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I’m headed to South By Southwest this March, and one thing I learned last year was to be prepared for mass amounts of personal device power consumption. Not that AT&T is likely to have their towers actually serving up a usable signal when the hordes descend upon Austin, but it is conceivable I may find some wifi.  Thus I wanted to do some research on a device to take with to keep my electrons topped off.

My main use is a charger for my iPhone, but USB charging has some appeal. I was very impressed with the Tekken myPower that Steve Paine used last year. It is bulkier than the other options, but can charge a much wider range of devices. It’s also interesting to try and quickly compare these things, as some measure in terms of extra talk time, while others talk in terms of number of full recharges to a typical device.  I am sure I could dig into the tech specs around mAh to sort it out, but that’s more than the consumer-level review I wanted to make.

The chargers I looked at seemed to fall into three general categories: iPhone only, USB devices, and Full Batteries.  The USB device chargers work for a wider range of devices like Pre’s and Kindles, while the Full Batteries (like Tekkeon) charge laptops, netbooks, cameras, etc.  One sad discovery is that apparently Apple is not licensing its MagSafe technology connector for newer Macbooks, so I didn’t see any options at all for battery charging there. They should still work well for my camera, netbook, etc.

I’m not trying to build a comprehensive guide, but here is the list of device suggestions I received on Twitter. If I got anything wrong below, you can fill in any blanks, or there is a different option not listed here please let me know.

I haven’t made a decision yet, but will post again when I sort it out. And by way of disclaimer, I work at Sitewire, which does work for iGo, but I’m after the best bang for the buck so am looking at them all levelly.

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Just back from attending my first South by Southwest, and it was pretty much exactly what I thought it would be, only better. In no particular order, here are the things I learned or had affirmed:

You can’t do it all – Heard that warning 100 times leading up to SXSW and it was absolutely true. Just pick what you’re going to do and commit. This is double true for the after hours events (a.k.a. parties).

(Some) Panels are Great – Choose wisely, and choose items you don’t know much about. If you’re an SEO expert in an SEO panel you’re likely to be bored. Go to learn something new, but don’t hesitate to bail if it isn’t good.

Best Part of Panels is Afterwards – Panels are more than good info, they’re a place to connect with people who share an interest. If you watch a panel later online, you miss the hallway discussion about it afterwards.

People trump Panels - However, if you have a chance to do something with a group of cool people at the same time as a panel you wanted to see, choose the people. The panel videos may not be as good as the real thing, but the connections you make with people in small groups are the best you’ll have.

Support your Hometown – Maybe this is just a personal thing, but I try to attend every panel where someone from Phoenix was speaking.

Meet your Friends, Hang with Strangers – Phoenix was awesomely represented at SXSW, and it was great running into the local crew everywhere, but I wanted to meet as many new people as I could. If you connect with someone new, hang out with them for a while, meet their friends, and work out from there.

No Fear - On a related note, don’t be shy to talk to people. Step outside your comfort zone if necessary, and just do it. I’m not a shy person so this isn’t a problem with me, but I met several people who were nervous or downright afraid to talk to someone they liked or admired online.¬† Of those who went up and said Hi, I don’t know anyone who was disappointed.

Parties are Overrated – Some were fun, some were not. Wasted a lot of time trying to chase the “best” ones. Better strategy would be to pick one or two, go with a group, and just hang out and enjoy it.

Work + Play = Ugh – I was doing some work related stuff while I was there, in addition to trying to enjoy the conference. Big mistake. One or the other would work, but doing both just got really frustrating. Decide why you’re going and don’t clutter it up.

Need More Electrons – Spent far too much time camping near outlets trying to get my device(s) powered back up. Next time will bring an external power pack that I can charge overnight and use to leech power from to keep my iPhone and other things alive.

Eat on the Run – There is great food in Austin, but I didn’t get to sample nearly enough of it. If I had a good group headed out for a meal I tried to join them, otherwise I ate something on the go. The restaurants were so packed that a meal could be a good 90 minutes (or more) out of a day that I already thought was too short.

BLACHOOOO! – I have a strong immune system and rarely get sick. I popped vitamins and tried to eat healthy. I still got just nasty sick on the way back. They call is “SXSW SARS” and it comes from so many people getting in one place and swapping their local bugs like trading cards. I collected the whole set. Prepare for this, and maybe take a day or two off work when you get back.

Wish I could have attended some of Film, and stayed for Music, but that likely would have killed me. Definitely worth the effort, and hope to be back agains next year.

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I’m headed to South By Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, for the first time this week, and am quite excited. I’ve been wanting to visit Austin for quite a while, and see SXSW on top of it. Of course, I cannot be expected to endure such complete geekery without proper food so did some asking around for good restaurant/food suggestions. I received three so far from Joe Johnston, a local foodie and restauranteer who is very familiar with the Austin area.

Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor, TX.

