Very interesting article for how Johns Hopkins researcher mined Twitter for patterns.  You mean social media isn't just people talking about sandwiches?

10 Things We Can Learn From Your Health-Related Twitter Rants - Hans Villarica - Life - The Atlantic

I must confess that I am not a Jakob Nielsen accolyte, but I respect his work and, darn it, most of the  things he says are right on point (and the rest isn't far off!).  This one was a keeper to stoke my usability thinking ...

Parallel & Iterative Design + Competitive Testing = High Usability (Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox)

You can achieve a high-quality user interface by combining 3 design process models:

1. Competitive testing
2. Parallel design

I just read this quick article and video about a project management class at Notre Dame that gave iPads to all of the students and wants the class to be "All iPad" ... the textbook is delivered as an eBook, students can take notes, or do whatever else they want with it.

An All iPad Classroom - PSFK

There is a new wave of researchers, designers, and businesspeople that are moving forward with UCD ... or maybe breaking it (depending on your perspective).  Taking a neutral stand when delivering products based on users' current goals is not enough ... how can we positively affect behavior with the products that we  produce?  This article is a great primer on Persuasion, Catalyst, and Performance Design.

Design with Intent - design mind on GOOD - GOOD

Both of my boys love to examine things.  See how they tick.  Emerson, our youngest, started this fascination young.  He's 13 months now, but has been poring over objects (toys, bath soap dispensers, his brother's toys, etc.) since birth.  At least, that's what it seems like.  He pulls stuff apart methodically, tries to see how it works, then tries to put it back together.

Just read a great article on how we as designers get a God complex about our designs. And how that often sucks for the folks that buy our stuff.
The Experience belongs to the User - 52 Weeks of UX

How (infuriatingly) true! All we can do as designers (and developers) is
put something into the world.  With discipline, experience, and a
little luck, it will be enjoyed.  But that experience is not going to be
the exact one that we envisioned or designed.

I really get geeked out when we start talking about new technologies removing barriers in the energy, education, and healthcare fields (among others).  This article certainly counts.  21st century textbooks won't (can't!) just be pdf's ... we have the ability to reduce the time from authoring to consumption, we have the ability to create educational experiences, and we have the responsibility to make those experiences:

I'm not a visual designer, and we have long ago abandoned our ego about Viz Design here at Cogenisys, but even we have had to search out and understand how different colors are interpreted by different cultures worldwide.  This looks to be a great resource to do just that. I'm taking the designer's word for it that they got the colors right ... any issues that you see?

Really interesting article about having creating Choose Your Own Adventure Wireframes as a balance between static wireframes deck and a full-on prototype.  Hmm.. Balsamiq might be great for this!

Wireframes Magazine » Nonlinear Books

How cool is this? Answer: I don't know until I actually try it.  But it sounds incredibly.  Wonder if I can take video on my non-3GS phone?

Ethnography app debuts on iTunes store | News | Research

UK— Research agency Everyday Lives has launched its iPhone-based ethnographic research app on Apple’s iTunes store – and revealed that a Blackberry version is in the works.