We’re pleased to report on two positive 3rd party reviews of our professional icon creation filter for Adobe Photoshop, IconBuilder Pro 4.0. The reviewer over at IT-Enquirer rates IconBuilder Pro 4.0 a 10 out of 10 and praises the filter’s workflow for ease of use. Steve Caplin of MacUser UK, awarded IconBuilder Pro 4.0 a total of five mice and lauds the “hidden depths” that accompany the filter such as the new auto-sizing Photoshop action and pre-built grid templates. If you are considering purchasing IconBuilder Pro for Mac OS X, you might want to head on over and hear what others are saying.
The Breakroom
Happy B-Day News Hound!
May 20, 2003
That’s right folks, our resident news editor, icon artist and desktop pattern maker extraordinaire, Mindy, is celebrating her birthday today! Everyone here at the factory (especially the Foreman :-) hopes she has a wonderful birthday filled with fun and excitement! You’re the best kiddo!
Our Next Big Thing
May 20, 2003
Here at the Iconfactory, we like to keep the bigger projects under wraps until they’re 100% ready – we think it’s more exciting that way! However, we’ve decided to give in to the many requests we’ve been receiving and give everyone a quick peek at our next major software product. We won’t go into the specifics just yet, but we’d like you to know that we’re actually very close to releasing the fantastic new utility that Aqua icon enthusiasts have been asking for!
In a name – Pixadex. the Iconfactory has once again teamed up with the talented people at Panic to bring you a program that does for icons what iPhoto did for images, plus more!
The Iconfactory and Panic have been working hard on Pixadex for months, crafting a powerful feature set and integrating it tightly into our existing product line. It’s quite close to completion, but we believe in taking the time to deliver the professional quality and polish you deserve so we ask that you please be patient just a little longer (we’re not seeking beta testers at this time, but thanks just the same!).
Expect Pixadex to change the way you download and organize icons in Mac OS X. Expect it to offer some incredible, time-saving features. Expect it to have a clean, easy-to-use interface. And, if all goes well, expect it in about a month. Rants? Raves? General musings? Send ‘em along, we’d love to hear from you.
World of Aqua Comes to Windows
May 16, 2003
Resident pixel maniac, Dave Brasgalla, is pleased to announce that four sets in his popular World of Aqua icon series have been fully converted for use with Windows XP and are available today. If you use XP, then you’ve probably been waiting for these for some time. So go get these new conversion today: World of Aqua 1, World of Aqua 2, World of Aqua 3 and World of Aqua: CandyBar. Enjoy folks!
CandyBar 1.5.2 On Its Way!
May 7, 2003
Apple has released a new OS X update, this time OS X 10.2.6 which, among other things, should fix some nasty USB bugs that have plagued the IF workers of late. This update means that we’re getting ready to release a new version of CandyBar that will be qualified for use with the new OS. CandyBar 1.5.2 is in testing right now and should be available either late today or early tomorrow.
Watching Woz
April 24, 2003
One of the two founding members of Apple Computer, Steve Wozniak, will be giving a speech this Saturday (26.Apr.03) at NC State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. Tickets for this event have been hard to come by, but if you are planning on attending, keep one eye open for our very own Talos Tsui who will be in attendance. We’re always eager to chew the fat with other Mac users, so this should be fun!
Announcing the Winners of Pixelpalooza 2003!
April 21, 2003
That’s right folks, another year’s icon design contest has reached its conclusion and with it, we are pleased to announce the Grand Prize, Runner-Up and People’s Choice winners of Pixelpalooza 2003. Needless to say that with 137 entries from all corners of the globe, the judges had their work cut out for them. In the end the judges selected 6 winners, and you the public chose the remaining three for People’s Choice. Together they represent the best in artistic achievement and originality for this year’s contest. It is also worthy to note that of the nine winners, only two came from the United States. It is clear that international icon artists have come into their own and we are pleased that Pixelpalooza continues to recognize them. Here are your 2003 winners:
Mac OS X Grand Prize
Invading Your Space by David Lanham – Orlando, FL
Mac OS X Runner Up
B’alam-a-rama
by Jamie McCanless – Madison, WI
Mac OS X People’s Choice
Penguin Icons by Everaldo Coelho – Curitiba, Brazil
CandyBar Grand Prize
Think Natural
by Christophe Bouchard – Rennes, France
CandyBar Runner Up
Piou
by Anne-Sophie Charpi
Spring is in the Air
April 15, 2003
Well, the cold snap has finally broken and Spring is in the air. To celebrate this the talented Web Mistress of Marmalade Moon, our own Iconfactory Kate, has created a wonderful set of bird eggs for everyone. Make sure to wing your way on over to Marmalade Moon and snap these up!
People’s Choice Voting is Ovaaarr!
April 14, 2003
That’s right folks, the People’s Choice Voting phase of our annual Pixelpalooza contest is now closed, and a big thank-you goes out to everyone who voted. The results you see on the entry pages are not considered final however, as the official contest judging may affect the outcome. Keep your eyes peeled here on April 21st to find out who the big winners are. Love the anticipation!
CandyBar Keeps Pace With OS X
April 11, 2003
If you’ve made the rounds to the Mac news sites, you know that Apple has released their latest update to Mac OS X, 10.2.5. Panic and the Iconfactory have updated our popular icon customization application, CandyBar to version 1.5.1 accordingly. This new version is fully qualified for use with the latest OS X update and is free to registered users. If you use CandyBar, you should download this update and replace your current version.
