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Nokia Lumia Icon coming to Verizon February 20th for $200 (hands-on)
Yes, Windows Phones are finally keeping up with the Joneses. Thanks to the latest update, smartphones running Microsoft's mobile OS can now have top-of-the-line components. We got a good taste of how this feels with the Nokia Lumia 1520 (spoiler: It's pretty dang good), but most people would prefer flagship specs in a smaller phone. Enter the Lumia Icon, a loaded 5-inch WP8 device exclusive to Verizon that goes on sale in black and white colors February 20th for $200 with a two-year contract. (It'll cost $550 at full retail or Edge pricing.) The Icon comes with nearly all the same specs as the Lumia 1520: a 1080p display, 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 20-megapixel PureView rear camera (with optical image stabilization, a 1.2MP front-facing webcam, a Gorilla Glass 3 screen, Qi wireless charging, NFC, dual-band WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 4.0 + LE. Unsurprisingly, the 2,420mAh battery is smaller, and we hope it can efficiently manage the high-def screen and quad-core processor without a huge drain to the battery. Aside from the battery and smaller screen, the Icon is an exclusive to Verizon, as evidenced by the three carrier-specific logos on the front and back. And while we wouldn't be surprised to see a 5-inch 1080p Lumia device hit the rest of the market at some point, it probably won't look like the Icon. The phone sports straight aluminum sides and a curved back fashioned out of matte polycarbonate. In many ways, the setup reminds us of the Lumia 925, which features rounded metal sides and the same plastic back; the Icon is 0.5mm thicker, but it also doesn't have a distracting camera hump like the 925 has. We'll offer more impressions below, but not before showing off a gallery of images and a brief walk-through video.
Nokia Lumia Icon shows up on Verizon's test site with 20-megapixel PureView camera, 2,420mAh battery (updated)
We've been seeing leaks of Nokia's upcoming Lumia 929 for a while, but this time it comes from a pretty official source: Verizon. Earlier today, the phone showed up on Verizon's test manager site under the name Nokia Lumia Icon, flaunting the same design we saw back in November and, unsurprisingly, a 20-megapixel PureView camera. The site doesn't betray too many specifics about the phone, but does mention a hefty 2,420mAh battery with support for wireless charging. There's a price too, but don't expect it to be final: The test site lists the phone at $777 with or without contract. Want a gander? We've headlined this post with a screenshot of the page, but you can find a direct link at the source link below. Update: This page has now popped up on the real Verizon site. It appears to be a direct clone of the test-site listing, however, complete with the same erroneous $777 price tag both on and off contract. [Thanks, Bill]
iOS 6 vs iOS 7 icons: A visual comparison
With iOS 7, Apple, under the watchful eye of Jony Ive, completely transformed the aesthetic of iOS. Gone were iOS mainstays like drop shadows, heavy textures and gradients. In their place was a cleaner, simpler interface. Since iOS 7 was first released about three months ago, innumerable iOS designers have updated their app icons to more closely align with iOS 7's new design aesthetic. A Tumblr blog fittingly titled AfteriOS7icon has compiled an exhaustive list comparing how icon designs have changed from iOS 6 to iOS 7. The list is curated by @KeeYenYeo. I think many of the changes have resulted in sleeker and, in some instances, more engaging icons. Not everyone agrees, however, with some iOS users feeling rather strongly that iOS 7 icons represent an unfortunate step backwards in design. What do you guys and gals think? Feel free to chime in in the comments below, but make sure to check out the full Tumblr blog before you craft your final opinion and begin firing away. Here are a few more samples for good measure:
Ubuntu desktop and mobile icons redesigned, united at last
Canonical's been working for years to turn Ubuntu into a universal OS for whatever sized screen you use, be it of the television, desktop or mobile variety. Recently, the company showed off the next step in this evolution: unified icon designs for mobile and desktop Ubuntu implementations. In keeping with current UI trends, the new icons have flatter, more stylized appearance when compared to the old desktop iconography. System tiles are less colorful and more reserved in appearance, while apps and folders have been punched up with a flashier look to set them apart visually. Of course, the new icons won't actually make their way into a Ubuntu for awhile, as the goal is to get them into the 14.04 release for mobile (13.10 is the current version). Should you want more background on the production of the new icons, there's an hour-long video discussing it after the break. Don't forget the popcorn.
