: Lemon - Easily Digitize All Your Receipts!

2012-02-16T13:09:00.000-08:00

Greetings, Earthlings & Android Fans...

Here's an interesting app I just found: Lemon digitizes all your receipts so that they're easy to find, organize and search via key words. Just take a picture of your receipts, and they'll automatically be uploaded to your Lemon account, where they are digitized. You can even take multiple images of long receipts and it will stitch them together seamlessly. Lemon is a great way to keep track of your personal and business finances. And the cool thing is it will help reduce clutter, since you don't have to hang on to all that paper, and remember what you did with it. Everything will be in one easy to find place, and is accessible via your phone, tablet or computer. Check the video below, it does a great job explaining it. And if you want the app, just click this link to get more info and download the app (Android, iPhone, Windows Phone & Blackberry)

Get More Info & Download Lemon App

FYI: Set up your Free account first, before trying to digitize any receipts. I had issues with the app because I did not set up my account first. Lemon offers several monthly plans that offer premium features for a fee, but you can also try it out for Free, though it doesn't seem to have as many features.

Check out the video:

Kaio's Essential Android Apps - Volume 6

2012-02-08T22:04:00.000-08:00

Greetings Earthlings & Android Fans...

It's time for another installment of Kaio's Essential Android Apps. We're up to Volume 6 now, and all told, I've featured over 60 apps. I've tried to find things off the beaten path that you may not know about, and I think there's a great variety of fun and useful apps that everyone can use. So let's get started:

Words With Bees

Words with Bees has quickly become my new favorite game. Letters appear in a honeycomb, and you build words by sliding your finger to connect adjoining letters into words. The cool part about it, is the words often twist and contort in all sorts of ways, making the game play interesting and fun. Build as many words as you can in 2 minutes; build words with power-ups to add time to the clock and bonus points to your score. Simple, straightforward play. The object of the game is speed -- the more words you can build that add time to the clock, the longer you can play. And unlike other word games, you don't need to take time to think about spelling -- just experiment by sliding your finger quickly to build words or reject misspelled ones. Good, clean, addictive fun. The creators should add the ability to compare results against previous games, but this is a solid app that works quite well.

Sensorly

Ever wondered which cell phone carrier works best in your area? Who has the best signal strength, best data speeds, best call connectivity where you live? Want to cut through the corporate sales pitch and actually get a truthful, real world answer? Well, Sensorly may be able to help. The idea behind this app is interesting, but it's only effective so long as users participate and contribute data; the more users who contribute, the better the accuracy. There are several of these apps out there, but Sensorly worked best, even on WiFi tablets. The maps rendered pretty fast and the interface was well laid out. Of all the apps like this I tested, Sensorly had the most user contributions and best overall app experience. There's still room for improvement, but this would be invaluable in trying to figure out which carrier works best in any given area. Compare carrier's coverage and signal quality for any location in the world. This app will also show everything about your phone's network connectivity; cell tower identfication or BSSID, signal strength (RSSI), etc. It works for CDMA, GSM, WiFi, Wimax and LTE.

Leafly

Here's an interesting app for those who need it -- Leafly is a library of over 500 medical marijuana strains and gives info on characteristics, effectiveness, and benefits specific to each strain. There's over 17,000 user reviews from people sharing their insight, and over 2,000 cannabis photographs. Leafly touts the largest and most advanced marijuana strain resource on the web, and now it's an app. There's even a map to find nearby medical marijuana dispensaries; read patient reviews, see photos, and check the menu to locate your favorite strains. Very interesting.

Jorte Calendar

This is the best calendar app I've found. It synchs with your Google calendar, both online and on your cell phone, so you only have to input entries once, for them to appear on all your calendars. Easy copy and paste for frequently scheduled events and tasks, and a great tablet size widget. You can even add custom pictures to each month's background, and vary the transparency and color scheme. Best
calendar app by far; and it's Free! (Continued...)

Decide

This app will help you decide the best time to buy those electronic gadgets you're shopping for. The interface is smooth and quick. Easily scan bar codes, browse categories, or check sales trends for specific products. The app even tracks price fluctuations, all geared at helping you decide if it's the right time to buy, or if you should just wait because of an expected price drop or new product release. Also does an easy to read price comparison between stores near you against the best price online. Get the best deals on consumer electronics by knowing WHEN TO BUY that next gadget or video game. Like a crystal ball for all your electronics shopping, Decide is the only app that tells you to BUY NOW or WAIT. Decide shows you the best online and local prices on electronics, predicts whether prices will go up or down in the near future and whether a newer, better product will release soon.

MedCoach

Here's an interesting little app some of you may need: MedCoach. It helps you remember when to take your meds and is quite easy to setup. It also has a cool help feature -- just shake the phone and a help bubble appears offering useful info specific to what you were reading -- cool. This handy little app can even be setup to connect to your pharmacy to order refills. Short of losing your phone, there's no excuse for forgetting to take your meds again. And best of all, it's Free! Yay!! (Tablet support coming soon.)

FEMA

Well here's an app I hope none of you ever truly need. However, it's an excellent resource and it never hurts to be prepared. Believe me, we were made homeless by the 1994 quake here in L.A., and a resource like this app would have been very helpful. The FEMA App contains preparedness information for different types of disasters, an interactive checklist for emergency kits, a section to plan emergency meeting locations, information on how to stay safe and recover after a disaster, a map with FEMA Disaster Recovery Center locations (one-stop centers where disaster survivors can access key relief services) and shelters, general ways the public can get involved before and after a disaster, and the FEMA blog.

Earthquake

If you don't live in earthquake territory, you might not think you need this app. But I've found it interesting to see the patterns between all the quakes around the globe, and I was surprised to see how many earthquakes happen in places I didn't expect to see them. This app keeps track of all the seismic activity around the globe and places them on a Google Earth style map. Tracks the last 24 hours of earthquakes, with damage and rumble areas, all shown on an interactive map. It even has status bar notifications and vibration to indicate quake magnitude, and even has a dynamic widget. When that quake here in L.A. made us homeless back in '94, we felt several precursors in the days leading up to it. No, we can't predict quakes, but it never hurts to be informed and stay on your toes. I really like this app. (Continued...)

Osmos

This is an interesting meditative type game. They recommend it be played wearing headphones so you can get into the atmospheric mindset the lulled game play induces. Basically, you're a blob of energy floating through the universe, and you need to absorb other organisms before they absorb you. The real strategy of the game is to make as few moves as possible. Patience is key with this one, and it's interesting and relaxing too. Absorb, or be absorbed... Enter the Darwinian world of a galactic mote. Winner of multiple "Game of the Year" awards, Osmos features unique physics-based play, stellar graphics, and a hypnotic soundtrack of ambient electronica. Ready to evolve?

Amazon Student

Don't let the name fool you, this app isn't just for students. The best feature of this app is you can easily scan in barcodes for books, DVDs, and products you own to see what their trade-in value is at Amazon. Put all your trade-ins into one box, ship it for FREE to Amazon, and they'll email you an Amazon Gift Card for the value of your trade-in. Use your gift cards to buy new cool stuff at Amazon; gift cards NEVER Expire. The app also does instant price-checks; just scan a barcode to check a price, or use one-click access to scan items you want to buy or sell back. Plus, join Amazon Student to get FREE Two-Day Shipping for 6 months with Amazon Prime shipping benefits!

OpenTable - Free

Here's an interesting app called OpenTable. You can make restaurant reservations with it, and even invite friends to join you. The interface shows nearby restaurants on a map, or you can search various ways to find a restaurant you're interested in dining at. I could see this app being a real time saver over calling restaurants directly, since it shows who has open reservations and at what time. Isn't it great that reserving a table at a restaurant can be streamlined similar to booking room reservations or airline tickets? Plus who wants that pesky human contact with a Maitre 'D! Save your social pleasantries for the company you'll be dining with. Check it out; it's cool! ;oD

Fling-A-Thing

Here's a weird little addicting game! Fling a suction creature thingy and pop all the bubbles. Climb higher and higher, collecting power-ups along the way. Interesting physics, easy game controls, fun graphics and strangely bizarre. There’s a limited amount of shots for each level, so accuracy and strategy count. Collect stars for upgrades, unlock more levels, and even swap for different weird Things to Fling. Weird, silly and fun.

To Support This Blog, Please Click On Ads That Interest You ~ Thank You!

