January 2009

GeekAustin crashes SXSWi SF bash

Submitted by Jana on Fri, 01/23/2009 - 12:00am
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Until Linear sent me on the assignment, I never knew SXSW threw parties in other cities. That is what I get for growing up in Austin and wondering why other people love my hometown so much.

SXSW Interactive and Porter Novelli came to SF and threw a great party at Mighty that was the perfect prelude for Austin's premier yearly event. Although Mighty and Harlot are both common San Francisco tech party venues, Harlot is someone's idea of naughty, in a very typical San Francisco way, the way I actually imagine a housewife feeling the first time she puts on a latex corset. Mighty actually reminds me a bit of Union Park, home of many GeekAustin parties, except it's a better place for a dance party. Mighty was a great open space with minimal fuss in decoration - the paintings on the wall actually seemed like they were chosen based on actual personal preference rather than just thinking they were the hip thing to have in their club. Kudos to both Porter Novelli and Shawn O'Keefe, SXSW's Interactive Festival Producer, for choosing the perfect venue.

It was nice to have a touch of home in San Francisco – a more low-key friendly event than a lot of the events I've been to in the Bay Area. Most people at the SXSW SF event were raving about Austin if they'd been there or talking about what an awesome place they had heard it was. One person remarked they liked Austin because it was less pretentious than San Francisco – I hope to find that still true when I come back for SXSW Interactive in March.

In contrast to what I've heard of late about discussions of job losses at Austin tech parties, there was less outright fear at the event than a wariness in many that a job loss might be pending at some point in the next six months to a year. Though there was a fair amount of feeling among some that they might soon have the axe swinging down, the SF tech crowd seems to be a bit lighter in mood at parties than back in Austin - maybe it's fact that everyone here does yoga all the time or maybe it's the fact that marijuana is not frowned upon by the authorities that keeps people upbeat here in SF all the time.

Start-up and entrepreneur are not really catch terms here - they are much more matter of fact. The most common topics of conversation were what people were working on, tv shows they were watching and people showing off the apps their companies were developing for the iphone. I think that's something particularly San Francisco -- whipping out one's iphone to show off your work. I think there are a few reasons for that. You might never know who you're talking to knows. For all you know, they could know an investor that could save your company or pass the word on and buy it. Also, I think people here take a great deal of pride in their work and really do want to show off what they are doing. Events like the SXSW SF pre-party help pass on the word about products or projects in the most old-fashioned of advertising and social networking ways - word of mouth.

Like any good party, the randomness of whom you meet is what makes an evening memorable. I met Bay Area filmmaker Aron Ramen, who recently made some rather explosive videos (your servers are not bulletproof, Your server will blow up, Your server will burn) advocating cloud computing for San Francisco hosting company GoGrid. The randomness was memorable because my current boss is friends with GoGrid's CEO, and their new chief of technology was the sysadmin who trained me at my current job, and with linearb's recent tease about what whurley is currently working on, cloud computing had been in my mind . Hopefully, I'll get to hear about cloud computing and other recent developments in Austin soon while enjoying a few (or more) drinks.

Hope to see all of you at SXSWi this year. - Jana

Final Update: The GeekAustin E-nauguration Party

Submitted by Lynn Bender on Thu, 01/15/2009 - 12:00am
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As I said in the past. This is not a partisan affair. All you folks who used Twitter, Meetup, Facebook, Myspace, and similar tools to mobilize and communicate with your fellow voters, and to help educate your candidates, this party is for you.

Here's the news. We open the doors at 6:00PM for drinks and conversation, but have a variety of stuff -- and a few surprises -- going on throughout the night. This is going to be like three parties in one. You can RSVP here.

The GeekAustin Inaugural Tweetup - with Omar Gallaga and Tom Serres

Twitter played a big part in this campaign. So for all of Austin's twitterati, we'll be having a party within a party -- or rather, a party on top of a party -- up on the newly-enclosed roof at UP. The GeekAustin Inaugural Tweetup will be co-hosted from DC, by Tom Serres (tomserres) of Piryx, and from Austin, by Omar Gallaga (omarg). In the last year, with his coverage of SXSWi and his segment All Tech Considered, Omar has become a great ambassador for Austin's tech/media community. These guys were my first choice, and I'm happy that they both accepted. Although not necessary, there is a separate RSVP page for the Tweetup.

Get Shot in the BoomBoom Room! - with Dubnautica and Michael Cummings

Speaking at SXSW and don't have a good picture to send?. Start 2009 with a new headshot -- courtesy of Piryx. Crack event/portrait photographer Michael Cummings, of The Creative Space, will be offering free head-shots in the BoomBoom Room. Normally, you would pay for a sitting with Michael, but your friends at Piryx are picking up the tab. To help set the mood, GeekAustin fave Dubnautica will be laying down the soundtrack. If you see Naveed, tell him thanks and buy him a drink.

Le Ren and Panjoma - 8:30PM in the main room

If La Femme Nikita were a love story, Le Ren would be the soundtrack. DETROIT-born and built on love in 1996, sophisticated shoegazers Le Ren were formed when Nardo rocked the 4-track with tones that filled the sky with stars. Le Ren is on a mission! Find out what it is. Nardo tells me that Le Ren will be going on at 8:30PM. This is going to be a rare performance, so if you come early, plan on staying around to check them out.

Following Le Ren, will be Panjoma (myspace), who will fill the room with delightful beats and crunches. You can read about Panjoma in the Austinist -- or you can come to the party and check them out. Psst - it's ok to dance.

