Tech Tuesday: Google Glass

Tech Tuesday highlights some of 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!

I remember walking around downtown San Francisco one afternoon, and I saw a guy that looked just like the guy from Star Trek. No, it wasn’t because he was wearing a black and yellow outfit. It was actually because he was wearing some weird contraption around his eyes. Turns out those are, what we call today, the Google Glass.

We’re sure you’ve seen the Google Glass, or if not, at least heard of it. However some people don’t really quite get it. Instead of being glued to your laptop or smartphone, Google wanted to create a hands-free way for people to still stay connected. However this technology isn’t without some downsides. Read on to see our breakdown of the Glass’ pros and cons.

Pros:

1. Convenience: As we mentioned before, it really gives users the chance to do things such as email, text, or take pictures, without the need of pulling out their phone. Users can do those things instantaneously by pushing a button, giving verbal commands or by small head movements.

2. Multitask: How many times have you had to fumble with your navigation system to look for directions? Or, how quickly did you have to flip through your cookbook to find how much liquid to add before everything gets burned? Well now you can use the glass to find things like directions or recipes immediately, without having to take your eyes off what you’re doing.

3. Open Platform: This is really great for companies and developers that want to implement new applications and programs. Thanks to this new technology, the sky is the limit for what people can create.

Cons:

1. Privacy: The video and camera could present a possibility for misuse. One could be recording someone else in a public place without them knowing.

2. Stress: Wearing the glasses all day and having the computer right in front of your eye might not be too good. This will definitely lead to social and information overload. The lack of winding down periods, like being fully disconnected from technology, is said to increase stress and anxiety in people.

3. Price: It’s estimated that these glasses will be $1,500. That’s a huge amount of money for a specific technology. Therefore not everyone will be able to get one. Fortunately the glasses are made with common parts that can be easily made in large quantities. Hopefully this will eventually help lower the starting cost of the glasses.

We think the Google Glass is a great invention. Of course it has some flaws, but the potential things we can do to change technology are endless. We’re sure the Glass would be fun to experiment with at one of our events, but for now we can’t seem to get over how ridiculous they look! What do you think about Google Glass? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!

Startup Monday: Stripe

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 & would like to share with friends and followers of ABCey Events.

Imagine being a couple of young 20-something’s trying to make a difference in the e-commerce industry. Now, imagine taking on one of the biggest companies in the online payment industry, PayPal. It’s sure easier said than done. However, it’s exactly what Stripe co-founders John and Patrick Collison are trying to accomplish!

Shortly after moving to San Francisco, the Collison brothers realized that taking credit card payments requires way too much work – you would either need a merchant account, PayPal or Google checkout account. Why not make things easier? The brothers realized if business owners embedded code into their website, they can start running credit card payments on their own. This company’s new technology is really great because it allows for payments to be distributed to multiple bank accounts. This is currently a big issue for other start ups like Lyft, which tries to pay drivers with different accounts.

What’s really great about Stripe is that it allows you to do more than a one-time charge to a customer’s card. You can set up a subscription that will charge the card a specific amount at any interval. It also safely stores credit card information so that customers don’t have to enter it every time they visit the website.

This company has already gotten so much attention in a short span of time. It’s even gained a number of high profile clients, like Foursquare, Shopify, and the Museum of Modern Art. Although it’s still in its early stages, Stripe is definitely set to change the face of how businesses work.

What do you think of Stripe? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter.

5 Apps You Need For A Flawless Thanksgiving

As the big day quickly approaches, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Don’t fret… ABCey has gathered 5 apps that include everything you need – from recipes to menus to grocery lists – for you to whip up a Thanksgiving meal like a pro.

1. CHOW’s Thanksgiving Dinner Coach | Free | This virtual dinner coach is your key to a stress-free holiday. A calendar breaks down what you have to do each day and the app generates a grocery list based on the recipes you choose. It even tells you how long it will take you to prep on each day. At no cost, this app is a must-have for anyone hosting a feast.

2. KitchenPad Timer | $1.99 | This visual kitchen timer lets you set up to 9 timers at once. Set separate timers for turkey, stuffing or gravy so you can forget about them and worry about other things.

