San Francisco

We're stoked to announce the headliners of our upcoming Medical Cannabis Cup in the San Francisco Bay Area next month: Ghostface Killah, Raekwon and GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan will take the stage Saturday, June 22, 2013 at the Craneway Pavilion in Richmond, CA.

AngelPad, the San Francisco-based accelerator founded by former Googler Thomas Korte, held its sixth demo day yesterday. I wasn’t there (I know, it’s super-embarrassing), but I did get to meet with Korte and partner Carine Magescas today to talk about the newest batch of companies. Magescas said that in the three years since AngelPad was founded, “the premise of what we had in the beginning has been validated.” That premise breaks down to three main ideas, she said. First, she and Korte “push [the startups] really hard.” That’s particularly important in the company’s early stages, Korte said, because it can be hard for the founders to get honest feedback from their family and friends, and because making a relatively small change can have a big effect on a startup’s ultimate trajectory. Another reason the partners might be particularly tough on the startups is because they’re investing their own money. There’s no separate fund — at least not yet. (When I asked, Korte said, “There hasn’t been a fund to date,” followed by what may or may not have been a significant pause.) Second, Magescas said, “We are a really small family.” Twelve startups were chosen from thousands of applicants. The first AngelPad group had eight companies, and there was one with 15, but they’ve settled on a dozen for the last few classes. That allows the AngelPad team to spend a lot of time working one-on-one with each company. “I feel like it’s better to spend more time with less companies,” Korte said, adding that he’s realized that having a long list of well-known mentors isn’t as useful. There are outside experts who come in and give talks on a specific subject, but it really falls to Korte and Magescas to work closely with the founders. When you have too many different people offering “cookie cutter advice,” Korte said, “It hurts more than it helps.” Third, they said AngelPad has always had a strong focus on business-to-business companies. In fact, there’s not a single consumer-focused company in the current class, according to Korte — some of them might offer consumer products as part of their business, but none of them are focused on building large-scale, free services that make money from advertising. At the same time, Magescas said they’re open to consumer startups, they just have to be “really good.” So that’e the vision. Here are the companies, in alphabetical order: Audience.fm uses data from existing music services to help bands and marketers reach their desired audience. For example, if a band was making a tour stop in San Francisco, Audience.fm could identify the band’s biggest fans, and they could offer free or discounted tickets. Boxbee is a storage startup that delivers boxes to its customers. You fill the boxes with whatever you want to store, then Boxee picks up them up. It won the best new startup prize at this year’s Launch conference. Chasm.io is a content marketing network, where influencers and brands share content that they want to see promoted. Rather than getting paid for sharing sponsored content, it’s more of a quid pro quo system, where influencers are rewarded for successful sharing with points that they can redeem to share content of their own. DroneDeploy has built software for commercial drone operators (just to reemphasize — commercial drone operators, not military ones). The founders are former Googlers with machine learning PhDs from Cambridge and Edinburgh. We covered the company here. Fieldwire is a mobile task management system designed for workers who are out in the field. For example, it could be used by a team of construction workers while they’re on a construction site. HumanAPI aims to build an API for accessing all the data that’s being gathered on various health devices, sensors, and services. So i

Today in Day Around the Bay: Trans Latinas need city funds, a Whopper order dispute leads to a smashed window, art car protected in phone cases, local suspected in Czech deaths, and more. [ more › ]

The Atlanta Falcons are trying to keep pace with the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks in the NFC arms race. Does this mean they will sign free agent Richard Seymour?

Apple has expanded its 3D Flyover coverage in iOS 6 Maps to more of California, AppleInsider notes. Flyover has long been available for cities like San Francisco, but now covers areas such as Anaheim, San Bernardino, Santa Monica, Riverside, Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, and Moreno Valley. Some significant pieces of scenery include Disneyland and the Santa Monica pier....

