It’s not quite march yet, but preperations for the 2013 geek spring break (aka sxsw interactive) are well underway.

Two years ago I had the chance to not only attend sxsw interactive for the first time, but also co-lead a panel with the super talented anton reppenon, from fantasy interactive (f-i.com).

As many wisely have said, the best thing about sxsw, or any conference really, is the people you meet. This was definetly the case in 2011. Though I met a great number of people from various backgrounds, expertises and locales, one strand really stuck out to me.

I met a number of people who had broken away from the standard central office setup, and were now working remotely in a variety of setups. Some were solo freelancers, jumping around from gig to gig. Others were partners with small remote teams. And then some had convinced their “normal” office to let them leave the mothership and work from the location of their choosing.

At the time I was working at a local austin interactive shop, in which i commuted 45 minutes each way, and the thought of working remotely seemed like a pipe dream.

Fast forward two years, and I am now working closer to home, and working remotely one day a week. Pretty good, huh? But my appetite is far from quenched. I’d love to push that number to 2 or 3 days a week. And why not? It is 2012 right?

If you have ever had the desire to work remotely, your in good company.

For sxsw 2013, I have somehow recruited a panel of super talented web folks, who are making the remote setup work really well.

Read more here , and give us a vote if your so inclined!

WARNING: I and my fellow Austinites are hippies, do love our trees and parks, and will punch you in the face if you litter or deface them in any way. Consider yourself warned.

Barton Spring’s Natural Pool
A spring fed natural pool, that stays at 68-70 degreees year round. This place is amazing, as seen in the flick ‘tree of life’. But i’m serious, you can visit, but don’t even think about messing with it in anyway.

Zilker Park
Technically Barton springs is part of Zilker Park, but there is a lot to experience outside of Barton Springs. Whether it’s volleyball, frisbee, or just lounging under a huge oak tree, this place is what you need for a little pixel / screen diversion.

Barton Creek Greenbelt
This one is for those who are a bit more adventureous. You can start at multiple spots, but the easiest is just outside of barton springs, and then make your way down the 9 mile path as far as you can go before heading back. My favorite thing to do: rent a mountain bike from mellow johnny’s and spend a few hours in heaven.
Town Lake Hike and Bike Trail

Mount Bonnel
A few miles from downtown, this place is worth the extra work, especially around sun down. Again, I love to cycle, so if your into that as well, rent a road bike and make your way here from downtown. The best views in Austin, especially if you have earned it by climbing a few hills.

Gingerman
One of my favorite places in Austin. A true pub. A great variety and selection, and a great back patio. You can probably find me hear most nights during SXSW after 8pm.

Easy Tiger
The up and comer. I’ve only been to this place once, but I was really impressed. Great brew selection, and they have awesome food. Try a half pound of the corned beef, and wash it down with a milk stout.

Anything made by 512 Brewing
Within walking distance of the convention center, there honestly are too many great bew places, but no matter where your at, you can never go wrong with something from 512 Brewing. And the Java Porter, yeah it’s one of my top 3 beers. So so good.

Black Star Co-op
A little bit north of the action, but don’t pass this place up if your near it. Great food, great staff, and exceptional beer.

LoveJoy’s
So I’ve never been to this place, but I’ve always wanted to go. A biker brewbar. Sounds too good to pass up. If anyone is brave enough to go with me, the first one’s on me.

Franklin’s
Believe the hype. This place is worth waiting 3 hours for. At least once. Everything is delicious, but the moist Brisket is the best, and they have good slaw.

Salt Lick
Amazing BBQ, beef ribs that will make you look like Fred Flinstone, and tangy and unique sauce. I love this place. The real one is 25 minutes southwest of austin, and worth the trip, but there is also an outpost at the airport.

Green Mesquite
A hidden gem, they have some really great jalepeno cheese sausage. Stop by after swimming at Barton Springs.

Black’s
Want the real BBQ experience? Take most of a day and head out to Lockhart. I’ve only been to Black’s, but i hear their are a few other decent places in this town as well.

Jmuellers
I’m going to go out on a limb here and recommend it, even though I have yet to personally try it. It has received high praises from multiple credible sources, and I’m certain it won’t disappoint.

