The style of coworking (not to be confused with co-working) allows small teams and lone freelancers to work together in a single, shared office environment. This concedes the opportunity for collaboration with others in the realm of design, law, business, finance, development, and marketing. Coworking spaces have been on the rise dramatically over the past few years. And it is a very commonly practiced work routine within the bigger cities of the United States of America.

I want to share 20 diverse and unique coworking spaces you can find all across the country. The benefits are obvious when you are working by yourself, and even small teams can manage a couple of desks in an office as necessary. These are beautiful spaces which offer a myriad of useful resources to startups and individuals. Check out these fine examples and see if you can locate other coworking spaces in your own area of the world.

Recommended Reading: Freelancing and Co-Working: Best of Both Worlds

1. Office Nomads, Seattle, Washington

The coworking space Office Nomads found in Seattle, Washington is a great setup for workers who feel like nomads.

The space is roomy enough to call home, but you also shouldn’t feel required to be stuck in the office all week. The roomy space is great for freelancers because it is quiet yet open for plenty of free-thinking.

The physical layout makes a lot of sense to keep everybody’s desks apart yet spacious. The room feels, well, roomy and very sensible for completing long arduous tasks. The office is friendly to drop-ins which will not even require a full-time membership.

According to their website the various workers include developers, telecommuters, planners, consultants, publishers, organizers, and even students.

Location is pristine with a downtown building in Capitol Hill, Seattle. The coworking office space website has a lot of great information including a typical FAQ for the most obvious of questions. I would also recommend checking out their blog for updates on the company.

Overview/Summary

• Website: http://officenomads.com/
• Location: 1617 Boylston Ave, Seattle, Washington
• Membership: 1 day/month – $30; 15 days/month – $270; 24/7 access – $495 + deposit
• Physical Size: 16,500 sq ft

2. Icehouse, New Orleans, Louisiana

Down south in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana you will find the Icehouse. This brilliant coworking office was actually an old 1920′s warehouse converted into a work space. It boasts a 30-foot ceiling which leaves plenty of breathing room to get those creative juices flowing.

A large cast of various workers have called this place their main office. Typical jobs include designers, media artists, entertainment companies, startups and social innovators. The Icehouse is a really beautiful structure and it fits perfectly into the idea of a coworking space with many other freelancers and company teams.

After working hours the Icehouse will frequently host events related to social & political causes. Renting the Icehouse comes at a much cheaper price in comparison to working in the location. But overall this is a wonderful solution to those creative artists living in the south who need a cheaper alternative for a workspace.

Overview/Summary

• Website: http://www.icehousenola.com/
• Location: Trumpet Icehouse 2803 St. Philip St, New Orleans, Louisiana
• Membership: $500/month
• Physical Net Size: 12,000 square-feet

3. 654 Work Cottage, Grand Rapids, Michigan

The 654 Work Cottage is a beautiful space located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The cottage may at first appear like a quaint homestead, but the rooms do open up and really demonstrate how any ordinary space may be turned into a coworking space.

The location has plenty of rooms, even within the patio and the garage area with desks and seating for workers.

Within many of the interior rooms of the house you will find all the tools you would need for a regular office environment. These include a printer, fax, scanner, whiteboard, coffee machine, and even projector displays. It is perfect for a small team to get together and plan their next step(s) within the company.

My personal attachment to this coworking space is around their homey comfortable design. Each desk and seating area is constructed in a very natural manner where you do not feel stuck inside an office. The working hours are 8:00AM – 6:00PM, Monday-Friday and you can drop by with flexible hours, as well.

The site offers half-days and full-day prices, along with full memberships and other basic plans. You should check out the pricing page for more details.

Overview/Summary

• Website: http://www.workcottage.com/
• Location: 654 Croswell Ave, Grand Rapids, Michigan
• Membership: $20/day; $150/month
• Physical Net Size: 1,800 sq ft

4. General Assembly, New York

There are so many fascinating coworking spaces inside New York City that it is difficult picking a single one. My first mention is General Assembly which is right on Broadway in a 4th floor open office area. The whole "campus" area is 20,000 sq ft and was originally opened in January 2011.

Any startups working within NYC may want to consider General Assembly as a cheaper alternative for an office space.

The site itself is also a host to educational events with a very big library and offset study rooms. It boasts a huge collection of resources which includes classes and teaching seminars on popular topics like digital marketing and web development. This doesn’t even include the benefits of working with other intelligent teams and butting heads or asking questions to solve more complicated problems.

It may be a little out of the price range for some freelancers, and even smaller businesses which are just getting started. The process of launching your own company is challenging and the price of a coworking space may not cut into the budget. The campus offers tours every Tuesday and Thursday evening at 5PM. It may be worth dropping by and catching a glimpse of the office in action.

Overview/Summary

• Website: https://generalassemb.ly/
• Location: 902 Broadway 4th Floor, New York, New York
• Membership: Communal $300/month; Dedicated $500/month
• Physical Net Size: 20,000 sq ft

5. HeraHub, San Diego, California

Within the sunshine state of California you will find HeraHub. It is a coworking space which actually spans a few locations and is dedicated to a female-oriented work environment. The website itself goes into detail about the choice of a women-only work environment and how the HeraHub operates day to day.

