Friday Five: Gifts for the Tech Savvy Valentine

Valentine’s day is right around the corner and here at ABCey, we’ve been chatting about what to get that tech savvy Valentine. We’ve done some digging and found great gifts for any Valentine with a passion for technology!

1. 3D Printed Roses: Give the traditional gift of roses with the ultimate tech spin, 3D printing. You can now order single or dozen roses that are printed instead of grown, lasting forever and exemplifying the strides 3D printing has made in such a short period of time. Makeshop by Brit+Co is partnering with TaskRabbit to help you deliver a futuristic gift to your favorite Valentine.

2. Pebble Watch: Beauty, practicality and technology are all wrapped in one with the Pebble smart watch. Pebble has been the talk to tech wearables with its simple design and fashionable styles (it comes in steel, black and leather) as well as durability. We loved it at CES this year and we know this is the perfect gift for our practical Valentine.

3. Jawbone Jambox Mini: If your Valentine takes the party with them wherever they seem to go, the Jambox Mini is just what they need. The small, ultra slim unibody design means it can go wherever you go! What’s even better? It has 10 hours of battery life which means the party won’t stop until you say so! Check out more of the Jambox mini specs here and decide if it’s perfect for the party animal in your life!

4. Holga Smart Phone Lens: The Holga camera was one of the most exciting camera lenses to play around with and now you can bring the effects of a Holga camera and film to your smartphone! High resolution digital cameras and traditional point-and-shoot cameras have been replaced with the iPhone and the Holga is just one of many new external lenses that now mount onto smartphones, giving you the diversity of interchangeable lenses and options while on the go. We love this option with its old school telephone dial set up and sleek design, its perfect for our personal paparazzo!

5. Chromecast: Chromecast is perfect for the TV/media junkie we all know and absolutely love! This small but amazing device will connect you to your favorite shows, movies and music from almost any service almost anywhere! Chromecast works with devices you already own, including Android tablets and smartphones, iPhones®, iPads®, Chrome for Mac® and Chrome for Windows®. Its the perfect gift for our pop culture informant, and we get to watch with them which is always a plus!

What are your plans for Valentine’s Day? What gifts are you giving the special people in your life? Let us know in the comments below, or on Facebook and Twitter!

Capital One Labs SF Design Studio Grand Opening

ABCey is excited to announce the Capital One Labs San Francisco Design Studio Grand Opening to be held on Wednesday, February 12th. The new SF Lab will exemplify a ﬁrst-class, brag-worthy model of collaboration to research emerging technology and consumer trends.

The new design space was created by renowned San Francisco-based architecture and design firm Studio O+A, with collaboration from Scott Doorley and Scott Witthoft, designers of the Stanford d.school and authors of Make Space.

Two years in the making, the SF Design Studio’s goal is to combine 70+ entrepreneurs and connect with current Design Studio locations around the country to encourage change in the way we bank. Their mission to ‘re-imagine the way 60 million people interact with their money.’ Located at 101 Post Street, the studio is already home to Cafe 360, which encourages people to learn time saving money tactics as well as enjoy free WiFi and a cup of coffee.

Capital One Labs is continuing and expanding on the laid back feel of a start-up with their new Design Studio which will act like an accelerator of ideas, theories and products.

The Capital One Labs San Francisco studio is designed to be a collaborative space to enhance the ways teams communicate, work, and innovate. Its goals are:

Accelerate the Capital One Labs enterprise-wide digital agenda
Facilitate and institutionalize design thinking and lean startup learning across the organization
Research emerging technology and consumer trends
Seed disruptive ideas
Rapid prototype and pilot test products
Collaborate with the local digital ecosystem, including academics, VCs, and entrepreneurs

The new space feels far removed from a corporate atmosphere, focusing on spaces for small groups, visibility and open floor plans. These aspects encourage people to think in the presence of others rather than alone, and create the environment for generating new ideas.

Let us know what you think about this new startup accelerator in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter. If you are a Venture Capitalist, Startup, Designer or Engineer interested in learning more about, or attending the Grand Opening, please let us know! For inquiries, email Events@abcey.com.

Startup Monday: Hi

Sometimes a picture doesn’t seem to be enough to capture a moment, and neither do 1,000 words. Hi is an app that gives you the chance to combine both! We saw that Hi was nominated for a 7th Annual Crunchie Award, and were curious to learn more about the young San Francisco based start up.

With Hi, you can snap pictures and write phrases to document your event in real time called ‘sketching’, but here’s where we think it gets really good. Users have the option to return to posts and elaborate on them, so that one image or phrase becomes woven into a larger story, the big picture. If a community member identifies with your writing, they can subscribe to your moments similar to a newsfeed.

