Instagram: Our office is in the arts district in downtown Ft. Lauderdale, which hosts a lot of events such as art walks and the recent Day of the Dead Festival. We also share our office with a photo studio. I’m constantly using Instagram to take and share photos.

Pinterest: Pinterest is an app that lets you take post photos from the web or pictures you take in person of things you like and “pin” them on virtual boards. This is a great way to organize your holiday shopping and keep track of the things you want because you know people are going to ask.

Spotify: This year a lot of great audio apps came out for the iPhone. Although I like using Rdio and Turntable.fm through their web or desktop clients, and Rdio built a strong iPad app, Spotify was the best choice for mobile. It allows me to share playlists with my friends and listen to them in the office or driving home from work in the car.

Cards: Last month Apple released this application which allows you to turn your photo into a greeting card and send it anywhere in the U.S. for $2.99 or anywhere in the world for $3.99. Although there aren’t hundreds of samples to choose from, they are letterpress cards. How cool is that?

Trippy: Trippy combines your friend’s social stream with your ideal vacation. It then allows your friends who have gone to, grown up around, or just know about your desired destination to offer input about things to see and do. All of your activity is then shared with those friends so they can take part in your experience.

Flow: Imagine that you have multiple tasks to manage and you have multiple people working on those tasks. Flow allows you to keep track of this and sends you notifications when each task is completed. It is a great app for managing workflow for projects or even the most basic to-do lists.

Lucyphone: I don’t know about you guys but I hate being on hold. Now that we’ve moved into our new office, we had to call an alarm company, the electric company, the cable company and make way too many other phone calls. Being on hold and listening to those recordings not only distract me from my regular workflow but they interfere with any work actually getting done. With this app, you can call the cable company for the third time in one day and it will wait on hold for you and ring you when a live person picks up.

Siri: If you have an iPhone 4S then you already know who Siri is. If you’ve been living under a rock for the past month, Siri is a personal digital assistant that used to be a downloadable app but now comes with the iPhone 4S. For me, Siri has become more like a robotic friend. You can ask her for any information and she will usually get you the answers you need. However once you get comfortable with Siri, it has an amazing sense of humor and talking back and forth with it becomes almost like a game to interact with it.



By Andy Vitale

About The Author: Andy Vitale is a Creative Strategist specializing in emerging technology and digital media. He has over twelve years of professional experience from designing National and International brands to teaching design practices and theories on the collegiate level. Andy spent five years as the Graphic Design Program Department Chair at a regionally accredited University. Staying on top of the latest trends, he has managed branding and marketing projects across various platforms from traditional to interactive media. He is currently the Creative Director for The Pancake Movement, a full service Creative Agency in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Finally, you can feel better about buying off a registry. After attending 6 destination weddings this year alone, there is pretty much nothing worse than shopping on other people’s registries, furnishing their homes and stylish new conversation pieces. Literally…what’s worse?

ETC may have a solution to make you feel a little less crappy about gift-giving in general—and definitely better about buying off a registry. Riding the wave of making donations rather than giving gifts, ETC has introduced a new way to purchase some unique items that also feeds your karma.

ETC will give 10% of the item’s price to recipient’s charity of choice. So while you’re browsing their dashing collection of candleholders, accessories, art, vases, and frames, you can rest assured that you’re doing a tad bit of good, even if your gift ends up collecting dust on the mantle.

ETC will also alert your guest list of your registry and even hold a registry revel reception in their chic Jefferson Avenue store. Register today (what’s the protocol on registering if you’re not actually getting married?) and the first 5 people to do so will receive a special gift from their collection.

To set up your registry visit etc-miami.com or you can follow them on Facebook.

When Miami Spice concludes at the end of the month, Miamians still have options that feature creative cuisine and perfectly paired wines. One of those options is the Tuscan Taste Menu at STK Miami. Beginning September 26 and running through November 30^th, STK has teamed up with Acqua Panna to present an inspired menu of Italian offerings developed by Chef Ralph Pagano.

We were invited by Acqua Panna to enjoy an advanced tasting of the Tuscan Taste Menu at STK last Monday, and can honestly attest that each course was better than the last. (And this is coming from a chef…).  If gluttony is a sin, send me to hell.

So a nice glass of water was definitely in order, and Acqua Panna was there to keep us hydrated along the way. Acqua Panna is one of the most well regarded premium still spring waters by chefs and sommeliers. Acqua Panna comes from a source located on a vast unspoiled reserve in Tuscany. The water travels during a 15-year journey from catchment area to the surface, and the superior velvety smooth taste of Acqua Panna natural spring water enhances the fine dining experience. Acqua Panna also brings the palate back to a neutral PH, and allows flavors to spread across the palate and gently refresh the taste buds. Long story short…it’s good water.

Diners are invited to enjoy a five-course prix fixe menu that includes:

Each meal is served with the Chef’s selection of wine pairings and a bottle of Acqua Panna. 

The tasting menu costs $156.40, without tax or tip, for two.

Visit STK’s website for reservations or call 305.604.6988.

