time

So I've recently found out that I'm going to have an enormous amount of free time in the not too distant future. I'm actuality looking forward to the time off and I've already started working on G-LOK...again. -adc-

It works!

So I was playing with my old Dell which has Ubuntu on it and I though what the hell I'd go and see if I would have any better luck with the Squarespace site working. Well I guess I owe Squarespace an apology because it works, a little slow but, it works. Now I'm wondering why the sites giving me so much trouble on my XP machine.

It looks like Squarespace is about to get my money...

-adc-

SquareSpace I really want to like you but...

So I've been thinking for some time now about moving everything over to SquareSpace. Some of the podcast I follow have recommended it and well, I don't like doing all of that back end stuff so I thought what the heck.

So here I am today. I've registered for the free trial and have spent most of the day wanting to throw my keyboard out the window. Two little words for ya F*)$king SLOW! All I appear to be doing is waiting for the Appearance Editor to load...and waiting, and waiting, and waiting. Hey it's been ten minutes and guess what? I'm still waiting. I've tried FF, Chrome and against better judgment IE8. I don't believe my connection is an issue, I can watch hulu and netflex play Guild Wars. So what's up? And I'm about to start a blood vendetta against the Fonts, Color and Size window. 15 min and still waiting...

Squarespace, I really want to like you, I do. So why is it your treating me so? Hell I'll give you money but, I need your shit to work first.

-adc-

...twenty minutes and still waiting, guess I'll go watch hulu...

digitalcole (the real me)

digitalcole
Originally uploaded by aaron@digitalcole

I've been mulling it around in my head, this facade. At some point in the not to distant future we'll forgo our biologic shells and adopt facade/avatars, in a clumsy way we already do it. This will be how the world will see us and perhaps how we'll want to see ourselves. Every aspect will be a choice and not only will they be infinitely customizable we'll be able to change it on the fly.

This image is just a dry run but, the highlights are there. I can only imagine what everyone else will come up with.

-adc- (digitalcole)

Orlov the Bear

Orlov
Originally uploaded by aaron@digitalcole

I've been running a Rifts game with Nancy for a couple of weeks. This is Orlov the Bear and yes, he's Russian. Depending on how far we get I may post the adventure here, more as a story or synopsis then anything else.

I've had some good conversations this week about the new developments regarding VR imaging in cell phones and how it's going to change the way we view the world. We'll see a complete merging of the virtual and biologic world and it'll force us to change how we perceive life and what is real.

Thinking about how we view ourselves and each other will be the centerpiece of this new experience. Literally with the flick of a switch (or press of a button) we'll be able to not only change our own appearance but, change the appearances of everyone around us. Instant customization. Of course at this point we'll need a visor of some sort. Something that combines cell, geo-tagging, video, the web into a device that we'll use to view this new hybrid world. Predicting when this will happen can have negative ramifications but, I think four or five years before we have a visor unit is a good bet.

I've already started thinking about what I want my avatar to look like...

-adc- (digitalcole)

musings...

Some musings...

(warning, some of this is kind of deep)

Singularity Hub Speaking about the singularity movies that are about to hit and what will it be like to bring "the dead" back to life.

Fast Company 1 Can the news survive in the digital world? Yes but, not the way you think.

Fast Company 2 The US education system is broken, what more can I say...

Read at your own peril.

-adc- (digitalcole)

I really am working...see?

I really am working...see?
Originally uploaded by aaron@digitalcole

What have I been doing lately? Well, for starters I've been taking numerous strolls around the web finding all sort of interesting things mostly involving digital technology and our society. I'm going to stop short of calling myself a singularitarian but, granted, the idea is intriguing. Without doubt we as in the human race will eventually create the technology that'll give us eternal life weather it be nano, techno or some other undiscovered means, it will happen. The question is what will we, the human race, do with ourselves once we reach this plateau? If I can allow myself a moment of wistful fantasy I can imagine a collective knowledge universe where we not only share memories but, our thoughts and feelings. A collective consciousness if you will. Of course this is already starting. We already have collective memories (blogs, flickr, facebook) and if google wave does what I think it's capable of that may be the beginning of collective consciousness. Some of these ideas here, were already discussed on FastCompany.