Friday Favorite: Folder Icon Maker
I'm an organized kind of guy in general, and even more so when it comes to my digital items. For files on my computer, this means my Documents folder is neatly populated with various subfolders. There's my "Finance" folder, my "Health records" folder, various "Work" folders and so on. I'm also a big fan of icons, so I tend to navigate OS X in icon view. It just speeds up my workflow. The problem is OS X only offers one kind of folder icon. Yes, you can add colored labels to them, but only up to seven, which makes distinguishing an icon by eye hard if you have plenty of different folders. What I used to do was download folder icon sets so I could set unique icons for each of my folders, but now I've found a better way: Folder Icon Maker. Folder Icon Maker is a little shareware utility by NiteOwl Software that lets users create custom folders in just a few clicks. Launch the app and then work with a default OS X folder icon to modify it to your liking. I usually drag and drop another image onto the folder (such as the GBP£ icon on the folder above), to create my custom icons. Once you drop an image on the folder, you can move it around, adjust its size and play with opacity and rotation. Once you've created your folder icon, simply click the "Copy to Clipboard" button. Then setting it to be a specific folder's icon is easy. Simply find that folder on your hard drive, select it and hit Command-I on the keyboard to bring up the Info window. Click on the generic folder's icon in the Info window and hit Command-V to paste the new icon over it. That's it. You're done and your folder has a nice, new, easily identifiable custom icon. To be sure, Folder Icon Maker isn't going to win any design awards, but the app does what it's meant to: making custom folder icon creation easy for non-graphic design people. The app is shareware, so it's free to use (although each time you launch it you need to wait 15 seconds to use it if you don't want to pay). To get rid of the waiting period, buy a license from NiteOwl for US$25.
Apple trademarks new FaceTime logo, settles on green
There's certainly been a lot of brouhaha surrounding the new design language Apple introduced for iOS 7 at WWDC. Some (ourselves included) feel it's modern and fresh while others loathe the brighter palette and simpler, flatter icons. A lot can change between now and the launch of iOS 7 this fall, but if Apple's recent trademark filing is any indication, FaceTime's new logo / icon -- which consists of a stylized white video camera inside a rounded-off green square -- fits squarely (ahem) within the aesthetic we saw on stage in San Francisco. Of course, companies often trademark logos, so we can't really say this comes as much of a surprise, either. If you're curious where Jony Ive might have found his inspiration for the pastel colors and thin lines showcased in iOS 7's iconography, check out Otl Aicher's design work for the 1972 Olympics in the "more coverage" link after the break.
Firefox's latest update includes a special feature for OS X
Mozilla's great Firefox browser has been updated to version 22. In addition to support for 3D gaming, video / voice calls and file sharing without the need for any extra plugins, the team has added something for OS X users. Whenever you download a file, the progress bar will show up right on the icon in your Dock. That's fun, and it means you can monitor the file's progress, even when the regular meter isn't on your screen. Of course, the 3D gaming is probably the biggest part of the update, and Firefox has also released a game demo called BananaBread to show off the new features. But that OS X feature is a nice little gift to those of us using the browser on a Mac. Firefox is available as a free download as always.
Extract App Resource Icons with AppleScript
Whether I'm preparing for a demo or writing an article, blog post, book, or technical documentation, I often find myself performing the same set of repetitive steps. I need to navigate into an app's packaged resources folder, find one or more icon files, occasionally convert them to PNG and scale them, and add them to my document, Keynote presentation, etc. Fortunately, this doesn't need to be a manual process each time, thanks to the following AppleScript. Creating the Script 1. Launch AppleScript Editor (in /Applications/Utilities) and create a new script document. 2. Enter the following script into the document. NOTE: If you have any trouble following along, you can download the completed script here. 3. Run the script from AppleScript Editor, save it as an app, or add it to your script menu. Running the Script When you run the script, you're first asked to select an app from which to extract icons. Make your selection and click Choose. The script looks inside the app's /Contents/Resources folder for any files with an extension of .icns. If multiple files are found, it allows you to select the ones you want to extract. The default is all of them. Next, the script gives you the option to extract the .icns files themselves, or PNG versions. Click the button to make your choice. If you click the PNG button, then you're given a choice of sizes to create. You might not need the full sized icons, for example. You might only need 256x256 icons. Depending on the options you chose, the script extracts the .icns files, or it converts the .icns files to PNG and scales them, as needed. You're notified when the icons have been extracted, and they're displayed in the Finder for you. Now you can simply drag them to your document, presentation, file, etc., and you're good to go! Happy Scripting!
