BlackJet San Francisco Launch Event

You heard it here first!! Tomorrow (aka Valentine’s Day), ABCey Events will have the pleasure of producing BlackJet’s San Francisco Launch Event celebrating their new direct service route connecting San Francisco with Los Angeles, New York, and Las Vegas.

BlackJet, already dubbed the “Uber for Private Jets” is an online service and phone app that connects travelers with the reliability and convenience of a private jet experience at prices commensurate with premium commercial carriers. Recently featured in TechCrunch, BlackJet aims to revolutionize private and charter air travel to become “the world’s cheapest, easiest way to book private jet service.” The startup is backed by Garrett Camp, founding CEO of StumbleUpon and co-founder of Uber, and has an all-star list of investors including Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, First Round Capital, Shervin Pishevar, SV Angel, Ashton Kutcher, Guy Oseary, Tim Ferriss, Steve Jang and more.

Thursday’s launch will feature a $6M Giveaway including 1,000 comped memberships (first 1,000 to arrive) with a complimentary companion seat to any BlackJet destination. One lucky Grand Prize winner will receive Roundtrip Private Jet Seat Service to Las Vegas for two leaving just post contest on Thursday and returning on Sunday. The winners will also be comped a 3 nights stay at the acclaimed Bellagio hotel along with $1000 in cash. How’s that for a Valentine’s Day gift for your special someone? Local SF fave dj David Carvalho will playing some lunchtime beats, so come on down and get your free membership along with your photo taken in our aviation themed digital photobooth!

BlackJet is currently invite-only, but ABCey has got the hookup – you can login to their site with the code forbesvip300. What do you think of BlackJet? Let us know if we’ll be seeing you at the launch in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!

Tech on Tuesday: Amazon’s Interactive Love Story Map

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Amazon is at it again with a new interactive map. This time targeting those who have a special place in their heart for love stories. You might recall the last time they used an interactive map of “blue” and “red” states as an attempt to follow the top political reads in America for the 2012 U.S. presidential election. Using the same idea in a slightly different approach, they have created a map with a heart inside each of the 50 states.

When you click on the heart, you’re taken to a romance novel set in that state along with additional reading suggestions. Though some picks might not scream romance, each book promises some element of love–whether it be among family, friends, high school sweethearts or simply the lessons one can learn exploring the outer boundaries of love. We think it’d be fun to choose one of the books and use it as a theme for your Valentine’s Day party!

Will you use the map to choose a Valentine’s Day read? Or perhaps as inspiration for a special way to decorate for your sweetheart? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!

Startup Monday: ScreenHero

Startup Monday is ABCey’s weekly post that features some of the best and brightest companies in the Bay Area. They are often companies that we have our eye on or have worked with in the past that we would like to share with the friends and followers of ABCey Events.

In a time when we’re constantly needing to send files and documents back and forth for editing and approval, improvements in sharing capabilities are always welcomed. Apps and software like Google Docs, Microsoft Office Live and Zoho have done the job so far, but it has become increasingly apparent that these programs are geared toward presentation and have limited the platforms in which you can share.

ScreenHero has tried to rethink the entire real-time sharing experience by removing the emphasis on presentation and focusing on the collaboration process. It provides an easy way to gain complete access to someone else’s desktop by giving both users an independent cursor and mouse. It also gives your partner the capability to engage in editing within programs that they might not even have on their own computer. Additionally, you are provided with a chat box that you can use to discuss ideas before having to make any changes to your work.

Here at ABCey we are constantly sharing proposals, contracts, and other time-sensitive information between team members. We think ScreenHero would be an extremely useful tool to help us share in real-time! Do you think ScreenHero would make your life easier? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!

5 New Apps & Gadgets That Keep The Flu Away

It’s February and flu season is in full swing. If you haven’t been hit yet, you know at least a handful of people who weren’t as lucky. Whether you’ve got the 24 hour bug or you’re in bed for a week, being sick can cause some serious conflicts in your schedule! There’s nothing worse than falling behind in your weekly to-do list, so we’ve gathered a few apps and gadgets that can help you defend your immune system and ensure attendance to all of your important events.

1. Help, I Have the Flu is a new Facebook app that allows you to figure out who might have given you the flu or who to stay away from if you haven’t yet caught it. The app scans your friends’ Facebook profiles for keywords such as “coughing”, “sneezing”, “medicine” and “nurse.” It monitors suspicious check-ins which include checking in with other users they suspect to be sick, as well as late-night check-ins (sleep deprivation) that can cause you to be more susceptible to catching a cold.

2. f.lux allows a user to sleep better after computer and cell phone use by making the color of your screen’s display adapt to the time of day. We all know that sleep is an extremely important factor in staying healthy, but we also tend to take our laptops and cell phones to bed with us before getting some shut eye. Designed to reduce eye strain during the night time. This way, your body is being exposed to the right kind of light and will not inhibit the secretion of melatonin during night time. Pretty cool, right?

