sxsw

New inspiration always floods in after a speaking appearance is over. Kicking myself for not highlighting a couple of things that were right in front of me @ my SXSW panel. Perfectly timed gifts  as usual, in this case foursquare and tweetluck. Let me explain: in the world of social cohesion messaging rules. So, any conversation around behavior change needs to respect that role. Successful behavior change requires immediate feedback, and social relationships offer the best form of encouragement. But messaging platforms are direct, not directED. We spend a lot of time in them because they are … Read more

AUSTIN, Texas--A couple of days ago I wrote a story suggesting that the Twitter saturation level here at the South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi) festival was so high that the service's value was being affected.

Now, after four full days here, I think that conclusion is worth a reality check: Twitter is out-and-out dominating SXSWi.

To be sure, the massive numbers of tweets that are being posted using the "#sxsw" tag is making it more difficult for those using Twitter to find specific information than was the case at SXSWi 2007 or SXSWi 2008. But the reality … Read more

AUSTIN, Texas--"I couldn't be any more psyched for how it's taken off," FourSquare founder Dennis Crowley said of his brand-new mobile social-networking application, which made its public debut here at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival. "It's been, like, 5,000 times better than I expected."

We were wearing bathing suits. A fellow hardcore FourSquare user, media consultant Rex Sorgatz, had used the service to announce a "bikini flash mob" at the rooftop pool of the Omni Hotel on Monday afternoon. When about 20 people had showed up, Sorgatz--in a … Read more

AUSTIN, Texas--IMDb founder Col Needham said the massively popular movie database has set as its major goal for the future to add one-button streaming for all of the 1.3 million titles it indexes.

Obviously, the vision is a long-term one, Needham acknowledged, and it faces hurdles from the slew of content owners who control the vast library of titles the Internet Movie Database provides information about, but as a leading movie-oriented site, it's a very important goal to articulate in public.

Needham was speaking Monday afternoon at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival here. Oddly, though his … Read more

AUSTIN, Texas--Given that you can't walk more than a couple feet at the South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi) festival here without stumbling into someone tapping away on one iPhone application or another, it's easy to forget that just a year ago, there was no such thing as an official iPhone "app."

But now, of course, iPhone apps are one of the hottest technology segments of all. And since SXSWi is ground zero for cutting edge social media and the people who are often the earliest adopters of such technology, a series of companies have used the … Read more

The Lenovo Yoga isn't a Netbook; it's a ripoff of the HP Jornada. It also apparently fits in a pocket, but it's a little long for all our pockets, even Jason's. We also cover iPhone 3.0 rumors and the truth about battery life lies.

iPhone 3.0 to have copy and paste, Pre-like features — but no background apps http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/15/iphone-3-0-to-have-copy-and-paste-pre-like-features-but-no-b/

Lenovo Pocket Yoga http://i.gizmodo.com/5170542/shots-leak-of-lenovo-pocket-yoga-netbook-looks-like-it-actually-fits-in-a-pocket

AMD comes clean about battery stats http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/03/16/1447218 … Read more

AUSTIN, Texas--The Internet and the rise of online video have meant a plethora of new options for independent filmmakers. But, as has been well-publicized, the money just isn't there yet. A panel at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival on Monday highlighted that this is an extremely contentious issue.

"Digital distribution is not some magic bullet," said panelist Gary Hustwit on the success of his documentary "Helvetica," in front of a packed room of audience members that came from both SXSWi and its sister festival, SXSW Film. "It's not that because the film … Read more

Back from the weekend, Justin watches "Watchmen" again, Wilson catches "Coraline" in 3D, and Jeff tries to kill himself when his parents and soon-to-be parents-in-law spend the weekend picking a place to get married and the font of the invitation envelopes.

Speaking of "Caroline" in 3D, it gave Wilson a massive headache. The film was incredibly imaginative and creative yet the story was a bit lacking. Reminds Wilson of "Alice in Wonderland."

In actual stories today, we talk mostly about Twitter. Jason Calacanis wants to pay the company $250,000 so that he can be at the top of suggested followers list. While we think suggested followers is a halfway decent idea (especially if they personalize the list), we don't especially think we want to follow Calacanis all day long. Also, Twitter may have caused a mistrial in a case where a juror tweeted the jury's finding. Twitter! Haven't you caused enough damage to people's lives!?!?

Tomorrow, we have Dr. Michael Breus, the Sleep Doctor, on the show. So please call into the show with all your questions about sleep. While it may sounds like a "snoozer"--Ha, get it?!?!--we promise the Sleep Doctor has never failed to entertain. Also, on the show on Wednesday is debbiefromtoronto, probably the hottest Canandian blonde fan of The 404. And ending the week is the composer of "Still Alive" from The Orange Box, Jonathan Coulton. As usually, the number is 1-866-404-CNET (2638). We need callbacks for the show. You know the part where we go, "Hey this is Jeff Bakalar from Hoboken, New Jersey, and you're listening to The 404, the show where [INSERT WITTY COMMENT]."

AUSTIN, Texas--So the real star of the South by Southwest Interactive Festival has been Apple's iPhone. For better or for worse.

Facebook's big announcement at the annual geekstravaganza, for example, was that its Facebook Connect log-in product would be coming to the iPhone. Most of the products debuting in conjunction with the festival, including location-based mobile apps like Whrrl and FourSquare, are partially or entirely iPhone-centric. And if you happen to be a poor, unfortunate BlackBerry or Treo user, you may get some disapproving looks when you whip your handset out of your pocket around some judgmental SXSWi-goers.… Read more