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Sessions at SXSW Interactive 2012 matching your filters

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  • How the iPad Can Save Accessibility

    by Marty DeAngelo

    Usability has come a long way since the dark days before "Designing with Web Standards". Now nearly all companies see the value of UX in their digital designs. But despite heightened focus on the user and a growing awareness of accessibility concerns, implementation of accessibility standards have often fallen victim to time pressures and obsolete design practices. Disabled users struggle through sites missing alt tags, keyboard inputs or text alternatives. Enter devices like the iPhone & Android … and the iPad.

    With the proliferation of non-desktop devices and browsers like tablets and gestural smartphones, suddenly more people are finding that the web isn't as nice and clean as they remembered: broken formatting, too small text, hover functionality that doesn’t work, and entire swaths of the web rendered as Flash-based wastelands that millions can’t access.

    We've now discovered that by solving for many of the issues that iOS and other mobile users face, we can also solve for the most prevalent accessibility issues. Using side-by-side examples and case studies, I'll show how we can make sites more accessible and more usable by mobile devices. Through combinations of better markup, HTML5 and CSS3 functionality and better scripting, we can serve two masters at once. Better yet, in some cases, we can take advantage of the accessibility capabilities built into newer mobile devices to make the digital experience even better than they would get on the 'old web'.

    At 9:30am to 10:30am, Tuesday 13th March

    In Room 10AB, Austin Convention Center

  • App Empire

    by Chad Mureta

    Keywords, colors, graphics, ads, special features, cross promotions—when it comes to apps, there are so many details that, when executed correctly, can make the difference between 1000 downloads and 100,000. As the founder of Empire Apps and co-founder of T3 Apps and Best Apps, three mobile application businesses, Chad Mureta is a veteran in the app industry. In the last 3 years, he has created 46 apps and garnered over 35 million downloads worldwide. And he did it without a background in technology. Since he conceived his first app—FingerPrint Security Pro which generated about $500,000 in revenue—Mureta has acquired a breadth of knowledge and insight into the mobile application market, learning as much from his mistakes as he did from his successes. His expertise in this relatively new business model comes from hands-on experience and his meticulous scrutiny of every aspect of developing and marketing his many apps. In this session, he’ll share secret tips and tricks for bringing a successful app to market.

    At 10:00am to 10:20am, Tuesday 13th March

    In Ballroom G, Austin Convention Center

    Coverage audio clip

  • Agile Apps: Effective Mobile & Native Development

    by Amanda Wixted, Anne Halsall, Jonah Williams and Kyle Neath

    As the rise of iOS, Android, and the Mac App Store brings more web developers into the world of native applications can our existing processes and best practices survive the transition? How can we release early and often in an environment where each update must pass through a review process? How do we aggressively refactor code when outdated clients must be supported? Can we iterate efficiently on features when design changes require more than a stylesheet update? A group of experienced web, mobile, and native app designers and developers will discuss our experiences working on native applications. We will explain what unexpected challenges we encountered coming from a web background, what strategies have helped us design and develop native applications, what did not work, and what we should learn from experienced native application developers.

    At 11:00am to 12:00pm, Tuesday 13th March

    In Ballroom A, Austin Convention Center

  • Content Is Currency: Content for Web & Mobile

    by Jon Wuebben

    “Content is Currency: Developing Powerful Content for Web & Mobile” is the latest, most definitive book on web and mobile content development. Using the latest research, best practices and case studies, it is positioned to change the way companies everywhere view and value their website, mobile and social media content – forever. Come find out how you can dominate your market with compelling content that connects. “Jon Wuebben has done it again. Yes, we are all publishers today, but most organizations are unclear how to use content marketing within their organization to truly make an impact to both attract AND retain customers. If you want the answers to why...and then how exactly to operationalize content marketing within your business, read this book!” - Joe Pulizzi, Founder, Content Marketing Institute

    At 12:30pm to 12:50pm, Tuesday 13th March

    In Ballroom G, Austin Convention Center

  • Mobile Privacy: Developer Kits & Tips

    by Chris Conley, Kevin Mahaffey, Nick Doty, Tara Whalen and Tim Vetter

    There are tools and tutorials out there to teach developers all sorts of things about mobile apps, taking them from "Hello World!" to sophisticated products ready for the big time. But if you want help building privacy into your app, that's a lot harder to find.