3. VitaDock is an app that can be used to track your health and wellness goals. It connects with a suite of modules designed to measure and track vital functions. You can mix and match a few of the modules in order to create the best tracking method for your own health goals, such as the ThermoDock to record your temperature and the CardioDock to track your blood pressure.

4. Proteus BioMed has invented a pill that will change the way you keep track of daily vitamin and medication taking! Taken at the same time as your daily medication, these harmless sugar pills have an implanted microchip inside them that sends a low-power electrical signal to an adhesive sensor patch placed outside your body. The patch records the date and time that you’ve taken the pill, and texts you if you forget to take it.

5. Sharecare has been called “Facebook with health info,” and is the newest way to do your own online medical research. It’s become increasingly common for adults in the U.S. to use a search engine to get answers about their ailments, and now they can share what they’ve found with others. Sharecare allows users to find health experts, connect and share stories, and get information on topics ranging from the flu to autism. It’s bringing together the convenience of Google, the facts from WebMD, and professional opinions of real doctors. Learning how to prevent your illness from worsening has never been easier.

Looks like missing your upcoming event is out of the question with these tools! Can you see yourself using any of these apps, gadgets, or sites? Let us know what you think in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!

ABCey’s Weekend Line-up: 2.7.13 – 2.10.13

No need to stress about Valentine’s Day quite yet…we’ve got plenty of things for you to do this week! Also keep your eyes peeled for some EXCITING events headed your way produced by yours truly, ABCey Events!

1. 15th Annual SF Indie Film Fest | February 7-21 | Roxie Theater – 3117 16th St | The San Francisco Independent Film Festival (SF Indie) celebrates its 15th Anniversary in February 2013. This annual festival showcases the best in independent, alternative, and subversive cinema from around the globe. The Festival came about when Founder/Director of SF Indie Jeff Ross realized there was no avenue available for his friend Rand Alexander to show his film, CAGED, even though it had played the prestigious Slamdance Film Festival that same year. Jeff took to the streets and put on a four-day event financed with his personal credit cards. A decade later, the SF Independent Film Festival draws crowds of over 11,000 and continues to support and celebrate maverick filmmakers and their work.

2. SF SPCA’s Be Mine Adopt-a-thon| February 8-10 | SF SPCA – 201 Alabama St | As Valentine’s Day approaches are you feeling like you need someone/thing to cuddle and love? Join San Francisco’s SFPCA on February 8th – 10th for their annual Be Mine Adopt-a-thon! Adoption fees will be waived all weekend for animals from the SF SPCA, SF Animal Care & Control, Muttville Senior Dog Rescue, and Family Dog Rescue. They’re hosting a Friday night cocktail party, Saturday afternoon dog and cat behavior seminars, a bake sale, prizes and more!

3. SF Beer Week 2013! | February 8-17 | Various Locations | Because San Franciscans love a craft beer…SF Beer Week will offer 300+ Events in SF, East Bay & South Bay for nine days! SF Beer Week, now in its 5th year, celebrates and promotes the diversity and quality of craft beer in the Bay Area from February 8-17, 2013. It’s a grassroots collection of events held at venues throughout the Bay Area, from breweries and brewpubs to restaurants, bars, and retail beverage stores. Events include meet-the-brewer nights, beer dinners, tastings and much more.

4. Local Music Show Spotlight: Ghost Parade, The Soonest, The Chaw | February 8 | DNA Lounge – 375 11th St | When was the last time you went out and listened to some new local musical talent in the Bay Area? Ghost Parade is a progressive rock band from San Francisco composed of three handsome young men. Their brand of melodic, emotive alt-rock hints at an emo-fied version of the Deftones with some killer licks mixed in. The Soonest has a sound which has been described as rich and haunting and has been compared to bands such as The National, Bloc Party, and Arcade Fire. The Chaw is a four piece Psych Rock band from San Francisco characterized by dark moody sounds, drenched in reverb, referencing soundtracks of the classic spaghetti westerns, big open bar chords and barky low register guitar leads ala Dick Dale.

5. New Release Wine Launch and TASTE-OFF | February 9 | Fort Mason | If you ever thought TOP CHEF judging looked fun – this is the event for you! You get to be the judge! Tastemakers, join TasteTV at its 1st Annual New Release Wine & Spirits Launch & Taste-Off. At the Taste-Off, attendees will be among the first to discover and sample the newest wine and spirits releases of the year. They really aren’t joking…you get to taste, enjoy and review new releases from over 40+ wines and spirits, including R&B Cellars, Ellipsis Wine Company, Cass Winery, Crazy Flower Wines, Lyra Wine, Passaggio Wines, Rock Wall Wine Company, Parrish Family Vineyard, Urban Legend Cellars, VIE Winery, The Winery SF, Sol Rouge, Laujor Estate Winery and more.

BONUS EVENT: Familia w/ Lee Coombs, Matt Kramer, Layne Loomis, & Darren Grayson | February 9 | Project One | A seasoned veteran, Coombs first hit the DJ slopes in 1989, bathing himself in the acid house scene at parties around London and Cambridge. Crucial in shaping his all-encompassing approach to DJing and production, this boundary-less approach would become Coombs’ trademark, mixing up breaks, house, electro, techno and acid with dexterous assurance. The Distrikt boys will also be gracing the decks, so come get your dance on familia style!

