SXSW Baby » Interactive

The fashionable side of SXSW

Ewan — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 12:38:35 +0000

There are a lot of posts out there looking back at different aspects of SXSW. On the fashion front, Rachel Arthur tries to pull out some trends in a guest point on The Business of Fashion.

She highlights the rise of 3D printing; the calls for greater contribution between disciplines citing panels from Lego, PepsiCo, and Frito-Lay; and probably the most interesting point for me, the move away from a focus on newly-created mobile apps to discussions around hardware (such as Google’s talking shoe).

Part of the beauty of SXSW is, of course, meeting up with digitally-minded people from across the sector. But, without doubt, the most powerful insights are gleaned by stepping outside the fashion bubble and learning from other industries. The challenge is being able to distill down the key takeaways.

You can read the full blog post over on BoF.

SXSW Baby Podcast, Saturday March 16th

Ewan — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 17:42:49 +0000

It’s your final night of SXSW and we really mean it this time, so Interactive badge holders can stop grumbling that it finished Tuesday (because it doesn’t). So a bit more flavour of the fun on offer at SXSW before we head out to Sixth for one last bag of memories

Kii Arens (www.lalalandposters.com)
Fredara Hadley (www.jooksi.com)
‘If Your Dad Doesn’t Have A Beard…’, by The Beards (www.thebeards.com.au)

Follow the SXSW Baby blog for more South by Southwest fun, and what we’re up to on the ground via Twitter and @SXSWbaby. Got news about SXSW for us? Get in touch via SXSW Baby’s contact form! Don’t forget to follow the podcast via the RSS feed!

SXSW Baby Podcast, Friday March 15th

Ewan — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 18:19:08 +0000

SXSW is all about worlds colliding, so when there’s a Turkish night of music at Cedar Street Courtyard, with a number of bands from one of my other lives (the Eurovision Song Contest), I’m going to talk to two bands more used to stadium rock than tiny gigs… and introduce my SXSW friends and followers to them!

Mor Ve Otesi (www.morveotesi.com)
maNga (www.manga.web.tr)
The team from Ticketbud (www.ticketbud.com)

SXSW Baby Podcast, Thursday March 14th

Ewan — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 16:31:36 +0000

A full night of music last night, with a smattering of film, and panels about online distribution, marketing, and technology in the room. Yep, it’s still SXSW!

Ben Drury (7digital)
Timothy Wheeler and Diana Nyad (www.theothershoremovie.com)
The Woodpile, by Frightened Rabbit (www.frightenedrabbit.com)

SXSW Baby Podcast, Wednesday March 13th

Ewan — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:25:43 +0000

Wednesday, and into the back half of SXSW, with the music set to ring out around Sixth Street and beyond. That’s not to forget the other strands though!

Chris Heydt (Social @ Ogilvy)
Doug Tirola (Hey Bartender)
Wraith, by Peace (www.peaceforeverever.co.uk/)

SXSW Baby Podcast, Tuesday March 12th

Ewan — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:33:28 +0000

The Tuesday sun breaks over Austin, and the weather, all sun and no clouds, is more what I expect from SXSW. On with the show!

Chris Pirillo (chris.pirillo.com).
Mike Mendez (Big Ass Spider).
Wake Up, by Ruby Jane (www.rubyjane.org).

Things to do Today at SXSW Tuesday 12th

Eric — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:00:23 +0000

Here are more highlights from the SXSW schedule, as chosen by the SXSW Baby! team:

Interactive

• Blog to Brick: How We Turned Our Blog into a Bar
11:00am Hyatt Regency Austin, Hill Country ABCD

• Matt Inman Keynote
2:00pm ACC EH5

Film

• Sake Bomb
11:15am Ritz 1

Party

• Interactive Closing Party
9:00pm Stubbs

Music

• Ruby Jane
11:00pm Parish Underground

• Houndmouth
8:00pm Blackheart

Other

• Trade Show
11:00am-6:00pm
Austin Convention Center - Exhibit Halls 3 & 4

SXSW Baby Podcast, Monday March 11th

Ewan — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 15:51:11 +0000

The sun is out, and we’ve only a week of SXSW left!