Kaio's Essential Android Apps -- Volume 1
Kaio's Essential Android Apps -- Volume 2
Kaio's Essential Android Apps -- Volume 3
Kaio's Essential Android Apps -- Volume 4

Kaio's Essential Android Apps -- Volume 5
Kaio's Essential Android Apps -- Volume 6

Panda Paw-Parazzi, Pouty Panda Momma & Panda Soup!

2012-02-06T13:51:00.000-08:00

Greetings, Earthlings & Panda Fans;

Panda Family Update

Here's an update on our favorite cuddly creatures from the San Diego Zoo. The Zoo recently updated its Panda Cam, so it's now streaming in HD! The pictures are stunning; and you can really get a good look at the pandas. We've been watching for years, and this is the best it's ever been.

Panda Paw-Parazzi

The Zoo's youngest panda bear, Yun-Zi, is two and a half now, but that's still considered adolescent in cub years. Yun-Zi is very active, and offers a lot of entertainment on the Panda Cams. When he was a younger cub, and still with his mother, Bai Yun, he made the mistake one day of biting her ear, while they were play wrestling. Well... Momma Bai is VERY sensitive about her ears, and had scolded her cub before about such rough housing. So this time, to teach him a lesson, she dragged her young cub front and center and gave him a "spanking" panda style in front of all the visiting guests, and all of us watching on the internet. We've never seen Momma Bai so angry, and needless to say, her little cubbie never bit her ears ever again. Awww!

These days, Yun-Zi has taken to the freedom of having his own play area. The picture below, shows Yun-Zi high atop one of his trees just before the zoo opened, and he's stretching to see if his adoring fans will soon be coming to visit him. He's still at the age where he's very enamored by his paw-parazzi. Isn't he a cutie?!

Pouty Panda Momma

As for mommy Bai Yun, this marks the first year in the past decade where she hasn't had a cub to take care of. She had a false pregnancy last summer, and seems to be enjoying her down time away from rambunctious cubs. However, we have noticed that she does seem to be a bit down and listless sometimes. This is a bit unusual for Bai, who is usually all business. In all the years we've been watching her, we'd like to think we've learned her temperament, and our theory is that she's a bit depressed about her false pregnancy, and not having a cub to tend to for the first time in many years. Part of the reason we think this, is that Bai has taken to sleeping in her cub's hammock. She's never shown any interest in sleeping in it before; and the tiny hammock doesn't fit her robust frame very well. So we figure she's taken to sleeping in it, because it reminds her of all her little cubbies who have slept in it before. Here's a picture of her crammed into that tiny hammock and taking a nap. Isn't she a sweetie bear?!

Panda Soup

The head of the panda den is Daddy Gao Gao. The more we watch him, the more he's regressing into a young cub himself. Gao is special, because he was rescued from the wild, after being attacked by other bears. He was nursed back to health, and found a new home at the San Diego Zoo about ten years ago. You can still see evidence of Gao's battle scars, by looking at his ears; his left ear is noticeably smaller than his right, because it was injured in the mauling by those bad bears back in China. Gao Gao is a gentle cub at heart, and you can see where his son, Yun-Zi, gets it from. From what we've seen, Gao has never taken much interest in water, other than to drink. He would often paw at the water to draw floating bamboo closer, rather than climb in and get it. However, it seems Gao has discovered how much fun water can be. Lately, he's taken to sitting in his stone pool, so much so, that his keepers have started piling his bamboo into the pool for him. The picture below, shows Gao sitting in the midst of his pool, surrounded by his favorite meal of all time... Panda Soup! Isn't he a cutie too?! There's so much bamboo, you wouldn't know he's sitting waist deep in water!

And just because it "bears" repeating, here's a fun picture of a panda from the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C. This cute panda bear has taken to painting. Looks to us, like he's painting a picture of what he'd like his keepers to bring him for dinner! We think it's Paw-some!

New PandaCam In China!

2012-02-05T13:54:00.000-08:00

Greetings Earthlings and Panda Fans!

A new panda cam just launched in China, and it's streaming Free on the internet in HD. The cams are set up at one of the largest panda reserves in China. When it's night time in China, the cams play a montage or best of the day's clips. Otherwise, it's a live feed direct from China. Check out the cuddly looking cuties on this cam! ;oD

pandas: china panda cam 1

DIM6:01 am CT

China Panda Cam 1 - Pandas - explore

35% Off Entertainment Coupon Savings Books

2012-02-05T09:15:00.000-08:00

Greetings Earthlings and Deal Hunters...

I've bought these Entertainment Coupon Savings books many times, and often would split the cost with friends or co-workers so we could share the cost and split coupons between us that the other didn't use. I've found these books to be a great value for movie tickets, local restaurants, shopping, and all sorts of fun things to do. And if you use the link below, you can get the book at 35% Off. The book is quite thick and pays for itself many times over with all the coupon savings inside. It's a great way to try something new or visit an old fave, and save money while doing things you enjoy while having fun. Here'a the link if you care to check it out:

Amazon Trade-In: Gift Cards for Your Old Stuff!

2012-02-04T00:02:00.000-08:00

Greetings, Earthlings & Shopping Fans...

Need some extra cash? Got too much stuff you don't need or use anymore lying around? Why not trade-in some of your old electronics, books, textbooks, DVDs, and video games for some extra cash?! Ship your stuff for Free, and get Amazon Gift Cards that NEVER Expire! Not only is it smart, but it's ecologically friendly. So do the green thing, and get some extra green while you're at it. Then spend your extra green at Amazon for great new stuff! Besides, who couldn't use some extra Ca$h?! And who doesn't like new stuff!? So... what are you waiting for... Click the link below, and visit Amazon.com for more details:

Amazon Trade-In: Gift Cards for Your Old Stuff!

Still don't get it? Well, here's how it works:

Amazon Trade-In Video:

Amazon's Outlet Deals

Kaio's Best Buy Deals!

2012-02-03T15:43:00.000-08:00

Greetings, Earthlings & Fellow Tech Fans...

Here's a few Best Buy deals you might like! $50 Off Samsung Galaxy tablets, reserve your new cell phone and get a $50 gift card, and buy a No Contract WiFi hotspot for your tablet or computer and get a $30 gift card. There's also a coupon code for Geek Squad and a sale on HDTVs.

Check out the links below:

> $50 Price Drop on All 7", 8.9", and 10.1" Samsung Galaxy Tabs.

> Choose Phone Freedom, Get a $50 Best Buy® Gift Card. Reserve Now & Get the Gift Card when you Buy a New Phone.

> Free $30 Gift Card with Select No-Contract Broadband Devices.

> 5%-25% Off Select HDTVs.

> Use Coupon Code "CouponsGeek15" to Get 15% Off Geek Squad® Online Remote Support

For even deeper discounts:

KAIO'S REVIEW: Our 2 Evenings at Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour by Cirque du Soleil

2012-01-30T14:35:00.000-08:00

Buy the Soundtrack @Amazon

Greetings, Earthlings & Michael Jackson Fans!

Just had a wonderful weekend with Michael, and wrote this lengthy post about our experience. Check it out, and feel free to share it with any Michael fans that you think would enjoy it.

Our 2 Evenings at Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour by Cirque du Soleil

Michael Jackson is Immortal, with or without Cirque du Soleil. But it never hurts for two global entertainment icons to join forces, and wow the world. We bought our tickets for Immortal over a year before the show was set to raise curtain. To my knowledge, this is the first time tickets have ever gone on sale so early for a show. But then, when is anything with Michael Jackson standard operating procedure? That's just how life goes when you're King.

My husband and I have seen at least a dozen Cirque shows over the years, many of them multiple times. And we've read about how they structured their deals with the Elvis and Beatles shows; each estate is a 50% partner in their respective shows, which means they not only share a 50% stake of the profits, but also 50% of the financial burden in creating the show in the first place. It's a fair business relationship, but that means the Jackson estate had to come up with a lot of cash up front to bring this Cirque show to life; even the Immortal have to pay their bills. Given the complexities of Jackson's financial holdings, and debts, it's fair to deduce the Jackson estate didn't have the liquid cash on hand it would take to match billionaire Cirque founder, Guy La Liberte's, deep pockets. Hence why tickets for Immortal went on sale so early; to create an immediate cash-flow the estate could pour into developing the show. At least that's our theory anyway. There aren't many artists who could sell that many tickets so far in advance to a show that had yet to be imagined. But then, Michael is no ordinary artist. Essentially, fans were asked to take a leap of faith that Michael + Cirque = Greatness; and it wasn't a hard leap to take.

