First MLOVE USA captures West Coast spirit
From April 24-April 26, MLOVE ConFestival USA made its American debut to over 150 individuals from over 20 different nations, attendees all united by their passion for something even more powerful than the future of mobile – the power of participation.
Tall Redwoods looming above and the sound of the Pacific crashing against the shore, MLOVE arrived in Monterey with an inspiring, future-forward presentation from Singularity University’s Salim Ismail – followed by a drum circle led by poet, recording artist, and TED Global Fellow Iyeoka. Attendees then hit the Asilomar Conference Center’s Surf & Sand for drinks and dancing with DJ Izzy Lawrence and VJ Odbol.
Skimming The Surface: 2 Days in Monterey
Over the next two days, attendees and speakers both talked and listened, participating with one another in open space discussions, MLOVE’s startup competition, Future Cube sessions, and artistic performances. The Grammys’ Beverly Jackson and Grammy-nominated DJ/Producer Vikter Duplaix discussed how in the music industry, social media goes far beyond an artist’s Twitter and Facebook. What we listen to is one of most accessible ways to express ourselves. With the Soundtracking app, Jamie Sampson offers a way for us to share our moments through the songs that define them.
For the first time, MLOVE explored the technology behind connected vehicles, bringing in Singularity University’s Brad Templeton and his “art car”, as well as QNX’s Mark Rigley to discuss how mobile technology impacts automotive software. The way we drive in the future will be a community effort, according Di-Ann Eisnor, who, as part of WAZE, is working to save time and energy through crowd-sourced GPS and timestamps in an effort to reroute traffic; and Getaround’s Jessica Scorpio expanding peer-to-peer car sharing to combat the increasing problem of car overpopulation.
Everything (and everyone) has a story
Experience design plays a crucial role in our online interactions, and these are uniquely shaped by our human journeys. Designing an experience must tell a story. Amish Patel recanted his tale from programmer to Experience Director of Microsoft Kinect and XBOX platforms. In his eight years as the touring chef for the Grateful Dead, Isobar’s Gene Keenan learned from the close-knit Deadheads that a scattered community has the power to create meaningful viral content without a software platform.
Fjord’s Alfred Lui believes when designing any user experience, it must begin with love, as love is something we all desire. Frog Design’s Scott Jenson urged us to gain perspective by stop resisting the urge to look back to our old way of doing things when new technology emerges. In the business of creating 3D ads for tablets, Adjitsu’s Leslie Langan shares the sentiment – why run TV ads in an online space?
Inspiration is everywhere. Find it.
So change the world, whichever space you’re in, no matter your age or where you are in life. 17-year-old Antonia Neidhardt wishes to know how you plan on changing her future as she prepares to enter adulthood. What’s in store for her and the children behind her? Aape Pohjarvirta imparts change may only begin with education. A nation with a fragmented system will not have the power to impact future generations. It is up to us to solve this problem. But like most solutions, they are not digital.
In a world as connected as ours, inspiration often finds us off the grid. U.S. Memory Champion Chester Santos, Burning Man Technology Dominatrix Heather Gallagher, and GAFFTA’s Josette Melchor challenged attendees to disconnect to find connection with their minds, each other, and digital technology.
Passion. Inspiration. Future of Mobile. Attend MLOVE Berlin 2012
Please check back for full reports from the entire weekend. Over the next several days, we will be featuring each topic and speaker in a series of written wrap-ups and on-camera interviews. You will find out what you missed and discover more about MLOVE and how it is a “tech conference” unlike any other.
If you could not join us in Monterey, there is still time to join us at the legendary MLOVE ConFestival Europe 2012 on June 27-29.
Read more about MLOVE USA:
- VentureBeat – MLOVE conference marries mobile tech, drum circles, and Maslow
- TechCrunch – A Run Down Of The Mobile Startups At MLove, Monterey
- AllThingsD – Driving Home a Better Future in the Connected Car
- MLOVE – Inspiration: Find it everywhere