Where Hi differs from all of the current social media platforms available is its specific tailoring to long form writing. With an interface specific to long form with editing capabilities you can be sure to customize your long form to truly reflect your style of writing. What’s even better? An auto save feature that almost guarantees your work is safe in case of an accident.

Hi can be used to sketch and elaborate on your events, sharing them with a different, inspired community of people who gravitate towards a style of writing not catered to by other social media platforms. Currently Hi is still invite only, but registration is free and they are expanding every day!

What do you think of the new long form style of social media sharing? Let us know below in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!

ABCey’s Weekend Lineup 1.30.14 – 2.2.14

It may feel a bit more like winter this week, but that doesn’t mean San Francisco’s events are in hibernation! Take a look at some of our favorite events happening in our beloved city this weekend!

FEATURED EVENT | Southwest Chinese New Year Parade | Second and Market | 6-8pm | Ring in the year of the Horse with the largest Lunar New Year parade around! Starting at Second and Market, the parade will work its way up to San Francisco’s Chinatown where there will be a multitude of smaller events happening. We can’t wait to see the countless costumes as well as the 268’ Golden Dragon named “Gum Lung.”

1. SF Sketchfest| Multiple Locations |On Going until February 9th | Come out to San Francisco’s 13th annual sketchfest this year! It is a month long run of comedy locals and heavyweights with special shows around the city! This week we can’t wait for performances by Jon Glaser, Rashida Jones, Zack Galafanakis and many other great performers! Check out the schedule and come out for some laughs!

2. Noir City: 12th Annual Film Noir Festival | The Castro Theater |Thursday, January 30th- Sunday February 2nd | Come check out international, classic film noirs and the most popular Noir film festival around! This year, the focus is international films and with films like Hardly a Criminal, and Two Men in Manhattan they’ve called this the most expansive and ambitious program the festival has ever put on!

3. San Francisco Ballet: Giselle | War Memorial Opera House | All Weekend | The world renowned San Francisco Ballet opens 2014 with one of our favorites, Giselle. This 173 year old ballet is the story of a peasant girl with a passion for dancing. Come see the classical ballet this weekend and be taken away by the beautiful journey the story tells!

4. Lunar New Year Celebration|Asian Art Museum of San Francisco | Sunday, February 2nd | 10:30am | Come join the Asian Art Museum in celebrating the Year of the Horse with a multitude of family activities planned throughout the day! Listen to storytellers, create your own art work and even watch the famous Red Panda Acrobats! Admission is free for all ages!

5. San Francisco Giants FanFest | AT& T Park| Saturday, February 1st | 10am-3pm | Spring training is almost upon us, and we can’t wait for baseball season! Lucky for us, we don’t have to wait much longer since FanFest is this Saturday! Come watch Q&A sessions with coaches and players, walk the fields, dugouts and concourses while also potentially running into players current and former for some autographs and pictures! Admission is free for everyone!

With so many events, festivals and celebrations going on this weekend, how will you decide what makes the cut? Let us know what events you’ll be attending in the comments below, or on Facebook & Twitter!

Tech Tuesday: Get to Know The Nominees

We’ve been counting down the days to the Tech Crunch Crunchie Awards (13 days!) and can’t wait to see who wins Best New Start Up. We’ve done some digging and would like to introduce you to the 5 fantastic nominees in this category!

1. Anki: Making artificial intelligence accessible to everyone! The vision is to bring consumer robotics into everyday life. How exactly did they do this? By first developing an awesome artificial intelligence game called Anki Drive. This unique game learns and adapts, with the sole goal being victory. This is just the beginning of Anki, and we can’t wait to see what they do with artificial intelligence next!

2. Coinbase: Itching to invest in Bitcoins but wary of the security discrepancies that haunt the crytpocurrency? Enter Coinbase, the digital wallet that helps you manage your Bitcoins safely and securely! With 13,000 merchants using Coinbase and investors funneling over $6 million into the fledgling company, Coinbase is guaranteed to expand Bitcoin use to the average consumer.

3. Glow: Hassle free fertility tracking is the focus of the app Glow. Expanding beyond fertility, the young company is beginning to target many more aspects of women’s health and is available on Android and iOS. Women have access to daily questions, a community discussion board and a color-coded calendar that corresponds to their personal women’s health goals. We love that it is a portable, discrete app encouraging and teaching women about their bodies and health!

4. Tinder: Tinder is one of the hottest apps in the hook up culture’s circles. Working on off the time honored binary system, if two users mutually agree the other is attractive, you are able to message each other. Tinder opens the channels for any number of relationship types and is also a fun way to scope out and meet new people!

