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1. With all the news about malware attacks and other digital misdeeds, it’s easy to be paranoid about the safety of our personal information. In one form of electronic pickpocketing, the embedded RFID (radio frequency identification) chips in some credit cards and passports can be activated wirelessly to transmit your sensitive data to anyone with an RFID reader.
Most RFID-blocking wallets are rugged and masculine looking, but Ku‘ono Waiwai Store at Waimea Valley and Waimea Valley Gift Shop in the historic Waialua Courthouse building, 66-207 Kamehameha Highway, carry them with pretty floral, nature and butterfly designs in a hard but lightweight case of aluminum and plastic for $10.95. Call me paranoid, but I had to get one, and I love the hummingbird design.
— Nadine Kam, Star-Advertiser
2. After a co-worker brought Royal Hawaiian Bakery’s Signature Pink Snowballs into the office for us to taste, I became obsessed. The round, pink cake, “fuzzy” with coconut flakes, is simply adorable, light and not too sweet — an uplifting dessert or coffee-break treat at $6.50 each. Find them at the bakery counter on the Royal Hawaiian Hotel’s Coconut Lanai, open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Be advised: The Snowballs often sell out by the afternoon! Info: royal-hawaiian.com/dining/rhbakery or 923-7311.
— Elizabeth Kieszkowski, Star-Advertiser
3. When traveling, my phone is my lifeline. I stock up on movies for the plane, download apps to help us get around and take photos, photos and more photos. Next thing you know, I’m out of memory. Rather than delete some of my precious memories, I use the Picture Keeper Connect, a 2.5-inch drive with a USB plug-in on one end and a lightning connector on the other that plugs right into my iPhone.
Using the free Picture Keeper Connect app, I can download all my photos and videos to the drive — no cloud, laptop or Wi-Fi necessary. My photos are safely and compactly stored until I can get home and load them on my computer. (Based on my experience transferring a batch of 3,262 photos, I recommend backing up your photos every few days to save time later and avoid draining your phone battery.)
The Picture Keeper Connect is available in 16-, 32- and 64-GB capacity ($119.99, $139.99 and $179.99, respectively, at picturekeeper.com) and is compatible with Apple and Android mobile device
— Donica Kaneshiro, Star-Advertiser
4. The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, while held every four years in Texas, has provided plenty of entertainment for Hawaii audiences over the years. Several medalists, including 2013 winner Vadym Kholodenko (pictured), have performed here.
For the first time ever, the finals will be broadcast live on movie screens around the world. Saturday’s nearly six-hour cinecast will feature the six finalists performing with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, led by maestro Leonard Slatkin, who is slated to appear here in April with the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra. Plus, you can have popcorn and a soda with your music.
The show starts at 12:55 p.m. at Dole Cannery Stadium 18; tickets are $18.85 ($15.70 for seniors).
— Steven Mark, Star-Advertiser
5. This spring, before making their first trip to Paris, a friend bought Inter-island Surf’s lightweight jacket bearing a cute retro logo for her other half. (Having heard that Parisians can snub Americans, they wanted to declare Hawaii citizenship.) In the Kapahulu store, friendly owner Barry Morrison sells new and vintage apparel and boards.
I dig the women’s denim jackets ($110) and shorts ($30 to $40), and my friends report the jacket ($149 in cotton or board-short nylon) was a hit abroad and is making a splash at home.
Inter-island Surf Shop is located at 451 Kapahulu Ave.; call 732-8882 or visit inter-island.com.
— Mindy Pennybacker, Star-Advertiser
“5 Things We Love” is a shortlist of newly discovered stuff you have got to see, hear, wear, use or eat. Please keep in mind that featured products may be in short supply and may not be available at all store locations; prices may vary. Tell us what you are loving by emailing features@staradvertiser.com.
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