Cygnett's ICON case contains the story behind the artists and art
Perusing the many, many iPhone cases on display at CES is always a daunting proposition: Not only does every case manufacturer appear at the show with hundreds if not thousands of cases to show off, but even when all of the cases on display are finally out on store shelves, customers tend to fall right into standard patterns when purchasing a new iPhone case. People who buy cases usually don't do a lot of shopping around or feature comparing -- usually they just go to a store near them, look through all of the cases there, and just buy the one that looks like what they want and has an agreeable price. Plus, while manufacturers always bring a rainbow of colored cases (and lots of popular licensed brands) to the CES floor every year, we invariably get told time and time again by manufacturers that only one kind of case routinely tops the charts: Simple, clean, black. For all of the fashion trends and choices out there, black always seems to sell the best. Still, there are always a few cases worth pointing out every year, and this year the honor goes to Cygnett's ICON Art Series of iPhone cases. Cygnett is an Australian company, and the ICON series is a group of iPhone cases that boasts some amazing art from around the world, including Aborigine artist Ronnie Tjampitjinpa, graffiti artists Tats Cru and Scarygirl creator Nathan Jurevicius. In addition to offering iPhone cases with these artists' works on the back of them, the ICON line also provides a writeup inside each case, that informs you about the work and the artist. It's a little thing (and when your iPhone is actually inside the case, you can't read the writeup anyway), but I definitely like that the company is aiming to use this art for something other than to just make your case look good. The money raised from the cases (each is available for US$29.99) goes partly to the artists as well, so wrapping your iPhone in this way is a nice way of respecting some really great work. When it comes down to choosing an iPhone case, the choice is more or less up to you -- obviously there are more heavy duty options if you're looking for protection, or more practical options if you want a wallet-style case or some extra gadgets on it like a battery pack or a stand. But cosmetic cases are all pretty plain, and it's cool to see Cygnett pushing not only the art on the back of the case, but the story behind it as well.
Preparing high-res icon files with Automator
This week's post is for all those Mac app developers out there. If you're not an app developer yet, it's a new year, and I'm sure becoming an app developer is at at the top of your resolution list. In any case, if you plan to develop apps, then you need to prepare icons for those apps. Apple provides very specific requirements for generating high resolution icons, which you can find listed on the Apple Developer Connection website. In the past, Xcode came with a tool named IconComposer, which could be used to generate icon files. This tool, however, didn't generate high res icon files, so Apple now discourages its use. Instead, Apple provides instructions for generating icons using an iconset, a folder of image files that can be converted to an icon file using either Xcode or the iconutil command line tool. There are, of course, other ways of creating icons. In this post, however, we'll focus on an iconset. To manually generate an iconset folder, you start by creating a square image to serve as your icon. Next, you generate versions of the image scaled to 16x16, 32x32, 128x128, 256x256, 512x512. These scaled versions are to be named as follows: icon_16x16.png icon_16x16@2x.png icon_32x32.png icon_32x32@2x.png icon_128x128.png icon_128x128@2x.png icon_256x256.png icon_256x256@2x.png icon_512x512.png icon_512x512@2x.png You place all of these images into a folder named FolderName.iconset. Then, you can process it with iconutil to generate an icns file. Sure, creating scaled images and processing them isn't too difficult, but it's a lot of repetitive work. If you create icons regularly, it can get tedious. You're probably thinking, surely, Automator can be used to streamline the process. It can. Here, we'll create an application workflow you can run anytime you want to convert an image to an icon file. Let's get started... Note: If you're an iOS developer, feel free to adjust the workflow below accordingly. Creating the Workflow Launch Automator and create a new Application workflow. Next, insert and configure the following actions. Note: This workflow is pretty long and repetitive. It's easy to get lost. If you get stuck, don't worry, you can download the complete workflow here, along with a sample icon image. 1. Ask for Finder Items - Set this action to ask for an image file at least 1024x1024 in size. 2. New Folder - Set this action to create a folder named MyIcon.iconset on your Desktop. 3. Set Value of Variable - From the popup menu in this action, choose New Variable and create a variable named iconset folder. 