The Countdown Begins

In the year lead-up to Immortal's opening night at The Staples Center in Los Angeles, we had plenty of time to anticipate the evening -- what would the show be like? Would Michael's spirit be there? Would we feel his presence beyond his music and the show itself? Would Cirque do him justice? Would the two contrasting styles of entertainment merge to create something spectacular? We thought of all the decades Michael's career spanned; all the notes he sang; all the continents and cities; all the fans he entertained for over 40 years -- all culminating to This Is It; the show to end all shows that ended Michael's life. The Staples Center is the last place on Earth where the King of Pop's angelic vocals serenaded this mortal plain; it's where fans brought flowers and mementos to mourn a fallen King; it's where the world watched his memorial service with heavy hearts; it's where this icon of icons did his last moonwalk and wowed an auditorium of empty seats -- surely his spirit would attend these special Cirque shows. How could it not? We placed our tickets safely on display at home, and not a day went by where they didn't cause our imaginations to run wild with anticipation. We even downloaded a countdown app for our cell phones and tablet; counting the days, hours, minutes and seconds until the fun was slated to launch.

As time passed, our tickets visibly turned color with age, as if already transforming into mementos of cherished memories fading in our minds. With nothing to do but wait, we plotted ways to extend the upcoming evening, long before it was scheduled to happen. Come show night, we planned to stop by the mural of Michael painted on the side of a building, not far from the Staples Center. And we also bought tickets to The Grammy Museum to see the Michael Jackson Exhibit, across the street from the Staples Center. It was shaping up to be a great evening. (Continued...)

The Grauman's Chinese Theater Ceremony

At long last, the app on our tablet was reaching the home stretch of its year long countdown. That's when we heard about a ceremony at the Grauman's Chinese Theater, where Michael's children would place their father's shoes and sequined glove into cement, so they could take their rightful place amongst the other icons on display there. The cool thing about this ceremony, was that the Jackson estate had come into possession of a slab of concrete that Michael himself had signed and left his hand and feet impressions into. Years before his death, Vegas had decided to create a Walk of Fame of their own, and Michael was the very first to give his cemented impressions. It had long been a dream of Michael's to have his hand and foot prints at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood, (it's no coincidence that his star on the Walk of Fame is right outside the Chinese Theater) so Michael jumped at his chance to lead the way in Vegas' iteration of the landmark. The project ultimately fell apart, and years later, Michael's concrete impressions were found in the basement of a casino before the hotel was imploded. The concrete slab changed hands a few times, before the Jackson estate finally came to possess it. And that slab autographed by Michael will be put on display at the Chinese Theater, right next to the one posthumously created by his children all these years later. Michael would be thrilled. (Continued...)

Much as we wanted to attend the ceremony at Grauman's Chinese Theater, we decided to conserve our energy for the opening night's performance of Immortal, which was finally set to lift curtain the following night. Being in a wheelchair, attending a busy outdoor ceremony with a 6am call time the day prior to a night that we had waited so long for, didn't seem like a good idea. Thankfully, the Chinese Theater's ceremony was streamed Live online, so we still got to see every moment of the tremendous honor Michael's children helped him to attain. At first, we thought it was odd that they'd willingly tarnish one of Michael's coveted sequined gloves with cement, but we were relieved to see that even Paris wore rubber gloves to handle her father's iconic shimmering garment. And we were even more relieved when they laid plastic over the cement to protect the glove when Paris made its impression. Prince and Blanket each made an impression with one of their father's shoes. (Continued...)

Image by: Kevin Winter / Getty Images

The most interesting part of the star studded ceremony for us, came when Michael's children were placing their own handprints alongside the impressions they made for their father. There was a moment when they seemed taken aback by all the media, screaming at them to look their way and pose for their cameras. Paris in particular, seemed to have a glint of recognition etched on her perplexed face. As if in that moment, she gained some understanding of all that her father lived through in his life as a lightning rod megastar. Clearly we have no idea what she was thinking, but we imagined it to be something like, "Ohhh, no wonder Dad made us wear those stupid masks!" As flashbulbs strobed rapid fire, it almost seemed as if she wished she could hide behind one of those masks again. Shark infested waters like that would be unnerving for anyone, particularly a teenager.

That same day, Cirque announced the Immortal World Tour would be returning to the Staples Center for two dates in August, due to popular demand. We had just bought tickets for a second night of it's three day engagement, and were now wondering if we'd also go a third time come August. Our one night evening with Michael was quickly expanding; and we weren't complaining by any means.

The Grammy Museum

Come opening night, we arrived at the Staples Center early, so we could visit The Grammy Museum before the show, and catch an up-close glimpse of Michael's garments on exhibit. Nice as the museum seemed, we made a beeline straight for the Michael exhibit, and had a few moments to ourselves before more Cirque attendees arrived to do the same. It wasn't long before a crowd had formed in front of a video display of Michael accepting his many Grammy awards for the Thriller album, aired back in 1984. The crowd grew larger and larger, and everyone beamed watching a young Michael humbly give his acceptance speeches for each of his many awards that evening. The garments on display were beautiful. They had the white suit that Michael wore on the cover of the Thriller album, and several military style jackets donned with sequins, that sparkled with countless twinkles that shimmered in the light. There was even a military style jacket completely encrusted with black Swarovsky crystals and a note card said that it weighed over 16 pounds. And there were even two unusual crystal studded gloves; one with blue crystals and stars that we remembered seeing him wear back in the day, and another with white and red crystals and three huge crystal spikes that looked as Bad as the warrior who wore them. The summer prior, we got to see Michael's Motown 25 crystal studded Billie Jean shirt at Julien's Auctions, and my husband timidly touched the cuff on Michael's glove hand. But there was no touching these garments at The Grammy Museum, because they were rightfully encased in glass, like the rare treasures they are. (Continued...)

It was getting close to show time, so we made a quick stop at the Museum's Gift Shop, and found some really cool MJ memorabilia. A store clerk spotted us perusing the MJ goodies, and asked us if we planned on seeing the Cirque show? We told him we were on our way as soon as we paid for the few souvenirs we picked out. The clerk went on to say that he had tried to get tickets, but everything was sold out, but he was able to get a lone ticket for himself for the final night of the run. We told him we'd be returning closing night as well, and he moaned with envy that we would be seeing the show twice. We told him about the two shows in August they just announced, and his eyes got big like saucers. Clearly it was the first he'd heard about it, and he was thinking about attending then as well. And so were we. The clerk then went on to say that the Michael exhibit has posed a real problem for them at the museum; the idea is that no exhibit is meant to stay for very long, because they always want to feature a fresh rotation of artists. But Michael is the one artist that every museum visitor wants to see. So much so, that they even begged the estate to give them more articles to put on display, and the museum is planning on expanding the exhibit, and keeping it as long as possible. No matter how many artists the museum displays, Michael is still their number one attraction by far. Naturally, we weren't at all surprised.

Opening Night: Friday, January 27th

We head over to the Staples Center, and the entire surrounding complex is literally a small city. There were thousands upon thousands of people present, and directly across from us was the Nokia Theater, where This Is It had it's red carpet premiere. We saw sequined gloves, fedoras on every other head, bright red jackets, twinkling socks and elated fans everywhere the eye could see. Some even had gloves that lit up and changed colors, similar to the technology used in Michael's This Is It costumes. We don't know where they got one, but we're hoping to nab one on our second night. Of course, I had on my sequined glove that I got to wear in the Behind the Mask video, but I sure wouldn't mind one of those multi-colored, hi-tech gloves too. There was a camera crew filming screaming fans, and several people muttered under their breaths, "Who's here?! Who's here?!" And they ran to see if any stars had shown up. My husband and I were standing in one of the many long lines, waiting for the doors to open. I closed my eyes and took in a breath, trying to sense any essence of Michael. Just when I thought to myself that he must be close by, my husband screamed out, "Hey, that's Travis Payne!" I opened my eyes in time to see Travis smile at us, as he walked past us with a small group. I was dumbfounded, and by the time I peeled my eyes away from Travis to see who was with him, his group was already a good twenty yards away. I thought I made out Frank Cascio trailing behind Travis, but they were too far to tell for certain. By the reaction of the crowd, which came like waves of giggles and gasps, clearly there were many celebrities in attendance.

