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(22.Dec.08) Year In Review for 2008

How time flies when you’re pushing pixels! It seems like only yesterday we were looking back on 2007, and now it’s a year later and once again it’s time to reflect on our accomplishments. The year that was 2008 featured an iconic tribute to a movie legend, important updates to Twitterrific and xScope, and saw an addition to our arsenal of talented icon artists.

Back in January, ARTIS Software and the Iconfactory introduced xScope version 2.0 to heaps of positive reviews from designers and developers alike. xScope’s addition of the Dimensions tool was hailed as a much-needed innovation that freed designers from the bonds of traditional screen measurement techniques.

xScope wasn’t the only piece of software to receive updates in 2008. Other apps that received updates included Twitterrific, which won an Apple Design Award at WWDC for Best Social Networking App, and our addictive game Frenzic which finally came to the iPhone in November. The mobile versions of Twitterrific and Frenzic both met with critical and popular success in 2008 and proved the viability of developing for the iPhone platform. Stay tuned in 2009 for cool updates to both the desktop and mobile versions of Twitterrific, we think you’ll like what you tweet :-)

While Craig was slaving away over Twitterrific, Anthony was hard at work crafting not one, but four new icon sets to help celebrate the return of Indiana Jones to theaters around the world. The Iconfactory worked hand-in-hand with Lucasfilm to create a stunning iconic series dedicated to the legendary screen hero in our month (and a half) long tribute to Indiana Jones.

Elsewhere on the icon front, the workers put pen tool to canvas to create 25 new releases and 15 updated sets for Leopard in 2008. A grand total of over 850 freeware icons were created along with 16 fun desktops to almost double the number of pixels pushed in 2007. Collection highlights from the year included Arcade Daze System, Smoothicons 13, Refresh Folders, Patapon, iPhonica, and the year ending Somatic Rebirth System set. We also managed to add two new families for designers and developers to StockIcons.com. All in all, 2008 was a great year for icon lovers.

The year ended with a bang as we hired our first new icon artist since 2004, Louie Mantia. Formerly of Tapulous, Louie gained recognition in the Macintosh icon and GUI community and joined the Iconfactory team in November of 2008. He instantly set his skills to creating new Quickpix and icon releases including Frenzic System and the Nightmare Before Christmas. We’re excited to have Louie onboard and know that he’ll be creating some of your favorite freeware goodies in the years to come.

As we close up shop and power-down our computers to spend some much needed time with family and friends, we wish you the best and hope you have enjoyed our efforts in 2008. It bears repeating that we would not be where we are today without our loyal visitors. You give us the incentive to create, you support our efforts by registering our software, and you challenge us to innovate and stay ahead of the fray. For all of this and more, we thank you and invite you to visit us again in 2009. As always, we have new goodies in the pipe plus a few surprises up our sleeves that you won’t want to miss. We’ll be back to our regular schedule after Macworld, but in the meantime Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and see you in 2009!

(18.Dec.08) Join Us at (the last?) Macworld

As you probably know, Apple dropped a bomb shell this week announcing that it will no longer attend Macworld after January’s show in San Fran. How long the expo will last without our favorite fruit company is anybody’s guess, but if Macworld Paris is any indication, it won’t be very long at all.

Amidst this bittersweet announcement comes one of our own. Thanks to Twitterriffic’s ADA win earlier this year, the Iconfactory will be in attendance at Macworld San Francisco. Stop by our kiosk in Apple’s Developer Pavilion (booth #1438) from January 6th to the 9th to demo our software for the iPhone, collect cool free goodies or just to say “Hi!”. Greensboro workers Gedeon, Travis and Talos will be in attendance as well as Lead Engineer, Craig Hockenberry. If you’ve ever wondered just how tall Craig really is, or have probing questions you’d like to ask, now is your chance. Just look for the bunch of guys wearing Frenzic or Twitterrific t-shirts and you’ll be set.

