Contestants compete in one of three categories: 2D with 15 minutes to create a flat image, 3D with 20 minutes to create a 3D rendered object and motion with 8 hours to create a 15 second animated clip. The motion designers, who have been working all day, give barely a glance as I hover above their screens. My attention is diverted as Cut&Paste kicks off with the first 3D round. With a cheer from the audience, the designers are off, rushing to build a model that fits the enigmatic theme “rescue package.”

The Twitter team has taken the first step towards negating the value of currently URL shorteners by including the original URL in search results and allowing users to expand the link to the full URL, a larger step towards their eventual removal than we’ve seen from Twitter since Ev’s statements in April.

Twitter’s Ev Williams may have disappointed some of the SXSW crowd when he failed to confirm any of the rumours surrounding Twitter long-awaited ad platform but instead took the stage to describe the new @anywhere feature. We noticed something more interesting.

Who is Daniel Ek? Is he, as some have suggested, the most innovative business mind in Europe? Possibly, as someone suggests to me after I hear him speak, a mastermind of Doctor Evil proportions downplaying his plans for music industry domination? Or perhaps he’s just a kid who really likes music, more at home in track suit bottoms and floppy hair than his newly adopted black suits and shaved top.
Regardless of his legacy, tonight Daniel Ek is most certainly the center of attention and over a hundred pairs of eyes …

Twestival, the world charity fundraiser organised by Twitter users has returned after last February’s international event. Billed as “a series of tweet-ups with a social conscious” the event has drawn massive support from new media users and generally positive press from those technologically savvy enough to be aware of its existence. This year, I attended London Twestival at Vinopolis on 10 September, a glam party certainly a sight more impressive than I remember Twestival San Jose from February (apparently the cool kids had gone to San Francisco that night).
Of course …