Et oui, 8 nouveaux icônes ont été ajoutés à Somacro et Somicro!

Somacro et Somicro, packs d’icônes gratuits, obtiennent ce printemps de nouveaux icônes pour App.net, GitHub, Messagerie, StackOverflow, Yelp, Indiegogo, Foursquare et Kickstarter.

Quelques statistiques pour vous: Depuis leur création à l’automne 2011, Somacro a été téléchargé plus de 46 000 fois et Somicro plus de 37 000 fois!

Merci à tous pour votre intérêt ainsi que votre support. Cet un honneur et une vraie joie de pouvoir participer et aider la communauté artistique et web en créant et partageant des ressources de qualité gratuitement.

Cliquez sur les images ci-dessous pour plus d’infos sur chaque kit d’icônes:

That’s right, 8 new icons are now available!

Somacro and Somicro free icon sets get this spring new icons for App.net, GitHub, Messenger (generic), StackOverflow, Yelp, Indiegogo, Foursquare and Kickstarter.

Some new statistics for you guys: Since their creation in Fall 2011, Somacro has been downloaded over 46 000 times and Somicro over 37 000 times!

Thank you everyone for your interest and support. I’m honored and quite happy to have this opportunity to help the design community by providing some free quality material.

Click on the images below for more information about each icon pack:

To all our supporters and followers, we are re-branding Weekly Wonders to Creative Wonders. Why, you ask? Well, we’re so busy with creative work that we simply do not have time to write one weekly! However we love the idea behind Weekly Wonders and we love promoting fellow artists and designers, and that’s why we’re not giving up the idea, only changing the format to fit our schedule. We considered Sporadic Wonders but we figured that would not be very attractive (ah!). So Creative Wonders is the next best option. We hope you will still enjoy our features and please feel free to suggest artists and designers at any time by contacting us or leaving a comment. Cheers!

Your weekly dose of creative inspiration, resources and awesomeness.
Here are Creative Wonders 59’s champions. Enjoy!

Web: Designer First
Designer First is a designer’s paradise: it contains hundreds of free high quality graphics such as icons, backgrounds, product mock-ups, forms, UI elements and PSD templates for websites and technology. For me, it was love at first sight and it would be a sin not to share this great resource!

Fractal Art: Silvia Cordedda
Silvia Cordedda is a young and talented Italian digital creator whose specialty is fractal art. Playing with shapes, light and color, she creates nature-based scenery which is breath-taking and completely out of this world. A must-see!

Design: Tyler Koeller
Tyler Koeller is a graphic designer based in Ohio, USA. His portfolio filled with simple yet fun and quirky illustrations and designs caught my eye. Make sure to check his gallery for more.

Freebie: 270 Free Vintage Vectors
You like ornaments? So do I! At Vectorian.net you will find 270 free ornamental vintage vectors available for download. Calligraphic illustration, frames, US politics and ornaments… download away and use with finesse in your designs!

App: Little Photo – Free
Little Photo is a photo-editing app for Android. It is quite simple and it offers over 70 effects and tools. Many of the filters are quite nice and opacity control allows the user to decide to what extent they want to apply it. So far so good, I like and use it.

Check us out next week for more weekly wonders!

Cela fait plusieurs années que j’utilise iOS, depuis que j’ai acheté mon premier iPod Touch de 2ième génération au début 2009. Cet appareil a révolutionné mon monde; avoir le wifi, ma musique ainsi que mes e-books dans le creux de ma poche en tout temps était vraiment merveilleux à l’époque pour moi. Devenue fan de iOS, j’ai annulé ma ligne téléphonique à la maison durant l’été 2010 afin de remplacer mon cellulaire par un iPhone 4, le meilleur téléphone intelligent disponible cette année-là (vous pouvez argumenter tant que vous le voulez; j’adore les gadgets, j’aime faire de la recherche et il n’y a aucun doute dans mon esprit qu’Apple était le leader du marché des téléphones intelligents en terme de technologie). Ce smartphone a été mon fidèle compagnon pendant près de trois ans, jusqu’à ce que je fasse le saut vers Android et un Nexus 4 il y a trois semaines.

Ce changement n’était pas spontané. J’ai en effet passé plusieurs mois à lire des revues en ligne et j’avais les yeux braqués sur les forfaits offerts chez Virgin Mobile, mon fournisseur de services. Finalement, le grand jour est arrivé; un forfait alléchant a fait son apparition et j’ai commencé la chasse au Nexus 4 au centre-ville de Montréal. M’attendant à une transition douloureuse vers un nouvel OS (système d’exploitation), je peux vous dire après trois semaines d’utilisation quotidienne que je ne regrette aucunement ma décision. Alors, qu’est-ce qui rend le Nexus 4 génial à un point tel qu’une fan d’iOS était prête à faire le saut vers Android? Continuer à lire pour le découvrir.

