Our wildly popular app, that manages bits of text simply and efficiently, has been updated to version 1.3. The biggest news in this release of Tot is the addition of Shortcuts on macOS and iOS.
Tot’s shortcut actions are as simple as the app itself:
Get the text from any one of the dots
Set the text for any dot
Add text to the beginning or end of a dot
Query a dot for additional information, including line/word/character counts, a JSON representation, and more
You can also switch which dot is showing in the UI
Tot’s actions let the app be a convenient place to put the output from one of your shortcuts (when creating a file is overkill). It’s also a great way to collect and prepare text as input for a workflow. In short, Tot has become a scratchpad for automation. And because the actions are identical on macOS and iOS, your customizations work anywhere.
Mac power-users who love Command-Tab also get a great new feature: Smart Icons. When this new option is selected for “Control With” in Settings, you’ll get a menubar icon that opens the popover window as always. But now when you detach the popover, you’ll get a Dock icon as well. This lets Tot show up in the Command-Tab list and display menubar items. It’s the best of both worlds.
We’re pleased to announce a new version of our Internet radio app: Triode.
Version 1.3 introduces a new feature that many customers have been requesting: custom station logos.
Just tap the ℹ⃝ button on any station you’ve created and you’ll see a new Select an Image… button. From there, you can pick any artwork from your iOS Photos library or Mac desktop. Your customized station artwork is then synced automatically all of your devices running Triode (including tvOS).
We’ve also improved the labels and layout in the station view, making things more consistent and allowing for longer station names.
Another big change is on iOS: the now playing view includes a colorful background by default. Each new track gives you a beautiful new look:
The original Black appearance is still available in the app’s Settings tab.
This release also includes a new setting on macOS that makes it easier to sample stations (using the Station > Stay on Station menu item). We also fixed some issues with the display of Triode’s icons in CarPlay, multitasking indicators on the iPad, and the Track History on the desktop.
All-in-all, this is a great update for fans of streaming audio. You can learn more about Triode on its website and download the FREE app on iOS, macOS, and tvOS. Rock on!
Tot now makes sure you have a copy of your notes stored on the local disk as well as in iCloud. Backups are performed every hour while you’re using the app and at launch or quit. There’s no configuration, “it just works”.
If your notes ever get accidentally deleted, you can use the File > Show Automatic Backups… to get a list of your changes over the past few days. Each file is JSON text that can be viewed in a text editor and restored using File > Restore Backup…
If you haven’t tried Tot yet, now’s the perfect time. It’s available for FREE on macOS and as a paid download on iOS. You can also learn more about both apps on the Tot website. Enjoy!
Another year has come to a close and it’s time to reflect on our accomplishments over the past fifty-two weeks. Spoiler alert: It’s a lot! The year 2021 was full of major milestones as we crafted a new and exciting chapter in the life of our very first game, celebrated 25 years in business, continued to serve our design clients, and launched a major release to one of our favorite productivity apps.
The Year of Frenzic
Frenzic’s long journey from the simple puzzle game in 2007 to this year’s exciting release of Frenzic: Overtime on Apple Arcade spanned a total of 14 years. Efforts on Overtime actually began in March of 2020 as we worked from our homes during the pandemic, and culminated with the release in June of 2021.
Creating Frenzic: Overtime was a labor of love for ourentireteam and we were thrilled to bring this long-awaited sequel to life. The game combines fast-paced play with stunning visuals and sound to create a frenetic, fun experience for Apple Arcade players the world-over.
This title on Apple Arcade was accompanied by super-cool swag like collectible pins and an amazing, original soundtrack available for streaming on Apple Music and Spotify.
We followed up the initial release with Frenzic’sTest Lab Daily Challenge in October. Players flex their fingers and compete to become the top bot each day, participating in unique challenges and special holiday events like Halloween and Christmas.
If you just can’t get enough Frenzic, fear not! The bots are hard at work assembling the next chapter in the story and promise to deliver new puzzles, strategies, and fun for everyone in 2022. Stay tuned!
Silver Linings
June marked a major milestone in the form of our Silver Pixel Anniversary. The Iconfactory celebrated our 25th year in business getting to do the things we love most – pushing pixels and creating apps.
The Iconfactory’s founders: Ged Maheux, Corey Marion, and Talos Tsui.
When we think back to where it all started, posting tiny 32×32 icons on AOL, and how we grew over the past two and half decades, we have to pinch ourselves. Along the way we’ve had the honor of working alongside some of the most talenteddevelopers and designers in the business and for that we are truly grateful.
We’re also proud to have a small sample of our work included in The iOS App Icon Book coming next year from our friend Michael Flareup. It’s wonderful to be honored in print along with so many of our iconic peers, and we hope you’ll check it out.