If there is a perk to being in a wheelchair, it's that venues like this are kind enough to let us enter ahead of the pack. When the doors finally opened, we were the first to enter our section. When the door-person checked our tickets, she heaved a heavy sigh, "I can't believe I gotta work tonight! You guys are so lucky!" She smiled and handed us our tickets, "Enjoy the show; I envy all of you!" she exclaimed to the anxious crowd. My husband and I crossed the threshold into this nouveau Neverland. Crowds can be a pretty antagonistic place when you're in a wheelchair, even if people don't mean to be. So it's always nice to get a little head start before being overrun by the biped herd. It never takes long to be overtaken, since we move a little slower, but we had enough of a lead to make it to one of the booths selling all the goodies and souvenirs for the show. There were many nice items to entice, but we only picked up a tote bag and a magnet, since we were content with the more economical souvenirs we got at the museum. The concession prices at any venue are always ridiculous, but a $14 pretzel really took the cake and also got my goat! (Continued...)

Section 104 -- Our Opening Night Seats

We made it to our seats and settled in before taking a moment to absorb the gravity of the venue. It was hard to fathom that Michael spent the last days of his life singing to the empty seats of this ginormous venue. The upper tiers looked as if they would induce height phobias in anyone who dared to sit at their precipice. It's a venue fit for a gladiator, and really drove home how astounding it was that Michael used it as his own private rehearsal hall. The size of Michael's talent easily filled that room. I imagined what it must be like to be at home or in a hotel room, knowing the seats of a venue like that are filling up, and everyone was waiting for me to take center stage and entertain them. It must have been something, even for Michael, knowing that he was the center of all that expectation. I felt the pressure and responsibility for him. It's no wonder he was a perfectionist who insisted on the very best of himself and everyone who shared the stage with him. Every seat represented another paying fan who had waited to see him, only now, we waited for him posthumously.

To be surrounded by so many fans was the unanticipated bonus that preceded the show. By this point, I didn't even have to try to feel Michael's essence. It was bubbling over in each effervescent fan. The anticipation, excitement and sheer love was almost an airborne substance that could be touched. We were all here for him. It didn't matter if it was a Cirque du Soleil show, it didn't matter that Michael wouldn't be there in the flesh. It was clear this was going to be a concert and celebration amongst fans who had gathered in harmony to witness Michael's genius once more, no matter what form or shape it took. It was Michael's home stage. It was Michael's final stage. It's where his final curtain came down, before ours even went up; only it took us two and a half years to get there and witness it. There were so many thoughts swirling around in my head. My eyes locked with my husband's and we just smiled in silent recognition. We knew what the other was thinking without even needing to speak it.

Show Time -- Michael Is In The Building

The lights dimmed and Michael's music began to play as a precursor to the show. Instantaneously the audience became energized. Then Michael's vocals kicked in and echoed throughout the Staples Center once more, and the crowd cheered in celebration of his arrival. I looked around the auditorium as it filled up, and it was a sight to behold, thousands of heads bopping to the same beat and hitting the Hee-hees and shamones in time with Michael. The show had begun, and the curtain hadn't even been lifted. The King had arrived. I felt a pang in my gut; part adrenaline and part possessiveness at realizing I would be sharing Michael with this huge crowd. In the time since his death, my relationship with him has become very personal. My husband and I speak of him often, think of him daily and play his music throughout each and every day. I told myself this must be how his family feels, sharing him with the world. Only he was never mine in the first place; he was all of ours.

When the show began, I was agog with the effects and the moving video screens illuminated with a video montage of our beloved Michael. The Giving Tree was noticeably absent. It seemed as if they were still making use of its enormous trunk, but it was a shame that such a central thematic component of the show was missing. I wouldn't say it hurt the show, but it's absence was felt. Being a long time Cirque fan, it was interesting to see how their signature dramatics shrunk down to size when sharing the stage with the King of Pop. The size and scope of Michael's repertoire easily upstaged Cirque, just as Michael had done his entire life, with whomever shared his stage. Much as I like Cirque, the show worked best when their theatrics worked in servitude to Michael. The oversized shoes, the enormous dancing sequined glove, the iconic imagery and dancing, all melded quite well when the spotlight rightfully rested on Michael. However, when Cirque occasionally tried to place focus on their own signature trademarks, I found myself waiting for the spectacle to rightfully return to Michael. Obviously this was a Cirque production, but they weren't the attraction that sold all the tickets. It's clear the audience came to celebrate Michael and his legacy, and it didn't matter that Cirque was attempting to share the bill. Certain acrobatic moments that belong to Cirque more than Michael only got in the way. It's almost as if Cirque didn't always know how to meld themselves into Michael's world. Nor was it even necessary for them to even try. Michael's message and repertoire is literally larger than life, and was more than capable of entertaining the room, even though he was not physically present. Every image of Michael displayed on the huge video screens, no matter what his age or era, was greeted with enthusiastic cheers and screams. Even projected words of Michael's received enormous adulation. There was no question who was the star of this show. (Continued...)

It's hard to pick out a favorite moment, but Can You Feel It was certainly a standout, because the entire venue got to it's feet en masse, and began waving their arms in the air in celebration; the whole place was bopping and moving with Michael, and clearly everyone in the room "felt it" indeed. After that number, everyone took their seats briefly, but got back to their feet to give the cast a standing ovation at the end of the show. And the ovation was just as much for Michael, as it was for anyone else. They Don't Care About Us was another standout that got everyone moving and screaming Michael's name. So many numbers that paid homage to Michael and even the Jackson 5 made the crowd go wild. There were several moments during the show where everyone started chanting: "Michael! Michael! Michael!" Fans swirled sequined gloves over their heads, others cried, and we were awestruck with the spectacle. Michael rocked our world for sure. It was hard not to think the cheers were retroactive for all the rehearsals he gave to that empty arena a little over two years prior.

Time Flies When You're Groovin' With MJ!

The show ended far too quickly, considering the long wait. But in truth, we felt the pain of its conclusion before it even began, but our sadness about the show being over was tempered, knowing we would be back on closing night. Words cannot describe what it was like to feel Michael's greatness fill a venue of that magnitude. His music gets you moving the instant you hear it; add 50,000 decibels and 20,000 screaming fans, and you can begin to imagine what it felt like being there. There's no home stereo, no matter how good, that can match the feeling of the type of deep thumping bass that makes your shins vibrate; and hearing Michael's voice soar at that amplitude brings a whole new life to his music that we'd never experienced before. On the way out of the Staples Center, we were handed a postcard advertising Cirque's Ovo, which was playing at the Santa Monica Pier, and Iris, which is a permanent show at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. We flipped the card over to see an ad for the Immortal World Tour returning to the Staples Center, August 14th and 15th; it offered a $10 discount on tickets. My hubby and I locked eyes and smiled. We went home and immediately ordered our tickets for our third performance at the Staples Center in August.

Upon getting home, we stayed up for hours, talking about the spectacle we'd just witnessed. We were far too amped for bed, even though it was well past our usual bedtime. Who could sleep after a show like that? My husband and I made the connection with Michael's own life; no wonder he had trouble sleeping. We couldn't stop bounding in our seats from just watching a posthumous tribute about the King; imagine what it must have been like to be the King himself, and trying to calm down after giving a supercharged performance! We're sad to say we never got to see Michael perform in person while he was alive, but witnessing a show like this is the closest any of us can possibly come now that he's gone. (Continued...)

Closing Night: Sunday, January 29th

For Sunday's performance, we were seated with more of a profile view of the stage, that extended out into the audience, and basically a 45 degree angle to the main stage. We were interested in seeing the show from a different vantage point, and intentionally bought tickets in a completely different area of the Staples Center. We were a little bit closer this time out, but arguably the first night could be considered a better viewing angle, because we had more of a full frontal line of sight to all the action. However, it was interesting being closer this time, because we got to see things that didn't quite translate the first night, when we were a bit further away.

