Lightspeed Internet

Google Fiber is definitely maybe coming to Austin

Austin is definitely maybe getting Google Fiber. A big, fat "oopsies" coupled with a press release inviting media and city officials to a Tuesday morning press conference all but confirm that Austin is the first city behind Kansas City, Missouri (read: the second city in the world) to receive Google Fiber.

First, the big mistake that sent the internet into a tizzy: Engadget reported, and others confirmed, that a post titled "Google Fiber's next stop: Austin, Texas" was published to the Fiber site at 2 a.m. CST on Saturday. It's since disappeared.

Next, the press release for an unspecified event cohosted by Google and the City of Austin: Providing little more than a time and date, the press release doubled as an invitation for city VIPs, vaguely promising the announcement of something that "will have a positive impact on Austinites and the future of the city."

Every tech rag online is now putting the pieces together, clamoring to find confirmation of Google Fiber's next destination. Why? Because everyone wants it. What Google Fiber is, is the internet you've always dreamed of but never thought possible: 1000 Mb per second, "[Google Fiber] is 100 times faster than today's average internet, allowing you to get what you want instantaneously." And you can have it in your home.

In the event that news of the fastest internet currently available in the United States isn't enough to make you kiss your current provider goodbye, consider that Google Fiber in-home packages also encompass television options. Packages range from "Gigabit internet" only ($70 per month) to "Gigabit internet + TV" ($120), which allows up to 8 simultaneous DVR recordings and provides a terabyte of cloud storage and Nexus 7 remote (an Android tablet).

The fact that Austin lost out to Kansas City in 2011 to be the Fiber's official test bed is what makes Fiber's debut in Austin highly likely. Despite interested city officials and a grassroots campaign called BigGig Austin, Google's VP of access services, Milo Medin, explained the company ultimately chose Kansas City first because "the utility [in Kansas City] has all kinds of conduit in it that avoids us having to tear the streets open and a bunch of other stuff that really differentiates it from other places in the country.”

If Google Fiber is indeed what Google announces Tuesday morning, temper your excitement with patience. To get started, Google Fiber will begin by selecting neighborhoods where it will build out the Fiber network, then initiate construction and, finally, complete a two-fold installation process for each Fiber customer (one installation inside the home, one outside).

But as you know, good things come to those who wait. Stay tuned for updates on what Google Fiber will mean for the City of Austin.

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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