WebDev3000 » Design http://www.webdev3000.com web design, freebies and more Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:17:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 QuoteURL http://www.webdev3000.com/quoteurl/ http://www.webdev3000.com/quoteurl/#comments Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:45:49 +0000 Codrut Nistor http://www.webdev3000.com/?p=584 Still using Twitter? To be honest, I discovered a few interesting people using it so far, and more than enough spammers – or simply people I have nothing in common with. Should I start taking it seriously? Nope, no way, but as long as it may help some of you, I’ll get back to it from time to time, and today’s the right moment to talk about QuoteURL, an interesting replacement to the original script allowing interactive tweet embedding, [...]]]> Still using Twitter? To be honest, I discovered a few interesting people using it so far, and more than enough spammers – or simply people I have nothing in common with. Should I start taking it seriously? Nope, no way, but as long as it may help some of you, I’ll get back to it from time to time, and today’s the right moment to talk about QuoteURL, an interesting replacement to the original script allowing interactive tweet embedding, but this time a Web-based solution (no coding required, so it surely works for me!).

If you missed the script from Twitter I just mentioned, you could take a look here, while a detailed article about using it can be found on Mashable, but if you’re really in a hurry, I think you should jump straight to QuoteURL and get busy!

The official mumbo-jumbo goes like this: “QuoteURL helps you group different Twitter updates from different people into a single page that has a permanent URL. So you can put it on your blog or send interesting conversations to friends.” Demo is available here, and… I guess that’s all, folks! ;)

Compatibility: all major browsers, obviously

]]> http://www.webdev3000.com/quoteurl/feed/ 0 Toucan http://www.webdev3000.com/toucan/ http://www.webdev3000.com/toucan/#comments Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:18:38 +0000 Codrut Nistor http://www.webdev3000.com/?p=569 If you ever feel down, just think about people who struggle daily with more than you ever had to face your entire life. If that doesn’t help you move on… I honestly don’t what will. Think about colors and the world around you, for example. Ever felt that you’re living in a grey, sad city? Think about people who are color blind! Today, it’s not about making your life better, but about colors, and Toucan can really help you bring [...]]]> If you ever feel down, just think about people who struggle daily with more than you ever had to face your entire life. If that doesn’t help you move on… I honestly don’t what will. Think about colors and the world around you, for example. Ever felt that you’re living in a grey, sad city? Think about people who are color blind! Today, it’s not about making your life better, but about colors, and Toucan can really help you bring a lot of color into your projects…

… and, best of all, we’re talking about a completely free online resource, capable of providing up to 20 colors per palette, offering advanced sharing and importing features, all being done carefully following color theory. It even includes color deficiency previews, and to save your creations, you only need to create a free account. Unfortunately, I didn’t create an account, so I can’t tell you more about the formats available for saving your work, but I am sure you can discover that for yourselves, right?

All you have to do is go to this page and press the yellow Launch Toucan button. Oh, yeah, one more thing – Toucan seems to work properly with all popular browsers, and you will also find a great tutorial movie on the page that I just mentioned, so nobody’s asking you to create an account before seeing what you’ll get. That’s all, folks, enjoy Toucan and be sure to have a colorful day! ;)

]]> http://www.webdev3000.com/toucan/feed/ 0 Google Font Directory http://www.webdev3000.com/google-font-directory/ http://www.webdev3000.com/google-font-directory/#comments Thu, 27 May 2010 07:27:55 +0000 Codrut Nistor http://www.webdev3000.com/?p=538 Less than a month after Google Analytics Application Gallery, Google strikes again! That time, it was about various apps for Google Analytics, now it’s all about fonts, since the name says it all – Google Font Directory. Another Beta product from the Internet search giant, Google Font Directory allows you to browse all the fonts from the tiny collection already available via the Google Font API. Just as it happened with the Application Gallery I mentioned earlier, there’s not much to [...]]]> Less than a month after Google Analytics Application Gallery, Google strikes again! That time, it was about various apps for Google Analytics, now it’s all about fonts, since the name says it all – Google Font Directory.
Google Font Directory

Another Beta product from the Internet search giant, Google Font Directory allows you to browse all the fonts from the tiny collection already available via the Google Font API. Just as it happened with the Application Gallery I mentioned earlier, there’s not much to see here now, but things will surely change in the future. Why am I saying this? Think about the two sides of the coin: to font creators, Google Font Directory offers a quick way to reach a lot of people looking for free fonts, while web designers will surely enjoy having access to such a resource that contains fonts covered by an open source license!

