Hasbro’s new Monopoly App Banking ditches cash and the banker for a mobile app that automates transactions, speeds up gameplay, and swaps iconic properties for kid-friendly alternatives like chocolate factories and dinosaur parks. The app is very cool, but speeding up gameplay is the true winner here.
A peek into today’s edition:
- The evolution of SXSW
- Tech Byte: YouTube hits new subscriber milestone
- Apple launches VIP: Yankee Stadium on Vision Pro
SXSW’s Evolving Landscape: The Shifting Focus of a Cultural Icon
South by Southwest (SXSW) is officially taking over Austin from March 7-13, but today’s festival is far from what it once was. Let’s take a look at how it has evolved over the years.
SXSW’s Origin and Evolution
SXSW began in 1987 as a music industry conference in Austin, Texas, designed to showcase emerging artists and connect industry professionals. Its early years were deeply rooted in music discovery, solidifying Austin’s reputation as the “Live Music Capital of the World,” which originated because of the city’s vast portfolio of music venues. As the festival grew, film and multimedia elements were introduced in the 1990s, laying the groundwork for what would become SXSW Interactive. By the early 2000s, SXSW had become a multi-industry spectacle where music, film, and technology converged. What started as a regional music event had transformed into a global destination for innovation, with companies and creatives using the festival as a launchpad for new ideas, trends, and cultural movements.
SXSW’s pivotal shift toward becoming a major tech launchpad arguably began in 2007 when Twitter’s breakout moment put the festival on the map for digital innovation. The platform’s adoption at SXSW showcased the conference’s ability to accelerate new ideas, a reputation it would continue to build in the years that followed. Meerkat’s viral success in 2015 further cemented SXSW as the premier stomping ground for emerging platforms, but in recent years, some have questioned whether the festival still holds the same influence.
SXSW has become a mega-festival in Austin (with an inaugural London edition on the way in June), encompassing conferences, exhibitions, and networking events across multiple industries. Drawing over 300,000 attendees each spring, the SXSW 2025 edition includes nearly 30 tracks across technology, film, culture, and music. While SXSW remains a massive gathering for creatives, entrepreneurs, and tech leaders, the rise of year-round digital engagement and other industry-specific events has made it harder for any single moment to dominate headlines the way Twitter once did.
Tech’s Big SXSW Moments
Let’s take a look at some of SXSW’s most defining tech moments and how they helped shape the industry.
Twitter (2007)
In 2007, Twitter didn’t just attend SXSW — it hijacked the conversation. At the time, the platform was still a fledgling service, having first launched in mid-2006 under the name “Twttr.” Twttr was a side project at podcasting company Odeo, designed as an SMS-based status update service where users could share short messages with friends. The team saw SXSW as the perfect place to introduce their real-time messaging platform to a highly connected and tech-savvy audience. To generate buzz, Twitter strategically set up two large screens around the conference that displayed live tweets from attendees, encouraging real-time conversations and engagement. This activation showcased Twitter’s potential as a tool for instant communication and event-based networking — something that felt groundbreaking in a pre-smartphone world.
The buzz was immediate. Attendees rapidly adopted Twitter as a way to share thoughts, find panels, and connect with others in real-time, causing usage to skyrocket from 20,000 tweets per day to 60,000 during the festival. The momentum culminated in Twitter winning a SXSW Interactive Web Award in the blog category, solidifying its reputation as the next big thing in tech. Twitter’s emergence at SXSW marked a turning point for both the platform and the role of social media in tech culture. This moment set a new standard for startups leveraging major cultural events to accelerate their growth.
Foursquare (2009)
In 2009, Foursquare made its official debut at SXSW. The app allowed users to check in at physical locations — like restaurants, bars, or stores — and share those locations with friends. At SXSW 2009, Foursquare took advantage of the tech festival’s highly social environment by encouraging conference-goers to check in to various events, panels, and parties around Austin. The app quickly caught on at the event, with many attendees eagerly checking in to venues around the city. Foursquare’s gamification elements, like earning points and badges for checking in, made it feel like a competition to explore more and connect with others.
Foursquare’s breakout at SXSW sparked a wave of interest in location-based apps, paving the way for a mobile-first, real-time connection with the physical world.
Meerkat (2015)
Meerkat left its mark on SXSW in 2015 with its live-streaming application. Launched just weeks before the festival, Meerkat was a mobile app that allowed users to stream live videos to their followers on Twitter in real-time. During SXSW, the app became a sensation, with attendees and influencers rapidly adopting it as their go-to tool for broadcasting live experiences at the festival. The ability to broadcast live content on a social platform was revolutionary at the time, allowing anyone with a smartphone to become a real-time broadcaster with just a few taps.