If you’ll be in San Francisco attending what could well be the last Macworld ever, we’d love it if you’d stop by and introduce yourself. Even without a Stevenote, or even the promise of future expos, we relish the chance to meet developers and Mac enthusiasts alike and hope to greet you on the show floor. See you soon and travel safe!

(17.Dec.08) Twitterrific 1.1.1 for iPhone & iPod touch

Our handy software for reading and posting to the Twitter social network, Twitterrific for the iPhone, has been updated to version 1.1.1. This small update sports several bug fixes including correctly mapping URLs starting with https, a crash that was caused by a misconfigured ad in the tweet stream and more.

This update is available via the App Store either from your desktop iTunes or directly on your mobile device. The 1.1.1 update covers both Twitterrific and Twitterrific Premium, so don’t forget to update today!

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(16.Dec.08) Give the Holiday Gift of Frenzic!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and what better way to celebrate than with a shiny new copy of Frenzic for the iPhone. Our addictive puzzler has received glowing reviews and has players around the globe competing against each other for fame and pie-sorting glory. Now you can own Frenzic for the iPhone for 60% off its original list price from now until December 31st. That’s right, head on over to the iTunes App Store and pick up Frenzic today for just $1.99 to learn all about the game Ars Technica said should be “included with every iPhone”.

As an added bonus, late last week Frenzic received an update that fixed several frustrating bugs as well as greatly improved overall stability. This, plus the ability to listen to your own music via your iPod while you play, makes Frenzic the perfect casual game while you wait in those long shopping lines.

So don’t delay, this special holiday sale of Frenzic won’t last long. Those pie wedges are starting to stack up and if you don’t sort them, who will? Merry Christmas everyone!

Preview

(16.Dec.08) The Kit and Caboodle of 2008

It’s time once again for our year ending QuickPix Collection. If you missed any of our QuickPix from the past 52 weeks, just grab this set to complete your collection. 2008’s entries include Valentine’s Day’s Cupid and Halloween’s Jack-O-Lantern as well as the ever-popular Rickroll icon we released on April Fools Day. We hope we put a smile on your face and encourage you to visit for all new QuickPix in 2009.

(09.Dec.08) 'Twas the Nightmare Before Christmas

Halloween is but a distant memory, but not to Jack Skellington. This week’s freeware release, inspired by the animated film from Tim Burton and Walt Disney, brings the familiar characters of The Nightmare Before Christmas to your desktop. The icon set, like the movie, combines two of our favorite holidays, Halloween and Christmas, into one incredible adventure.

Louie’s release includes icons of all your favorites like Lock, Shock, and Barrel, Sally and even Jack’s lovable ghost dog Zero. As an added trick-or-treat, CandyBar users receive a new spiderweb OS X Dock style that’s a snap to use. Lastly, make your haunted Christmas complete and download the bonus Halloween Town desktop picture for your Mac or PC. So skip the eggnog and mistletoe, with all these ghosts and ghouls, this is one Christmas you won’t soon forget!

(04.Dec.08) Twitterrific One of 2008's Top iPhone Apps

This week, Apple announced a new section of the iTunes Store that showcases the top entries from 2008. We were humbled to discover that our very own Twitterrific, for reading and posting to Twitter, is listed among the top 10 Social Networking favorites for the year.

Without a doubt, Twitterrific’s success is a combination of the explosive popularity of Twitter as well as the hard won efforts of the gang here in Greensboro and Laguna Beach. Nonetheless, it was all of you that launched Twitterrific into the stratosphere, and for that we are grateful.

The year ahead holds exciting changes for the little Blue Bird that could. If you are curious about where development is heading, then be sure to visit Furbo.org and check out Craig’s post on the subject. If you are heading to San Francisco in January, be sure to also stop by our kiosk in the Apple Developer Pavilion at Macworld. You can grab free Twitterrific goodies and maybe even hobnob with the man behind the bird himself. Good times, thanks everyone!

