Tech Search Party is in the Books.  Thanks to everyone that made 3.0 such a success.  Because of your participation and support, we raised over $18K for the technology programs at Alvarado Elementary, James Lick Middle School and Marshall Elementary.

Before we get to final standings and prize winners, a final word of thanks to all of this year’s sponsors.

Google
Back for a third year, our friends in Mt. View are happy to support our annual geekapalooza.

Wyse Technology
Joining us a sponsor for the first time, Wyse provides cloud clients; computers that are just like PCs except they don’t break down and they last a heck of a lot longer.

Circle Bank
Championing the entrepreneurial goals and personal visions of their customers by delivering uncommonly friendly, responsive and respectful service and enriching the communities they serve.

First Republic Bank
First Republic Bank represents a distinctive model in private banking and wealth management. With a sharp focus on extraordinary, personalized service, First Republic addresses the needs of its private banking clientele with products that are flexibly delivered in a timely manner. Member FDIC.

Verizon Wireless
Another first-time sponsor, that whole wireless technology thing might really come in handy on Feb. 4.  Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s largest, most reliable 3G network and the nation’s largest 4G LTE network.

Wired.com
Wired.com is the online partner of WIRED magazine, offering 15 million monthly readers an insightful mix of real time news, opinion, reviews and how-to tutorials from the front lines of technology and culture.

Award Winners
The answers to all of the questions have been published on the Tech Search Party blog, which you can find here.  As to our prize winners, our top three finishers are:

1. Team Kai
2. Is our children learning?
3. Trot for Teacher

The Geek Squad at TSP Headquarters went to the email time-stamps to confirm that just seconds separated the top 5 finishers.  Just shy of geek dominance were Seriously? in 4th place and Achilles HEAL rounding out the top 5.

• The award for Best Team Name went to DroidUnderMyBum.
• The PG&E Corporate Challenge was won by the Indominable Immersion Mamas, and
• The Condescending Ribbon went to, not surprisingly, the team called We’re Here for the Beer

Thanks again for the prize donations from:

• Coffee & Power gift certificates
• Case of Cole Hardware wine.
• Plantronics headsets
• Seesaw gift certificates
• Copies of The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness
• Sifteo Cubes
• Sports Basement gift certificates

Degree of Difficulty
Full explanation of the clues solved is here, but it turns out that Question 2, Moto, Apoy, Feuer, proved to be the most difficult to solve.  Questions 3 (Ray met here in a SOHO club) and 8 (the QR code for Pixie Hall Studios) were solved by the most teams.

Final Standings
Below are the final standings with the number of correct answers per team.  Every team was time-stamped so this is the exact order.  We’ve included the time-stamps for the top five teams to give you a peak at just how close this baby was.  Seriously?, being fifteen seconds out of the money, is aptly named, don’t you think?

1. Team Kai    10    (8:14:19)
2. Is our children learning?     10    (8:14:26)
3. Trot for Teacher     10    (8:17:06)
4. Seriously?    10    (8:17:19)
5. Achilles HEAL    10     (8:18:32)
6. Regular Expressionists    9
7. Team with a TechSearch Tattoo      9
8. Bankin’ On Our Looks    9
9. Miraloma Dragon Behinds    9
10. Pish Posh! All that Jam and no toast!    9
11. We’re techin’ the prize tonight!     9
12. Future Techies & One Old Guy    9
13. Being smart is cool!    9
14. Oh Noe They Didn’t!    9
15. DroidUnderMyBum     9
16. Moms on a Mission     9
17. Indomitable Immersion Mamas     9
18. Top Corner       8
19. Doc’s Crew       8
20. Team PT&A      8
21. The Fruitcups     8
22. Pronoiacs    8
23. Parker     8
24. Mockingjay    8
25. Frito Banditos    8
26. Alvarado Elementary, My Dear Watson     7
27. Veggie Guice 2.0 Cloud Experience    7
28. Noe Holmes 2 Go 2    7
29. Noe-it-alls    7
30. Kvetchers Whine Club    6
31. Poodle Private Eyes    6
32. The Heat    6
33. DragonRAzz     6
34. HULT Noe-It-Alls    5
35. Team Hero    3
36. Vigo    3
37. We’re here for the Beer    1
38. Lucky Stars    0
39. Placeholder Name    0
40. Sunset surfers     0

The Geek Squad are still tabulating final results.  It’sthatclose.  But in the meantime, we can tell you which questions were hardest and which were easiest.

My early estimate was that Question 4, Noe Valley Meets Mendeleev, would prove the most difficult, but that one was solved by most of you.  Turns out that Question 2, Moto, Apoy, Feuer, was the one that was answered the fewest times. 

