SOMEWHAT FRANK

Watermark Your iPhone Photos With Photomarkr

via youtube.com

I recently had brunch with Natalia Luckyanova and Keith Shepherd the co-founders of Washington, D.C. based iPhone development startup Imangi Studios. If you are new to Imangi Studios has also created the popular iPhone apps Harbor Master, Little Red Sled and Word Squares.

At this particular brunch they shared their photography application called Photomarkr. The Photomarkr application offers users the ability to put a custom watermark on any photo on the iPhone. The video above shares a quick demo that I shot with my iPhone (so bear with the less than perfect audio and video quality). The application is available for $2.99 in the apps store. Happy watermarking.

Washingtonian Names & Unites DC 100 Tech Titans

I just got back from an unbelievable experience in the Washington, D.C. technology scene as Washingtonian Magazine recently assembled a list of the 100 DC Tech Titans, and tonight gathered them to celebrate. The group is lead by innovators like Steve Case, Ted Leonsis and Vint Cerf among others and I was happy to be included as part of the group. It was brought to my attention that Ted Leonsis was overheard referring to Nick O'Neill, Jen Consalvo, myself and a few others as the "future of DC tech." It was a rather memorable, flattering and humbling moment as I got a chance to rub shoulders with some of the mothers and fathers of technology as we know it. I feel I still have a lot to offer to the advancement of technology so please stay tuned as I share the adventure on SOMEWHAT FRANK.

I had an enjoyable time at the event and thank Washingtonian Magazine and Garrett Graf for writing the 100 DC Tech Titan article. Also fellow "titan" Shashi Bellamkonda from Network Solutions had his camera and snapped these photos (below).

Nick O'Neill & I talking with AOL founder Steve Case & NHL Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis.

Nick O'Neill and I with Ted Leonsis (and Steve Case over my right shoulder).

Check out a few of the videos (below) I captured while attending the event.

Headed to the DC 100 Tech Titan Event from Frank Gruber on Qik.

Hanging at the DC 100 Tech Titan Event from Frank Gruber on Qik.

MAVA's Capital Connection Coming Soon To DC

You might want to get your Memorial Day weekend plans in order as it is coming on fast but first I would look at Capital Connection 2009 conference as Mid-Atlantic Venture Association (MAVA) has assembled quite the cast of speakers. Capital Connection 2009 is taking place in Washington, DC on May 26th and 27th.

Speakers include Federal CIO, Vivek Kundra, Rosetta Stone CEO, Tom Adams, Blackboard CEO & President, Michael Chasen, GigaNetwork Founder, Om Malik & VentureBeat Founder, Matt Marshall among a number of others (full speaker list here).

To register & for more information about the the event visit: http://capitalconnection.org

TECH cocktail DC 5 Coming Soon

I am happy to share that I will be co-hosting another TECH cocktail in DC. In case you missed the last DC event it was well covered by the Washington Post and other media outlets. Check out photos from TECH cocktail DC 4. This is our 5th event in the Nation’s Capital and I hope you can make it out to the fine venue, LeftBank digital bistro in the Adam’s Morgan neighborhood of DC. 

TECH cocktail will offer a handful of start-ups an opportunity to show off in an expo-style to the rest of the community.

Here is the important information:

When: Wednesday, May 20, 2009 - 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST

Where: LeftBank in Adams Morgan (venue photos)

What: A “cocktail of TECH people”

If you are interested in supporting TECH cocktail please sponsor our events as we cannot put them on without your support. If you are interested in demoing a product or service please comment on this article or reach out to us at TECH cocktail. Look forward to seeing you there.

Experiencing History In DC

Today in Washington, DC, I was able to attend the Inauguration of the 44th President of the United States of America, Barack Obama. Though the festivities were streamed live via CNN and Facebook with commentary from my friends I decided I needed to experience this historic event in person. So I jumped on the Metro and made my way to the National Mall. In doing so I captured a number of images and videos which will serve as lasting memories of this historic day. The Internet connections via the wireless towers in the DC area were brought to a crawl so it was tough to stream videos from the Mall but I captured what I could with both Flixwagon and Qik. I also posted my Inauguration photos on Flickr.

Enjoy the videos below from my Inauguration experience:

Walking down 18th Street to the National Mall for the Inauguration

Watching the Inauguration from the National Mall

Obama Speaks

Eco-Friendly Tech at the Green Festival in DC

The Green Festival came to Washington, D.C. this past weekend and I decided to check it out in search of innovative new eco-friendly personal technology gadgets and gizmos. There were a number of products and services at the event and I decided to capture a few of them thanks to Flixwagon and I have posted them in this article. I also took some photos at the Green Festival.

Barack Obama: The First Tech President

I recently spoke on a panel about social networking & the 2008 election and at the time I went out on a limb and predicted that Barack Obama would win the election. He was not projected to win by anyone at the time but he was leveraging technology to communicate with people through a number of different mediums. He was using text messaging to contact his army of follower anywhere and at anytime. He was using social network sites like YouTube, Twitter and Facebook to reach people on the Web. Through the use of these tools the feedback loop is nearly instantaneous. He also used more conventional methods like email to send important messages in the final days before the election. I felt he was out campaigning John McCain in a grassroots fashion similar to how a number of startups have leveraged it to spread the word. Interestingly, John McCain used the Internet in similar ways in prior elections but it seems he was out done in this election.

