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Best Tools for Developers in 2015

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js_code

What’s in your toolbox? Come on, don’t be shy. Every developer keeps a list of tools handy, and the contents of every developer’s toolbox are different. Sure, there are some standards: Notepad++, Browser Stack, Bootstrap—but not all digital toolboxes are created equal. It doesn’t matter what field you work in; specific jobs require specific tools. Some devs work exclusively on desktop projects, some of them focus on developing custom mobile apps, and others might be working on something more experimental, but they all need a good assortment of programs, apps, shortcuts, and interfaces to get the job done.

So, what’s in your toolbox? If your answer doesn’t include at least one of these nine items, you may be falling behind in the times. That’s because we’ve compiled a list of this year’s best tools for web developers, mobile developers, and designers of all kinds. Take a look, you might just find something you can’t live without. [Read more…]

8 Analog Tools to Help You Design

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Design doesn’t just happen in software, editors, or the browser—it often starts offline with the simplest of tools: pen and paper. With that in mind, let’s do a round up of helpful analog tools that can aid you in the process of brainstorming, doodling, sketching, wireframing, or prototyping by hand.

BASICS Notebook

BASICS notebook
BASICS notebook

The BASICS Notebook keeps you both productive and creative so you can stay on top of your project timelines and do the ideation in one place. It has different page layouts like calendars and checklists plus blank sheets & erasable whiteboard pages right in the palm of your hand. It also has practical features like a back pocket for loose leaves and just enough of a gap so you can tuck in your pen at the top.

Website Deck

Website Deck
Website Deck

UX Kits Website Deck gives a tactile approach to website mapping & information architecture. Each card in the “deck” represent different types of content or interface patterns you can lay out and rearrange as you plan the the site or app structure. Numbered from 1-53, they’re also portable & reusable.

Whitelines

Whitelines
Whitelines

Whitelines produces pads & books that, as the name suggests, sport white lines on their sheets. One of its products, Whitelines Link, has marked corners which helps its companion app digitally capture your ideas.

The Psychology of Colour Pencil Set

Psychology of Colour Pencil Set
Psychology of Colour Pencil Set

The Psychology of Colour Pencil Set consists of 12 colored pencils, each labeled with a word conveyed by its corresponding color. The set also includes a booklet that expounds on those concepts.

Dotgrid

Dotgrid Books & Notepads
Dotgrid Books & Notepads

Dotgrid features different incarnations of notepads and papers with dotted grids on their sheets. Special editions like a birch wood cover and a tribute to Steve Jobs are available.

Magnetic Blackboard Wallpaper

Magnetic Blackboard Wallpaper
Magnetic Blackboard Wallpaper

The Magnetic Blackboard Wallpaper lets you draw and stick stuff at the same time without the bulk of an actual board or the need to paint your walls. It’s available in three sizes: 63.5 x 265 cm, 127 x 265 cm, and 127 x 100 cm (width by roll length).

UI Stencils

UI Stencils
UI Stencils

UI Stencils lets you sketch out different user interface elements on paper quickly with the help of different stainless steel and plastic stencils. They also have pixel rules & pads of browsers and mobile devices.

BreakThroughColour Cards + Cubes

BreakThroughColour Cards + Cubes
BreakThroughColour Cards + Cubes

BreakThroughColour Cards + Cubes lets you explore or even play with a wide array of colors through dozens of colored cards and cubes. It special numbering system and and codes on the flip-side of the cards reveal how their vary on hue, saturation, and value.

Get Coupon Codes for The New Colossal Bundle of Inky Deals PLUS a Freebie!

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Being a designer and/or developer entails using a lot of tools to help you create the best results for your projects. Whether your projects are for paid clients or for personal pleasure, the goal is the same: to make something you’re proud of. With some sweat (and sometimes, blood) plus the right resources, you can make your life easier as you reach toward whatever goal you have for the moment.

This is where deals site Inky Deals comes into the picture. The web site is one of the biggest deals sites catering to designers – from amateurs to pros – and they always put together some of the best bundles so design enthusiasts can make great savings.

And, believe it or not, Inky Deals has this 200% money back guarantee going on; so, if you do not like what you have bought from them, you can get all your money back PLUS you get to keep the product. Now if that isn’t neat…!

As we end the week, we’re proud to announce a partnership with Inky Deals for The New Colossal Bundle with $10,063 worth of Top-Quality Resources – From $49.

Cutting right to the chase – you guys can make even more savings by using this exclusive $9 discount coupon for Devlounge readers: INKYCOLOSS9. Use the code at checkout, but make sure you do so before Sunday, April 13th, when the code expires.

While that image does give you an idea just how much is on the table, let’s give you a clearer idea of what’s included in the bundle.