4. Get Folder Contents 5. Change Type of Images - Set this action to convert images to PNG format. 6. Scale Images - Set this action to scale the image to a size of 1024 pixels. 7. Rename Finder Items - Set this action to name a single item's basename only to icon_512x512@2x. This represents a 1024 image (i.e. a Retina display ready size) when the icon is created. Note that this action's title changes in the workflow to reflect the type of naming, in this case Name Single Item. 8. Duplicate Finder Items 9. Scale Images - Set this action to scale the image to a size of 512 pixels. 10. Rename Finder Items - Set this action to name a single item's basename only to icon_512x512. 11. Duplicate Finder Items 12. Rename Finder Items - Set this action to name a single item's basename only to icon_256x256@2x. 13. Duplicate Finder Items 14. Scale Images - Set this action to scale the image to a size of 256 pixels. 15. Rename Finder Items - Set this action to name a single item's basename only to icon_256x256. 16. Duplicate Finder Items 17. Rename Finder Items - Set this action to name a single item's basename only to icon_128x128@2x. 18. Duplicate Finder Items 19. Scale Images - Set this action to scale the image to a size of 128 pixels. 20. Rename Finder Items - Set this action to name a single item's basename only to icon_128x128. 21. Duplicate Finder Items 22. Scale Images - Set this action to scale the image to a size of 64 pixels. 23. Rename Finder Items - Set this action to name a single item's basename only to icon_32x32@2x. 24. Duplicate Finder Items 25. Scale Images - Set this action to scale the image to a size of 32 pixels. 26. Rename Finder Items - Set this action to name a single item's basename only to icon_32x32. 27. Duplicate Finder Items 28. Rename Finder Items - Set this action to name a single item's basename only to icon_16x16@2x. 29. Duplicate Finder Items 30. Scale Images - Set this action to scale the image to a size of 16 pixels. 31. Rename Finder Items - Set this action to name a single item's basename only to icon_16x16. 32. Get Value of Variable - Set this action to get the iconset folder variable you created way back at the beginning of the workflow. You also need to set this action to ignore its input, so it doesn't continue processing the 16x16px image from the previous action. Select Action > Ignore Image. 33. Run Shell Script - Set this action to pass input as arguments. Then, enter the following command: iconutil -c icns "$@" Preparing the Run the Workflow Before you begin running the workflow, you need an image you can convert to an icon. Note that iconutil requires this image to be square. So, make sure it is. If you really want to be sure it's square, you can insert a Crop Images action between steps 5 and 6, and configure it to crop to 1024x1024, scaling to the shortest side before copping. However, if your image contains transparency, this action will remove it. So, it's best to prepare your starting image as a square. Running the Workflow When you run the workflow, you're first asked to choose an image. Select the desired image and click Choose. The workflow runs, an iconset folder is created on your Desktop and passed to iconutil, which generates an icns file. You're ready to plug your icns file into your app. Now, any time you need to generate an icon, just create a square image and trigger your workflow. Happy New Year and Happy App Developing!
Breaking down the App Store's new layout
iOS developer Justine Pratt (who's created a series of utility apps for iPhone and iPad) has put together a nice, long analysis from the developer perspective of what the new App Store design can do for apps. Apple recently revamped the App Store on iOS devices, introducing several changes that a lot of developers didn't like, simply because their business was based on either how the apps originally appeared or how the search algorithm (which was revamped as well) listed their apps. Pratt describes the recent changes and explains how developers can benefit from the current design. For instance, an app's icon and initial screenshot have always been important. The new design makes those elements even more prominent, so devs should take extra care to make their assets as eye-popping as possible. Also in the new design, ratings are given less importance, and an app's last updated date is given more, so Apple is trying to reward devs who update apps frequently. Pratt's analysis reveals how Apple believes customers should search for apps. There are some other interesting changes as well. There's now an "App Support" button next to the "Write a Review" button, so hopefully that will keep confused customers from complaining in the reviews section about bugs that should really be reported straight to the developer. Pratt runs through quite a few interesting changes. Whether you're an App Store developer, or just interested in what this new design means for them, the post is worth a read.
