Geekiest Possession Contest

Follow these five easy steps to be entered into the contest!

1. Download the Streamzoo app on your phone
2. Take a picture of your geekiest possession using the app
3. Enter hashtags #happygotechy & #geek as well as Twitter handles @happygotechy & @streamzoo in the description area
4. Click on the Twitter icon on the same screen to share your picture on Twitter
5. Follow @happygotechy and @streamzoo on Twitter 

{example}

Submissions will be judged based on "geek level" & number of likes on Streamzoo.  If you drop by the expo this coming Saturday, maybe you'll find a new, fun geeky possession there you can enter into the contest!

The Fine Print

Contest Timeline
Monday, June 20, 2011 - Contest begins at 12:00am PST
Monday, June 27, 2011 - Contest ends at 11:59pm PST
Wednesday, June 29, 2011 - Winners will be notified and announced

Rules

• You may only submit one entry. If you submit more than one, every title after the first submitted will not be counted.
• Abide by Twitter’s and Facebook’s Rules and Terms of Service.
• Derogatory, profane, crude, and inappropriate submissions as deemed by Happy Go Techy will not be accepted. 
• Submission of any entry acknowledges the right of Happy Go Techy to use it for exhibition, promotion and publication purposes in any medium.

Mobile App: Flick+Share

Flick+Share is an app developed by Cloud 8 Studios.  It makes sharing photos on your Windows 7 phone a cinch - or should I say, a flick!

It's easy to use:

If you're in Seattle next weekend, drop by their booth and say hello to them at the expo!

Mobile App: MapBox

"MapBox makes it easy to design beautiful custom maps, and fast to integrate them into websites and mobile applications. Whether you want to visualize census data in Chicago, monitor seismic activity in the aftermath of the Japan earthquake, plot drone strikes in Pakistan, or analyze election results in Afghanistan, MapBox will help you make more sense of your data."

MapBox radically lowers the barrier to entry for making custom base maps and overlays. Now data analysts can become mapmakers without GIS expertise, and GIS experts can become cartographers without first mastering design."

{How To Video}

Beautiful, functional, and fun! 

We love it! Come to the expo and drop by their demo table!

MindMeister: Mind Mapping Software

In elementary school when I first started learning how to write essays, I remember I hated the format of outlines.  They were linear and boring - just didn't work for me.  Eventually, in 5th or 6th grade we learned how to make mind maps (I don't remember what they were called back then) - mind maps presented information in a way that was much more easy to visualize and in which connections could be made more intuitively between all the "bubbles of thought."  Problem was... there was never enough space on a small 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper.  Once again,  stifled creative thought due to technical limitations!

You can imagine my enthusiasm when I grew up and discovered MindMeister a few years ago!  An online mind mapping tool that not only allows you to visually gather your thoughts, it also lets you do things like add icons, pictures, and links as references. And, they have a mobile app as well!  We're so excited to announce that we will be showcasing their app at the expo. Not only that - Mindmeister has gifted us 100 subscriptions as expo give aways.  Stay tuned to learn how you can get one!

Check out an example of a MindMeister map below:

Mobile App Demo: Hmmm...

DreamTimeStudioZ will be demoing their new app at the expo - so excited!  :)

They will demoing Hmmm..., a social version of their current app, HearMarkZ.  HearMarkZ is "the ultimate memory app, (iPhone and iPod touch 2G) is an iPod enhancement app that creates an unlimited number of bookmarks AND text/audio notes for any kind of audio recording in your iPod library: audio books, podcasts, songs, seminar recordings, and more."

Come to the expo to check it out and learn more!  

Help Make Streamzoo Even Better!

Streamzoo is currently offering a $50 Amazon gift card to people who join their feedback program.

Here are some more details:

• You will get a $50 Gift Card to Amazon.com for your time and support.
• Streamzoo will communicate with you via email.
• You will be asked to take an online survey.
• Streamzoo would like to schedule a chat or phone call whenever it is convenient for you.
• The entire process should not take more than 30 minutes – 1 hour of your time.

If you're interested in participating, please let them know by sending a tweet to @streamzoo. There are only 10 spots open so hurry!

