NJ Tech Meetup - NJ's largest entrepreneurial and startup community.

The Ultimate Tech Gift Guide - For the Inner Geek in all of us

Thu, 10 Aug 2017 06:51:01 -0700

Written by Stacy Zolnikov | NJ Tech Meetup Member & serial technophile.

Forgot to get gifts this year and just realized its mid-December? Yeah, ditto. Fortunately, here's a list of pretty much the greatest (and affordable) products in 2016.

For the person who's allergic to mornings - Bonjour, an artificial intelligence based alarm clock, will ease the burden of waking up and magically make the hours before 9 am much more pleasant.

For the person who's permanently stuck at 2% - Mophie's got you're back (no pun intended).

For the magician - OvRcharge takes your phone charging needs to a heightened level.

For the outdoorsman - Anker charges your gadgets through the sun. Game changer for the environment and the user.

For the incognito type - everybody will think your either a slow reader or just really love reading the same book. Aside from being a really cool cover, BookBook holds more information than your classic book (provided you use it for your laptop).

For the perpetual daydreamers - Read More

The Dangers of Artificial Intelligence on Humanity - Starting with messaging apps and chatbot

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 06:07:34 -0700

Written by Stacy Zolnikov | NJ Tech Meetup Member & serial technophile.

Artificial intelligence, big data, machine learning, predictive analysis.

We've all heard the increase in these buzz words recently (or at least you should have if you've been paying attention), but what in the world does it all mean?

In a nutshell, it's the inevitable and scary future. Could you imagine a world in which we create software that surpasses human capabilities? Well, we're in that world, and Google is the lead pioneer.

How?

Well first of all, the search giant always has been the lead pioneer. It's search algorithm takes the first typed word and uses predictive analysis to populate suggestions based on anticipated keywords. Second, more strategically, they've bought almost every machine-learning and robotics company out there like Boston Dynamics, NestLabs, Bot & Dolly, Meka Robotics, and so much more!

Third, they have Ray Kurzweil leading it. I don't even know where to begin with this guy. He's a lunatic. He's a genius. He has a 30 year proven track record of accurate predictions. He's eerily freaking right about nearly everything. He and his team are building a "Google brain" - encompassing both hardware and software requirements - to ultimately replicate the way our inter-neural connections are formed and fired in real time. In his words : "Information defines your personality, your memories your skills. And it really is information. We ultimately will be able to capture that and actually recreate it".

Sounds scary? Well it...Read More

Google Express vs Amazon Prime: which on-demand service is the most promising Off to the races we go!

Thu, 06 Oct 2016 12:06:03 -0700

Written by Stacy Zolnikov | NJ Tech Meetup Member & serial technophile.
East Coast it’s time to rejoice! Why?
Because we’re all lazy and have zero patience. A couple weeks ago, Google Express announced they are expanding their services to the Northeast to include Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia, making the total U.S. population who has access to it at 75%. Well, technically, Google Express has been in New York City, Chicago, Boston and Washington D.C. since 2014 but let's not get nitty-gritty.
What’s Google Express?
It’s basically the same thing as Amazon Prime and Amazon Fresh but with a wider variety of merchant suppliers. They offer same-day delivery from your favorite local stores like Costco, Whole Foods and Guitar Center...because let's be real, if you’re going to be buying a $900 guitar you better get it right away. Reportedly, Target was one of the merchants but I'm almost certain it’s just a rumor.
Yeah, I’m super bummed too. That means we'll still have to physically go to Target and spend not only a superfluous amount of hours but also an entire paychecks worth of money when all you really needed were some hangers and maybe a cherry ICEE (don’t act like you don’t get them either).
Google Express hopes to provide a better and faster online shopping experience than Amazon Prime. Because sometimes fast just isn’t fast enough. But they have a long way to go. Amazon Prime, having over a decade of proven strategies and business models, is the main player in the on-demand shopping arena and whether Google Express can take the reign will vary on a...Read More

Making email fun again.

Thu, 06 Oct 2016 12:03:44 -0700

Contributed by: Gil Olsen
In this day and age, most email is a curse
but what would happen, if we only sent them in verse?
Our inboxes would clear, and our days would be nice...
Who would we thank, other than Aaron Price?
He started with one, then added some more
then came Dylan from Jet, to hire galore.
Now it's members replying, trying to be heros:
soon all your inboxes will be coveted  zeros.
Back in the day it was banners, (or so it would seem).
Next it was gifs, and then memes were a theme.
One trend to the next, better stick with the times,
Apparently now, we must step up our rhymes.
Need some more proof? Greg is the guy you should know,
Check out his handy work, copy/pasted below.
NJ Tech Meetup #70 Talking Failure w/ Jason Saltzman
By Gregory Shiff
Next time instead of three trains, I think I'll use Uber or lyft
I apologize for ironically I failed to arrive timely
But behold there's pizza leftover, the right ingredient for a Tech party.
Finally, NJ Tech Meetup, there I was taking the leap
Amongst a group to spark new connections to keep
A tech based community to learn, grow, and share ideas
Apps and websites, gaining inspiration from my peers.