MySpace keeps Apple from Music app icon trademark
Apple's trying to file paperwork to nail down a trademark on its Music app icon, but the trademark is being blocked by a pretty unlikely source: MySpace. And it's not even related to the recent reinvention of the second-place social network, either. Back in 2008, a music service called iLike registered the mark above on the right, and the trademark office is saying that mark conflicts with the mark Apple is trying to reserve, presumably because they both use orange and two eighth notes. iLike was eventually acquired by MySpace, which means that company now owns the trademark that Apple is trying to pick up. This shouldn't be too much of a roadblock for Apple, however. It can appeal this decision, and perhaps argue that the two marks are different in some significant way. Or, it can probably license the mark from MySpace, hopefully for a nominal fee. Or, if the mark doesn't hold up at all, Apple could just redesign the icon and release a new one. Either way, this shouldn't be too much of a worry. We'll probably see a resolution in Apple's favor soon. [via Gizmodo]
Mac App Store now requires a 1024x1024 app icon
Developer Daniel Jalkut notes that the latest requirements for the Mac App Store include an app icon that's at least 1024x1024 pixels, which is extraordinarily huge. To put that in perspective, each and every submission to the Mac App Store going forward needs to include an icon that's bigger than my MacBook's display (1280x800), and bigger even than a standard resolution iPhone or iPad screen. That's a big icon for sure. The main reason for an icon this big is the Retina display, currently implemented on the MacBook Pro with Retina display, but presumably coming to even more Mac screens in the future. Icons like this are also used in the Mac App Store in various places, and because Apple's screens are including more and more pixels all the time, bigger icons are required. The drawback, however, is that a huge icon like this uses up more and more disk space in the app's bundle, not only taking room on the user's hard drive, but also taking up space in the computer's memory when rendered. On cutting edge computers, that's not an issue, but when you're showing dozens or hundreds of icons like this at a time, that memory can add up. Apparently that's a trade-off Apple's happy to make. [via Shawn Blanc]
No Comment: iOS 6 Maps icon not to be taken as literal routing advice
Maybe someone in Apple's new mapping department is a fan of the automotive antics featured on The Dukes of Hazzard. As tweeted this weekend by James Mountain and featured on the financial site Minyanville, the new icon for the Maps app in iOS 6 features a slight change to emphasize the turn-by-turn directions upgrade: a blue routing path making a left turn with the familiar Interstate 280 shield in the upper right corner. The routing chevron replaces the red pin, but still holds pride of place right outside the gates of Apple's Cupertino headquarters. There's only one teensy problem with this attractive icon: the blue path, if taken as a literal GPS routing, would be decidedly illegal and almost certainly fatal. The northbound lanes of De Anza Boulevard don't allow you to go west that way -- you'd have to cross over the highway and take a ramp instead. If Siri told you "turn left now" and you listened to her in Allstate mayhem fashion, you'd be cutting across oncoming traffic and taking a 20-foot plunge off the side of the elevated roadway onto I-280, headed west (well, mostly headed down, but a little bit west). Below is the view from the highway looking up towards De Anza, courtesy of some other company's mapping solution. As for the beta icon for the iOS 6 beta Maps, all we can muster is a Monday No Comment. View Larger Map
Got an AT&T iPhone? iOS 5.1 now gives you '4G'
Ever since T-Mobile and AT&T began touting their HSPA+ networks as "4G," the debate on the term's legitimacy has raged on. Regardless of how you feel about the matter, one thing's for sure: Apple's finally taken sides on the argument, and the company's all for it. In today's iOS update, Cupertino features an "updated AT&T network indicator," which means you'll see a 4G icon whenever you're in HSPA+ coverage. Granted, this doesn't actually mean you'll enjoy faster speeds -- you'll just have a warm and fuzzy feeling knowing that another G just got added to your screen. Such an action makes us wonder if Apple's slowly losing its ability to stand up against AT&T's wishes, not to mention the demands of other US carriers.