Of course, it could have something to do with where the clue was hidden at Station 24

Here's the complete ranking in order of most difficult questions:

• Question 2    14
• Question 10   21
• Question 9    26
• Question 5    29
• Question 6    32
• Question 1    28
• Question 7    33
• Question 4    33
• Question 8    35
• Question 3    35

Thanks to all who joined in for Tech Search Party last night.  It was a great turnout, the weather cooperated, and more than $18K was raised for Alvarado Elementary, James Lick and Marshall Elementary.

Final standings were amazingly close.  Five teams all correctly solved all 10 clues, but only the top 3 finish in the money, so to speak.

Congrats to our prize winners:

1. Team Kai
2. Is our children learning?
3. Trot for Teacher

The Geek Squad at TSP Headquarters went to the email time-stamps to confirm that just seconds  separated the top 5 finishers.  Just shy of geek dominance were Seriously? in 4th place and Achilles HEAL rounding out the top 5.

The award for Best Team Name came down to these finalists:

• Alvarado Elementary, My Dear Watson
• DroidUnderMyBum
• The Frito Banditos
• Is our children learning?
• Miraloma Dragon Behinds
• Moms on a Mission
• Placeholder Name
• Trot for Teacher
• Veggie Guice 2.0 Cloud Experience

DroidUnderMyBum came away with first place.  Honorable mention goes to Team With a TechSearch Tattoo.  I honestly thought they were bluffing, but clearly they meant business.

Tech Search Party comes together with lots of help, not the least of which is

• Diane Smith, Dan Lanir, Darren Platt and Chris Stover for heading up our reporting
• Chester Hartsough for leading the charge at James Lick
• Michele McMahon-Cost for bringing the energy from Marshall Elementary
• Carmen Bal for being such an amazing help with this Web site
• Todd David for helping to guide government and sponsor outreach
• Supervisor Scott Weiner for helping out for the third year running
• Supervisor Jane Kim, Mayor Ed Lee, Hydra Mendoza and the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services
• Lucia Coronel for Spanish translation and overall support

Tech Search Party, the Third, is in the bag.  Thanks for everyone who participated and I hope you had as much fun playing as I did in putting this together.

Without further ado, here are the answers.  Don’t hate me.

Question 1:  Mac, Carbo
Answer:  Why, famous Bernie’s, of course.  Game Six, baby!
Location:  Bernie’s Coffee Shop.  3966 24th Street (between Sanchez & Noe)

Question 2: Moto, Apoy, Feuer
Answer: All of these words mean ‘fire’
Location:  They are on the outside wall of the SF Fire Department Station 24, at 100 Hoffman Avenue.

Question 3: Ray met her in a Soho club
Answer: Ray Davies, that is.  Singer and lyricist for The Kink’s song “Lola”
Location:  LOLA of San Francisco. 1303 Castro (between 24th & Jersey)

Question 4: Noe Valley Meets Mendeleev
Answer:  Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev created the Periodic Table of Elements, which includes the element Zinc.
Location: Le Zinc French Bistro, 4063 24^th Street

Question 5: Between Royal and Regent
Answer: The halfway point between Royal Cleaners (1461 Church) and Regent Thai (1700 Church)
Location: It is .027 miles and 508 steps between Royal and Regal.  The point equidistant is 1580 Church Street, at Lehr’s German Specialties.  I burned 21.7 calories taking this measurement.

Question 6: Site of original Noé home
Answer: No less an authority than Wikipedia claims that José de Jesús Noé, the last Mexican alcalde (mayor) of Yerba Buena (present day San Francisco), had an adobe house located in the vicinity of the present day intersection of 23rd Street and Douglass Street.
Location:  The answer was posted at Sunshine Market

Question 7: Grant vs. Pemberton @ the beginning
Answer: Lt. General John C. Pemberton met Maj. General Ulysses S. Grant at The Seige of Vicksburg in 1863.  The siege took place near Vicksburg, Mississippi.  The Confederate surrender following the siege at Vicksburg is sometimes considered, when combined with Gen. Robert E. Lee’s defeat at Gettysburg the previous day, the turning point of the war.  “The Beginning” refers to the first house on the block.
Location: 1 Vicksburg Street

Question 8:
Answer:  What?  You don’t know what a QR code is?  Now you do.
Location: Pixie Hall Studio, 649 Diamond Street

Question 9: Most bears are these, with the exception of polar bears and pandas
Answer:  Did you know bears are omnivores?  Are humans?  Discuss amongst yourselves.
Location:  Omnivore.  3885a Cesar Chavez Street

Question 10: The crucial hint to this crossword puzzle was tweeted, to 2 Down and 3 Across
Answer: The two combine to spell ‘Comerford”
Location: Comerford Street, named for Joseph Comerford who was one of the builders who constructed homes in Noe Valley when it was still called Horner’s Addition.  Comerford is between 27^th and Duncan Streets, and between Sanchez and Church Streets.