Why try to be perfect when these experiences define
with failure you learn, improve, and refine
with mistakes comes greatness we sat by the fireside chat.
The NJ Tech Meetup is where it's at!
I wrote this for those who manage people on projects
the solution seekers and entrepreneurs balancing workload and profits.
If you reckon this paining...Read More

NJ Tech Meetup 76 w/ WeWork Head Of Digital Design, Bobby Ghoshal

Tue, 04 Oct 2016 11:23:08 -0700

Written by Stacy Zolnikov | NJ Tech Meetup Member & serial technophile.
At each NJ Tech Meetup, aspiring entrepreneurs take 5 minutes to pitch their “revolutionary” idea to an audience of entrepreneurs, engineers, designers, investors and other tech enthusiasts to spread their mission, acquire new talent, seek investor funding or if they’re good enough, be awarded the holy grail of startups….the NJ Tech Audience Choice Award. I mean, it’s no easy feat to stand up in front of a large audience and pitch an idea that may or may not be worthy enough of our time so kudos to all.
For those of you who missed the NJ Tech Meetup last night, here they are. Let us know what you think.
First…
Their mission: They want to give “every cyclist, living and working in NYC, peace of mind when leaving their bike in any given location.”
That’s right….all you bike thieves out there….these guys are on to you.
How it works: You enter your location, book your parking spot and drop it off at that location. Once your time is up, you pick it up.
The good: It gives users a sense of security that their bike is safely stored throughout the duration of whatever they may be doing. It also gives users a list of stores, bars, restaurants, and parks nearby.
The bad: There’s currently only 4 locations for users to choose from. Three of which are in Manhattan and one in Brooklyn. Additionally, users can only drop off and pick up bikes during the nook’s operating hours...which, for most bike shops, means it’s a bizarre schedule like 10:30 am to 4 pm….right between your working hours. For a city like Manhattan, on-demand services need to be available at all...Read More

Hoboken. Want to help?

Fri, 30 Sep 2016 10:10:11 -0700

Yesterday was the first time that I've used Facebook to mark myself as safe. Perhaps you did too. Using this tool was a sad reminder of the unfortunate reality that effects our world when tragedy strikes. While technology is an enormous aid in these times, I hope none of us have to use that feature again.
We're looking into setting up a crowdfunding campaign for victims of the crash, in particular for the daughter and family of the woman who was killed, a Hoboken mom. If you'd like to take the lead or be involved in this effort, please join the team here.
Many of you travel to/from work and to/from our events through the Hoboken Terminal, likely having stood exactly in the path of this train. It's all too relatable. Our hearts are with the victims of this crash. Our pride is with the Hoboken community that rallied to support the victims, in particular the first responders and NJ Transit workers who head into harm's way.
I'm proud of the community we share among the NJ Tech Meetup and the tech region as a whole. As we do at every NJ Tech Meetup, continue to high-five your neighbors.
Thanks,
Aaron
founder, NJ Tech Meetup
Read More

NJ TECH 70 Startup Teardown: Hooch | Explain Everything

Wed, 16 Mar 2016 14:46:05 -0700

Contributed by NJ Tech Meetup member, Gil Olsen.
You know the drill... at each NJ Tech Meetup, companies get 5 minutes and a brief Q+A to pitch whatever is most valuable to their mission... new users, new talent, an introduction to an investor for their next round, or, if they have their priorities straight, the coveted NJ Tech Audience Choice Award.
The "Startup Teardown" is a new format for previewing the pitch companies.
I some armchair analysis on the company, and then offer a critical first impression and place bets on their performance in the Meetup and in the market.
I hope the feedback offers the companies useful feedback from a blind user
First up....
There are roughly 50 million kids in K-12 US schools. About 2.3M (~4.5%) are using tablets.*
10% of those tablets use an interactive whiteboard app called Explain Everything.
Explain Everything is an Interactive screen casting and whiteboard mobile platform primarily for K-12 use. The company of the same name was Co-founded by Bartosz Gonczarek, Piotr Sliwinski, and Reshan Richards they have a team of 35 based in NY and Poland. In May of 2015, they raised a $2M Series A from 4 Venture firms and a handful of Private investors. They are launching a collaborative version of their whiteboard in the US tomorrow (March 16).
The app costs $3.99, and downloads increased 500% from 2012 to 2014. It also reach the #1 position of daily grossing apps in the Google Play Store inRead More

Who is Gary Vaynerchuk?

