InkGeeks: July 2015

Monday, July 20, 2015

Apple Confirms #TattooGate Problem is Real

By: Keith Wagstaff

Apple confirms #Tattoogate problem is real.

Adam Jeffery | CNBC

Apple confirms #Tattoogate problem is real.

It looks like there is some truth to #Tattoogate (Tweet This).

After the Apple Watch was shipped to consumers, some wearers with tattoos covering their wrists complained that the device's heart rate sensor wasn't working properly. That includes an inked-up reporter from Reuters, who claimed his Apple Watch didn't send him "the soft pings that alert a user to incoming messages" and gave him "significantly different" heart sensor readings on his tattooed wrist.

Like #Bendgate, when users complained about the iPhone 6 Plus bending in their pockets, #Tattoogate gained traction on social media. Apparently, it's not just a hoax to gain attention on Twitter. While Apple did not respond to NBC News for comment, it did update its Apple Watch support page to address the problem:

Permanent or temporary changes to your skin, such as some tattoos, can also impact heart rate sensor performance. The ink, pattern, and saturation of some tattoos can block light from the sensor, making it difficult to get reliable readings.

This is not a unique problem. Several other smartwatches and wristbands have the same issue. Apple, however, probably isn't too worried. Despite #Bendgate, it sold 61.17 million iPhones over the last fiscal quarter.

Check the video: https://youtu.be/gN-9ICBptYw

Have you had any personal problems with Apple watch because of your ink? #Soundoff

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/05/01/apple-confirms-tattoogate-problem-is-real.html

Tattoos: The ultimate art investment?

By: Sophie Bearman

Would you spend $55,000 on tattoos?Three tattoo models share their body art spending habits and discuss the costs and benefits of being fully inked

How much would you spend on a piece of art that's guaranteed to go with you to the grave?
For one tattoo enthusiast, the answer is $55,000, and growing.

Jesus Ayala, a custodian handyman living New York City's Washington Heights, has been tattooing his body for the past 15 years. His legs, arms, torso and back are fully covered, with colored images of Hindu and Japanese gods, but his body suit isn't completely finished.
"I'm planning on doing the top of my head before the end of the year. And when I'm an old, wrinkly man I'll do my hands and I'll do my neck," Ayala told CNBC in a video interview.

Ayala estimates he'll spend another $1,000 on his head tattoo.

Sophie Bearman | CNBC

Tattoo model Jesus Ayala shows off his tattoos at the NYC Tattoo Convention in June.

According the IbisWorld, consumer demand for tattoos is growing as cultural taboos surrounding the industry lessen. In 2012, 21 percent of adults had tattoos, up from 14 percent in 2008. That's according to the latest data available from Harris Interactive.

In addition, demand for cookie-cutter shapes is decreasing as individuals prefer customized tattoos that involve more intricate designs.

By 2020, revenue from the tattoo industry is expected to surpass a billion dollars, according to IbisWorld.

Despite growing popularity, tattoos may still prove costly, and not just because of the steep hourly rate many tattoo shops charge.

IbisWorld cites a 2011 survey by the Center for Professional Excellence at York College of Pennsylvania in which 57 percent of human resource managers said a job applicant's chances of scoring a job would be hindered if that applicant had a tattoo. That percentage actually increased to 61 percent of managers in the same study one year later.

While the number of Americans with tattoos is growing, the workplace may not have entirely caught up.

Ayala said being tattooed is a challenge, but perceptions are slowly changing.
"Every day of my life I have to educate people and let them know that we're not bad, we're good people, we just have different skin than you now," he said.

"The way I feel about the tattoo community now is that we've grown. We're part of life. There are doctors, lawyers, police."

Tattoo model Megan Leahy shows off her body suit at the NYC Tattoo Convention in June.

Sophie Bearman | CNBC

Tattoo model Megan Leahy shows off her body suit at the NYC Tattoo Convention in June.

Megan Leahy, a private events coordinator and bartender living in Richmond, Virginia, has spent an estimated $10,000 on her body suit. She has covered her arms, legs, and ribs with black, red, and blue Japanese floral designs.