Faire le saut d’iOS vers Android

Ayant été une utilisatrice d’iOS pendant plusieurs année, je m’attendais à une transition déplaisante vers Android. En réalité, la transition s’est passée en douceur; le Nexus 4 de Google utilise Jelly Bean 4.2, un système qui, bien qu’un peu moins “joli” visuellement qu’iOS 6, est très intuitif et fluide dans ses effets et transitions. Il est fonctionnel et permet la personnalisation de l’interface, contrairement à Apple qui est très rigide au niveau graphique. Les applications sont rangées dans un raccourci sur le bureau mais elles peuvent aussi être placées sur l’une des 5 pages du bureau, individuellement ou en groupe, comme sur un iPhone. Les widgets permettent d’interagir avec le contenu de certaines apps à même le bureau, une fonction non-existante chez iOS. Je me suis habituée au nouvel environnement très rapidement (et j’ai vite oublié Apple).

Ceux qui utilisent Gmail trouveront la transition vers Android très facile puisque le Nexus 4 se synchronise avec un compte Gmail ou Google Apps. Le même phénomène est aussi observable avec le Nexus 7, tablette que mon partenaire et moi nous sommes procuré il y a quelques mois. Transférer ses contacts du iPhone au Nexus 4 est simple; il suffit de synchroniser ses contacts avec un compte Google existant sur iTunes, puis d’ouvrir l’app People afin de confirmer que les contacts se sont automatiquement synchronisé sur le nouvel appareil. Mes évènements, ayant été gérés par Google dans iCal, on aussi été transférés vers le Nexus 4 sans intervention de ma part.

Le seul réel effort de ma part durant ce changement d’appareil fut de télécharger à nouveau mes applications favorites. J’ai pu trouver dans la boutique Google Play une version Android de presque toutes les apps que j’avais sur mon iPhone. Je dis presque car malheureusement quelques logiciels de retouche photo n’existent que sur iOS. Avec Kindle, j’ai retrouvé ma bibliothèque d’e-books ainsi que mes signets, avec Mint et Paypal je peux garder un œil sur mes finances, et avec Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Skype et Whatsapp, je peux communiquer avec mes amis comme avant.

En tout et pour tout, Jelly Bean 4.2 est un OS accueillant et intuitif qui fait en sorte qu’on ne s’ennuie pas d’iOS. La transition vers Android a aussi été plus facile que ce à quoi je m’attendais.

L’apparence et la solidité du Nexus 4

Si on le compare au iPhone 4, le le Nexus 4 est plus léger mais aussi plus haut et plus large. Il est plus mince d’un millimètre, alors pas de gros changement ici. Il est un peu grand dans mes petites mains et pour cette raison je n’achèterais pas de modèle plus large dans le futur, par peur de ne pas pouvoir tenir le téléphone d’une main! Il vaut la peine de mentionner que bien qu’il soit plus grand, le Nexus 4 entre toujours dans mes pochettes de jeans, un réel miracle à vrai dire (j’étais certaine que mon iPhone 4 était la limite de ce que pouvaient contenir mes poches, mais apparemment que ce n’est pas le cas. Je suspecte d’ailleurs de la sorcellerie de la part de Google…). L’écran du Nexus 4 est magnifique : 4.7 pouces de clarté et netteté. Il est aussi (un petit peu trop) brillant, alors des applications telles que ScreenDim peuvent s’avérer utile, surtout le soir. À part les boutons de volume et de démarrage de chaque côté de l’appareil, le Nexus ne possède pas d’autre bouton physique; toutes les fonctions sont tactiles et donc sur l’écran même.

Le Nexus 4 est un bel appareil et il possède, tout comme le iPhone, une plaque de verre à l’endos. Bien qu’il s’agisse d’un produit de qualité, il est aussi un peu fragile. Si comme moi vous aimez garder vos gadgets intacts, soit parce que les égratignures vous font grincer des dents ou parce que vous avez les doigts plein de pouces (je suis dans les deux catégories), acheter un étui protecteur (coque) est généralement une bonne idée.

En terme de vitesse, le Nexus 4 est très rapide avec son processeur à quatre cœur ainsi que ses 2 Go de RAM. L’expérience qu’offre Jelly Bean 4.2 a été pour moi impeccable depuis l’achat; aucun ralentissement ni bugs. Il s’agit ainsi d’un téléphone génial qu’on ne regrette pas d’avoir acheté.

Caméra

Bien que certains utilisateurs ne portent pas d’attention particulière à la caméra, il s’agit pour moi d’une des fonctions les plus importantes dans un téléphone intelligent. Pendant près de trois ans je me suis baladé avec mon iPhone 4 dans la ville de Montréal afin d’y capturer des paysages urbains pour les partager par la suite sur Instagram. Les revues positives que j’ai lues à propos de la caméra 8 mégapixels du Nexus 4 ont jouées en sa faveur lorsque je me magasinais un nouveau téléphone. Et je n’ai pas été déçue; les photos sont grandes et claire (3264×2448 pixels).

La fonction HDR du Nexus 4 produit des résultats très satisfaisants, surpassant la fonction normale. Comme la plupart des appareils photos sur smartphones, les photos régulières ne sont pas mauvaises mais elles ont souvent trop de contraste : on perd dans les ombres et le ciel beaucoup de détails intéressants. Le iPhone 4 possède aussi une fonction HDR que j’ai longtemps utilisée, mais celle du Nexus 4 est meilleure; rien de surprenant puisqu’il s’agit après tout d’une technologie plus récente.