For a bunch of details and sample code, please click one of the large text snippets located on the main Google Font Directory page. That’s all, folks! ;)

]]> http://www.webdev3000.com/google-font-directory/feed/ 0 GTmetrix http://www.webdev3000.com/gtmetrix/ http://www.webdev3000.com/gtmetrix/#comments Tue, 11 May 2010 07:49:55 +0000 Codrut Nistor http://www.webdev3000.com/?p=523 Remember Load Impact? It doesn’t really matter if you don’t, but if you do, you can forget about it! The reason is today’s topic, another free Web-based speed analyzer for your site. As you probably know, it’s official – Google is taking speed into account when awarding search rankings, so… you must know where’s your site spinning, right? GTMetrix uses two analyzing engines from the big ones in the industry, namely Google Page Speed and Yahoo YSlow, providing enough information to [...]]]> Remember Load Impact? It doesn’t really matter if you don’t, but if you do, you can forget about it! The reason is today’s topic, another free Web-based speed analyzer for your site. As you probably know, it’s official – Google is taking speed into account when awarding search rankings, so… you must know where’s your site spinning, right?
GTmetrix Free Website Speed Analyzer

GTMetrix uses two analyzing engines from the big ones in the industry, namely Google Page Speed and Yahoo YSlow, providing enough information to know how’s your site moving when compared to the average values. All you have to do is enter the name of your site and press the “Go” button, but…

… only after you’ll get a free account you’ll gain access to all the goodies, including scheduling of daily/weekly/monthly automated checks, reporting capabilities, tests history and more. These being said… I have nothing more to add but the usual compatibility check part.

Comparability: all major browsers, including Chrome, Opera, IE8 and Firefox (please drop a comment below if you face any kind of problems with any Web browser, no matter how exotic it may be)

]]> http://www.webdev3000.com/gtmetrix/feed/ 0 Pictoico http://www.webdev3000.com/pictoico/ http://www.webdev3000.com/pictoico/#comments Wed, 05 May 2010 12:56:57 +0000 Codrut Nistor http://www.webdev3000.com/?p=514 I know this may not be exactly what most developers dream of getting for free, but having some simple yet clean looking icons at your disposal is always a good idea, and that’s why today I’ll point you to Pictoico… Since everyone seems to be for or against globalization these days, Pictoico is for it, or so it seems. Why am I saying this? Just take a look at what they are saying – “We have been trying to properly communicate [...]]]> I know this may not be exactly what most developers dream of getting for free, but having some simple yet clean looking icons at your disposal is always a good idea, and that’s why today I’ll point you to Pictoico…
Pictoico
Since everyone seems to be for or against globalization these days, Pictoico is for it, or so it seems. Why am I saying this? Just take a look at what they are saying – “We have been trying to properly communicate the visual way all the way from prehistoric days. Fast forward to today’s reality still shows a lack of proper manners in communication: being simple, easy to understand, quick and effective in conveying the message.” To put it in other words, they are trying to define their own symbol style that’s globally accepted. Will they succeed? That’s what remains to be seen…

… but now, what we have is this: over 100 pictograms freely available, with a plan to add up to 1000, all of them available in the SVG and AI formats. The only downside seems to be the fact that you can only use them freely in non-commercial projects. Oh, well, everything seems to have some limits, right? Good to know about this resource, anyway, and I can only hope you agree and will find some good use for Pictoico’s collection.

