The computer scientist, author, and interface rebel hangs out in the FEED threads this week.
One of the most useful ways to detect potential new avenues in the software world is to observe the unusual ways in which people interact with their interfaces, pushing them in surprising directions and using tools to do things that they weren't originally designed to do. For the past year or so, I've found myself using my mail client, Eudora, as my default scratch notepad; when I need to jot down a number or sketch out a few quick ideas or take notes during a meeting -- anytime I'm doing quick, spontaneous writing -- I find myself doing it in an email message, and not a word processor or a notepad application. It took me a while to notice that I had developed this habit, but once I did, I tried to figure out what was drawing me to Eudora over more conventional tools.

You are the weakest beauty. Goodbye.
Organizers of this year's Miss America Pageant are hoping to spice up the contest by incorporating elements of quiz shows and reality TV, including an opportunity for contestants to help vote for the winner.
Although they may be borrowing themes from shows like "Survivor," pageant officials say the Miss America contest is already a veteran of reality-based programming.

A born image-maker, Fabien Baron has been at the top of his field for nearly two decades. After moving to New York from Paris in 1982, Baron rapidly rose the ranks in magazine publishing to become Art Director of Italian Vogue and Interview. But it wasn't until 1992, when he was appointed Creative Director of Harper's Bazaar by Liz Tilberis, that Baron cemented his position in the publishing pantheon. It was during these celebrated years that his signature minimalist style, with its expanses of negative space and oversized, scrambled letters, became the fashion aesthetic.