Google X’s Astro Teller and Other Notable Keynote Speakers at SXSW 2015


KeynoteSpeakersSxsw2015When I was a kid my heroes were very easily identifiable. They wore capes, they flew, they dodged bullets and had every manner of gadget and gizmo imaginable packed tightly into colorful utility belts. They were smart, strong, and somehow managed to always save the day. As I get older (note that getting older and growing up are by no means the same), I notice that while my heroes no longer wear capes, they do manage to create things that as a child I would have deemed nothing short of magic. They no longer use tools from utility belts to save damsels in distress, but the vast imaginative power of their minds leads to inventions that could one day save thousands of people. South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, a little festival that also refuses to completely grow up, strives every year to bring the best and brightest in trending and out-of-the-box technology to the masses; and they did not fall short of the mark this year.

KeynoteSpeakersSxsw2015-1Perhaps the most exciting Keynote speaker at this year’s festival is Astro Teller, the head of Google’s experimental, super-secretive Google X Lab, also affectionately dubbed the “moonshot factory”. Google X works on products that may at first glance seem peripheral to Google’s core search and advertising business, but they tend to get a lot of attention. For example, Google X was responsible for the company’s autonomous cars project as well as Google Glass and Project Loon. Project Loon is likely to be a hot ticket item in his speech, as it addresses the idea of a balloon-powered internet. According to early intel, Project Loon was started in response to the nearly two-thirds of the world’s population that does not yet have Internet access. It would function as a network of balloons travelling on the edge of space, designed to connect people in rural and remote areas as well as bring the rest of the world back online after disasters. Self-driving cars, one of the more well-known projects from the “moonshot factory”, are likely to be discussed in great length as well. For entrepreneurs, dreamers and sci-fi geeks alike, this is a do-not-miss keynote from a true innovator. Teller plans to share never-before-heard stories and hard-earned lessons from his time at Google X, and the keynote will take place on the last day of the Interactive Festival, Tuesday March 17th.

KeynoteSpeakersSxsw2015-3For the sake of a well-rounded SXSW experience, and in an effort to never put too many of one’s eggs in a single basket, there are a few other keynotes you should try to catch if you can. The Winklevoss twins, Tyler and Cameron, will be delivering a speech on what Bitcoin needs to do to succeed as a mainstream currency. If robot-human interaction is your bag, United Therapeutics CEO Martine Rothblatt will talk about tech innovations intersecting with artificial intelligence, immorality and the future of self. And of course, to satisfy your ecological, earth-loving needs, Al Gore is back for a third time to plug new global climate legislation up for vote at the end of this year. I haven’t seen much in the way of smartphones, laptops or the nanotechnology in the lineup this go round, but then – that’s Southby for you. Following the pack was never really their thing.

Topics: Technology News Gadgets & Peripherals Inventions & Innovations

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