Time flies! We’re already in a new month, a new year. And a new year calls for a new batch of resources Here is the latest round up of great resources for web designers and developers. This round, you’ll find more cool stuff like color schemes, responsive email templates, a different kind of icon set and a few other cool jQuery plugins. Check out the full list after the jump.

So, let’s check them out.

Check out all our fresh resources (according to month):

• October 2012
• November 2012
• December 2012

Color Schemes

If you use the following code editors, Sublime Text 2 or Textmate, then you should install this Package called Color Schemes created by Dayle Rees. It adds some extra color schemes for code highlighting apart from the current available ones. There are currently over 30 color schemes in the package and this screenshot below shows one of them.

Long Press

Long Press is a jQuery plugin to add accented characters easily, such as à, á, or é. This kind of function can already be found in Android or iOS. When you hold down the a or e key, additional characters will pop up as shown in the following screenshot. This plugin is definitely useful when you build web applications that includes input or textarea.

Layout Icons

You may already have found many free icons such as social media icons or general UI icons. But this set of icon is I think one of a kind: Layout Icons represent the layout of web front face created by Ales Nesetril. If you are building a content management system (CMS), these icons are probably needed.

Adobe Edge Animate

We have discussed a little about web animation using the new features in CSS3. Recently Adobe introduced their new line called Adobe Edge. One of the products included is Adobe Edge Animate. It is similar to Adobe Flash, but it creates animation for Web. So, creating web animation is a lot easier. Try it while it is still FREE.

Telescope

Do you visit Reddit often? Well you can actually create a similar site using a framework called Telescope. It is a real-time social news framework built upon Meteor, equipped with a few features like real-time updating, Invite only-access, Email authentication, Notification and Posting Limit.

Mockup Designer

Mockup Designer is a handy tool to for web designers to quickly draw ideas. There are some essential components in this tool; such as Rectangle, Circle, Table and a few Typography elements. You can create multiple documents and also adjust the width and the height of the document.

Method Draw

There is a lot of use for SVG for websites and we have covered them a bit in our previous post series. In case, you need to edit the graphic presentation you can simply use this handy SVG editor called Method Draw. It is a web-based application, so no installation is required, and best of all, it is FREE.

xChart

xChart is a JavaScript library to build web charts built upon D3.js. The charts are formed with HTML, CSS and SVG and there are currently two types of charts available, Bar and Lines. The charts are easily customizable through CSS.

Responsive Email Template

More people are now coming online via their mobile phones, and this includes check their emails. So, it is necessary for emails to be delivered on the mobile interface. Recently, ZURB shared this responsive email template. There are currently 5 templates with different layout to choose from.

Footable

Whilst creating responsive email is challenging, creating a responsive table is probably one of the trickiest. A few have come up with their own solutions. Recently, Themeregency the people behind Foobar launched Footable. It is a jQuery plugin to turn <table> responsive.

There are over 6 billion mobile phones in use and three-quarters of the world’s population has access to a mobile phone. Many of these mobile phone users shun debit/credit card transactions online for fear of fraud or other security reasons. So if you have an e-commerce business you might want to consider using a mobile or carrier billing system to tap into these potential customers.

Mobile billing systems offer an unprecedented one-stop convenience for online purchases and will give you an edge over your competitors. Check out the following 6 biggest mobile payment systems around to give you an idea of how it can work in your favor.

1. Zong

Owned by eBay, Zong is one of the largest mobile payment systems so far to manage transactions of digital and virtual goods. Some of its most popular merchants include Facebook and Habbo and it has serviced more than 30 million customers around the world. ZONG operates in over 40 countries.

How It Works

As you reach the payment section for your online purchase, look out for that prominently red Zong button, click on it and key in your mobile number. Next, they will send you a secure PIN code to your mobile device and all you need to do is enter that in to approve the transaction. It’s really that simple!

The draw is that you will never have to enter all the card information every time you make a purchase; you simply need your mobile number to process the payment. Zong liaises closely with online security solutions companies such as Verisign, McAfee and TRUSTe to provide secure transactions and detect frauds.

Extra Features

An optional upgrade is also available with Zong+ where you can choose to link your credit or debit card to your mobile number and get free stuff at the same time.

