Android Icon » Android

From Icon to…

Andrew — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:42:43 +0000

It’s just a few semantic steps from icon to saint to death. A couple of weeks ago (in the previous post, in fact) I called the Nexus One iconic. Now arises the question: should Google kill the Nexus One?

Early responses to the question (over at GigaOm) tend toward the emphatic no. Some emphasize that it’s only been out for a couple of weeks: good point. Others praise the NexusOne as a good or better smartphone: may be a good point, I’ve yet to use one.

The Iconic Nexus One

Andrew — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 04:15:29 +0000

Nexus One, this is your day. You the phone. You the Google phone, and you got the URL to prove it: http://www.google.com/phone/.

Android Fonts Elsewhere

Andrew — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:47:12 +0000

I’d like this blog to look Androidesque, and not only on an Android. One way of getting the Androidesque aspect is using Droid fonts on all platforms. One step toward that is using TypeKit.

TypeKit is a web service that allows you access to hundreds of fonts for your websites. The Droid fonts are available, even in the Trial/free plan.

I’ve started using Typekit to put Droid fonts on this blog, starting with Droid Serif for post content. That doesn’t guarantee that you’ll see this in Droid Serif, though. See the note on browser support.

My very early impression of Typekit is that it’s at the stage meriting labels such as: early; very promising; currently frustrating. As an illustration of the last label, I tried to make a support suggestion, but couldn’t because I wasn’t signed in. WTF: I was signed in to Typekit. That’s all it should take. I shouldn’t have to use some other id/password combination.

Android Green: A Palette-able Color

Andrew — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:05:08 +0000

The Android icon is a specific shade of green: #A4C639 (source: brand guidelines). It’s already referred to as Android Green (source/example: Wikipedia).

I tweaked the theme of this blog to use that very green for the blog title. I mean the main theme, PrimePress; I’ve yet to touch the mobile theme. That got me thinking of changing the other colors used in the theme, and about a palette featuring Android Green.

At COLORlovers, I generated a palette comprising Android Green and split-complementary colors (i.e. two colors adjacent to the complementary color). I found that Android Green already had the name misty green, and appeared in two other palettes: jungle and trackside. I like it with the orange in the latter.

I intend to play around some more with palettes including Android/misty green, but this kind of thing can suck you in…

Droid Fonts

Andrew — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 03:01:37 +0000

Before Droid was the name of an Android phone from Verizon and Motorola, it was the name of this collection of fonts.

These fonts are available under the Apache license. There will be more about this license, and Android’s use of it, in a future post; for now, I’ll just remark that it’s a free software license.

Ascender Corporation developed the Droid fonts. It continues to work on them. Some versions of Droid fonts will be available under commercial licenses.

The Droid fonts should not be confused with the Android Custom Typeface, which is used in the Android logo. I am prevented from showing you the Android Custom Typeface by two things: first, I like you too much to inflict it upon you; and second, the Android brand guidelines forbid me from doing so.

The Droid fonts are key to the Android experience – yes, even more than the Iconic Android is. And I rather like them.

Phones

Andrew — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:58:55 +0000

It’s time to recognize that Android is for phones, rather than being an excuse for an icon. I’ve had a T-Mobile G1 since September.

Brief review so far: good phone, in terms of the device itself and in terms of service from T-Mobile; useful for checking email, and for some other webby things; decent camera; weakest point is the GPS.

There are many other Android phones, with more on the way. I’ll link to TechCrunch’s list, since it includes remarks on each phone, and the promise of updates.

For the photo of a G1, I thank jugglerpm.

Many Other Androids

Andrew — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:16:29 +0000

This badge, also from the official goodies page, generates unique Androids until you mouse over.

The One, but not The Only

Andrew — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:12:34 +0000

The Android

Here’s the Android, from android.com’s Images and Goodies page.

There are many other android images. Some of them show this android, in different poses or in action (e.g., skateboarding). Some show other androids. Some are rather older than the Android platform. For example…

The Android Icon of All Time award doesn’t go to the android shown in this post. It’s been held by the same android for over 20 years now. Any guesses?