Tech Tuesday: Tout!

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!

If you really want to wow your social media followers, stop typing that status update! We’re in an age where we can share our lives in real-time, and there’s no better way to do that than with Tout.

Here’s how it works: using the Tout smartphone app, shoot a short 15-second video. After uploading your video to Tout, the app makes it super easy to share with your friends. Tout was designed to be a form of social media and to make it easy to share footage with the user’s other existing social media networks. You can tweet it, post it, use the blog widget, and more!

Everyone seems to be touting Tout! When you visit the homepage, you have your choice between subscribing to the Wall Street Journal, ESPN, or celebs like Shaq. This social media network is great for news junkies who love getting up-to-the-minute updates around the world. Of course, it’s also cool to post a video of your cat sleeping.

Have you used Tout? Tell us what you think! Send us a comment below, a Tweet, or visit out Facebook!

Startup Monday: Playground.fm

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.

What do you get when an engineer, a web developer, and a DJ walk into a room? An app that takes music sharing to the next level. Meet Playground.fm, your next app store download!

Playground.fm addresses the problem many of us didn’t even know we had. Between all of the music databases, websites, and filters designed to make finding new, non-mainstream music easier, we still rarely ever filter through the noise to discover our favorite new songs.

This app promises to scour the web to bring you a selection of music personalized for you. How is this done? When you log in through Facebook, Playground.fm sees your friends and determines which of them share your taste in music. You also choose to follow playlists created by the app, like “Swag” and “Fresh.” The app gets all the dirt on you and delivers a playlist from famous DJ’s, music fans, and music from your friends.

Playground.fm is helping to bring music sharing and promoting into the social and social media age. Yes, we have Spotify and Pandora, but we hate their ads. Playground.fm is ad-free and has no royalty fees, which makes easy listening that much easier. Plus, you can download as much free music as you wish onto your mobile device!

Because Playground.fm supports amateur and professional DJ’s, you’ll hear tomorrow’s hits first. Improvements to the app, like a music-mixing feature, are on their way! Are you ready to become a DJ?

What do you think of Playground.fm? Tell us in a comment or on Facebook and Twitter!

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!

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!

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!

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!

10 Ways to Stay Fashion Forward

When fashion and technology team up, only good things can happen. Really, really good things, like making Pinterest and Instagram shoppable, giving you access to other people’s closets, and creating a sweater that changes color depending on your mood. Try to resist the urge to shop while you read ABCey’s top ten favorite online fashion services!

1. LookMazing | Have you ever seen the most impossibly chic woman strutting around Union Square and wondered, where did she get that?! LookMazing lets you browse through everyday people’s looks and, if you see something you like, just click the picture and you’ll see just where everything comes from. If you’re one of the impossibly chic, you can upload your own pics and share your lookbooks and wishlists with everyone!

2. Fashion + Tech SF | If you’re interested in learning the ins and outs of how the fashion and tech industries fit together, you have to attend a Fashion + Tech SF workshop. Besides hearing from knowledgable entrepreneurs and professionals in either business, these events are huge networking opportunities. Job-seekers and passionate individuals are always welcome to the meetings, so check the schedule on their website. ABCey would love to learn more from this innovative organization!

3. Sensoree | Who knew fashion and technology could combine to be so contentious! This clothing line creates wearable technology that connects the inside of your body, like your electromagnetic energy, with the outside world. Not convinced? The design, which showcases your body language through an interactive light display, was created to aid Sensory Processing Disorder. Learn more here.

4. Boutiika | Boutiika brings the fun and adventure of discovering the cutest little boutique to the web, but with a twist. Local shops share their latest merchandise on this site and shoppers can select what they like, but not buy. Boutiika strives to preserve the personal experience of going into the store itself, so they tell the store to reserve your selections when you have time to come in. It’s like being your own personal shopper!

5. Stylend | Stylend is a location-based app that brings together the woman with the brimming closet and the woman who needs a dress for that restaurant opening she forgot about. Dresses, accessories, shoes, and more are available to rent and browse in your city. The app is fairly new, so our advice is to share your closet to get the ball rolling!

6. 52Grams | Following someone chic on Instagram is so much more fun when you know where they buy their clothes! 52Grams can turn any follower into a fashion leader with their online lookbook made from user’s own Insta’s. This site seems like an excellent social media tool for up-and-coming designers and bloggers and is definitely worth a visit.

7. Just Fab | Justfab.com has constructed their business to connect consumers to producers more directly in order to keep their products inexpensive. By joining this free service, you can select any shoe on the site for $39.99 each. JustFab.com as a company is growing like crazy: in the last few months, they’ve acquired Fab Kids and The Fab Shoes. This is a company to watch out for… and to shop with!

8. Threadflip | We all have that beautiful bag we bought three years ago and have neither worn nor been able to part with. Threadflip lets you turn your closet into a boutique and cleanse your room of all clutter while selling your things to someone who’ll actually use them. And when you’re staring at the open space in your closet afterwords, head back to the site and browse the pre-loved items other users are selling! At ABCey, we just can’t stop snatching up these deals!

9. ShopInterest | Re-pinning a photo on Pinterest turns into clicking “add to cart” with ShopInterest. This site is a way for businesses and resellers to create their own website with a Pinterest-like interface. All items are buyable, show the price on the photo, and can be shared with users on Pinterest. Finally you can remove that “Wanted” pinboard and actually buy these products!

10. MySaleTable | Can it be possible that some genius created a website just for boutique sales? Yes, yes it is. MySaleTable brings the sales to you online where you can browse tons of discounted merchandise. Boutiques upload pictures and details of the products they want to put on sale, and you can either buy them online or reserve them for store pick-up. Never miss a great deal again with MySaleTable!

What do you think: are these services fashion forward enough for you? Tell us in a comment or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter!

