Tech it Up a Notch! 5 DIY Decor Ideas for Your Technology

Tired of your same old smart device accessories? Don’t have the time or money to buy new ones? Have no fear… ABCey has gathered a few ways to tech it up a notch! Spend less time worrying about your devices and more on your events. Here are 5 life hacks to spunk up your technology and save you some cash!

1 . CRAFTY PHONE CASE:

Phones are essential in the events world and keeping them protected is a must! On the go, or in the office, this DIY phone case is sure to make life a little easier. Buy one clear back phone case and let your imagination fly! Simply cut or tape in a design and WAH-LA!

2. WASHI TAPE LAPTOP DECAL:

Planning an event? Staring at your laptop all day? Say goodbye to your dull old keyboard! Pick a few of your favorite washi tape designs at your local supply store and create a cute laptop display. Cut up the different patterns and simply stick them on!

3. TOILET PAPER CORD CASE:

Staying organized for an event is important. Grab a used toilet paper roll, some pretty patterned tape or ribbon, and you have yourself a cord case! No one likes dealing with a bunch of tangles. Decorate a roll and label it as you please. Store away your chargers and cords with style!

4. CHARGING BOX STATION:

This charging station box is perfect for the audio visual techy! With this DIY your cords will never be an unorganized mess. Grab a box fit for your multi-outlet, cut a few holes, label them according to your charger, and store them easy for your next event.

5. FELT SMART DEVICE CASE:

Who would’ve thought that felt would make for a great phone, tablet, or laptop case? Pick your favorite color and create an envelope effect with buttons and string. Make it your own with additional decor. With all the hussle and bussle in a day, you won’t have to worry about the safety of your device!

Bring out your inner craftsman with these 5 easy DIY’s for your smart devices! Which one of these ideas to do like the best? Let us know in the comments below or message us on Twitter or Facebook!

Tech Tuesday: What’s Shakin’?

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!

Hey all, What’s Shakin’? For us, it’s an awesome new social media app for all of us on the go!

We know, you’ve seen too many social media apps come and go before returning to the Facebook & Twitter mainstays. But What’s Shakin’ is definitely catching our eye and keeping us interested in events across the country! Sometimes, sifting through all the junk on your homepage (and there are a LOT of ridiculous posts!) is just too much. You want to hear what people are saying about a concert in Texas or a college football game in New York. That’s when you use What’s Shakin’!

Just type in or pinpoint a location on your map, select a radius, and you’ll instantly see what other users in that area are saying! Become part of the conversation about your favorite show’s season finale in your hometown and it’s almost like you’re there. That’s because you’re not following people- you’re following places!

Do you think What’s Shakin’ could catch on? Would you use this app? Tell us in a comment and on Facebook & Twitter!

Startup Monday: Nest

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.

If you’re fed up with high AC/heating bills (and someone always leaving it on while no one’s home!), find your solution with Nest.

Nest isn’t your ordinary thermostat. Instead of being at the mercy of whatever setting the thermostat does, Nest puts you in control of your household temperature (and bills!) at all times. The user-friendly controls on the device and the mobility of phone and tablet apps allows you to track and adjust the Nest whenever you please. Forgetting to turn down the AC when you leave for work will never be a problem again! In addition to being just plain convenient and economical, Nest also reduces your carbon footprint.

Thankfully, Nest doesn’t just reply on your constant attention to the thermostat. It gets to know what times you normally leave and return to the house and what temperatures you set at those times. Based on this learned information, Nest builds a schedule based on what you need! Track how Nest has helped you and compare energy usage and bills with the Energy History function. Find out which temperatures work best for you to keep you within budget. Nest practically pays for itself!

Would you use Nest in your home? Do you think it’s a good startup concept? Tell us your thoughts in a comment and connect with us on Facebook & Twitter!

Tech Tuesday: The 10 Best Disruptive Apps

So many innovative ideas in the tech world come in the form of disruptive services, meaning they show up an existing service by presenting a better version. Think of them as tech life hacks!

1. PaperKarma | You can FINALLY stop getting catalogs from that weird store you bought from 5 years ago! With the PaperKarma app, just take a picture of the unwanted mail and they take care of the rest.

2. Sidecar | Ride-share companies connecting the car haves and have-nots are incredibly popular cab alternatives, but Sidecar is our favorite. It was born and raised in San Francisco, the cars are nice and the people friendly, and we’ve never had to wait more than 3 minutes for a ride!

3. Fantastical | This event calendar for Mac lets users customize the language in their event details so it’s easier for them to read. Plus, Fantastical recognizes the event’s location and can invite your contacts to join you!

4. SwiftKey | It is so nice to stop saying, “damn you, autocorrect!” Swiftkey for Android, iPhone, and tablet learns how you type so it can better predict your next word. Their newest feature, Flow, allows the user to send messages by swiping their finger over the letters.

5. Sparrow | By incorporating Dropbox and drag-and-drop attachments into e-mail, Sparrow became the highest grossing app less than a day on the market! Since its acquisition by Google, we expect to see some awesome changes to our gmail mailbox!

6. Dark Sky | While you can never really trust the weather reports for the Bay Area, technology is getting close! Dark Sky tells you the weather report in your specific GPS location with up-to-the-minute accuracy.

7. Robin for Android | Watch out Siri, there’s a new girl on the road! Navigating traffic can be tough, but Robin handles your social media, navigation, music, parking, and texting for you! Just tell her what you want with hands-free voice control and let her take on the tasks while you’re at the wheel.

8. Camera + | This app makes Instagram’s filters look like the dark ages! Unlike the iPhone camera, this app allows you to manage brightness, focus, and exposure with separate taps before you take your picture. The incredible editing features will turn your snaps into works of art!

9. Spotify |Instead of making the uncomfortable decision between buying every song on iTunes and stealing songs online, Spotify showed us a new way to enjoy music. Live streaming Spotify radio on your phone kills your battery but it’s completely worth it!

10. Dropbox | The world breathed a collective sigh of relief when Dropbox freed us from flash-drives. Now, we can’t imagine a time before sharing files wasn’t as easy as clicking “upload” and “share!”

Do you use these apps? Tell us what you think of them and our list in the comments section or on Facebook and Twitter!

Tech Tuesday: PaperTab

In a world where we look to Apple for innovation, the powerhouse is forced to step aside and make way! A collaboration between Intel, Plastic Logic, and Queen’s University lead to PaperTab, a new kind of tablet.

PaperTab might actually confuse you for a piece of paper! At 10.7-inches long and 7.2mm thick, it’s about an 18th of the thickness of an iPad mini. Although it is in relatively early stages of development, the PaperTab performs the basic functions of its big-league tablet counterparts. Its flexible touchscreen allows users to send files and e-mails and browse documents with simple hand gestures. PaperTab can display and track thousands of files, all of which are kept on a cloud.

The big question remains: Why should I buy one? In our opinion, the PaperTab is perfect for business. It’s lightweight, can fit in any briefcase, and lets you read and store thousands of documents on the go. One of the coolest features of this gadget is that you can combine them side-by-side to share files by touch! The company has plans to sell their displays at $20 apiece for now, which means companies would be able to buy them in bulk.

We think the PaperTab would find its niche in the business sector- What are your thoughts? Let us know in a comment on Facebook or Twitter!