Ci-haut est une comparaison de la fonction HDR et non-HDR. Les photos n’ont pas été modifiées (ce qui explique pourquoi elles sont croches).

Comme je l’ai mentionné plus tôt, bien qu’il existe plus d’applications pour faire de la modification de photos dans le App Store, le Google Play Store possède tout de même des apps intéressantes qui peuvent ajouter du punch à vos photos, telles que Snapseed, Pixlr Express, LittlePhoto et Aviary.

Les photos ci-haut ont été prises avec le Nexus 4 et modifiées grâce aux applications énumérées plus haut.

En tant que photographe mobile, je suis satisfaite de la performance ainsi que de la qualité de la caméra du Nexus 4. Elle n’est pas parfaite mais il s’agit d’une amélioration évidente par rapport à mon téléphone précédent. De plus, la caméra du Nexus 4 est sur un pied d’égalité avec la compétition.

Le meilleur du Nexus 4

Le Nexus 4 est un téléphone intelligent de qualité avec une bonne caméra. Il possède le meilleur OS développé par Google à ce jour, c’est-à-dire Jelly Bean 4.2. Il est aussi très abordable.

Prenons un moment pour le comparer à la compétition, le iPhone 5 par exemple ; bien que les deux appareils possèdent d’excellentes critiques, le Nexus 4 en format 16 Go coûte 359$ CAD sans contrat à même le site Google Play. Le iPhone 5 en format 16 Go coût quant à lui 699$ CAD; il s’agit de près du double. Avec un contrat, la différence de prix varie généralement entre 100 et 200$ au Canada. Ainsi, ce n’est pas surprenant que l’une des caractéristiques les plus alléchantes du Nexus 4 est son prix abordable.

Un autre aspect du Nexus 4 qui m’enchante est l’OS. Je suis tombée en amour avec les widgets ainsi que les options de personnalisation d’Android. Grâce à des apps telles que UCCW, l’interface peut être modifiée et il est possible de créer par soi-même des widgets uniques. Je ne suis peut-être pas aussi zélée que les designers UI chez MyColorScreen mais j’ai tout de même créé mes propres widgets sur mon bureau ainsi qu’une horloge et afficheur de batterie minimalistes sur une autre page :

Finalement, en plus de sa rapidité, son prix, sa caméra et son OS, j’adore comment le Nexus 4 s’intègre aussi facilement aux services de Google. Si comme moi vous êtes un utilisateur Google de longue date, il s’agira d’un plus.

Ce qui me manque de mon iPhone

Pour être franche avec vous, il n’y a pas grand-chose qui me manque d’iOS. Il y a un équivalent Android pour presque toutes les fonctions majeures d’iOS. Et ce qui n’est pas offert nativement avec Jelly Bean existe généralement sous la forme d’une application téléchargeable dans le Google Play Store (ex. Find My Phone, iMessage).

La seule chose qui me déçoit réellement chez Android est la rareté d’apps de qualité dans le Google Play Store, du moins en comparaison avec le App Store sur iOS. Bien qu’il y ait beaucoup d’apps disponibles, il semble que les standards de qualité de Google soient moins élevés. Quelques apps disponibles seulement sur iOS me manquent aussi un peu, comme Dynamic Light, Brushes 3, Camera+, Picfx, Pro HDR (la version Android est plus limitée) et pxl. Comme certains l’ont peut-être remarqué, il s’agit d’applications créatives. En tant que personne créative qui aime faire de la retouche photo à même mon téléphone, cette sélection plus limitée est un peu décevante. J’espère que la situation changera dans le futur et que plus de développeurs se dirigeront vers Android.

Conclusion

Êtes-vous du type à sauter aux conclusions? Voici tout ce que vous avez besoin de savoir en quelques lignes :

J’adore mon nouveau Nexus 4 et je suis très heureuse d’être passé d’iOS à Android. Mon nouvel appareil est rapide, solide, abordable, la caméra est très bien et Jelly Bean 4.2 est un excellent OS. J’aimerais tout de même qu’il y ait plus d’apps de qualité présentes dans le Google Play Store. Je recommanderais définitivement le Nexus 4 aux gens qui se cherchent un téléphone intelligent avancé.

I’ve been an iOS user for several years, since I purchased my first iPod Touch 2nd generation in early 2009. It revolutionized my world; having wifi internet, music and eBooks inside my pocket was a big “wow” at the time. Growing fond of iOS, I cancelled my land line in summer 2010 and upgraded my cellphone to an iPhone 4, the best smartphone available at the time (you can argue all you want – I’m a gadget lover, I love to research and there is no doubt in my mind Apple was the undisputed leader of the smartphone market back then). This phone was my faithful companion for almost three years until I switched three weeks ago to a Nexus 4.

