Posts by Chanpory

About Chanpory

Chanpory helms this lovely little blog, LifeClever. During the day, he's an interaction designer for Dubberly Design Office in San Francisco.

He's also pushed pixels for MetaDesign, Move Design, Youth Radio, and McShane Adigard Design (MAD). When not feeling modest, he likes to brag about his interaction and branding work for Macworld, PC World, Symantec, Adobe, Yahoo!, and Four Seasons Hotel.

Chanpory is a graduate of the California College of the Arts and Oakland Technical High School.

Nov 29, 2007

You are More than Your Portfolio

Erik Spiekermann once told me, “Portfolios don’t matter. You hire the person, not the portfolio.” Like Erik, the statement’s bold. But he’s got a point. Your portfolio demonstrates what you already know, not your potential for learning, adapting, and growing. Sure, a portfolio shows competency. At the minimum, you should know how to read, write, [...]

Nov 26, 2007

Say Hello to David Moldawer

I’d like to introduce you to LifeClever’s new staff writer, David Moldawer. David comes from the publishing and theater world. He is an associate editor at St. Martin’s Press and recently edited, among others, Mark Frauenfelder’s fabulous Internet guide, Rule the Web. I hired David because he’s got great writing chops, is crazy obsessed about [...]

Nov 19, 2007

LifeClever is hiring (position filled)

This position is now filled. It’s time to admit I can’t do everything myself. For the past year, I’ve been a one-man blogging shop (with occasional help from generous guest writers.) I’ve enjoyed the late nights and extra working hours, but recent life changes have made me reconsider my priorities. I’m now looking for a [...]

Nov 14, 2007

Chanpory does 43 Folders

I now have my very own blog on Merlin Mann’s 43 Folders. After publishing a couple of my guest posts, Merlin’s kindly given me a cozy little corner on his site to rant, rave, and muse at random. I won’t have a set schedule, but I expect to post 3-4 posts a month. Check out [...]

Nov 12, 2007

Give One Get One laptop promotion starts today

The anxiously awaited XO laptop is now available for individual purchase as part of a Give One Get One program. For $399, you’ll pay for two laptops. One goes to you, and the other gets donated to a poor child in a developing country. If you’ve been on a media fast for the past two [...]

Nov 9, 2007

Whatever’s Clever: Dabbawalas, the original 43 folders, and email sins

Back to My Mac through iChat “Back to My Mac allows a user log into another Mac remotely via internet. This is a great feature but it is only available if you are a .Mac subscriber… This quick tutorial will show you how set up iChat to do just that.” Dabbawalas: Low-tech and lean delivery [...]

Nov 6, 2007

A hopeful Quicksilver alternative for Windows

Windows users who are jealous of Quicksilver’s might on the Mac now have a glimmer of hope in Skylight. Like Quicksilver, Skylight is an automation utility that lets you launch applications, find files, and execute actions with a quick series of keystrokes.

Nov 1, 2007

Khoi Vinh & Mark Boulton: Grids are Good

Are you grappling with how to design websites using a grid-based layout? Check out Khoi Vinh and Mark Boulton’s excellent design tutorial, Grids are Good. The presentation starts with a brief history of grids, then walks you through a step-by-step example of redesigning a large portal-type site using a grid. The portal example is especially [...]

Oct 30, 2007

Leopard Fix: Solidify your translucent menubar

Maybe it’s just me, but I’m finding Leopard’s new menubar more irritating than Fox News after a natural disaster. The mix of translucent bar with solid text and icons makes it an illigible mess. Fortunately, there’s OpaqueMenuBar. Just launch the app and your menubar returns to its full solid glory. Leopard’s menubar should have been [...]

Oct 29, 2007

Thank you

Thank you everyone for your thoughts, condolences, and prayers regarding the recent death of my father. Your words and kindness have truly given me comfort during this difficult time. Posts will return this week. Thank you again for your understanding and patience. Warmly, Chanpory

Oct 23, 2007

A sad personal note

Last night, my father, Yath Rith, passed away. He was 78 years old and was sick for a long time. I was able to see him just a few minutes before he died. My father was a Cambodian refugee of war, a man who liked his shoes polished, and a meticulous barber who preferred vintage [...]

Oct 19, 2007

Whatever’s Clever: Money, brains, and vacuums

Is Mint Ready for Your Money? A great in-depth review of brand new money-management tool. Complete with extensive screenshots. The Right Brain vs Left Brain test “Do you see the dancer turning clockwise or anti-clockwise? If clockwise, then you use more of the right side of the brain and vice versa.” Stare at the shadow [...]

Oct 18, 2007

Can’t Miss: Typophile Film Fest 4 (SF)

If you’re in San Francisco on October 25th, you can’t miss Punchcut’s Typophile Film Fest 4. It’s the perfect time to mingle with connoisseurs and dabblers of typography. Here’s the dealyo: Punchcut’s screening of the Typophile Film Festival 4 is best described as a three-hour party centered around a rare and unequaled selection of short [...]

Oct 16, 2007

How to divorce your laptop

I’ve recently had two posts published on Merlin Mann’s 43 Folders. The first is a confession and plea about my own laptop addiction. The second is a follow-up post and presents my five favorite tips for divorcing your laptop. Check them out: **Laptops: A blessing or a curse?** “When I got my first laptop, I [...]

Oct 15, 2007

How to save the world by sleeping

It’s Blog Action Day and today’s post is about the environment. What’s a super-easy way to reduce energy consumption, lower your energy bill, and feel good all-over? Put your computer to sleep. For some of you, its already second nature to tuck your computers in at night. The rest of us, however, are still seduced [...]

Oct 10, 2007

A coffee mug for Helvetica lovers

Helvetica, the typeface everyone loves to hate–and hates to love–now has its very own coffee cup. Austere but oh so cute and clever. You can get it for $18 bucks at Veer. Also, don’t forget to check out the Helvetica film. Too bad, I don’t drink coffee. :-(

LifeClever is Chanpory Rith's website on how to live and work better as a designer. You can check out the archives, grab the RSS feed, or send me a love letter. ;-)