Cool Sh!t New York

For Your Viewing Pleasure

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:58:00 -0400

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last few months, EDC NYC is this upcoming weekend and what better way to experience your favorite DJs and their infamous light shows than with a little enhancement? With a pair of EyeParty glasses your viewing experience will be taken to the extreme. These aren’t just any old pair of neon aviators, EyeParty glasses deliver a shot of visual adrenaline by enhancing the visual production at any festival, club, or performance space.

Formed in 2012, EyeParty is on a mission to alter the overall experience of music lovers, EDM in particular, at live shows. Dedicated EDM-lovers, the company founders sought out a way to safely enhance the visual aspect of partying, but without the illicit drug use, to create a safer and more harmonious EDM community. When our senses are amplified our overall experience is deeper and it is with this in mind that EyeParty went from the drawing board to reality. So how do they work? It’s magic and we’re not giving away any secrets. The shades magically alter any light source into a mesmerizing kaleidoscopic world without the nasty side effects that are known to accompany alternative ways of literally seeing through kaleidoscope eyes.

When we tried on our pair of EyePartys in the office, it was intense to say the least. Rainbows were everywhere—never a negative, obviously. Diffraction glasses are nothing new, chances are you had a monocle version growing up but EyeParty makes those look like exactly what they are, child’s play. By using a one-of-a-kind diffraction infused lense set, much stronger than what is generally sold on the market, EyePartys are some next level partying accessories. Plus you can customize your experience by flipping down the wayfarer-style flip frames for whenever you want to turn up the effects. The good partying-folk at EyeParty even tested out their product in some of the hardest party environments in the scene such as paint and foam parties, and of course out in the rain because what festival isn't complete without a flash thunderstorm?

EyeParty glasses are water and sweet proof and come in seven colors. Pairs go for $19.95 each (shipping rates not included) and come in a microfiber cleaning and storage bag.

Joonbug readers use the code “JOONBUG” for 20% off your purchase of EyeParty diffraction glasses!

To place your orders, head over to the EyeParty website and stay tuned for a full line up of neon hats, tanks and tees from EyeParty coming soon.

May is National Bicycle Month

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:10:00 -0400

Cities in the United States are not as bicycle-friendly as other cities around the world are. Take Amsterdam for example, bikes outnumber cars and are the main mode of transportation for many of the city’s inhabitants. It's safer (espeically after a few cafe trips), cheaper to use, and overall better for the environment. Many European cities have thriving bicycle-sharing programs that allow tourists and residents alike to sign out a bike for the day, or even just for 20 minutes to run an errand, at a relatively cheap rate. Like most things born in Europe, the United States is a little slower on picking up on innovative, environmentally-friendly programs. Starting May 27th though this is about to change with CitiBank’s introduction of their Citi Bike share program.

With hundreds of bicycle stations throughout the city, riders will just simply swipe their credit cards to unlock a bike and off they go. All bikes are sturdy, easy-to-use, and easily adjust to accommodate a variety of riders. Of course, you’ll need to wear a helmet abide by all the other NYC bicycle laws. The best part about the Citi Bike share program is that bicycling to your destinations is efficient, sustainable, and saves you cash, all while working out those glutes. The program begins on Monday, May 27th but to register for your membership number ahead of the first day you can sign up beginning on Friday, May 17th. Check out the map for Citi Bike stations nearest you. Membership costs $95 for the year while 24-hour and 7-day passes are $9.95 and $25, respectively. Remember that all bikes are subject to overtime fees so don't forget to return the bike after a night of bar hopping.

This coming Friday, May 17th, also happens to be Bike to Work Day and the entire month of May is dedicated to all things cycling and bike-related. Enjoy the fresh air instead of a crowded bus or subway car. Get some morning exercise before being parked at your desk for the next 8 hours. Help limit carbon emissions. The reasons to ride your bike to work on Friday are hard to argue against. Presented by GIRO, a sports design company, Bike to Work Day will help raise awareness for transportation alternatives and hopes to lessen our dependence on mass transit. On the morning of Bike to Work Day, there will be morning fueling stations throughout the city offering freeBrooklyn Roasting Company coffee, Vita Coco coconut water, and breakfast from KIND and Cabot. Plus lots of bike-related giveaways so we hope your bike has a basket. After work head down to the Archway under Manhattan Bridge in DUMBO for the Bike Home From Work Party beginning at 6:30pm. The party will feature a Nighttime Reflective Fashion Show, pop-up shops with a showcase of bikes, accessories and commuter apparel, and some of Brooklyn’s best food and drink vendors, including Brooklyn Brewery.