Preview

(02.Dec.08) Rebirth of Somatic System

Deep from the inner recesses of the imagination comes an all-new system replacement collection from David Lanham – Somatic Rebirth System. Formed with love and attention for your Macintosh or PC desktop, Somatic Rebirth sports over 80 freeware icons including new folders, hard drives, discs, toolbar icons and much more.

These organic icons also come complete with a new Somatic dock style. Candybar users can customize the appearance of their OS X Dock as well as their entire system folder with a single click. Be sure to also check out David’s companion desktop picture, Somatica, that will complete your thematic makeover. Head on over to the freeware section and grab these goodies today!

(25.Nov.08) Happy Turkey Day!

As we shut the assembly line down for the holiday we are pleased to present this cornucopia of Thanksgiving goodies from the Iconfactory staff. We hope you enjoy a safe and happy holiday whether you are hosting friends and family at home or are traveling to visit relatives and friends far away. Revel in traditions or make new ones all your own. Parades! Football! Turkey! Nap! More Turkey! We wish you all the best!

(21.Nov.08) Awesome Video Review of Frenzic

As word about our addictive puzzle game, Frenzic, gets out, the reviews have started to come in. One of our favorites has to be this video review from iPhone Alley. The folks there give Frenzic five stars and have done a great job of explaining what makes Frenzic so appealing to players around the globe. It also highlights game play, internet leaderboards and settings. If you’ve been looking for more in-depth information about what Frenzic holds in store for you, then head on over to iPhone Alley and check out their review.

Be sure to also read the posted comments on Frenzic’s iTunes entry. Users everywhere are realizing just how fun and furious Frenzic feels for the iPhone and iPod touch. Frenzic is available worldwide from the App Store for $4.99.

UPDATE: TouchMyApps has also posted a great in-depth review of Frenzic. The author does a great job of explaining the details of scoring, the significance of audio cues and a whole lot more. We highly recommend it.

Preview

(19.Nov.08) Frenzic for iPhone Has Arrived!

The Iconfactory and ARTIS Software are proud to announce that our addictive puzzle game, Frenzic, is now available from the iTunes App Store for the iPhone and iPod touch.

Mac OS X users have been playing Frenzic for over a year, but now Frenzic comes alive for Apple’s mobile platform as well. The iPhone’s revolutionary touch screen interface makes Frenzic a must have for gaming enthusiasts of all ages. Players sort colored pie pieces in a frantic race that tests both the mind and reflexes and offers hours of endless fun.

Like the desktop version, Frenzic for the iPhone takes only minutes to learn, but months to master. Devise new, impressive play strategies to push yourself to the top of the Internet Leaderboards, and thanks to the iPhone’s location services, you can test your mettle against players both near and far. Set up your player account at Frenzic.com to make friends, track stats and climb through seven levels of Devotion from Newbie all the way to Frenzic Grandmaster.

To mark the occasion of Mobile Frenzic coming to the App Store, we’re also lowering the price of the OS X desktop version of Frenzic to just $14.95 for the Guru Bundle and $9.95 for the regular version. Visit Frenzic.com today to download Frenzic for Mac OS X, watch mobile and desktop video demos, browse the global leaderboards and much more.

Frenzic for the iPhone and iPod touch is available today from the iTunes App Store for the low price of $4.99. Get ready to flex that gray matter, but be warned… once you start, you may not want to stop!

(18.Nov.08) Frenzic System Icons for Candybar

The launch of Frenzic for the iPhone is now only hours away, and what better way to get your desktop in the gaming mood than with a new system replacement icon set from Louie Mantia.

Frenzic System is a futuristic replacement set of over 90 desktop icons that gamers and geeks will love. Custom folders, hard drives and even a trash can replacement will turn your Mac or PC desktop into a high-tech wonderland that glows with the light of a thousand power-ups. As an added bonus, CandyBar users will find an extra treat in the form of an all-new OS X Dock style that comes with the set’s iContainer. So be sure to download and res-up Frenzic System for your Mac or PC today, and stay tuned for the launch of Frenzic for the iPhone and iPod touch soon!

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