Article by Lisa Walters.

The Other Singularity with Jared Ficklin, Principal Technologist at frog design.

What do a cowboy, a co-director of a public skatepark action committee, a frog design Fellow, and the producer of the best interactive party at SXSW all have in common?  They’re all Jared Ficklin. He’ll draw from all of these hats to tackle the question of “The Other Singularity” and the application of high technology to low pursuits. Ficklin will tackle the topic using installations from frog design’s SXSW party as case-in-point examples and will explore where we could be heading with our overly-digital lifestyles. Plus we can cross our fingers for (slash promise to Instagram + Vine + tweet about) a live demo.

This session will use the lens of the party and its many interactive installations as visions of the future. So along with discussions of trends in computing, there will be a lot examples of work, some live some recorded, and hopefully we will leave with new thoughts or re-enforced feelings on where we could be headed with our digital lifestyles as well as a fun and energetic peek into using hyper social environments as an examination table for technological innovation.

Q&A with Jared Ficklin

What was a seminal band for you growing up?
Nirvana. My awakening to music was The Cure. But hearing Nirvana changed my entire taste in music and made me decide to start a band. I spent the next decade and a half playing loud nirvana inspired geek rawk. It was where I got a taste for performance an events. There is so much wrapped up in that decade I actually have a little trouble listening to Nirvana anymore. It actually is a pretty intense experience bringing back a lot of associated emotion from an earlier time. I have moved on to Dubstep for a large part as well as catching up with all the dance pop I missed by being a hard core indie music scenester in that era. Yes that means I have discovered Britney. Thank goodness for Spotify!

Why do you think NXNEi is important to the community?
NXNEi is currently a festival at the right size and place. I find this to be a refreshing alternative to bigger conferences. There is a diversity and acceptance of new ideas. Pair with a music festival that is also the right size, as in you don’t have to be a top tier badge holder to see everything, and this makes a great week.

What bands are you going to check out at NXNE?
The bands I check out at NXNE will be serendipitous and heavily influenced by whomever I meet that week. That is how I like to experience a new music festival. So my plan is I have no plan. Same with interactive.

Jared Ficklin presents “The Other Singularity” at NXNEi on Friday, June 14th at 3:00 pm at the Hyatt Regency. Click here for the full schedule and make sure to pick up your pass to get in on all the NXNEi action.

For more on all things Interactive, click here.

Originally published on nxne.com.