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If you’re looking for a way to create unique wallpapers for your iPhone, you need look no further than Meritum Paint. The app is free in iTunes (or 99 cents for an upgraded version), and is one of the coolest ways to create wallpapers. Tap or drag your finger around the screen until you have a design you love and then shake your phone to save it. That’s all there is to it!

Send your creations to Facebook, Twitter or Flickr directly from your app, or email them to a friend. Fingerpaint to your heart’s content and save whatever you love. Quickly get rid of the pictures that aren’t quite up to snuff with the tap of a finger on the screen.

It’s simple, it’s addictive and it’s creative. What more could you ask for?

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How to Make New iPhone Wallpapers for Free

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The Granimator iPad app is a freeform iPad & iPhone wallpaper creator. Begin by choosing one of the pre-designed templates created by artists from around the world. Each artist pack includes different sounds, tools, shapes and backgrounds with it.

Draw, tap, pinch, drag and interact with the various graphical elements to create art and soundscapes. When you’re satisfied with what you’ve created, share it by sending to your iPhone. You can also choose to share with your friends on Twitter, Flickr, Facebook or Granimator’s website.

Granimator is a LOT of fun – likely too much fun. It’s causes someone like me who has ADD to keep creating new things… over and over and over and over and over.

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iPad Fun for Kids and Adults – Granimator

Everywhere I look there are write-ups, reviews and reports about the iPad. I know – I’m guilty of writing about the device, as well. Let’s face it: this is hot news! However, I do know that there are many people out there who don’t want an iPad, and don’t plan to ever buy one. I’m willing to bet that right about now they’d love to play a dirty little trick on their iPad-owning friends.

Gizmodo has posted several different wallpaper tricks you can play on your friends. A few of them really are cruel, and will likely send the device owner into a frenzy (complete with foam coming out of their mouth).

Notice anything strange going on here? It may take your friend a few minutes to realize they can suddenly open Hulu and use Flash on their iPad. Let’s not forget they also apparently are now on the Verizon network.

You could always play around with the iPad to install this fun wallpaper. As soon as it’s live on the screen, clear your throat and say a loud “OOPS! My bad.” Hand them back the device and watch as they transform into something that looks as though it should be in the next Freddie movie.

You can have a lot of fun at their expense. They might even forgive you for it and find it humorous after a few moments. Just uh… don’t put any of these on my iPad, mkay?

iPad Wallpaper Tricks

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Devir has come up with another excellent screencast for us! If you’re tired of changing your background all of the time, a wallpaper clock might be the answer for you. Alternatively, you just may be someone who is forever needing to check the date and time! Again, this would be the perfect desktop wallpaper for your system! This wallpaper is fun – and functional.

Head over to Vladstudio to download. You’ll see versions for both Mac and Windows. The Windows version has a free 30-day trial. The OS X version is actual freeware. Once you’ve downloaded, you’ll be able to browse their huge selection of clocks. You’ll find ones with nearly any color or theme you can think of. Also, if you’re a developer, you can create some of your own. There are already 288 pages full of different designs!

Choose one to download. It will recommend a size for your screen after detecting your resolution. There are sizes compatible with nearly ever size of monitor, up to 30″ ones!

Adding a clock is simple. Once you’ve downloaded the actual program, just choose your design and download that. Click on your downloaded clock file, and it will automatically open in the program. Once the program is open, highlight the wallpaper clock that you want to use at the present time, and click the Apply button. It’s that simple.

Last, but not least, each clock comes with different options, such as adjusting the way time shows up. Choose between standard and military time, different date display options, and more!

The next time you need to know what the date is, just install a wallpaper clock. You will no longer confuse yourself as to what day your brain should be on! (Doesn’t it always feel like Monday?!)

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How to Put a Clock on Your Desktop

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I don’t know if you remember the Spirograph toy or not. It had these little plastic gears that you stuck a pencil inside of. Then you created different patterns on your paper by moving the gear around with the pencil. The patterns varied depending on the size and shape of the little gear. Come on – I know you remember it!

I have a website for you where you can create similar things on your own, to use for things like your wallpaper! Myoats is simple to use, and allows you to create any number of very cool looking pictures.

Myoats is a community where people create designs using an online drawing application. These designs can be rated, downloaded, and archived. The Most Liked designs are rewarded by being featured on the home page.

Once I created my design, I could save the picture as it was, or export it in one of several different ways. I could even change my design, to change the number of sides it has or change the pencil size. I can increase the line size, the intensity and even the opacity! There are honestly no limits to what you can create on Myoats, other than the limitations within your own creativity.

Check it out, and create something awesome for yourself. Don’t be boring and use the same old wallpaper everyone else has. Make something that is uniquely yours… and then be sure to upload it to your Geeks account to show off!

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How to Create Your Own iPhone or Desktop Wallpaper

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Sure, you can take a small picture and turn it into a tiled background for a web page or your desktop. It’s not difficult to do. What is difficult, though, is creating a background that is seamless out of that small image. Not every image will work for this. It can be really tough to create something that flows together and looks right.

