5 Creative Ways to use Social Media at your Next Event

People have been using social media to spread the word about their events for a while now, and ABCey thinks it’s time for a make-over! Follow our fun and effective tips that use technology to make your next event the very best it can be!

1. Facebook Invitations with a Twist | Creating a Facebook event is so blah. Spice it up with a picture of you and the event details and tag your friends! These pictures combine the personal and creative feel of a handmade invitation with the accessibility of social media.

2. Share What You Want | Using apps like the Scan & Add app from Gift Registry 360 allow you to update your gift registry at any time. If you see something you like, scan the barcode with your phone! The item will automatically appear on your registry and shared with your guests.

3. Use a Photo Booth that Tweets | Guests will have a blast with Keshot, a photo booth that uses an iPad for guests to sent their photos at your event to their personal social media accounts. You can also customize the photobooth background to your event’s specific needs, like adding a corporate logo. Everyone loves to share their photos online, so make it fun for them!

4. InstaContest | Have guests send their best photos of your live event to your event’s personal Instagram page. Your guests will vote with their “likes,” and the winner can receive a special party favor during the event! This is a great way to keep guests interested in the party and appreciate your beautiful decorations!

5. Tap a Thank-You | Instead of sending another e-card, use Felt, an iPad app that sends your hand-written cards to all your friends. Use the app to write or draw inside the card template and address the envelope. The card comes from the printer with your personal messages ready for delivery. This app is perfect for large events because it eliminates hand cramping after 500 thank-you notes!

How can you use social media for your next event? Let us know in a comment and on Facebook and Twitter!

ABCey’s Weekend Line-Up 6.13.13-6.16.13

If you and dad need some time away from the Father’s Day BBQs, take him to one of the events on ABCey’s Weekend Line-Up! From liquor-themed carnivals to street festivals and every tech event in between, ABCey’s here to amp up your family time this weekend!

1. San Francisco Craft Spirits Carnival | Saturday, June 15th | 1 p.m.-5 p.m. | Fort Mason Festival Pavilion | This is one carnival you definitely don’t want to miss! Try some of the local Bourbon, Whiskey, Tequila and other spirits available for unlimited sample along with your admission. And yes, those are technicolor trapeze artists, that’s not the absinthe talking!

2. GigaOM Structure 2013 | Wednesday, June 19th-Thursday, June 20th | 7 a.m.-6 p.m. | Mission Bay Conference Center at UCSF | From cloud to concept, this year’s theme will track how the real needs of businesses are driving IT construction and development. Speakers include representatives from Google, Amazon.com, and Revlon and startups and tech trailblazers will be recognized during presentations.

3. California Music Industry Summit | Friday, June 14th- Saturday, June 15th | 8 a.m.-5 p.m. | Laney College Theater, Oakland | Attention all music lovers and aspiring rock stars! This Friday, you’ll finally get your shot at stardom when hundreds of people from the music industry come out for a day of workshops, exhibits, and networking. Independent artists from all across America come to sing their hearts out and build relationships with others in the industry. Think of this as American Idol without the catfights.

4. North Beach Festival | Saturday, June 15th- Sunday, June 16th | 10 a.m.-6 p.m. | North Beach District, San Francisco | Take dad to San Francisco’s Little Italy this weekend for Tony’s Pizza and the North Beach Festival. Enjoy the summer sun and bay breeze as you wander through the craft stands and chalk art adorning this charming area of the city.

5. Bloomberg Next Big Thing Summit | Monday, June 17th- Tuesday, June 18th | 7:30 a.m.-9 p.m. | Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay | This hunt for the “next big thing” brings together entrepreneurs and investors to examine the impact of technology and business on innovation and the human experience. Talented journalists, businessmen, and analysts are sure to give conference-goers great insight into forward-thinking strategies for the tech industry’s future.

Would your dad like to go to one of these events? Let us know in a comment or on Facebook and Twitter!

