icons

This collection of popular Greasemonkey scripts makes tweaking Gmail's look and behavior as simple as installing a Firefox add-on. The 15 features in Better Gmail 2 allow for a deeper level of customization than Google can provide, even though the introduction of Google Labs in Gmail demotes Better Gmail from "must-have" to "still pretty cool."

The features in Better Gmail 2, labeled as such because of Gmail's upgrade in late 2007, could be essentials, depending on what you get out of them. Perhaps the coolest feature is the one that summarizes unread messages. There'… Read more

A while ago people were reporting issues with how Snow Leopard was handling icons, where many files showed only low-resolution icons that resulted in them looking blurred and pixelated. In addition to these, others are reporting problems with Snow Leopard either taking a long time to load icons when scrolling through Finder windows, or not loading icons at all.… Read more

Desktop customizations developer Stardock is giving you a few more ways to conquer desktop clutter with the release of Fences Pro, a premium version of the free icon organizer Fences.

When we reviewed Fences this past October, and as we followed the app's beta development in the many preceding months, we appreciated how Fences let us flexibly create, reshape, and edit windows on our desktop where we store our (relatively few) desktop icons. Our chief complaint was that all new icons downloaded to the desktop by default. We wanted to apply rules that automatically place specific icons in the correct folders.

Fences Pro ($19.95) largely answers our request; or at least it tries to. Fences Pro's settings menu not only lets you name a default folder in which all newly installed icons should appear, it also showcases a list of rules you can configure to deposit specific types of icons (images, music videos, etc.) into any of your "fences." The icon installation rules worked well in our tests, saving pictures we downloaded from the Web to our specified "Pics" fence, and application shortcuts to "Programs."

In addition, you can organize icons based on name, time, and customized rules. As you tweak or create rules, you'll choose from options like "the icon's type" "is" or "is not" a program shortcut, virtual item, compressed file, executable, and so on. You may have to spend some trial-and-error time with the drop-down menus in order to make your rule watertight.

Rules aren't the only extra features to crop into Fences Pro.… Read more

When you open a folder in the Finder you should be able to scroll through your documents in the Finder with no problem; however, there may be an issue where when scrolling through your documents the scrolling behavior is jerky and choppy. This may be due to several reasons, including disk usage, and corruption in DS_Store files or caches, all which may interfere with the icon loading behavior of the Finder.… Read more

If you're looking for a quick and dirty way to create icons, Axialis IconWorkshop isn't it. If, however, you're in need of a full-featured program that will let you take your icon-making to the next level, this is the program for you. We've reviewed a lot of icon creation software, and Axialis IconWorkshop is definitely the most professional of the bunch.

The program's interface is sleek and well-designed, although it may seem a bit overwhelming to the uninitiated. The program's features are organized with panes and large, graphical buttons, and although the sheer number … Read more

A number of Snow Leopard users have been complaining of blurry and pixelated icons showing up in the Finder. A growing thread on the Apple discussion boards outlines this issue, where instead of the large and crisp icons that are so prominent in OS X, the system shows grainy and low-resolution versions of them, regardless of the icon size being used.… Read more

A friend pointed out to me the similarity between Microsoft's icon set for the new Office 2010 beta and Adobe's icons for its Creative Suite. Looking at the two sets, it's clear that they are alike in some ways, but that Adobe has gone for the more graphically "pure" design while Microsoft has favored a busier image.

Microsoft's icons retain the rounded edge introduced in the 2007 version, but the introduction of the single, graphically recognizable letter is an obvious nod to Adobe. Ignoring the size discrepancies in my screen capture above, what seems … Read more

Vista Toolbar Icons from icon specialist Aha-Soft promises to update your Windows Vista interface with a spiffy new look. It offers dozens of different icons executed in Vista's shiny, glassy, highlighted style. You can replace the default Vista icons with new ones that initiate the same functions, or add entirely new icons linked to new programs and features. They seem to have an icon for just about everything, and if it's not in Vista Toolbar Icons, it's probably in one of Aha-Soft's other icon packages. They do custom icons, too.

The icons that come with the … Read more

Some people prefer earphones that blend in so much no one can tell they're even being used, while others like their ear cans to stand out from the crowd. If you fall into the latter crowd, the Skullcandy Icon 2 headphones will probably be right up your alley. This on-ear model lists for $29.95 and features Skullcandy's typical eye-catching design. The earphones offer a couple of fun and useful extras, but the sound quality won't impress many users, and the fit may prove to be an issue for active pursuits.

Read the Skullcandy Icon 2 review.… Read more