Instead of waiting in lines outside of designer sample sales, you can now shop from home, work, or on your iphone! If you haven’t heard of Gilt, actually formed in 2007 and over 1.7 million members strong, it is a pioneer in the U.S. and one of the leaders in the very hot e-commerce “deal space” industry.Sample sales have often been defined by inconvenient times and locations, and only a small number of people actually had access to them. Now, this concept is alive online and can be brought to people all across the country.

Really loving the deals on this site so here’s some info we came across that we’d like to share:

Invitation Only Shopping
Gilt Groupe offers access, by invitation only, to Men’s, Women’s, Children’s and Home desired fashion and luxury brands at prices up to 70% off retail. The sales last for 36 hours and present hand selected styles from a single designer.

First Come, First Served
The sales take place on www.gilt.com and the full collection of merchandise will always be available at the start of the sale. It is important for members to log on early before everything is sold out!

Advance Preview
Each brand is introduced a few days before the sale begins. Gilt presents designer bios and show previews of upcoming sales.

Jetsetter:

Invitation-Only Travel Sales
Jetsetter gives members insider access, knowledge, and elite deals on the world’s best vacations. All the hotels featured are hand-selected by Jetsetter, and the sales last five to seven days.

Some Current sales:

Hotel Maya – Long Beach, CA
Hotel Teatro – Denver
Hotel Commonwealth – Boston
Alladale Wilderness Lodge – Scottland
The Pines Lodge – Beaver Creek
Tiamo Resort – The Bahamas
The beach House Inn – Maine

On Monday, Steve Jobs announced the phone that we’ve been waiting to hear about all year: The Iphone 4G! This phone is 10x more impressive than the last Iphone 3G and I can tell you that I am very impressed. I am definitely buying the new Iphone and can’t wait to get it in the palms of my hands, regardless of the long lines!. Enough talk, let’s see what the new Iphone has to offer. It comes with 100 new features, so take a look here at some of the best ones.

Features of the iPhone 4

9.3 mm thick (that’s 24% thinner than the iPhone 3GS)
Front-facing camera
Micro SIM
LED flash for the camera
A second microphone for sound cancellation
Integrated antennas
Glass on the front and the back
326 pixels per inch display
Powered by Apple’s A4 chipset

FaceTime brings video chat to the iphone 4G

This front-facing camera is going to be very useful to make video calling.
Here’s a video to see how this works:

A huge improvement is: A bigger battery. This means the Iphone can last a lot longer than before!!
7 hours of 3G talk time
6 hours of 3G browsing
10 hours of wifi browsing
10 hours of videos
40 hours of music
300 hours in standby

Also,check out the integrated antennas
If you look at the edge of the iPhone 4G, you can see 3 lines that are part of the structure of the device. With the iPhone 4G, Apple introduced something new.

Retina Display makes the iPhone 4G an HD device

Retina Display dramatically increases the pixel density by 4 in the same amount of space.The result is that you get far more precised display.

What do you think of the iPhone 4? I’m personally really excited about FaceTime…Are you impressed?

If you haven’t heard of UrbanDaddy, then you should read this blog! It is a website that I use to learn more about what San Francisco offers. UrbanDaddy is a free daily email dedicated to delivering you the information you need to know every day about your city. You will receive details on the finest: food & drink, style, entertainment and travel.

Not only does UrbanDaddy offer the latest information in your city, but they also provide perks! UB’s perks can include: Invitations to exceptional parties, exclusive give-aways (we hear Aspen is great this time of year) and special sales with some of the most fashionable brands around. Currently UB members can sign up to win: a private meeting with Seinfield in Vegas, a free night in a poolside Bungalow at The Breakers in Palm Beach, and the best seats in the house for Green Day’s Broadway show! UB is also offering discounts for renting Lamborghini’s and 50% off for men at the luxurious Elysian Spa!

For more info, check out: http://www.urbandaddy.com/about#ixzz0pFfbvlVs
Make sure to download their Iphone application too!

Learn How Groupon Works! from The Point on Vimeo.

How can anyone refuse daily deals offered in San Francisco? These bargains include discounts at: restaurants, gym memberships, laser hair removal, cruises, events, and much more. Who doesn’t love a deal? Andrew Mason produced Groupon in 2008 to, “make it easier for people to enjoy the great things in their community…we do it by offering daily deals at unbeatable prices through the power of group buying.” Groupon offers stunning deals for cities all over the United States, Canada, and is currently expanding as I write. Groupons main focus is on “unusual, special and niche things in each market.”

Groupons deal today:

$15 for $30 Worth of Indian Fare and Drinks at Maharani Restaurant. Did I sign up for it? Of course I did! This deal works up to two people, but if you are not an Indian food lover, it can always be a gift for a friend who is. Maharani has also been listed as “one of the top 10 Romantic Restaurants in San Francisco” – About.com I’m looking forward to eating here and receiving this fabulous deal. Here is the website.

How does Groupon work?

A specific number of people must sign up for the daily deal, and if not enough people sign up to reach the minimum, then no one receives the deal. Just because you sign up for the deal does not necessarily mean you will receive it, which means you should encourage your friends to join!

Now that you are aware of this incredible website, Groupon, then there is no excuse not to sign up and receive these outstanding unbeatable deals. Enjoy!

Life is complicated; why should our surroundings be equally cluttered? These days it’s about simplifying your life. We’ve lost the paper when it comes to bills, lost the frills when it comes to design, and lost the yearn for extravagance. We don’t see minimalism as bare, we see it as simple.

Here are some of our favorite new products brought to us by Yanko Design to minimalize your life– as well as our own tips to be on the fast track to minimalism.

Eat, Cook and Clean Up, All At The Same Table

http://www.yankodesign.com/

Visual Treats

http://www.yankodesign.com/

Wasteful Minimalism

http://www.yankodesign.com/

Designing Your Home
Halfway between your love for French country and your taste for Tuscan elegance you found yourself in well… ugly. For whatever project you’re working on, know your vision early, and stick to it.

Cooking Your Meal
This is a great chance to go green and minimalize at the same time. Pick an ingredient that is seasonal and local, and go with it! Let the flavor stand out. Sometimes less is more when it comes to food.

In Your Closet
Its time to let go. Some pieces will never leave, like your wedding gown. But your acid wash jeans? So long! Generally what I’ve heard is, if you haven’t worn it in a year, its time to give it away. And when it comes to getting dressed? Same rules apply. Keep it simple.

That said, we like a little bling too