Tech Gifts for the Low-Tech Dad

June 16th is fast-approaching! For this Father’s Day, usher dad into the modern age with some gift ideas that are perfect for the one man you know who still doesn’t own a smartphone. ABCey pulled together a list with items of varying price to help drag dad out of his cave and into the technological world!

1. Sony Action Video Camera | $179.99 | Every dad knows how crazy life can get and that no gadget is safe from kids dropping it in the pool or knocking it down the hill on a family hike. Luckily, the Sony Action Video Camera is as tough as they are. It’s weather-proof, shock-proof, and mountable for the dad who has his hands full with sippy cups and dollies. All the while, this little camera is shooting high-quality HD videos.

2. Insignia LCD Digital Photo Frame |$59.99 | At their core, dads are family men who love to be surrounded by their loved ones. Show him that you’re always there in his office or on the mantle with a digital photo frame like Insignia’s eight-inch LCD screen. Downloading files from the computer to the frame is easy and will let him see all the pictures from the last family reunion at any time. You could even program photos in beforehand so it’s ready to go when he opens it!

3. Hot Rod Heated Travel Mug | $19.99 | When dad’s on the go and needs his morning cup of coffee to properly function, he’ll reach for his Hot Rod mug. During his morning commute, he can plug his thermos into his car’s cigarette lighter to turn the heater on and keep his coffee hot! The thermometer on the side shows the temperature of the drink inside so you don’t drink cold coffee or burn your tongue.

4. Sennheiser RS 160 Headphones | $199.95 | It’s not quite a vintage record machine, but we think dad will like these more. These Sennheiser headphones boast great features that’ll amp up his musical experience, like interference-free wireless sound quality, digital volume control, and resistance to interfering other wireless networks. Set-up is almost too easy: plug it into your audio source and start listening.

5. Under Armour Armour39 | $149.99 | For all those active daddies out there, we know how much you love to brag about “killing it” at the gym! For you, we suggest Under Armour’s newest fitness-monitoring technology, Armour39. This device goes around your waist to measure all the usual suspects (calories burned, heart rate, and real-time intensity), including a new measurement called WILLpower, which scores your true athletic performance from 0.0-10.0. Do you think your dad can score a perfect 10?

Would your dad love any of these gifts? Tell us in a comment or on Facebook and Twitter!

Tech Tuesday: Ubokia

Tech Tuesday highlights the best and brightest ideas in the tech world. ABCey would like to recognize these up and coming companies for their innovative ideas and ability to think outside the box!

With this week’s Tech Tuesday pick, the world around you transforms into a giant store. ABCey presents Ubokia, an app available for iPhone, which puts consumers in control of what they want and how they get it. Think of it as a giant, searchable garage sale without all the hassle!

Ubokia is based on direct commercial interaction between Wanters and Sellers. If you’re a Wanter, you post a “want” on Ubokia describing exactly what you’re looking for. The app encourages you to be specific because they want the consumer to get exactly what they want, no strings attached. A “want” specifies the user’s ideal price, condition, quality, quantity, and features. Once you’re done, one tap of your phone screen sends your request out into a world of ready Sellers.

When a Seller contacts you with the product you were looking for, you communicate with them directly on price and shipping. In the end, you buy exactly what you want instead of settling for whatever was available in your town’s stores. While other companies, such as Craigslist and eBay, have similar models, Ubokia uniquely begins the sales process with sellers approaching the consumer in attempts to satisfy his or her specific want. It’s a fantastic sales tactic that is sure to make consumers pleased with the overall buying process as well as their final purchase!

What do you think of Ubokia? Tell ABCey in a comment below or on Facebook and Twitter!

Startup Monday: Silent Storm

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.

Picture this: you get to the nightclub to see your favorite DJ perform. When you open the doors expecting to be blasted by loud music, you instead walk into a completely silent room where everyone around you is dancing and listening to headphones. This, my friends, is a Silent Disco, a unique musical experience sweeping the bay area by silent storm. Silent Storm Sound System is the company bringing you the awesomeness of a concert with none of the hassle.

