Favorite quote from the article (which is unfortunately really dense, but good):

“The elevation of hack culture from a subversive activity to a pedestrian preoccupation also casts a light on changing notions of propriety. Websites such as LifeHacker, ThinkGeek and Inventables routinely categorize and publish burgeoning catalogs of top hacks. Reviewing these sites frequently, one can catch a glimpse of a new species of product design emerging. Alice Wang’s Tyrant alarm which drunk dials your friends if you refuse to turn it off, or ThinkGeek’s SnuZnLuz, which threatens to donate your money to the GOP offer up something truly new in consumer electronics: product with a soul layered atop its physical design and functional OS.”

posted by Ted Boren on Thursday, Oct 30, 2008