By Zack O’Malley Greenburg, Forbes Staff
The 2013 edition of the South By Southwest music festival wrapped up late last month, but here at FORBES, we’ve still got a few more stories to deliver from deep in the heart of Texas. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest
By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool
Filed under: Investing
Chuck E. Cheese’s Goes High-Tech Launching Augmented Reality App – Chuck E.’s Say Cheese!
The family entertainment leader’s first app invites families to interact and take photos with the brand’s updated mascot on their next visit
DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Augmented reality took center stage at this month’s SXSW as many companies debuted apps allowing consumers to pre-plan living spaces or find their vehicle. This week, America’s favorite mouse is getting in on the action with the development and introduction of Chuck E. Cheese’s first-ever downloadable app, Chuck E.’s Say Cheese!, from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Available for free download today, the new Say Cheese! App makes trips to Chuck E. Cheese’s even more fun for kids of all ages. Using augmented reality, the app allows parents and kids to take fun photos with an animated version of Chuck E. Cheese on any visit to the family restaurant and gaming center.
After the meal has been enjoyed, games have been played and prizes have been chosen, a trip to Chuck E. Cheese’s is all about the lasting memories families make by enjoying time together. Knowing that photo sharing helps capture those moments of unleashed joy in a tangible way, family entertainment leader, Chuck E. Cheese’s, began researching and developing a new in-store attraction to enhance that part of the experience.
“What differentiates Chuck E. Cheese’s from other family entertainment options is interaction with Chuck E. himself. Since launching our contemporized mascot last summer, we’ve been committed to increasing the breadth of that interaction for families. Augmented reality is perfect for that,” said Scott McDaniel, chief marketing officer of CEC Entertainment, Inc., Chuck E. Cheese’s parent company. “We know our guests are very mobile, and from their feedback we also know they love sharing their memories and photos with their families, friends and even with us. By tapping into augmented reality technology we’ve created a completely unique experience that brings parents and kids into a Chuck E. performance like never before.”
After downloading the free Say Cheese! App at home or while in stores, guests can look for pink, orange and blue “Say Cheese Here!” signs that serve as in-store hotspots on tabletops, the sides of games and backdrops throughout every Chuck E. Cheese’s location to activate the app’s augmented reality camera. When launching the app for the first time, guests will see simple step-by-step instructions for putting it into action.
By The Huffington Post News Editors
Fresh from his marathon set at SXSW, Prince on Friday announced a nine-city tour of theaters in the Western U.S. and Canada beginning April 15 in Vancouver.
By Tim Beyers, The Motley Fool
Filed under: Investing
Each week, I endeavor to report the results of the Big Idea Portfolio, a collection of five tech stocks that I believe will crush the market over a three-year period. I’ve done it before; my last tussle with Mr. Market ended with me beating the index’s average return by 13.35%.
Real money was on the line then as it is now, which means any one of the five stocks you see here could cause me a lot of public embarrassment. This time, most of my stocks fell as Google made a series of interesting moves.
First, over a six-hour span at South by Southwest (SXSW), the search king showed off wearable technology, including 12 pairs of talking shoes hacked together in three weeks to demonstrate the potential of connecting gear (and brands) to the Web. A Google X engineer also showed up to demonstrate the Glass interactive spectacles.
Source: Google.
Cool as these devices are, they’re also only part of Google’s growth story. Imagine using search to index and retrieve data about your energy usage compared to average temperature. Then imagine paying your energy bill through Google Wallet and cross-referencing that. Orwellian possibilities abound when you index, well, everything.
Google wants all of us thinking this way. A new service called Keep proposes to challenge Evernote by providing a simple system for archiving anything. Think of it as a slimmed-down productivity tool that does for Google Apps what OneNote does for Microsoft‘s Office Suite.
Other Googlers pitched access to information as a humanitarian need at SXSW. In one session, Amit Singhal, who oversees search for the company, told the story of an African farmer who hiked several miles to an Internet cafe to search for ways to halt an ant infestation of his potato crop. Google held the answer.
Add it up, and I wonder if the search king isn’t fitting itself to be the chief data aggregator and distributor in a hyperconnected world. As Singhal put it: “[E]ven a farmer in Africa, or a mother in an Indian village, or a fisherman in Malaysia, will have as much access to knowledge as kings used to.”
Why not? Google is already the original Big Data company. It was the search king’s early efforts to boil an ocean of online data efficiently that led to MapReduce and the Google File System, two mechanisms for crunching multiple terabytes of data concurrently across a vast array of cheap servers. Today, these breakthroughs undergird an open-source technology called Apache Hadoop that’s used in a number of Big Data projects.
Google, meanwhile, sticks to its own knitting for the biggest Big Data project of all: indexing the Web, every minute of every day, continuously. Mix in Android and Chrome OS devices and a heaping helping of broadband, and Singhal’s dream soon becomes a reality.