The New Colossal Bundle

Inky Deals

  • 117 Vector Sets worth $1,755
  • 425 Vector Illustrations worth $1,700
  • 40 T-shirt Designs worth $600
  • 18 Texture Packs worth $265
  • Tatianna Font Family worth $35

DesignTNT Massive Library

Inky Deals

  • 233 Vector Sets worth $2,290
  • 101 Web & Print Resources Packs worth $1,070
  • 109 Photoshop & Illustrator Addons worth $1,036
  • 69 High-Resolution Texture Packs worth $729
  • 67 Brushes Sets worth $486
  • 10 Premium Tutorials worth $97

Feeling overwhelmed? Probably only because of the amount of resources that are at your fingertips!

Here’s something that will get you even more interested: this entire bundle comes with an extended royalty license, which basically means that you can do whatever you want with the tools. Whether you use them for a personal, non-commercial project, or you use them for a paying client, you are free to do so! The license also allows you to make use of the tools for any medium – online, print, or even merchandise.

But we’re not done yet.

Here’s a freebie.

Download an amazing freebie pack with 4 vector illustrations, 4 textures, and a T-shirt design. This pack is worth $35, but Inky Deals wants you to have a peek and see what they have to offer. When you download this freebie pack, you can use the tools however way you want.

download-a-free-sample

Whether you get the freebie and/or the New Colossal Bundle, you’ll end up with a whole lot of things to play with!

Inky Deals

Click here to view everything included in this amazing bundle!

How to Find Free Electronics and Equipment on the Internet – Businesses can Do This Too!

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It’s one thing to buy inexpensive office equipment and electronic devices on the internet and it is quite another to get totally free items. You may have wondered whether it is indeed possible to get valuable electronic or mechanical gadgets on the internet. The answer is that indeed it is, though there is most probably a certain amount of legwork you have to do as well as discernment you have to employ.

free equipment

Also, people often associate getting free hardware and various electronic devices with individual consumers who are using the internet. But businesses, loaded with other costs such as web design, marketing, and production, can benefit from these strategies too. They can put someone on the task of finding these offers and if that person works diligently, save hundreds of dollars equipping offices with free laptops, cell phones, web cams, and many other handy devices for the workplace. In these troubled economic times, it makes sense for businesses to save money wherever possible. Consider trying to outfit your office with some free items so you can concentrate on some of the more important expenses involved in your business. [Read more…]

Tools for Bloggers

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Blogging has become a time consuming professional job. Long gone are the days that blogs where kept part time or as a hobby. If you write a lot for one or different weblogs, it is essential to have to the right tools to keep organized and work fast.

Having a standard work-flow is essential and for that you need the right tools for you. Personally I prefer web apps which are accessible from any device. Must I find myself away from home without a laptop, I can still do some writing.

Even small things matter to spare time e.g., when I need to use several photos in a post, I edit them in order I will be putting them in the post. When I upload them in WordPress they’ll be automatically sorted by last modified date. This way I don’t have to look through the whole list for a photo. I just start from top to bottom.

I write in Google Docs, I use no HTML tags, and once in WorPress I just copy paste the links into tags. The Find and Replace option comes in handy when adding HTML tags in bulk. This works for me, while others have their own system.

Tools for Bloggers

I compiled a list of different web app, applications, plug-ins and extensions that might come in handy. Too muchmany tools isn’t good either. Get a couple of tools that does what you need without giving too many distractions.

WordPress Plug-in

Editorial Calendar

Keep track of your posting schedule withing WordPress dashboard.

Web app

Keep On Posting

Be it for personal or professional use, Keep on Posting will email you when you are slipping out from your posting frequency.

Application

Scrivener

Scrivener puts everything you need for structuring, writing and editing long documents at your fingertips.

Available for Apple only, cost $45. Public beta for Windows.

Application

Windows Live Writer 2011

Windows Live Writer makes it easy for anyone to tell stories like a professional blogger. You can create beautiful blog posts, and see what they’ll look like online before you publish them to your blog. Plus, you can publish your posts to any of your favorite blog service providers.

Web app

Diigo

Diigo is two services in one — it is a research and collaborative research tool on the one hand, and a knowledge-sharing community and social content site on the other.

Application

MarsEdit 3

Whether you love HTML or can’t bear the sight of it, MarsEdit’s editor will thrill you. If you prefer the best of both worlds, you can switch easily between the two.
Works with WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr, Squarespace, TypePad, Movable Type and dozens more through standard MetaWeblog and AtomPub interfaces.

Cost $39.95

Web app

TeuxDeux

If you like making to-do lists, you will love TeuxDeux. Use the free browser-based TeuxDeux at work/home and then take your to-dos on the road with the iPhone app($2.99).

Application (Mac)

LittleSnapper

With LittleSnapper it’s easy to start capturing webpages and your desktop. From entire webpages – including the bits that are out of view in a standard browser window and important metadata such as the web address – to specific windows on your Mac.

Cost $29.99

Browser Extension

FireShot

FireShot is an extension for Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, Seamonkey and Thunderbird that captures, edits, annotates, organizes, exports, uploads and prints screenshots of your web pages.

Google Docs

Free, simple and powerful. Personally I only use Google Docs to write, keep track of links and keep notes. The sharing capabilities are the best, live editing and collaboration works smoothly. The integrated chat comes in handy when collaborating at the same time with more people.

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