Not Two: Stillness and Digital Life at a Korean Monastery
Pico Iyer has a lovely article out in the latest New York Times focusing on "The Joy of Quiet". It’s a great read and has a few lovely gems: In barely one generation we’ve moved from exulting in the...
View ArticleTexting in the Philippines, Sustainable Design in Malaysia, and the Southeast...
Have a new photo essay in Design Observer this week. This time, I’m focused on Manila’s rich SMS/texting culture, and how that influences the design of storefronts, public space and even Starbucks...
View ArticleOne of the best Twitter exchanges I’ve seen in a while
Tricia Wang’s terrific exploration of the instant photo phenomenon (suishoupai/随手拍) on Weibo has gotten me thinking about unexpected uses of social media and the way we take ownership of a medium...
View ArticleTools of the Trade
Tools of the trade at a local barber’s in Manila: an electric razor and a phone. The latter has replaced the owner’s landline phone to manage business, socialize, pass the time.
View ArticleModes of Literacy
Thinking lately about modes of literacy. Ever since moving here, my Chinese literacy has shot up, but I still struggle. While I can scan a heavy text of philosophy swiftly, I read even basic...
View ArticleOne Month in Beijing
One month in Beijing. What’s changed since the first day? Helping my cab drivers navigate the city, a welcoming party for colleagues from Oslo… and snow, glorious government-sponsored snow. Let the...
View ArticleBaby’s Badass Burgers and Coolhaus
#bbpBox_14885269979275264 a { text-decoration:none; color:#f50003; }#bbpBox_14885269979275264 a:hover { text-decoration:underline; }On our way! RT @COOLHAUS: Girrrl! We made it! Go get your free...
View ArticleText Me
Why announce on the PA, when you can text? The use of on-screen text messaging on a recent flight got me thinking about the benefits of text-based communication. Why wouldn’t you use the PA? Same...
View ArticleMore on phones
What you’re looking at here is not a phone: it’s a computer. I noticed this phone parked at a number of Korean colleagues’ desks at the studio, and I finally asked them what it was. Designed to look...
View ArticleSkype, aka, The Future of Phone Calls
The future of the phone call? Who makes calls anymore? Clive Thompson recently argued: Consider: If I suddenly decide I want to dial you up, I have no way of knowing whether you’re busy, and you...
View Article