3. Appetites’ Easy as Pie featuring Evan Kleinman | $19.99 | On Thanksgiving, pie is the star of the dessert table. This app includes 20 different recipes along with step-by-step videos. We can’t wait to try the Chai Spice Pumpkin and the Butterscotch Toffee pies.

4. Leftovers | $0.99 | Once the meal is finished, you are guaranteed to have tons of leftovers. With this Leftovers 4 Day Throw Away app, it’s easy to know what you should toss or save.

5. Bing Food & Drink | Free| Bought too much of a few random ingredients? This Bing app will find a recipe that uses up the extras-just input what you have, and the app will search recipes that include those foods. There are also thousands of recipes culled from popular recipe websites, cookbooks and celebrity chefs. And, there is a wine encyclopedia with information on over 1.5 million wines, so you can plan your meal’s drinks, too.

Which app will you be using? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!

ABCey’s Weekend Lineup 11.22.13 – 11.24.13

The weekend is just around the corner and we couldn’t be more excited! Just in time for the holiday spirit, we’ve got everything from a tree lighting ceremony, an SF Opera performance to a massive wine tasting event. Keep reading to find out more of ABCey’s fave picks!

1. Poolside DJ Set | Friday, November 22 | 9pm | Audio Discotech | Just because the weather has gotten colder, doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy summer-sounding music. This Los Angeles duo, also known as Poolside, is set to bring what they call ‘daytime-disco’. Their music will bring you straight to the beach or the pool party, or wherever you find your sunny paradise!

2. Pier 39’s Tree Lighting Ceremony | Saturday, November 23rd | 3pm | Pier 39 | Come down to the Pier for their annual tree lighting ceremony! There will be a ton of activities for the kids, such as a meet and greet with friends from the Disneyland Resort. There will also be performances from local Bay Area choirs. Make sure you stick around to the end of the night to watch the 60ft majestic Christmas tree lighting ceremony!

3. Monarch 2 Year Anniversary | Saturday, November 23rd | 10pm | Monarch SF | Time flies when you’re having fun! Come celebrate with the club that has seamlessly changed the face of the San Francisco night life scene. This party will not only feature some of the hottest DJs, but also Monarch’s friend Danny Daze. Get ready for a great night of dancing and celebrations!

4. San Francisco Vinters Market | Saturday, November 23rd – Sunday, November 24th | 12 – 4pm | Fort Mason Center | This is the first and only wine tasting and buying event in the Bay Area. Up to 200 wineries from Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Santa Barbara and beyond will be pouring their favorite wines including new releases, special collections and hard to find vintages for you to taste and buy!

5. SF Opera presents The Barber of Seville | Sunday, November 24th | 2pm | War Memorial Opera House | Enjoy a wonderful performance by the San Francisco Opera. Along with the romantic and melodic voices come impressive stage and costume designs. They cleverly transform from white to bright colors as the evening progresses. If you’ve never been to the opera before, this would definitely be a great experience for you!

We’ve definitely got a great weekend ahead. Where do you plan on going? Leave us a comment below or on Facebook & Twitter!

5 Fun Ways to Make Use of Fall-en Leaves

We are already zipping through November which means that before we know it, Thanksgiving will roll on by to make way for December holidays. With these busy months coming up that are sure to be filled with lots of holiday parties, ABCey has gathered 5 ways to make use of those scattered leaves to make sure you and your house are party ready!

1. Wrapping | Amp up simple wrapping paper with brightly colored Fall leaves. And the best part, they’re free! Just check out your backyard!

2. Stuffing | Stuff a vase with colorful leaves to create an easy center piece! Add in some acorns or little pumpkins you may have laying around too!

3. Candles | Give candles that Fall touch with a colorful leaf wrapped around it to instantly brighten your home!

4. Garlands | Garlands are a great decoration in general as they always tie a room together so nicely, but by making one with all your fall leaves, you are sure to grab attention!

5. Table Setting | What better way to decorate a Fall themed table than with Fall colors that are all natural! Want a little glitz? Spray paint the leaves metallic! So chic!

