5 Things We Love

Hard Rock shirt lets fans experience Jimi again

If you love rock ‘n’ roll, there’s a good chance you are passionate about the music of Jimi Hendrix, the innovative guitar player who left his mark at Woodstock and on classic albums and in songs like "Purple Haze." Hendrix collectibles haven’t always been widely available because rights to items with his likeness or music have been carefully guarded, and that makes this new Hard Rock Cafe T-shirt line special. The visuals represent Hendrix’s most well-known songs — conceived by the legend himself, according to Hard Rock. Alan Aldridge, artist and creator of the Hard Rock Cafe logo, assembled the design. The shirt is available at the restaurant and online for $26, with 15 percent of sales benefiting the Fender Music Foundation and the Jimi Hendrix Park Foundation. Get more info at www.hardrock.com or call the Waikiki Hard Rock Cafe sales office at 921-2246. — Elizabeth Kieszkowski

So you wanna be a singing star?

Disc Makers is a full-service CD and DVD manufacturing company that provides "indie" recording artists with professional audio mastering and graphic design services. Sign up for its free online newsletter and receive articles on all aspects of the music business. The latest, "Being healthy on the road," contains tips on how to stay fit while on tour and living out of a van. Previous articles cover public domain and copyright issues, songwriter’s block, and how to get members of the media to listen to your music. Anyone who wants a successful career in the music business will find these free articles well worth reading. Disc Makers provides other industry-related information for free as well at www.discmakers.com. — John Berger

Kooky Pierre parrots your words

Fans of Talking Tom, the iPhone copy-cat app that repeats everything you say in a funny voice, will love his friend, Talking Pierre the Parrot. This kooky parrot who lives in Talking Tom’s kitchen also repeats what you say but with a twist: The sassy bird sometimes repeats just the first part of your sentence, mixing it up randomly with previous quotes to create funny, new sentences. Talking Tom often "interrupts" in the bottom, left-hand corner of the screen, showing Pierre how to do it right. You can poke the parrot’s feet or tickle his head to make him dance, or find other ways to provoke further hijinks. It’s fun and entertaining for kids and grown-ups. The free app by OutFit7 can be downloaded on the iPhone, iPad and, soon, on Android, too. — Nina Wu

For spring and Easter, put on a happy bonnet

Spring and Easter are two perfect reasons to accessorize with flouncy, feminine hats, and here’s a third: Bets Tehaufaingaitu Hackney’s beautiful straw hats, embellished with flowers and foliage handcrafted from lauhala, raffia, rito (coconut fiber) and other natural materials. Hackney is a native of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, where her mother and grandmother were weavers and her father a woodcarver. She sells her hats for $35 to $185 at the monthly Waikiki Artfest at Kapiolani Park and other craft fairs, and at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Mondays; Sheraton Waikiki, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesdays; and Hale Koa, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Fridays. You can also reach her via email at BetsHackney@hawaii.rr.com. — Christie Wilson