"You buy art to put on your walls. But when you're putting it on yourself, it feels transformative," she told CNBC in a video interview.
She added that she hasn't received negative attention in public.

"I get a lot of compliments, just because it's not piecey or bad work. I feel like people are really starting to appreciate tattooing as a real art form," she said.

Dan Smith of Captured Tattoo on LA Ink and Coming to America

By Josh Chesler

Josh Chesler

Smith doesn't only appreciate the art of tattooing, he's also a big fan of the history, which makes tattooing in SoCal extra exciting for him.

What was it like working on LA Ink?
I would like to say it was all positive, but it wasn't. When you're on the show, you have to understand that everything you say and do will be broadcast by people who don't necessarily know or care what you meant or what you were trying to show. I'm appreciative for the opportunity and how much it helped get my name out there, but I would've shown more of the positive parts that happened too. I tried to put my head down and just work instead of be dramatic or bitter about things, but I guess when it comes down to it, their first goal had to be to keep the show on the air.
How do you think shows like LA Ink changed tattooing?
It started with the TV shows, but you can't help progression. You can't deny that it's happening. The outlets that are available now, with the Internet and apps, there are more ways to see tattoos than ever before. There are pros and cons of anything blowing up in popularity. The music industry is dealing with the problems of it too. Five years ago, people owning a cupcake shop probably didn't think there'd be a TV show about it, but oil will always separate from water when things get popular. I like to think people will always do their research and go to someone reputable, because if you follow someone on Instagram, it's like you're seeing a consistently updated portfolio. There's no excuse to get bad tattoos.
Do you think that popularity has changed things for tattooers?
I would like to think that people gravitate toward something they love. I love what I do, and I couldn't imagine doing it every day if I didn't love it. I would like to think that there aren't just people who do oil paintings who want to get into tattoos for the money. There's a magic to learning tattooing that most people will never understand. It's like the difference between learning to plumb or to fix a car from your grandfather instead of going online and watching a video or reading about how to do it.
What's the most important thing about a tattoo?
I would say giving someone a great experience. It comes down to the finished product, obviously, but it's also about the conversation and giving people what they want. When I would travel, I would hear stories about people who got tattooed by people who were cold to them or just shitty and grumpy. When you get a tattoo, you're literally wearing your feelings on your sleeve. I don't want anyone having a shitty experience surrounding that. We focus on giving a high quality of tattoo and a pleasant experience. We want to make sure each person is happy.
Do you have one style you like to tattoo more than others?
When I did the TV show, a lot of people said I was mainly a traditional guy. That's fine, but I was taught to be proficient in everything. Now, people can specialize in one thing because there are so many people doing tattoos. I just try to do the best tattoos I can. If a customer asks for something I thought someone else could do better, I'd tell them who to go to. There's a responsibility to put something permanent and important on people. I take that seriously.

Read his whole interview at: http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2015/07/captured_tattoo_tustin.php

Brad Pitt shows off his new tattoo in Los Angeles!

BY: Sierra Marquina

Brad Pitt shows off his new tattoo in Los Angeles Credit: PacificCoastNews/ Fame Flynet

Fresh ink! Brad Pitt honored his brood with a new tattoo on his forearm. The Fury actor got a split cell chart with “A” on one side for wife Angelina Jolie and the initials of his six kids — Maddox, 13, Pax, 11, Zahara, 10, Shiloh, 9 and twins Vivienne and Knox, 7 — on the other.

Pitt is no stranger to body art. The hunk also has a line from the 13th-century Persian poet Rumi on his right arm that reads: "There exists a field, beyond all notions of right and wrong. I will meet you there." Jolie’s birthdate is also permanently inked on his torso.
Jolie, for her part, also has a tattoo in honor of their clan. On her upper left bicep, the Mr. and Mrs. Smith star has the coordinates of the locations of all her children’s birthplaces. Pitt’s coordinates — he was born in Oklahoma — are underneath theirs.

The happy family just celebrated twins Knox and Vivienne’s 7th birthday with a trip to Iceland Ice Skating Center in L.A.’s Van Nuys neighborhood on Sunday, July 12.
“Knox and Viv were bundled up with snow hats and mittens,” an observer told Us. “They were really excited about it.”