]]> http://www.webdev3000.com/pictoico/feed/ 0 LAFKON vektorDB http://www.webdev3000.com/lafkon-vektordb/ http://www.webdev3000.com/lafkon-vektordb/#comments Mon, 03 May 2010 07:59:15 +0000 Codrut Nistor http://www.webdev3000.com/?p=510 I love vectorized images, especially when they are the result of a conversion operation performed on a good photo. Sure, this requires a good photo and a program that can turn your raster image to vector, right? Scratch that, just get some free vectors, and that’s all. With resources like LAFKON vektorDB, you can’t go wrong! LAFKON vektorDB is a freely accessible database containing free vector images created by LAFKON Publishing. How many sets are available? That’s a good question, and [...]]]> I love vectorized images, especially when they are the result of a conversion operation performed on a good photo. Sure, this requires a good photo and a program that can turn your raster image to vector, right? Scratch that, just get some free vectors, and that’s all. With resources like LAFKON vektorDB, you can’t go wrong!
LAFKON vektorDB

LAFKON vektorDB is a freely accessible database containing free vector images created by LAFKON Publishing. How many sets are available? That’s a good question, and I am really sorry to say that I can’t answer it. Just… browse through, and start counting, if you really don’t have anything else better to do! Now, going back to the vectors and their use…

… I should add that all vectors are available as layered PDFs or SVGs, so you can easily edit them as needed. All the designs available on this page are free when used in open source projects, or with an attribution when used in free/commercial projects, being covered by the terms of the GNU and CC licenses.

Compatibility: all major browsers, as far as I can tell (no problems in Firefox, Opera, Google Chrome)

]]> http://www.webdev3000.com/lafkon-vektordb/feed/ 0 Chubby Twitters http://www.webdev3000.com/chubby-twitters/ http://www.webdev3000.com/chubby-twitters/#comments Fri, 30 Apr 2010 09:38:50 +0000 Codrut Nistor http://www.webdev3000.com/?p=509 When something becomes really popular on the Web, there’s always something good about it, no matter how bad could be the popular thing by itself (think about “two girls one cup” and the videos showing people’s reactions to it, for example). While I can’t say I am in love with Twitter, I have a Twitter account that I use from time to time (that meaning “almost monthly”) and checking out backgrounds and icons for this microblogging service was always something [...]]]> When something becomes really popular on the Web, there’s always something good about it, no matter how bad could be the popular thing by itself (think about “two girls one cup” and the videos showing people’s reactions to it, for example). While I can’t say I am in love with Twitter, I have a Twitter account that I use from time to time (that meaning “almost monthly”) and checking out backgrounds and icons for this microblogging service was always something to enjoy.
Chubby Twitters Icons Set

Considering the above, Chubby Twitters is one those “nice accessories for the beast,” since Twitter doesn’t get more useful thanks to them, but this icons set surely will make your day a bit brighter. As you can see in the image above, we’re talking about 6 Twitter bird icons, and the unseen technical parts go like this: PNG format, available in three resolutions – 64 x 64, 96 x 96, and 128 x 128 pixels.

Designed exclusively for Onetraxpixel by Wong Lexin, this icons set can be downloader from here. I don’t know about you, but I really love them – they are blue, they are fun and, to make everything even more interesting, freely available! What else could you want? Yes, indeed, I would like to see Twitter becoming really useful… but that’s something six funny icons can’t help me with, unfortunately… :|

]]> http://www.webdev3000.com/chubby-twitters/feed/ 0 StripGenerator http://www.webdev3000.com/stripgenerator/ http://www.webdev3000.com/stripgenerator/#comments Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:00:27 +0000 Codrut Nistor http://www.webdev3000.com/?p=506 It seems too much time has passed since we talked about online pattern, texture, or even button generators, and today I will try to add one more item to this large category of online design elements generators. Sure, some may say there’s nothing special about such tools, and they may even be right, but they should also admit that, at least sometimes, it’s better to play with some already-made elements, instead of looking on Google Images for the right thing… [...]]]> It seems too much time has passed since we talked about online pattern, texture, or even button generators, and today I will try to add one more item to this large category of online design elements generators. Sure, some may say there’s nothing special about such tools, and they may even be right, but they should also admit that, at least sometimes, it’s better to play with some already-made elements, instead of looking on Google Images for the right thing… and then figure out the size is completely wrong, or that they bumped into a licensed image! ;)
StripGenerator

Since we had quite a few texture/pattern generators here in the past, today I’ll point you to a tool that you don’t get to bump into every day, because StripGenerator can help you create… your own comic strips! Yeah, that’s right, and you can even get started without creating an account, just open the website, press that big red button saying “Create a new strip,” and then mess with the tools at your disposal – how cool can this be? Pretty cool, I tell you!