Geekaustin 2009 E-nauguration Party
co-hosted by Piryx and the Austin Electronic Music Grid.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009, 6:00pm - ??
Location: Union Park Austin - 612 W. 6th St.
Valet parking will be available.
RSVP at Facebook

Geek Austin GeekAustin tidbits - Linux gigs, BCA4, SXSW, buhbye Google

Submitted by Lynn Bender on Wed, 01/14/2009 - 12:00am

As you know, I usually don't post jobs on GeekAustin. However, RGM Advisors is currently looking for Unix/Linux Systems Support Specialists. I have several friends who have worked there a while and speak highly of the company. Check out their careers page.

GeekAustin alum, Michelle Greer, just posted a great interview with Tom Serres. Tom talks about how technology is changing politics. This is the followup interview I wanted to do, but Michelle beat me to the punch. Good interview. Tom's company, Piryx, will be co-hosting the E-nauguration Party on January 20th. (RSVP on Facebook).

If you haven't already bought your SXSW interactive badge, you've got two more days to get it at a $70 discount. Quit sending me emails asking if there is a GeekAustin discount. Buy your badge by January 16th. There's your discount!

Speaking of SXSW interactive, as I stated last year, you can easily re-coup the cost of your badge in free corporate booze during the many evening events -- and to prove that, GeekAustin Bay Area correspondent and resident ontologist, Jana Thompson, will be flying in to Austin for SXSWi to show you how it's done.

Whurley is getting things in motion for BarCampaustin 4. There is now a BCA4 page on Facebook.

Google is closing its Austin office. If you are on twitter, you already knew this.

I am looking for a few additional folks to help out at the GeekAustin party. If you're interested, and not a recruiter, send me a note at linearb@gmail.com

Geek Austin Eve Richter on the Austin Emerging Technology Program, Austin Biotech, and…

Submitted by Lynn Bender on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 12:00am
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If you go to any tech events around town, no doubt you've seen Eve Richter -- coordinator for the city's Emerging Technology Program. I recently met with Eve to get some background on the program, the city's other tech related initiatives, the state of biotech in Austin, resources for startups, and other topics.

Lynn Bender: Could you tell me about the City of Austin Emerging Technology Program? As part of the Economic Growth and Redevelopment Services Office, is the focus more on business development, implementation of new technologies, or...?

Eve Richter: The Emerging Technology program is tasked with increasing jobs and investment in the technology sectors. We do that by attracting new companies to the area (in our targeted sectors, including clean energy, digital media, wireless communications, and biotechnology, etc.), and helping existing companies to grow and flourish. Our focus is pretty much entirely on business development, except to the extent that the implementation of new technologies (or adoption of new technologies) helps our companies to thrive. So promoting the use of technologies created here is something we might do. We also focus on improving the environment for technology companies, by focusing on improving the workforce, regulatory environment, access to capital, and marketing the city as a hub for technology development.

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James Hillhouse on cocoa and the Austin iPhone dev scene.

Submitted by Lynn Bender on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 12:00am
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I met Jim Hillhouse back in 2002, when he showed up at one of the GeekAustin lunches. Over the last year, I've watched him help put Austin's iPhone dev community on everyone's radar. Last weekend, I ask Jim to share a bit about iPhone development, the Cocoa Coders group, and the Austin tech scene.

Lynn Bender: It was Whurley who first told me that we had a large iPhone dev community in Austin. I got to see that first hand last year at BarCampAustin III. How long has there been a formal group iPhone dev group in Austin?

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GeekAustin tidbits - Jobs, Whurley in the clouds, and everyone all a twitter

Submitted by Lynn Bender on Wed, 01/07/2009 - 12:00am

GeekAustin friend Whurley will be writing a column on cloud computing for Infoworld. Want to know what else he has up his sleeve? I'm not telling.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Austin ranked #10 for creation of new jobs in 2008. However, Houston ranked #1, and Dallas-Fort Worth ranked #2. Details at the Austin Business Journal. My hometown of Detroit led the nation in job loss. Am I glad I moved to Austin? So where are those jobs?

Jason Cohen's weblog, A Smart Bear, is a finalist in the Weblog awards. Jason has some great insight. Good to see him getting recognition.

Michelle Greer just interviewed the brainy Brandon Wiley, of Ringlight. I've been wanting to interview Brandon for a while, but Michelle beat me to the punch. You can find the interview on Nerdabout Austin.

Tom Serres, of Piryx (GeekAustin interview), just informed me that he will be speaking at SXSW 2009 on the movement online of political campaigns. Tom and Piryx will be co-hosting the GeekAustin E-nauguration Party. Tom will be live, via Twitter and Qik, from the DC Inaugural Ball.

Speaking of twitter, I seem to be getting more and more of my news from twitter. Alex Jones (GeekAustin interview), of Refresh Austin, recently explained how twitter is becoming increasingly valuable. Want to learn the dos and don'ts of twitter? Check out Omar Gallaga's guidelines. Want to meet other twitter folk? Come to GeekAustin's Inaugural Tweetup (the party within a party).

Tom Serres on Piryx — uncoiling the long tail of politics

Submitted by Lynn Bender on Sat, 01/03/2009 - 12:00am
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  Tom Serres bootstrapped Piryx with his partners Naveed Lalani and Brian Upton -- launching the company with $1k made while waiting tables 3 years ago as a college sophomore.

Flash forward to today, and Piryx already been seed funded, and is currently in talks to close their first series A investment round. Although we'd been communicating online for a while, I finally meet Tom for coffee at Blu a few weeks ago. Tom told me the incredible story of Piryx, and agreed to be our co-host for the GeekAustin E-nauguration Party.

Lynn Bender: Tom, tell me about Piryx.

Tom Serres: First off, Piryx is a non-partisan suite of web tools, offered in a self serve environment. Think Google or Facebook, but designed around the political process. The idea is to offer a portal that empowers citizen candidates, political entities, and social activists with a combination of web tools and social media services to affect change in public policy.

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