Of course, there’s a business purpose here, too. More networks and devices also mean more data, and Google …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance
By Michele Catalano, Contributor
With SXSW behind us, it’s time to start taking a look at artists who will emerge from the conference at the next big things, and what kind of music trends SXSW has foretold. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest
By Young Entrepreneur Council, Contributor
South by Southwest, better known as SXSW, has become an expo for the latest in engagement and experiential marketing. Broken out into interactive, film, and music day parts, the nine-day conference features everything from branded pedicabs to a giant 62-foot vending machine size stage and everything in between. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest
As I walked around SXSW and listened to the different presentations, I thought about how important it is to disengage from deadlines and commitments for a little while and consider new ideas and different perspectives. While “South by” is a great opportunity to do this, once a year isn’t nearly enough. It has to be continuous and ongoing. But how can you do that? It’s both easier and harder than it seems. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest
By Greg Satell, Contributor This post was written by Simeon Spearman, a Senior Innovation Strategist at Engauge, a full-service marketing agency in Atlanta, GA. He helps brands identify emerging media and technology opportunities and devises strategies for experimentation and learning for brands within the rapidly changing digital space. You can find Simeon on Twitter @srspear. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest
As a SXSW “virgin,” I didn’t know what to expect from the largest entrepreneurs’ conference of the year. The thought of an entrepreneurial spring break was scary, but the thought of new ideas, products, and companies was very exciting. This year didn’t disappoint, with a variety of companies that will undoubtedly impress consumers in 2013. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest
After five days of SXSW Interactive, five nights of SXSW Music, and countless screenings at SXSW Film, my smartphone isn’t quite sure what just happened. More used to being beside the keyboard on my desk, it was flung into a high impact, bandwidth limited, battery sapping, content heavy event. And now I’m ready to tell you which app was the killer mobile app of SXSW. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest
By Jonathan Salem Baskin, Contributor Two major and very different activist events have just ended — CPAC, for conservative politicians and voters, and SXSW, which attracts artists and technologists — yet they say very similar things about the dangers of preaching to the faithful. We marketers should take note. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest
AUSTIN, Texas, March 17 (UPI) — Thousands lined up to try to attend performances by Prince and Justin Timberlake at smaller venues on the final night of SXSW in Austin, Texas.
At the 2011 Sundance Film Festival writer/actress Brit Marling and writer/director Zal Batmanglij premiered Sound Of My Voice, a low-budget thriller centering on a strange cult. During the festival, Batmanglij was approached by a producer from the production company Scott Free, asking if the two were working on anything else. As it happened, Zal and Brit had a similar script recently finished, focusing on another close-knit group, this time about a band of eco-terrorists. Scott Free liked what they saw, went into production, and the resulting film, called The East, premiered at the this year’s Sundance Film Festival, a mere two years after that meeting.
By Tim Beyers and Alison Southwick, The Motley Fool
Filed under: Investing
South by Southwest isn’t a contest, per se. But in six hours, Google positioned itself as the undisputed leader in wearable tech while Apple‘s rumored iWatch was nowhere to be seen.
Two devices were on display at Google’s makeshift camp across from the Austin Convention Center. First, Glass, the interactive spectacles that bring the Web to wearers willing to pay up $1,500 to get access to the prototype.
Second, shoes. That’s right: footwear. In the three weeks leading up to SXSW, engineers hacked together 12 pairs of shoes with chips and gear for broadcasting data to the Web. A thought experiment that spokespeople said were meant to demonstrate how brands might use the Internet to engage more fully with customers and prospects.
Do either of these devices matter? Or do they typify the sort of creativity we expect from a company whose stated intent is to fund a handful of “moonshots” in hopes of a 10 times or better return? In this interview with The Motley Fool’s Alison Southwick, Tim Beyers of Motley Fool Rule Breakers and Motley Fool Supernova says Google is pushing design limits in all the right areas. Please watch, and then leave a comment to let us know what you think.
For further analysis, read our newest premium research report in which we dissect Google’s sprawling empire and tell you what the search king is worth, and whether the stock deserves a place in your portfolio. Access your report now by clicking here.
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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance
Filed under: Technology, Small Business, Mobile Technology
Every March, Austin absorbs a massive influx of talented artists and entrepreneurs for the South By Southwest Conference & Festivals, aka SXSW. There, they get to network, bask in each others’ genius, and showcase their own work, while those of us who aren’t able to attend salivate in anticipation, waiting to see what “next big thing” will be revealed at the festival.
Sometimes, it really is the next big thing: In 2007, Twitter set up massive screens at the Austin Convention Center to encourage attendees to tweet about their experiences. The company won the conference’s Web Award (now known as Interactive Awards) in the blog category, and even though the company had been around since 2006, that SXSW proved its real coming-out party.