Which idea is our favorite?! Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!

Tech Tuesday: Wifarer

If you’re anything like me, figuring out directions isn’t my strong point. I can somehow manage to end up on the complete opposite direction of where I’m supposed to be. That’s why I always have Google maps by my side! Unfortunately, I have this same problem when I’m inside really big venues. Thankfully there’s a new app called Wifarer, and it turns indoor mapping into an experience all on it’s own.

There are a few businesses that have indoor maps, like Google, however Wifarer takes it a step further. It actually makes sure you understand where you are. In order to do this, Wifarer has done three amazing things:

It created a way to find locations indoors without GPS.
It has drawing maps so detailed that they can guide you to anywhere you want to go, from the nearest bathroom to the emergency exit.
There isa ton of proximity-based content, just like if you were to walk past a sculpture, Wifarer can tell you all about it.

This can also be extremely useful for users when they attend events. Event planners can incorporate this app by including turn-by-turn directions inside the venue. They can also include location-specific content, such as information on a certain exhibitor when they walk past the booth. Planners can also charge exhibitors for what they want to share through the app, such as photos or videos.

We love this idea and can’t wait to test it out at our next big event. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!

Startup Monday: Blacklist

Customer service is such an important aspect for any business to have. Well, what happens if the business doesn’t live up to your expectations? There’s now a place, called Blacklist, where you can go to vent your frustrations. Unlike Yelp where users can list what’s great and not so great about businesses, Blacklist focuses on user opinions to fight back solely on unsatisfactory business practices.

Some people call the Blacklist the “digital megaphone” for people to get heard by speaking out and making sure their voices get heard. Was the waitress extremely rude? Or, did no one offer help while you were shopping? You can now say something through their recently launched beta feed. There, users can notify other people of their unpleasant experiences with a certain company either online or through social media.

The great thing about Blacklist is that it creates a community of users that had a similar experience. It helps to offer a “power in numbers” dynamic. This way, companies will be able to see how the consumers really feel and hopefully do their best to make up for the grievances. Nothing feels better than knowing a company really cares and wants to improve their business for their consumers.

We think this is a great tool for users to have. Would you voice your opinions on Blacklist? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!

ABCey Events: Highlight Videos FromThroughout the Years!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so a video must be worth millions! ABCey has gathered 6 of our favorite videos from past events that we’d love to share!

1. Brit + Co |Re:Make | October 4th-5th, 2013 | Fort Mason Festival Pavillion | Whether it’s related to making a recipe, an outfit, a craft, or an app, today’s generation is re-inventing what it means to “make.” On October 5th, Brit+Co hosted their first RE:MAKE event, the ultimate conference for the maker generation!

2. Black Jet | SF Launch Party | February 14th, 2013 | Union Square| On Valentine’s Day, ABCey had the pleasure of producing the BlackJet San Francisco Launch Party. If you’re not familiar with BlackJet, think of it as the “Uber for Private Jets.” It’s an online service and phone app that connects travelers with the reliability and convenience of a private jet with prices close to that of premium commercial carriers!

3. SpiderOak Presents: Penetralia 2013 | February 25th, 2013 | Bluxome St. Winery| We are very excited to have produced this innovative INVITE ONLY event, hosted by SpiderOak and Silent Circle; two great companies that are passionate about privacy in the Internet Age. It was an interactive event to think about, understand and discuss the evolution of privacy and technology. It ran on the 1st day of the RSA Conference that was held at the Moscone Center on February 25th-March 1st.

4. Razorfish | December 10th, 2012 | Mighty| ABCey Events helped Razorfish celebrate the holidays with a casino themed bash! Razorfish is one of the world’s largest interactive agencies, providing services to its clients in the realms of digital advertising and content creation, media buying, strategic counsel, analytics, technology and user experience.