    This workshop seeks to change that. Through demos of existing resources and Q&A with attendees, we will provide you with the tools and skills you need to build the next killer mobile app while protecting your users' privacy and avoiding the media firestorms and government investigations that can kill a fledgling product.

    We'll include hands-on demos of existing apps and developer kits and tools that help you think through and address the privacy implications of the data you collect and use. We'll also discuss what other resources are needed to give designers and developers the ability to meet their deadlines, pull in revenue, and still stand up for their users' privacy.

    At 12:30pm to 1:30pm, Tuesday 13th March

    In Ballroom A, Austin Convention Center

    Coverage audio clip

  • Music 2.0: Engaging Fans with Mobile Social Apps

    by Brenna Ehrlich, Glenn Miller, Matthew Thomas, Michael Schneider and Steve Cheney

    In the intersecting worlds of music and social, how are startups and artists working together to enhance the music experience? By embracing mobile and social networks, bands are able to connect with their fans and interact with them directly. Companies like GroupMe, Mobile Roadie and GetGlue provide platforms for direct communication between fans and music labels, artists and festivals, fans use them to pull in info about their favorites and share the experience with their friends. During live events, mobile networking apps are helping people connect, coordinate plans and interact with their favorite musical personalities. By using technologies like these, artists and festivals can grow their fanbase, maintain loyalty and utilize a direct channel to provide relevant information to their fans, wherever they are, in real-time. These panelists will share their experiences working with music labels and how they went about building apps to provide consumers with the best music experience.

    At 12:30pm to 1:30pm, Tuesday 13th March

    In Lone Star, Omni Downtown

    Coverage audio clip

  • Why a Mobile Wallet Isn’t Going to Be Enough

    by Sam Shrauger

    These days everyone is talking about the mobile wallet and how consumers will be able to pay with phones. Some technology companies are pushing mobile wallets, claiming they have the next breakthrough for future payments.

    But why are people going to choose to tap and go with their phones rather than swipe their credit cards? And what benefits does the mobile wallet give to retailers?

    People don’t want a digital version of their existing wallet. That's too limiting. They want to get back control of their money and be given the flexibility to shop and pay – anytime, anywhere and in any way that they choose.

    You may wonder what new solutions are being provided to consumers and how they will be changing how we pay…At the end of 2011, PayPal will release new payments solution that will change the way we shop and the way we pay. Like no experience you have had before, imagine a technology that puts choice, flexibility and control in customers’ hands. PayPal will show you the latest in the industry and speak to a future you didn’t know would be here so soon.

    More than $3,500 transacts over the PayPal network every second. As the leader in digital payments, PayPal predicts that we will be able to live our lives digitally by 2015 – choose this session to find out how.

    At 12:30pm to 1:30pm, Tuesday 13th March

    In Rio Grande, Hilton Garden Inn Austin Downtown

    Coverage audio clip

  • DIY Mobile Usability Testing

    by Bernard Tyers and Belen Barros Pena

    Usability testing is an interaction designer’s bread and butter, but applying it to the study of mobile applications and websites brings considerable challenges. Which device should we use for testing? Can we use an emulator? How do we prototype for mobile? Can we just recycle the tasks we use for desktop software tests? Do we test in the lab or in the wild? How do we record screen, fingers and facial expressions?

    We don’t intend to answer all those questions in just one session: that would be madness! We’ll focus instead on the last one.

    Follow us in our quest to set up a mobile usability testing environment on a tight budget. We’ll show you how others do it. We’ll roam around electronics and professional video stores searching for brackets and webcams. We’ll put our DIY skills to the test and waste a lot of silicon trying to build our mobile recording device. We’ll scour the Internet for free software, and we’ll finish off building the lab and running a usability test in front of your eyes.

    If we can do it, so can you! You’ll come out of this session knowing exactly what you need to do to run and record usability tests with mobile devices.