 
The atmosphere is trendy without being cliché, and surprisingly upbeat without being overwhelming. Miami Pudding Publisher, Esteban Garcia, and myself had the pleasure of dining at Sustain last week, and it made us realize a few things: first, we love food, and second, we need to do more restaurant reviews.

 
Once we were seated, Beverage Director, Daniel Toral, visited our table to suggest a few wines and plan our menu for the evening. Even though their Miami Spice menu was full of decadent choices—in contrast to some of the Spice menus we’ve seen—we opted to let Toral and his Executive Chef, Alejandro Pinero, choose our courses, which included:

 
Turnip Carpaccio with LA lump crab meat, sweet summer Florida corn, Fresno Chile, micro greens, and avocado.
Grilled Octopus with cannellini beans, pickled onions, and radishes.
Fresh Burratta on a caramelized crostini.
Local Yellowtail Snapper on a bed of roasted fennel, crispy leeks, and saffron bisque.
Heritage Berkshire Pork Trio featuring Benton’s smoked bacon wrapped loin, pork cake, and sausage.
“Key Lime Pie,” a deconstructed version of the classic.
Pecan Pie that’ll make you want to slap your mother, and your grandmother.

 
Although their menu changes with the seasons (and specials change more often than that), there are a few staples, like the Fried Chicken that we heard about after the fact, and Snapper, which you can’t go wrong with.

 
Sustain also houses one of the happiest happy hours I’ve heard of in a while, featuring half price wines and cocktails and $3 light bites, their happy hour runs everyday from 5-7pm, and draws an eclectic group of midtown Miami-ites looking for a solid bite in a low-key atmosphere.

 
For more information on Sustain, check out the website or give them a ring at 305.424.9079.

Get your culture on with the New World Symphony’s season opener on Saturday September 24th at 7:30pm at the New World Center.
 

 
The evening will kick off with Tachaikovsky’s Fifth, followed up by a chic Symphony After Hours party at the Fontainebleau Hotel’s Glimmer Ballroom where guests will enjoy an exclusive performance by DJ Walshy Fire, live entertainment by Jorge Mejia and The Green Room, cocktails by Grey Goose, and light bites.
 

 
While the New World Center is nearly sold out, there are still plenty of ways to get your hands on tickets (although scalping outside a symphony is typically discouraged). Become a VIP member for the annual fee of a cool $400, which includes 8 concerts and 8 parties. Do the math and that’s about $25 each—less than 2 cocktails at most of the bars in Miami.
 

 
Become a “friend” of the symphony on any level and you’ll be helping to “promote classical music to a younger generation while broadening their philanthropic opportunities through support of the New World Symphony.”
 

 
To support future generations violinists and opera singers everywhere, contact Stacey.Glassman@nws.edu, and for more information on the New World Symphony, America’s only full-time orchestral academy, visit their website.

When the queen bee Anna Wintour says it will be so…it will be so. And here comes another installment of Fashion’s Night Out, Miami style. We’ve put together a list of the not-to-be-missed events going on in and throughout Magic City, so get out the plastic and get ready to shop.

Thursday, September 8^th, 2011

Miguel Paredes will be in attendance at Nordstrom at the Village of Merrick Park to showcase his latest works of arts, while models strike a pose in fierce fashions. Sip on cocktails designed by Bar Lab.

Blogger Beauty Bash at Bloomingdale’s at Aventura Mall. Jewel Figueras, Head Chick in Charge at Jewel’s Fab Life, invites all her fab friends for an evening of beauty, blogging, and fabulous swag. Follow along at #BloomiesBeautyBash on Twitter.

Over 50 stores are pulling out all the stops for Fashion’s Night Out at the Bal Harbour Shops: Chloe will have a live DJ, Saks features a Bulgari Casino, DVF offers a sneak peek at their new fragrance, Diane, and much, much more.

Fashion in the District! Running from 6-10pm courtesy of the Miami Design District, stores like Marni, Tomas Maier, Y-3, and more will showcase fall designs and provide exclusive sneak peeks of their new collections. Download this map to navigate through the fashion straight to the Grey Goose Bars.

Check back shortly for pictures of the best FNO events!

Miami based attorney and Miami Children’s Hospital Young Ambassador Leadership Committee Member , Michael Grieco and WSVN’s Louis Aguirre have come together to host an event to raise funds for the Miami Children’s Hospital on September 9^th at The Well in Miami Beach.

Miami Children’s Hospital is dedicated providing world-class care to children through their state of the art medical facility and 6 outpatient centers. Additionally the hospital has 10 pediatric specialty services that are recognized among the top in the nation by the US News and World Report.

Join young professionals and community leaders at The Well this Thursday; the event is open to the public and entrance is free, but donations are strongly, but politely, suggested at the door so bring your wallets and dig deep into your pockets for kids in our community.

The Well is located at 444 41^st Street Miami Beach, and the event starts at 7pm.

South Florida welcomes in another party month in Miami and boy, have we got some sizzling events for you in September. Labor Day weekend is upon us, and this can only mean one thing. Parties!

As a DJ and Producer here in Miami, I will be giving readers of Miami Pudding the lowdown on which events and parties to circle on your calendar…so get your party hat ready for some serious usage.

