My Visit to the Atlanta Tech Village

What cities make you think tech startups? San Francisco?

New York? Los Angeles?

....Atlanta?

Enter the Atlanta Tech Village, a business complex that was built to foster starting tech companies and create a tech community in Atlanta. Boasting of over 100 tech startups, the Atlanta Tech Village holds events, promotes outings and provides food and drinks to employees all in the name of "creating engineered serendipity". The premise behind this goal is to create opportunities for intelligent people to collaborate and come up with even better ideas, no matter what company they may be working for at the time.

In other words, by creating a roof under which a density of tech companies can live, more ventures could come from accidental idea collaboration. 

At the heart of it all is tech entrepreneur and Kevy CEO, David Cummings. After selling his successful marketing automation company, Pardot, Cummings came up with the idea for a cloud-integration software company and this tech community - seemingly simultaneously. His new company, named Kevy, is housed in the Tech Village, and its president, Ed Trimble, was my tour guide for the day. 

Me, Ed Trimble and Brooke Beach, Kevy Marketer, in front of the Kevy mascot

Startup Space

With all the buzz around this new space, many companies are asking how they can get involved.  But, as Ed pointed out, the Tech Village started filling spaces through the word of Twitter and its website.

"Atlanta Tech Village is only 10 months old," Trimble stated, "and is already the largest co-working space in the Southeast. We didn't really advertise, people found out about it through word of mouth marketing, which shows that there was a big pent up demand for a space like this."

Don't mind me, just getting a little work done

Between the fun, quirky decor, the relaxed atmosphere, the great Buckhead location and the multitude of employee benefits, it's not hard to see why people are scrambling to work here.

Want to work while exercising? Try the treadmill with desk space for your laptop.





Need to take a private call? Try one of their small meeting rooms with an Atlanta theme in each.

Need to get around Buckhead? Take one of the Razor scooters that are provided for employees to borrow.

One of the mottoes of Atlanta Tech Village is "work hard, play hard", and the Tech Village makes sure to do just that. From cardio yoga classes, rock climbing outings to fencing classes, the Tech Village makes sure that there are plenty of opportunities for companies and employees to interact and get to know each other.

Event Space

Atlanta Tech Village hosts several events each week, all focused on helping startups break ground in Atlanta. Every Friday, there is a Startup Chowdown, where ATV provides lunch and allows guests and employees to mingle. Also on the calendar is a Pitch Practice, where startups can bounce their ideas off of each other and perfect their pitching points for sales.

There is also an iOS Developer Study Group, countless award ceremonies, and a Google Developers meetup. You can visit their website for more information on what's coming up soon!

Under Construction

Currently, the Tech Village is under a lot of construction. Cumming's vision includes more space for events, meeting spaces and places businesses to settle into, and even a life-size chess board on the front lawn. This blogger is very excited to see the changes happening in the Atlanta tech community, and will look forward to seeing the building after construction. Who knows? Maybe I will be invited back to document the grand opening after all the construction is done - we'll see! *Crosses fingers hopefully*














Want to see more pictures of my behind-the-scenes tour? View the slideshow below!


What do you think about the Atlanta Tech Village? 

We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Broadcast to Bring You....

With art, you always have someone in every medium that pushes the envelope and creates something entirely new and unheard of; artists who try to take some ordinary substance and turn it in to extraordinary pieces of art.

It is no different with social media. As technology progresses, people are finding different ways to use the social media forums given to them to create something the world has never seen before.

These pioneers have done just that. Some have used apps, others have used Tumblr, all producing content that is unique and never-before seen. Enjoy!

Didn't get enough Halloween? Check out the new app Haunting Melissa (iOS). The Producer of The Ring and Mulholland Drive created this ghost story video series that will give you chills. Episode by episode, you will learn the whole story, and experience twists and turns along the way. The interactive story will even let you snap in-app pictures and upload them to Instagram, to make sure you creep out all your friends.

The first app of its kind, Haunting Melissa may change the way producers share their content in the future. Instead of creating a mini-series for TV, more and more video series may show up as interactive apps, which allow for audience participation as well as social interaction. I mean, come on. You know you want to post the creepy ghost pics on your Instagram, tell them that its real and scare the beejezus out of your followers.