Prior to arriving at the Staples Center, we decided to stop back by The Grammy Museum, and asked if we could go back up to the Gift Shop to buy a couple more Michael souvenirs that we forgot to get the first day. They were nice enough to allow us access to the Gift Shop without having to pay admission to the museum again. So we happily picked up some extra souvenirs and then made our way back to the Staples Center. This time we decided to walk by the Nokia Theater and down the walkway where the red carpet for the This Is It premiere was. We remembered seeing newscasts of Michael's family and all the stars that came to that premiere, and just wanted to experience that moment for ourselves. That's also where they had some of the gifts and mementoes that were left for Michael by fans in memorial when he died. After which, we crossed the street and lined up at the Staples Center, in the same place where we waited on opening night of the Immortal premiere.

This time out, we didn't see as many sequined gloves, but there were still plenty around, including fedoras and of course, Michael T-shirts. The crowd was way more boisterous on premiere night, but it was still a good crowd of eager Michael fans. Someone was roaming around selling copies of the memorial program from Michael's service that was held at the Staples Center in 2009. We were tempted to buy one and overheard the person selling them tell a fan that he was charging $10. But we decided not to buy one, and just keep the evening focused on celebrating Michael's life. It wasn't long before the doors opened and we were again granted advance access ahead of the crowd. We were on the opposite side of the venue this time out. En route to our section, we made a quick stop at the goodies booth to make sure there wasn't any souvenirs that we wanted. We decided we were content with the magnet and tote bag we got the night prior, not to mention the souvenirs that we picked up at The Grammy Museum.

Michael Literally Takes My Breath Away

Having the experience of seeing the show opening night, we had a better idea of what to expect this time out. I use a portable oxygen machine that runs on rechargeable batteries, but they only last about four hours, and given all the advance wait time, and our visit to The Grammy Museum, my battery ran out halfway through the show on the first night. So this time around, we made our way to Guest Services upon entering the Staples Center, and asked if there was any way I could have access to an electrical outlet to plug in my oxygen during the show. The Staples Center staff went out of their way to run an extension cord to my wheelchair space in Section 112, and taped the cord down, so other guests wouldn't trip over it. I really appreciated the staff's effort to accommodate me, and we sent a letter to the Staples Center Management, thanking them for their assistance. It made a big difference the second time around to actually have access to oxygen for the entire performance!

Section 112 -- Our Seats For Closing Night

Now that we were settled into our seats, and I was plugged in, we could relax and start to put ourselves in the mind frame of greeting Michael and enjoying the show. We took a moment to appreciate where we were, and keep Michael in our minds. The first evening was enjoyable to be sure, but there was such a long build up to the evening, and we had so many different emotions and thoughts swirling around about Michael and the Staples Center, that we were able to relax more this second time out. Just as we were trying to sense Michael's presence, the Staples Center staff that helped us with my oxygen, approached us and said that they were going to relocate a guest, and seat them next to us. The guest was also disabled, and her original seat was not working out for her. A few moments later, the staff wheeled an older woman in a courtesy wheelchair, and assisted her into her seat next to us. The woman was roughly the age of Michael's mother Katherine, and had an air of sophistication about her. She was smartly dressed, and dignified much like Katherine. The sequined glove I was wearing quickly caught her eye, and she smiled broadly at us and said hello.

We struck up a conversation with this kind woman when she sheepishly asked my husband for assistance while she got settled. Then we began talking at length about Michael. We told her that this was our second time seeing the show, and mentioned the exhibit at The Grammy Museum. She said, "Boy, you guys have really been living it up!" We chuckled and said we don't usually get out much, but this is Michael, so it was something special for us. She smiled at that, and seemed to appreciate meeting two fans. She commented on what a very kind person Michael was, to which we replied that he was the best. She called him electric and sweet, and how he had a gift for entertaining people when he was alive. And we said he's still doing it; just look at all these people here! She seemed to love that, and quickly warmed up to us. I let her try on my sequined glove. She was a bit reticent at first, but tried it on, and said, "You know, you might not get this back!" We laughed and she of course, gave it back to me. She asked us questions about the show, and specifically, if there would be any pictures of Michael. We gave her tips on where to look for Michael, but also to keep a lookout everywhere, including above the stage, so she wouldn't miss any of the action. She appreciated all the extra insight to the show, and all the other things that we shared with her about Michael that she did not know. So from that point on, we kind of became her liaison to the show itself, and we were more than happy to fill that role for her. We also told her that they had just announced that the show was coming back for two nights in August, and that she should watch for staff when she exits, because they were handing out postcards good for $10 off the August shows. She asked if we were coming back in August, but her smile seemed to indicate she already knew the answer; and we confirmed for her that she was indeed correct that we were coming back in August. (Continued...)

In Retrospect

My husband and I were curious to see how we would feel about the show this second time out. The first show seemed to have a lot riding on it for us, and this second time out, we were much more relaxed and our newfound friend helped make it that way. We wondered if we would feel the same about portions of the show not being an entirely good fit between Cirque and Michael. We thought that perhaps we were being a bit too hard on the show. We intentionally stayed away from reading any journalist's reviews prior to night one, because we know journalists can be a little glib in general, not to mention the claws really come out whenever they report on Michael. But before the second evening, we found a few reviews that seemed to confirm our feelings about some of the acrobatic portions of the show. I think we were much more forgiving this second time out, however, we did still feel that there were moments that Cirque should have taken a different approach with their own signature moments that they presented.

Remember, we've seen a myriad of Cirque shows, and we are big fans. But clearly we are bigger Michael fans, and still felt there were times that Cirque mistakenly took the focus away from Michael. For us, this shouldn't be a standard Cirque show with the typical acrobatic presentation style. The show was much more lively and effective on both nights when the action was focused on, or revolved around Michael. In general, the show lacked a thematic through-line, and by Cirque's standards, it didn't live up to the magic of their other shows. Now, this criticism is not a reflection on Michael, but rather an observation that there seemed to be times when Cirque struggled to inject their own persona into Michael's world; and frankly, it was completely unnecessary for them to even try.

Michael was the rightful star of this show, and many of Cirque's attempts to inject their own signature just got in the way and slowed the pace of the show down. Beat It, for example, had far too few performers on stage, and the number didn't really get going until the acrobatics stopped, and the stage filled up with dancers paying homage to Michael. The same was true when acrobats swung from rings while Bubbles danced overhead; it was a perfectly respectable Cirque moment, but it had little to do with Michael and the crowds' lackluster response both nights was evidence of that. The minute the number returned to Michael, the crowd went wild once again. We don't think this is just a room of Michael fans cheering for their icon, but rather clear depictions of the difficulty Cirque had in melding themselves with Michael, and retaining their own identity with this larger than life King.

Standout Numbers

Briefly, some of the stand-out numbers for us were Human Nature, which featured Cirque aerialists in shimmering LED costumes against a backdrop of the universe and stars. This would be an example where Cirque's brand melded seamlessly with Michael's, because it worked hand-in-hand with the message and lyric, and kept the focus squarely on Michael, even though the acrobats had center stage. The performers in essence became undulating aerial constellations set to Michael's sweet vocals. Smooth Criminal got huge cheers right from the get go, as did all of Michael's biggest hits. It was great to see them use a lot of the black and white video footage that was created for This Is It. Seeing faux newspaper headlines that said, "Mikey 'The Glove,' Too Smooth To Be Caught" were a lot of fun to see. Childhood was another number that stood out with images of a young Michael, and a large cut-out of him in a window pane, waving his hands and gazing upon the audience with a child's innocence. Dancing Machine was another number where Cirque and Michael merged together quite nicely. It featured performers attached to hydraulics, as real life dancing machines. It was high energy, and a perfect symbiosis of MJ and Cirque that really got the crowd going. Will You Be There was another standout, where Cirque performers in signature fashion, stood amongst the audience with glowing hearts held above their heads. The performers were spread throughout the venue, then slowly descended the stairs, and all met up together on stage, while Michael delivered his lyrics. This would be a stunning example of Cirque working in servitude to Michael and his message. Scream was an outstanding number, both evenings, and featured Cirque's best acrobatic moments with male gymnasts tumbling and contorting onstage in ways that you never knew the human body could; a stellar moment and classic Cirque wow factor, coupled with Michael and Janet's spectacular vocals. (Continued...)

