Startup Monday: Prismatic

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.

Are you ready to see what your ideal newsfeed looks like? Get ready to discover Prismatic!

Prismatic is a web service, and now an iPhone app, that sources data from multiple sources such as Facebook and Google Reader to deliver your favorite news straight to you. Prismatic software is called a social network aggregation that uses an algorithm to filter content that aligns with the interests of that specific reader. Based on what you view and what you “like,” Prismatic personalizes your homepage with the news you enjoy most!

Prismatic’s design is ultra sleek and really based on user comfortability and experience. Best of all, Prismatic is socially adept! For each article the recommend for you, popular tweets from readers all over the web are shown. Articles read or suggested by your social networking connections are usually recommended for you to encourage interaction and sharing amongst contacts. Prismatic brings news, especially tech news, back to our attention.

Have you used Prismatic? What do you think of it? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section or on Facebook and Twitter!

Tech Tuesday: Handleband

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 love to bike and are looking for a way to take your ride to the next level, look no further! Our favorite new gadget is the Handleband, a universal bike mount that uses your phone as a navigational tool, ride-tracker, camera, and light. Plus, it has a bottle opener!

You probably use your phone to listen to music during your bike to work or while getting some exercise, but the Handleband harnesses our phones’ full potential. Because it’s made from high-strength silicone and 7075 Aluminum spline, the Handleband is both strong and flexible. It wraps once around a bike’s handlebars, then again around a smartphone to create a secure connection. Its flexibility means this gadget can work with any phone, bike, and case!

The Handleband is unique because it’s smaller than a deck of cards, yet durable enough for any mountain trail. You can remove the devise at any time or reinforce it with a zip tie for extra security. The best feature of the Handleband’s design is that it doesn’t cover your phone in any inconvenient way. You have full use of your phone camera and screen should you need access to it. This is how your phone becomes your light source, ride tracker, music player, light source, and anything else you could need while biking!

The Handleband has received full funding from its Kickstarter page and continues to grow. What’s next for Handleband? We think there should be a Handleband app for phones that helps the rider get even more out of his or her phone. We’ll just have to wait and see!

Would you use the Handleband? Do you think this gadget has potential? Share your thoughts in a comment or on Facebook and Twitter!

Tech Tuesday: Palantir

When you have a problem that you need to solve, who you gonna call? That’s right- Palantir! This software company grew from startup to International corporation with their data analysis software, and they say they can solve your hardest problems.

Palantir, the 2012 Crunchie Award runner-up for “Best Overall Startup,” is a Palo Alto-based company founded by Stanford and PayPal alums well-versed in anti-fraud systems. In fact, PayPal technology to detect fraudulent activity was the basis for their software concept. The Palantir team believes the most effective way to defeat an adversary like a fraudulent hacker isn’t just with Artificial Intelligence but with human analysts. We applaud this company for recognizing that human data analysts are the best way to combat human frauds!

The U.S. Intelligence Community, the Department of Defense, and the Armed Forces are amongst Palantir’s clientele. So far, their technologies and data solutions have been used to combat terrorism, prosecute crimes, eliminate waste, and more! It’s easy to see that this company thinks of themselves as modern superheroes with their bold and altruistic uses for technology and product names like “Palantir Gotham.” Palantir aims to use its technology for good around the world alongside the likes of Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne.

What do you think of Palantir? Are they the superheroes you’d trust to fix your tech problems? Tell us your opinions in a comment or on Facebook and Twitter!

Startup Monday: Wedding Party

The days of leaving a disposable camera in the table centerpiece are over! The perfect app for your wedding is Wedding Party, which allows guests to share the photos of your big day in one easy location. Let the party begin!

This app is a must-have for any wedding! Wedding Party helps you create your wedding’s very own website displaying wedding information, gift registry, and (of course!) your pictures. Whomever downloads the app and uploads photos will find them shown on the website in realtime! The app makes one cohesive wedding album to share with friends, family, and guests filled with a unique blend of professional and candid shots that tell your complete wedding story. The pics can be used to create a timeline of events, like saying the vows and cutting the cake, and to create Facebook albums.

Photosharing is just the tip of the iceberg. Use Wedding App to make place cards, keep a guest book, and interact with your guests. You’ll be able to see every single moment from the happiest day of your life through the eyes of your loved ones. This app will be the best (free!) gift you can get.

What do you think of Wedding Party? Is it a good fit for your wedding? Let us know your thoughts in a comment or on Twitter and Facebook!

