Theme posts

Filed under: Design, Fun, Windows, Freeware

Windows 7 Ferrari prototype theme available for download

by Lee Mathews Aug 12th 2009

Sleek, high-end cars have always been a favorite choice for desktop wallpapers. For those of you who happen to be running Windows 7 and love automotive sexiness, you've got to check out the Ferrari prototype themepack from WindowsZone (German).

The pack is available to download from SkyDrive, and includes 5 awesome, high-resolution wallpapers. The theme utilizes the Verizon sound scheme and sets your Aero Glass to a deep oxblood.

I'm in agreement with Rob from MSDN on the sounds - they get to be a bit much. Sound schemes are easy enough to change in Windows 7, though - just head to your personalization options. You can also take the geeky route by entering mmsys.cpl [enter] in your run box and clicking the sounds tab.

[via MSDN]

Tags: automobile, awesome, cars, ferarri, theme, themepack, wallpaper, windows-7

Filed under: Design, Mozilla, Browsers

Fast forward to 4.0 with a new Firefox theme

by Lee Mathews Aug 10th 2009

Not long ago a DeviantArt user put together a Firefox 3/3.5 theme based on Mozilla's concept for Firefox 3.7. Want to go the extra .3 and jump ahead to version 4? Take a look at Strata40.

By using the them in conjunction with a few Firefox addons - All Glass, Personal Menu, Fission, Omnibar, and Stylish - and following some lengthy but simple instructions you'll have yet another slick, futuristic look for your browser. The complete rundown is available on SpewBoy's DevArt page. I didn't adhere strictly to the 4.0 look (I added bookmarks and downloads buttons), but you're free to tweak the layout to your liking.

As before, don't forget to change the FF window title text using Titlebar Tweak or Nightly Tester Tools to make the illusion even more believable. You'll need NTT anyway to get the theme working on Firefox 3.6, so you may as well have some fun with it.

[via Tweaking with Vishal]

Tags: design, deviantart, firefox-4, mockup, skins, theme

Filed under: Google, Open Source, Beta, Browsers

Google Chrome adds better theme support, gallery in the works

by Lee Mathews Jul 30th 2009

Extensions in the wild may be a little slow in appearing, but themes for Google Chrome? They've just gotten a lot easier to install and there may be a flood of them available very shortly.

Right now, there are only two demo themes available -- Snowflake (screenshot) and Camo. Based on the thumbnail in Chrome's new tab, Google has a whole lot more that are nearly ready for public consumption. The actual link returns a 404 error, and then, of course, the thumbnail breaks accordingly.

Once the link goes live, you'll have easy access through Options -> Personal stuff. Buttons have been added to reset Chrome to its default theme or download something new.

It's a huge step forward from the old method - renaming and replacing a .dll in your application data folder. CNet's Stephen Shankland reports that this is working on Mac OS X as well.

To try it out, you'll need to update your dev channel build or download it from Google.

Tags: beta, chrome, google-chrome, skin, skinning, theme

Filed under: Design, Fun, Linux

Mac4Lin brings OS X eye candy to Linux

by Jay Hathaway Jun 17th 2009

There are plenty of people out there who would be willing to give Linux a try if Linux UI designs looked more like Mac OS X. Mac4Lin brings Apple's UI design to a Linux install near you, including great details like app icons and even the Dock. It looks like the Mac4Lin project had been stagnating for a while, but it's finally at v1.0, and looking good.

Mac4Lin works on a variety of Linux flavors, including Ubuntu 9.04 and GNOME 2.26, but there's no KDE version (yet). A lot of third-party apps that use GTK for skinning, like Firefox and Songbird, look great in Mac4Lin. An unstall script is also included in the latest version, in case you decent you don't like the OS X look, and you'd rather go back to your default UI.

Tags: linux, mac4lin, os x, OsX, skin, theme, UI

Filed under: Design, Macintosh

Magnifique: Free OS X theme customizer

by Jay Hathaway Mar 29th 2009

There are quite a few apps out there for OS customization junkies, but Magnifique for OS X stands out from the crowd for a few reasons.

First and foremost, it's free. Second, it doesn't require a full restart once you apply a theme, just a restart of the Finder and the dock. Third, there seems to be a pretty good community of theme designers and users around it, which means help with designing and using themes is readily available in the forums.

Although Magnifique seems to use its own file format for themes (you can't easily snatch themes from other Mac theming apps) there are nearly 30 themes available on the Magnifique website. Even better, you can also download them from within the app itself.

If you look around other Mac themes forums, you'll find some additional Magnifique themes. I haven't run into any problems or glitches so far, but you may want to turn off the "apply custom mods" option if you're running the latest iTunes or Safari 4, because the app-specific elements of some themes aren't as up-to-date as the system-wide elements.

