Icon
Latest
Fake Steve Jobs to be a TV show
Dan Lyons, better known as blogger Fake Steve Jobs, has apparently signed a deal with Seinfeld writer Larry Charles to create a half-hour, single camera, satirical TV show about a Silicon Valley hotshot. As of now, Lyons is only writing the pilot script for the series, but since it's called "iCON," there will probably be plenty of FSJ's humor and voice in the series itself. It's set to air on Epix, which is a premium cable channel run by Viacom. The show centers around Tom Rhodes, a Silicon Vally big shot who's designed to be a composite of Steve Jobs and a few other big tech company names, and the "savage satire" is supposed to be "a study of ego, power and greed." That sounds like fun! Since "iCON" and the Facebook movie are both scheduled to begin production, it certainly looks like Hollywood is interested in digging into the recent Silicon Valley past for a little humor and drama. [via Apple Insider]
WoW Rookie: Stay on target with raid icons
New around here? WoW Rookie points WoW's newest players to the basics of a good start in the World of Warcraft. For links to all our tips, tricks and how-to's, visit WoW.com's WoW Rookie Guide. In your group of regulars, who's the nipple and who's the thong? Raid target icons can take a new player by surprise. Baddies look that much more terrifying with a skull icon floating over their heads -- yet all in all, it seems like a logical mechanic that you didn't happen to notice whenever it kicked in. But what about that mob over there, with something that looks like an orange nipple? And why does the party leader keep saying to hit the "thong" next? Talk about a blast from the past ... With the death of crowd control, target icons don't get much of a workout any more. They were a staple of play, however, back in the days of huge pulls that needed to be controlled and taken down in a specific order. Icons are still used today on a limited basis in raiding and a few notoriously twitchy instance pulls, and they can make it easier to spot players or NPCs who must be protected or escorted in a crowd. Still, it's fairly likely that you can run all the way up to 80 and through the Dungeon Finder system without ever seeing more than the occasional skull or three -- and that's no good for building savvy players.
Aliph Jawbone Icon 'The Ace' Bluetooth headset review
While Aliph was announcing its luxurious Jawbone Icon Bluetooth headsets earlier today, we've been playing with one of its six designs -- The Ace -- at our cozy London pad. Being the smallest and lightest Jawbone ever, the Icon's obviously challenging the likes of Jabra Stone with attempts to outperform in noise elimination, battery life, ergonomics and ease of operation. On paper, the Icon already wins on battery life and price, although the Stone has a charging dock good for six extra hours. What really matters, though, is the usability -- something the Stone had little of in a noisy environment. Read on to find out if Aliph has done it right. %Gallery-83293%
Aliph Jawbone Icon Bluetooth headset launched in six lush flavors (Update: video!)
Turns out that leak we saw of the Jawbone Icon was for real after all, but it was only one of the six designs straight out of Aliph's oven: (clockwise from top left) The Thinker, The Rogue, The Hero, The Ace, The Catch and -- our favorite -- The Bombshell. While these are the smallest and lightest Jawbones ever, Aliph has managed to cram in an allegedly improved NoiseAssassin and simultaneous dual-phone linkage, along with an onboard 'AudioApp' which vocally broadcasts battery level and caller ID. If you prefer a visual indication, the Icon also does a battery gauge on the iPhone -- a first on a non-Apple Bluetooth headset -- and apparently "Apple's aware of this" so a firmware update shouldn't kill this Palm Pre-style. We're digging the MyTALK website -- currently in beta -- where you can pick and install other AudioApps and DialApps (for the multifunction button; e.g. voice dialing, free directory assistance and voice-to-SMS) onto the Icon, and both will be free except for some DialApps which require subscription. Oh, and there are seven earbud sizes plus an earloop to keep everyone happy too. When you're done with picking, hit the Verizon stores for the initial launch today and pony up $99.99. Press release and video walkthrough of the MyTALK website after the break. %Gallery-83294%
Apple tries for 'adding a contact to a home screen' patent, but Android beat them to the punch
Despite the incredible realism of the drawing above to the left, we're probably not looking at iPhone OS 4.0 right here. Instead we've got Apple doing what Apple does: applying for a patent for some pretty vague functionality that may or may not end up in a device someday. No harm in that game, but it looks like Google's already done the "put a contact on the home screen with their picture" thing before Apple got a chance, as demonstrated on the right. There are other little tidbits to Apple's approach, however. Apple is naturally showing that little numeric badge we know so well, to show what sort of new activity the contact has (hopefully that pulls calls, SMS and email into one pretty little package, like we've seen on other modern operating systems), but Apple also mentions that "an icon associated with an entity can be temporarily displayed on the mobile device based on the proximity of the mobile device to the entity." So, Stalking 2.0. We like it, and hope to see it in some future iPhone software, but between the crazy broad claims in the rest of the patent and Android's prior art, we'd say Apple's chances of getting this 2008 submission approved are pretty slim.