Silent Storm Sound Systems offers its attendees the ability to customize their concert experience through the silent disco medium. Everyone gets their own set of headphones that lets them control the volume and even the music they want to listen to. There are two “battling DJs” that you can switch between as often as you like! Headphones also mean you no longer have to push your way to the front of the stage to get the best sound quality from the performer or scream until you’re hoarse to get your friend’s attention.

Besides being incredibly fun, Silent Storm’s silent discos are also extremely practical. The performers trade off lugging in their expensive amp equipment for hundreds of wireless headphones for the crowd. Because these events produce very little noise, events no longer require amplified sound ordinances or result in noise complaints. That means you can take silent discos anywhere from parks to parties or any venue of your choosing. You can dance away your disco fever almost anywhere!

Have you ever been to a Silent Storm silent disco? Tell us about it in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!

The 5 Oddest iPhone Gadgets

Since we always seem to have our iPhones in hand, it was only a matter of time before we started inventing alternate uses for them. At ABCey, we’ve scoured our Pinterest for the most outrageous and downright absurd uses for iPhones out there. These just go to show that in the tech world, no idea is too far fetched!

1. Fan | The Doc Fan for iPhone is technically the “coolest” accessory available! Simply plug the fan into the charger inlet of your iPhone and switch it on for a nice breeze during your rush hour commute. Although a fan would be nice sometimes, it must be a serious battery drain!

2. Ultrasound | Who needs a doctor when you own an iPhone? The MobiUS SP1 Ultrasound System is designed to bring affordable and available ultrasound imaging to anyone, anywhere. You can even use this device to take and send pictures to your doctor or relatives but, please, don’t make your unborn child a Facebook page.

3. Bottle Opener | Since we never put down our iPhones anyway, we might as well put them to good use! Next time you’re having brews with your friends, why not use your Intoxicase iPhone case’s bottle opener to help you out? Nothing screams “iPhone replacement” like bending your phone repeatedly over carbonated liquids!

4. The Anti-Lonliness Ramen Bowl | No, we aren’t being sassy. There is really a product with this outrageous name! If you’ve ever had to make the crippling decision between using your hands to eat or to prop up your iPhone, help has finally arrived. Uses include using the bowl’s speaker function to listen to music, video chat with friends, or podcast the morning news over a bowl of cereal.

5. Toilet Paper Holder | Imagine installing this in your bathroom! This iPod speaker system and toilet paper holder combo is for the special consumer who spends a considerable amount of time singing in the shower and requires back-up music. Just try to keep it from falling in, please!

Are these gadgets too bizarre, or would you like to own one? Tell us your thoughts in a comment or on Facebook and Twitter!

ABCey’s Weekend Line-Up 6.6.13-6.10.13

There are so many events happening around the bay this weekend! Only in the bay area can you choose between barrel tasting some of California’s best wines, learn how yachts are engineered for the America’s Cup, or chow down in a burger brawl. ABCey gives you the inside scoop from San Jose to San Francisco!

1. Chipotle Cultivate Festival | Saturday, June 8th | 11 a.m.-7 p.m. | Golden Gate Park, Hellman Hollow | Chipotle is sponsoring a free event in order to engage people in conversations about healthy and sustainable food. You’ll need all day to take advantage of the wide array of activities in this festival, like the live music, chef tents, and the food and tasting halls. Make sure to try the Cultivate Farmhouse Ale, a special-edition beer exclusively available at the festival!

2. The Future is Electric: Plug in and Get There | Saturday, June 8th | 10:30 p.m.-2 p.m. | 100 Larkin St., San Francisco | Learn about the many advancements in plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) in an event that expertly combines the know-how of a workshop and the festivities of a street fair. Inside the event, held in the San Francisco Public Library, experts will discuss the environmental and financial benefits to owning a PEV.

