“Shrink the Earth’s population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing remaining human ratios remaining the same, it would look like this…”

“This site is designed for visually oriented learners. It has mindmaps (study aids) which will help you understand the whole picture of complicated subjects. These enjoyable and fun maps can be used as memory triggers during study. As a visual learner, I use Mindmaps as a tool for more complete learning. You can use them too! This site has Learning Theories and Theorist’s study aids, Accelerated Learning Mindmaps, and extensive links to interesting theory sites.”

“Version control is a special kind of software used to track and manage changes. In our case, CVS version control is used to track any sort of change made to our web sites, whether it’s a single edit of one file to fix a typo, or a series of adjustments to a project where several files, folders, and graphics are added to (or removed from) the site.”

“The days of dull, grey concrete could be about to end. A Hungarian architect has combined the worldís most popular building material with optical fiber from Schott to create a new type of concrete that transmits light. A wall made of ‘LitraCon’ allegedly has the strength of traditional concrete but thanks to an embedded array of glass fibers can display a view of the outside world, such as the silhouette of a tree, for example.”

“The Architectís Newspaper is my new favorite design publication. Itís a 16-page tabloid that comes out about twice a month. Itís literate and timely, a fast-paced collection of news, reviews and opinion from voices as various as Michael Sorkin, Peter Slatin and Craig Konyk, all beautifully designed (in two ruthlessly efficient colors) by Martin Perrin. And, best of all, it has a gossip column. Last month, they published a piece by Michael McDonough, the accomplished New York-based architect, writer and teacher, called ‘The Top 10 Things They Never Taught Me in Design School.’ I read lots of these kinds of things (and even written a few myself), but I found McDonoughís not just entertaining but actually quite useful, and valid for nearly any kind of design discipline. He has graciously given us permission to reprint it here at Design Observer.”

“Panic is a small, privately held software company in Portland, Oregon. Its employees are the makers of Unison, Transmit, Audion, Candybar, and other nifty programs for the Mac. Founded by Cabel Sasser and Steven Frank, Panic has attracted quite a following and has achieved success as a maker of software for the Mac. In fact, they might just be a case study in how to build a software company now that the bubble is long gone. To attempt to find out what makes Panic tick, I made the journey to its world headquarters (OK, so I walked five blocks from my apartment, but don’t tell my editor) and spoke with Steven and Cabel.” Thanks Andre