Finder icon birthday cake will make your day
If there's one thing I like better than pie, it's cake. And if there's a best kind of cake, it's definitely one that's shaped in the form of something geeky. Which means the video above, which shows what seems to be a tasty confection in the form of Apple's Finder icon, hits the spot perfectly. David B.'s wife made it for him for his birthday earlier this week, he says over on his Twitter account. He doesn't say what kind of cake it is, but given that it's Finder, I'm going to guess chocolate. An iTunes icon cake would give off a more "vanilla" vibe to me. We've also, you'll remember, seen this Finder icon parading around on pillows as well. Which isn't too surprising -- who could pass up a face like that? Not only is he a handsome dude with a mischievous smile, but he's got access to all your files and passwords. That's the kind of guy you'd better get along with. Thanks to Chris Pirillo for the tip!
Microsoft's new retail logo revealed in trademark application
You know how serious Microsoft is about those new retail stores it's currently building? New logo serious, fool. This artful rethink of the familiar Windows logo just popped up in a trademark filing saying it'll be used to identify "retail store services and online retail services" for computers, media players, cell phones, video games, and more. Sounds like this is one box you'll be seeing in person sometime soon.[Via PC World]
Spell it out with your Dock
For your early-afternoon entertainment, I have the story of Mike Giepert, who happened one day to spell something clever with the icons in his dock. His website, in fact, has a whole raft of these sets, including those submitted by his readers, to spell everything from "vamp" to "agoraphobic." What can you come up with? Feel free to take your own screenshots, add them to our TUAW Flickr Pool and leave a comment!
Emoji for iChat adds... emoji to iChat
With the release of iPhone OS 3.0, I was wondering if emoji icons still worked (they do), and then it finally dawned on me: why not iChat? A quick search turned up exactly what I was looking for: Emoji for iChat. This free downloadable icon pack basically adds the iPhone Emoji icons to iChat, accessible from the standard smiley-face dropdown menu. For it to work, however, both sides have to have it installed; if your recipient does not use the tool, all they'll see is gibberish.Emoji for iChat is a free download from Einar Andersson & Tor Rauden Källstigen. The download includes an installer which will require you to restart iChat.
RetroMacCast interviews Rob Janoff
The guys over at the RetroMacCast sent us a link to their latest episode, featuring an interview with none other than Rob Janoff, the designer of Apple's old rainbow Mac logo. The interview starts a little less than halfway into the show, and it's cool to hear a voice right out of Apple's past. They talk about the inception of the logo -- how Apple came to Janoff's firm and what they originally asked for in terms of a design. He actually had very little guidance when first creating the logo, and in fact hadn't seen any of Apple's branding or even heard of the company before he created the now-iconic image. He also talks about how lucky he was in choosing the image -- he saw it as a pretty obvious choice to use a picture of fruit for a company named after said fruit, but like any great logo, there ended up being layers of meaning behind that apple bite (or byte, as he points out).Nothing really earthshaking in the interview (he hasn't had contact with Apple since, and even he says that the mythology behind the company has much more to do than just the familiar logo), but hey, if you're hanging out today during Memorial Day and need something interesting to listen to while barbecuing, you can tune in and learn a little bit about Apple's corporate history.