They Don't Care About Us was another number that got a huge response from the audience, and yet another example of a perfect meld between Michael and Cirque. The action on stage served Michael and his lyrics well, and actually stayed pretty true to the This Is It choreography. The number isn't one of Michael's biggest hits, but it became synonymous with his death, after the news reports played the rehearsal footage over and over after Michael died. The connection with the audience was evident in the huge screams for Michael that occurred toward the familiar choreography. The terminator style costuming with changing LED symbols on their breastplates really drove the number home, with classic Michael intensity. And once again, from Can You Feel It, Man In The Mirror, I'll Be There and all the numbers through to the end of the show, got the entire audience up on their feet, cheering, dancing and celebrating with Michael.

Throughout the show, the elderly woman sitting next to us would occasionally tap my arm and gesture towards the stage, as if to ask, did you see that! At one point, she nudged me and asked if that was a real chimp on stage. I told her it was supposed to be Bubbles, and she said, "I know that! But is it a real chimp?" I smiled and told her it was an actor, and she exclaimed that he was doing a wonderful job. Actually, Bubbles and the Mime were far too absent at times, and their continued presence, even in the background, would have helped create the thematic through-line that the show struggled to maintain. I'm guessing that had the Giving Tree been fully present, that we would have seen more of Bubbles, and perhaps that's precisely what was missing from the show. The Giving Tree was meant to fulfill a role, after all, and was intended to be a central theme to the show. So perhaps that's why we intuited something was missing. We can only imagine that the show's structure will change once it takes up its resident home in Las Vegas. For anyone who has seen many of Cirque's shows, you know that the Vegas shows are far grander in scope and presentation than the traveling shows, which by necessity, must stay smaller so they can travel from city to city. Perhaps then, the Giving Tree will make it's rightful appearance that seems to be lacking at present.

Later in the show, when everyone was on their feet, the woman next to us grabbed her cane and poked the gentleman in front of her in the butt. Apparently she didn't like that he was blocking her view. The man jumped when he was poked, then saw the older woman behind him and sat down. The woman smiled at me mischievously, then resumed cheering for Michael. Actually, it was a lot of fun having that woman next to us, because we enjoyed seeing her reactions to the show. It was really cute to see her jutting her head side to side with Michael's beat, and singing I'm Bad right along with Michael, and hitting all the Hee-Hees and just enjoying herself. She knew every song, and moved in her chair with the rest of us. She gasped every time Michael's image appeared on the many video screens; and she cried several times, particularly when silhouettes of Michael undulated on a curtain and disappeared and reappeared with a video smoke effect, as if his spirit was dancing for us. I wondered how she would respond to Thriller, and I found out when the huge screams bellowed from her, as Michael transformed into a werewolf! When the show ended, she grabbed my arm and thanked us for making the evening special for her. "See you in August!" she said, as the Staples Center staff wheeled her away in the courtesy wheelchair.

My husband and I wished we would have thought to get her name, and hope we do see her again in August. My husband is convinced that she was sent by Michael. Part of me wonders if she isn't really part of the Jackson Family, as she had that air about her. Whoever she was, we enjoyed having her next to us, and choose to believe Michael had a glove in it somehow.

Never Can Say Goodbye

As we made our way out of the venue, we were sure to thank the Staples Center staff again for their assistance in getting my much needed oxygen plugged in. It was a little sad to know our long awaited Michael weekend was coming to a close, but we reminded ourselves that we would be back in August. So when we got home, we set another countdown timer on our tablet and cell phone apps, and as of this writing, there's only 198 days to go until show time come August! And as Michael would sing... I'll Be There.

We'll see ya then, Michael!

;oD

Check Out the Trailer for the Show:

Buy the Soundtrack @Amazon

LIVE STREAM: Michael Jackson's Official Hand and Footprint Ceremony!

2012-01-25T14:26:00.000-08:00

Greetings, Earthlings & Michael Jackson Fans!

Can't attend the ceremony at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood? Watch the ceremony here, Live at 11am PST/2pm Eastern Time. Support the King of Pop and watch Michael's children attend the ceremony on his behalf. Word has it Quincy Jones and Justin Bieber will be among the celebrities attending. Watch the Live Stream here, Free! :oD

MJ4Ever!

Watch live streaming video from michaeljackson at livestream.com

Amazon Gold Box Deals

BREAKING NEWS: Amazon Wireless Buys Virgin Mobile -- Affordable Cell Phones for Everyone!

2012-01-15T23:49:00.000-08:00

Gotcha! But wouldn't it be great if that headline were true?!

Greetings, Earthlings...

We've been doing a lot of research into what our next cell phone would be, and we've heard rumors that Amazon may be coming out with their own cell phone some time in 2012. But we think Amazon should take that idea a step further, and not just offer cell phones, but become an actual service provider; thereby positioning themselves for future growth and expanding their commercial presence. With Amazon's track record for competitive pricing, launching their own wireless service is very intriguing to those of us that are budget conscious, yet still expect quality service.

Just look at the Kindle Fire; Amazon reportedly sells them at a loss, because once you buy them, they believe you will consume more content on their site; music downloads, video on demand, and of course e-books, just to name a few. Imagine what Amazon could do for cell phones if they applied their approach to that industry. We can't be the only ones fed up with being lulled into long term contracts, with free phones up front, only to be gouged over the next 2 years for overpriced services and sub-par customer service.

Over the years, we've tried AT&T, Verizon and Sprint. The cell phone coverage with each is fine, and of the 3, Sprint offers the most affordable unlimited plans. But it's still overpriced in our opinions. So we've been researching no contract cell phone service and learned that Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile are both owned by Sprint, and offer essentially the same service at much more affordable prices. That's when we got the idea that Amazon should talk to Sprint about taking over their struggling Virgin Mobile branch.

Why take over Virgin Mobile? Because the infrastructure is already in place; and the takeover would just require some retooling and tweaking by Amazon to make it their own. Virgin's basic concept is quite good, but apparently they're having problems convincing the masses that they've been duped into long term contracts they don't really want or need. The entire concept of cell phone contracts is just the carrier's manipulative way of reducing our choices. It's apparent why a 2 year contract is good for a cell phone provider, but it's debatable whether that contract offers the consumers any benefit whatsoever. We're being shackled to companies that have forgotten what good customer service is, because they know they have us tied down, and therefore don't have to try as hard. Let's face it, if Verizon had their way, they'd patent the oxygen we breathe as proprietary, and charge us for every single inhale. (Continued...)

Amazon Gold Box Deals

The basic fear that most of us have is being stuck with a cell phone that has terrible service or coverage. And each carrier does a good job of terrorizing their customers into believing that only they will keep them safe and connected, while the others make our lives a communication hell. But it's fool-hearty to think any of the top 3 carriers have anything truly significant or unique to offer; a few extra bits of data speed isn't all that meaningful.

We went to Target the other day just to browse their Pay As You Go Phones offered by Virgin and Boost. The packaging on both phones clearly states that they use Sprint's network, so there's really nothing to worry about as far as coverage. Well, at least if you live in a reasonably populated area. Another interesting tidbit to make note of, is the sheer novelty of walking into a store like Target and just grabbing a packaged cell phone off the shelf, same as any other product you may want to buy. Cell phone companies have duped us into the belief that there's something special about the products that they're selling us -- credit checks, needless contract commitments, overblown activation procedures -- they act like we're buying military grade plutonium, and want everything but fingerprints and DNA samples. It's arrogant, obtuse and unnecessary. And if Amazon plays their cards right, that type of behavior could be obsolete.

When we were perusing these no contract cell phones at Target, we found an LG Flip Phone marked down for only $5 -- yep, that's five dollars. So we bought the phone and $10 worth of minutes, and for a meager $15, we've been test driving Virgin Mobile for the past week. The service is no better or worse than our Sprint phones; solidifying in our minds that there's really no reason to renew our contracts with Sprint when they expire. Remember how long it takes just to buy and activate a phone? Last time we did it, it took 3 hours. On the flip-side, we activated our Virgin Mobile Flip Phone online in less than 10 minutes! That included setting up the account and getting a new phone number. Incidentally, you can transfer your existing phone number to Virgin Mobile and even activate an old cell phone that works on the Sprint network. How cool is that? And not to mention easy and inexpensive. Why bother with pesky human contact and false pleasantries with a mildly interested sales rep? Save the pleasantries for the people you really want to talk to with your new phone.