I have a tool for you that works from within your web browser. You can use it to create some kind of seamless image to use wherever you may need it. Repper is really easy to use. Just press “Start tool now”. It will give you a basic image by default. While you’re moving the skin around, it will show you a live, dynamic preview of what you’re doing. It’s the easiest tool I’ve ever seen that will help you accomplish your goal.

I’ve seen plenty of tools over the years that will help you do this. They’re expensive, and hard to figure out. Not only is this easy – it’s also free! Repper is a free-to-use pattern creator that turns your images into eye-catching designs. You can start playing right away: just upload an image and start dragging!

You can use Repper to create unique background patterns for your social profiles or your personal webpage. Or use it for posters or business cards, to design textile patterns or whatever you can think of; your imagination is your only limit!

Make sure you send me your cool ideas and websites! How else can I share them with the rest of the World?

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How to Create a Seamless Tile Background Image

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I have a new Twitter background. It’s awesome, but I can’t take credit for it. I’m not the one who made it. Not everyone out there is a great graphic designer, or would know how to create their own background. How do you create a custom Twitter background then?

Never fear! Free Twitter Designer is here! Free Twitter Designer does exactly what the name implies – it allows you to easily create cool custom Twitter backgrounds – for free!

To create your background, choose a blank slate or one of the premade templates. You can then add shapes, text or images from your computer. It has the Twitter overlay there, so you can play with colors and see how everything will look right on your Twitter page. You can change things, such as your blend mode and style.

Nothing is saved on the site itself, so what you create is 100% yours. Once you close the browser window, your work is gone. So, keep that window open until you upload what you’ve done onto your Twitter account.

Make sure you change your page colors on Twitter itself. Changing them on Free Twitter Designer just lets you see how the colors would look with your background. You’ll still need to change them yourself once you log in to Twitter.

Once your background is created, adding it to your Twitter profile is simple. Log in to your Twitter account and click Settings, then click Design, then Select Change Background Image. Now just upload your image.

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How to Create a Twitter Background Image

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What is your current wallpaper? More importantly, how often do you change your wallpaper? You’d be surprised to find out how many people never change theirs. I can’t stand that. I have to change mine almost constantly or it drives me nuts. There are so many places that will change your wallpaper automatically, including the new Top Draw from Google.

Top Draw is an image generation program just launched in the Google Mac Playground. By using simple text scripts, based on JavaScript, Top Draw can create surprisingly complex and interesting images. Even cooler is that the program has built-in support for installing any image of yours as your desktop image. There’s a Viewer application you can install in the menu bar to automatically run with the parameters (such as script and update interval) that you’ve specified. And there’s even a Screen Saver to display the scripts when your computer is taking a break.

The Top Draw scripting language leverages Apple’s Quartz and CoreImage rendering engines for graphical muscle. In addition to the drawing commands that are supported by the HTML canvas tag, there is support for particle systems, plasma clouds, random noise, multi-layer compositing and much more.

This is an application that creates random wallpapers based on a certain script. It comes with a set of scripts, or you can edit them and make them your own. The first time you run it, your wallpaper will change based on the script. You’ll then get a little preference pane that will pop up, allowing you to choose different scripts. There are several different things to choose from, and each is cooler than the next.

The best part is that if you cannot choose between them all, just set it to random. Your desktop will just automatically change on its own… on your schedule. It’s especially awesome if you’re running two monitors on your computer at once. The wallpapers will automagically span across them both.

Be sure to check out this newest offering from Google. It’s fun to play with, and simple to edit the scripts and make them what you want. Be sure to share them back with the rest of us!

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Are You Looking for Free Desktop Wallpapers?

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I’ve talked about Desktoptopia before. It runs in the background, and downloads different backgrounds to your desktop. I usually always have it running. Now remember, a wallpaper is not a screensaver. I’ve found a neat website, though, for creating your own wallpapers. Striped Backgrounds is a free service that allows you to create your own striped backgrounds.

Striped Backgrounds is insanely easy and fun to use. Use the ‘Randomize!’ button to have the site choose colors for you. Or, click on the “color picker” button, and choose your own. You decide what color your stripes should be, and in what order. When you’re happy with what you’ve created, just choose your screen resolution, and click the “Download” button. The picture will open in a new window or tab full-size, and you will then just save it to your computer. Poof! You now have your own customized, striped background.

The nice thing is that they also have an iPhone section. Create striped backgrounds for your iPhone with ease. There are a couple of Google ads on there, but they’re unobtrusive. They don’t bother me at all.

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Do You Make Your Own Desktop and iPhone Wallpapers?

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Every single day in the chat room, someone asks me where I get my wallpaper from. Sometimes I make them myself, using Oxidizer. Sometimes I download them from somewhere. But my friend Andy Stanberry reminded me about using DestopTopia.