It was a careful move, made after months of reading reviews and of keeping a vigilant eye out for phone plan deals at Virgin Mobile, my phone service provider. Finally, it happened; a really great plan came up and I began hunting down the phone, until I got my hands on it. Initially I was a bit scared of switching to a brand new OS, but I can tell you after three weeks of use that I do not regret my decision one bit. So what makes the Nexus 4 so awesome that an iOS fan would be willing to make the switch? Keep reading to find out.

Making the Switch from iOS to Android

Having been an iOS user for several years, I expected an unpleasant transition to Android. In reality, the transition went smoothly; Google’s Nexus 4 uses Jelly Bean 4.2 which, although a bit less “pretty” visually than iOS 6, is intuitive and has smooth effects and transitions. It is very functional and allows for a lot of customization, unlike iOS which tends to be very rigid. Apps are stored into an App drawer, but they can also be placed on the home screen individually or in groups, like on an iPhone. Widgets also allow you to interact with apps straight from your home screen, a feature which is non-existant on iOS. I got used to the new environment very quickly (and forgot soon enough about Apple).

Gmail users will find the transition very easy as the Nexus 4 syncs with your Gmail or Google Apps account. The same is true of the Nexus 7 which my partner and I purchased a few months ago. Transferring contacts from the iPhone to the Nexus 4 was as simple as syncing them first to my Google account through iTunes, and then open up the People app on the Nexus to witness the successful transfer. My calendar events, which were managed by default through Google on my iPhone, were transferred to my new phone automatically.

The only “hard work” to do on my part during the switch was having to re-download my favorite apps. I could thankfully find almost all of them in the Google Play Store – all except a few photo-editing applications. With Kindle I got back my entire e-book library and bookmarks, with Mint and Paypal I can keep a close eye on my finances, and with Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Skype and WhatsApp, I can connect with my friends like before.

Overall, Jelly Bean 4.2 is a very welcoming and intuitive OS which did not leave much room for me to miss iOS. The transition from iOS to Android was easier than expected too.

The Look and Feel of the Nexus 4

Compared to the iPhone 4, the Nexus 4 is lighter but also taller and larger. It is 1mm thinner, so no big change here. It feels a bit big in my tiny lady hands, and for that reason I would not feel comfortable getting a wider phone in the future for fear of not being able to hold it with one hand. It’s worth mentioning that although it is bigger, it still fits in my jeans’ pockets, miraculously (I thought the iPhone 4 was all my pockets could handle but, apparently, somehow the Nexus made it in – I suspect some witchery at work here). The Nexus 4’s 4.7-inch screen is gorgeous and the visuals are crisp and clear. It’s also a bit (too) bright, so apps like ScreenDim can come in handy, especially at night. No buttons but the power and volume on each side; everything else is on-screen and activated by touch.

The Nexus 4 is a very beautiful device and, just like the iPhone, it has a glass-plated back. Although is a quality product, it also feels a bit fragile. If like me you like to keep your gadgets intact, either because you like them to be scratch-free or because you have butter fingers (I fall into both categories), buying a case is a good idea.

In terms of speed, the Nexus 4’s 4-core processor makes it a quick device. The Jelly Bean 4.2 experience has been impeccable for me to this day; no lags, no OS bugs. All in all, it is a great phone and Google makes you feel that your money was well spent.

Camera

Although some users disregard the camera, it is for me a crucial feature on a smartphone. I carried for almost three years my iPhone 4 around, snapping photos of urban scenery in order to later share them on Instagram. The positive reviews I read about the Nexus 4’s 8MP camera definitely played in its favour when it came to choosing a new phone. I wasn’t disappointed; the photos are sharp and huge (3264×2448 pixels).

The HDR option in the default camera app produces very nice results, surpassing the regular camera. Like most digital cameras, the regular photos taken with the Nexus 4 tend to have too much contrast; all the beautiful details get lost in the shadows and bright skies. The iPhone 4 also had an HDR function which I used, but the Nexus 4’s is just better, something to be expected from newer technology.

Above is a comparison of HDR vs non-HDR on a cloudy day. The photos haven’t been modified in any way except for size (hence the tiled shots).

As I’ve previously mentioned, although there are more photo-editing apps in the iOS App Store, the Google Play Store has its share of nice applications like Snapseed, Pixlr Express, LittlePhoto and Aviary, which can add some punch to your photos.

Above are some photos taken with the Nexus 4 and edited with some of the apps enumerated above.

As a mobile photographer, I’m quite pleased with the Nexus 4’s camera quality. It is not perfect but it is a definite improvement over my previous smartphone, and the Nexus 4 is on-par with the current competition.

The Best of the Nexus 4

The Nexus 4 is a quick and well-built smartphone with a good camera. It runs the best of what Google has to offer, Jelly Bean 4.2. It’s also very affordable.

Let’s compare it with the iPhone 5 for an instant; although both devices have excellent reviews, the 16GB Nexus 4 costs $359 CAD at Google and without a contract. The 16GB iPhone 5, however, costs a staggering $699 CAD – we’re talking about nearly the double. On a contract, the difference usually varies between $100-$200 in terms of price in Canada. Therefore, it will come as no surprise that one of the best features of the Nexus 4 is its affordability.