It's an exciting time to be alive. We're entering into a world where anything and I mean anything will be possible. It'll require a new mind set, a new way of thinking about life and our place in the universe. Are we capable of such responsibility? After all we make destruction an art form. We'll need to get past our obsession with living in a scarcity society and embrace the abundance society that we're now finding ourselves in. This wont be easy, many corporations and through them governments are standing in our way. Terrified at the prospects of finding a world in which they're no longer relevant, they strive to usurp us in our endeavor to live in a free society, where knowledge is infinitely sharable. They remind me of little children afraid to live in a bigger world. They'd rather go in circles then wonder off the path to see what's out there. I personally would have no problem with their futile endeavor to "bury their heads in the sand". The problem that I have is that they expect us to follow suit. It's an absurd notion yet though copyright law and powerful lobbyist that's exactly what they're trying to do. This in the end will fail, no totalitarian regime can last. It tends to eat itself from the inside through it's own paranoia. In the end they're really nothing more than a waste of time but, how sad it is that we waste this precious time. Time that could be spent moving us forward.

-adc- (digitalcole)

technology, or lack there of...

Boing Boing

technology, or lack there of...

This is a continuation of the comment I posted about technology. I felt it was a bit off topic to the BB post so I'll elaborate here.

Seeing this reminds me of conversations I have at work. Literally some of the electronic devices we work with are older than some of the employees that work for our company. And our main computer...my cell phone is smarter/more powerful. It also shows how much technology has change and how designers think about technology. For instance I said my phone was smarter, not because it's more powerful per-se but, because it looks at information differently than the antiquated desktop does. Our desktop must keep all its information locally on it's hard drive and although it has some limited access to the outside world, it's highly restrictive. My cell on the other hand...reaches out to the web. Many times I've been tempted to just use my phone to get to the information that I needed to do my job because of technical limitations.

If I choose to look at the positive. The technology that I work w/endure is a wonderful example of not only how engineers innovated but, also why they made the changes they did.

-adc-

more photo's of todays chaos #iranelection

more photo's of todays chaos #iranelection
Originally uploaded by .faramarz

Just doing my part.

-adc-

I added a poll to digitalcole.net/blog

I added a poll to the side bar, let us know what you think.

-adc-

digitalcole.net

Don't look at the light!

Don't look at the light!
Originally uploaded by aaron@digitalcole

Speaking of which...

What have I been up to lately?

I've been working on some art for G-LOK, but mostly I've been working and taking care of the kid. That's a full time job in-of-itself.

I have been hitting my usual sites too. I'll post the link so that you can fallow me...

digg.com (my start page)
Boing Boing (fun and informative)
Engadget (a tech junkie's heaven)
ICV2 (comic news)
Hulu (if you've never seen Carl Sagan's Cosmos Series check it out on Hulu)
Crimson Dark (a great web comic)
TWiT (tech news...a great pod cast)
Dictionary.com (ya, I'm a geek)


I'm sure I have more but, I'll post them later.

enjoy
-adc-

Park

Park
Originally uploaded by aaron@digitalcole

I finally felt well enough to take the kid to the park.

-adc-

Minor update

I've made a minor update to the site. I hope this will help define the "flash area" a little better.

-adc-

1299

I was over at TopWebComics.com checking out my rank, you know, just for fun. I haven't voted for myself in years and I'm 1299 out of...I stopped counting at 3100. I've been wondering if I should put up G-LOK. I think with the new format and the addition of music and what not that it'll get some attention but, I don't know if I could keep up with the once or twice a week updates that's kinda required for success.

I'll need to think about it.

-adc-

New G-LOK menu

I've updated the G-LOK menu. This is the new format that we'll be using for our graphic novels, although the first chapter is still in the vertical format.

enjoy
-adc-

Digitalcole.net's new menu

Digitalcole.net just got a face lift. I'm still working out the bugs and I know I need to add some other stuff like a kill the music button but, It's yours to browse if you like.

-adc-