Fascinated by the cloud and what it means for the future of Web apps, social gaming, open-source and the after life? Then you have plenty to keep you busy if you are heading to SXSW this year.
This is part of a series of ReadWriteWeb guides to SXSW Interactive 2010. If this guide isn’t your cup of tea, be sure to check back for more information soon!
Can You Run a ‘Serverless’ Business?
This discussion looks like one of the better cloud panels at SXSW. It features panelists such as Amazon CTO Werner Vogels, who is there to discuss how cloud computing platforms have evolved so that it is possible to run a ”serverless” business with confidence.
Accessibility: What It Is For and Where It is Going
How does the cloud affect accessibility? Will cloud-computing allow for a metaphorical curb cut out, allowing access to rich Internet applications? Ahhh – another example of how cloud computing is affecting all aspects of our word.
From the SXSW guide:
“Could a Software as a Service (SaaS) model deliver assistive technologies as a cloud-based service? The National Public Inclusive Infrastructure (NPII) is trying to do just that. As a facilitator for more rapid deployment of assistive technologies and a means to prototype new business models for emerging assistive technologies, AT could become part of an extensive infrastructure of readily available, electronic curb cuts that allow for seeamless access for a broader range of users than have been included to date.”
Drupal in the Cloud!
Pantheon is an open-source cloud hosting initiative for the Drupal development community. Josh Koenig will examine “The Cloud” as a concept, look at the marketplace for cloud services, and dig into what it takes to build an application on a cloud-based platform.
Our Interactive Culture Clouds
Were not sure about this one. Looks like it’s made for SXSW with its discussions about how business and love meet. We’re uncertain how the cloud plays into this one but just about everything does these days, doesn’t it? Next!
You Developed the Content — Now Build The Hardware
The cloud is sending developers back to the labs to rethink and build new hardware that fits the wave of cloud-based applications in the market. Cool! From the SXSW Guide:
“This presentation discusses how software/content developers can use open-source hardware to build devices that integrate tightly with their applications.”
Become Immortal: Understanding the Digital After Life
Now talk about ghosts in the machine. Just think, when we die our identities will float in cloud networks all over the world. This may be the most philosophical discussion around cloud computing that we see at SXSW. It’s time to explore the digital beyond!
Finally, can one man be a cloud? The cloud is just about anything at SXSW so a man on a bike with a wifi hotspot in his backpack must qualify. Look for “The Jason Cloud,” as you walk the streets of Austin. Considering AT&T’s service, you may want to hire a bike taxi and follow Jason around for a few days.