[Via Lifehacker]

Tags: customization, magnifique, os x, OsX, skin, theme

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Freeware

Windows 7 themes for Windows XP and Vista

by Lee Mathews Mar 25th 2009

Not everyone is excited about Windows 7 - there are plenty of XP users that are more than happy to stick with their trusty old OS. Just because you don't want to change the system doesn't mean you can't get Windows 7's update visuals on your desktop.

As is often the case, themers have been more than happy to create transformation packs that allow Windows XP users to skin their desktop to look like Windows 7. Brad wrote about one from DeviantArt users last year - when it was assumed that Windows 7 would look pretty much the same as Vista.

Now, however, we've got some options that more accurately reproduce the superbar and other features that distinguish Windows 7 from its big brother.

Tags: skin, theme, transformation-pack, windows-7, xp-themes

Filed under: Design, Features, Macintosh, Browsers

5 OS X compatible Firefox themes that don't suck

by Jay Hathaway Feb 18th 2009

Lee wrote a great post showing off 10 awesome Firefox themes, and I agree with him that there are a lot of shabby themes out there and it's worth digging up the good ones. Unfortunately, some of the coolest stuff Lee found isn't available for the Mac version of Firefox, or doesn't look as cool in OS X. Just so you don't think we're leaving Mac-using Firefox fans out in the cold, here's a handful of other great themes, picked especially to make your OS X browsing experience look gorgeous.

NOTE: These themes were tested on the latest official release of Firefox 3.0. I've seen some great 3.1-only themes in the works, and they deserve their own post in the future.

Gallery: 5 Firefox Themes (For OS X) That Don't Suck

Tags: firefox, mac, os x, OsX, theme, themes

Filed under: Fun, Mozilla, Browsers

How to Chrome out your Firefox

by Jay Hathaway Nov 3rd 2008

When Google's Chrome browser first came out, the first thing everyone commented on was its minimal blue look. Sure, it's got Webkit under the hood, and it was put out by one of the hugest players in the web game, but ... it's blue! If you'd rather have a Gecko-based browser with tons of add-ons, you're probably sticking with Firefox. This doesn't mean you have to compromise: there's a Chrome skin for Firefox that keeps getting better with each update.

It's called Chromifox, and it's available as an experimental add-on. All "experimental" means is that you have to log into the Firefox add-ons site to download the theme, and you install it at your own risk. I've been testing it for about a week now, and I haven't hit any problems. The only thing Chrome can do, UI-wise, that Chromifox can't, is that cute little effect with the transparency and the tabs on top of the window. Unfortunately, your tabs are stuck in the default position in Firefox.

Tags: add-on, Chrome, Chromifox, Firefox, Google, Mozilla, skin, theme

Filed under: Design, Text, Utilities, News

Bullitt: one NetNewsWire style to rule them all

by Jay Hathaway Oct 21st 2008

It hasn't been all that long since I wrote about 10 excellent themes for my favorite Mac newsreader, NetNewsWire. In that time, though, I've discovered a new style that I think is the best yet. It's Bullitt, designed by Cameron Hunt of cameron.io. Cameron is also responsible for some of the most popular (and best-designed) Tumblr themes in the universe.

The main selling points of Bullitt all have to do with readability. Column widths are optimised for your viewing pleasure, and images up to 700px should fit comfortably into the layout. Titles are handled with a neat, elegant slab-serif, and each site's favicon is displayed in the heading. The overall look is extremely easy on the eyes; this is definitely my favorite style for reading long articles. Even more attractive, Bullitt uses css ad-blocking (as if it weren't clean enough already!)

I still endorse the 10 styles I covered before, and this sort of thing is definitely a matter of taste. If none of those really struck your fancy, though, give Bullitt a try. After using it for a few weeks, I can't imagine going back to anything else.

Tags: bullitt, cameron hunt, cameron.io, CameronHunt, css, netnewswire, theme

Filed under: Design, Developer, Internet, Utilities, News, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Blogging, Web services, Freeware

Wordpress theme generator

by Ryan Carter Apr 30th 2007

Yvoschaap.com is a simple, easy-as-a-web-form way to generate your own color-coded wordpress theme, complete with standard options for sidebar placement and width, site name, logo URL, body width, color scheme, text scheme, the ability to add a third column to your theme and even insert-able Creative Commons and generic copyright text in the footer.

What used to take a fair bit of time -- tweaking and prodding a Wordpress theme to get everything just right -- now requires much less brain-power. Generated themes are handed to you on a sexy zip-file platter and are WordPress 2.1, WP widget and Yahoo UI compatible, not to mention it should work on any "A-grade" browser, sweet!

Tags: blog, design, developer, generator, theme, wordpress, WP

Filed under: OS Updates, Utilities, Features, Windows Mobile, Office, BlackBerry, Mobile Minute

Mobile Minute news: Blackberry on Windows Mobile, free ZIP utility and more

by Brad Linder Apr 23rd 2007

In today's mobile Minute, we'll take a look at some of the latest news and software related to Windows Mobile devices.