You know I will. 

Want more eeriness? Listen to the podcast Welcome to Night Vale. Set in a small desert town, the podcast is played as a radio show that points out the mysterious goings-on, from unexplained lights overhead to disappearing aircraft to bizarre neighbors. Read like a radio show broadcasting the news to this small town, this podcast has become wildly popular due to its original content and dead-pan humor. 

The podcast started a wave of entertainment personalities using podcasts as a story-telling device, rather than simply for interviews, education, marketing or news casting. Like the radio programs of old, podcasts have been rebranded to story-telling devices, and this story...may make you weary of small desert towns from now on.

Humans of New York is a Tumblr profile that takes photo blogging to a whole other level. What started as one man's project to create a photographic census of New York turned into a series of photographs and short stories about the unique people of New York. 

Unique New York. Say that five times fast. 

Instead of the normal memes and Harry Potter/Mean Girls mashups you regularly see on Tumblr, Humans of New York uses the photo sharing platform to tell mini stories about people he encountered. Potentially, more and more people could use Tumblr  to facilitate photo-journalism and news bullets.

Not that I'm hating on Harry Potter/Mean Girls mashups.

Speaking of great Tumblr users, Electric Literature is an indie publishing company that has revolutionized the book publishing process. Instead of traditional book printing, Electric Lit makes releases eBooks as well as a magazine called Recommended Reading that can be seen on either their app or on Tumblr.

They were also the driving force behind author Ricky Moody creating an entire short story simply using Twitter.  Charged with the task of creating a story using a series of Tweets, Moody wrote "Some Contemporary Characters", a tale of two online daters whose date does not succeed. Unlike other stories that have been produced using Twitter, Moody wrote this with Twitter in mind, using the social media platform to create these two characters and develop their personalities to the readers. Even thought this project was met with a lot of media backlash, Electric Literature became well known and succeeded in gaining many interested readers.

Question: where can amateur film makers go to market their movies and connect with their fanbase? Look no further than Chill, a website that will advertise and distribute your movie, and allow fans to follow their favorite producers. If someone produces a mini-series, Chill will email their viewers to alert them of any upcoming episodes or to sell any merchandise made for the movie. They have revolutionized the way that movie makers are able to distribute their content: no longer having to show their groundbreaking footage for free on a shaky YouTube platform.

These are just a few examples of some social media pioneers. Do you know of any not shown on this list?   

HaPpY BiRtHdAy GoOgLe!!!!

Happy 15th birthday, Google! From all of us Google fans out there, you have made our lives easier and more complete.

Keep doing what you do, Google.

In honor of Google's birthday, I have decided to give you a list of my favorite Google easter eggs - that is, fun things you can do with the Google homepage, as well as some Youtube, Google Earth and Google Hangout. Seriously, pull up the Google homepage now and get to searching. You WON'T regret it.

Google Homepage

Google in 1998: In honor of their birthday, Google just came out with the "Google in 1998" easter egg. Just enter those words into the search bar and get a blast from the past.

Google Gravity: Click this link to have your Google world come crashing down: http://www.mrdoob.com/projects/chromeexperiments/google-gravity/

Askew or Tilt: Search "askew" or "tilt" then try really hard not to tilt your head. 

Barrel Roll: Search "do a barrel roll" or "z or r twice", an homage to the video game Star Fox 64.  

Google Interfaces: Google has made different interfaces over the past years. Here's one for pirates, one for the Swedish Chef from the Muppets, one for hackers, and one for those who are more pig latin inclined. 

YouTube 

Beam Me Up, Scotty: Search these words in your YouTube box for an out-of-this-world surprise.

Use The Force, Luke: Enter these words in your search bar to control your screen using the force. 

Ponies or Bronies: If you enter "ponies" or "bronies" in the YouTube search bar, YouTube will not only pull up "My Little Pony" videos, but ponies will come prancing across your screen. Ummm...yes please. 

Google Hangout 

/ponies: If you enter "/ponies" in your chat bar, a pony will run across your Google Hangout. Copy and paste for a whole stream of ponies. OR...

/ponystream: is for if you want a pony stream across your screen and your screen only. 