5. Skinceuticals/L’Oreal | February 24th- March 3rd, 2012 | San Francisco & Los Angeles| ABCey Events produced and managed an 8-day PR and Media Event here in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Skincueticals/ L’Oreal hosted 10 of the top editors from major publications in China such as Elle, Marie, Claire, Vogue, Bazaar and Femina. We worked closely with the L’Oreal NYC team to coordinate air travel, hotels, transportation, meetings,private dinners, activities/tours, and helped them get into the hottest restaurants that both these cities had to offer!

6. BoxTone’s INspired Tour and Launch party for World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) | Sunday, June 9th, 2010 | Mezzanine| This event, hosted by BoxTone in conjunction with the Apple Developers Conference showcased a mod style museum explaining the history of Apple technology, including the original working Apple 1 & 2 computers.

Which video was your favorite? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!

ABCey’s Weekend Lineup: 11.15.13 – 11.17.13

Another weekend is coming up and we can’t be more excited! If you’re having difficulty making up your mind on what to do, let ABCey help you. We’ve got a list of awesome events that include helping a child’s wish come true to experiencing breathtaking theatrical performances. Read on to find out what else we have in store!

1. Make A Wish Day: SF Becomes Gotham City for Miles | Friday, November 15th | 10:30am – 2pm | Union Square or San Francisco City Hall | Watch as San Francisco becomes transformed into a real life Gotham City. The special role of Batman will be played by none other than a bright, cheerful 5 year old boy named Miles. He suffers from a rare form of Leukemia. So the Make-A-Wish Foundation is doing their part to help make sure his wish, of being Batman, comes true. The public is welcome to participate and cheer Miles on!

2. Cirque du Soleil: Amaluna | Friday, November 15th | 8pm | AT&T Park | Cirque du Soleil kicks off its newest show, Amaluna, this week in the Bay Area. Come experience an emotional and captivating story featuring some of the world’s best performers and acrobats. If you have never been to a Cirque du Soleil show, you definitely wouldn’t want to miss this!

3. Steve Aoki: Aokify America Tour | Saturday, November 16th | 8pm | Bill Graham Civic Auditorium | EDM party rocker Steve Aoki is back in the Bay Area and is said to have the most insane tour, ever! There will be no shortage of his usual crowd-rafting, cake-throwing, champagne spraying antics. However according to Aoki, he definitely has a few more surprises up his sleeve!

4. West Coast Craft | Saturday, November 16th – Sunday, November 17th| Fort Mason Center | This craft and design show will feature carefully selected designers, artists, and craftspeople living and working on the West Coast. Using a variety of mediums, including wood, metal, leather and paper, these designers create singular items that exemplify the mood and aesthetics of their West Coast lifestyle.

5. 2013 Korean Cultural Day Festival | Sunday, November 17th | Union Square | Come celebrate traditional and modern Korean culture. This free cultural festival includes a colorful Royal March with the Korean Dynasty’s costume parade, K-Pop music and dance, traditional folk music and dance performances. There will also be a ton of delicious food for visitors to try!

Where do you plan on going this weekend? We’d love to hear it! Let us know below or on Facebook or Twitter!

Brigadeiro: Gifting Just Got Easier

We don’t know about you, but just the mention of chocolate makes us weak in the knees. Here at ABCey, we are always on the lookout for exciting new ideas for our events. Brigadeiro, our latest “handmade” sweet tooth find is a Brazilian sweets shop that makes none other than, well- Brigadero’s! These tasty treats can be described some kind of hybrid between a bonbon and a truffle!

Brigadeiros are the most popular candy in Brazil and are made with condensed milk and Belgian chocolate. It’s a truly national passion – possibly even moreso than soccer. In Brazil, no birthday party, no wedding, no coffee break, no catch up with friends happens without the indulgent treats. They also make great wedding, party favors, or holiday gifts!

They recently announced their launch in our very own, San Francisco, and needless to say, we couldn’t be more excited! Brigadeiros are offered in 21 different and amazing flavors in gorgeous boxes (one bite size ball) or jars (to eat the candy with a spoon). Some of their amazing flavors include: classic, pistachio, honey, coffee, cherry, coconut and the list could goes on! We can’t choose!

Welcome to San Francisco Brigadeiro! Let us know if you’ve tried them in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!