The annual South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi) conference has just come to a close in Austin, Texas and Digital Lab was on hand to witness a veritable festoon of technorati-laden keynotes and panel discussions, million dollar brand-backed shindigs, graphic sticker and t-shirt soaked trade show aisles and ad hoc hotel lobby smoozefests.

First it was platforms such as Twitter and Facebook that empowered the average Joe to share thoughts, opinions, status updates and virtually anything else that came to his mind to the world around him anytime he wanted. Now the phenomenon known as lifestreaming – essentially the continuous streaming of content reflecting one’s life as it happens – is taking a visual turn. Relatively new photosharing applications are capitalizing on the overlapping forces of mobile and social to provide novel new ways for people to capture and share the unique visual experiences of their lives as they happen. Instagram and Picplz have taken the lead in this space and early signs show a promising future for both.

Had about enough of Angry Birds? Check out the latest in app offerings— interactive art exhibits. From New York’s MoMA to London’s Tate, art museums around the world have begun to embrace the mobile web. This new breed of application allows you to unleash your inner art patron and interact with exhibits around the world, often without even having to leave the comfort of your own couch.

QR codes, or quick response codes, are the dominant for of two dimensional codes that allow anyone with an appropriately equipped cameraphone to scan or “read” data and media available in or through the code. They initially made their big spash in Japan in the mid-1990s and have since been embraced there as a key means for marketers to inform and engage the advanced mobile consumers in the market.