Desktoptopia is a FREE desktop background manager that automatically loads and displays designer desktops on your monitor, as often as you wish. Loving the current desktop? Can’t stop staring at it? Just click Pause in the menubar, and stare all you want. You can also go back, or to the next desktop right from the menubar. Setting how often your desktop changes is just as simple. You can rate desktops anytime from the menubar. You can also subscribe to categories like Photography, Illustration, Typography, Architecture, Graphic Design, 3D, and Abstract. Or you can mix it up with a little from all the categories.


Got two monitors? We’re so jealous. But, Desktoptopia has got you covered. You can decide how you want Desktoptopia to work with your multiple-monitor set up. You can have twice the love and duplicate the desktop on both monitors, only show desktops on one (whichever one you want), or show different desktops on each monitor. Quick, what’s your monitor resolution? Yeah, we don’t know ours either. Desktoptopia will automatically detect your resolution and deliver you the appropriately sized desktop, so your desktops always look their best.


Desktoptopia delivers the most beautiful and inspiring desktops around from our ever-growing collection. But that’s only half the story. They keep our desktops usable, so you can actually find stuff on your desktop.

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Where do you Download Desktop Wallpaper?

Skitter along the wall
as if you were a casual flea.
Balance yourself
before you choose to balance others.
It’s just another day.

You’re just another pest,
poised to nibble at my time.
Let’s talk of riddles, instead.
Finish the stanza later.

You’ve done it again.
Over and out.

And here’s a Fractal movie generated from the same software:

Wind Flea

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I normally get my wallpapers from a variety of different web sites. That’s about to change right now, though. The wallpaper you’re seeing on my desktop right now… I made myself! It was made in about 10 minutes, using Oxidizer. Oxidizer is an open-source application for Mac OS X which allows you to generate your own wallpaper.

Fractal flames take many shapes, here’s some crude examples made almost literally at random by Oxidizer. Only the colour scheme and the positioning have been altered. Here are some of the features you will see in this release:

• Increased Leopard Compatibility.
• Oxidizer now starts in the centre of the screen.
• Fixed Crashes related to colour selection from the Color Well palettes.
• Fixed an issue where Genomes generated in the Breeder or GenePool that used Final XForm could render differently in the main editor.
• Fixed a Core Data issue where the first genome loaded into the editor would not get a preview render.
• Copies of each genome rendered is now saved in ~/Library/Application Support/Oxidizer rather than log

You can find all of my new daily wallpapers (along with the poems to go with them) in my blog.

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How to Create Your Own Wallpapers with Oxidizer

Nune made tortellini
and we ate it all gone.
The chicken broth was salty,
but we weren’t often thirsty.

Mom did her best with it,
enlisting my brothers and me
to wind noodles and wad the nips.

Now my wife makes pasta
with too much tarragon,
insisting it brings us closer to Earth.

But that’s a…
terra-foregone conclusion.

Tarragon Spaghetti

Yum yum!
Here it comes!
It’s the Egg Drop Soup!

The chef prepared it
in his kitchen
around the jealous spices
which found their way into foreign broth.

This could’ve been a chicken, too.
If only it was fertilized
instead of just dropped.
I would have eaten that, anyway
with a few bamboo chutes.

Oh no.
He put corn in it.
Bastard.

Egg Drop Wallpaper

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There’s nothing like a crackling fire to warm you inside and out during the holiday season. And now… you can even have that “fire” on your desktop.

At iYule.tv, you can purchase 30-minutes of crackling fire and a beautiful original score by Geoff Smith formated for wide or standard screen portable players, your computer or Apple TV. This was filmed in high definition, and can come with or without music.

This is a collaborative effort between Geoff, Paul Cullgian, and Cali and Neal. The cost for the Yule Log is anywhere from $5.00 to $10.00, depending on what you need. Why should you pay for this? Well, a portion of the proceeds is going to charity. ‘Tis the Season for giving, after all. In Cali’s own words:

This is something we’ve worked on nights and weekends for almost a month and we hope it’s something that will warm your heart and bring smiles to the faces of friends you share it with.

If you’re giving someone an iPod that plays video this year, load it up with the iYule Log.

If you’re taking that special someone in your life out for a nice holiday dinner, load iYule Log on your iPod and put it on the table for a touch of whimsical romance.

Proceeds will be split by the producers and a percentage will go to three of our favorite charities. Geoff chose the Songs of Love Foundation, a charity that provides personalized songs for chronically and terminally ill children and young adults. Paul has chosen LitLiberation, the largest online literacy experiment in history. Neal and I have chosen Heifer International, a non-profit that helps families in poverty by giving them valuable live animals to provide eggs, milk and farming help.

The video we’ve produced is a cozy multi-sensory experience that pulls me into the romantic essence of a fireplace, every time I turn it on to watch.

You can also get the cool Christmas clock wallpaper you see on my other desktop, for free!

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Yule Log: Fire Video Screen Saver for your Desktop or iPod