John McCain is a great man and a great American. He has served this country for a long time and I respect him deeply for it.  But in this Election 2.0, one that will be the subject of a number of case studies, he was battling the tight social connections that technology has brought to this world and so I think Barack Obama has rightfully earned not only the title of President Elect but also the first Tech President. I just hope he continues to connect and listen to the people through these various modes of communications as he tries to bring change to the United States of America.

Tropicana Helps Track Twitter Election Tweets

Watch election 2008 related twitter activity today thanks to the Tropicana micro-site that launched just in time for the election called An Orange America. Check out the live twitter analysis of proposition related information plotted with arches (above). Oh and don't forget to vote and tweet about it today.

The MBT Anti-Shoe Challenge

SOMEWHAT FRANK MBT Anti-Shoe Challenge from Frank Gruber on Vimeo.

Having comfortable shoes is important so I was intrigued recently to find out about MBT, a Swiss company that has made some changes to your typical shoe paradigm by creating the "Anti-shoe." I recently got my hands on a pair and put them to the test to see what they were all about. I have heard they help cure back pain and also contribute to burning more calories so I wanted to try the MBT anti-shoes for myself. I snagged a pair of MBT Loafers and I shared my experiences as part of my latest SOMEWHAT FRANK adventure in a personal technology lifestyle episode 56 if you are counting at home. You can watch The MBT Anti-Shoe Challenge  in HD.

GeoEye Office Visit & Tour Video

GeoEye Office Space Adventure from Frank Gruber on Vimeo.

GeoEye, is a satellite imagery company that has been in the news quite a bit lately, as they launched GeoEye-1 on September 6, 2008 via a rocket into space. GeoEye-1 is the first commercial satellite offering high resolution imagery. GeoEye-1 is also the exclusive provider of imagery for Google Earth and Google Maps.

I recently got a chance to visit the GeoEye headquarters in Dulles/Sterling, Virginia to speak with Mark Brender, VP of Communications and Marketing at GeoEye. He showed me around the office as we discussed their recent successes and future objectives. This is episode 55 on SOMEWHAT FRANK in HD adventures in a personal technology lifestyle, this time looking down from space thru GeoEye.

Social Media Life Discussed at Interact2008

Social media is life. I lifecast my photos, videos, thoughts, music and more to share with the rest of the world via the Web and mobile devices. Yesterday, I sat on a super panel moderated by Jesse Thomas of Jess3 at the Interact2008 conference with: Ken Kaplan of Intel, Jim Long a cameraman for NBC, Rohit Bhargava of Ogilvy PR, Debbie Weil a corporate blogging expert and Nick O'Neill of Social Times. The panel anchored the first annual two day digital media and marketing conference. It was a lot of fun as we all shared our social media perspectives, advice and stories. We even had Q&A via Twitter by monitoring this Twitter Leaderboard. It doesn't get more "social media" powered than that.

Video: Bolt Bus Travel Experience To NYC

Traveling from Washington, DC to New York City this week I decided to give a new bus service a try called the Bolt Bus. The Bolt Bus offer a relatively inexpensive way to travel as it was about $40 roundtrip. The service caters to the Internet savvy (and personal technology adventures like myself) as tickets are sold in advance online at BoltBus.com and the bus has wifi and electricity at available to every passenger. This itself makes that four hour drive fly by!

Come along as I venture from DC to NYC about the blazing red Bolt Bus for episode 49 on SOMEWHAT FRANK and offer up some perspective and tips on making your Bolt Bus experience a good one.

Riding The Bolt Bus Roundtrip DC to NYC from Frank Gruber on Vimeo.

TECH cocktail DC 3 Is Coming: Sign Up Now!

I am excited to announce TECH cocktail DC 3! We hosted our last TECH cocktail DC in the spring and since then have hosted a conference in Chicago, as well as mixer events in Chicago, Boulder and Boston. In case you missed these events you can check out the TECH cocktail photos.

Here are the important upcoming event details:

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Date: Thursday, October 2, 2008

Time: 6:30pm - 9pm

Venue: MCCXXIII: 1223 Connecticut Avenue, NW - Washington, DC 20036  (Map)

RSVP: tech-cocktail-dc-3.eventbrite.com

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If you are interested in sponsoring TECH cocktail DC 3 you can purchase a sponsorship online. Also if you are interested in demoing your startup product or service please contact me. See you there!

Video: BrickFair LEGO Fest 2008

LEGOs could be considered the building the blocks of your childhood war chest, as the tiny pronged bricks offer the ability to create just about anything you put you mind to.  I have not played with LEGOs in years but age is no barrier as both kids and adults alike can share a creative moment with LEGOs. I recently attended the 2008 DC BrickFair LEGO Fest to see some of the creative innovations being constructed with LEGOs. Also it is worth noting the event offers up a charity contribution to the SladeChild Foundation.

This weekend edition and episode 41 of SOMEWHAT FRANK TV, explores the LEGO Universe at the DC BrickFair LEGO Fest. Check out BrickFair video below as I chat with Todd Webb who organized the event for the first time. LEGO fans of all ages share their creations, films and knowledge with the rest of LEGO Land. Also you can check out these photos from the event.

MyDropBin: Gives Online Storage Control

Online storage has been something that I have been a little skeptical of over the past few years as certain storage sites have come and gone leaving users without access to their stuff. With solving this problem in mind, DC area blogger Jimmy Gardner decided to write up some specs and financed the creation of a new set of online tools. MyDropBin was launched to help users save and share stuff online.