SXSW INTERACTIVE
Austin, Texas, could easily be one of my favorite places in the country—especially during the 19th Annual SXSW Interactive Festival. I got VIP access to the many panels and events thanks to my status as a WIRED Insider. I quickly remembered exactly why I want to spend a lot more than 15 minutes there. For starters, Austin is cool and the city knows it—after all, it is the self-proclaimed Live Music Capital of the World. It’s the perfect place to discover your inner techie rockstar. Is that a thing?
While Austin is a hub for cutting-edge ideas year-round, during these five days the intellectual volume is turned all the way up. Likewise, we had the sound loud in the WIRED (RV)IP Lounge, the mobile karaoke lounge we rolled around town in. Even three days of non-stop rain couldn’t stop the (RV)IP Lounge—or one painful performance of “Blame It on the Rain”—which admittedly was rather “meta.”
During the fest, I caught some ambitious product demos and great bands, but I still liked the keynote speakers and panels best. From “the Secret Lives of Links” to a lecture called “Making the Real World Easier to Use,” the speakers got me thinking about what’s next in tech—and what’s next for me as a WIRED Insider.
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