Author: Linnea Herren
Top 10 Techy Gifts for your Favorite Guy
Whether you’re shopping for your dad, brother, boyfriend, fiance, husband, partner, or just a friend, these techy gifts are sure to make any guy happy! ABCey has gathered 10 of our favorite tech gifts for guys ranging from speakers to chargers. We even want some of these!
1. Beats by Dre designed by Alexander Wang | This very limited edition takes three of these devices and coats them in matte black with pale gold accents, making them truly stand out. They include the Beats Pill portable speakers, Ur Beats ear buds, and Beats Studio headphones, and each comes in an Alexander Wang embossed glossy stingray case with a zipper and clip. Each one is available in limited amounts in a pre-sale event, but won’t be for long.
2. Glif | This simple device can mount to any standard tripod, letting you get the most out of that little camera you bring everywhere. Better still, it adjusts to fit any phone thanks to the included hex key, so it can prop up your phone at various angles to maximize your viewing pleasure. Being made from recyclable rubberized plastic is just an added bonus.
3. Limited Edition Sondek LP12 Turntable | To mark their 40th anniversary, Linn teamed up with Highland Park, makers of fine single malt scotch whiskey for this exclusive, and amazing product. Linn took their highest performance turntables and encased them in a remarkable whisky wood plinth, made from the actual solid oak casks that matured Highland Park whisky. If that sounds exclusive, it is, and there are only 40 of these that were made.
4. Blue Microphones Nessie USB Mic | For the guy that films everything, help him capture the moment with Nessie. Nessie takes the fear out of great recording by instantly delivering studio-enhanced sound for desktop recording of vocals, instruments, voiceovers and more.
5. Gramophone for iPhone & iPad | Simply set your device in the handcrafted, solid wood base, and the built-in iron and brass horn will amplify its volume by three to four times, all while looking amazing. A terrific blend of old and new.
6. Ultimare Ears BOOM Wireless Bluetooth Speaker | Unlike other speakers, this one projects sound 360 degrees, filling any space with immersive audio. At a weight of just above one pound, and just over a half-foot long, these speakers are also made to go anywhere, easily slipping into most bags. It’s coated in an acoustic skin that makes it resistant to water and stains.
7. Firestone Fireye Mini Headphone Amp | By sitting in between your device’s headphone jack and the headphones themselves, providing a healthy signal boost without adding much in the way of noise. Just charge it up via USB and you’ll be ready to rock out for up to 24 hours before your next charge.
8. Fluxmob Bolt | This handy device is one part wall charger for any USB-enabled device, and one part battery, so you don’t necessarily have to worry about being connected to the power grid to get some juice. Simply plug it in when you have access to power, and let your phone or tablet charge
9. Structure Sensor | This little device comes with a bracket made to fit on the back of your iPad, right on top of the built-in camera. Using the sensor and your iPad, you can measure the three-dimensional space in any room, automatically capture three-dimensional models of everyday objects, and even simulate physics on top of the real world.
10. Luxi | Luxi is a small diffusion dome that fits securely over your iPhone’s front-facing camera. When attached and used with a light meter app, Luxi will help you determine the best settings for your DSLR or other camera so that you can take perfectly exposed pictures.
Make sure to order your favorites fast, before they sell out! Which one’s will you buy for your special guy?! Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter!
Startup Monday: EXEC
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.
It seems like there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. We don’t know about you, but often times cleaning gets pushed to the bottom of our list. Exec can help solve that problem by allowing you to book home or office cleaning service instantly from your iPhone or web.
Exec only uses the best supplies to keep your family and pets safe, and absolutely no chemicals are used. Their cleaners also have quite a few tricks up their sleeves – like using mineral oil instead of stainless steel polishing chemicals. It’s hard to find a good housekeeper, but their cleaners must pass rigorous cleaning exams, and they’re all fully vetted. They’ll send you a tag team of two to get your place twice as shiny!
It’s a no-fuss solution to all your cleaning woes, with payments being made online! Not to mention, they‘ll come back and clean for free if you don’t love it. Exec Cleaning is fully bonded, licensed, and insured. They’ll even help you clean out your house when you’re moving!
Exec was nominated as one of the fastest rising startups for the 2012 Crunchies Awards. They’ve also received attention from companies like Forbes, The New York Times, Inc. and The Huffington Post. Exec is now serving San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego, Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Chicago, and Washington DC with plans to expand to other cities in the U.S!
Download their app and book a cleaning right from your phone, and see when the cleaners are on the way. We can’t wait to try Exec! It’s such a simple and accessible idea. Have you tried them? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter!
