Great British Design Quest

If you had to name countries famous for design, Italy or somewhere in Scandinavia would probably be the first places that spring to mind. But what about the U.K.? In the past century, British designers have hit the form/function bullseye more regularly then you might realize. London's Design Museum and the BBC's Culture Show are collaborating on the Great British Design Quest to discover the …

Thumbthing

Thumbthing is a brilliant little invention for bibliophiles and casual readers alike. The colorful molded plastic piece fits on your thumb and holds the book open making one-handed reading much more satisfying. Available with 4 different thumb hole sizes, the Thumbthing doubles as a bookmark when not in use. $2.95 at ABC Stuff, via Cool Tools

Off the Podium

Question: What do you get when you cross Winter Olympics fever, a national broadcasting network's exclusive contract, and Macromedia Flash animation? Answer: Off The Podium – a website built by the NBC Broadcating Corp. Now you'd expect the old dinosaur on Rockefeller Plaza to build a clunky site with little content, but no; Off The Podium is an attractive and informative package that's a great …