SXSW Gadget Girl Gear

SXSW Interactive is only moments away! I’ll be finishing out my draft schedule tonight, and then finalizing choices tomorrow.

My friends have been calling me Gadget Girl for a long time, and a few years ago I approached austinwoman magazine about a column begging them to let me blabber about all the dork things I find.  I told them I just knew it would help others learn about new technology.  They bought it, and now I use it for that, and as an excuse to buy new toys *ahem* tools in the interest of talking other people into going into tech debt WITH me.

Anyway, it’s been FUN to do that column for the last few years. To further expose my gadget addiction to the light, I’ll be starting a Show and Tech event in the next few months. If you’re interested in more details, let me know and I’ll include you when I send out the intro information.

As you can guess, SXSW would be a major annual highlight for me. In fact, I would readily say going for the past few years has changed me and the face of our business in many ways.

AWM ran an article in the March issue with suggestions for surviving SXSW, so if you’re going, I hope you’ll take a look at what we had to say:  http://budurl.com/awmsxsw

I took a picture last night of some initial stuff I want to make sure I don’t forget. I took the picture for three reasons. 1) I wanted to share it with you. 2) I wanted to force myself to find a few of the items before Thursday night, and 3) I wanted a visual packing list so I don’t miss anything important.

The idea for staging these equipment pictures started when I was doing this before races I was running. It was fun to assemble all my stuff the night before and snap a pic of it.  It helped me make sure I had everything in one place before the last minute, too.

So, onto the sharing with you. Here’s the pic:

And here’s what you’re seeing:

• Kindle - If I want to look up or download a sample of a book.  I might leave this and just use the app on my iPhone instead, however, it’s also a good conversation starter.
• Case Logic padded Kindle case behind it
• Jack, the Mac (I was a PC user last SXSW)
• Apple (not to be confused with Mac) - I need more food than this, but you don’t need to see that!
• Built brand neoprene case for Jack.  EASY zip up
• Built brand cable case (see below for inside view)
• Olympus Digital recorder
• Red sleeve for digital recorder (It was the Adobe give-away from last SXSW.  THANX Adobe!)
• Name tag - Yes, I know you get a pass with your name on it.  This is more visible.  And it’s branded. It makes an impression at a networking event every time. And thankfully no one’s asked me to get them some fries yet when I’m wearing it.
• PhD Grip mechanical pencil with lots of eraser.
• Ignore Everybody book by Hugh MacLeod for when I need to Ignore Everybody.
• LiveScribe Pen to the right of the book, replacement ink on top of the red digital recorder sleeve, Orange LiveScribe notebook underneath the pen and the book.  Truth is, I’ll probably use the black, small journal version of this for SXSW, and I’ll start off with a brand new one, so everything SXSW related is in it.
• iPhone in a STURDY Otter box (which I LOVE) - Last year I still had my Blackberry.  I love Sprint, I hated that phone.  Now, I love my iPhone, and I hate AT&T.  Verizon?  Are you reading this?
• Palmer Cocoa Butter lip stuff.  OMG this tastes just like chocolate.  Gotta have a pinch of girlie.
• Rocket Dog shoes - happy, colorful, and the most comfortable shoes on the entire planet.
• Belkin plug extender for making new friends.  Has USB device charger on the top, too.  I can make 2 or 3 friends at a time with this thing.
• Upper area - Water bottle - Thermos - from Target.  This is THE best water bottle I’ve ever found.
• Tug Pencil case.  This pencil case can HOLD some stuff!

I broke my back a few years ago and still have some issues with long periods on my feet, hauling things around.  So I’ll be dragging my stuff around on wheels I suspect, instead of in my backpack, which is how I normally do it.

I have two things to say about what you haul your stuff around in.  First, DO NOT use the bag they give you at SXSW!  You know why, right?  Because it’s the EXACT SAME bag LOTS of other people will be using.  The first time you forget to pick it up, and you go looking for it, you’ll realize what’s wrong with your container choice.  It’s like going to the mall security police as a kid and telling them your Mom’s name is Mom.  Not. Helpful.  Only difference is that Mom’s likely to also be looking for you, while your bag?  It will not be contacting you.

Anyway, second thing…Now that you’re convinced of the merits of carrying your own unique bag, don’t make it black.  Seriously.  Don’t.  Put something UNIQUE on it.  You know the suitcases all gray/black rolling around at the airport?  Nuff said.  If you want to see it, and you want it back, trust me on these two scores.

Here’s the inside of the cable bag I promised to add.  I wrote about this in austinwoman a few months ago.  It’s kinda empty right now; it’s usually full.  Friends make fun of me about it…until they want a cable, Flash drive, extra USB ports, or a battery.  Just sayin’.