Another feature I love about the Nexus 4 is the OS: I’m in love with the widgets and the customizability of Android. With apps like UCCW, the interface can be modified and custom widgets can be created. Although I’m not as motivated as the UI designers at MyColorScreen, I created on my home page my simple own little widgets with links to my favorite apps, and on another page a simple clock which displays my next alarm time and quick access to battery levels:

Finally, besides the speed, the price, the camera and the OS, I love how the Nexus 4 connects to all my Google services. For long-time Google users like me, that’s a definite plus.

What I Miss From My iPhone

To be frank, there isn’t much I miss from iOS. There is an equivalent on Android for almost all the important features of iOS. And what is not offered by default with Jelly Bean usually exists in the form of an app in the Google Play Store (i.e. Find My Phone, iMessage).

The only real disappointment I have in regards to Android is the lack of quality apps in the Google Play Store, at least in comparison to the iOS App Store. There are a lot of apps available, but it seems the quality standards are not as high. I also miss apps on my iPhone like Dynamic Light, Brushes 3, Camera+, Picfx, Pro HDR (the Android version doesn’t have as many features as the iOS one) and pxl. Most of them are creative apps, as you may have noticed. As a creative and avid photo-editor, this is a bit of a let-down. Hopefully the situation will change and more developers will turn to Android in the future.

Conclusion

Are you a tl;dr type of reader? Here’s all what you need to know summed up in a few lines:

I love my new Nexus 4 and I’m very happy I made the switch. It’s fast, it’s solid, it’s affordable, the camera is great, and Jelly Bean 4.2 rocks. I only wish there were more quality apps available in the Google Play Store. I definitely recommend the Nexus 4 to people who are looking for a powerful smartphone.

“Find something you love to do, and you’ll never work a day in your life” – Harvey Mackay

Unlike what the North American educational system will tell you, life is more than studying for two decades in order to spend the next three or four working 9-5 in a cubicle. If that was our true purpose, we would find support in nature for that industrial lifestyle and there is none. The idea that we are born to work is a human invention whose main function is to ensure the continuation and development of our virtual economy and society as we know it. It wasn’t crafted for us to grow as individuals or for us to reach happiness. It is a system based on productivity, money, conformity and rigidity. It therefore comes as no surprise that many workers realize at one point or another in their lives that they are not fulfilled by the job they do; the promise that a biweekly paycheck would bring them happiness was a lie to get them to join the ranks of automatons who diligently go to work every morning regardless of how they feel about it.

The picture painted above seems a bit grim, I admit. The real problem is not so much that we are obliged to work (that’s a debate for another day) but rather the reasons behind our choice of career. Too many times, fear is the main motivator and we don’t always think twice about our happiness when we’re promised benefits and security. Desperate, we jump on the first secure job we find and we stop looking for our dream job. We forget our goals, our passions… Swallowed by the monotony, we forget who we are.

Some writers believe we should not strive to do something we love as work. Those writers deeply mystify me and I can only feel sympathy for them and their work which can only be unsatisfactory, judging from what they write. I have found in my own life that choosing a line of work I love was one of the best decisions I’ve ever taken, that and welcoming my fiancé and business partner into my life years ago. Most successful people will tell you the same:

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do… Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” – Steve Jobs

Truth is, the key to finding your dream job not so much about the type of work you do, the size of your paycheck or the position you have in your company. The key is finding what brings you joy, your drive, and finding a line of work which is in alignment with that. It doesn’t have to be complex or fancy; it could be something as simple as loving to meet new people. If you get excited every time you get to socialize, working as a salesman or a hairdresser for instance could fulfill this need. For some individuals, knowing that they will meet someone new everyday is what motivates them to get out of bed in the morning with a grin on their face. For me, happiness comes from creating, inspiring and helping others; that’s why working as a designer and, through my work, helping our clients succeed in their own projects, brings me satisfaction. Blogging, teaching and painting are also great ways to share knowledge, advice and creativity with others.

Passions differ greatly from an individual to another, evidently; each of us is a unique human being with unique experiences and a unique skill set. Choosing a career path based solely on the volume of the paycheck, the amounts of benefits, parental pressure or fear of failure, does not take into consideration who we are and what we love. A job resulting from such choices will not allow us to express ourselves and put our heart into our work. When we censor ourselves this way, we miss a great opportunity to participate to the growth of this world as well as to our own growth.

Remember that although money comes and goes, you will never get back the time you spend at work every day. You should therefore make sure your time is well-spent.

How can I find my true passion?

People often make this into a complicated task when in reality finding your passion is quite simple. If you aren’t sure what it is, start by taking a piece of paper and write down on it what you like to do. Don’t be shy or embarrassed; if one of your favorite things to do in the world is drinking tea, write it down too. It could be important. Don’t give yourself limits but make sure to write down only what resonates with you, not what other people say you ought to like/do. They can write their own list if they want; this is yours and yours only! Once you are done, put down the pen and read it from top to bottom. I’m sure that you will find on that list at least one item which could become a career path (hint: if there isn’t, it’s either because you didn’t write down all what your heart told you or because you’re not allowing yourself to see the actions you wrote as something more than a hobby. Allow yourself to dream a little – that’s what life is about). If indeed what you wrote comes from the bottom of your heart, I wouldn’t be surprised if you catch yourself daydreaming about that perfect job.