There are two strategies to winning a Tech Search Party.

First and foremost: “Get all of the answers right faster than anyone else.”  Yes, brilliant in its simplicity, isn’t it?

Second, and only slightly less important:  “Wear comfortable shoes”

The best way to assure strategy 1 above is to follow us on Twitter for clues throughout the evening.  We’re @TSPNV

For strategy 2, here are some words of wisdom from the Interweb:

“Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you’re a mile away and you have their shoes.”  Senator Jack Handy

“I was sad because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet. So I said, “Got any shoes you’re not using?” Steven Wright

“If American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain when I’m in the White House, I will put on a comfortable pair of shoes myself, I’ll will walk on that picket line with you as President of the United States of America.” Sen. Barack Obama (2007)

“And whenever I’m in a situation where I’m wearing the same as 600 other people and doing the same thing as 600 other people, looking back, I always found ways to make myself different, whether it be having a red lining inside of my jacket, having red shoes, it hasn’t changed.” Jeremy Irons

I did not have three thousand pairs of shoes, I had one thousand and sixty.” Imelda Marcos

Well, this is fun.  The people behind the new film Journey 2:The Mysterious Island are offering free passes to an advance screening to Tech Search Party attendees.  There will be some Journey 2 paraphernalia on hand as well.  The first 50 people to show up on Saturday can lay claim to passes for the screening which airs on Monday February 6th at the Century 9 (in the Westfield San Francisco Centre) at 6:30 PM.  The movie officially opens on Feb. 10.

Early word out of Hollywood is that Dwayne Johnson’s portrayal of Josh Hutcherson’s step-father is nuanced and masterful, possibly leading to The Rock’s long-overdue recognition from The Academy.

At this point, we are unable to confirm whether Josh, Dwayne, Vanessa Hudgens, Michael Caine, Luis Guzman or any of the other stars will be in attendance.

Heads up that there is parking o’plenty for Saturday night’s Tech Search Party.  You don’t always have that luxury with city living, but James Lick is offering on-site parking for only $5.00.  The only catch is that you must retrieve your car by 9:30.  M.U.S.T.

Don’t let this morning’s mist worry you.  Saturday’s weather forecast calls for partly cloudy with no rain but a strong chance of prizes.

Momentum is picking up with nearly 30 teams are now signed on, and the Miraloma Dragon Behinds are forcing their way into the conversation for best team name.

Here’s the official Tech Search Party press release.  Check out the list of supporters!

Smart Phone Scavenger Hunt Descends on San Francisco With Annual Tech Search Party Geek Teams Compete for Prizes To Raise Money for Local Public Schools

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – January 31, 2012 –  Tech Search Party, San Francisco’s premiere smart phone scavenger hunt, returns for its third annual event on Saturday, February 4, 2012.

Tech Search Party lets participants ‘Get Their Geek On’ while trekking around San Francisco’s Noe Valley with their phones and friends, all to improve the technology infrastructure at local educational institutions.  Smart phones are a necessity, so Droids, Razrs, Galaxys, Rezounds, iPhones and iPads will be out in full force.

Event Details:
Date:               Saturday, February 4, 2012
Time:               5:15 to 8:00 pm
Location:          1220 Noe Street, at 25^th Street
Fee:                 $50 for teams of up to four; $75 for teams of up to six
Registration:    http://www.techsearchparty.com, with on-site registration available

“The Tech Search Party scavenger hunt is Bay to Breakers crossed with a Mensa meeting,” according to event organizer Tim Smith.  “It’s a great way to help our local schools raise much-needed dollars due to devastating state budge cuts to education.  It also happens to be a blast.”

Tech Search Party is a smart phone scavenger hunt ideally suited for the gadget-savvy.  Deciphering enigmatic clues leads teams to various locations throughout Noe Valley.  When teams find the clues, they simply notify event organizers and move on to the next.  The first team to discover all clues or the team with the most clues after two hours will hold bragging rights throughout all geekdom and win prizes such as:

• Coffee & Power gift certificates
• Case of Cole Hardware wine.  Really.
• Plantronics headsets
• Seesaw gift certificates
• Copies of The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness
• Sifteo Cubes
• Sports Basement gift certificates

PG&E Corporate Challenge
This year marks the introduction of the PG&E Corporate Challenge.  For businesses that wish to participate as a group, Pacific Gas & Electric has formed it’s own team and challenged other organizations to participate in Tech Search Party.  Teams registering for the PG&E Corporate Challenge pay a higher registration fee, but are eligible for cash prizes courtesy of PG&E.  The winning team from the PG&E Corporate Challenge will win $250.  To register for the corporate challenge, business can register at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/508624309

All proceeds raised go directly to local public school PTAs.  Participating schools are Alvarado Elementary School, James Lick Middle School, and Marshall Elementary School.

