Technology

Juliette LaMontagne|Commentary

Please Turn on Your Cell Phone

In response to the New York City Department of Education's ban on cell phones in schools, an educator argues for their continued use — as mini computers that help students learn.

Julia Galef|Projects

Question Box

The Question Box project puts the developing-world poor just a phone call away from an internet search.

Julie Lasky|Reviews

When Worlds Collide

Report on TEDGlobal 2009, held July 21–24 in Oxford, England.

The Editors|Primary Sources

Desperate Times/Desperate Measures

Invitation for social activists to participate in viral marketing campaign for Ford Fiesta. Unedited email as received at Winterhouse...

The Editors|Essays

On Comments

Reader comments are an important part of our site, with many visitors enjoying them as much as the original articles. So keeping the discussion as interesting as possible is to everyone's advantage. Here are the rules for comments at …

John Thackara|Essays

The Internet of Things

Should we be sprinkling technological devices across the planet like dust?

Alexandra Lange|Essays

Why This blog?

I am starting a blog, because some opinions are too hot for casual conversation.

The Editors|Miscellaneous

Design Observer Audience Survey

Design Observer would like to know more about our readers — where you are, what you read on our site, what you like. We've put together a simple (and confidential) questionnaire in SurveyMonkey: we'd like to hear from as many readers as …

Debbie Millman|Audio

Allan Chochinov

On this episode of Design Matters with Debbie Millman, Debbie speaks with Allan Chochinov, editor-in-chief of Core77.com, the widely read design website.

Steven Heller|Essays

Father of Shrek, Grandfather of Tweet

The cover of William Steig's book CDBWilliam Steig (1907-2003), was often way ahead of the curve. His book of drawings, The Lonely Ones (1942), prefigured the now common practice of satirizing personal neurosis; his children’s book, …

Jessica Helfand|Essays

What's The Story?

And what becomes of all those dead tweets, anyway — all those long-expired, evaporated updates?

Mark Lamster|Essays

Wiretapped!

Would you believe it's those shifty Canucks, and not the spooks at the NSA, who have the Lamster phonelines tapped? Outrageous but true.