Festival Look-Ahead

SXSW Interactive announces 2013 programming, featuring Craig Newmark and ChuckLorre

On Monday, SXSW announced the bulk of the programming for the 2013 Interactive Festival. SXSW Interactive will include approximately 450 sessions — most of which came from the PanelPicker process — that run the gamut from trend-setting interface design to social media in outer space.

While 450 sessions may seem like a lot of programming, SXSW states that it is “significantly less programming than was hosted in 2012.” The objective? “Our goal is to reduce the total amount of programming at SXSW Interactive as a strategy to further enhance the overall top-level quality of this programming,” states the SXSW Interactive blog.

This year's programming features clear tracks as varied as "Community and Activism," "Content and Distribution," and "DIY, Hacker and Maker." Outside of those tracks are a host of featured presentations with big name speakers and panelists.

Nationally recognized movers in the interactive and media arenas will make appearances, including a keynote by Matthew Inman of The Oatmeal (the only 2013 keynote announced so far). Other Featured Sessions include Andy Rubin (Google) Interview with Guy Kawasaki; New Standards for a New Era of Journalism, with Craig Newmark (Craigslist); and What Doesn’t Kill Us Makes Us Bitter, with Chuck Lorre of Two and a Half Men.

SXSW 2013 will take place March 8 – 17, with the Interactive Festival (which continues to grow in popularity and depth each year) taking place March 8 – 12.

More programming for the 2013 SXSW Interactive Festival will be announced on Oct. 30 and Nov. 13. Festival badges are on sale now; rates increase after Nov. 9.

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Self-driving Roller Coaster

More self-driving cars expected to roll out in Austin for 2025

Photo courtesy of Waymo via KVUE

Various brands offering self-driving cars are on-and-off in Austin.

Expect to see more self-driving rideshare vehicles, also known as robotaxis, on Austin roads next year.

Robotaxi company Waymo, which you may have already seen on Austin's roads, is partnering with Uber. At some point next year, customers will be able to use the Uber app to call a self-driving ride.

Austin-based company Avride is in the testing phase and plans to roll out its robotaxis next year.

Currently, Volkswagen ADMT and Amazon's Zoox are in the testing phase in Austin, while Hyundai's Motional is in the mapping phase.

Last year, robotaxi company Cruise paused operations in Austin after the California Department of Motor Vehicles revoked the company's permits to operate driverless vehicles in the state. And last week, General Motors said it would no longer fund the company because of the time and resources needed.

This way of getting around has come with its safety concerns and issues. The city is tracking those concerns. According to the Transportation Department, the problems span from blocking the roads and parking in front of people's homes for weeks with lights beaming through their windows, to actual wrecks.

Since July 2023, robotaxis have been involved in 75 incidents. Only 21 of those incidents happened in 2024. It's important to note that Cruise has not been operating in Austin this year.

Since July 2023, driverless rideshare vehicles have been involved in 22 near collisions, eight collisions and seven instances where driverless taxis ignored directions from the Austin Police Department (APD).

According to the data, at least four of those Austin police incidents happened in recent months. The issues varied from driving through police checkpoints, to malfunctioning and getting stuck at an APD road closure near pedestrians, causing safety concerns.

A Waymo spokesperson said their vehicles have gesture recognition capabilities, which they've been training APD officers on using.

As the report shows, sometimes it does not work and Waymo said it is working to improve that. The spokesperson said that as of just last week, Waymo's First Responder Program has been independently verified by TÜV SÜD, making Waymo the first autonomous vehicle (AV) company to receive third-party validation for our emergency response protocols. They also said the data to date indicates the Waymo Driver is already reducing traffic injuries and fatalities in the places where the company currently operates.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

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