5. Whisper: Whisper is a new anonymous social media platform where you can be free to share your thoughts with the world. With endless options to customize your posts you can truly express your thoughts while getting feedback on your own. Whisper also has private messaging, which we think is a must for every social media platform!

Who is your pick for Best New Start Up? Let us know in the comments section below or on Facebook & Twitter! We’ll let you know the winner after the Crunchie Awards in San Francisco on February 10th!

Friday Five: It’s All About Theme

The world of event planning is constantly changing, moving with the ebb and flow of social media, pop culture and fashion. We’ve been scoping out the blogs, the feeds and the social media sites to answer one burning question: What are the hottest themes of 2014? We’ve found a couple of our favorites, and from what we can tell -it’s going to be a fun year!

1. Bold and Bright: Don’t be afraid to go big this year. Bright colors and patterns seem to be what’s popping up everywhere! It’s such a fantastic way to set the tone of your event and welcome your guests!

2. Modern Rustic: With the welcome addition of Pinterest to the social media world, rustic crafts and themes became prevalent last year. This year, the goal is to ‘step up our game’ by maturing the rustic theme and bringing it into the modern era. Try mixing and matching rustic pieces with more modern and sleek looks to create a perfect blend of old and new.

3. Great Gatsby: The Great Gatsby is continuing its dominance from 2013 and rolling into the new year with a vengeance. Flappers, bourbon and flamboyance is what make any Gatsby party great. We love the elegance that goes with this theme, but what we absolutely adore is the fashion!

4. French Garden Party: Ever since we saw the SAG awards party with its Parisian Greenhouse theme we’ve been hoping for it to take off! Such a stunning, live theme with endless possibilities in scale, decor and applicability!

5. Radiant Orchid: Run with the Pantone color of 2014! Center your party around this classy, shining color! Imagine mixing and matching it with tones and textures to create a beautiful, mature atmosphere around any event! We haven’t been able to get enough of this color at ABCey and can’t wait to mix and match shades and textures of it to create a vibrant, modern mood.

What are your favorite party theme trends of 2014? We’d love to hear them in the comments section below, or on Facebook and Twitter!

Go Mobile: Event Apps We Can’t Get Enough Of

Staying connected to events and conferences is key for many attendees and event planners these days. Today, we’d like to introduce you to some of our favorite apps to keep your event running smoothly and connected with attendees! We love these apps and can’t imagine planning future events and conventions without them!

1. Attendify: This app builder lets you pick from two stunning interfaces and it guidesyou step by step. This feature eliminates all guesswork and gives you the ability to post last minute changes and information about your event. We love the ease of use, and simple step by step guides!

2. EventMobi: EventMobi features tons of interactive and engaging features to keep everyone up to date about your event and agenda. With its simple drag and drop customization, you can highlight and emphasize the most important features of your event. EventMobi goes one step further and allows you to include your event logo and branding, a feature we are head over heels with!

3. Live Cube: This all in one gamefication app allows you to create the ultimate engaging experience. We love the incorporation of social interaction, agendas, and gaming, as well as polls and surveys. We can’t get enough of its interactive interface!

4. Planspot: Want to place your event on social media platforms and broadcast it? Planspot can help by putting all of the information for your event, registration, and links in one sector and promoting it. What we love about this app is the ability to track conversations about it on Twitter and Facebook from one platform!

5. DoubleDutch: This San Francisco based company has the goal to create the most user friendly app for your event! They even create subsets within the same app for multiple venues as well as an Offline Mode, which we love for those times when WiFi and data coverage get tough.

What mobile event apps have you used for your conference or event? Which ones are you faves? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!

Startup Monday: Bitcoin

Have you heard of Bitcoin? They made waves at CES 2013, and since then they have become one of the most talked about startups in the world. First of all, what is Bitcoin? For those who don’t know- Bitcoin is an alternative payment system that is completely digital and independent. It’s secret founder(s) revealed it in January of 2009 as a potential replacement for paper money, a global digital currency.

This all sounds great, but how do you get your hands on Bitcoins? If you’re tech savvy and have the hardware you can digitally mine them. However, if you are, like some of us at ABCey, you can buy them using traditional currency, or trade goods and services the old fashioned way.

Is Bitcoin even accepted as a form of payment in everyday use? The answer is yes! Gap, Target and Overstock.com are some retailers that accept the currency online, and even the Sacramento Kings accept Bitcoin for ticket purchases! There are no fees for Bitcoin transactions making it perfect for small businesses to use and incorporate into their profit systems.

What is the future of Bitcoin, traditional currency, or other digital currencies? It is yet to be seen, but what we do know is that Bitcoin has blown the world away with its concept, and ease of use and value. Will Bitcoin boom or bubble?! Let us know what you think its future holds in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!