Frozen Pensiveness. Filed under: San Francisco

A San Francisco Giants fan managed to catch a foul ball whilst holding onto his baby at AT&T Park on Wednesday. The San Francisco Giants were playing the Washington Nationals when the foul ball was hit into the stands towards the dotting father who was holding his baby in his left hand. Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford clipped the ball from a 2-1 pitch off the Nationals pitcher Tyler Clippard during the ninth inning of the game, and as it floated into the air the man just nonchalantly lifted up his right hand and caught the ball without ever looking like he might drop his child. His catch caused a huge cheer to erupt from the stands, and the incident was then replayed for the commentators to pass judgment on. The lead commentator states, “How about that play? We’re talking great athletes, all right let’s watch it … [the father catches the ball] not a problem. That’s a player.” The co-commentator then chimes in, “The little guy has no idea what is going on.” To which the other responds, “He has no idea how cool his Dad is.” In the past some father’s have been less concerned about the safety of their offspring, and the website Deadspin in 2010 amassed a highlight reel of father’s picking a foul ball over the well-being of their child. In August 2010, a man at a Houston Astros game moved out of the way of an incoming ball which went on to hit his girlfriend in the face. This incident lead to the demise of their relationship. In September 2009 a Phillies fan caught a foul ball at a Phillies vs. Nationals game only to then hand it to his young daughter who threw it back onto the field. What did you think of the San Francisco Giants fans catch? Do you think you would have been able to complete the catch? San Francisco Giants Fan Catches Foul Ball Whilst Holding Baby [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

New hardware companies are one of the hottest trends in the startup world. Instead of building apps and Web services, companies are building real physical hardware that you can buy and use. A lot of these find life on the crowdfunding site Kickstarter, where the community votes with its wallet on what gadget they want to use. Most notably, there's Pebble, a company that makes smartwatches, and Ouya, a company that makes an Android-based video console. Both companies have raised millions in regular VC money after seeing success on Kickstarter. But they're not alone. Check out some other cool hardware startups you need to know about.Grand St. helps hardware makers sell their products Startup: Grand St. Founded: 2012 Location: New York, NY Founders: Amanda Peyton, Aaron Hendhsaw, and Joe Lallouz Concept: An e-commerce consumer electronics marketplace. Why you should care: Grand St. is an online hyper-curated boutique that sells creative technology. Grand St. is a great way to discover new products because the site only stocks gadgets that have been tested by someone on staff. Funding: $1.3 million Pebble makes a smartwatch that connects to your Android phone or iPhone Startup: Pebble Founded: 2012 Location: San Francisco, Calif. Founder: Eric Migicovsky Concept: A fully customizable e-ink smartwatch. Why you should care: Pebble was one of the largest Kickstarter campaigns ever, raising over $10 million in about 30 days. The watch uses sports and fitness apps, allowing you to get notifications from your smartphone. Pebble also lets users wirelessly control music without having to remove your smartphone from your pocket. Funding: $26.1 million Ouya is a $99 game console that challenges traditional systems. Startup: Ouya Founded: 2012 Location: Los Angeles, Calif. Founders: Julie Uhrman and Yves Behar Concept: A $99 open-sourced video gaming console based on Android. Why you should care: Ouya is re-imaging how we consume video games. Traditionally, consoles cost upwards of $300, but this device is tiny and cheap. The Ouya runs its own version of the Android operating system and is in the process of developing exclusive content. The platform is completely open, meaning any Ouya owner and gamer can also become a developer. Funding: $23.6 million See the rest of the story at Business Insider Please follow SAI on Twitter and Facebook.