2. BOKU

With a global coverage of 66 countries and servicing 240 carrier mobile network operators, BOKU is set to be another huge contender of the most extensive mobile payment systems around. Its partnerships with major online merchants such as Facebook, Disney, EA and Zynga (among others) offer customers a wide range of products and services for mobile billing.

How It Works

Similar to other mobile payment services, BOKU’s two-step authentication process for mobile billing involves entering your mobile number and replying ‘Y’ to a message sent to you by the online merchant to confirm the transaction.

Due to its well-established background in the service, it assures customers of bank-grade protection and has reliable customer support to provide assistance where necessary.

Extra Features

BOKU also has a Offers and Loyalty Platform. There, you can reach millions of mobile subscribers around the world through advanced targeting based on demographics, purchase history, competitor shopping patterns and geo-location.

3. Text2Pay

Text2Pay is available in over 50 countries across the globe. For US merchants, the mobile payment service gives only 30% of the revenue of the transactions to the mobile carrier and leaves you with 70%. This is much more competitive than the 50-50 split in most other mobile carriers.

How It Works

After clicking on the "Pay by Fone" button when you’re ready to make your online payment, you key in your mobile number as per usual. As an added security feature, you will need to key in your ZIP code for Text2Pay to verify if it matches the cell phone number account.

It wil then send you a PIN code to be entered to approve the transaction. Once approved, a reference number is provided as your proof of purchase.

Extra Features

It also allows you to customize the interface of the payment platform for your customers with your preferred design and your own logo. Check out here for other features of the service!

4. ImpulsePay

Capitalizing on Payforit technology for UK micropayment scheme, ImpulsePay supports all UK mobile network operators (T-mobile, Orange, O2, Three and Vodafone) as well as virtual operators like Tesco Mobile, Virgin Mobile and Lebara.

How It Works

As it is with mobile payment services, ImpulsePay allow you to charge online purchases to your monthly mobile network bill by your mobile text messages.

For UK consumers, this mobile payment service offers two purchase options for your customers, the typical send-a-PIN-code service where customers enter their mobile number or by texting a message to a given number instead to complete the transaction.

It does not require any prior registration on the part of the customers and the service can be used by a wider range of industries (e.g. gambling sites) compared to other mobile payment services.

Extra Feature

When browsing on a mobile data connection, ImpulsePay can automatically detect the mobile number and let them click on the ‘Buy Now’ button. Such seamless transactions provide an unmatchable convenience for customers and encourage them to make future purchases on your website.

5. Fortumo

It gets better with Fortumo, where its mobile payment service is available in 73 countries and supporting more than 250 mobile operators.

How It Works

Fortumo’s selling point is its ability to be incorporated into any mobile app and have the transaction made without having customers leaving the app (i.e. 1-click checkout). This means that whether you are accessing your browser on your PC or through your mobile, or that you’re in some app on your phone, you’ll be able to make instantaneous purchases without the need to sign up for an account.

Extra Feature

Fortumo promises a quick 30-min integration with your site or mobile app, along with the guarantee of overnight activation of your payment service. There’re also no setup fees or monthly fees for the set-up, only a percentage from each successful transaction goes to Fortumo. Be wary of the payout cycle which differs from one country to the next.

6. JunglePay

JunglePay is the ultimate all-in-one online billing solution for consumers and merchants alike. In terms of mobile payment service, its SMS billing extends to over 80 countries worldwide. JunglePay also supports various platforms ranging from web, mobile to in-app purchases.

How It Works

JunglePay can be said to be more merchant-friendly than most other competitors. Its strength lies with the range of options for payment (be it mobile, phone or credit card). To pay by SMS, the buyer need only send a text message to confirm payment then enter the sent password into its widget. Payment can also be made via landline, just call the number on the widget and the payment will be charged to the line when you hang up.

Extra Feature

JunglePay has customizable interface, excellent customer service support and an extensive mobile payments API to personalize your billing platform.

Other Mobile Payment Systems

Now that you have a better idea of mobile payment services and the benefits they can offer to you as an online consumer or merchant, here are 9 other such services available online:

7. Onebip

Coverage: Over 60 countries
Usage Mode: SMS, WAP & Mobile Internet
Selling Point: Registration is required but this also means that you need not key in anything during purchases – just login to your account. By registering, you can also manage your account from any PC or mobile device, see your transaction history, and add mobile numbers for future transactions.

