SXSW Interactive 2015 Highlights

As SXSW Interactive comes to a close today, here’s a glimpse at some interesting highlights from this year’s event:

• Dubbed “the most-talked about app at SXSW,” Meerkat is a live-streaming, location-based app that lets users capture video from their iOS device and, through Twitter, allows followers to stream it. On Friday, things came to a head when Twitter blocked the app’s access to its social graph. What does that entail, exactly? According to Fast Company: “While Meerkat users can still post videos on Twitter and log in using their Twitter credentials, the Meerkat app will no longer be able to automatically push notifications that announce the live event to all of a Meerkater’s Twitter followers. In other words, Meerkat will need to ask people to build their own social networks from scratch inside the app instead of using the network that its users already built on Twitter.”

• Another breakout star at this year’s event is FireChat: a free text message app that doesn’t require cellular data or the Internet (though it does work with it). As Tom’s Guide explains: “The app’s big selling point is its Bluetooth functionality. While Twitter relies on an Internet connection and texting relies on a cell network, FireChat is not beholden to either one. If the Internet is available, FireChat will connect that way. If not, it will reach out to all other Bluetooth devices within about 200 feet and create an ad-hoc network, allowing users in proximity to communicate with one another.”

• Last week, we touched on the evolving dynamics between the presence of startups and big brands at SXSW. While past sponsors such as Doritos, Subway and Chevrolet were absent, major companies such as Dell, Samsung Electronics and newcomers, McDonald’s, Visa and Mazda, were all active during this year’s event. Of the shift, Hugh Forrest, director of the SXSW Interactive Festival said: “We used to struggle to get mainstream brands…I guess this is an acknowledgment of the influence we have in jump-starting their message to the cool crowd. It’s exciting, but a little scary at the same time.”

• It also turns out that not everyone was eager to interact with robots at SXSW. A small group of anti-robot protesters encouraged event-goers to be cautious of uncontrolled growth of robots and artificial intelligence. With media outlets such as TechCrunch and USA Today covering the protest, we’ll be interested to see how the debate continues.

Follow along with the conversation using #SXSW2015 or #SXSW for more updates coming out of the event!