After thirty years of connecting people with the latest in music, film, and technology, South by Southwest, or SXSW, was wrapping up its latest offering of new gizmos and gadgets this past weekend. Since 1986, SXSW has been home to Austin, TX. Back in 1986, locals began secret discussions concerning the future of music, hoping a festival would introduce local talent on a national, and even, an international level. By 2016, SXSW has expanded its horizons to include budding new artists and concerts, film debuts, discussion panels, and interactive learning and play stations. SXSW is considered one of the most highly anticipated events of the year because it allows researchers, governments, artists, and companies from all over the world to inject their forward thinking initiatives.
year, consumer brands also set up camp in the Longhorn city to connect more witha younger, hipper generation.
For instance, Hershey chocolate had the activation idea of a “Swag Station.” Their main objective was to get the customer excited about their relaunching of the “Take 5” bar. They thought the best way to do this was to allow customers to enter the station hoping to exchange something they had for something they didn’t. A total of 5,661 unwanted items were exchanged and included ponchos, flasks, reservations at restaurants, and gift cards. While festival goers were exchanging the unwanted for the wanted products, they could also enjoy a scrumptious “Take 5” bar.
The technology at SXSW allows scientists and engineers to commandeer their inventions to a large public and an even larger press. The neat activation stations in Austin also introduce us to the general innovative trends that could change not only the tech market but the business and consumer market as well. Here are the top tech bites seen at the festival.
1. Virtual Reality
Brands used headsets like this one to teach and entertain potential customers about their product. One little known brand called McDonald's, allowed Happy Meal customers to enter into a virtual land through Happy Meal glasses.
2. Robotics
Since we are in Texas, the Robotics section of SXSW was coined the "Robot Ranch." Each company got a "pen" in which guests could have a face-to-face interaction with the robotic product and chat with engineers. After checking out all the robot pens, attendees could also practice flying drones, create their own robots, and learn about the basics of robotics engineering.
3. Transportation Technology
Beyond Uber and Lyft, the next conversation in transportation technology is autonomous vehicles. More importantly, cities are now challenged with connecting autonomous vehicles with traffic standards. According to Forbes, the Department of Transportation Secretary announced seven cities that would enter into the Smart Cities Challenge. These cities include Austin, Denver, Columbus, Kansas City, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, and Portland. The Department of Transportation has set aside $40 million for the winner of the best mobile design that includes but isn't limited to self-driving cars, connected vehicles, and smart sensors.
4. Life-size Coloring Lounges
This may not be considered electronic techonology, but companies like IBM and Samsung created lounges for those walking by and gazing to come right on in. Do you remember the time you wanted to write all over your parent's basement with Crayon? Well, child antics meet life-size coloring book!
Known as "The Here Active Listening System," the solo ear knobs allow individuals to adjust sound in real time. Since it is connected to your iPhone via an app, you can focus on sounds that you want to hone in on. For example, you can turn up the acoustics of a song that you are listening too. And for all those travelers out there, this ear bud is supposed to be just as sound effective against baby crying and couple nagging as larger headphones would be.
The Vuze Camera, sold by HumanEyes Technologies, is the world's first consumer 3D 360 degree virtual reality camera. It is lit with HD video taking capabilities. The Vuze camera can also quickly and easily import your videos onto your computer.
Capital One and Amazon have partnered up to make banking even easier than before. Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Tap, or Fire TV, allows you to talk to "Alexa", Amazon's voice-inspired robot, to transfer money, check your accounts, and Capital One is the first bank that has allowed its financiers to work their money through their mouths in the comfort of their home!
Check out the website to learn more about this past year’s SXSW experience, or learn more about Hersey’s "Swag Station" Activation.
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