ABCey’s Weekend Lineup 1.16.14 – 1.19.14

With the week finally winding down- we want to know, what do you have planned this weekend? At ABCey, we are always looking for the best excuse to get out and enjoy what the city has to offer. Take a look at what we’re most excited for!

FEATURED EVENT: 2014 Edwardian Ball and Faire: |Friday, January 17th-Saturday January 18th| Regency Ball Room, San Francisco| 8pm-2am| The elegant, whimsical and musical Edwardian Ball takes place this weekend at the Regency Ball room. Set in an imagined Edwardian era it blends classic ballroom with fine art, live DJs and costumed attendees in edwardian dress! It is considered one of the not miss events of the year, come and join the fun.

1. Road Show|Thursday January 16th- Sunday January 19th| Eureka Theater, San Francisco| 8pm: Looking for a good laugh? Come out to Eureka Theater this weekend to catch Road Show, a story about the American dream and two brothers searching for the next way to strike it rich spanning from the Alaskan gold rush to the Floridian real estate boom it is sure to be filled with laughter fit for everyone!

2. FOG Design+Art| Saturday January 18th- Sunday January 19th| Fort Mason Center| 11am-7pm| Hosted by SFMOMA FOG is celebrating 100 years or art and design, this year will feature prominent 20th century and contemporary art and dealers. Come out to the Fort Mason Center to enjoy in a wide variety of art, discussions and performances. Tickets can be purchased online for $15 or at the door for $20.

3. Swap O’ Rama-Rama: |Saturday, January 18th| American Steel Studios, Oakland, CA| 1pm-4pm| Swap O’Rama-Rama is a non-profit clothing swap and DIY workshop that takes place in over 100 cities world wide. This Saturday come out Oakland, no admission necessary, and not only learn new crafts, but learn new ways to repurpose anything from house ware to clothing and beyond!

4. Good Food Awards Market Place: | Saturday, January 18th| Ferry Building, San Francisco| All Day| Come out to the Ferry Building this Sunday to get a taste of the winners of the Good Food Awards. This sunday, the winners will be showcasing their products for the public, tickets to the market are $5 at the door and it will be open all day. Come out and enjoy the sunshine and flavors!

5. Civic Symphony Concert: |Sunday, January 19, 2014 | Sir Francis Drake Hotel | 1pm| The San Francisco Civic Symphony was founded in 1931 and is the oldest community symphony on the West Coast. On Sunday they will be showcasing their work at the ballroom in the Sir Francis Drake Hotel for the public. Come out and enjoy the sounds of Tchaikovsky and Strauss among other works, it’s free for all ages!

Let us know what events caught your eye! Is there anything we missed? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!

Tech Tuesday: Apps for your New Year’s Resolution

Did you know that 50% of Americans make a New Year’s Resolution ever year, but only 8% actually follow through? If you’re having trouble sticking to those resolutions like we are then you’ll love these apps! We’ve rounded up the Top 5 resolutions made by Americans and found fantastic mobile apps to help you succeed!

1. Losing Weight/Getting Fit: Don’t let habit and excuses get in the way of your fitness goals! San Francisco’s very own GainFitness is an app that puts every tool in the palm of your hand. With downloadable fitness packs you can tailor your workout to your needs and restrictions while tracking your progress. Don’t believe us? Check it out for yourself!

2. Read More Books: Still have that stack of books you’ve been meaning to read? Or maybe a friend just suggested a great read but you can’t bring yourself to actually begin? This is where ReadMore comes in. Keep track of your reading list and your habits all in one simple app, we love being able to power through our reading lists with it.

3. Spend Less and Save More: Want to keep track of your spending habits and find out where you can save money on everyday expenses? Mountain View, CA based company Mint is just what you need. Mint keeps track of your accounts and spending habits showing you exactly where your money goes. Its perfect for everyday use or party planning on a budget!

4. Get Organized: Do you have a million things to do in a day? Sounds like we have a few things in common! Use Wunderlist to organize your day and get make sure every task is completed flawlessly! It recycles repeated tasks as well as syncs and updates to all your devices!

5. Staying Sharp: In our crazy day and age maybe you are focusing on making 2014 the year you begin to keep your brain sharp. Tablets and smartphones are the perfect travel toy to keep your ‘thinker’ sharp. Try one of our favorites, FitBrain with games and tasks that help you keep your brain sharp and eager to learn new things!

What were your New Year’s Resolutions? Let us know if any apps are helping you stick to your goals in this new year? Let us know in the comments section below or on Facebook and Twitter!