What is stopping you from reaching for your passions and integrating them into your work? Is it fear of the unknown? Fear of lack perhaps? Ask yourself, is the paycheck you get from your current job worth the in dissatisfaction you feel in life? Are you willing to forfeit your happiness in the name of money, peer pressure or fear of the unknown? Is your current job unique in its ability to provide security for yourself and your family?

Asking yourself those questions can be hard. Most of us have been taught NOT to pursue our dreams. We’ve been bullied by teachers, family, friends and/or society to give up before even trying, bullied to join the ranks of the defeated. We’ve been trained to believe wanting happiness is futile.

How is it then that we still long for it? How is it that we crave happiness if it is only a fantasy? I will tell you why: You crave happiness and meaning because they DO exist. They do not only exist, they are accessible to everyone. Joy is our natural state and our birthright. You only need to reach for it, take the first step and the path will unfold, step by step, guiding you towards it.

But don’t take my word for it; try it for yourself, and you will see.

Making the jump

“There are many talented people who haven’t fulfilled their dreams because they over thought it, or they were too cautious, and were unwilling to make the leap of faith.” – James Cameron

Making the jump doesn’t mean you have to jump off a cliff tomorrow. Don’t sell your house, your car and hand your boss your resignation letter just yet, unless you are 100% sure that’s what you want to do and feel ready to do it. Once you’ve found your passion, you can prepare the terrain and gradually include it into your life. If you’ve found that becoming a tattoo artist is what will bring you joy for instance, you could start by taking a class and gathering over the next few months the tools you will need to work in the field. If your dream is to open a small restaurant, start by saving money, write down a proper business plan and look into grants and loans available to new entrepreneurs. There is no rush; time is your ally. Slowly but surely, build strong foundations for your dream. That way, when the time will come to leave your old job behind, you will have something solid to lean on.

Although preparing the terrain can be a very pleasant exercise, some of us are more impulsive or simply do not have time to make a slow transition. Making the jump immediately if you are sure of what you are doing can also work. I’ve done it myself and it worked splendidly. I knew exactly what I wanted to do and the time was now. Don’t push yourself too hard however and if you feel it is all going too fast, slow down and go at your own pace. Making your dreams come true is exciting but it can also be a bit scary. Try to make it a pleasant experience.

Living in the moment

The key to living a happy life, besides doing something we love, is living in the present moment. It is seeing the value in every experience and feeling grateful from what we can learn from them. Your old job for instance, no matter how awful or boring (or both), probably was the catalyst you needed to realize change was needed. It is what led you to finding your true passion and to realizing that happiness is possible.

Living in the now also means opening your heart to the beauty of life. It is realizing you are not only an actor on the stage of your life but also the director and scenarist. You can rewrite the lines as you see fit. It is taking responsibility for your own day to day happiness.

You deserve to be happy. So pick yourself up from the hole you dug for yourself and start building the life of your dreams today.

Your weekly dose of creative inspiration, resources and awesomeness.
I’m sorry for the long wait for this Weekly Wonders edition; I’ve been very busy with work. I still am, but I thought you waited long enough. To make a change, I’m featuring this week artists whose work is a bit different from what you will usually see on this blog. Here are Weekly Wonders 58’s champions. Enjoy!

Web: StockFreeImages
StockFreeImages has a gallery of over 750 000 free stock images. After using it a few times, I can say it’s a very useful resource for designers. Don’t forget to bookmark it!

Tattoo Art: Andrey Barkov (aka Grimmy3d)
Andrey Barkov is a very talented Russian tattoo artist. Unlike most artists in his trade who work with lines, grimmy3d produces stunning artworks which look like brush paintings. The level of details and colors in his work are breath-taking to say the least. Make sure to stop by his gallery to see more of his work!

Sculpture: Trevor Grove
Trevor Grove is an American sculptor whose work revolves around action figures and collectibles. To this day, he’s hand-sculpted beautiful models of known characters such as Obi-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars), Walter White (Breaking Bad), Sherlock (BBC) and many more. His work shows an expert eye for detail and dynamic postures.

Freebie: Web Browser PSD Frames
Website templates can be very useful for presentations or portfolio showcase. Hongkiat has put together a list of 20 free high-quality browser frames available in PSD. Enjoy.

App: Writer for Android – Free
Since we’ve received our Android, I looked for a simple but effective way to take notes. I stumbled on Writer, an Android app developed by James McMinn. Extremely minimalist, this app will allow the user to take notes, see the word count and add basic styles. The interface is stripped from all eye-candy. The only downside; we’re still waiting for the next update when Write will allow the users to sync and share the documents via email, Dropbox and more. Otherwise it is a great app.

Check us out next week for more weekly wonders!

Most of you probably have already heard of Google Drive, Google’s free file storing and sharing system. Combined with Google Docs which handles all types of documents, Google Drive is a powerful tool which will let you create and edit files in the cloud. Download the app on your desktop and/or mobile and you’re ready to sync on the go, wherever you are.