iPhone SDK contains icon for unreleased model -- again
You might recall that this happened right about this time last year when we were all patiently waiting for the iPhone 3G to be announced, and once again, it's been discovered that the latest beta of the iPhone SDK has icons for an unreleased version of Cupertino's finest. We've been able to verify that two icons tucked away in a deep folder refer to black and white versions of the "iPhone2,1" (black is pictured above), which is one of the internal model codes we've been hearing get thrown around for a while now. Thing is, the icon is identical to the one being used for iPhone1,2 -- better known as the iPhone 3G -- so Apple's either smartly using a placeholder until the final SDK build, or the latest and greatest model is a dead ringer for the old. We're betting on the former. [Thanks, Matthew]
Mac 101: Learn more about your files at a glance
Welcome to another edition of Mac 101, TUAW's series for beginners. Today, we show you how to get more bang for your desktop real-estate buck with Finder icon labels. Have you ever wanted to know how large a picture on your Desktop was, but didn't want to open it (or even just hit ⌘I to get info)? Or instantly know how many items were in a folder? Mac OS X lets you display that information right under (or next to) the icon itself. How? Easy! Click on your Desktop, and choose Show View Options from the View menu (or just hit ⌘J.) Then, click the radio button next to Show item info. Voíla! Instant metadata for your Desktop files and folders. For pictures, the Finder will show their width and height in pixels. You can also adjust the position of the labels associated with the icons on your desktop. Instead of having the file and folder names beneath your icons, why not have a change and put them to the right? Just click either Right (or Bottom, if you prefer the default) under Label position. For other awesome beginner tips, visit our Mac 101 category.
We [heart] Icons really does [heart] icons
One of the most common ways to customize your tried-and-true desktop is by changing the wallpaper. While easy and effective, the wallpaper switcheroo is not the only trick up the sleeves of the customizers among us. For some, the most rewarding customization results from replacing icons. There are many reasons to do this, including replacing system and application icons to create an overall aesthetic, easing the identification of a particular external hard drive by using its product image as an icon, or even replacing poorly-designed icons entirely (we're looking at you, Adobe).We Love Icons aims to make it easy for icon lovers to discover new icons from around the web that are free for personal use. In their own words, designers Dan Wiersema and Nando Albuquerque started We Love Icons because, well... they love icons! The site itself is very well designed and easy to navigate; there is even an easy-to-spot option for filtering icons based on type: Mac-compatible, PNG file format, or Windows-compatible.Further adding to the greatness of this site, the How-To page is a great resource for those new to the icon-customization game. There are links to external content on the history of icons, tutorials on changing icons, and even design-related icon articles. The How-To area also features an Apps section which lists several useful programs for replacing and creating icons. Each application list item includes a one-sentence summary, the application's platform (web, Mac, or Windows), and also the application's price.Overall, I am impressed with the content of the site and the quality of its presentation. We Love Icons has secured a bookmark in my "Icons" folder right next to the link to InterfaceLIFT's icon section. Dear readers, I present this question to you: in my never-ending search for the best icons, do you have any favorites that you have either designed or found? Hit up the comments and share the love.
Option announces uCAN remote data access for iCON USB modems
Fresh from Barcelona, the wireless modem gurus at Option have announced their new uCAN software platform. To be implemented across the entire iCON modem lineup, the software allows users to run applications (such as Open Office) from their USB modem and interact directly with documents situated on their workstation at home. You can also have those apps you might need to use in a pinch -- such as Skype -- preconfigured with all your data. If that weren't enough, the device sports something called "Zero Footprint" technology, which is designed to ensure that "no trace of activity is left on the host computer, running either Windows XP, Windows Vista or Mac OS, when the device is disconnected." You can even launch a browser from the thing, keeping all those passwords and cookies safely off of whichever machine you happen to be borrowing. The first uCAN devices are expected to appear sometime before July of this year. More pics after the break.
Learn how to draw a Mac network node sphere with this tutorial
If you've always wondered how to draw a "ball of nodes" as featured in a variety of Mac OS X icons, wonder no more: Mike Rundle of flyosity.com has written a tutorial to show you how using Photoshop. Rundle discusses "spheric realism," the process of understanding the materials, reflectivity, and roundness of a sphere, and how to accurately illustrate it digitally. Clever users can easily adapt the technique for Illustrator, Acorn, or many other compositing tools that feature blur and blending mode support. Rundle also offers a PSD file containing the artwork with no strings attached. Thanks Todd!