3. The Tech Museum After Hours | Wednesday, June 5th | 6 p.m.-11 p.m. | The Tech Museum, San Jose | Here’s the chance to live your secret desire to be in a museum after it closes! At After Hours, peruse the scientific and technological exhibits with added nighttime entertainment. You haven’t seen a museum until you’ve seen it with a cocktail in hand!

4. Passport to Pinot | Saturday, June 8th- Sunday, June 9th | 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | How does a drive through wine country sound? Visit the beautiful Russian River Valley and explore the over thirty participating wineries with your Passport to Pinot! You’ll be able to tour vineyards, barrel taste the 2012 wines before they are bottled, and pair your wines with local foods. Click here to buy your tickets!

5. Inside Social Apps |Thursday, June 5th- Friday, June 6th | 8 a.m.-6 p.m. | Hilton Union Square, San Francisco | Whether you’re an app fanatic or just an interested beginner, you’ll leave this event with a better understanding of how to work and benefit from apps. The all-star team of presenters are sure to capture your attention and relate to your business interests. Attend sessions on topics such as Trends in Social and Mobile Advertising, Maximizing Audience Participation, and Developing Cross-Platform.

6. Apple Worldwide Developers Conference | Monday, June 10th- Friday, June 14th | Moscone West Convention Center, San Francisco | This weeklong Apple conference will tell you everything you could possibly want to know concerning the latest developments in iOS and OS X. There are over 100 available sessions discussing Apple technology, lunchtime expert speakers, a “stump the experts” Apple trivia contest, and a huge bash at the end! Who said learning can’t be fun?

7. The San Francisco Burger Brawl | Saturday, June 8th | 12 p.m.-8 p.m. | Fort Mason, San Francisco | We live in a town full of foodies and chefs who all claim to know about the “bay’s best burger.” The time has finally come to dispel the rumors once and for all. At the Burger Brawl, the bay’s finest burgermeisters will battle it out for ultimate bragging rights. You get to reap the benefits with a full bar, live music, and all the burgers you can eat!

8. Baby Loves Disco | Sunday, June 9th | 12 p.m.-2:30 pm | Temple Nightclub, San Francisco | For once, your legal age will get you kicked out of a club! Families with children aged 6 months to 7-years-old are welcome to shake their booties together under the disco ball during this event’s brief time in the bay. Healthy snacks, kid-friendly entertainment, and diaper changing tables are readily available. And, of course, everything is baby-proofed.

9. San Mateo County Fair | Saturday, June 8th- Sunday, June 16th | 11 a.m.-10 p.m. | San Mateo Convention Center | Get a little taste of American summer with an old fashioned county fair! You’ll see all your old favorites like funnel cakes, the Ferris Wheel, and a petting zoo. Get nostalgic this weekend at the county fair!

10. 2013 America’s Cup: A Transformation | Tuesday, June 11th | 5:30 p.m. | South Beach Yacht Club | The whole city is excitedly awaiting for the bay to fill up with yachts for the America’s Cup. Learn about the tech side to the America’s Cup, from engineering the boats to the creation of mobile apps and games, at this unique and exclusive event.

What are you doing this weekend? Would you go to these events? Tell us in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!

It’s Summertime And The Livin’ Is Easy…With The Right Apps!

While all year long we often find ourselves on a daily fast-track, summer tends to make us even busier. Summer means vacations, weddings, Bootcamps, the end of the second quarter…the list goes on. Download these apps to keep things easy breezy!

1. Brewster│Brewster lends a helping hand to those of us trying to pack everything in this summer. After connecting with your contacts, Facebook, LinkedIn, and/or Twitter, the app evaluates the level of interaction you have with each person. From there your contacts can be sorted into groups such as Favorites, Soccer Team, Kids’ Friends’ Parents, etc. Next time you need to let your bookclub know you’re running late or remind your siblings that it’s almost Father’s Day, Brewster can make it quick and easy!