I know I might catch some flack from other local’s on this one, but here goes nothing…

whole foods
yep, you read that right. Call me crazy, but i think whole foods has some of the best tacos in Austin, especially when it comes to lunch and dinner. Here’s the order details: Pork or chicken, corn tortilla, refried beans, rice, queso, guac, and…. dragon salsa (that’s the key).

royal Blue grocery
I may get torched on this one as well from fellow local’s, but oh well. With either taco deli’s fare, or their own line of tacos, you can’t go wrong. try the chicken, egg, and cheese, and thank me later.

Torchy’s
The classic stand by.

Chilantro
Something different, but oh so good. and get a side of kimchi fries.

La Condesa
Another option you may not hear a lot of talk about, but it’s different and tasty. a tad bit pricey, but worth it.

Casa del fuego
The midnight taco, across the street from all the action. You can’t go wrong with this one.

caffe Medici
Amazing coffee, great location, and an exceptional interior.

Frank’s Hot Dogs and Cold Beer
Coffee at a hot dog joint? Don’t tell anybody, but YES. It’s the only place in Austin that i’ve found intelligentsia espresso being served, and it’s awesome. and make sure to get a artisan sausage egg and cheese biscuit to go with it. amazing.

juan pelota
Not the friendliest of staff at times, but a great cup of coffee. and it’s lance armstrong’s bike shop, yo! make sure to go downstairs and see some of the memorabilia, if your into cycling.

halcyon
Good coffee, good food, and a nice ambiance. and it’s right by the gingerman

progress coffee
A few unique drinks, and an interesting locale to match.

royal Blue grocery
my go to nook for coffee, tacos, and pastries while working downtown. great all around.

In this series, I’m not so naive to think that I cover everything (as I’m still exploring the city myself) but I do hope to provide a good survey of local favorites, and a few hidden gems.

I’ll cover a few of the essentials: coffee, tacos, BBQ, good brew, nature, and that Other Thing.

Enjoy! and as always, if you have a different opinion, feel free to voice it!

Jobs remembered being impressed by his father’s focus on craftsmanship. “I thought my dad’s sense of design was pretty good,” he said, “because he knew how to build anything. If we needed a cabinet, he would build it. When he built our fence, he gave me a hammer so I could work with him.” Pg. 6

It’s interesting that at the beginning of Job’s life, we see that one of his biggest influences is not some distant, technical wizard of his time, but rather his own father, his attention to detail, and the fact that he intentionally included Steve in his own projects.

Personally, I have only been a father for just over 2 years now, but I am regularly amazed (and too many times alarmed) at how much influence I have on my kids, for both good and bad.

I hope that fifty years from now my children will also be able to tell, with joy, of the values they learned from me, through both word and deed.

For my children will most definitely learn something from me. The question is, will it be apathy or passion, precision or carelessness, love or hate?

I recently read a few outstanding articles that speak to this issue of 1) owning vs. challenging a brand’s monopoly, and the related issues of 2) embracing what is unique about a company 3) creating a unique and extremely useful shopping experience based off of a unique brand ; and I wanted to pass these along here:

Apple’s unchallenged monopoly
http://kensegall.com/blog/2011/11/ads-apples-unchallenged-monopoly/

Why Jeff Bezos is OK with Amazon being Amazon, and nobody else http://m.wired.com/magazine/2011/11/ff_bezos/all/1

What Ron Johnson learned from building the Apple Store Empire http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/11/what_i_learned_building_the_ap.html

I thought maybe a few of you might benefit from this list as well, so I’ve included the list below. And as always, if you have something to share, do please leave a comment and a link!

http://cargocollective.com/kreathaus/following
This is not all tablet interface design, and you do have to be careful what you choose to browse, but I have found the cargo collective network to be the best source for the latest and greatest stream of digital design work. Particularly the following two designers:

http://cargocollective.com/bcline

http://cargocollective.com/jonaseriksson

A few others:

http://www.landingpad.org/

http://beautifulpixels.com/

http://app.itize.us/wp/category/ipad

and my gimmebar findings:

https://gimmebar.com/user/jonathanbowden