Category: All Things Geek

Geeks are looking to the future by their very nature

Google’s Tea Uglow Featured On This Week’s Design Matters

Carl Setzer

I’m sad to say that I’ve never heard of Tea Uglow until this evening when I was able to listen to the most recent Design Matters podcast (if you haven’t subscribed, you need to change that). Tea is the Creative Director of Google’s Creative Lab in Sydney, which sounds like an invigorating role.

Tea comes to tech with a delightfully unique mindset. Not from the computer science world, but art and design. A mindset that’s critically important right now, at this point in tech history. I deeply believe that design thinking is the future of tech. And, really, the now of tech. She’s done some other videoed talks, which I’ll explore later. It’s awfully late today.

This talk covers a lot of ground, from sexuality and gender identity to diversity and inclusion in tech. Such broad wandering inspires and engages me.

Give it a listen. It’s well worth your time.

 

Two Geek Culture Videos I Recommend

Carl Setzer

First, a short film “FTL”. I’ve seen this before, and found it delightful. It showed back up in my YouTube recommendation feed.

Second is the trailer for the new series “Picard”. I’m quite excited to see this concept expanded. I find Picard’s character compelling and interesting. Plus, TNG explored some very rich ideas, challenging ideas about the future, social order, and about how we interact with technology.

A Day In Front Of My Computer

Carl Setzer

Zany days. A 2 hour meeting in the morning disrupted everything. Not too uncommon, but it can be discomforting. Today, though, it was good. My team gave me a ton of space, so I was able to tunnel in and make AutoCAD sing. Well, to the best of my ability, at least. I’ve grown massively with my CAD skills, but I see a huge amount of growth out there.

Hours passed quite quickly, I was focused and in my zone. I love that feeling and really relish those moments I get to dive in like that. No distraction…focus! That is my happiest place!

With that, music really helps me deeply dive into focus. I pulled together a decent playlist on Google music based on Ghost in the Shell and Attack On Titan soundtrack elements, Then, this evening, I stumbled upon Maddy Meyers. This album below is exactly what I would’ve loved to queued up. So, it’ll just need to be tomorrow’s. For I expect focus will be important then, too.

A Star Wars Mediation: Considering Grey Jedi

Carl Setzer

A couple of days ago I watched this Star Wars centric video: Why Everyone Is Wrong About Qui-Gon Jin. Thor Skywalker’s ideas about Qui-Gon and the notion of Grey Jedis really got my geek brain going.

The notions of the Grey Jedi certainly generates powerful debate within the Star Wars community. As for me, I would expect factionalism within the Force yielding community. So the existence of the Gray makes sense to me, along with other Force Yielders besides the Jedi and Sith.

Would the Gray simply be one’s “rejected” by the counsel, or folks having rejected the counsel’s edicts? I expect that the Gray Jedi maintain some sort of affiliation with the mainstream Jedi order. One rejecting the other, who rejects who?

Anyway, with this, I find it interesting that there are the gray Jedi along with other Force sensitives. Unique in this grouping. Perhaps not a complete rejection, then, by either party.

So, are the grey really just disconnected from the Jedi counsel and conventional wisdom? In terms of this video below, that seems to be the main element. I recognize that a greater comfort with the dark side is supposed to be a part of the gray theology (is theology the right word?). I think that the counsel was quite uncomfortable with any notion of acceptance of the dark side. Is this really about exclusion? And who decides orthodoxy? The counsel?

Anyway, this thought got quite convoluted. When I started writing this, I thought my idea about this was clear. And, in very short order, that, well, fell apart.

Let me know what you think via a comment or Twitter. I really would like to hear.

Brian Tong Interviews Neil Degrasse Tyson

Carl Setzer

I’ve enjoyed Brian Tong’s CNET reporting for years, especially his commentary during the various Apple announcements. I see that he’s, now, taking a leap into the new gig economy. I took a bit of a deep dive to catch up on what he’s up-to and think he’s onto something. Check out his Patreon for more info.

Anyway, of all the stuff he’s created over the past few weeks, he interviewed Neil deGrasse Tyson at San Diego Comicon and asked some fun questions. I wouldn’t have pegged Tyson, for instance, as an iPhone guy. Anyway, what a fun interview and one that makes me mildly envious.