2. Om Finder│Sometimes those hectic and unpredictable summer schedules can knock you off your routine. Missed your yoga class? Never fear, Om finder is here. Lululemon has produced an app that allows you to search for yoga, spinning, pilates, meditation, and every class in between. You can search by the type of activity, the studio, or teacher.

3. GAIN Fitness│Yoga and pilates not your thing? There’s another way to get yourself summer beach-body ready. The creators of the GAIN Fitness app know that you can’t always make it to the gym or your favorite running trail every day. Select your workout time, location, and, if you choose, what part of your body you want to target, and you can log each one as you go.

4. U.S. Beach Finder│One of the best parts of summer? Beach time. Whether it’s an ocean, lake, river, or otherwise, the U.S. Beach Finder app has you covered. The app will show you beaches near you or anywhere else in the country. Once you select a beach you can see the current and future weather forecast, temperature, UV index, current beach condition, and sunrise and sunset times.

5. Happy Houred│On a hot, busy summer day few things are as satisfying as a cold drink at a cheap price. Happy Houred will find you a happy hour based on your drink of choice, time, food, or a specific location. So if you’re in a hurry, don’t want to walk very far, or really want some hot n’ spicy wings, Happy Houred will find it for you.

Would you use any of these summertime apps? Tell us about it in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!

Tech Tuesday: The World’s First Digital LoFi-Fisheye Camera

Ever since the first digital camera became available, we haven’t been able to stop taking pictures. As consumers became more and more enamored with the ease and accessibility of digital cameras, analog models with their film and fuss were pushed out of the spotlight. That was the case until Greg Dash combined the best of both digital and analog worlds and created the first digital LoFi-fisheye camera. But be warned: what you’re about to see is terribly cute!

This little guy doesn’t look like he can do much more than fit in your pocket, but Dash designed his camera to have a 170 degree fisheye lens, two to twelve megapixels, and an HD video mode. It can even take time-lapse photos and has a removable battery for your convenience. Even though it is too small for a screen to review your snaps, accessing your pictures is incredibly easy. All the files are stored on a micro SD card that you can insert into your computer and see instantly. Plus, at only sixty-five British pounds (about $100 USD), this camera is a fraction of the cost of traditional dslr lenses. With this camera, you get the quality of analog lenses with the convenience of a digital camera. What’s not to love?

This project, as you can see, is still in its infancy. Dash is a one-man operation driven by a desire to create a fisheye camera with mobility and produced only a thousand cameras for the product’s launch on Indiegogo. Every camera was snapped up in seconds and, in order to meet market demands, Dash is developing new cameras for consumer use.

Would you buy this product? Tell us in a comment below or on Facebook and Twitter!

Startup Monday: Tango

They say it takes two to tango. But now, a nifty new app can help you connect and Tango with anyone, anywhere, at any time. Meet Tango, ABCey’s featured app for Startup Monday.

Don’t let the frustratingly slow connections, downloading speeds, or unavailablity of other apps prevent you from chatting with your buddy across the country. Tango is a free app for virtually any phone that connects you to your friends via any means possible. You can video chat, phone call, play games, or send text messages to anyone with the Tango app. The best part? When someone calls you, the app says, “Dave would like to Tango with you!”

There are many apps and phone features out there that allow users to call and text, but Tango’s inventive spin makes this app that much better than the rest. In our experience, when you have a bad connection and other similar apps are dropping calls, Tango calls come through clear and strong. For this alone, Tango is an app worth downloading. Additionally, there are countless fun features on this app that you’ll never stop discovering, like Tango eCards, avatars, the best emojis, or video filters. These added bonuses allow the users to tailor their Tango experience to their own specific needs and personalities. Personalization of the social media interface is a popular territory for app developers, and Tango features more options than ever for its users.

As a company, Tango is becoming one to keep an eye on. With over seventy-five million users and lots of investor funding, the app keeps expanding and bettering itself for its consumers. Some have even called Tango its own social network! Download Tango today and share your thoughts with ABCey.

What do you think of the Tango app? Tell us below in a comment or on Facebook and Twitter!