Unfortunately, I won’t be going to SxSW this year after having a great time and learning a lot there last year. But I’ll still be watching from afar to see what “wins” in 2012. Last year, GroupMe killed it (my group was using it to communicate and it worked very well) and Localmind also started to take off.

This year the smart money is on “people discovery” apps, with the handicappers picking Glancee and Highlight as the potential winners, with Highlight having the edge. I think these apps have a large amount of the ook factor. I’m not yet sure whether I want my phone buzzing when I’m within 50 feet of somebody that’s also running Highlight, nor am I sure I want some rando to know when I get near them. But I’ll give it a try and see.

Because I can’t load everything on my iPhone and still have room for the important stuff, I’ve gone with the odds and loaded Highlight. Now, I’m waiting for the first buzz, signifying a San Juan Capistrano-like return of the SxSW swallows from Austin.