‘Favorable alternative’

Austin again outranks Silicon Valley in new best tech cities report

Austin took the spot for the second year in a row.

franckreporter/Getty Images

Austin continues to outshine the San Francisco Bay Area. For the second year in a row, Austin tops a list of the best tech towns in the U.S., with both Silicon Valley and San Francisco slipping in the third annual ranking.

Based on job-posting data from August 2019 to July 2020, the CompTIA trade group looked at 20 metro areas with populations over 250,000 and where demand for tech workers is greatest. CompTIA then ranked the metros on cost of living, number of postings for IT jobs, and projected IT job growth over the next year as well as the next five years. The analysis placed Austin in first place.

“Home to 5,500 startups and tech companies, Austin has become a favorable alternative to the Bay Area and New York City for companies of all sizes that are looking to grow,” CompTIA says in its Tech Town Index report, released November 10.

The Capital City ranked first in CompTIA’s 2019 and 2020 reports and third in the inaugural 2018 report, besting Silicon Valley every year. By comparison, San Jose, California, holds the No. 4 spot this year, down one spot from 2019, while San Francisco appears at No. 7 this year, down from No. 5 the year before.

Sandwiched between Austin and San Jose in this year’s ranking is Dallas-Fort Worth (No. 2) and Raleigh, North Carolina, (No. 3)

CompTIA says more than 100 tech companies have relocated to the Austin area in the past two years, adding more than 4,600 jobs. IT job postings continue to grow in the region, with a year-over-year increase of 19,000 jobs. The group notes that the Austin area remains one of best places to live in terms of cost of living — about 4 percent below the national average and the fourth most affordable market among the 20 metros on this year’s index.

Over the next five years, CompTIA predicts IT job growth of 16 percent job in the Austin area. The region’s median salary for tech professionals is $87,880.

CompTIA identifies these companies that are aggressively hiring IT professionals in Austin:

IBM
Dell
The Home Depot
Deloitte
Charles Schwab
Amazon
Apple
AMD
Visa
Accenture

The other Texas metro to make the list is DFW, which jumped from No. 7 last year to No. 2 this year. CompTIA attributes DFW’s leap to the sheer number of IT jobs available (178,579 job postings last year), with projections of more to come (3 percent growth from 2020 to 2021 and 11 percent in the next five years). The median salary for IT professionals in DFW is $94,044. CompTIA says the cost of living in DFW sits 2 percent below the national average.

Rounding out the top ten is Charlotte, North Carolina (No. 5); Seattle (No. 6); Atlanta (No. 8); Huntsville, Alabama (No. 9); and Denver at No. 10.

lists rankings technology

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