Last year's inaugural SXSWedu conference was a low-key, mostly in-state affair. Looks like SXSWedu 2012 is swinging for the bleachers, with the announcement that US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan joins child literacy icon LeVar Burton on this year's list of keynote speakers.

First there was music, then film, then interactive, then education, and now SXSW is getting more environmentally aware with the launch of SXSW Eco this October.

The crowds may have been gnarlier than ever, with attendance to SXSW rising 20% to 30% every year, but they looked like they packed, especially the ladies.

This just in from Style X, the local shopping event and fashion shows from SXSW, which we wrote about here in early February: You can bust in early on the shopping event by spending $100 at one of the local boutiques from now until Friday.

As you may have heard, there are a couple major anniversaries going on here in Austin. SXSW is 25 and the Austin Chronicle is 30. These are amazing accomplishments for many people, some of whom are starting to feel a little old (maybe).

Do not underestimate the variety of Austin venues. Darling Top Drawer Thrift on Burnet is hosting a killer mid-week party with free beer, bands, and pancakes. All for the benefit of Project Transitions. You owe it to yourself to get to know us over pancakes.

For beginners, it's best to start schmoozing with someone you already know. At worst, you may be bored for a few minutes or bore the other person. But then you move onto the next schmooze. If you're lucky, you'll become engaged in a wide variety of conversations. Talk to old friends and make new ones.

sxsw4japan.org, partnering with the Red Cross, has already cleared an initial goal of $10,000 in donations to help victim relief in Japan. As befits a conference full of smart, savvy go-getters, they’re shooting for $10,000 more.

If you’re planning to use Car2Go the last weekend of South by Southwest, you may want to come up with a back-up plan. This morning, Car2Go Austin announced plans to replace its entire fleet of Smart cars – which is great news… But there’s a catch: