Since Instagram’s release a little under two years ago (it’s only been TWO YEARS) it’s blown up to an unbelievable scale, serving millions of photos everyday. And while the apps features have continued to grow, there was one spot that hadn’t gotten any love since the apps release: the Instagram logo. That problem has now been remedied though thanks to the work of Mackey Saturday.
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May 7, 2013 - See more posts by Bobby
Converting currency in foreign countries can be tricky and frustrating. Conversion rates can shift quickly, it can be embarrassing figuring out numbers in your head, and you don’t want to get fleeced by a local merchant who can tell you’re not certain. Well, Alex Penny and Matt Davenport may have come up with the best solution for these dilemmas.
They’ve created a brand new app called Currency for iOS which quickly converts over 160 different currencies. Currency converting apps are far from new, but up until now I’ve never seen one as polished as this. Everything has been considered: the fonts, the color scheme, the custom flag icons (inspired by nautical flags) and most important in my mind, the touch gestures. You enter a value, check the conversion rate, and when you’re done, you can swipe the numbers to the right which feels like you’re smashing them into a wall, which is how you clear the field. And if you didn’t mean to erase the value you simply swipe the field to the left and “resurrect” it. Effects like this just make the overall experience that much more enjoyable and Alex and Matt have nailed it. Watch the video below and you’ll totally see what I mean.
If you travel frequently (or are simply going on vacation abroad) and give a damn what your apps look and feel like, Currency is probably for you. You can get in the App Store by clicking here.
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April 16, 2013 - See more posts by Bobby
The awesome folks at SOLAR, my personal go-to app for weather, have given me some promotional codes to give away to 5 clever readers. If you’re unfamiliar with SOLAR I suggest you check it out through that link and watch their ad. On a side note, I’m not being paid for this, I really do use the app, and I thought it would be cool to give readers something for free. Cool?
To win a promo code you need to tell me what your favorite kind of weather is and why. The more clever and funny your why answer is the better chance you have of winning. You can tell me in two different ways:
1) Tweet your reason with the hashtag #tfibSOLAR.
2) Write on the TFIB Facebook post by clicking here.
Here are the winners:
Solar storms are my fav weather b/c there’s always a chance radiation will give us superpowers à la Fantastic Four. #tfibSOLAR
— Peter Wolfgram (@pwolfgram) March 1, 2013
@thefoxisblack #tfibSOLAR the kind of weather that says take the day off and sit under a tree and write a short story while eating a peach.
— teamgloria (@teamgloria_) March 1, 2013
“I love waking up to fog on spring camping trips on the AT. Makes it looks like a scene from a horror film.” – Jordy Tropp
“I love the crisp, cool air of the ozarks in the fall, with a fog rising from the shade of the valleys like steam from my cup of coffee. Being from Louisiana, where the fall is hot as hell and twice as humid, I only discovered this pleasure as a man well into my twenties.” – Rob Moffett
“Not too fucking hot, not too fucking freezing. Plz gimme app” – Bárbara Astrini-Currie
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February 28, 2013 - See more posts by Bobby
There’s a brand new nightclub in town, you’ve heard rave reviews, but the line to get in stretches around the block and it seems like you have no chance of getting in. This is the best way I can describe what’s currently happening with the new app simply titled Mailbox. In an effort to build “a buzz” and “go viral” they’ve brought the skeumorphic concept of waiting in line to the digital front. And it’s slightly obnoxious.
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February 8, 2013 - See more posts by Bobby
Having a full-time job and running a design blog at the same time can be difficult, and a lot of time distractions are the biggest hinderance to productivity. Lately I’ve been using this helpful little app called Zonebox, which as you can imagine helps you zone in on the work you need to be doing.
The interface is simple and easy. You add a task and then click Zone In. From there you can add or subtract time as needed. What’s really helpful though is that when you minimize the app you get a subtle purple line at the bottom which slowly fills up as your allotted time passes. I’ve found that it helps me keep track of just how much time is passing by as I complete tasks and focus on what I’m doing. If I know I have 15 minutes to write a blog post I should probably stop scrolling around on Designspiration.
Best of all it’s free so there’s really nothing to lose. You can download it here and try it for your self.
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February 4, 2013 - See more posts by Bobby