Steve Brown and Jessie Deeter (Spark: A Burning Man Story).
Jarah Euston (Flurry).
This Song Is Called Ragged, by Jonathan Boulet (www.jonathanboulet.com)

Things to do Today at SXSW Monday 11th

Eric — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 14:00:16 +0000

Here are more highlights from the SXSW schedule, as chosen by the SXSW Baby! team:

Interactive

• Shut Up & Take My Money: LEGO Does Crowdsourcing
3:30pm Four Seasons, San Jacinto Ballroom

• Accelerator
11:00am Startup Village, Hilton

Film

• Who Taught You to Drive
10:45pm Violet Crown

Party

• VegasTech Party
8:00pm Red 7

Other

• Trade Show
11:00am-6:00pm
Austin Convention Center - Exhibit Halls 3 & 4

SXSW Baby Podcast, Sunday March 10th

Ewan — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 14:27:48 +0000

Continuing the coverage from this year’s SXSW festival, and waiting for the rain to fall heavily.

Helen Zaltzman (Answer Me This Podcast).
Jeremey Waite (Adobe Social).
The History of French Cuisine, by Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds (Kid Congo on MySpace).

Things to Do Today at SXSW Sunday 10th

Eric — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 14:00:37 +0000

Here are more highlights from the SXSW schedule, as chosen by the SXSW Baby! team:

Interactive

• Hidden Social, Where Sexual Variants Gather Online
Big Bend 1530

Gaming

• “The Making of Defiance, a Living Transmedia World”
4:00pm – Palmer Events Center

Film

• Xmas Without China
7pm Rollins

• Plus One
11:30pm Ritz

Party

• Newbies Meet Up
11:00am Meet Up Tent

Other

• Trade Show
11:00am-6:00pm
Austin Convention Center - Exhibit Halls 3 & 4

Quick! There is still time to win a OUYA!

Anastacia — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 03:44:26 +0000

If you are at SXSW this week, make sure you make it over to the Gaming Expo. The space is packed full of really great exhibitors. One of them not to miss though is an indie game company Syraca Studio and their game Phoenix Revival.

It isn’t just because they have the only OUYA console that you can try out at SXSW, or because you could win one of these cool consoles, but because Phoenix Revival is a really beautiful game. Check out the video.

Unlike most games of this type, this game has a killer cooperative element to it, which along with smooth moving attractive graphics makes this game a real pleasure. Really, the cooperative element is really what makes this game not just a great entry from indie game designer from David Tian. From watching the people playing it there is no question that this game has good replayability, while still being easy for casual gamers to pick up.

And COUGH COUGH check them out as soon as you can tomorrow because they have some awesome giveaways!

SXSW Baby Podcast, Saturday March 9th

Ewan — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 15:00:39 +0000

And so we start another year of SXSW, with a mix of interviews and music from Austin.

Jon Reay and Simon Nickson (@WeAreAqueduct)
Nicolas Gonda and Pablo Gonzalez (www.tugg.com)
The Lightning Ball, by Jake Bugg (www.jakebugg.com).

Things to Do Today at SXSW Saturday 9th

Eric — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 14:00:42 +0000

Here are more highlights from the SXSW schedule, as chosen by the SXSW Baby! team:

Cute

SXSW Baby Social Breakfast
Magnolia South Congress 0800

Interactive

• Hackers Guide To The Galaxy
11am ACC Ballroom EF

Gaming

• “Tomb Raider – Rebirth of an Icon”
4:00pm – Palmer Events Center

Film

• Good Ol’ Freda
5pm Vimeo

• Haunter
11:45pm Ritz

Party

• Newbies Meet Up
11:00am Meet Up Tent

Music

• BBC America Roadhouse
7:00pm West Tent, Brush park

Check out the Lytro Booth at SXSW Create

Eric — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 12:24:40 +0000

I had the chance to borrow a Lytro light field technology camera from their booth at SXSW Create.

