What started as a music festival, has evolved through the years as a must attend event for not for those indie rockers out to discover the next big thing in music but film and innovative technology as well.

This weekend and estimated 33,000-plus tech fans, along with Silicon Valley entrepreneurs flocked to South by Southwest to awe at buzz-worthy tech ideas. Here are a few of our favorite tech news coming straight out of Austin, Texas:

1. First Sitting President to be a Part of SXSW

The biggest news out of SXSW was President Barack Obama’s keynote conversation. You can check out the hour-long chat, where he challenged attendees to make technology work for everyone, focused on government working better through the incorporation of new technology across agencies as well as the importance of developments in encryption.

2. Sony’s Projector Prototype

Sony’s Future Lab surprised attendees with its interactive tabletop projector, which turns a flat surface into an augmented reality table. Using an Alice in Wonderland book, guests were able to interact with characters that popped out of the book who intermingled with physical objects on the table while you orchestrate the whole ordeal using your fingers.

3. Robot World

SONY DSC

Japan House was back for 2016, and with its ‘‘ Extension of Humanity’’ theme, Japanese innovation was at the top of its game through inventive exhibits focused on artificial intelligence and virtual reality. Attendees were able to geek out as they experience for themselves a conversation with android Geminoid HI-4, developed by robotics expert Hiroshi Ishiguro.

4. No Ear Headphones

With four built in noise-cancelling microphones, Sony’s Concept N, is built for hands-free operation, providing you with news, weather, and GPS info from your phone, it can even snap a photo… undercover spy style. But before all that, it’s really a clever speaker to allow you to hear what’s around you without in ear buds… they are called ‘‘open-ear earphones’’.

5. Koceto Jo 360° view video camera

Koceto showed off the Jo, which promises 2-way, 4k, 360° teleconferencing out of the box. Its 13 megapixel sensor also offers live webcasting where you can swipe click and drag across the screen, or watch in super widescreen.

I dunno, sorta looks like a blender to me to be honest…

http://kogeto.com/jo.html

6. VR Headsets

Virtual Reality was huge, but what about a VR solution on a budget? One of the best freebies handed out was this cardboard virtual reality headset… sure beats the traditional tradeshow items right?

Source: SXSW cardboard VR gear – KXAN/Dave Byknish