Joi Ito's Web

Joi Ito's conversation with the living web.

I'm on two panels today. I am moderating this panel:

Mobile Gaming and Entertainment
Monday, March 15
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
16A

Mobile applications that succeed as commercial products require careful planning and evolution to work with cellular networks and operating systems. What are the steps leading to successful commercialization?

Joichi Ito , CEO - Neoteny
Art Min - Metrowerks
Mario Champion , Chief Creative Officer - team smartypants inc

Dave couldn't make it to SXSW so I'm taking Dave's place on this panel:
Ridiculously Easy Group Forming
Monday, March 15
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
17B

Ridiculously easy group forming is what happens when "everyone is empowered to create open channels where any blogger can contribute content," according to internet hippie Gary Murphy. This panel offers perspectives on group forming and information sharing via the latest social software tools.

Adam Weinroth , Pres - Easyjournal
Tantek Çelik , Diplomat - Microsoft
David Sifry , CEO - Technorati Inc
Pete Kaminski - Socialtext
Sam Ruby

Hope to see you there.

I'm the the following panel today at SXSW.

Weblogs and Emergent Democracy
Sunday, March 14
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
18AB

Traditionally, popular will in democracies is interpreted and applied to decision-making processes indirectly through representatives--legislators, lobbyists, activists, media, etc. Will expanded growth of weblogs and social networks, as well as tools for analysis of content and connections, bring us closer to the ideal of direct democracy?

Adina Levin - Socialtext/EFFAustin
Joichi Ito , CEO - Neoteny
Jon Lebkowsky , CEO - Polycot Consulting LLC
Mitch Ratcliffe - Internet/Media Strategies Inc.
Zack Rosen

If we say anything interesting, I'll post notes here later.

sxswnonono
There is a "no photography or videotaping" policy for the sessions. If I had known, I wouldn't have lugged my Canon Digital Rebel with me...

There is also a $90 fine for using any of the power outlets in the halls or in the session rooms. What do they think we're going to do, plug Marshall amps into the power outlets and start playing in the halls?

Pretty blogger unfriendly...

UPDATE

Cory
The Austin conference center has changed its tune about its policy forbidding attendees from using the AC outlets. Jon Lebkowsky says, "They changed the rule - people can plug in. They just told me to announce it on my 11am panel. Yay!"

UPDATE You can take pictures now too.

The only restriction on pictures/videos/recording is that they must be for personal use.

Kudos to Cory for the call to arms.

Chinese being frozen out of student visa process - The Japan Times

A poll by the Japan Times shows that the Japanese Government is making it hard for Chinese to receive student visas. Out of 3,818 Chinese applicants polled, only 27.1% were granted visas, compared to 87.6% of the 2,332 non-Chinese applicants polled. The paper quotes a Tokyo Metropolitan Police official saying, "In particular, heinous crimes committed by Chinese make up 65 percent of the total, showing an exceedingly high percentage compared with other nationals."

This trend of bashing the Chinese for criminals in Japan is a trend lead by Mayor Ishihara of Tokyo. Statistics may "show" this trend, but being unfriendly to the Chinese is not going to increase the quality of Chinese applicants. I think that in an environment where we need to increase communication with our exceedingly powerful neighbor, this policy of calling them criminals and shutting out their students is just plain stupid.

Future Now
Black boxes for taxis

According to dottocomu, Japanese taxi firm "Nihon Kotsu has announced it is to introduce "flight recorders" to its fleet--a device that will record video as seen from the driver's seat for 18 seconds spanning before and after an accident."

via Ross

Off to Austin for today SXSW and the Wireless Future conference. I'll be there until the 17th.

Logistics are on the wiki. I will be moderating a panel on wireless gaming on Monday from 15:30 and participating in a panel on Wireless and Grassroots Innovation on Tuesday from 15:30.

If you're in Austin, lets hook up.

Isaac Mao
The biggest ever block on blog in China

Blogbus.com, one of the biggest blogging service in China, has been ordered to shut down it's service from noon today.

In case you're just waking up and reading blogs before reading the news. There has been a terrible terrorist incident in Spain.

News on CNN.com.

The last count I saw was over 170 192 people dead. Several commuter trains in the early morning to Madrid. Government says it was the ETA.

Victor has compiled a lot of information on the attack.

New York Times on the Finnish character and comment about similarity to Japanese. So why do these are these two cultures full of repressed emotion, alcoholism and suicide also (sort of) lead the world in mobile phones? What's the connection? Hmm...

via Gen Kanai