/shydino: "/shydino" will make a cute dino run across your chat and hide. 

/pitchforks: Like angry mobs? well "/pitchforks" is for you! Enter it in your chat, and an angry mob will run across!  

Google Play 

Unicorns: If you don't enter anything in the search box and click search anyway, Google Play will direct your search results to "unicorns".

What are your favorite Google easter eggs? Let me know! 

Reliving your childhood? There's an app for that.

Hey lovely techknows! I apologize for being MIA lately, I have had work project after work project, then a car accident...sigh. I could do with a vacation right about now.

Anyways, in order to apologize for my absence, I have decided to scour the internet for apps that would remind you of your childhood.

These apps are a serious blast from the past. Be prepared to go buy them instantly and then spend the rest of the afternoon raising your Tamagotchi. Yeah, you read that right. 

For those of us who could never keep our Tamagotchi alive for more than a couple days, there is an app that will let you vindicate your poor virtual pet keeping skills. After all, we're older now right? Tamagotchi Life (Android & iOS)  helps you relive the days of feeding your Tamagotchi under your desk so that the teacher couldn't see. Not like I did that...or anything...

For those who spent their afternoons in the arcades as kids, Atari's Greatest Hits (Android & iOS) might be the app for you. Relive the golden age of gaming, where pixelated spaceships were your worst enemy. And no quarters needed! 

90s kids, level with me. You always took your mom's Nokia phone and played Snake on it, right? I mean, that game was hours upon hours of entertainment. And you only needed the numbers 2,4,6 and 8 to play it. Now you can download Snake Classic (iOS), an app remake of the game that even includes phone number controls! I feel 13 again. 

And just where would your childhood have been without your favorite rainbow accesssories? That's right, Lisa Frank has an app. Two, in fact.  Lisa Frank Pic n' Share (Android & iOS) and Lisa Frank Zoom n' Color (Android & iOS) help you reenter that rainbow technicolor world you know and love. Pic n' Share lets you set the scene by dragging and droping Lisa Frank characters into backgrounds of your choice. Zoom n' Color is a virtual coloring book that lets you choose your paint color to fill in a Lisa Frank picture. Warning: looking at Lisa Frank for more than a couple minutes at a time may cause over stimulation and serious migraines. Like, was it really THIS technicolored when we were little? SHEESH.

Dysentery, ahoy! Remember Oregon Trail (Android & iOS)? Once again, make decisions for your pioneers as they cross treacherous trails and rivers to tame the frontier. But seriously, what is dysentery? And why did EVERYONE always die from it?!

There was nothing more stressful as a kid as Frogger (Android & iOS). Keep your frog alive as you hop across the highway once again with this free app.

Know of any other apps that remind you of your childhood? Seriously, when are they coming out with a channel that just plays vintage Disney Channel movies and "All That" reruns?! 

Going to the Movies

Whether its staying in with a bag of popcorn or going out to the theater, horray for Hollywood! I love movies, especially anything that involves Pixar, Disney, happy endings and brightly colored shiny things to hold my attention.

Nobody claimed I wasn't a seven-year-old trapped in a 23-year-old's body.

However, the movie experience can be made even MORE enjoyable through...what, class? Anyone? Bueller?

That's right, technology! There are so many apps and websites that will make sure you get the right movie-going experience or chose the right movie. After all, movies are like, $20 now. It would almost cost you the same to see a bad movie as it would to buy a plane ticket and go throw tomatoes at the director/screenwriters house.

I'm just saying.

To start, you need the basics of movie-going apps. Apps like Fandango (Windows, Android & iOS) will tell you what is playing in a theater near you. It will also let you preview the movie and buy movie tickets right from your phone. So when the midnight premiere of the new Superman/Batman movie with Ben Afflek goes on sale, you will be able to buy tickets before everyone else!
\
Just kidding, no one will be there.

Speaking of bad movie decisions, Rotten Tomatoes by Flixster (Windows, Android & iOS) is a movie rating app that shows you what the critics think about a certain movie (is that an actual job? movie critic?) to what rating actual moviegoers gave it. Save yourself some time and read what other people say about the movie you are thinking of seeing. Just watch out for the spoilers!