More than creating your own cartoons, you can browse the ones created by other people, and I must admit some of them are really good, especially considering the tools at your disposal, which have their limitations, in my opinion. Anyway, I am not a graphics designer, I only messed with this field for a while, so I don’t think I’ll have any decent work done with StripGenerator anytime soon, but I’m sure some of you will be able to do that, so go ahead and give it a try, will you? Just remember to get back here and link back to your work, so we could enjoy it, too! ;)

]]> http://www.webdev3000.com/stripgenerator/feed/ 0 Glyph Lab http://www.webdev3000.com/glyph-lab/ http://www.webdev3000.com/glyph-lab/#comments Fri, 23 Apr 2010 18:27:12 +0000 Codrut Nistor http://www.webdev3000.com/?p=497 I love free icons, but who doesn’t? Unlike other freebies, free icons are usually great, at least that’s what I can say. Unfortunately, others are not always like that – think about freely available articles or wallpapers. Oh, well, you can’t always get what you want, but if it’s icons you need… then glyphlab.com could be one of those excellent online resources that make me wonder “Why do they give so much goodies for free?” over and over again… So… what’s [...]]]> I love free icons, but who doesn’t? Unlike other freebies, free icons are usually great, at least that’s what I can say. Unfortunately, others are not always like that – think about freely available articles or wallpapers. Oh, well, you can’t always get what you want, but if it’s icons you need… then glyphlab.com could be one of those excellent online resources that make me wonder “Why do they give so much goodies for free?” over and over again…
Glyph Lab

So… what’s so special about these guys? Please, allow me to quote the site itself – “We’ve made icons for everyone from small freelance software developers to large multi-national companies – for a diverse range of disciplines and applications.”

Currently, over 600 stock icons are available from Glyph Lab, and the set of 623 icons can be purchased for only $149. A set of 21 icons is available for download right away, so you can preview the goodies you’ll get for the decent amount of money I mentioned above.

Other than stock icons, you can also get custom-made icons for your own needs, but when it comes to the price… it may depend on a lot of factors, but one thing’s sure: Glyph Lab is one icon resource you should always keep in mind. That’s all, folks!

]]> http://www.webdev3000.com/glyph-lab/feed/ 0 FindIcons http://www.webdev3000.com/findicons/ http://www.webdev3000.com/findicons/#comments Thu, 25 Mar 2010 12:53:14 +0000 Codrut Nistor http://www.webdev3000.com/?p=489 One of the freelance tasks I always enjoyed to handle is icon creation. Sometimes, it even pays really good, but it’s not about the money, but the fun. On the other hand, if you need icons for some project, the idea is to keep costs as low as possible, and so I ended up on FindIcons.com, an excellent resource for designers looking to get some free icons or entire icon sets… Using this resource is as easy as 1-2-3 – just [...]]]> One of the freelance tasks I always enjoyed to handle is icon creation. Sometimes, it even pays really good, but it’s not about the money, but the fun. On the other hand, if you need icons for some project, the idea is to keep costs as low as possible, and so I ended up on FindIcons.com, an excellent resource for designers looking to get some free icons or entire icon sets…
FindIcons.com

Using this resource is as easy as 1-2-3 – just open the main page in your favorite browser, type in a keyword, and then click Search and check your results! As I write this, FindIcons has over 300,000 icons and 2,100 icon sets, both number continuously growing, of course. That’s not bad at all, especially if we think about the formats and sizes available (up to 256X256 pixels, usually using the ICO or PNG formats).

To make things even more attractive, FindIcons offers a bunch of filters, allowing you to sort your results by size, color, style or license type, but the cookie on top of the cake is the online converter that allows you to download the icons you need in virtually any popular format, including BMP, GIF, JPG, PSD and so on. Sweet! ;)

These being said, I hope there are only a few minutes remaining until FindIcons will find its way into your bookmarks collection…

]]> http://www.webdev3000.com/findicons/feed/ 0