iPhone 5S....WHAAAAT!

So I'm sure most of you won't believe me.... but I did get an iPhone 5S last Saturday from the T-mobile store. (which also explains the lack of posts from me since then....experimenting with my new phone and everything)  But before you judge me too harshly, let me explain. As you might have guessed my HTC Sensation finally gave up the ghost last week, and while debating over my next smart phone move I really started to lean towards to Sony Experia Z. After looking at reviews online and checking out the features, I really started to like the idea of the Sony. Only a few questions I had regarding durability and charging time. So I went to the T-mobile store to check out that one, the iPhone, and the new Lumia Windows 8 phone. Started with the Sony and it wasn't charged at the store, so the guy plugs it in and a few minutes later it still doesn't boot up, still charging. Not good, so that one is out. Then the Windows Phones are extremely lacking in apps, and interface options, so that left me with the iPhone. Now I hadn't completely put aside the iPhone as an option because really the 5S is quite amazing. Powerful, fast, sleek. So after discussions with Sonia and a decision that will help us in the future I decided to go with the iPhone. The T-mobile store didn't have any in stock and told me I would have to order one which would take 7-10 days...ugh. Then Sonia gave me the idea to look at a different T-mobile store, I didn't think it would work, but I gave it try. I walked in the other store and told them I wanted an iPhone 5S, they said what color? I said black is good. They said I think we have one left. WOW! So cool, didn't have to wait and got a really nice phone for my trouble. Thank you Sonia!

The past few days I've been messing around with the phone and trying to understand the system and get used to a totally new UI for me so I'll keep you all updated as I move along on this. Very excited and pleased so far with my new iPhone. Wow.....Never thought I'd hear myself say that. ;)

Why do the Scientists rely on the Artists?

This article about the earliest flying dinosaur is just another example to me that scientist don't have any clue what these ancient creatures used to look like. Here is the Article It seems to me that all scientist do is unearth the bones, look for clues, write down all the info and then hand it to an artist and say "Here, draw us what that looked like." NOBODY KNOWS WHAT THAT LOOKED LIKE!
No one was alive to document how these animals looked or behaved, we can't just figure that out by comparing them to animals that live know and hope that they had the same social behaviors and evolutionary patterns. Artists do there best to recreate these dinosaurs, but saying that you can recreate it well enough to test it in a wind tunnel and figure out the origins of flight? COME ON! I don't think so. Birds fly not just because they have feathers, but because of there structure and there are many feathered creatures that just don't fly, so I'm sorry but I don't believe that you will be finding the origins of flight any time soon, just because you like the way that the artist did the rendering. I'm do think it looks amazing, but that doesn't mean that it was like that or that it flew at all.

Why does apple get all the cool stuff?!

Very Cool Link  It seems that the iOS gets all the good stuff, GameCase just put together a gamepad for the iOS7 devices and the initial reviews look really good. Basically bringing the functionality of an xbox controller to the iPad, so why did apple get it first when they only control a small percentage of the market. Well I suppose it's because they have the star power, they are the cool kids on campus right now. Unfortunately that means the rest of us non apple geeks have to wait it out. Oh well. May I'll just have to get an iPad. -'Cringe'

Art vs Art

As an artist and in discussions I've had with friends and colleagues who are also artists, I've come to the conclusion that there are really just two types of artists. Now hold on, I know many of you are thinking "How can you say that?, there are so many great types of artists?" Although that is true, hear me out. The two main types of artists that I believe exist in the world today are the Artists who focus on the skill, technique, and prowess of an art form and hone that ability over years of effort and artistic endeavors, and then there are Artists who focus on the social ideals of the art form and look for the societal impact that their art can create, then look to expand the minds of their viewers or at least to push an idea forward into the public mind that otherwise would go unsung. So to simplify, there is the Skills Artist, and there is the Social Artist.

These two types of artists absolutely despise the others way of thinking and the processes they choose to follow. The social artist will say "Oh, your just a production artist you don't really understand the meaning of art and how it transcends all thinking and ideologies." Conversely the skills artist will say "That's not art!, why don't you focus on the form and the structure and make something that truly shows the depth and time that goes into the art that you profess to practice?" While both are valid discussion points, I think that both types of artists "Miss the boat" as to what it truly means to be an Artist.

Art is not just the culmination of skill and effort over years of study and practice, and it is not just the social impact or existential way of thinking about the world that makes it art. Art is the raw emotional expression of human existence. Artist's all have the desire to express and emote their ideas and feelings, it is through study of the practices and skill sets that we achieve a start at communicating those emotions and then it is the ability of the artist to apply those expressions to the masses that makes art truly moving and inspiring. Anyone can make art, this is true, the but truly great art is not just made by anyone. It is practiced, refined, expressed, tortured, extracted, and lifted directly from the human soul. Art vs Art is just a comparison of why we think ourselves better than others, Art is and should be an extension of our own human existence and frailties that we have been able to communicate to others in a meaningful and decisive way. Art is Art.

Life Hacks

Life hacks are those simple things you can do that most people don't realize you can do to take advantage of something that could be really fun and amazing. Certain life hacks make you think about the world around you, others just spark interesting conversations among friends. At the extreme end a life hack it could save you tons of money or make you popular. There are many, many things that are considered life hacks. I believe these life hacks spark from invention. The need for man kind to invent and analyse, scrutinize and digest information about the world around them. Such simple inventions can save us time, or make a task just a little bit easier, and some are just plain silly, but I suppose that is why we like them. I think as humans we enjoy saying "Man, I NEVER would have thought of that!" That is not to say that we wish people where smarter than us, but that we appreciate the minds of others that think in different ways and perceive things about the world that we feel would never cross our minds. This is why so many times in life it is the group that can brainstorm and flesh out ideas and thoughts, the group offers us points of view that are outside our own lifestyles. Of course there is danger in the groups settings as well, when only a few participate and the rest  go along for the ride, but when every one is engaged in the process and trouble shooting the issues these groups can invent and life hack some amazing things.

This site called lifehacker has many things that are interesting and pertinent to our lives, maybe you can add a few life hacks into your own life, enjoy: LifeHacker

For all you digital artists out there.

Hey all you artists out there! If you really are wondering where all the 3D and digital artists are and you are tired of looking around the web to hunt for them, then look no further. Raph.com is an excellent resource to take a look at current artists and see all the wonderful projects and work that so many great digital artists are working on. I've been able to get some really great ideas and thoughts for my own work by browsing and perusing the artists on Raph.com. So head on over and check it out, and maybe even add your own work to share in the community. Here is the link if you missed it above: Raph

The finger print scanner

I know that I discussed this topic a little bit with the new iphone that came out, but I recently had a discussion with a co-worker that made me see the finger print scanner in a slightly new way. Of course I had thought that the scanner is the perfect thing for logging in and gaining access to your digital devices, but what I hadn't really thought about were some of the other potential applications for the scanner. For instance you could use it with different fingers to activate specific programs or web pages on your computer or digital device. Lets say the web pages that your regularly visit are programmed to separate fingers so that if you scan your index finger you get your email account, if you scan your pinky finger maybe it would navigate to you favorite news site, I hadn't really thought about it in a way that you could use different fingers to activate different things. Maybe that program that you use most often whether it's a production style program or just a game could be launched just by the swipe of the finger. That is really an amazing advancement in navigation. First we had the mouse, then voice commands, and now finger print scanning has entered the fray. I don't know if the scanner on the iphone would let you do some of these things as well, but I can see a really great potential future for the finger print scanner and our digital devices.