Will we be seeing you at any of these fun events this weekend? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter.

Top 5 Valentine’s Day Apps

Every year, we spend a whopping $17.6 billion dollars on Valentine’s Day. How lucky for Hallmark! ABCey has compiled a list of the most useful V-Day related apps, whether you’re celebrating or single. We hope you ♥ them!

1. Helpful Romantic: Maybe you’re finding yourself a little unprepared, and maybe this app can (definitely) help you. It has last-minute date ideas and suggestions based on your significant others personality. You can even store highlights of your relationship so you never forget!

2. Valentine’s Day Special: This app is chalk-full of V-Day poems, ways to say I love you, love poems, and even the best love making songs (not so sure about this one).

3. Red Stamp: Skip those lame cards this year and send a personalized e-card to your loved one via e-mail or text! You can even go for the snail-mail route for a small charge.

4. Crowded Room: Single this Valentine’s Day? This app is perfect to help you find a special someone. Check in where you are, and where you’re headed that night, and the app will help you meet people with similar interests! Good thing it works for the other 364 days of the year, too!

5. OpenTable: Haven’t made a reservation yet? Fear not, this app will allow you to see what is still available in their database of over 15,000 restaurants across the US, Canada and UK! Keep using the app and earn dining cheques: good at any OpenTable restaurant.

6. Love Scan: Try this super corny app with your loved one for a love match percentage and a laugh (all based on a fingerprint scan).

Let us know which apps you like best and what your plans are for this Valentine’s Day. Leave us a comment below or find us on Facebook & Twitter.

Startup Monday: Swish

ABCey Events is always on the hunt for the latest gadgets or tools that will serve as unique event gifts or help us to better plan an event. This just got a whole lot easier with Swish! Swish, which only launched this past Friday, offers VERY new (not-yet-made) products from creators and inventors across the world. Each product gets a 30-day pre-order campaign giving all Swish users the chance to be one of the first people to own a new product.

If you’re hosting a tech event maybe you want to include a Card Ninja in your gift bag? I just finished baking an absurd amount of brownies for a Super Bowl party and could actually use the Ultimate Spatula. There are tons of innovative items that would be very helpful for event planners (and everyone) on this site. Furthermore, never before has your order for something been so meaningful.

Swish co-founder Heather Brundage tells us, “We want to give consumers a voice like the App Store or Reddit, where you get to go and say ‘Hey, I want that!’ and not be limited by what only big retailers think you will like.” When you order a product, you signify to everyone else and the public that the product is worthy and has value – moving it up on the Crowd Favorite list. Your order invariably helps inventors determine a demand for their creation which gives them the go-ahead to ramp up production.

If Fab and Kickstarter had a startup baby, Swish would be their child. It is creative, fun gadgets and products for sale with a little crowdfunding thrown in the mix. It might take them a few months (or up to a year) to get these brand-new products to you, however, you will have the ultimate satisfaction that you’ll be one of the first people to get your hands on an awesome new product that you helped become a reality!

What’s your favorite product on their site? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter.

Top 10 Travel Sites

President’s Day Weekend is right around the corner, and wouldn’t it be nice to get away for a quick vacation? There’s nothing better than a well planned and inexpensive trip. ABCey has compiled a list of the best and easiest websites for your travel needs!

1. Kayak scours hundreds of online sources for the cheapest fare available. The more flexible you are on time and destination, the better your chances of finding a great deal.

2. Bing Travel can help you bite the bullet and buy your ticket, or not, with its “price predictor,” which forecasts whether fares will go up or down.

3. Airfare Watchdog works best for travelers ready to take off at the drop of a deal. Their employees are constantly on travel sites waiting for price drops.

4. WhichBudget will help you build an inexpensive, overseas flight plan by using local, budget airlines — a great way to save on international travel.

5. Dishtip organizes the world of eating out in the United States a whole new way. You let it know a specific dish you want to eat, and it will find the best restaurants in the area with that particular item (rated by reviews, etc).

6. Hotels.com lets you search just one site for accommodations at more than 150,000 properties. It’s particularly great for it’s last-minute deals.

7. iExplore offers more adventurous trips (hiking and biking, for example), as well as multi-sport tours. It also boasts expert advice on “experiential travel,” such as a wildlife safari or a culinary tour.

8. Google Flights shows all flight prices on the web on one simple to use page.

9. Yapta tracks fares for you and will shoot you an e-mail or Tweet if the cost of your selected flight drops. After you buy your ticket, if the price falls below what you paid, most airlines and online travel agencies will refund you the difference, usually in the form of travel credits or vouchers.

10. Expats Blog is an extremely useful information tool by expatriates who have lived in a destination long enough to know it intimately, but still maintain an outsider’s perspective.

Do you think you’ll take advantage of these sites? Let us know if you any of these aid in your vacation planning in the commments below or on Facebook & Twitter!