For more information on the Citi Bike program and Bike to Work Day click here & here.

Happy cycling!

Walkabout NYC

Wed, 08 May 2013 14:41:45 -0400

If you haven’t heard of Walkabout NYC before, pay attention. Friday, May 17th from 11:30 am to 6:00 pm,over 40 tech companies based in the city will open their doors to the public for tours, Q&A, and possibly margaritas (seriously, some of them will have drinks). This a unique opportunity to get to know the people behind some of the world’s most used apps and websites that have made our lives easier and more interactive. Companies participating in Walkabout NYC include Ebay, Seamless, Spotify, Grouper, OMGPOP/Zynga, Facebook, Shutterstock, and tons of other gaming and social media websites. It’s sort of a big deal.

The official Walkabout NYC site calls the event a “self-guided tour. Open to all. Free to attend.” Spots, however, are limited, require an RSVP, and are selling out fast. Walkabout NYC happens twice a year, once in the spring and fall, with the two events focusing on tech companies and creative agencies, respectively. Walkabout NYC is hosted by Harvest, a New York-based tech company, and the starting point of the kickoff at 11:30 am. The event began as an idea from co-founders Danny Wen and Shawn Liu, who both “enjoyed taking tours of workspaces.” They have since “open-sourced the idea,” which has led to Walkabout Singapore 2012.

For a full listing of Walkabout NYC participants and to create your own itinerary, click here.

Below is a brief video about the 2012 installment of Walkabout NYC’s Tech Edition:

Mother's Day Gift Guide

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:06:29 -0400

With Mother's Day right around the corner it is clear that everyone is out scrambling for the perfect gift. Seriously, do you think mom wants flowers again? Splurge on something you know she'll love, like one of the perfect gifts below!

We love all jewelry made by Pono by Joan Goodman and best of all, mom will love it, too. Melt her heart with a very glamorous Byzantine Cuff ($595), appropriately made of mother of pearl.

Philip Stein is known for his gorgeous watches and now you can give mom the gift of sleep with the fashionable Philip Stein Sleep Bracelet ($395). The bracelet is completely comfortable, with perforated holes in the band to allow the skin to breathe and absorb the benefit of Natural Frequency Technology. This technology provides many health benefits, including improved sleep, increased focus, and overall well-being.

Francoise Elizee makes the most gorgeous and fashionable handbags using exotic skins, such as python and alligator. If you really want to splurge on ma dukes this year, we adore this Marie Python Clutch ($1290) in fun, bright fuschia. Can't afford it? Go all in with the siblings and get one nice, big gift.

Poppin has some super cute Mother's Day gift options for the busy mama. Customized mom notebooks come in multiple, bright colors and are a super fun surprise to give. We love the Mom Tattoo ($15) notebook, but other options include #1 Mom and World's Best Mom.

Maddyloo, the number one hair tie company, is doling out adorable (and fashionable) Mini Heart Boxes ($15), which include seven unique hair ties. What better way to say 'I love you' than with a heart full of fashion? The boxes are available in 14 different color themes, so no matter if your mom is more a pink or a yellow lady they've got you covered.

Something that mom will absolutely love this year is Susan Posnick's Colorduo ($24), a double-sided lip pencil that provides rich color and deep moisture, as well as a lip plumping agent. What's so great about this pencil is that it can take you from day to night, with two different, universally-flattering colors—nude and rouge. You can wear Colorduo under lipstick or on its own!

If chocolate is the key to mom's heart, we've got you covered. Armani/Dolci is offering amazing customizable options for Mother's Day—you can choose from a range of 24 chic chocolates, which will be adorned in pink packaging, ranging from $5 to $125. This is the perfect gift the the designer-toting mama.

BlabDroid takes over Tribeca Film Festival's Storyscapes

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:04:00 -0400

On the seventh floor of an average building in the West Village is Dune Studios or better known for the rest of the weekend as the Bombay Sapphire House of Imagination. In this blue-lit, warehouse-like space is the inaugural installment of the Tribeca Film Festival’s newest free event, Storyscapes. On exhibit from April 19th through April 21st are five very unique films that bridge filmmaking and technology. The works chosen for TFF’s Storyscapes are all “multi-platform transmedia program[s] celebrat[ing] new trends in digital media and regular filmmakers and content creators who employ an interactive, web-based or cross-platform approach to story creation.”

