Beer, Brisket & Beacon

You quickly realize that the true benefit of SXSW goes beyond the sessions and workshops that the festival boasts. With experts and novices from all different verticals, Austin’s downtown core becomes a breeding ground for startups, connections and conversations. Maybe it’s the fact that you’re spending hours sardined in the heat together or that beer and bbq just make great social lubricant. Whatever the case may be, the city has buzz that is undeniable.

So what the f*&% are people talking about?

Meerkats out of the bag

IOS app Meerkat has owned the conversation around Austin. The new service allows users to live stream video via twitter. You press record, a link is sent out via your twitter profile and you’re broadcasting live. The service is built to encourage users to share all their experiences in real time (discretion advised).

Analytics of tomorrow

With all the buzz about big data, the question becomes “how do we use it”. Numerous workshops play with the idea of predictive analytics. Using the historical data we have and tracking it against trends to help inform the potential impact of future communication.

Emoji art

Yung Jake is a new media artist and musician that toys with the idea of using Emojis to create celebrity portraits. The outcome is a result of collaborating with a developer to associate every character in the Emoji keyboard to a specific colour value. Not only is the art created through a technical algorithm but also offers a unique perspective on the consumption of technology.