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Tag: sxsw 2012

  • 2012 SXSW Under Harsher Sound Ordinances

    In Austin, TX, a new city policy passed in January would enforce for more stringent sound ordinances for venues hosting the South By Southwest Music and Media Conference. According to Austin’s Impact News, venues must submit for sound permits 21 days prior, if they request a 24-hour pass, and a month in advance for multi-day tickets. This has changed from previous years, which required no deadline for day passes, and 2 weeks notice for multiday.

    Austin’s music commission deemed the changes necessary after general disorganization surrounding the 2011 event. Music Program manger Don Pitts stated on the matter, “it was kind of a mess last year – A significant number of applications came in with days and, in some cases, hours before the last possible minute. There was absolutely no way that we could effectively evaluate these events.” A primary function of the changes is to better align venues and city emergency departments. Pitts went on to explain that “we obviously want to keep the maverick feel of the city during SXSW, and our approach acknowledges that… The focus was planning, and then plan some more, and be prepared for anything to happen.”

    Anyone in Austin for the festival can dial 311 to complain of sound issues, the city’s service request line.

    The first South by Southwest Music Conference and Festival (SXSW) was held in 1987 in Austin, Texas, according to the official site. This year, the roster includes 500 bands from all over the world.

  • Meeteor Helps SXSW Goers Network

    Meeteor Helps SXSW Goers Network

    With an estimated 48,000 people registered to attend South by Southwest (SXSW), networking with the right people would be a daunting task. Startup Meeteor is helping make SXSW smaller and more network friendly.

    Meeteor is a networking service that uses Facebook to help users get introductions with professionals to help their career, discover new work connections, and create an employer friendly Facebook profile.

    Normally the service asks users which companies and industries the user wants to connect with when creating new networks. They have now launched a unique version, specific to SXSW, that asks users what their interests are in relation to the conference, to help create these connections.

    Topics include Mobile, Web, BBQ/Booze/Swag, Dating Services, Startup Analytics, and Gamification, among others. Just enter in your interests and Meeteor takes you to profiles of other professionals that share them, even Meeteor founder Philip Cortes.

    Meeteor's founder, Philip Cortes

    Just click “Introduce Yourself”, leave a personal message and make plans to meet at the conference.

    “We connect you with the best possible people,” Cortes says, “not just people who happen to be around you.”

    @eli_rubel
    Eli Rubel    So many companies w/ location based interest/friend pairing apps ( @highlight @meeteor ) at #SXSW how am I supposed to keep my cell charged! 37 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @PatrickRuffini
    Patrick Ruffini    I’m meeting cool people at #sxsw through #meeteor. You should too. Unless you hate meeting cool people… http://t.co/5jQqID5b 4 days ago via Tweet Button ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @SarahPrevette
    SarahPrevette    Checking out #meeteor – an app promising to make valuable connections between people at #sxsw: http://t.co/FnepK6cd 5 days ago via Tweet Button ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

  • SXSW 2012: Instagram May Finally Be Coming To Android

    It looks like a day Android users have been waiting a long time for may finally be arriving at this year’s South By Southwest (SXSW) conference. Kevin Systrom, CEO of Instagram, is on the schedule to speak at the conference, which begins on Friday. It looks like there’s a chance he’ll announce the long-awaited launch of Instagram for Android.

    Instagram is a hugely popular app for Apple’s iPhone. Chances are you’ve seen some of the photos it produces in your Facebook or Twitter feeds. The app lets users apply filters and borders to their photos. Sometimes the results are pretty amazing. Android users, though, have always been left out in the cold with Instagram. Though many Android users have expressed a desire to have he app on their devices, the app has remained iOS-exclusive since its launch. According to a recent report by GottaBeMobile, Android users’ wait may finally be over. They point out that Systrom’s keynote, scheduled for Sunday morning, March 11th, was originally titled “Your Phone’s Camera is Changing the World.” What’s significant there, they suggest, is that the title was “Your Phone’s Camer” and not “Your iPhone’s Camera.”

    Of course, there’s no hard evidence that Systrom will announce Instagram for Android. Given the popularity of SXSW for product launches, though, Systrom’s talk would be a great platform for such an announcement. Instagram is massively popular on the iPhone, but the simple fact of the matter is that Android enjoys a significant lead over iOS in market share. So whether Instagram is coming to Android this weekend or not, don’t expect it to stay an iPhone-exclusive for much longer.

  • Social Network uberlife Launches at SXSW

    Social Network uberlife Launches at SXSW

    Uberlife, a real-world location-based social network that makes it easy to hang out with your online networks and new likeminded people in offline settings, will be launching their iPhone app in the U.S. at South by Southwest (SxSW).

    In uberlife, users sign-up with Facebook or Twitter and create real world “hangouts” around where they are or intend to be. Broadcasting these to their online social networks invites whoever’s free to “come join”, saving time pinging back and forth, inviting people individually, and the rejection of a “no” if they’re unavailable.

    Users can also discover and join hangouts happening around them, and search them by tags to find hangouts that match their interests to meet and socialize with other likeminded people.