Sure to steal your heart, the standout star of Storyscapes was a tiny cardboard robot with large doe eyes and a cute smile called a BlabDroid Filmmaker from the exhibit Robots in Residence. This pint-size robot looks like Wall-e’s kid brother and is an interactive filmmaking device. When you sign out a robot, the BlabDroid asks you intimate questions about yourself and your thoughts on human interaction and the universe. The creators of this adorable robot, Alexander Reben and Brent Hoff have set out to challenge Alfred Hitchcock’s claim that “in feature films the director is God; in documentary films God is the director” by using a theory called the “Eliza Effect.” Based on research that shows humans cannot resist revealing themselves to robots Reben and Hoff are aiming to create a one-of-a-kind, never been done before documentary. When you sign out a BlabDroid, the robot will walk around the floor and will ask you a series of questions while filming your reaction to the questions and recording your responses. Questions include What’s your biggest regret? Why do humans have children? What is one thing you’ve never told a stranger before? and many more. When the footage is completed, and BlabDroid gets the funding they need to proceed, BlabDroid’s documentary will be the world’s first documentary shot and directed entirely by robots.

During the last night of Storyscapes, Sunday, April 21st, Robots in Residence will be premiering a short film cut from the footage gathered by the robots during the weekend event. If you'd like to check out the event and participate in the BlabDroid project, walk-ins, 21 and over, are welcome. The Storyscapes address is 121 Varick Street, NYC with an entrance located on Dominick Street between Varick and Hudson Streets.

To learn more about BlabDroid and Robots in Residence Films visit their website and watch the video below!

Yup! This Just Happened: Tamagotchi L.I.F.E.

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 14:44:00 -0400

Remember Tamagotchis? The digital pet key chains of the late ‘90s that kids couldn’t get enough of? Chances are you had a lanyard with a dozen or more of these egg-shaped pets attached that you obsessed over and took everywhere. The all-consuming toy faded away, as most trendy toys do, but Bandai Co., the original manufacturer of the digital pet, just released a brand new app, Tamagotchi L.I.F.E. to celebrate Tamagotchi's Sweet 16!

Available for iPhone, iPad, and Android phones the free app is just as fun—and needy—as the original. The handheld app is based on the original toy and operates with its original 3 buttons that at first you’re likely to not remember how to use. The little creature is still pixelated and now with push alerts your pet is bound to live a little longer than they used to. You still feed, clean up after, play with, and give your pet medicine just as you did when you were in elementary school. The updated Tamagotchi features different shells and creatures that you’re able to unlock as you raise, and most importantly keep alive, more pets. The new app is also a lot more interactive and allows you to play games with your pet, different colored egg shells, take screenshots to show your Instagram followers just how mature you are, and other new features. Tamagotchi L.I.F.E. also allows you to play in the old school egg mode or the new updated app style.

Click here to download your own Tamagotchi L.I.F.E pet for iPhone and feel like your 10 year-old self again.

Born of Sound

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:36:00 -0400

Music is the soundtrack of our lives and for most music can transport us back to our favorite place or a particular time that had a long lasting impression us. Whether the music in question is to remember someone or just your most memorable time with friends there’s something unobtainable about sounds, in general, because we can't see them. A company in California, Born of Sound, allows you to take your most important sound bites and turn them into stunning art work as a way to memorialize important people, places, moments, and sounds in life.

Born of Sound takes the vibrations we hear, but usually cannot see and creates customizable artwork. Their website allows you to upload any sound that you've recorded and then turns the vibrations into how they would appear if we could visualize them. Completely customizable, your sound becomes a physical embodiment that you can then hang up in your apartment or office. You choose the shape of the “sound-form,” either the misty Fluidicity or the more digital style Holi Smoke, a vibrant color, size and mounting style, as well as the type of substrate, photo-paper or canvas. Examples of Born of Sound artwork includes, the sound of a wine bottle being opened and poured (pictured), phrases of love, children giggling, a nostalgic materialization of a departed relative playing the fiddle, and lots more. Born of Sound's visual sound artwork pieces begin at around $250 and increase in accordance to size, mounting, and substrate selected.