SATURDAY’S – NV @ THE CLEVELANDER (C-LEVEL)

Saturday day times just arrived on the map with a new exclusive house party hosted by GMT Promotions. The event will be launched by NV MIAMI and will kick into action on September 3rd from 1pm-8pm and run EVERY Saturday at this world famous location. The C-Level is the Clevelander’s signature rooftop terrace, which attracts the hip and sexy Miami clientele and tourists alike.

On the Terrace you can indulge in the best views of South Beach, Ocean Drive, Downtown Miami, and the Atlantic Ocean while sipping champagne, exquisite cocktails, or hosting a bottle with your friends…which is what Miami’s all about. DJ & Producers Ollie Sanders provide live entertainment while Chris Mackay and Aramis Vega spin cutting edge house music.

Hosting the event is local legends Rene and Kanen along side sponsors Miami Pudding so get ready for ultimate envy!

Admission is free. Bottle Specials all day. NVMiami.com

SUMMER SEASON CLOSING PARTIES @ SPACE!

Space has become accustomed to ‘seasonal’ closing parties, which in my opinion is a great marketing ploy as the venue gets packed wall to wall for these events in the first week of September.

But fear not, within four to five weeks along with a lick of paint and maybe a new laser show (needed) we have the opening parties. Unlike Ibiza which comes to a grinding halt in the closed season from October to early May, waiting four or five weeks is welcomed for opening parties. I hope this venue manages to step up the entertainment value to compete with such Ibiza clubs as Amnesia and Space. If your new to the club scene and haven’t yet experienced the parties at Space Miami yet, then grab your shades and head to the closing parties on Saturday 3rd, where you will find renowned DJ BORIS playing on the Terrace along side Space owner and Resident DJ Louis Puig. Sunday, September 4th has Loco Dice and Guti performing live on the Terrace while Markus Schulz tears up the Ballroom with an opening set by Luccio. What a weekend!

Tickets: clubspace.com or wantickets.com

SUNDAZE @ THE SHORE CLUB.

Sunday, September 4th sees Miami’s No.1 Sunday Pool Party welcome
international DJ George Acosta. This pool party is slammed every Sunday, so don’t be surprised when you see a big line outside for this road block
event. Arrive early to avoid disappointment.

The event is presented by local celebrity English John and Resident DJ Jason Vernau. Manager Matt Gentile and his staff welcome you along side local DJ’s and VIP Hosts that make this party one of a kind.

The party kicks off at Noon till 8pm and you could find yourself rubbing shoulders with some A-List celebrities as they are always spotted at this local favorite hotspot.

Saturday September 10th @ Mansion

Funkagenda @ Mansion can only be described as epic! A devoted passion for house music, and embrace for technology has projected Funkagenda to be a Pioneer in electronic dance music. His sound of tough, but melodic, big room house tracks lists him as one of the greatest entertainers doing the club circuit, tearing up clubs all over the world and guess what….he is arriving in Miami yet again for a stomping night at one of America’s most famous nightclubs, Mansion.

Tickets for this event are on sale at wantickets.com for as little as $20 so grab them while you can. I wouldn’t be surprised if the cost goes up to $80 or even higher on the door so to experience an Elite DJ and producer such as Funkagenda for peanuts I would highly recommend you
check it out before sales sell out.

http://www.wantickets.com/Events/91506/Funkagenda-at-Mansion/

Here is a list of some other events I recommend for September.

Thu 9/1/2011 – Tech Support @ Electric Pickle – DJ’s Troncoso,
Cocodrills, Jared Esdale & ALX
Fri 9/2/2011 – Nic Fanciulli @ SET
Sun 9/4/2011 – Movement Presents Riva Starr @ SET
Thu 9/8/2011 – Karl Kennedy & Markus Binapfl @ Arkadia
Fri 9/9/2011 – Joe Maz @ Arkadia
Sun 9/11/2011 – Ollie Sanders, Jason Vernau, Tavin Reiter SUNDAZE
@ Shore Club
Sat 9/17/2011 – Cosmic Gate @ Mansion
Sat 9/24/2011 – Oscar G presents Made in Miami @ Mansion
Sun 9/25/2011 – David Penn @ SET

Until next month, drink responsibly and have fun!

_____________
This months Chart Toppers

Ollie Sanders Top 5 Tech House

1. Tom Novy, Danny Freakazoid & Strobe – Underground People (D Nox & Beckers
Remix)
2. Milk & Sugar – Hia Ma Pata Pata (DJ PP Vocal Remix)
3. Hardrive – Deep Inside (Stefano Noferini Remix)
4. Ant Brooks – Ocho (Original Mix)
5. Belocca – True (Original Mix)

Ollie Sanders Top 5 Floor Fillers

1. You’ve Got The Love (Mark Knight Bootleg)
2. Tom Sawyer – South American (Mdkaos 2011 Bootleg)
3. Andrew M, Peter K – Gyngo (Slicerboys Remix).
4. Stromae vs Starkillers – Alors On Danse (Sasha Dith Mash-Up)
5. Goldtrix – Trippin (David Tort Unreleased Mix)