At Long Last, Linea
We shipped updates to most of our apps during 2021, including a substantial update to Twitterrific, and measured improvements in Tot, Triode, and others.
But Linea was our biggest update and our main focus in the second half of the year.
Linea Sketch 4 brought two major new features that users have been long requesting – support for text in the form of Annotations, and a way to paint and sketch organically with Linea’s new watercolor brush. Customers enjoyed the app’s improvements and continued focus on simplicity that lets them spend their time where it matters most – sketching out ideas.
Our Linea YouTube channel grew by leaps and bounds in 2021, offering new tutorials as well as tips and tricks to get the most out of the app. If you’ve not subscribed head on over and mash that button! There are more great improvements coming in the months ahead, so be sure to follow @Linea_App on Twitter for the latest news and sneak peeks.
One More Thing
Innovation at Apple has always inspired us. Even when it comes in the form of a notch on the latest MacBook Pros.
As we close out the year, we’re happy to have a fun little app that is our gift to Mac users everywhere: Notchmeister. It follows the long tradition of software on the Mac whose only purpose it to make you smile. Like any gift, the less you know about it before downloading, the better!
Snug In Our Beds
Twitterrific’s Ollie perched over Tim Cook’s shoulder during the WWDC 2021 Keynote.
As we take our well-earned holiday break, it’s easy to lose track of all the things we achieved in 2021. We added over 80 new wallpapers for our loyal Patreon subscribers, crafted new and exciting icons, emoji, and interfaces for our design clients, and even appeared in Apple’s WWDC Keynote address. Well, at least Ollie did :-)
Who can say what the new year will hold for us or our loyal customers and fans? We can only strive to continue to create the kind of work you’ve known and loved for the past 25 years. As always, new opportunities will arise, new challenges will present themselves, and hopefully we’ll all stay safe and thrive in 2022. We hope you’ll join us again next year. Happy holidays, everyone!
This holiday season we have a special gift for Mac users everywhere, especially ones with a new MacBook Pro and notch. We’re proud to announce the immediate availability of Notchmeister.
So what does Notchmeister do?
Think of it as a fun way to spruce up your notch. Or as a screen saver for something you can’t see. Or, maybe, just a uselesswasteoftime.
If you’re now even more confused, just download the app and give it a try. It’s a FREE download on the Mac App Store.
And if you’re a developer and wondering how all this nutty stuff works, take a look at the code. Following @Notchmeister is also a good way to keep up with all the latest news.
We’re pleased to announce that Frenzic: Overtime has been updated with a new Accessibility option in the game’s Settings panel. Players can now choose to play with Frenzic’s default colors or using the new Colorblind Mode. The colorblind mode uses a different set of colors for the chips that should make it easier to play if the originals didn’t work well for you.
In addition, all players will enjoy the improved speed of the 1.1.1 update. The game launches faster, loads levels more quickly, and has a much smaller memory footprint.
The Frenzic corporate office will no doubt be proud. Download the Frenzic: Overtime 1.1.1 update from Apple Arcade today. Have fun, everyone!
Today we’re pleased to announce a major update to Linea Sketch, our digital sketchbook for iPad and Apple Pencil. Version 4 brings a host of long-requested features that creators are sure to love: editable text annotations, a new watercolor brush, lockable layers, and much more.
The Text’s The Thing
Linea Sketch 4 brings the ability to add text and labels to your sketches. Tap the new “Aa” icon to enter Annotation mode, then tap anywhere on your drawing to create an annotation. Scribble with an Apple Pencil to edit directly or tap with your finger to invoke the keyboard and type your own text.
Choose from a wide variety of fonts including Linea Sans, a new custom typeface designed especially for use in sketches. You can easily adjust text formatting, alignment, and colors. Use preset sizes for a uniform appearance, or scale text dynamically with a simple tap and drag. Text can also be merged into a layer, letting you transform and stylize it as needed. The possibilities are endless.
Water Water Everywhere
With Linea’s new watercolor brush, you can now paint and fill your creations organically. Create rustic and artistic effects by painting with pigment in three different modes:
Simple for textured, painterly strokes.
Wet for watery strokes with pooled pigment at the edges.
Cloud for textured splats that are great for skies, landscapes, or backgrounds.
Linea’s watercolor brush is unique and allows you to apply color in many new ways. We encourage you to experiment with the brush’s various modes to find the one that works best for your creations.
Work Smarter, Not Harder
Version 4 also includes a host of important features and improvements designed to reduce friction and save time when drawing in Linea Sketch. Chief among these improvements is the ability to lock layers: when you open the options for any layer, you’ll see a lock icon that prevents changes. Locked layers speed up your work flow, since you don’t need to worry about stray marks, merging, or accidentally modifying part of a layer.