But how good is SXSW at reading the tech world tea leaves? We’ve looked at a few of its past award winners to see how they fared after their shining moments in Austin.
2012
Storify (Social Media): Thanks to the boom in social media, our thoughts and moments tend to be scattered across a multitude of sites: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others. Storify helps you pull it all back together, weaving those threads into timelines with coherent narratives — in other words, your stories. And it works with input from large groups as well. Founder Xavier Damman says Storify has been used by the New York Times and the White House to document various events, and people have pooled the social input from friends and family to “storify” their weddings and birthdays. The site’s popularity has been growing rapidly, but there have been some privacy concerns as of late.
2011
Airbnb (Mobile Award): Airbnb connects travelers seeking cheap and convenient lodging, with ordinary folks who have some space they’d like to rent out temporarily. Although Airbnb had been around since 2008, the launch of its mobile app has made it faster and easier to use (and won it this award). The company has been associated with its share of scandals and rental disasters, but none have cut into its growing popularity.
2010
Aadvark (Community Award): This popular search engine connected users with a network of their friends and friends of friends to answer their questions. Google acquired the company around the time it won this accolade, but shut it down a year later. It may have seemed like a great idea at the time, but the evolution of social media rapidly made it fairly obsolete.
Gowalla (Mobile Award): One of the first location-based social media sites, Gowalla allowed users to “check in” wherever they were. The app was similar to Foursquare, which was also nominated in this category. Facebook acquired Gowalla in 2011, and then shut it down a year later. Meanwhile, Foursquare lived on, and has grown substantially. One can find celebrities like …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance
Two brothers from Australia pulled big crowds at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival with a novel app that lets anyone create a song just by crooning into a smartphone. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Phys.org
By Jeff Bercovici, Forbes Staff
You don’t need an advanced degree in Facebook to know that it’s a different world out there for marketers these days. Nobody does quite as neat a job as diagnosing how it’s different and what that means as Bob Garfield and Doug Levy in their new book, “Can’t Buy Me Like: How Authentic Customer Connections Drive Superior Results.” …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest
(Phys.org) —The down-to-Earth persona of NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover, expressed on Twitter, Facebook, live streaming on Ustream, viral videos and the first Foursquare check-in from another planet, has captured the 2013 South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Award for best social media campaign. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Phys.org
(Phys.org) —Looking up through hundreds of colored filters and spectral glasses, 526 people shattered the record for the Largest Astronomy Lesson. Under the Texas night sky, students were instructed on the lawn of the Long Center for the Performing Arts at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin on Sunday, March 10, 2013. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Phys.org
By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool
Filed under: Investing
ASCC Lays Foundation to Repeat Tito’s All-American Success Story
MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Although the $1.2 billion super-premium vodka market in the U.S. keeps on growing every day, the stiff competition for vodka-drinkers’ dollars leaves many emerging producers badly in need of a drink. That’s why the Aristocrat Group Corp.’s (OTCBB: ASCC) brand management division, Luxuria Brands, is pouring time and effort into replicating an all-American, brand-building success story with its new vodka line.
In a market largely dominated by imports—Holland’s Ketel One, France’s Grey Goose, Sweden’s Absolut and more—Tito’s Handmade Vodka has blazed a path to success without a pretty name, fancy bottle or million-dollar ad budget. Founded back in 1997 by entrepreneur Bert “Tito” Beveridge in Austin, Texas, Tito’s has risen from a one-man operation to a business that sells more than half a million cases a year.
It’s a success story that ASCC is studying closely.
“At the heart of Tito’s success is the quality of the product,” says ASCC CEO Robert Federowicz. “This is a vodka that won the double gold medal at the world spirits competition in 2001, where 28 judges said it was the best of 72 vodkas.
“But the brand was also built with a lot of beating the pavement, telling his stories, and giving away samples at big events like Austin City Limits, SXSW and Jazz Fest,” Federowicz continued. “So, music has played a key role in bringing people together around this product. That’s a lesson we’re taking to heart.”
Along with spreading the word at established events like SXSW, however, ASCC is creating its own. Recently, the company announced that Luxuria Brands will host a series of professional talent searches across the U.S. in order to find the perfect rising star around whom to build a glamorous, celebrity lifestyle brand.
“Celebrity branding power is enormous, and many fruitful partnerships in the vodka industry have proven,” Federowicz said. “We’re looking for the right performer to grow alongside our brand.”
ASCC sees vodka, America’s best-selling spirit, as the key element to growing its brand management division, Luxuria Brands. The success of the endeavor will allow the company to compete in a highly profitable sector alongside Limited Brands, Inc. (NYS: LTD) , Proctor & Gamble (NYS: PG) , New York & Company, Inc. (NYS: NWY) and Chico’s FAS, Inc. (NYS: CHS) .