Tours are free and worth planning a schedule in advance. Although the place can be crowded at times, there are lots of intelligent freelancers and business women to communicate with. The office space is fairly large to squeeze a good number of teams and freelancers, even up to 150-200 different people all working and sharing the same space.

The HeraHub is also a home to programs & social events for those who are interested. It may be rented out and it offers tickets on sale in advance for working members. If you might be interested in becoming a member check out their pricing guidelines to see if HeraHub is the right choice for you.

Overview/Summary

• Website: http://herahub.com/
• Location: 9710 Scranton Road Suite #160, San Diego, California
• Membership: Based hourly; $3-$8/hr
• Physical Net Size: 8,946 Square Feet

6. New Work City, New York

Another fun name for a coworking space in the big apple is New Work City. The office space is located a bit further up Broadway in NYC on the same street as General Assembly. This project was actually funded through a Kickstarter page which raised an initial $17,000 of seed capital.

The office includes 5 separate private rooms to accommodate teams and meeting spaces. You may reserve a desk space in advance, however there are no specific seating rules for part-time members. It is a very flexible working environment which may be a bit small, yet quaint and easy for communication among other creatives.

The space itself is open Monday-Friday from 9AM to 5PM EST. Newcomers are welcome to stop by and have a quick tour of the site before signing up as a member. You may also get your name into the tour early by signing up on their website. Overall New Work City is a very unique coworking environment for individuals and very small teams looking for a reasonable price tag on membership.

Overview/Summary

• Website: http://nwc.co/
• Location: 412 Broadway #2 New York, New York
• Membership: Communal $30/day $100/month; Dedicated $300/month
• Physical Net Size: 1,600 sq ft

7. Co+Hoots, Phoenix, Arizona

Coworkers living near Phoenix, Arizona may consider dropping by Co+Hoots in the downtown area of the city. The office space features a bright area of natural light engulfed through large window panes. The workspace is a great place to collaborate with writers, designers, lawyers, developers and other types of business & creative people.

Aside from the typical working crowd Co+Hoots will also host some neat social events. These include TEDtalks Tuesdays, Coffee+Code, and Food Truck Fridays, just to name a few. You can see what is planned for the future by checking their events calendar. The office is found in an excellent location of downtown Phoenix with plenty of room for creative thinking.

Co+Hoots is open for working hours Monday – Friday from 10AM – 6PM. The working space and community of workers is prime with creative energy. You can expect all the typical amenities of an office like a printer, scanner, whiteboard, conference rooms and a large-screen projector. If you are in the area take a quick tour of the location and see if this may be worthwhile.

Overview/Summary

• Website: http://www.cohoots.com/
• Location: 1027 E. Washington St. Suite 107, Phoenix, Arizona
• Membership: Basic $15/day; Frequent $50/mo; Full Member $350/mo
• Physical Net Size: ~9,000 sq ft

8. Strongbox West, Atlanta, Georgia

Heading down to Atlanta, Georgia we can find the Strongbox West coworking office. The site is home to a wide array of freelancers, startups, digital agencies, and other professionals within the business. The exterior is a very recognizable building and it may appear small at first, but inside there is a lot more space than you would imagine.

Strongbox does offer the ability to work in your own private office space as needed. Sometimes the noise and discussions are too distracting and you may want your own secluded space away from others. Check out some of their interior photos to get a glimpse into Strongbox and how the teams can work together.

What’s different about their website is some lacking detail in areas where you may be curious. I wasn’t able to find much of an FAQ but there is plenty of information to call up and plan a tour of the site. You will also find a member directory of people who use Strongbox and what they do at the coworking space.

Overview/Summary

• Website: http://strongboxwest.com/
• Location: 1736 Defoor Place, Atlanta, Georgia
• Membership: Casual $85/mo; Premier $145/mo; Deluxe $285/mo
• Physical Net Size: 2,000 sq ft

9. Projective Space, New York

The newly redesigned Projective Space was launched in February 2011 by three brothers living in New York City. The location was originally called SohoHaven but was updated over time. The office space is mostly home to startups with smaller teams just getting ramped up into the business. It is an admitted coworking space for tech-startups which are looking to make a big splash within the industry.

On their website the official members listing includes startups and companies which have been and currently work within the Projective Space location(s) in New York City. Projective Space is called home by many startup teams, and that is the way its founders want to keep it.

Alike many other coworking spaces you can also attend small events & conferences related to startups and product development.

The location is beautiful and right within the downtown creative center of New York. Plenty of startups have started by their grassroots within the city and coworking spaces are only getting easier to afford. Projective Space can offer a quaint home-office feeling to unique startup teams looking for a collaborative office environment. If you are interested just hop onto their website and apply online.