We’ve also added the ability to adjust corner radii on rectangular ZipShapes. After you draw a rough shape and hold at the end, you’ll see four new green drag handles. Drag a handle and all four corners will adjust in unison, or tap & hold on a handle to adjust the corners individually.
There are many more improvements, including the ability to organize custom color chips, larger sizes for drawing tools, and snapping to size or aspect ratio when transforming. The version history has full details.
Introducing Linea Premium
Linea Sketch continues to be a FREE download with features that can be used without payment. Beginning today, new features like Annotations and the Watercolor Brush require a Linea Premium subscription. The good news is that you can sign up for a FREE two week trial and take these new tools for a spin.
If you’d prefer get these features without a subscription, Linea Premium is also available as a one-time purchase that unlocks the new features, as well as ones in the future, without recurring payments.
If you haven’t tried Linea Sketch yet, today’s update is the perfect opportunity to see why so many people call Linea their favorite sketchpad. Visit our YouTube channel to learn all about the app, see helpful tutorials, and get tips and tricks. The version history page has a complete rundown on what’s new, and a download of Linea Sketch is just a tap away. You’ll be creating in no time!
The bots are back! Today we’re announcing the grand opening of Frenzic: Overtime’s Test Lab. Compete against friends and other players worldwide in WhizBot’s exciting daily challenges. Devise unique strategies to earn Squarks and complete bonuses as you fight to earn your place as top bot on the leaderboard.
Report to the Test Lab every day for new levels, bonuses, and endless challenges that build on the skills you’ve already acquired playing Frenzic on Apple Arcade. There are a bunch of fun Game Center achievements to earn, rewards for maintaining daily streaks, and even special holiday events you won’t want to miss.
We’ve also joined forces with the amazing team at Backbone, makers of our favorite handheld controller for iPhone, to bring you something special – a super-cool, Backbone-themed skin for DoBot. Simply plug your iPhone into Backbone while playing Frenzic: Overtime and DoBot’s slick new appearance is revealed. Trust us when we say you’ll be the envy of every other bot on the assembly line.
Today’s Frenzic: Overtime update also contains many visual and gameplay enhancements, bug fixes, and improved localization. We’re also paving the way for new Frenzic goodness in the months ahead: follow Frenzic on Twitter to be the first to know! We can’t wait to see how you stack up in the Test Lab: these challenges won’t beat themselves!
Started by illustrator and animator Jake Parker in 2014, Inktober encourages artists, amateurs and professionals alike, to express themselves every day during the month of October. Each day people craft a sketch or drawing based on the day’s creative prompt in their favorite artistic mediums, be they analog or digital.
Back in 2019 and again in 2020, we created a set of handy Inktober templates for our iPad drawing app, Linea Sketch that outlines the prompts for each of the 31 days in Inktober. The prompt list for 2021 is officially out and we’ve updated these free templates to help Linea users stay organized as they sketch, doodle and draw their way through to the end of the month.
These Inktober 2021 templates are broken out by pages and numbered to contain the prompt for that particular day’s drawing. The templates are great for those who like to have a uniform set of drawings for the entire month or who want to stay tight and focused on their daily creations.
Linea’s Inktober 2021 templates are completely free, easy to set up, and offer a nice way to join in on the inking fun. Speaking of easy, this year we’ve improved the process of importing the templates into Linea Sketch on the iPad. Using the magic of iCloud, users will be able to get up and running with their templates in just a few seconds. If you need a fallback, the manual method of importing each day’s templates still works like a charm.
Lastly, don’t forget to tag your Inktober Twitter and Instagram posts with #LineaSketch – we’ll be re-tweeting and sharing our favorite drawings on Twitter and Instagram. Download those templates and charge those Apple Pencils, October will be here before you know it!
In June we celebrated our silver pixel anniversary, 25 years of serving clients, creating software, and pushing pixels just for you. As part of that celebration we’ve been offering discounts on some of our apps. We’re happy to announce that our helpful screen measurement tool, xScope, is up next!
For the next two weeks, today through August 25th, you will receive 25% off xScope’s retail price when you buy a single user license from our newly-revamped xScope order page. Use the following promo code to get your discount:
ICON25
You can now purchase directly from the Iconfactory using Apple Pay, PayPal, or a credit card. Our new order page handles upgrades for single user licenses, promo codes like the one above, and multi-user discounts for teams of up to 30 people.
It’s never been easier to equip your designers and developers with xScope, the app we like to call our swiss army knife for the screen. Enjoy!