Addon Spotlight: AdvancedIconSelector adds cool features to macro creation
Each week, WoW Insider's Mathew McCurley brings you a fresh look at reader-submitted UIs as well as Addon Spotlight, which focuses on the backbone of the WoW gameplay experience: the user interface. Everything from bags to bars, buttons to DPS meters and beyond -- your addons folder will never be the same. I don't know about you, but I make decent use of macros. No, I'm not King Macro of Macropolis, but there are choice macros I keep at the ready in case of turmoil or danger. Most notable is a Start Attack macro for most of my heavy DPS abilities so that I'm not missing a second of precious swing time. Macros are a powerful tool in World of Warcraft, with many DPS specializations especially able to string together code and script to swap stances, time abilities, and maximize number output. It's a beautiful thing. The macro interface in WoW, however, isn't. Unlike most of WoW's interface, the macro UI is lacking. Cataclysm brought an updated macro UI that fixed a portion of the problems but not the real issues at hand. Learning macros is hard, and naming and selecting images for macros is clunky. I almost have a hard time making that argument because, frankly, I thought everyone just used the #showtooltip command in their macros to pick whichever ability they wanted to use, but then I quickly scolded myself. "Mathew, shame on you," I said. "Macros are not only used for combat abilities. Macros are used for everything! Look at all of those icons." You were right, me. I've got to give credit where credit is due.
Koss revamps Porta Pro headphones with iPhone remote, intros 'interlocking' earbuds
We're baffled that we missed this gem of news during the bustle of CES, but it turns out that Koss has recently announced a new version of its iconic Porta Pro headphones. The Porta Pro KTC (Koss Touch Control), as it's dubbed, is essentially the same piece of retro kit that's been delighting ears and keeping wallets chubby for nearly three decades. The KTC bit in its name refers to the inclusion of an iDevice-certified inline remote / mic, aimed at keeping on-the-go users in sync with their playlists and phone calls. If you prefer earbuds, but hate tangled cords, then the company's interlocking intra-aurals might be to your liking. This lineup features in-ears which snap into each other for easier storage. You'll have a choice between the IL-100 and 200, the latter of which distinguishes itself with the mere addition of an inline remote for iPhones. While there's no word on pricing just yet for any of the aforementioned units, Koss aims to begin shipping the new audio-wares once spring is in full bloom. For now, you'll find the press releases and a render of the 'buds after the break.
The Road to Mordor: Wish lists, past and future
Hobbits love making lists, don't they? In The Fellowship of the Ring, Bilbo had a lengthy list of friends and relatives to invite to his eleventy-first birthday party, and he didn't have the luxury of Facebook to help him out. I love lists as well, although I try to save most of that for my Perfect Ten column. At the beginning of the year, I sat down and drafted up a "wish list" for Lord of the Rings Online's 2011 year, populating it with 11 changes and additions I was hoping to see by now. To my surprise, Turbine actually pulled off quite a few items on the list, and I thought it'd be a good idea to go back and examine which of my goals the team met and which remain elusive. Also, since 2012 kicks off tomorrow, I'll look forward as well and draft up a dozen -- yes, one more over the year before -- wish list items that I'd love to see come true in the new year. It's my column; I can cry if I want to, after all. Let's get this party started!
iCloud prompts a look back at "cloud" icons
Apple introduced iCloud earlier this year, and its announcement kicked off a renewed interest in the iconic cloud logo. Articles espousing the icon's Golden Ratio-based design and Apple's attention to detail followed shortly. Though Apple undoubtedly chose this icon for its precision design, it's likely that Apple's design team can't take full credit for the look. A post by Scott Hanselman points out the cloud icon may have its roots in the Pictos 1 icon collection. Though it's been modified some, the basic circular cloud design has been widely used. It appears on Microsoft's ASP.net website and in many iOS weather applications. A very similar cloud design even showed up on a BBC weather segment almost thirty years ago. You can check out his post for even more examples of this cloud configuration.
Hex introduces new Icon watch bands for the iPod nano
With the addition of sixteen new clock faces, Apple pretty much put its official stamp on the idea of an iPod nano watch. Hex is ready to take advantage of the hype. The company has released a watch band for the nano called the Icon watch band (US$40), which gives you a polycarbonate way to strap the little iPod right on your wrist. It's a little goofy looking (not quite the classiest thing to wear to a dinner party), but for working out or just using your nano it seems like it would work great. We've seen some DIY versions of this before, but the Hex Icon seems like a relatively cheap and durable way to turn one of the littlest iPods into a working watch. You can order the band now, and of course the nano is available now (at a new lower price) from the usual places.