After a short lesson they set me loose to create amazing pictures.

The Lytro camera lets you take pictures and refocus them AFTER YOU HAVE TAKEN THEM! Just tap the screen to set a new focus point.

Stop by 100 Red River St. And try it out, and ask how you could win a Lytro Camera this weekend.

Check out a Sample here

Things to do Today at SXSW Friday 8th

Eric — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 14:00:45 +0000

Here are more highlights from the SXSW schedule, as chosen by the SXSW Baby! team:

Interactive

• #catvidfest Is This The End Of Art?
3:30 pm ACC 18ABCD

Gaming

• “Machinima & Rooster Teeth Present “Blood, Sweat, and Online Videos: How to Achieve the Digital Dream”
5:00pm – Palmer Events Center

Film

• The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
7pm Paramount

• Reality Show
9:30pm Ritz

Party

• Film opening Party
Buffalo Billiards

Samsung Galaxy SIII Giveaway

Eric — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 18:00:08 +0000

Would you like to win a Samsung Galaxy SIII? You would? Well then, read on..

The winner could choose their preferred cellular carrier (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint), and we’ll throw in a flip cover for them as well in their choice of color (pink, coral, black, white, yellow, turquoise or lime green)

The Samsung Galaxy Experience, located at 504 Trinity Street in Austin, will host a number of events and activities throughout the week. We’ll be at one and will post about it here and on Twitter. The first person who finds us and says “Hey Baby! I want a Samsung Galaxy SIII!” wins.

Simple as that, however, you must be a US resident.

Here are the deets of the Samsung Galaxy Experience, which includes free treats from establishments around town for all Galaxy owners:

The Samsung Galaxy Experience During SXSW
WHO: The Samsung Galaxy Experience will be a hub of exclusive events, activities and rewards for Galaxy owners.

WHAT: Samsung Mobile’s presence will extend beyond the Galaxy Experience with Samsung TecTile placed throughout Austin. Galaxy owners will be able to tap a TecTile for free offers from local businesses, free pedicab rides from Uber* and an exclusive mobile game. For Galaxy owners running low on power, they can simply tweet #PowerOn to @SamsungMobileUS for a delivery of a brand new fully charged battery via a bike messenger.

Galaxy owners can tap Samsung TecTiles throughout the city for free offers from local businesses, including:
· Free sandwich from Jalopy Rotisserie & Press (1502 San Antonio)
· Free slice of pizza with up to two toppings from Brick Oven Pizza (1209 Red River Street)
· Free cupcake from Hey Cupcake! (604 Driskill Street)
· Free salsa sampler from South Congress Café (1600 S Congress Ave)
· Free medium frozen ice from Jim Jim’s Water Ice (615-A. East 6th Street)
· Free 16 oz smoothie from Blenders and Bowls (206 East 4th Street)
· Free small scoop of ice cream with one crush-in from Amy’s Ice Cream (1012 W 6th Street)
· Free ½ dozen oysters from Max’s Wine Dive (207 San Jacinto Boulevard)
· Free brownie from Delish (209 W. 3rd Street)

Showcasing the best of the Samsung Galaxy line of products, the Samsung Galaxy Experience will provide fun and interactive experiences, including:

· TecTile Wall – Galaxy owners can tap TecTiles to receive free rewards including music from today’s top artists and local deals
· Music Hub Station – Guests will be able to try out Music Hub and listen to tracks of various artists featured at the festival. Galaxy owners will be able to S Beam songs to their own device as a special take away.
· Galaxy Demos – Brand ambassadors will show guests how to get the most from their Galaxy devices and how to get free stuff from Austin’s finest businesses
· Battery Swap stations – Guests will get a refresh of their battery
· Custom T-Shirts & Buttons – Using S Note, guests will be able to design custom t-shirt and buttons that will be printed on-site

WHEN: Saturday, March 9 – Sunday, March 17, 2013

12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. daily

WHERE: The Samsung Galaxy Experience @ Coppertank

504 Trinity Street
Austin, TX

*Free Uber pedicab rides available only during Interactive*
** Please use hashtag #TheNextBigThing when tweeting from the event **

Hail your Tech Cab on Twitter at SXSW Interactive

Ewan — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 22:23:33 +0000

There are always lots of ways to get around SXSW Interactive, and with a bit of smart thinking you can probably find a ride from a company in Austin. One option might be the long-running Tech Cab from Irina Slutsky (this year with support from Kendo UI) – just fire off a tweet with the hashtag #SXSWTechCab to see if the cab is available, and the ride is yours.