In many ways, I find Google Drive to be superior to Dropbox. The latter, although it offers expansion if you do some propaganda for them, provides only 2GB of space upon sign up, versus 5GB for Google Drive. Another very important feature for someone like me who works on collaborative projects with clients is the possibility to collaborate on documents directly from the web interface, a non-existent feature in Dropbox. However, since the nature of this article is not to compare both platforms, I invite you to take a look at Lifehacker’s review of both services written last year if you want more details.

Improved workflow and happy clients

How exactly did Google Drive improve my clients’ workflow as well as my own? I tried Google’s storage system upon its release last year, however I could not find a use for it until autumn came and I started working with a new client whose business required the creation of rather precise technical sheets for each of their products. The mission: They had over one hundred technical sheets which required transformation into a whole new visual format. Those sheets also had to be revised and, in several cases, partially or completely rewritten. Their previous graphic designer worked with them through email. I pondered over the problem and imagined how much of a mess it would be to send back and forth over a hundred PDFs, each having anywhere between 5 to 10 revisions over the span of a few months. No, that wasn’t a viable solution.

Instead I decided to use Google Drive; this way I could sync all the files categorized in two folders (“Awaiting Revision” and “Final”) from my computer to the cloud and have the clients access it online through a private link. If I had worked on Word, LibreOffice or OpenOffice, the client could have edited the files themselves from Google Drive/Docs. However, since I work on a regular basis with InDesign (amazing software for that kind of work, by the way), I save the documents in PDF. Google Drive does not allow editing of PDF. It has, on the other hand, a neat comment area; every time a comment with new instructions is left by the client, I receive an email letting me know the file is ready for me to edit on my end.

Repeatedly the client has told me how pleased they were with this system. Google Drive has indeed saved us a lot of time. It has also allowed us to keep the files organized. There is no confusion. As a result from this fruitful experience, I highly recommend Google Drive for sharing and collaborating.

Other uses for Google Drive

As I mentioned previously, Google Drive (through Google Docs) allows the users to edit files such as documents, PowerPoint presentations and spreadsheets. It can open over 30 different types of files, even Photoshop and Illustrator files. The web-based word-processing interface also allows several users to be working on a single document simultaneously. Drive tracks every change you make, storing for a period of 30 days.

Google Drive can also be used as a simple tool to make small backups. However, with only 5GB of free space (the extension to 25GB is $2.50/monthly, not too bad), I would recommend instead a service like Box which often has promo periods during which it offers 25GB free or, like this week, 50GB free (click here to access the promo page).

Google Drive also renders possible the installation of apps which can allow its user to do photo editing, edit AutoCAD files, PDF merging, online video editing and more. Now try to do that in Dropbox!

Share your experience

Have you had a good or bad experience using Google Drive? What is in your opinion its greatest feature, or its worst drawback? Leave a comment!

January 2013, in spite of its awfully freezing weather, was a good month. Besides the abundance of new contracts and projects, it marked the arrival of a new piece of technology in our home office; the Nexus 7. We bought it as a productivity tool and for leisure. After over 2 weeks of testing, here’s what we have to say about it.

Handling the Nexus 7

One of the main reasons that made us choose the Nexus 7 over an iPad or any other 10-inch tablet is the size; at 7 inches, it is easy to hold single-handedly and it is ideal to take notes during a meeting. It is also very light and weights almost nothing in a handbag, the perfect companion for someone who values the lightness of their tools.

During a client meeting in late 2012, a good friend lent me her iPad for a client meeting out of town. At that point we were already considering to buy a tablet but we were not fixed on the brand and model. Using her bulky and heavy iPad confirmed that, as a lady with small hands, I definitely needed something smaller to take notes and present to my prospects and clients. For all its merits, the regular iPad was just not an option.

The Nexus 7, on the other hand, meets my needs perfectly.

Design: Less is more

The motto “less is more” from Bauhaus’ Ludwig Mies van der Rohe serves to describe the design of Google’s Nexus 7 very well. It is simple, yet functional and beautiful. The tablet has only three subtle physical buttons on its right side for power/sleep/airplane mode and volume. Coming from iOS, it was a tedious transition for me not to have a physical Home button below the screen at first but one gets used to it quite fast. After two weeks of regular use of both my iPhone and our Nexus 7, I actually came to prefer Android’s three on-screen virtual buttons for usability and speed.

The plastic back cover of the Nexus offers a nice grip and the touch screen is perfectly soft and has a slick quality to it. All in all, I am completely in love with the look of the tablet and the feel of it.

Using Android Jelly Bean 4.2

Using the Nexus 7 is pleasant. Powered by Android Jelly Bean 4.2, the interface is very intuitive and beautiful, even though it lacks some of the polish of Apple’s iOS. The keyboard for one is great to use both in vertical mode with two thumbs or in horizontal mode with two to four (or more if you can) fingers. I cannot type as fast on the Nexus as on my keyboard but writing can still be qualified as comfortable. In fact, to add some authenticity to this review, I decided to write it from beginning to end on the Nexus using an app called Writer.