    Following the UK launch of their API, web and mobile app, the company has seen growing interest globally with people using uberlife to find others to grab a meal with as well as to go to upcoming gigs, conferences, festivals and happy hours with.

    SanchitaSaha, CEO and founder of uberlife explains,

    “While social apps today are for sharing moments of our lives with our network, uberlife is about making those moments happen.

    “SxSW provides an invaluable first opportunity to tap into the U.S. digital community, it’s the perfect environment, where thousands will be attending alone, to meet and hang out with new people.

    “uberlife is also the ideal tool for speakers, brands and bands considering hosting ‘tweetups’ to bring their fans and followers together at SxSW.”

    Additional uberlife features include:

    • A hangout creates an “umbrella” capturing guestlist, comments, check-ins and photos that act as a beautiful digital memory capture afterwards.
    • Users can import their Facebook Likes, connect their Last.fm account and follow interest tags to receive nearby hangout recommendations.
    • Users earn a Connector Score when people who meet at their hangout start following each other. Like Klout for real world connectors.
    • uberlife members can follow others to receive notifications when they create hangouts nearby and become “friends” only once they’ve hung out.

  • SXSW 2012: Pearson Showcasing iBooks And Digital Classroom

    South by Southwest has emerged as one of the top events to showcase new technologies and product announcements. Education will be a major topic this year and Pearson is leading the charge.

    Pearson announced today that it will be showcasing its new iBooks and digital education initiative at SXSWedu. The iBooks presentation will go down on Tuesday while Wednesday will showcase their plans for the digital classroom of the future.

    Pearson has been at the forefront of interactive textbooks by designing learning experiences based around video, 3D animation and other interactive images. To continue this trend, Pearson CEO Marjorie Scardino will be using her keynote at SXSWedu to showcase their new iBook line that allows students to digitally highlight, take notes, bookmark, quickly look up definitions, link to relevant topics and more.

    “Educators across the country are making a major push to transform the classroom experience by integrating digital programs that will help better prepare students for college and careers,” said Mike Evans, Pearson Senior Vice President. “The classrooms of tomorrow are digital, and iBooks are among the interactive programs that will help teachers reach the Facebook generation of students in a way never before possible.”

    While the push for iBooks is commendable, the cost of the iPad and other materials will still have to be considered. We reported on a study that found traditional textbooks to be the cheaper way to go for high schools at this point in time. Apple is the main factor when it comes to cost, but Pearson could introduce a way to lower costs somewhat so smarter education could be more affordable to all, especially in those areas that need it the most.

    We’ll be covering more SXSW 2012 events and announcements as they happen, so stay tuned to our coverage.

  • SXSW 2012 In Austin Coming Up Fast

    SXSW 2012 In Austin Coming Up Fast

    The famous South By Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas is coming up next month. The festival consists of three parts: Interactive, Film and Music. The Film and Music portions of the festival have their own followers and scene in their own right. Lots of new bands get discovered and independent films get picked up.

    The “Interactive” portion of the festival is of particular interest in the business world due to its emphasis on emerging technologies, social media, and featuring of up-and-coming minds in fields of science and business. This portion runs March 9-13.

    Past speakers at SXSW Interactive include:

  • Mark Zuckerberg
  • Jane McGonigal
  • Mark Cuban
  • Thomas Dolby
  • Cory Doctorow
  • Malcolm Gladwell
  • Philip Glass
  • Ana Marie Cox
  • Dan Rather
  • Todd Rundgren
  • Jimmy Wales
  • Guy Kawasaki
  • Gary Vaynerchuk
  • Danni Ashe

    • Topics for 2012 include:

  • Security and Privacy in Social Networks
  • Priming Audiences for a Truly Social Olympic Games
  • New Career for Journalists: Online Video Producer
  • Facebook Credits: Not Just for Virtual Goods
  • Can Printed Electronics Save the Music Industry?
  • Detroit Future: A Media Based Economy
  • Social Broadcasting in Open Source Communities
  • Netflix and Twitter: What’s Under the Hood
  • Social Media and Politics Meet Up
  • Social Media Boundaries: Personal/Personnel Policy
  • and hundreds more.

    • For 2012, keynote speakers are:

    Baratunde Thurston – comedian and Director of Digital for The Onion.

    Amber Case – cyborg anthropologist and user experience designer.

    Ray Kurzweil – inventor, author, futurist.

    Jennifer Pahlka – founder of Code for America

    SXSW Interactive bills itself as an “incubator of cutting-edge technologies… [featuring] five days of compelling presentations from the brightest minds in emerging technology, scores of exciting networking events hosted by industry leaders and an unbeatable line up of special programs showcasing the best new websites, video games and startup ideas the community has to offer.”

    SXSW describes attendees to the festival as “uber-geeks and digital creatives who push the cutting edge of technological change”.

    Panel topics cover everything from web design, usability, and blogging to wireless innovation and new technology business models.

    Are you planning to attend SXSW? Have you attended before. Tell us about your experience or plans.