Every March, the city of Austin, Texas, welcomes the world for its annual South by Southwest Festival, otherwise known as SXSW. The festival consists of three parts: SXSW Interactive, a four-day geekfest for the Internet community; SXSW Film, ten days of international cinema programs; and SXSW Music, a four day non-stop celebration of live music.
The Interactive section, known as SXSWi, is legendary as a place to look for the next big thing and this year was no exception. (Writer Linda Holmes put it this way in a piece for NPR: “It is a place that is acutely aware that your business model probably went out of date while you were in a panel talking about it.”)
The big buzz in 2012 was again, location, location, location, with the app Highlight — which connects you to who is physically around you — at the top of the the buzz meter. But also on the radar were homeless hotspots, and a wide-ranging conversation centered on: how much technology is too much?
Below is a recap of SXSW Interactive 2010 by Vancouver-based photographer Kris Krüg. Click on any photo to see its caption.