The interface is welcoming even for an iOS user and pretty much all the basic features of customization found on an iPad are also present on the Nexus… and more. In fact, not only can one create icon groups on Android, they can also use or create widgets to display information or access different apps.

Quick access to both the notification center and the settings by sliding down the top right and left corners is great, and so is the marvellous recent apps button which allows the user to switch effortlessly between apps in one tap.

Surfing the web and reading on the Nexus 7 are a breeze. If I did not have work to do, I would be tempted to spend all day in bed enjoying our tablet. Writing, as I have mentioned previously, is not perfect but still a good alternative to using a bulky laptop or an unmovable desktop. 635 words and counting. No finger cramps yet!

Some nice surprises

Although we did not purchase the Nexus to watch movies, we were positively surprised by the stunning video quality on screen, something we did not expect.

Another nice surprise was the front-facing camera‘s performance and quality. Slightly better than my iPhone 4’s and Emilio’s Galaxy Ace II’s front cameras, it rendered very nicely in the darkness whereas our smartphones show only black blobs where the interlocutor’s face should appear.

Finally, it is also worth mentioning that the Nexus 7 is extremely well integrated with all Google services including Gmail and Talk as one would expect.

Missing features

In all honesty, there is not much missing in the Nexus 7. Some reviewers have complained about the lack of a back camera but we find this silly; tablets are in our opinion too big to be comfortably used as a camera.

No, what could be considered missing is the possibility to add external memory to the Nexus. Although we do not necessarily miss that feature ourselves, preferring not to use our device as a storage unit, we agree it would be nice to give the customers more flexibility in those regards.

Finally, the only other feature which lacks a bit is the variety of good quality apps in the Android app store (Google Play). Numbers show that although Android is slowly “taking over the world”, app sales are still slow to pick up. Why is that? Like I said, variety and, most importantly, quality. As a longtime iPhone user, I must have spent over 30-40$ in app purchases over the last 2-3 years. I probably would have bought more if I had not watched my wallet closely. On Android however, I have not felt the desire to purchase anything and it is not for lack of looking around. Most apps have very bland interfaces and do not stand out. Even using them feels boring sometime. Creative apps are also a rarity on Android, at least in comparison with iOS. There’s is still much work to do on Google’s part to lure smaller but talented developers towards their app store.

Last but not least: Why didn’t we buy the iPad Mini?

I foresee this question coming up in the comments or in social media, so allow me to address this point already. The iPad Mini uses after all Apple’s iOS, a good operative system that we already know well, and it is also slightly lighter than the Nexus 7. So why didn’t we buy it?

The reasons are few and simple: First, we did not see any reason to pay an extra $150 for a device which in terms of specifications is pretty much the same as the Nexus. It did not advantage us in any way to pay more and get nothing back. At $209 CAD, the Nexus 7, currently considered the best 7-inch tablet on the market, is a tough deal to beat. Second, since the Apple maps fiasco and the release of a uncompetitive product which is a set-back in terms of technology (yes, I’m looking at you iPad Mini), we find it risky business to invest in Apple technology in early 2013. Although we are not dooming them (yet), we feel like Apple has hit an iceberg and we’re holding our breath to see if the boat will stay afloat or sink under the waves.

Conclusion: We’re happy campers

We love our Nexus and we are very happy not only to have a new useful gadget to increase our productivity, but also to have discovered the beauties of Jelly Bean 4.2. We raise our hat to Google. Keep up the good work!

Your weekly dose of creative inspiration, resources and awesomeness.
Here are Weekly Wonders 57’s champions:

Web: Hongkiat
Hongkiat is an active blog featuring inspiration and creative tips, tricks and tutorials for designers, bloggers and developers. Frequently updated, it is a goldmine of information for information-hungry web enthusiasts.

Photo: Rob Lutter
Rob Lutter is an English photographer who began in 2011 an adventure called The LifeCycle; his plan is to cover four continents and over 35 000 kilometers on his bike. Carrying his camera with him, he captures beautiful scenery which you can find in his portfolio.

Art: Kari Kuukasjärvi
Kari Kuukasjärvi os a Finnish digital artist whose gallery is filled with many beautiful character portraits. His work features soft brushstrokes, a characteristic roughness and saturated hues which, blended all together, form beautiful paintings. Check his gallery for more.

Freebie: Art Professions Icon Set
Earlier this winter Smashing Mag released a beautiful high-quality icon set in PNG format. You’ll find in it icons for domains such as 3D, Animation, Cinema, Comics, Dance and a lot more. All free, of course.

Software: Sublime Text – Free Trial
Sublime Text describes itself as “the text editor you’ll fall in love with”. Although I have not yet fallen in love with it and remain faithful to Notepad++ (less pretty but more familiar), I must admit it is indeed a nice tool which offers interesting built-in features. The license is a bit costly ($59 USD) but they offer a free trial version with occasional pop-up reminders, a bit like WinRar. Sublime Text is available for Mac, PC and Linux.

Check us out next week for more weekly wonders!