For those of you who don't want to pay by the minute for their cell phone service, Virgin offers no contract monthly plans as well. You can either charge your monthly access to a credit card, or just walk into a local retailer (7-11, Best Buy, etc.) and buy a Top-Up card for your monthly service, and input the code directly into your phone. So in essence, you could keep your cell phone as strictly a cash transaction. And YES, Virgin even offers Android Smart Phones! You'll never catch Apple granting that kind of freedom and access to their beloved status symbols. This is the part where we should all be asking ourselves why we keep bothering with those 2 year contracts? Here's Virgin's monthly pricing; and guess what? This includes all fees and taxes:

So why bother with the notion that Amazon should take over Virgin? Why not? They're supposedly looking into joining the cell phone business, and who better than Amazon to legitimize no contract cell phone service? Virgin simply doesn't have the corporate weight behind them to erase the stigma other cell providers have successfully planted into our brains against no contract cell service. A company like Amazon could revolutionize the entire cell phone industry, and actually give us consumers a viable alternative to continually extending our 2 year prison sentence with these greedy service providers. Remember, competition and choices result in a better experience for consumers; and we think the only true original approach to cell service is to revamp the way it's currently being done. It's time we quit letting these service providers lead us around by a short leash, nickel and diming us for every minuscule service, as if they're bestowing us with something grandiose.

One thing Amazon does very well, is to break services down into their simplest form, and offer them at a good value. Ideally, their contract free service would also include a la carte services like WiFi Hotspot access. Who would benefit from this? Small business owners, families on vacation, the budget conscious and tech savvy. Anyone who's interested in keeping a few extra dollars in their own pocket, as opposed to donating yet more ca$h to gluttonous corporations that have already taken more than enough from us already. A slick boardroom meeting no doubt conjured up the idea that we should pay extra for WiFi Hotspot devices, when our smart phones are perfectly capable of handling the job within our unlimited service plan. But that's the catch; service providers are looking for ways to double-dip with their data charges, and most smart phones require an added data package, which is simply a slight of hand trick to pluck more money out of our wallets.

Don't let all this Cloud mumbo-jumbo fool you. Data charges are soon to become the life blood of every service provider. It will become a commodity as valuable as crude oil. Why do you think everyone's so eager to have you store your music and documents in the Cloud? So they can charge you once to buy the music, and multiple times thereafter to access it. Sure, one could root their phone to gain hotspot privileges without incurring any additional charges, but that hackneyed stuff really shouldn't be the case. Amazon could do things differently, by allowing our cell phones to act as hotspots all within the same monthly plan, and for no additional co$t. If the notion of value for the customer without sacrificing service makes Amazon skiddish, perhaps they could offer WiFi hotspot access a la carte. Something like a couple bucks for 50mb hotspot access a day. Personally, I hate carrying redundant devices like a WiFi hotspot, when a smart phone is more than capable of doing the job.

Virgin Mobile does currently offer low commitment data plans for their MiFi devices. But we're not keen on lugging the added hardware, particularly one that has a battery pack screaming to be fed. Interesting how on one hand, we're being preached at for being mindful of our carbon footprint, yet everywhere you turn, someone is selling you another tech device that's sure to rack up kilowats on your meter.

Here's Virgin's pricing for their MiFi:

No, that $5 flip phone we bought at Target isn't cutting edge, but it's a great backup phone in case one of our smart phone's battery dies prematurely, which happens multiple times a day. At this point, we're thinking of ditching one of our smart phones when our contract expires, and just buying one to share between us with Virgin Mobile. Believe it or not, it's still pretty darn cool to have a tiny little Pay As You Go flip phone in your pocket. Think of it as a personal pay phone, minus the staph infection. Our little flip is half the size of our smart phone, and a 10th of the weight. And guess what, it actually gets 7 days of stand-by time. Let's see you do that with a smart phone. Will I miss checking email on my phone? Absolutely not. The world is full of wonderful things, called trees and flowers, and birds and sunshine. Every now and again, it's a good idea to get your nose out of your phone and look up and see the world with your own two eyes, as opposed to a digital rendering. Soon we'll be breeding a colony of hunchbacks forever stooped over, staring into their devices. Besides, sharing is a good thing; and once upon a time, entire families shared just one phone. Believe it or not, it can be done; and no one will die because of it. Sharing a smart phone with my hubby sounds fun; and having a cool little flip phone as our second, seems like a smart choice, because it will actually hold a charge and be useful in an emergency. Someone could literally die waiting for our smart phones to boot up if we ever had to call 9-1-1.

Here's the Motorola smart phone we're considering from Virgin Mobile, and it's every bit as powerful and cool as those other phones that you'll be shackled to with a 2 year contract:

Motorola Triumph Prepaid Android Phone (Virgin Mobile)

So if we're going with Virgin Mobile anyway, why does it matter if Amazon gets involved? Because we have active imaginations, and we'd like to see this alternative cell phone market grow, and we don't see Virgin doing anything special with the line. Amazon on the other hand, could give it instant legitimacy, and completely fits into their corporate model of offering quality services at an affordable price.

Communications and access to data seems to be the future of technology. Google knows it. Apple knows it. And if it's true Amazon is looking into cell phones, then they know it too. Just our 2cents, Amazon; consider us your enthusiastic consultants. (We accept gift cards and prizes!)

Have fun being tethered to your service provider everyone; personally, the only tethering I want to do is with my smart phone.

If you'd like to sign up with Virgin Mobile, this Kickbacks Code will get us, BOTH, 60 Free minutes:

X0PNJ6S6

This concludes our celestial transmission; we come in peace, L.O.V.E and humor. We now leave you to your regularly scheduled programming.

;oD

OpenTable - Restaurant Reservations App - Kaio's AppDroid Picks

2012-01-04T07:06:00.000-08:00

Greetings, Earthlings & Android Fans!

Here's an interesting app or as we call it, Kaio's AppDroid Pick of the Day; it's called OpenTable. You can make restaurant reservations with it, and even invite friends to join you. The interface shows nearby restaurants on a map, or you can search various ways to find a restaurant you're interested in dining at. I could see this app being a real time saver over calling restaurants directly, since it shows who has open reservations and at what time. Isn't it great that reserving a table at a restaurant can be streamlined similar to booking room reservations or airline tickets? Plus who wants that pesky human contact with a Maitre 'D! Save your social pleasantries for the company you'll be dining with. Check it out; it's cool! ;oD

OpenTable - Free

(continued...)

Amazon Warehouse Deals - Deep Discounts & Great Deals

Free reservations at 15,000+ restaurants in the US, Canada, Mexico and UK

Restaurant Reservations – Free, Instant, Confirmed. With OpenTable for Android you can make free restaurant reservations at more than 15,000 OpenTable-enabled restaurants in the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom. Plus, OpenTable members earn valuable Dining Rewards Points redeemable for Dining Cheques good at any OpenTable restaurant.

HOW IT WORKS:
Specify your dining date, desired time and party size to view available tables at nearby restaurants – listed by proximity or plotted on an interactive map.

FEATURES YOU'LL LOVE:
- SEARCH by restaurant name
- FIND restaurants nearest to your current location & see real-time table availability.
- MAP results with an interactive, location-based map.
- REFINE results by cuisine, price, reservation time, or points awarded.
- SEE restaurant menus & OpenTable diner ratings and reviews.
- REVIEW - Quickly see recently viewed restaurants
- RESERVE your table free!

ADDITIONAL FEATURES WITH FREE MEMBER REGISTRATION
- Manage upcoming reservations & browse previous reservations.
- Earn Dining Rewards Points redeemable for Dining Cheques good at any OpenTable restaurant.
- Invite dining companions via email.

Wild App: Lane Splitter

2012-01-02T08:36:00.000-08:00

Greetings Earthlings and Android Fans...

Well here's a fun game my husband likes to play -- Lane Splitter -- not sure about your neck of the woods, but here in L.A., people on motorcycles are nutty enough to "Split Traffic" by riding in-between cars; basically, riding the dotted passing line on the road, inches between other speeding cars. Would you believe even the motorcycle cops here do it? WOW! As far as this game, I just watch my husband play 'cause it makes me dizzy just seeing him navigate all the "traffic" at high speeds. Basically, you ride your motorcycle down open freeways and through congested city traffic and try not to wipeout, or get sideswiped by a vehicle as you pass. Sometimes, you even gotta outrun the cops. Some of you might like this one:

Lane Splitter -- Free

(continued...)

