Desktop Phone on FreeBSD●
Turning an old desk phone into a physical command interface for a FreeBSD server.
Alexander Deplov's Blog
I write about FreeBSD, macOS automation, interface design, and the personal projects that make computers more fun to use.
I use FreeBSD as a desktop OS for fun, for more than 10 minutes a day
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Folder Actions●
Using macOS Folder Actions to automate repetitive file and computer routines.
MATE on FreeBSD●
A complete MATE setup for making FreeBSD feel familiar to longtime Mac users.
FreeBSD Mini PC vs MacBook Pro
A personal comparison of FreeBSD and macOS after moving everyday work to a mini PC.
Apple Watch to Quartz Watch
Why a simple quartz watch replaced my Apple Watch for everyday timekeeping.
Layout Evolution in UI●
How interface layouts evolve as products, platforms, and user expectations change.
Terminal Colors for AI Agents
A practical terminal setup for keeping multiple AI agents clear and manageable.
11W FreeBSD NAS
Building a quiet, low-power FreeBSD NAS and measuring what it really consumes.
My FreeBSD Cloud
A personal FreeBSD cloud built from simple tools, services, and practical experiments.
FreeBSD Music Collection
Organizing a personal music collection on FreeBSD for reliable everyday listening.
FreeBSD Logo Circle
A visual method for fitting the FreeBSD logo into a balanced perfect circle.
Desktop Phone on FreeBSD●
Turning an old desk phone into a physical command interface for a FreeBSD server.
Before Smartphones
Remembering the slower, more physical ways people used technology before smartphones.
macOS YouTube Seek Fix
Matching YouTube seeking speed between FreeBSD and macOS for a smoother workflow.
Auto Disable Wi-Fi
A small macOS automation that turns Wi-Fi off when Ethernet is connected.
Ditching Dark Mode
Why a lighter macOS interface works better for my daily reading and design work.
Discovered Consciousness
An unexpected reflection on consciousness, interfaces, and the things we create.
MATE on FreeBSD●
A complete MATE setup for making FreeBSD feel familiar to longtime Mac users.
FreeBSD AMDGPU Driver
Installing and tuning the AMDGPU driver on a compact FreeBSD mini PC.
FreeBSD Mini PC vs MacBook Pro
A personal comparison of FreeBSD and macOS after moving everyday work to a mini PC.
2000s PC Wallpapers
A collection of desktop wallpapers inspired by the visual language of the 2000s.
iOS Icon Radius
A practical formula for matching iOS icon corner radii to Apple’s visual system.
Usenet Access
Setting up a lightweight Usenet workflow with slrn and a modern FreeBSD system.
Folder Actions●
Using macOS Folder Actions to automate repetitive file and computer routines.
FreeBSD Mini PC Benchmark
Comparing a budget FreeBSD mini PC with a MacBook Pro in real daily workloads.
Apple Watch to Quartz Watch
Why a simple quartz watch replaced my Apple Watch for everyday timekeeping.
Opera Browser UX●
A close look at the onboarding choices that shape Opera’s browser experience.
iOS Screenshot Titles
A clearer way to write useful, readable titles for App Store screenshots.
App Icons Gallery
A gallery of iOS and macOS app icon explorations, studies, and finished work.
iOS 18 Dark App Icon
Why iOS 18 makes a thoughtful dark app icon more important than before.
UI Elements and Purpose
Understanding what common interface elements communicate and when to use them.
Target Audience Age
Two data-driven ways to understand the age of a product’s target audience.
Anchor Pointer 11 Years●
Eleven years of lessons from designing and evolving Anchor Pointer.
Zero Downloads on App Store
What to investigate when a finished App Store product gets almost no downloads.
Toddler Game
Designing a simple mobile game around the attention and abilities of toddlers.
Waterlogue Pro Icon
The process behind creating the Waterlogue Pro icon for macOS.
PC Crisis●
Why personal computers feel less personal, and what could make them useful again.
Dark UI Depth
How depth, contrast, and color create hierarchy inside a dark interface.
AI Fear Nonsense
Why familiar fears about AI replacing humanity often miss the real problems.
Mobile App Analytics
Using a small analytics review to find practical ways to improve app usage.
Strings Method for UI Design●
A repeatable strings method for finding and improving weak interface decisions.
Text and Icon Meaning
How small changes in icon labels can change what an interface means.
Three-Click Rule
A practical look at navigation patterns that work better than the three-click rule.
Layout Evolution in UI●
How interface layouts evolve as products, platforms, and user expectations change.
Apple Watch Pairing Pattern
Recreating Apple Watch’s pairing animation as a study in motion and branding.
iOS App Pricing
Why thoughtful iOS apps do not need to compete by being the cheapest option.
Taskmoji To-Do App
A deliberately simple to-do app for people who dislike complicated task managers.
Future of Icons
Exploring what app icons could become when familiar shapes disappear.
Newspaper for iPad
The story behind launching Newspaper, an independent reading app for iPad.
Generative Art Codes
Paper.js sketches and interaction experiments collected as visual examples.
Squircle SVG
Create a vector squircle with ease and download the result as an SVG file.
Golden Ratio
Calculate the golden ratio with ease and download the result as an SVG file.
Color Maker Pro
An interactive color palette generator built with Paper.js. Create, blend, and explore beautiful color combinations on a canvas.
Glass Maker
Create glassmorphism CSS effects with a real-time preview and ready-to-use CSS code.
Chromatic Aberration Shader
Drop an image, render chromatic aberration with WebGL shaders, and save the result as a PNG.
Matrix Print
Turn a Markdown file into a printable old-school computer printout.
Indie Developer Framework
A framework covering the three pillars of indie development: product, marketing, and banking.