Aside from just getting the "prize" (which is a great plus!), the value of constructive feedback is extremely important and if you don't think you'll make a difference in a new product's/startup's success, think again!  Helping smaller startups out by giving them your 2-cents is extremely crucial to their growth and accelerates the rate at which great products are developed which benefits everyone!  

Plus, I always get a kick out of getting the inside scoop on new features and products.  I have tested a few products out for both small and big companies and it's always great fun.  :)

Speaking of testing things (I know I'm diverging a bit), I couldn't help but to throw this cute test-tube-baby graphic from Woot t-shirts on here.  So adorable!

Dress Up Your Tech & Can't Live Without It! Mobile App Contests Results

Thanks so much to everyone who participated in the "Dress Up Your Tech" & "Can't Live Without It! Mobile App" contests.  The entries were fantastico!  :)

(Drum roll, please.)
And, the winners are...


Dress Up Your Tech

Mr. Ethan Schaffer for submitting the Dodo Case for iPads - definitely unique, finely crafted, and useful!

Ethan won a Kate Spade iPhone case and a $25 gift card to Urban Outfitters.  (Ethan, maybe you can gift the iPhone case to a lucky lady friend...)

Can't Live Without It! Mobile App

And, for most unique and useful day-to-day app, the winner is Grocery IQ - submitted by Ms. Helen Chang.

Helen won a $50 Amazon gift card.  Can't buy groceries with it, but you can buy yourself some nice cooking/baking supplies.  :)

Congrats guy & gal!  We'll be sending you your prizes shortly!

Don't just build a mobile app. Build a business.

Our friend, Wayne Pan, speaking at the Google Developer's conference about how to leverage Mobile App Ads.  Very informative!



Great job, Wayne!

Can't Live Without It! Mobile App Contest

All you have to do is share the app with us by describing what it is in less than 140 words and stating who it is developed by.

Submit your entry by:

following us on Twitter and tweeting it to @happygotechy using #happyappy

example:  @happygotechy Kaka Flashcards App by Marcin Oczeretko  http://bit.ly/4GsDHI #happyappy

or

liking us on Facebook and posting a comment on our wall with "*happyappy" at the end.
example:   Kaka Flashcards App by Marcin Oczeretko  http://bit.ly/4GsDHI *happyappy

Submissions will be judged based on uniqueness and usefulness.

Call to Bloggers!  Post this contest on your blog and send us the link to info@happygotechyexpo.com and gain exposure for your blog by receiving a complimentary Happy Go Mini sponsorship ($150 value) for the Happy Go Techy Expo. Download an image for your blog post here. Let us know if you would like a custom sized banner, we'll make it for you in a jiffy.

The Fine Print

Contest Timeline
Tuesday, May 3, 2011 - Contest begins at 12:00am PST
Thursday, May 12, 2011 - Contest ends at 11:59pm PST
Friday, May 13, 2011 - Winners will be notified and announced

Rules

• You may only submit one entry. If you submit more than one, every title after the first submitted will not be counted.
• Abide by Twitter’s and Facebook’s Rules and Terms of Service.
• Derogatory, profane, crude, and inappropriate submissions as deemed by Happy Go Techy will not be accepted. 

Terms and Conditions:  Submission of any entry acknowledges the right of Happy Go Techy to use it for exhibition, promotion and publication purposes in any medium.

Sleep Analyzer for Just a Buck

One dollar can still go a long way. Check out this app if you're having trouble sleeping.

Description of the App in the App Store (Sleep Cycle alarm clockBy Maciek Drejak Labs):
"An alarm clock that analyzes your sleep patterns and wakes you in the lightest sleep phase - a natural way to wake up where you feel rested and relaxed. We are now helping more than 100 000 people to wake up rested!"

SCVNGR: Go Places. Do Challenges. Earn Points!

Social gaming... in real life!  

"SCVNGR is a game. Playing is simple: Go places. Do challenges. Earn points and unlock rewards! (Think free coffee!) Individuals and enterprises build on SCVNGR by adding challenges and rewards to their favorite places."

SCVNGR | How To Play from SCVNGR on Vimeo.

How's that for some good ol' wholesome fun?!  And who doesn't like free coffee?!

Happy go SCVNGRing!

I wanna make love in the club gangster iPhone hoodie

How cute is this iPhone case? I love it. Only 16 buckeroos on etsy by user splashingKoi from Vancouver..