Klipsch's Icon V speakers get tested, deliver on movies and gaming
The Klipsch Icon V speakers were created in cooperation with Best Buy, so of course the big blue and yellow box has them on its shelves, but Audioholics put them to the test to see how they fared in a more real-world setting, away from the car stereos and boomboxes. The review was pretty favorable overall -- in home, the speakers pumped out a lively sound that was a treat for movies and games, but the the horn-loaded tweeters plus a lean midrange weren't exactly a ticket to sonic bliss when listening to music at louder volumes. Still, build quality was solid, and at least you can listen to these in an everyday store (you do stop by Best Buy every day, right?), so let your own ears be the judge. Just make sure that what jumps off the shelves as "detailed and extended" doesn't wind up "screechy and fatiguing" to you in the long run.
What's in an icon?
Gedeon Maheux has an post about how an icon is designed from the aptly-named Iconfactory (specifically the Frenzic app icon), and while I don't have any design skills to speak of at all, it's an interesting look into how those little snippets of art are made. Icons are increasingly important, especially on the iPhone and OSX, as Apple leverages icons more and more in their interfaces, from the Dock to CoverFlow to the iPhone's home screen. He sounds a little sheepish that they obsess over icons, but why shouldn't they -- every time you decide whether or not to buy or use an app (some might say the most important part of an application's lifeline), you're likely looking right at the icon.There are a few things to take away here: they designed the icon not by itself, but right alongside all the other icons on an average iPhone screen -- in context, where people would see it. And they walked a thin line: while they wanted it to stand out as something you'd chose even among the apps you've already purchased, they didn't want it to be so bright or flashy that it broke the UI. Truth be told, Frenzic's icon still looks a little bright to me, but the lesson is good: the UI comes first.Ged closes with a sentiment I've agreed with for a while: while there's a disturbing trend of adding "On Sale" or "New!" to icons in the App Store (not to call anyone out, but ahem) that doesn't serve the developers or their customers. An icon, just like your app, should be subtle and simple and beautiful. After all, isn't that why we're all using Macs in the first place?
Apple's System Preference icon goes "Green"
With the introduction of EPEAT Gold rated MacBooks and MacBook Pros last week, Apple has definitely been warming up to the environmental movement lately. So, it was only fitting that they would change a small part of System Preferences to reflect the EPEAT rating. That's right, the Energy Saver icon has changed from an old incandescent bulb to a newer, more energy-efficient fluorescent bulb. Now you will only have to change the energy saver icon every 7 years, but be careful when you dispose of the old icons because they contain mercury (just kidding). This change has only shown up on the new MacBooks and MacBook Pros. Do you think Apple will eventually update their entire line to have this new icon (and, of course, be EPEAT Gold rated)? We definitely hope so! Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Vertigo: Super Person Ball
Racing. Sci Fi. Labyrinth levels. Balancing. Upgrades. Balance. Human bowling. Playlogic's Vertigo doesn't look like the greatest game ever or anything, but it's damned weird. "Upgrade your Xorb, seek hidden shortcuts and collect power ups to help you survive, to become the fastest and most envied Xorber in the Universe!" How can you not get excited? They pretty much just told us to get excited.Games like Vertigo, which is slated for both PC and Wii before the end of the year, raise interesting questions. If the controls are decent, particularly with the Balance Board -- which Vertigo supports -- does it become worthwhile? What does something like this really need?%Gallery-32555%
Horde scarf and a Carrot-on-a-Stick keychain
It's just starting to get a little chilly here in Chicago, so the timing on this Horde Scarf is just perfect for me -- it looks really comfy, and wrapped around your neck, it's just Warcraft enough to get noticed by people in the know, but is still classy enough that it looks like a cool design if you don't happen to recognize the Horde symbol. I like the look of black and red (would go great with my black overcoat), but amlowi, the seller over on Etsy, will do it up in any colors you like.And speaking of doing things by request, this Carrot-on-a-Stick keychain is awesome, and the artist who makes it (she paints in acrylic and then coats it in enamel) will make it out of any icon you like. Carrot-on-a-Stick seems perfect for a set of car keys, but it's not going to be in the game forever, so if you want to put a class or faction logo on there, she says she can do any icon in the game.Always astounding to see what these industrious WoW crafters are up to. If you've seen a cool DIY WoW-related item, let us know.