Early in free agency, Charles Woodson said he wanted to go a contender. The Raiders are not a contender. Even in the best possible scenario, I don't see Oakland making the playoffs. And I say this as a lifelong Raider fan who would like nothing more than a trip to the postseason.The talent just isn't there. Despite what is almost certainly to be a losing season in Oakland, Woodson won't wind up regretting his decision, and it's not because he didn't have options. Woodson, according to ESPN, wound up signing a one-year deal worth a maximum of $4.3 million that includes a $700,000 signing bonus. And the 36-year-old made this commitment after visiting the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos. Both of those teams would certainly qualify as contenders. However, both of those franchises likely offered Woodson a deal that wasn't up to his monetary wishes. It can be a dangerous proposition to forgo something that once seemed essential for an acceptable quality of life for more money. This is a fast track towards unhappiness—especially for people who are already wealthy.It won't in this instance. Woodson is not a veteran chasing an elusive Super Bowl victory. He already has won one. He did so with the 2010 Green Bay Packers, and he's spent most of his career on playoff teams. After being drafted by the Raiders with the fourth overall selection in the 1998 draft, Woodson left the Raiders following the 2005 season. During his seven seasons with the Packers, Woodson made the playoffs five times. And he was a huge reason why Green Bay was so successful. Woodson had long been regarded as one of the game's best corners, but while in Green Bay, he matured into one of the game's best players. In 2009, he won the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award to cement that status. However, it's not like his time with the Packers was Woodson's only opportunity to get a taste of the postseason. During his first tour with the Raiders, Oakland won three straight AFC West titles and made a Super Bowl appearance following the 2002 season.Woodson was also part of one of the more memorable plays in postseason history in that stretch. That came on a snowy night in Foxboro against Tom Brady and the Patriots. I'll refrain from posting video or getting into specifics for fear of my PTSD overtaking me. Instead, I'll post this epic pic of Woodson hauling in one of his 55 career interceptions. My point is, Woodson has accomplished just about everything there is to accomplish on an individual level, and he has done so while playing in many meaningful games. While winning never gets old, for some it might become less of a priority, especially if they've tasted team success before. Playing in Oakland isn't likely to lead Woodson back to the postseason this year, but it does offer him a different opportunity to have a rewarding season. The Raiders are in a transition phase as general manager Reggie McKenzie tries to rebuild this sinking franchise in a sustainable manner.Woodson can now step in and offer his experience to youngsters like rookie cornerback and first-round pick D.J. Hayden, and do so while being a needed and valuable part of the defense. He can help instill a feeling of tradition—one that actually comes from a time when the Raiders were competitive. And he has the chance to play for a fanbase that adores him. There is nowhere that Woodson could have gone to receive the support he will in Oakland. Woodson was reminded of this just before inking his new contract on his visit to the team headquarters. Check out his quote, which the Raiders tweeted, and the video from the fan rally:We've seen plenty of players return to their original franchise simply to retire. Woodson now gets a chance to do this while still making an impact on the field and in the locker room. This presents him the chance to be a true Raider legend whose imprint is ingrained in the DNA of the franchise, and that's not a bad way for a player who has accomplished everything t

The TCHO factory on the Embarcadero. [Photo: bluehillranch/Flickr] THE EMBARCADERO—The Young Professionals group of the local chapter of the Michael J. Fox Parkinson's Foundation is throwing a special fundraiser next Friday, May 31, at TCHO. Attendees will be able to sample unlimited wine and chocolate pairings, take a tour of the TCHO facility, and nosh on cheese paired with unlimited beer. Tickets are $75, and all proceeds will benefit efforts for Parkinson's research; a scientist studying the disease will talk about the latest findings as well. [EaterWire] THE MISSION—Hot on the heels of Chris Cosentino's foray into fashion design comes Mission standby Bender's Bar, which has teamed up with local boutique Self Edge to sell a special Bender's T-shirt. It comes in two versions: regular Gildan cotton for the plebes for $25, or The Flat Head loopwheeled heavyweight cotton for $125. (We're sure it says absolutely nothing about the current state of SF that you can drop $125 on a dive bar-themed T-shirt.) They're throwing a launch party tonight from 7-11 pm for those who want to snag one; drink specials will be available as well. [EaterWire] OAKLAND—Upstart Oakland food company Chunky Pig, which makes bacon chocolate-chip cookies and bacon caramel corn, is currently in the midst of a Kickstarter to raise funds for a commercial production facility, and to help pad their coffers, they're also throwing an "Oaktown Pig Out" at Kitchener next Tuesday, with a whole pig roast, bacon mac and cheese, and their aforementioned treats, plus $3 beers. Pledge $35 to get in. More info here. [EaterWire] RUSSIAN HILL—In addition to their aforementioned Spaghetti Sundays, Capo's is offering two more special deals, one for pizza and one for drinks. The pizza deal is Thin Thursdays, on which diners who order any cracker-thin crust pizza get a free house salad to go with it. It's supposed to be a diet/lighter eating thing for summer, but can easily be torpedoed with the other deal: a Build Your Own Old Fashioned bar, available from 5-6 pm each Wednesday-Monday through August 1. For $6, drinkers can choose either Angels Envy or John E. Fitzgerald Larceny bourbon, and modify it with their preferred sweetener and garnish. Bartenders and brand reps will be on hand to discuss the whiskey and offer pairing suggestions. [EaterWire]