Have a good April!

This is an excerpt from Wikipedia that explains the new features from 3.1:

"Trillian Astra touts many improvements. According to the preview website improvements were made in the following areas:

• Interoperability: Enhanced file transfer ability, support for more IM clients, status messaging support, and IMCore technology, which can compile natively on Win32, Linux, and Mac OS X.
• Mobility: Web-based instant messaging, real-time status, iPhone support, online Trillian Astra profile.
• Profile: Better data control and privacy, downloadable contact list, Social Widgets, a new login screen, strong encryption and identification verification, and open protocol.
• Contact List: Tile view, Spotlight search, Drag-and-drop avatars, faster status changes, simple access to display name, dynamic list height.
• Message Windows: Easy image sharing, handwriting mode, knowledge of local time, RSS, ‘Buzz’, saved font styles. (click image for higher resolution screenshot)
• Skins: On the fly skin changes, Themes and colors, improved transparency support, Control layering, skin build time.
• Performance: Skin loading time, redrawing times, network connections, memory usage, and skin variety."

Note: Trillian Astra, while able to compile to all three operating systems, is currently being built only for Windows and Mac OS X.

I have a few complaints/suggestions for the application though:

• MSN/WLM: A commonly used feature on Windows Live Messenger would be Voice Clips, short recorded clips using a microphone. This feature currently isn’t in Astra, and it doesn’t appear to be that they’ll be implementing that in the future.
• Last.fm integration: I think it’d be really cool to integrate Trillian Astra’s personal message functionality with Last.fm, being as it’s already usable in Winamp and WMP.
• In the Cobalt skin, I think the colors are a tad too bright, sometimes to the point that the whites in the window title text appear hard to see, especially in the minimal skin.
• Hopefully they’ll improve the web application being as it’s not very responsive, versus the mainly AJAX meebo.

I suppose those are the only issues I have with the application at the moment.

Since it’s alpha, it’s an invitation based thing. One can pirate the software, but it wouldn’t be worth it because most of the cool functionality would be disabled, such as personal profiles.

Next thing they need is a Twitter, and Facebook plugin. Then they can beat out Digsby’s built-in functionality.

Here’s a video demonstrating these technologies in different forms:

A "haptic" pen"

Haptic feedback using magnets:

And finally, a haptic radar device to detect stimuli before touching (I personally found this one pretty silly):

SharpE, as I will call it, is a [wikipedia] Windows Shell Replacement[/wikipedia] that features a stylish set of skins, and very useful methods of organizing content. What this means is that, you’re not going to see the Start Menu in its familiar way after using this, and you probably won’t want to. The application features different widgets you can put on bars (reminds me of GNOME and others, quite frankly) to show information such as weather, RAM/CPU usage, and more, while still showing your taskbar like system tray and currently running windows. It’s very reminiscent to all of the ideas brought upon by Linux WMs, such as the way bars are orientated on the desktop, and how the icons feel and look, and it even features military time! While my screenshot isn’t that grand, you can also see more screenshots here. This is one of the many environments, and one of them seems to show some promise. Cheers to shell replacements.

a new method of displaying all the tools needed to get the job done, by putting them into neat little sections, that are tabbed, and put into one “ribbon”. This is also the case for the new Office for Mac, 2008, which was released just this January for Macintosh OS X. The only difference is the interface is more suited for Mac systems, and is indeed friendly as well.

It is being said that for the next version of Windows, codename Windows 7, that the Ribbon will be an integral part of the OS and its interface. Is the word “daft” coming to mind?

The only thing that seems to be the problem with the current Ribbon is that some features are left hidden within the settings, such as AutoSummarize for Word 2007, which one needs to go into the settings to let it appear in a respective place.

What makes the Ribbon very useful though, is that people can easily learn how to use it through its tabbed design, versus the clutter that was once Office. Hello, simplicity.

• GNOME
• Tango Icon Theme
• KDE
• OS X
• Windows Vista (includes Aero, which is a major step in good guidelines)

Now, you may ask, why do they have guidelines? It’s pretty simple. Let’s say a developer with a very bright mind decided to make their own program with their own way of handling the application menus and made their program suited for their own liking, but they make it for Mac OS X. Ultimately, this program becomes very disliked by its end-users because of its lack of consistency with the operating system itself, which, by the way, if fictionally without its own guidelines, would be completely confusing to the users, trying to learn each and every single application all over again because the interfaces clash, and the system is a total mess. The point of keeping things consistent , in other words, helps users efficiently get something done, because they’ve already familiarized themselves with intuitive, guideline-based programs, and can get to work on stuff. In the next post, one new interface, the Ribbon (developed with the help of Microsoft) will be discussed.

1. Windows XP Visual Style: Crystal.Systema Suite is a set of similar themes that features a Crystal Noir theme, and a darker 2.0 version with a Styler skin.

2. Vista Visual Style: NEXTlevel is an amazing Vista Aero-compatible visual style that has gotten quite a lot of attention. It’s sleek, black theme just makes me want to upgrade and get it myself! It’ll truly put Aero to the test, with this theme.

3. WindowBlinds: If you’re on Vista, SW Glass Vista gives this new aesthetic approach to the look and feel of Aero and the like.

4. OS X ShapeShifter GuiKit: Gaia GuiKit is a really elegant GuiKit for OS X. If you haven’t still upgraded to Leopard, this will make an elegant mod for your Tiger desktop. One day, AE for Leopard and ShapeShifter will work together once again, and you may be able to find even more amazing themes for Leopard.

5. Linux GNOME: Murrine is an elegant engine for GTK that is customizable and ready for many themes, such as Murrine Human, which is a personal favorite. Intall the engine before installing the theme.

6. Linux KDE: By infamous JJ Ying, Xaphire is an astounding dark theme for KDE that has the flame look written (or rather, designed) all over it. It’s a top pick for a KDE theme, I think.

Have any experiences to share about themes from all of these systems? Comment about them, link us to the theme, and tell us why that theme is one of the best you’ve used. We may feature it in another roundup!

Right now Cairo is in its alpha stages, only for Windows Vista at the moment, and the first alpha (Milestone 1) is currently in private testing. The forums, on the other hand, appear to be active with members and discussion about Cairo shell replacement.

Let’s get started!