RunPee (Windows, Android & iOS) wins the award for Most Useful App That No One Actually Knew They Needed. Seriously. Turn this app on at the start of your movie, and it will tell you the best times to go use the little girls/boy's room. It will tell you how much time you have to make it there and back, and will give you a synopsis of what you missed while you were gone. I always have to pee during movies (darn you, 40-0z jumbo soda!) so this app is the best invention, hands down.

We all know the feeling: "O darn. That guy, that was in that movie...the guy with the hair....and the teeth! You know the one I'm talking about!" Breathe easy, my friend, and iMDB that ish (Windows, Android &iOS). It has saved me many a times from only remembering the name of that actor/actress 30 minutes after the conversation has ended, believe you me.

Not sure what to Netflix? Try Movie Twist (Android & iOS). This app allows you to type in the name of a favorite movie and will recommend other movies that are similar to that one. Or click "explore" and tell the app how much of the following characteristics you want in your movie: loving, funny, violent, thrilling or clever; and it will also give you great recommendations.

Except "White Men Can't Jump". Stop giving me that recommendation, darn it!

For those who want a different movie watching experience, Chill is a website that was created for those lesser-known filmmakers to exploit their talents, allowing users to rent and watch their movies, and then support their projects. Chill is equal parts Kickstarter and Pinterest for movies, and some movie projects even have a merchandise store, so you can wear your support. It is definitely worth taking a look at on a slow Friday night.

Also, I need this.


What are some of your favorite movie apps? Comment below to let me know!

Most Distracting Apps

Warning...do not open these apps at work. Productivity will go down 100%.

These apps are oddly addicting and will be just what you need on that long car ride to the beach or when your Grouper date won't stop talking about his/her job.

I mean seriously, I don't really care how drunk you got at your company's Christmas party. I really don't.

Dots (iOS, Android & Kindle Fire) because, really. Dots is the best thing ever. Who came up with a game of connect-the-dots and made it so darn addicting? You will do this for HOURS and come out of it realizing: What the crap have I accomplished today?! Answer: nothing, but you sure had fun doing it. And it just came out on Android and Kindle Fire. Dots party!

Zillow (iOS, Android) - This one may be for the older crowd, but does anyone know WHY looking at all of the houses for sale around you is so much fun? And why I do it everywhere I go? Most. Distracting. Real. Estate. App. Ever.

Knotch (iOS) and Seesaw (iOS) are great time-spending apps for the opinionated among us. Knotch lets you judge a topic hot or cold by color coding it - red for hot, blue for cold, and any color in between. Pick the color based on how you feel about the topic, and make a comment along with it to explain your choice. Seesaw allows you to ask either "yes or no" or multiple choice questions to a multitude of people. Pick pictures to go along with your question, and sit back and let people answer. You can also browse and answer other people's questions.

We all know about Pinterest  as a distraction, but for the DIY-ers among us, craftgawker (iOS) is like a Pinterest just for crafts. In fact, the company that makes this app, gawkerverse, has specific apps for any of your interests, such as foodgawker, stylegawker, weddinggawker and dwellinggawker. So...gawk away.

For those of us who like funny pictures/memes, check out apps like the Chive (iOS, Android) or Buzzfeed (iOS, Android).


What are your favorite apps to open when you are bored? 

Best Vines You Need to Follow - NOW.

Hopefully by now you should all know about the social media app Vine (because after all, I did post about it here first). If not, let me give you the 411.

Vine is a video sharing site that lets you take 6-second videos and post them to a feed to share with your friends. Its sort of like a moving Instagram.

How good can videos that only last 6 seconds get? See for yourself. I have compiled a list of my favorite Vine users with a little help from the Facebook group Best Vines and Mashable.

Creative: 

Yves Das

Jethro Ames

Ian Padgham

Educational:

Nordstrom

Lowes

Labanauskaite123

Funny:

Jerry Purpdrank:

KingBach and watch this and this

Brandon Calvillo

Jerome Jarre and watch  this

dem_white_boyz

kingdaddy

David Lopez


And these Vines that tell the truth:

How I leave rooms after turning off the lights

How I feel when I close my eyes when I wash my face

If you like it, then you should've put a ring on it

Expectation vs Reality when I do the cup song