Tech Tuesday: Ninja Blocks

This week, we’d like to credit a certain San Francisco company for daring to look inside the box for inspiration. Meet the Ninja Block, your new personal assistant.

The Ninja Block has a basic “if this, then that” command feature. If the sensors pick up an event in your real life, like a baby crying, the Ninja Block triggers a tech life reaction, like calling the parent’s cell phone. By programming in a command in the rules app (ex: turn on the light if I play music), this handy device can do almost anything for you.

The Ninja Block works as a medium between the sensors you install and the electronic world. Sensors available for purchase include motion, temperature, humidity, and contact sensors. Ninja Blocks also helps you manage your online social presence by automatically sharing the input the sensors with social media. Don’t worry, it won’t say anything you don’t want others knowing! Its message is one you program in advance in the rules app.

If you’re someone who loves to techify your life and home, Ninja Blocks is the perfect way to do so! ABCey loves this company because it bridges the gap between your online and offline lives and automates how the two interact. We’d love to use the feature that tweets a photo of every person entering the door at one of our events!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RGRIS_Rqiw

What do you think of Ninja Blocks? Tell us in a comment or on Twitter and Facebook!

How To: Navigate the Bay like a Pro

In San Francisco, let’s face it: you’re always moving. Whether you’re meeting friends for drinks in the Mission or running after food trucks, this city forces a close relationship with your transportation of choice. No matter how you go, you need to go. ABCey’s favorite apps put you in control and in the know!

1. Corral Rides: Are you a fan of cab alternatives? Us too. Corral Rides is a new iPhone app that lets you see all of your transportation options in one easy list. Just input your location and destination and Corral Rides pulls up nearby options from Uber, SideCar, Lyft and even the bus schedule. You make your choice based on availability, pricing, and wait times. We love this app because it makes finding the cheapest and fastest way there almost effortless.

2. Park.it: Having a car in SF is great until you’ve spent thirty minutes scouring your block for a place to park. If parking in the city is the bane of your existence, Park.it can ease the pain. Park.it is an SF-only service that helps you find the nearest legal parking space before you even get to your destination. It’s even color-coded: green spots are free, yellow means metered (and shows the rate), and reds are no-go’s. Tapping on the spot you want shows the street cleaning time, any restrictions, and even the direction to curb your wheels. Say “goodbye” to tickets and tows!

3. Bikesy: Biking around the bay is a great way to get from A to B while getting in some exercise. If you feel the sometimes-impossible San Francisco hills (hint: Filbert St.) are better left avoided, check out Bikesy. Bikesy is a bay area bike mapper service that lets you input your bike route preferences, such as “Hill Reluctance” and bike lane availability. Happy riding!

4. Getaround: Are you planning the perfect weekend getaway but lacking the perfect weekend car? Using Getaround is like borrowing your buddy’s car for the weekend… if your buddies are all willing bay area car owners. Simply enter in how long you’ll need the car, select which car you want, and arrange the pick-up location with the owner. No need to worry about losing their keys while you’re off having- you can lock, unlock, and drive all with your iPhone.

5. Transporter: Transporter, dare we say, might be the first accurate bay area bus app. You can select your favorite lines or bus stops and Transporter will remember them for you every time you open the app. With the swipe of a screen, you can see when the next bus is (really) coming and track your route progress as you go. When you’ve been exploring the city and don’t quite know how to get home, Transporter’s ‘near-me’ tab will find the stops and lines closest to you. You’ll never have to click your heels three times again.

Do these apps or any others help you survive in San Francisco? Tell us at ABCey in the comments below! Or, share your favorite bay area insider tips on Facebook and Twitter.

Top 5 Springtime Apps

When you think about the word “spring”, your first thoughts are probably about flowers, picnics, baseball season, and the Easter Bunny! We can now add Top 5 Springtime Apps (app developers think of everything!) At ABCey, we’ve put together a short list of apps that’ll make your spring more enjoyable, fun, and…efficient.

1. Oh, Ranger! ParkFinder: Take advantage of the great outdoors while it’s still sunny (and before it become unbearably hot)! This app goes above and beyond usual search engines, such as Yelp and Google, in providing important information that can enhance your park experience like nearby attractions, seasonality, phone numbers, and even lodging and concession information if you want to make it an overnight trip!

2. Strava Cycling: We love San Francisco because there are plenty of beautiful trails to bike, like the famous Golden Gate Bridge. While there are hundreds of other fitness apps around, Strava Cycling was made specially for cyclists so you can be confident this app is a worthwhile investment. Strava Cycling provides users with not only more cool places to bike but it also tracks your fitness stats as you explore parts of your city or as work on your own health.

3. Eat St. by Food Network: Here in the city, there are a lot of great places to eat but sometimes, they’re difficult to find because they’re always moving around! Eat St. is a neat app that keeps you updated with the locations of mobile food trucks in North America so you won’t have chase that delicious Korean-Mexican fusion taco again.

4. CraigsPro+: Time to roll up your sleeves, because blooming flowers and bluer skies also mean springtime cleaning is near. CraigsPro+ is an amplified, sleeker version of the virtual ad board, Craigslist. You can use this app to find quick cleaning services (if cleaning really isn’t your thing), sell your old winter coats or promote your garage sale after you’re done.

5. Grill-It!: Pretty self-explanatory, but pretty helpful too! Our mouths all water at the thought of perfectly-grilled steak with the juicy, slightly burnt corn-on-the-cob on the side but let’s be honest, grilling is sometimes harder than it looks. Download this app to get tips and tricks, recipes, and detailed instructions to play host to your next barbecue.

We hope these apps will inspire you to try some fun, new things this spring! What are some of your favorite springtime activities? Would you ever use any of these apps? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!