Meerkat’s streams became central to the festival’s social media presence that year. Although Meerkat’s momentum was short-lived, as Twitter acquired Periscope and offered a more robust live-streaming solution, its impact on tech and social media was undeniable. The app’s success at SXSW highlighted the growing demand for real-time, unfiltered content, which would later become a core part of social media culture.
Other tech companies like Pinterest, Uber, Dropbox, Google Glass, and Instagram made waves at SXSW between 2007 and 2015, but since then, the conference has seen fewer breakthrough tech moments. The spotlight is now often on smaller, more experimental projects rather than the game-changing innovations of the past.
Will it Ever Be the Same?
SXSW remains a vital hub for creatives and innovators, though it may no longer host the same game-changing tech moments of the past. The festival still nurtures new ideas at the crossroads of culture, technology, and creativity. While it’s uncertain if it will ever reclaim its status as a tech-launching powerhouse, SXSW remains one of the few festivals of its kind that are still going strong year after year.
Though no major tech breakthroughs have emerged yet, Uber and Waymo launched their partnered self-driving rideshare service just days before SXSW 2025. AI will remain a major talking point with discussions on its role in media and entertainment. This year’s biggest draws include Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson’s featured session and Pedro Pascal’s panel on The Last of Us.
Tech Byte
YouTube is expanding its Premium Lite pilot to the U.S., offering a $7.99 monthly plan that lets subscribers watch most videos ad-free as YouTube Music and Premium surpass 125 million subscribers. While Premium Lite removes ads, users who want additional perks like offline and background play and ad-free music will have to upgrade to YouTube Premium, which costs $13.99 monthly.
This Week in Tech
- Apple announced VIP: Yankee Stadium, an immersive video experience for Apple Vision Pro, offering viewers an all-access pass to the iconic venue during a previous Friday Night Baseball game between the Yankees and the Dodgers. Hosted by Joe Buck, the film takes viewers behind the scenes, highlighting exclusive moments from the early morning preparations to the intense nighttime matchup.
- Anthropic has raised $3.5 billion at a $61.5 billion valuation, with participation from Lightspeed Venture Partners, Salesforce Ventures, Jane Street, and Menlo Ventures to accelerate AI development. With growing adoption across industries, Anthropic’s Claude AI models are powering businesses like Zoom, Pfizer, and Thomson Reuters while integrating into products like Alexa+ to enhance AI-driven capabilities.
- Earlier this week, the official X accounts of both the NBA and NASCAR were hacked by crypto scammers promoting fraudulent coins, marking the latest high-profile social media breach. These posts were quickly identified as scams and removed, with both organizations confirming the security breaches and clarifying that no such digital assets were being introduced. It’s unclear how the hackers accessed the accounts, but the fraudulent messaging across both posts matched.
- Apple unveiled the new iPad Air powered by the M3 chip, offering nearly twice the speed over previous models, enhanced graphics performance, and compatibility with Apple Intelligence. Available in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, the new iPad Air is accompanied by a redesigned Magic Keyboard at a lower price, with pre-orders open now and availability starting March 12.
- Sphere Entertainment Co. reported a slight 1% revenue increase in its Sphere segment to $169 million for Q4 2024, with gains in sponsorship and advertising revenue offsetting declines in event-related and Sphere Experience revenue due to fewer concerts and lower per-show earnings. Meanwhile, MSG Networks saw a 5% revenue drop to $139 million due to an 11.5% decline in subscribers. With $804 million in outstanding debt, the company warned that bankruptcy remains probable if refinancing efforts fail before the March 26 deadline.
- Disney-owned Hulu is receiving backlash after a technical glitch disrupted its live stream of the Oscars, preventing some users from logging in and causing the stream to cut off early during key categories. Disney has since resolved the issue, apologized, and confirmed that a full replay of the event would be made available while noting that advertiser streams remained unaffected.
Michelai’s Bet of the Week
Tech stocks have fallen over 7% since Donald Trump’s inauguration, with new tariffs escalating a trade war that is shaking investor confidence. Nvidia, among other tech companies reliant on international manufacturing, has seen its stock drop by more than 16% since inauguration, contributing to broader declines in the tech sector amid fears of rising manufacturing costs and global economic impact. I’m betting we’ll soon see Big Tech shift to more U.S.-based manufacturing to mitigate these challenges.
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