Dimensions:
Length: 3 in / 8.5 cm
Height: 4.5 in / 12.5 cm

Dapper iPhone Pouch

I just discovered the Curiosity Shoppe and am excited to go pay them a visit this weekend!  Found this dapper iPhone case made by Hand Graft with room for credit cards, cash, and ID on their site - quite dapper indeed!

These limited edition iPhone pouches are beautifully hand-crafted from premium wool felt and fancy Italian leather. In addition to your phone there is also a pocket-shaped pocket (ha!) that will hold credit cards and cash as well. What more could you possibly desire? 

Wool felt and aniline leather wallet, hand-crafted in Austria, measures 3.5" x 5". $75

Happy go President's Day everyone!  

Angry Bird Toys Now Available For Pre-order!!!

It's like a dream come true! Rovio has finally decided to sell plush toys of the characters in their hit game, Angry Birds.

Currently there are five different models of the plush toys - $14.99 each. I am a bit surprised they don't have a pig plush toy. The toys start shipping in December. These would make great stocking stuffers for the geeky boyfriend, young kids, or yourself too!



For those of you who aren't familar with this game, check out the video below. This game app goes for $1 on the iPhone and Droid. If you haven't played the game yet, you're missing out on a lot of simple and incredibly cute fun.

Mango Fashion App Helps You Visualize Outfits On Yourself

There are a lot of store branded apps out there. H&M, BEBE, Forever21, Nordstroms, so on and so on... they all have apps that help you shop from your mobile device. They're all pretty good but I especially like the Mango app for it's "Mix & Match" Feature.

This feature allows you to place Mango clothing on a photo of yourself so you can get a visual impression of how their clothing would look on you. It's free, do check it out.

Free Texting For Groups

Great idea and totally functional. GroupMe makes life easy for you and your groups to stay connected. It's your real-life network, in your pocket.  It's available as a free iPhone app but you can use GroupMe on any phone that has texting capabilities no need for a smart phone.

Features:

• Unique Number - Save your group's unique number to your contacts, so your friends are always in your pocket.
• Can You Hear Me? - When texting doesn't cut it, call your group number to start an instant conference call.

Dropbox Wins 10 More HOTNESS Points For New Updates to Mobile Apps

It's hard to explain how awesome and useful Dropbox is, you simple must try it to understand the ease of use and convince it provides when sharing files. Dropbox makes it easy to securely share files with other people, sync them across multiple computers, access them from anywhere, and keep them safe. Available on iPhone, iPad, Android, and BlackBerry!  They've recently made some tremendous leaps with their mobile features.


You can do all of this (and more) on your phone:

• Browse the files in your Dropbox folder easily.
• Open images and other media directly through the app.
• Upload photos to all of your computers at once.
• Share links to your files over email.
• Search through your Dropbox instantly.
• Export files to other apps.

I mostly use Dropbox to share photos with my sisters and make important work documents accessible to myself anywhere I go. Dropbox automatically backs up my files so I never have to worry about losing anything ever, I can simply restore previous versions of my file. Can't do that with Google Docs. It's really fantastic, see a full list of all the Dropbox features.

Plans start from FREE - $19.99. I've been using the free version for two years now and haven't had a single problem.

Creating an iPhone Icon for Your Blog or Website

Sounds like it could be a bit complicated but it's oh-so-easy!  Normally, when you bookmark a site to the desktop of your iPhone the iPhone captures a snapshot of the screen and turns it into an icon.  Depending on what you're posting on your blog that day, the icon can be just a bunch of ugly plain text.  Here's how you pretty your icon up.

Three simple steps:

1. Create your custom icon with 158px by 158px dimensions
2. Upload your image onto your server and copy the image url
3. Put this code in your blog or website right above the < / head >* tag:
    < link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="url of your icon" / >*

Here is HAPPY GO TECHY'S before and after iPhone desktop icon:




* note, you need to take out the spaces in between the text and carrots in the tag.

Pay for your latte with your iPhone with the Starbucks Mobile Card

Now your Starbucks Card is on your iPhone! You can manage and pay with your card using your iPhone or iPod Touch. Pretty nifty, you just take your iPhone to the cash register and tap against the scanner! Simple and handy - one less card in your wallet.