Top 10 Dip-Dye Event Trends
Thought the dip-dye trend was dead? Think again! Dip-dying is a fun way to add color and creativity to your event without going too over the top. Not to mention, you just have to dip and dye! ABCey has gathered 10 different ideas for dip-dying for you to DIY;)
1. Tablecloths | Start your party right, by creating a tablecloth that is sure to please!
2. Napkins | Use plain napkins you have at home and spice them up with this ombre effect!
3. Napkin Rings | Add a pop of color to your table setting with cute napkin holders!
4. Place Cards | Lead guests to their seats by drawing them in with these fun place cards!
5. Tags | Giving a gift to your hostess? Make sure they know who it’s from with these cute tags that pop!
6. Skewers | Make your food eye catching by placing it on ombre skewers!
7. Utensils | Let guests serve themselves with brightly colored utensils!
8. Invitations | Get your guests excited for your party with this dip dye teaser!
9. Garlands | This super simple garland is made with simple coffee filters and looks so fabulous! Who would have thought?!
10. Balloons | Turn ordinary balloons into the coolest decor by dipping them in sequins! So glitzy!
Which one is your favorite? What are you going to dip-dye next? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!
Behind the Scenes at CloudOctane 2013
On Wednesday, November 20th ABCey Events produced CloudOctane 2013, which was hosted by Acumen Solutions in conjunction with Dreamforce at the Bluxome St. Winery, San Francisco! CloudOctane was designed to enable consumers to comprehend, engage in and discuss the evolution of Enterprise Cloud Transformation and the new Machine2Cloud technology.
Event highlights featured a robotic bartender (Bartendro), an LED hula hoop performance by Lauren Shaw of SpinFX, 3D projection mapping mixed with live actors from Tekino Sf, DJ Mancub on the decks, Giggle and Riot Funbooths, eclectic appetizers from Greenleaf Platters, lovely floral arrangements from HUNTlittlefield, unique creative installations and more! And, a special thank you to Jim Vetter for all the great event photos!
Heather Noll from Chalkboard Communications helped with PR efforts for the event and the SF Chronicle, The Wall Street Journal, PC World and Venture Beat all expressed interest. We even got a few shout-outs! Thanks everyone for helping to make it “the best party” of the night!
ABCey was hired to manage all aspects of event planning and production including, AV, lighting, catering, decor, florals, entertainment, and photography. We couldn’t have be more thrilled to work with such a great team!
For more photos, please check out the full online gallery ! What do you think of our event? Drop us a line below or find us 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!
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!
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!
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!
Make A Wish Brings Batkid to San Francisco
By now, many of you may have heard about San Francisco turning into Gotham City on November 15th?! Make-A-Wish Foundation rose to the challenge so this real life hero, 5-year-old Miles can embark on a series of crime-solving adventures and will get to live a day in the life of Batman! Amazing!
Miles’ crime-solving day is part of the foundation’s mission to turn dreams into reality for sick children. Miles has leukemia.
Miles will set across the city to accomplish tasks ranging from rescuing a damsel in distress from the Hyde St. cable car tracks in Nob Hill, capturing the Puzzler in the act of robbing a downtown vault and will of course have to take a break and stop for a burger at the Burger Bar. While at Burger Bar, he will get a special message from the Chief of Police to go to the window – where he will look down and see a huge group of volunteers jumping up and down asking for Batkid’s help because the villainous Mr. P. will be kidnapping a famous San Francisco mascot!
The getaway car will be visible on Union Square (a convertible so that everyone can see what is happening), and the chase will be on! After catching Mr. P., Batkid will make his final stop at City Hall, where the Mayor and the Police Chief of San Francisco will thank him and give him the key to the city. We’re in tears!!
Make A Wish encourages volunteers to show up at certain points throughout the day to cheer him on! If you would like to participate in this epic event, be sure to RSVP.
We know we’ll be there to encourage Miles and we hope to see you there too! Let us know if you’ll be joining in the fun in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!
5 Fall Table Settings We Love!
Sadly, Halloween is over which brings October to a close. But, ABCey would like to welcome in November with 5 fun outdoor table settings that are perfect for any Fall soiree.
1. Long tables allow for a beautiful set up that seems much more intimate than seating that is all spread out at different tables!
2. We love how simple the flatware and plates are with that beautiful Fall shrubbery as a centerpiece. So chic and simple! Blankets on the chairs for guests are also a smart touch as things start to cool down.
3. These neutral colored feathers are elegant and really add a pop to this otherwise simple set up.
4. Again, incorporating nature into a Fall table setting is a must and these wood place card holders are so rustic and classy! Small votive candles always add a nice ambiance!
5. Okay okay, we don’t want October to be over just yet either, so incorporate some pumpkins/gords into your table setting too! We love these white pumpkins that give this table a fresh look!
Which of these looks is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!