What would you record to become your own personal sound artwork? Tell us in the comments below!

Get Fit with Basis

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 10:51:00 -0400

With spring here many of us have fitness on our minds! Joonbug heard about this ultra-cool fitness band called Basis and wanted to learn more! You wear Basis on your wrist and it helps you decipher which activities burn the most calories, tracks your heart rate, and gives you insight into your fitness routine and overall health.

This lightweight, sleek, and easy to use device can be taken anywhere! For the fashion-minded there are various color options including vibrant red, black, or white. Basis serves as a fitness watch, but really does so much more! For $199, it’s the first device that has the ability to tie your movement, calories burnt, sweat, and pulse together. You gain insight into which activities burn the most calories for you and how you can alter your fitness routine for maximum results. The device can actually save you time and money, because you can see which workouts work best for you (if you've invested in a gym membership). Basis also believes that a few key concepts can help you change your overall health and mood; adding walks, getting proper rest by setting, and sticking to, a reasonable bedtime, and that it's hard to manage what you can't measure. This device has changed all of that.

Both "techies" and fitness lovers are really digging this new wave of fitness gadgets.

Uniqbrow: Evolutionary Eyewear

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 17:27:00 -0400

The most visible and popular fashion accessory worn is something you wear every day—eyewear. Whether prescription or just a fashion statement, your eyewear usually stays the same every day until you either accidentally break them or until it’s time to go back to the eye doctor for a stronger pair. If you’ve gotten into the habit of buying cheap "designer" shades off the street you've probably sacraficed quality and space in your dresser, especially if you don't have an entire closet dedicated to sunglasses like Bono. With all of this in mind, a start-up company in Barcelona has created an innovative, customizable solution to our eyewear woes with Uniqbrow Sunglasses.

You’ll be able to compliment any outfit with eyewear by Uniqbrow. With 12 vibrant and neutral colors and 3 shapes you’ll be able to change your shades just as often as you change your shoes, coat, scarf, and any must-have fashion accessory of the season. For those of us who are indecisive that’s 36 different sunglass possibilities. The three styles are all Buddy Holly-esque with one style being more feminine with a slight cat-eye frame. The exterior is made of an innovative soft material that allows for additional comfort than traditional plastic frames do. The interior structure of all three style of glasses is identical with the same lens perimeter to ensure that the same lenses will fit into the three different shapes. The same dedication of quality also applies to the lenses. Uniqbrow uses sunglass lenses from Optics by Carl Zeiss Vision, the highest quality available in the optic market. Need prescription lenses in your shades? No worries! Just take your pair of Uniqbrows to your eye doctor to have your lenses measured to fit inside.

Uniqbrow is so new that they don’t even have an online store yet! But they’re in the process, so for now you can pre-order, here.

Help them launch their international business by investing, here .

How About We...

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 18:23:00 -0500

Living in a major city can be a constant flow of excitement. There’s amazing, inventive eateries, an endlessamount of bars that keep the cocktails flowing, and there’s enough culture to drown in. But sometimes it seems as though you’ve exhausted all of your options, especially if you’re in a relationship. We don’t mean with your paramour we mean you’re bored silly of going to the same six restaurants and the same bars every weekend. Take advantage of what your city has to offer with How About We…for Couples.

The How About We…For Couples dating site has taken all the hassle out of scoping out things to do with your beau (or sister or best friend, of course). Keep it under wraps and the person you bring along for the How About We… events will think you’re the most wonderfully thoughtful and spontaneous person with the best insider connections around! So how does it work?

For a membership fee of $22 per month, you will receive a new collection of How About We… Dates, all hand-picked, depending on your location, for their quality and originality, so that you and your loved one or partner in crime have an exceptional date or time together. The membership, which can be cancelled at any time, includes a selection of free dates each month, sold out tickets and members only events, early access to book new dates, up to 75% off every date in their collection (nonmembers pay a different fee), and couples reward points for other exclusive offers. It's like Birchbox for experiences instead of cosmetics.

In NYC, for example, couples can enjoy complimentary drinks for 2 at Bottino. Free mojitos, sangria, and Samba dancing at SOB’s. A live comedy show, with dessert and drinks included, at The Stand comedy club. A 3-course tasting menu and wine at Northern Spy Food Co.