Below are comments from Tech Search Party sponsors and supporters:

“San Francisco is the innovation capital of the world, and I’m delighted to support the Tech Search Party as an innovative event that highlights our need to support education through creative public and private partnerships.” San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee

“This will be the third time I’ve been able to help spread the word about Tech Search Party.  It’s encouraging to see the community and sponsors rally behind the event in order to improve our schools.”   Scott Weiner, San Francisco Supervisor, District 8

“As a former Board of Education member and youth service provider, I’m excited to support Tech Search Party.  To be able to provide much-needed funds for schools in Districts 6 and 8, while also delivering an entertaining evening for participants is no small feat.  I encourage everyone to join in.” Jane Kim, San Francisco Supervisor, District 6

“Many Googlers call Noe Valley and the Mission home, so we are very pleased to be involved for the third consecutive year in such an ingenious and fun education fundraiser as Tech Search Party.”  Veronica Bell, Google

“Wyse Technology is very passionate about improving the technology tools available to students and teachers.  Tech Search Party is a unique opportunity to help out underfunded public schools while having some fun at the same time.” Jeff McNaught, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, Wyse Technology

“The entire WIRED family prides itself on living on the front lines of technology and culture, and Tech Search Party is exactly that.  This event delivers the innovation of Silicon Valley to help support public education in San Francisco.”  Evan Hansen, Editor in Chief, Wired.com

“Tech Search Party is a perfect mash-up of technology, fun and fundraising.  This is a great way to use smartphones and tablets to support our public schools.”  Kevin Zavaglia, region president for Verizon Wireless

“One of our founding principals is to give back to the communities in which we conduct business, and Tech Search Party is a great opportunity to give back to San Francisco citizens, educators and students.  Circle Bank has supported Tech Search Party since it’s inception and we’re happy to be associated with such an exciting way to help local schools.”  Kimberly A. Kaselionis, President & CEO, Circle Bank

“PG&E is excited to kick off the PG&E Corporate Challenge at this year’s Tech Search Party.  It’s a great event for a great cause, and we are looking forward to participating, and hopefully encouraging other organizations to take part.”  Ontario Smith, Pacific Gas and Electric Company

For more detail on sponsorship opportunities, or to learn more about Tech Search Party, please visit www.techsearchparty.com

We are now in the home stretch so we’ve decided to finalize the prizes.  Here is the list of what’s officially up for grabs on Saturday night.

First Place:
Sifteo Game Cubes. There will be one for every member of the team.  These look like an absolute blast, and we’re hoping to have some folks from Sifteo showing them off before the gig.  First place winners also receive a copy of The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness, because even the smartest team wants to keep that edge and defend their title next year.

Second Place:
This will be a combined Geek Pak from Plantronics and Coffee and Power.  You’ve no doubt heard of Plantronics; Coffee & Power is an online marketplace where people can buy and sell small jobs.  Each team member gets a gift certificate from Coffee & Power to give it a try, as well as — you guessed it — a coffee mug.

Third Place:
A case of wine from Cole Hardware.  Don’t worry, they don’t make the wine themselves   As well as gift certificates from Seesaw, a very cool studio and cafe in The Mission that specializes in education and support for kids and parents.

Condescending Ribbon:
For the last team to get at least one answer correct, we have some more copies of The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness; because — clearly — this team needs to get smarter.

Best Team Name:
Gift certificates from Sports Basement go to the team with the best team name.  Early leaders are The Headlice Horsemen and Team PT&A, so clearly there’s a strong relationship between ‘best’ and ‘strangest.’  Only teams that pre-register are eligible for this award.

PG&E Corporate Challenge:
We’ve written about this already, but whatever team that registers for the PG&E Corporate Challenge is eligible to win $250 cash money, on top of any of the other awards.

Finally, I see no reason why sponsors aren’t also eligible to win prizes.  The team from First Republic Bank has already registered.  We hope to also see teams from all sponsors: Google, Wyse Technology, Circle Bank, Verizon Wireless and Wired.com.  If a sponsor team wins, it’s on the up and up and there will be no whining.

Now that you know what’s at stake — not to mention bragging rights — get yourself registered.

Those of you that know me know that I spend my working hours behind the scenes, helping our clients get their name in the paper.  So it was with equal parts trepidation and excitement when I heard from Heather World — intrepid reporter for the Noe Valley Voice — that I might have to step into the spotlight for a change.  You see, at one time there was the distinct possibility that Heather’s article on Tech Search Party was going to be on the cover.

Now cover stories require photos, arts, graphs; something that catches the eye.  In a scramble, I had this photo professional taken by my 11-year-old son.  Alas, the article Night of the Nerds, made it to the cover … of page 14.

Still, it’s a great photo, an even better article, and I need to do something with this photo.