Posts by Bryan Hoffman
Strong Passwords are easy with 1Password
You know you should be using strong passwords for every account, but how are you supposed to remember them? And even if you did remember a strong password, would it be secure if you used it for every account? It’s time to stop thinking that managing strong, secure passwords is something you’ll get around to.…
Read MoreThere’s no F11 key for awesome website
A colleague of mine and I used say, there’s no F11 key for awesome design. This means good design takes work, and while your keyboard has a key for volume up, brightness, etc. – there’s no key for awesome design. And there’s no F11 key for awesome website either. Building, managing, and maintaining your own…
Read MoreGoodbye Posterous – Hello Self Hosted
Posterous, the free hosted blogging platform was recently acquired by Twitter (see the Posterous announcement here), and while they say the service will continue without disruption, WordPress.com has seen a 250% spike in Posterous imports – suggesting that users aren’t thinking the service will be around for the long haul. My guess is that it…
Read MorePermanently Show Library Folder in OS X Lion
Update:The tip below still works, but there’s a quicker option that I now use: Open a Finder window, then open the Go menu. While it’s open hold down the option key and the Library folder will appear. This is a quick tip for viewing the hidden (by default) User Library folder in OS X Lion.…
Read MoreThe Frog
A paper route was my very first job as a kid, starting in 6th grade. The thing I got up so early in the morning for? A 1/10 scale RC car called The Frog, by Tamiya. A couple of friends and I saved up for months to buy these cars (Eric had The Hornet, and…
Read MoreStay Organized with a Note Taking App
I’ve never been much of a Post-It note type, but I have gone through many Moleskine notebooks to jot down notes and ideas. And while I still enjoy pencil and paper for quick brainstorming or design concepting, they aren’t great for staying organized. Paging through a notebook to find some bit of information is a…
Read MoreTangerine Tango – Flylow Color of the Year
As a designer, Pantone’s annual announcement of their Color of the Year is usually just an interesting tidbit of information that, once digested, gets half heartedly tucked away in my brain. I’ve never used it as a basis for a design, and I can’t say I’ve ever seen it influence design trends in general. Until…
Read MoreOff the Grid is Off the Air
It was a short run, but Off the Grid is now kaputz. It was meant to be a place to write about life and adventure – kept separate from the design and web related posts I normally write about here on the Spigot blog. But it’s simply too much to keep up with both, plus…
Read MoreFree Minimalist Desktop Wallpapers
Like many designers, I prefer my computer desktop to stay clean, organized, and clutter free. It’s not a place to hold files or applications, and it’s definitely not a place for a splashy, obnoxious image. Still, the desktop is a nice place to express creativity, so lets not be boring here. Even though there are…
Read MoreApple Keyboards – Wired vs Wireless
While most of the world is going wireless, I’ve recently switched back to my wired-up, fully extended keyboard. Here’s a rundown of the pros, cons, and why I did it. Apple Wireless Keyboard The wireless version is the default choice when purchasing a new desktop Mac. While I could have opted for the wired version,…
Read More