    At 3:30pm to 4:30pm, Tuesday 13th March

    In Ballroom A, Austin Convention Center

  • Mobile Payments: Transforming Consumer Marketing

    by Rick Orr

    Mobile payments are booming. Nearly 70 million Americans with smartphones are looking for a convenient way to pay without using plastic. Enter NFC, Google Wallet, Tabbedout and other technologies and companies making it easier and more secure than ever to pay with your phone.
    But what if paying with your phone offered more than just convenience? Mobile payments create a direct relationship between merchants and consumers. This technology puts power in the hands of the consumer to opt-in for personalized special offers from the businesses they frequent, and for businesses to capture customer habit and preference data and use it to create actionable, custom offers. Frequent a local pub? Walk into the bar and receive a digital coupon for your favorite beverage to thank you for being a loyal customer. Have a favorite restaurant? Your phone can deliver an appetizer recommendation based on your preferences and offer it half price.
    This session will give an in-depth look at how mobile payments are not only changing the way people pay, but are also the next big marketing platform, connecting consumers and merchants to create a personalized relationship via technology.

    At 3:30pm to 4:30pm, Tuesday 13th March

    In Rio Grande, Hilton Garden Inn Austin Downtown

    Coverage audio clip

  • Mobilizing Web Sites: Strategies for Implementation

    by Kristofer Layon

    “Mobile first” is the mantra on the lips of most mobile evangelists. The trouble is, the advice of many experts to start fresh with a new mobile design, optimize for performance, and try to accommodate all mobile devices both common and uncommon — this ends up being quite a daunting list. And it can frighten many web designers away from trying to embrace mobile design at all.

    But as with anything that is completely new, it is a lot easier to ease into it rather than jump directly into the deep end. Plus, if you’re like most web designers, you have existing web sites that could benefit from some mobile love, yet aren’t likely to be getting a completely new mobile-oriented redesign (either due to time or cost).

    Mobilizing web sites encourages web designers to optimize existing web sites for mobile presentation, and to do so incrementally starting with screen layout, navigation, typography, images, forms, and content. Doing this, while aiming for the most common mobile platforms first, gets you to most mobile devices in the least amount of time. Then, taking a product-managed approach, you can continue to progressively enhance your site to improve performance and broaden device support.

    Don’t set your expectations too high and think that getting into mobile web design requires perfection. Just get started! Then as you learn more and gain a better appreciation of mobile’s context and constraints, you can raise your expectations and fine-tune your focus.

    Mobilizing web sites: start optimizing your corner of the web for mobile presentation today.

    At 3:30pm to 3:50pm, Tuesday 13th March

    In Ballroom G, Austin Convention Center

    Coverage audio clip

  • Old School to New School: Games & Mobile Learning

    by David Conover, Michael Mayrath Ph D, Paul Resta and Priya Nihalani

    Education is stuck in the past. Yet, after decades of incubation, technology is revolutionizing teaching, learning, and assessment. Around the world, people are increasingly using mobile devices to connect with each other and the Internet. This transition is laying the foundation for exponential growth in mobile learning. Simultaneously, games are being adopted as tools for teaching and assessment of higher-order thinking. This panel consists of experts from industry, higher education, and K-12. They will discuss and answer questions about technology’s potential to solve today’s most pressing education issues. Dr. Paul Resta is a professor at UT Austin. Dr. Michael Mayrath was a Harvard Postdoctoral Fellow and is CEO of GYLO (GetYa Learn On) – an educational software company specializing in mobile learning & game-based assessment. Dr. Priya Nihalani was a UT University Fellow and is GYLO’s Chief Scientist. David Conover teaches game design at Connally High School, Pflugerville ISD.

    At 3:30pm to 4:30pm, Tuesday 13th March

    In Classroom 203, AT&T Conference Center

    Coverage audio clip

  • Enterprise Mobile App Solutions

    by Chris Mankle and Erik McMillan

    No one resides at their desk anymore, and carrying a laptop around is tedious. The recent advancements in smartphone and tablet technology has given corporations the platform to provide their workforce with the tools needed to perform at the level that is needed in today's fast paced corporate world. Erik McMillan, CEO of BestFit Mobile, and Chris Mankle, CTO of ACS, a Xerox Company, will talk about the different technologies and applications that you can use to mobilize your workforce. Arrive early as this event will fill up fast.

    At 5:00pm to 6:00pm, Tuesday 13th March

    In Sabine, Hilton Garden Inn Austin Downtown

    Coverage audio clip