Incomparable Meerkat

MEERKATS are small, burrowing animals that spend much of their time socialising while sheltering from the heat of the sun. They are not unlike those uber-geeks who migrate each year to Austin, Texas, for the South by South-West Interactive Festival (SXSW), where they partake in similar rituals. Apart from partying after the sun goes down, the main purpose of those attending is to promote their latest start-ups, while seeking to catch the eye of investors.

Occasionally, it works. Twitter, the social-networking service that lets users dispense wisdom in 140 characters, made its debut at SXSW in 2007. Foursquare, a mobile app for local search and discovery, was the festival buzz of 2012. This year, the social-media fad is a mobile app for streaming live video. Appropriately, the new iPhone-only app is called Meerkat.