8. Mach

Coverage: 54 Countries
Usage Mode: In-app
Selling Point: Authentication and authorization of mobile billing takes place within the app via 1-click checkout. Mach’s Direct Operator Billing (DOB) solution provides online merchants built-in financial reporting and analytical tools to track sales traffic.

9. Surfpin

Coverage: Over 40 countries
Usage Mode: SMS
Selling Point: The interface for the mobile payment system can be customized to suit the needs of online merchants. There are also HTML5 mobile-optimized checkout and Android in-app payment system.

10. Netsize

Coverage: 29 countries
Usage Mode: SMS, MMS & WAP
Selling Point: Robust customer support for online merchants, 24/7 availability and formalized processes for incident response and resolution. Netsize is up-to-date with the latest rules and regulations across different countries and provides strong End User Support services.

11. Mopay

Coverage: More than 80 countries
Usage Mode: SMS
Selling Point: Mopay allows customers to log into their online customer portal to check their purchase history, manage subscriptions, vouchers, etc without any prior registration. All you need is your mobile number for them to send you a SMS with a pin code before you login with it.

12. Allopass

Coverage: Over 80 countries
Usage Mode: SMS
Selling Point: Easy setup process, intuitive dashboard for online merchants to adjust pricing for individual countries and products, and to generate comprehensive sales reports for analyses.

13. boxPAY

Coverage: More than 70 countries
Usage Mode: SMS
Selling Point: Mobile billing service is supported in various platforms ranging from widgets, browsers, tablets, mobile phones to even smart TVs. boxPAY also affords online merchants with enhanced customizability through HTML, CSS and API.

14. Bango

Coverage: Over 50 countries
Usage Mode: SMS and In-app
Selling Point: Bango’s customers include Facebook, Google Play, EA Mobile, Blackberry App World and Windows Phone.

15. SMS-Online

Coverage: Over 70 countries
Usage Mode: SMS
Selling Point: Offers an optional ‘SMS-Lock’ for online merchants who wish to restrict the granting of access to only premium users, such that access rights can be customized for certain services on their website.

With the recent massive Evernote 5 update for Mac and iOS, Evernote has proven itself once again to the productivity app to keep. What would make it even greater is integration with external services; heavily used services like Gmail or Google Calendar. We found an app called Powerbot that will do that for you.

Powerbot allows you to link the power of notes and reminders in Evernote to your scheduling tool, Google Calendar. There is also another app that lets you create and access your Evernote directly from the Gmail webpage through a web browser extension. We’ll run through both apps below.

Sync Google Calendar With Evernote

This Powerbot tweak will create a note in Evernote every time you create or accept an invite to a Google Calendar event. It’s very simple to set up, here’s how.

Go to this website and click on the green ‘Start here’ button.

You’ll then be asked to give Powerbot authorization to your Google account to access your Google Calendar. Login with your Google account details and click on ‘Allow access’.

Next, you have to allow Powerbot to access your Evernote account in order for it to create notes for you. Note that you need not use the same Google account; it still works even if you signed up for Evernote with an email account that is different from your Google account.

Once you’ve given Powerbot access to those two accounts, you’ll see a settings page where you can set which calendars to extract events from and customize the way the note is created. You can also add a custom logo to the created note.

Here’s a sample of the note template Powerbot will automatically create for you. In it you will see your selected logo, the participants invited through Google Calendar, and other relevant information.

You’ll even find that Powerbot also automatically links the Notes you’ve created in other Notebooks during the time of the Meeting. These will be placed under ‘Other notes from the meeting’.

Overall, Powerbut is a very handy tool to have if your daily needs rely heavily on Evernote and Google Calendar.

Access Evernote Notes On Gmail

Here’s how to easily create notes from emails and share existing ones via Gmail.

Go to this website and install the Powerbot browser extension, supported on Google Chrome, Firefox and Safari. Again, you’ll have to give Powerbot access to your Google and Evernote account.

Done? Everything is now automatically set up and when you refresh your Gmail webpage, you’ll notice a few new buttons that allow you to access Evernote straight from your Inbox.

First thing you might notice is an extra link to insert notes or notebooks when you’re composing a new email.

When you click on that, a small overlay window will appear which allows you to select notes or notebooks to share.

Another button you might see is the ‘Send to Evernote‘ button which allows you to send individual or an entire email conversations to your Evernote account.

When you click that button, a small overlay window will appear where you can change the title, determine which notebook to put it in and also add tags and comments.