Mind you, you will have to do a little ‘tech confession’ on camera for Slutsky’s show… More details can be found on the TechCab page.

12 miles of cable, just for your wifi at SXSW

Ewan — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 13:32:12 +0000

What does it take to wire up Austin so that everyone can get onto the Wifi network called ‘SXSW2013′? Wayne Brenner finds out for the Austin Chronicle, by talking to Scott Wilcox from the SXSW team:

Sometimes we put antennas on the tops of buildings and we run the cables into their networks. And then we go in, and – we’ll use, this year, about 500 computers and different types of network devices that require connectivity – so we’ll go into these locations, and because they’re not normally built out to accommodate the density of users we have attending SXSW, specifically the Interactive part, we have to augment the networks already in place. So we bring the bandwidth to the location, and we have to wire out the networks, put additional access points for wireless usage, and so on. So it’s a combination of things across the city, in the approximately 200 venues we’re using this year.

And I’m sure we’ll still have a bundle of people at Interactive wonder why the ACC never has working internet… Read on at the Austin Chronicle.

No killer mobile app for SXSW, says TechCrunch

Ewan — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 13:06:11 +0000

The myth of SXSW Interactive is that both Twitter and Foursquare exploded onto the Web 2.0 scene – the reality when you look at the services and when they were adopted by many is a little different. Still, the mantra is there, and that means many will be looking to Austin for the next big thing in mobile.

Kim-Mai Cutler doesn’t think we’ll find one.

But the reality is a bit more complex. From Facebook’s beginnings up until the IPO last year, the most hyped consumer startups like Twitter, Pinterest and Tumblr a) tapped into people’s vanity or need for self-expression and b) leaned toward advertising.

The apps that I’ve stuck to in the last year like Zimride’s Lyft, Uber, etc. a) actually rely on users paying for goods or services (not advertising!) b) match supply and demand in two-sided markets in real-time and c) can pay for growth once they nail their lifetime value.

The key with these models is highly controlled growth. Startups like Lyft and Sidecar are limited by the number of quality drivers they can hire. Exec is only expanding to cities out of SF now that the company feels confident that it can maintain the user experience while scaling the supply-side remotely. These companies grow carefully, city by city and country by country.

Not by betting the farm on one big splashy SXSW launch.

Read on at TechCrunch.

Another SXSW, Another Lounge, This Time From TechZulu

Ewan — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 06:43:12 +0000

One of the secrets of enjoying SXSW during the day, especially at Interactive, is to check out the lounges put on by various organisations (usually with the help of a sponsor or two. We’ve already mentioned the Samsung Blogger lounge, but if you’re looking for something a little more intimate (and outside the Convention Center), you might want to check out TechZulu’s SXSW 2013 lounge.

Now in its second year, it promises the usual mix of speakers, panels, tables, coffee, and power strips:

All week we’ll be taking over 18th Over Austin in the Hilton Garden Inn downtown. So don’t worry if you’re unable to make it out this year, you’ll still be able to catch all the excitement going on each day, as we’ll be streaming LIVE all day.

More details on the lounge can be found at TechZulu. Just remember, if you are in the lounge, don’t feed the Scotsman any Red Bull…

gdgt Event Moved From Monday to Saturday

Eric — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:36:31 +0000

We previously posted that the gdgt event would be on Monday March 11th. We recently found out that it has moved.

Barry from gdgt filled us in on the deets:

Couple updates – the event this year is on Saturday, March 9th. We had to move it a few weeks ago. We’re part of the Hype Hotel schedule at 301 Brazos St. this year. We worked w/ them in 2011 when they were the PureVolume House.