Southside Market and Bar-B-Q in Elgin, TX. Told to try the hot sausage.

Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que in Llano, TX. I thought this might be too long of a drive, but looking at the Yelp reviews, I gotta check this out.

If you have any first hand accounts, add them in. I’ll post updates when I get to try them out!

Updated:

Via @Jose602: Casino El Camino on Sixth Street for burgers. Tamale House for bfast tacos, Maria’s Taco Xpress for good stuff all around.

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Today we visited the Galleria Borghese. The gardens are four square acres of lush landscaping with statues and fountains dotting the pathways. The galleria houses what was once the private collection of the Borghese family including sculptures by Bernini and art by Caravaggio and Raphael. The sculptures were amazing. Jeff was most moved by The Rape of Proserpine while my favorite was Apollo and Daphne. The realism and details used by Bernini transports you to a place and time where you believe that Pluto has selected Proserpine as his bride as she struggles against his strength or Apollo pursues the fair Daphne even as she is transformed into a laurel tree to escape him. After using my imagination to complete sculptures without heads or arms or heads and arms, fully formed bodies was refreshing. It is also a reminder of all that was lost.

Galleria Borghese is just North of Barberini Square home of the Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini. Beneath this unassuming church is perhaps the most horrific thing I have seen. It is so disturbing, I cannot believe that it is real. It looks like something from Ripley’s Believe It or Not. To instill the proper mood, read the rest of this post with Vincent Price as the narrator. Beneath the Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini is the Capuchin Crypt. The Capuchin friars believed in resurrection and as such, their mummified and skeletal remains (an estimated 4,000 friars) are arranged in funereal art in the six rooms of the crypt. As I descend into the crypt, I am at the beginning of a long hallway in front of a shrine. Already, I can see the bones. The hallway closes in on me and my flesh is clammy. There is only one way to go although I look back to be ensure an escape route.¬† There is a sign warning visitors not to touch the bones. Yeah right… Because that was MY first thought. Jaw, pelvis, skull, leg, arm, vertebrae, knee and other bones that I am too freaked out to spend time identifying are stacked, nailed to the walls, hung from the ceiling, and otherwise positioned to create florets, butterflies, clocks, hourglasses, chandeliers and other shapes.¬† In the last room, is the macabre masterpiece depicting death with a scythe and his weights to judge good and evil. My friends, I am here to tell you I don’t want to be anywhere near Barberini square if resurrection day comes.

If you are looking for corresponding pictures, unfortunately the Capuchin Crypt and Galleria Borghese do not allow photography. I do regret not getting a picture of my face before and after the crypt. Jeff says that he has rarely seen me so unsettled.

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Halfway through the trip, we had a day of rest. Nothing planned other than some much needed laundering. I don’t recall if we mentioned this, but we went the carry-on route for our luggage checking nothing. Ambitious, but completely worth it. Lucky for us, there was a laundromat very close to the hotel. We bundled up our two loads of laundry so that no unmentionables accidentally dropped to the cobblestones. The laundromat attendant was friendly and while he handed ME a love poem, i think he was quite taken with Jeff. This is a point of debate.

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The first step in the Caesar Shuffle is the Colosseum. I had seen pictures of the site on TV as early as February and I was not expecting to be “Wowed”. I figured the pictures and guide books only showed the good side and the rest would be tumbled down. I was mistaken and I couldn’t be more delighted to be wrong. The arches high overhead that mark the entrances to the building were magnificent. They really give you a sense of how 50,000 people could be moved in and out for an afternoon of games and entertainment. You can see how designs of current sports arenas were influenced by Roman ingenuity.

Step two is Palatine Hill. The birthplace of Rome tells the tale of Romulus and Remus of Augustus and Julius. Part of the House of Augustus tour gives you access to three rooms that have been restored with the original frescoes uncovered. The artwork is a vibrant red with tall columns and haunting figures of Romans with only sketches to define their forms. One was rumored to be Augustus’ study. What decisions were made where I am standing that affected 2,000 years of civilization? We stop and ponder over a picnic of olives, cheese and fruit that we brought on our trek.

Step three is the Forum. The layers of history are evident. When we think of history we think in terms of 18^th century or in some cases 20^th century. Here we are talking about 100 years BC or 2,100 years ago when 1,000,000 Romans inhabited the space where we stood. As facades were built around old temples and Roman architecture others were buried by years of neglect and “progress”. The result is a jumble of ancient sites that overwhelm the senses with a swirl of marble and brick. One particularly poignant site was the Temple of Caesar. A stream of people stopped to pay their respects to a man that crossed a river, ended a republic and altered the face of the Western World.

We had a fantastic time doing the shuffle with Julius and the crew. My impression of how ancient Roman men and women lived has changed. I thought they were simple people who were led around by whatever idol was handy and ritual was popular. I found that they were as vicious as any present day politician and I would not want to meet them in a dark alley.

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