SXSW Interactive Community Blog

While we’ve all been hitting up the panels and parties, I’ve spotted some cool apps that apply to Interactive at the Trade Show.

If you’re around during the Music Conference, you might want to check out imeem at the Trade Show. A peer to peer network, they have a killer UI that handles various media. You can post private or public podcasts in addition to photos. They’re also hosting a party tonight, so all you Gold and Platinum Badge holders can check out the party and app tonight if you missed it at the trade show. Also, they’ll be around for SXSW Music this week.

Another cool app that invidkllr tipped me off about is eyespot. Here you can upload, share, and EDIT your videos all on a browser based app.

Has anyone else seen any apps that really caught their attention during the festival? I’m really curious about all the GoogleMaps apps. I missed the panel because I was attending an e-Learning panel.

Click here to find out how:

 http://www.nodrugtesting.com/

Enjoy the rest of the Fest!

-shannon batson

An update for all you e-learning folks. Are any of you guys attending the Enspire party? I’d be up for meeting sometime on Monday to discuss what we all do. I’m thinking either lunchtime or late afternoon. Anyone game?

“A new element for the 2006 SXSW Interactive Festival, the Geek Lunch Series (GLS) provide semi-structured content for the 12:30-2:00 lunch break.”

I’m hosting one on Sunday called “Self-assembled user interfaces” if anyone is interested. If that isn’t your thing, there are a bunch of other geek lunches scheduled on topics ranging from legos to ipods to cancer grants.

Come one, come all to the Annual pre-SXSW get together for anyone doing Web design, development, Information Architecture, and anything else SXSW “Interactive-y”.Whether you live in Austin or are in town early for SXSW, do join us from 5-7 at the Cedar Door at 201 Brazos Street in downtown Austin.

As always, this event is sponsored by the University of Texas at Austin School of Information, the UTASIS&T Student Chapter and the Information Architecture Institute.

Of course, there would be no pre-party if it weren’t for the great people organizing South By SouthWest in the first place.

In addition to checking out what’s new in interactive, film, and music, I am also attending SXSW Interactive for work. Are any e-learning, information/instructional design attendees on here? Maybe we can get together for lunch or a happy hour during the festival.

I do not want to give to much away but at our American Cancer Society presentation we are going to talk about grants that the Futuring and Innovation Center provide to staff and volunteers so they can develop new breakthrough programs and services to help in the fight against cancer. You may be our next grant recipient, but you will need to come to our presentation and our lunch titled ‘Deleting Cancer’ to find out more. I am excited to be working with David Neff for this event.

That bar on 6^th Street too loud? You want to have a quiet drink away from the minions at the Hilton? Need to discuss that venture capital deal over some quiet drinks? Here are a few places to invest in some social lubricants.

Austin offers more than hotel bars and raucous music venues.

Other folks have already mentioned two favorites of mine: Casino El Camino and Club de Ville. Both make a good, cheap drink.

Cedar Door (Second & Brazos)

Though Austin margarita favorite Trudy’s has three locations, the Cedar Door has had at least 3 locations in the 14 years I’ve lived in Austin. A little rustic and laid back—it’s a nice bar with a local feel Downtown. Very close to the Convention Center!

Roaring Forks/Stephen F. Austin (7^th and Congress)

Chill hotel bar drinking. Popular with business types and politicians. A bad ass happy hour menu from 4-7 with gourmet burgers, Tex-Mex, and even foccacia!

Side Bar (602 E. Seventh St.; 7^th and Red River)

Even during the peak of SXSW, this place wasn’t packed despite the throngs of people on Red River. Rest your feet. Get a drink. Hang with Romulan Hipsters.

Cockpit (113 San Jacinto)

A new gay bar that has been getting steady and favorable buzz. Just blocks from the Convention Center, perhaps a nice alternative to 4^th Streetbars. Rain, Fabric, and Oil Can Harry’s are all still in the Warehouse District between Lavaca and Colorado on 4th and 5th streets.

Lovejoy’s (604 Neches St)

Have a drink at the coffin. In my 20s, my buddies and I would hit Casino for burgers and a cocktail and then head to Lovejoy’s for some beers.

Bull McCabes (714 Red River)

Irish Pub. Just in case you need a St. Patty’s day outpost and want to avoid the crowds at Fado.

Elephant Room (315 Congress)

Located in the basement, this subdued jazz club has plenty of atmosphere, even after Austin decided to go smoke free.

I’ll be heading out to Austin for the first time to speak on a mapping panel at SXSW. As I don’t know anything about Austin I decided to start a CommunityWalk map of the area around the conference center using information from numerous sources across the Internet.

Please add to it if you have any good recommendations for restaurants, bars, or other entertainment. Also you can add your hotel to it to get an idea of how far these various locations are from where you will be staying.
Community Walk Map - SXSW Festival

You arrive in Austin. The hotel picks you up or you cab it and you find yourself Downtown. With no wheels, you can’t go to that BBQ place in Dripping Springs or sample the Mexican restaurants on the East Side. Fret not, Downtown has plenty to offer within walking distance (15 minutes by foot). Alas, the Bitter End burned down last year and will probably not reopen. However, there are plenty of other choices.

Cheaper

Iron Works
100 Red River St
(512) 478-4855

Iron Works is a SXSW or any other convention Downtown tradition for me. They do tasty brisket and ribs, as well as decent sausage. It’s not the Salt Lick, but you will not leave Texas having missed a good Q either. They also do a BBQ turkey plate, but in my opinion, that’s not BBQ.

Progress Coffee
500 San Marcos
(512) 493-0963

As the crow flies, Progress is close to the Convention Center, but considering you must cross under I-35 to get there I hesitate listing it here. However, the combination of friendly service, rockin’ Roast Beef and Brie sandwiches, tasty java, and free Wi-Fi make this a great oasis if you need to get away from the bustle. Tucked in the corner of a large warehouse complex of film production companies and music studios, Progress also has nice décor and better-than-average local coffeehouse art.

I got scooped by other bloggers, but the Taco Shack in the Frost Bank Tower is a personal downtown fave of mine too.

Whole Foods
6^th and Lamar

Not walking distance per se and a grocery store you say? Well, with three themed restaurant stands in the store serving up good value fresh seafood, Italian, and homestyle, it’s worth investigating. This is the mother ship of Whole Foods. Even friends from California were impressed…

Pricier

Roaring Forks
Stephen F. Austin Hotel
701 Congress Ave. (@ Congress)

Lots of tasty new American cuisine to sample here. The last time I went, the Ahi Tuna was pretty darned good.

However, the true secret of the place is that inside the swank Roaring Forks bar, for Happy Hour you can grub down huge and fancy pants bacon cheese burgers and bowls of delicious pork green chile stew for $6. They make a mean drink here too. [Full disclosure: my writing partner bartends here.]

Moonshine
303 Red River

A new Southern fusion (!) restaurant—think chicken fried meets the chipotle pepper. Reports from my frequent downtown dining friend, Brendan: “The biscuits and gravy are particularly good. And even simple chicken tenders with honey-mustard sauce. The brunch is great too.”

Dona Emilia’s
101 San Jacinto Blvd
512-478-2520

Mexican and BBQ. That’s all we seem to do in Austin sometimes. Why not some South American cuisine instead? Try the Tamal Mixto—a nice change for someone who loves Texan and northern Mexican tamales.