Tue, 08 Mar 2016 18:25:04 -0800

I went to the NJ Tech Meetup in July 2015 looking for an interesting member to profile for the blog.
Gary Vaynerchuk was speaking. I had barely heard of him prior to this, but there was a packed house to see him, so I took that as a decent sign. As he felt out the crowd, his chat built up. It became apparent that while Gary has the energy of a 6 year old hopped up on sugar at a birthday party, he also the chops of a seasoned businessman. He also cursed like a sailor, and essentially scolded the audience for about half the talk. As a first impression, it was a bit confusing.
He walked the crowd through his track-record and some of his current thinking on the current business ecosystem. He showed some vulnerability. He showed some humor. He showed some honesty. Everyone was there to see Gary, and they ate it up. I was looking for a different story.
At one point, he called out two two of his longtime fans in the audience, Gary Mele and “Sugar Ray”. Ray got up and adamantly told the audience (it almost felt like a warning) that “he WILL own the New York Jets!”
“Well listen… You better fuckin’ take care of your health, cause I need some more time, and you’re old, so get your shit together Sugar Ray.”
Ray responded, “And I want to publicly thank you for taking the time to calling me up with my wife and wishing us well on our 50th anniversary.”
Here’s a room full of people interested enough to pay money to listen to Gary, but Gary is interested in these two guys. I was curious about the backstory, but that wasn’t in the cards that evening… this exchange was the inflection point for a 15 minute rant. Gary turned up the heat.
“If you think those guys, from that generation, want to hear your bullshit whining that you ‘don’t have time’, GO FUCK YOURSELF.”
I knew right then that Gary and I had a lot in common, and he kept going.
“But...Read More

All you can Vee

Tue, 08 Mar 2016 18:25:00 -0800

Gary Vaynerchuk recently asked his audience, “am I putting out too much content?”
The answer is no. just like an all you can eat buffet, it’s definitely possible to consume so much that you’ll want to throw up.
Seth Godin has said people email him and say “I wish you would post less”. They love what he puts out, and they don’t want to miss any of it, so they just want him to dial it back for them. That's nonsense. The problem is, once you find a valuable source of content, you’ll feel like you’re missing out if you don’t consume everything you can.
Nonsense. Like an open bar, it’s ultimately the audience’s responsibility.
Over the past few months, I’ve tried a bit of everything at the table, and have an idea of the major narratives to pay attention to, and what type of content I prefer. When I head back to the buffet, I know what I like and get more of it.
For me, Gary’s place moving forward is a well vetted, well informed, well connected and well intended “new media” talking head.
I pay attention to Gary to get an oblique pulse on the evolution of social media advertising and marketing. I learn to appreciate the nuances of dominant and up-and-coming platforms and keep tabs on the evolution of social media without doing the heavy lifting myself.
I get the impression that most of Gary’s audience pays attention to gain intel for offensive strategy for their own business and brand. This is great, but I find even more value from a DEFENSIVE perspective, I’m aware of how we are being sold and can be more diligent with my attention.
1 red and 1 white wine at 10 AM? Gary... do you have anything to do with this?
Here’s the menu at the All you can Vee buffet… Part of a balanced New Media Diet.
PHOTO AND...Read More

One > Zero

Tue, 08 Mar 2016 18:24:55 -0800

Gary Vaynerchuk has a new book out, and it's likely you'll see it somewhere in your social feed or online.
Even if you've heard of him, you probably don't really understand his full story, or why he's worth listening to.
I’ve created a four part introduction to get critical people up to speed and provide some context to the "Gary Vee" content machine.
This is not meant for Buzzfeed.
Gary has been around for a while, and has a pretty solid business track record. His wine content show Wine Library TV was one of the first big successes on You Tube. Since then, he became an investor in many other platforms and startups, and now runs Vaynermedia, a digital social marketing agency. If you use the internet, you probably won’t be able to avoid him because he’s made it part of his life to be everywhere on the internet, all the time.
This “Social-media-Wine Guy” smells like bullshit on the nose.
Depending on which clip you watch, or when you catch him, these are all fair descriptors of Gary Vee:
Unfiltered. Abrasive. Cocky. Crass. Irreverent. Immature. Obnoxious. Unstable.
If you’re one to judge a wine by the first “sniffy sniff”, Gary probably won’t make it through your bullshit filter, though you’d be missing out. If you listen for a few more minutes, or watch a couple more clips, your list of accurate descriptors would start to include some of these words as well:
Kind. Serious. Sharp. Consistent. Productive. Fast. Honest. Caring. Loving. Transparent. Endearing. Accountable. Respectful. Generous.
He can come across as a hypocrite, but my impression is that he's more of a paradox worth paying attention to... and not just for information on social media strategy and content marketing.
For the past 6 months, I’ve...Read More