Details are at http://gdgtliveinaustin2013.eventbrite.com/ and the official post will go up at http://events.gdgt.com/ tomorrow.

This SXSW Say It With a BeerGram!

Eric — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 14:00:58 +0000

I discovered a wonderful new app from creator Andrea Sanchez and her team at Beergr.am (yes that’s their website). BeerGram combines the functionality of Foursquare (checking in) with a mobile wallet type app that allows you to buy your friends beers even when you are not in the same bar, which is great at wide events like SXSW.

BeerGram is a free app to share and really connect during all of life’s moments, the good days, bad days or just because days. Now instead of just commenting on a particularly bad day or liking a moment in a friend’s life, you can send something small, inexpensive but meaningful. You can send them a beer, you can send them a craft beer!

So we decided to play 5 questions with Andrea. Here goes:

1. We love the concept behind the app, what inspired it?
Being connected with my friends from high school and college on real-time social applications left me frustrated. I felt connected to my friends but actually missed them more because I could now “see” them everyday and interact with them. I wanted to be able to do something for them when they had a bad day or just because I missed them. But, when you have not seen someone in years, what do you send? And besides WHAT to send, will my gift be considered odd or weird since it’s been so long since we’ve seen each other? Beer was the answer to me! I’m a huge craft beer gal and I wanted to send a beer to my friends so, ….BeerGram.

2. We know you are in Beta testing right now, any plans for expansion beyond Austin?
We are actually in a couple of bars in Houston already and will be adding more soon. While we are in our beta period we did limit the number of locations but will adding more in more cities as well! We have some great locations joining us before SXSWi.

3. How will we know when new bars/restaurants are added to our area?
BeerGram will begin blogging soon, www.beergr.am. We are going to run a spotlight on every location that joins our mission of spreading cheer with beer. In addition, the BeerGram news feed announces new locations that are added. But, you can always look by tapping the bar stools from the BeerGram app to see listed BeerGram locations.

4. Tell us about the integration with Facebook, Foursquare, and Twitter.
Well, currently BeerGram is integrated with Facebook and Foursquare. We will be adding Twitter as well this month. You can sign up to BeerGram using Fb Connect or create a BeerGram account. BeerGram requests permission to share any BeerGrams you send or redeem. In addition, you can share a check-in via Fb and maybe a friend will send you a beer then and there to that location! Johnny on the Spot!

5. Any plans for SXSW?
Well, not officially yet but we are planning a fun bash with the wonderful ladies of BitchBeer!

There you have it! A great new way to socialize with friends over a beer! We’re really looking forward to trying it out at SXSW!

Don’t forget about the Blogger’s Lounge at SXSW Interactive

Ewan — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 13:07:11 +0000

Yes there’s a press room, but it’s an oasis of calm for a few of us here at The Baby!, because all the bloggers are around the corner in the Blogger lounge!

Organised once more by Stephanie Agresta and Brian Solis, Room 19AB in the Austin Convention Center will be full of tables, bloggers, mini events, coffee, snacks, and lots of power strips. With backing from Samsung, the blogger lounge is a central meeting point for many at Southby. Just make sure you don;t spend all your time at Interactive in the room!

You can register in advance over on Eventbrite, although you can usually sign up at the door when you arrive.

What Changed? 20×2 returns to SXSW

Ewan — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 11:19:20 +0000

Part of SXSW’s charm is meeting up with old friends and following traditions as well as discovering what’s new in the world. One of those traditional events is 20×2 and they’ve confirmed this year’s details to The Baby!

The premise is a simple one. Twenty speakers each have two minutes on stage to answer the same question. This year… “What changed?”

Inventive performances, different angles and viewpoints, from raucous humour to quiet introspection, 20×2 is a roller coaster ride, and this year you can get on board at Elysium (705 Red River) starting at 7pm on Saturday 9th March. A few names have been announced, and yes, I’ll be one of the speakers!