Amazon Warehouse Deals - Deep Discounts & Great Deals

Weave your way through traffic at insane speeds in the smash arcade hit.

"The graphics are bright and appealing, the controls are dead-on, and the leaderboards keep track of your high scores. Most importantly, once you start playing, it’s hard to stop." - slidetoplay.com

Over 8 million players on iOS and Android devices can't be wrong! The ORIGINAL and best motorcycle survival game!

Ride your motorcycle at insane speeds through ever changing traffic. Your reflexes will mean the difference between surviving or crashing in spectacular fashion. Do you have what it takes to reach TOP SPEED?

HOW TO PLAY

- Tilt your phone/tablet to steer left and right
- Stay away from cars, walls, and cops
- Touch the screen to wheelie and perform other special abilities
- Pick up coins to earn money for awesome items
- Hang on for dear life!

FEATURES

* Crazy addictive gameplay with ultra smooth tilt controls
* 7 different characters to play, each with their own unique abilities and gameplay!
* Eye popping high definition 3D graphics
* Environments that change every day you play
* Lifelike character animations and physics
* Global leaderboards
* Facebook integration: compete with your friends for top score and post brags to your wall
* Awesome realistic sound effects recorded from real motorcycles, including a sport bike, chopper, dirt bike, and a cafe racer!

BONUS TIPS

- Pick up "Lane Splitter" bonuses by navigating your way in between cars during heavy traffic areas
- Compete for best wheelie score by holding the screen to wheelie while playing as Jake or Jonny
- If a cop is on your tail, get 500ft away to evade him, or buy some donuts to bribe him
- Buy a helmet to protect you from one crash

Happy New Year, Everbody!

2011-12-31T15:59:00.000-08:00

Greetings, Earthlings & Michael Jackson Fans;

A very dear friend of ours, Carole, sent us this New Year wish; and we wanted to share it with all of you. It's the time when we should all pause, and reflect. And the words are particularly poignant. This was Michael Jackson's favorite song, and he sings it impeccably. Click below to listen. It's called Smile, written by Charlie Chaplin:

Amazon Warehouse Deals - Deep Discounts & Great Deals

2 CUTE: Twin Baby Polar Bears in China

2011-12-30T21:41:00.000-08:00

Greetings, Earthlings & Bear Lovers!

No, they're not pandas, but who could resist these adorable cubs?! They look like stuffed toys come to life. Wouldn't it be fun to play with one? And no, not when they're older... and bigger. These twin baby polar bear cubs are preparing to meet the public for the first time in China. The cubs were a gift to China from Finland Source: CCTV.



Amazon Warehouse Deals - Deep Discounts & Great Deals

MedCoach - Pill Reminder App - Never Forget to Take Meds or Supplements Again!

2011-12-29T06:58:00.000-08:00

Greetings Earthlings and Android Fans...

Here's an interesting little app some of you may need: MedCoach. It helps you remember when to take your meds and is quite easy to setup. It also has a cool help feature -- just shake the phone and a help bubble appears offering useful info specific to what you were reading -- cool. This handy little app can even be setup to connect to your pharmacy to order refills. Short of loosing your phone, there's no excuse for forgetting to take your meds again. And best of all, it's free! Yay!! (Tablet support coming soon.)

MedCoach

(Continued Below...)

Amazon Warehouse Deals - Deep Discounts & Great Deals

Having a hard time keeping track of your meds? Try MedCoach

FREE, Easy Medication Management & Reminders.

Having a hard time keeping track of your meds? With MedCoach by GreatCall, you'll never miss another medication! Need a pill reminder? This FREE, easy-to-use and valuable app helps you remember to take your medications at the right time of day - everyday. Stay on schedule with your medication regimen and even connect to your pharmacy to refill your prescriptions. MedCoach is medication management made easy and FREE - right in the palm of your hand!

Features:

- It's easy to create your personal medication schedule to make sure that you're taking your medications at the right time - every time!

- Receive helpful reminders and alerts when it's time to take your medications

- Keep a log of your personal medication history (when you took your meds), and share it with your doctors and pharmacists

- Easily connect to your pharmacy when it's time to refill your prescriptions

- View a history of your daily medication usage Have a list of your medications at your fingertips at your doctors' offices

Highlights:

- A helpful medication lookup feature that accesses the First DataBank national drug database will help you select your medication and dosage

- "Shake for Help" is a handy tool to always get an answer when you need one - just shake your phone at any time, and help will appear!

- Should you ever need more help, you can quickly email GreatCall's HIPAA compliant customer care team, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

- The intuitive and easy-to-use interface provides effortless navigation throughout the app

- Best of all, you get all of this, and this app is FREE!

Manage your health and wellness on your time - 24/7 medication management. MedCoach by GreatCall is a useful app if you take multiple medications at different times of the day, or just simply want to remember your daily aspirin.

Kaio's Klassroom: Save Files To Your SD Card on Your Honeycomb Tablet

2011-12-27T18:45:00.000-08:00

Greetings, Earthlings & Android Fans!

Want to gain write access to the SD card on your Toshiba Thrive? Format your SD card using the exFat file system. (continued...)

NEW: Kaio's Klassroom: WiFi Tether Your Android Tablet to Your Cell Phone - Infrastructure vs AD-Hoc

exFat: Many Thrive users would like to save files to their SD card. exFat formatting allows you to successfully save, open and re-save documents to your SD card. I've had success with the apps, Documents To Go and Office Suite Pro. Personally, I prefer the interface on Office Suite Pro the best; the menus and formatting tools were more convenient to use than Documents To Go. exFat formatting may also work with other Android tablets, so give it a whirl and see if that works for you too.

Windows 7 Instructions:

(and perhaps Windows Vista; I've never used it)

>Insert SD card into computer SD slot

>Click Start

>Click Computer

>Right-Click your SD card icon

>Click Format

>Select exFat from the drop-down menu

>Select Quick Format

>Click Start.

Windows XP Instructions:

Download a patch from Microsoft to add exFat formatting, then format your SD card via My Computer. Here's 2 links for more info and the patch file:

http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=19364

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/955704

Kaio's Korner - Apps & Stuff

Panda Sandwich = Cub + Keeper + Cub All in a Tree!

Don't You Wish Your Children Were As Helpful As This Cute Little Panda Cub?!

Michael Jackson Earns His Rightful Place Amongst Hollywood Royalty at Grauman's Chinese Theater

Kaio's Klassroom: WiFi Tether Your Android Tablet to Your Cell Phone - LG Marquee Infrastructure vs AD-Hoc

Want to Smell Like Michael Jackson Did? Then Get Bal a Versailles

Step Aside Skype - ooVoo is here - HD Video Chat with Multiple Friends on Android, PC & iOS

Hear Michael Jackson tell you "I Love You."

RARE OPPORTUNITY: Play with Baby Panda Cubs in China!

Classic China, Giant Pandas,& Yangzi River Cruise

May 27−28

May 29

May 30

May 31

June 1

June 2

June 3

June 4 - 5

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June 8

Also Available:

Pre-Tour Extension to Chengde Imperial Resort

Post-Tour Extension to Hong Kong

HOT APP: TrapCall - Unblock & Stop BS Calls!!

COOL APP: Lemon - Easily Digitize All Your Receipts!

Kaio's Essential Android Apps - Volume 6

Panda Paw-Parazzi, Pouty Panda Momma & Panda Soup!

New PandaCam In China!

pandas: china panda cam 1

35% Off Entertainment Coupon Savings Books

Amazon Trade-In: Gift Cards for Your Old Stuff!

Kaio's Best Buy Deals!

KAIO'S REVIEW: Our 2 Evenings at Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour by Cirque du Soleil

LIVE STREAM: Michael Jackson's Official Hand and Footprint Ceremony!

BREAKING NEWS: Amazon Wireless Buys Virgin Mobile -- Affordable Cell Phones for Everyone!

X0PNJ6S6

OpenTable - Restaurant Reservations App - Kaio's AppDroid Picks

Wild App: Lane Splitter

Happy New Year, Everbody!

2 CUTE: Twin Baby Polar Bears in China

MedCoach - Pill Reminder App - Never Forget to Take Meds or Supplements Again!

Kaio's Klassroom: Save Files To Your SD Card on Your Honeycomb Tablet

Classic China, Giant Pandas,
& Yangzi River Cruise