Tech sector

Dell goes private in sweeping $24 billion buyout

In a sweeping $24.4 billion buyout, Dell announced Tuesday that the computer company, struggling to compete in the personal computer market against stiff competition from mobile phones and tablet computers, will go private.

CEO and founder Michael Dell issued the following as part of his statement:

I believe this transaction will open an exciting new chapter for Dell, our customers and team members. Dell has made solid progress executing this strategy over the past four years, but we recognize that it will still take more time, investment and patience, and I believe our efforts will be better supported by partnering with Silver Lake in our shared vision.

The buyout was brokered between Dell, Microsoft and rising investment firm Silver Lake and will ostensibly return more control of the company to Dell, who founded the company from his dorm room in 1984. But as reported by the New York Times, analysts are bearish on the idea that the company will be able to turn itself around after years of failed reinvention efforts.

Though Egon Durban, a managing partner at Silver Lake, expressed optimism in a statement.

“Michael Dell is a true visionary and one of the pre-eminent leaders of the global technology industry,” Durban said. “Silver Lake is looking forward to partnering with him, the talented management team at Dell and the investor group to innovate, invest in long-term growth initiatives and accelerate the company’s transformation strategy to become an integrated and diversified global I.T. solutions provider.”

Rumors of the computer company going private having been swirling in the past few weeks, mostly hedged by the fact that the deal could very easily fall apart at the eleventh hour. Dell Inc., according to the Austin Business Journal, is the third-largest employer in the Austin area, with about 12,000 local employees. What the move to the private sector means for these employees is unclear.

But it would appear that Dell (the company’s leader, if not necessarily his Round Rock-based company) is invested in sticking close to the Texas capital: The Michael and Susan Dell Family Foundation committed to a $60 million contribution to the University of Texas at Austin’s new medical school just last week.

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SKIN IN THE GAME

Renowned Hill Country tattoo artist inks new sacred geometry app

Photo courtesy of Dillon Forte

Dillion Forte at his "tattoo ranch" in the Texas Hill Country.

In the world of tattooing, there may seem to be few better rat traps left to build, but Dillon Forte aims to change that. In October, the renowned Wimberley-based tattoo artist and entrepreneur introduced a new iPadOS app to bring ancient symbology into the digital age.

Forte has made a worldwide name for his black dot work (a contemporary take on stick-and-poke techniques) and ambitious undertakings like tattooing underwater and opening a “tattoo ranch.” His ink appears on Usher, Chris Hemsworth, and Kehlani.

Still, he is most recognized for his sacred geometry designs, using patterns to convey various meanings. His interest led him to create the Sacred Geometry Drawing App, a convenient way for novices and experts to develop and export their creations.

The app grew out of his own practice. Over the past decade, he has used tablets and freehand techniques to achieve his highly symmetrical artwork but grew to realize existing tools were not always easy to use.

“The app is an attempt and fulfillment of my desire to make sacred geometry accessible and bring the ability to create into the fingertips of as many people as possible,” Forte tells CultureMap via email, adding a tagline: “symmetry made simply.”

He says he wished the app was available when developing his signature style as a tattoo artist, but it was designed with a broad range of users in mind. He hopes that designers, educators, and artists will find a use for it.

A short intro to the app's capabilities is available on YouTube. It looks like a standard drawing app, starting with a blank canvas and some tools like pens, pencils, colors, and of course, straight line and dot makers.

A "symmetry index" anchors the functionality and expands it to something between 2D art and 3D modeling. In addition to generating shapes like repeating patterns and spirals, the app also creates 3D shapes with grids, so that the artist can map their design in real space or even create sculptures. There is also an index for explaining the spiritual meaning of some standard designs.

“Geometry often prompts an intimidating feeling when it comes to making art,” Forte continues. “The fundamentally complex and often academic nature of math-based art can induce a sense of fear in the potential user instead of creating a sense of awe. The purpose of the sacred geometry app is to cultivate the latter."

Creatives interested in constructing their own geometric masterpieces can download the app at the App Store for free, and in-app purchases are available.

technology apps tattoos arts