RIM announces BlackBerry software for Windows Mobile

BlackBerry makers Research in Motion have announced plans to create a program that brings Blackberry software and services to devices running Windows Mobile 6.

The software will include email, phone, calendar, address book, tasks, memos, browser, instant messenger, and other applications developed to run on BlackBerries. Since the application will work like any other third-party Windows Mobile program, showing up on your screen as an icon you click to launch the suite, you'll be able to flip back and forth between the Windows Mobile calendar/email etc and the Blackberry suite.

The new program will enable push email on Windows Mobile devices (something you can already get for free through emoze), and allow companies to deploy software that will run either on BlackBerry or Windows Mobile devices. You'll also have a more input methods than on a traditional BlackBerry, with support for QWERTY keyboards, 5-way navigation buttons, or stylus support.

Tags: astronavicator, blackberry, ezyunzip, handyzip, pocketpscscreens, rim, softmaker, theme, themes, today screen, TodayScreen, total commander, TotalCommander, upgrade, windows mobile 6, WindowsMobile6, winrar, zip

Filed under: Design, Developer, Fun, Internet, Utilities, Macintosh, Web services, Apple, Google

Mac OSX Google Reader Theme

by Chris Gilmer Apr 18th 2007

Big Apple fan? How about taking that obsession online with you while feed reading. Hicksdesign -- a small new media company -- has developed a new theme to make Google's online feed reader resemble a Mac OSX application. Installation is pretty simple, and should be up and running in a few minutes.

The theme is supported in Firefox, Camino, Safari, Omniweb, and Opera, hows that for compatible. Full instructions can be found on the Hicksdesign website.

[via GoogleSystem]

Tags: apple, design, google, operating system, OperatingSystem, osx, reader, theme

Filed under: Design, Fun, Games, Internet, Kids, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Mozilla, Mods, Unix

Super Mario Bros 3: Crazy Firefox theme of the day

by Ryan Sullivan Feb 10th 2007

When it comes to Firefox themes it can be hit or miss, but this one takes the cake. This Super Mario Brothers 3 theme is very detailed, taking a little bit of everything that is familiar from your favorite Mario games.

Normally I don't really like tinkering with my theme, because the colors are such a stark contrast to the web page you are viewing and the buttons are usually some crazy weird new symbol that will take you some getting use to. But this theme has a light color to it, so navigating around the web is easier on the eyes.

This theme has all of the pull-down menus and pop-up menus changed to match the idea behind the Super Mario Brother games. My favorite part about this theme is that all of the slide bars are warp pipes. And then, once you get your theme installed and set, you gotta play the flash Super Mario Brothers game!

[Thanks Joe]

Tags: Firefox, Mario, Mozilla, Theme

Filed under: Design, Fun, Internet, Windows, Web services, Mozilla

Tinseltown theme for Firefox

by Ryan Carter Dec 20th 2006

I went out looking for a nice, not too dumb holiday theme for my Firefox, call me old-fashioned, call me sentimental, but hey, I like a nice looking theme to go with the holiday cheer. Most normal people look for gifts, I look for themes for Firefox. Don't dis it, you know you do too. The Tinseltown Firefox theme is a great one, featuring light bulbs for back and forward, Rudolph as the refresh button (I don't know why the thought or smell of a reindeer makes you think of refreshing a page, but...) Santa's hat for stop, a gingerbread house for home (makes sense), a present box's top to add a new tab, history is a stocking, and downloads is a gingerbread man. The scrollbars are a nice shade of candy cane, and the background consists of a snowy blue and white scene. All in all, the theme is nice but not too outlandish. Check it out, then let me know what your favorite is here. I am still on the lookout for a few good themes of the holiday persuasion. What do you suggest?

Tags: browser, firefox, holiday, skin, theme, tinseltown

Filed under: Design, Blogging

Sexy Wordpress theme: Black Minimalism

by Jordan Running Nov 3rd 2006

I love WordPress, and I love design, so obviously I'm always keeping an eye on new WordPress themes. But maybe I'm a design snob, 'cause most of the ones I see don't impress me. At all. However, a few weeks back I came across a theme that I think is absolutely gorgeous: Valter Nepomuceno's Black Minimalism. That's a bit of a misnomer, because as you can see the theme isn't especially minimalistic, but it is beautiful. From the gorgeous photo selection (which you can swap out just like in Kubrick, by the way) and the rich background to the subtle depth and transparency, this is one theme I would be proud to display on my own blog. Despite the multiple visual elements, it's not cluttered and is easy on the eyes. Black Minimalism is loosely based on the flexible K2 theme but has just one column, which I'm partial to. It's one of those themes that's just nice to look at it, and if you're looking to set your WordPress blog apart from the thousands of Kubrick clones, I highly recommend it.

Tags: black minimalism, BlackMinimalism, design, k2, theme, wordpress

The World's Hardest Game 2.0 - Time Waster

So, just how good at time waster games are you? Think you've got the stuff? Well, The World's Hardest Game 2.0 doesn't think you do. Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game. The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...

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