Startup Monday: Playground.fm

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!

ABCey’s Weekend Line-Up: 6.20.13-6.23.13

This weekend marks the official start of summer! Across the bay area, there are nighttime yacht cruises, a free BBQ, and hackathons galore. Celebrate everyone’s favorite season with ABCey!

1. API Hackday 2013 | Sunday, June 23rd | 8:00 a.m.-5 p.m. | 169 11th St. San Francisco | This all-day coding fest is where to be if you’re a developer who really wants to design apps and mashups with APIs. Admission and all the meals you could want are free so you can focus on creating the next best app! At the end, hackers will present their ideas and creations to the judge panel and have a chance to win some pretty cool prizes.

2. “Grilling in the Mo” Annual Fillmore Summer Fest Kick-Off | Saturday, June 22nd | 1:00 p.m.-5 p.m. | 1900 Geary St. San Francisco | Celebrate the official start of summer with some free BBQ! Bring the kiddos along for face-painting, line dancing, and fun for all.

3. Mobile Commerce World 2013 | Monday, June 24th | 8:00 a.m.-7:30 p.m. | Palace Hotel, San Francisco | Businesspeople in all fields will benefit from learning how to grow and expand their mobile commerce and marketing strategies at Mobile Commerce World. This three-day event will teach you everything to know about developing efficient mobile products and strategies and how to create the “next big thing.”

4. Hack//Meat: Re-imagine the Future of Meat | Friday, June 21st- Sunday, June 23rd | 8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. | Institute of Design at Stanford | Food and tech come together in a giant hackathon to decide the future of the meat industry. Everyone from policy experts to technologists and other “steakholders” will be ready to discuss and develop new technologies and tools to progress the meat industry in America.

5. SPLASH! | Friday, June 21st | 7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. | 10 Marina Blvd, San Francisco | End your week in a big SPLASH! presented by UCSF’s Partners in Care. Sip champagne while a luxury yacht takes you around the bay to see the Giants game and the beautiful Bay Bridge lights. Proceeds go towards helping families and patient care at UCSF hospitals!

Which event are you most excited for? Tell us in a comment or on Facebook and Twitter!

Tech Tuesday: LolaBee’s Harvest

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!

Whether they’re on your way home from work or part of your Saturday morning routine, farmers markets are the preferred grocers of choice for Bay Area locals. That’s why we love that LolaBee’s Harvest is bringing us the very best farm-fresh food right to our doorsteps!

Every item for sale, from the eggs to the eggplants, is locally, humanely, and ethically produced. You can either stuff your online cart with grass-fed meats and organic veggies or order a LolaBee’s Harvest Box filled with seasonal goodies. The best part: LolaBee’s brings small-town farmer’s market quality into the e-commerce game. You order on the weekends, when most farmer’s markets take place, and in a few days your groceries are delivered straight to your doormat. If you’re not home, don’t sweat it. LolaBee’s Harvest uses insulated packaging to keep your groceries cool for hours.

LolaBee’s Harvest is a business using technology to both progress society while bringing us back to our roots. (Pun not intended!) American demand for local and unprocessed foods has never been higher and farmer’s markets are trending in cities of all shapes and sizes. LolaBee’s is fulfilling this large market’s needs while appealing to the schedules and availability of a busy, online world. In other words, this business is both local and sustainable (pun definitely intended!)

What do you think of LolaBee’s Harvest? Would you use this service? Let us know in a comment or on Facebook and Twitter!

Startup Monday: Instacanvas

Instagram’s filters and effects can make anyone with a camera look like a talented photographer. And, with the help of Instacanvas, that Instagram of your breakfast could be hanging on the wall of someone’s living room!

Instacanvas is an online service that allows people to buy and sell real-life prints of Instagram pictures. Instagram users can create a profile and choose which photos they want to feature in their gallery. The gallery is then published on the website for consumers to peruse and purchase.

As of now, you can turn an Instagram print into a canvas, framed print, 3D prism, greeting card, or iPhone case! More products are in the works, such as wearable art. Can you imagine people walking around with your art proudly displayed on their phone case?

Instacanvas is a compelling startup because it combines social networking and e-commerce to create a product that benefits both the producer and consumer. The photographer receives around 50% of the profits from the purchase and retains all rights to his or her product. That’s big news for someone who is casually sharing their photos with their Instagram followers!

Do you think your snapshots are gallery worthy? Share your thoughts with us in a comment or on Twitter and Facebook!

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 Tuesday: Ubokia

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!