Overview/Summary

• Website: http://www.projective.co/
• Location: 447 Broadway & 72 Allen Street New York, NY
• Membership: $325/month
• Physical Net Space: 5,500 sq ft(Broadway) & 7,200 sq ft(Allen)

10. Workbar, Boston, Massachusetts

Right within the heart of Boston, Massachusetts you can find Workbar. This is a very convenient space for freelancers, startups, and and telecommuters who are in need of a professional working environment. The office itself is very bright and open in regards to floor space. You will not feel cramped working with the others in your coworking atmosphere.

On their website you will find a small list of members if you are interested in the community. Workbar is a very open atmosphere of startups and individuals located around the Boston area.

It is perfect for those who are not interested in purchasing their own office space, yet still want somewhere to work outside of the house. The space itself is home to plenty of social events related to entrepreneurs and creative professionals.

Workbar can be expensive once you get into dedicated membership. The office’s pricing page will go into more detail for people thinking about coworking. It is a wonderful idea if you can afford the trial and see that you really like the space. But the upside is that each membership will include free drinks/snacks, free office supplies, conference rooms, projector screens, and other helpful office amenities.

Overview/Summary

• Website: http://workbar.com/
• Location: 711 Atlantic Ave. Boston, Massachusetts
• Membership: $30/day; Full $300/month; Dedicated $600/month
• Physical Net Space: 99,500 sq ft

11. Coop, Chicago, Illinois

Moving back up towards the great lakes in Chicago, Illinois we can find Coop. This downtown Chicago coworking space has desks open and ready for rental by the day, week or month. The office is great for startups, small businesses and freelancers who need somewhere to get out and possibly collaborate with others.

The pricing is much more affordable than you might think compared with other cities. $20/day is great because not all freelancers are interested in keeping themselves in a coworking space for the month. And why pay for a monthly membership if you won’t even be using it?

The office space is open Monday-Friday from 9AM to 5PM and you can find out more details from their webpage on Desktime.

Signup is very easy and only requires a few minutes. You can even drop down into the offices one afternoon and schedule for some desk time. Coop is an excellent solution for those living around Chicago. And there are plenty of other freelancers in a similar situation who would often be more than happy to bounce ideas and collaborate.

Overview/Summary

• Website: http://coworkchicago.com/
• Location: 230 West Superior Street, Chicago, Illinois
• Membership: $20/day basic; $350/month full membership
• Physical Net Space: 5,500 sq ft

12. Indie Ballard, Seattle, Washington

The Indie Ballard coworking space found in Seattle, Washington is another west coast dream. It provides a wonderfully open-ended working space with plenty of other creative professionals. It is a fantastic solution for those who ride their bicycle, with plenty of storage and alternate parking available. Dedicated workspaces are also available with flat daily payments or monthly rates.

Interestingly the Indie Ballard coworking space received a walkscore of 98-out-of-100. This means you can walk directly from the office to a wide number of services like restaurants, gyms, parks, grocery stores, even arts & crafts stores too. The location itself could not be more perfect for a working environment in downtown Seattle.

Check out the membership and availability page to find out more about joining. The coworking office has plenty of space, but it isn’t open ended for everybody. There is a limit to the number of people who can fit comfortably within the office. As of writing this article the membership catalog is currently full. However those who are interested may get in touch and sign up for the waitlist.

Overview/Summary

• Website: http://www.indieballard.com/
• Location: 5228 20th Ave NW, Seattle, Washington
• Membership: part-time $225/month; full-time $350/month
• Physical Net Space: 4,100 sq ft

13. Affinity Lab, Washington, DC

If we move back onto the east coast in the capital of Washington, DC we can look into Affinity Lab. This unique coworking space was founded in the year 2000 which means it has been standing and running for well over a decade. It is a very collaborate culture with easy access for sharing information and asking questions to others around the office.

The Affinity Labs facility is offered to members 24/7 with all the common office features. These include conference rooms, a kitchen area, printer/scanner/fax, whiteboards, and even a personal mailing address. Working out of Affinity Labs really does feel like this is your office space. The price of full-time membership is very steep, but you are also granted a lot more freedom in comparison to other offices.

Those who are around the area might consider just checking out the building with a quick tour. There are so many different things to see, it may be tough to decide if you are just getting interested in coworking. Also check out some of the hosted events which are frequently held after hours in the various office rooms.

Overview/Summary

• Website: http://www.affinitylab.com/
• Location: 20 U Street NW, Washington, DC
• Membership: Virtual $325/month; Shared Desk $525/month; Full Member $895/month
• Physical Net Space: 5,000 sq ft

14. Kleverdog, Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California is typically known as the home to Hollywood writers and actors. But there are also many tech startups, media companies, and freelancers who are working out of this area. Introducing Kleverdog which is a rarity among other coworking spaces within LA. The office is equipped with 20 full desks and the other typical office supplies like a projector and offset private conference rooms.

The working hours are Monday-Friday running from 8:30AM to 5:30PM. However full-time members will have 24/7 access when they need it. This is almost too perfect for those who are working freelance jobs and need to get a lot of stuff completed during the night time. The Kleverdog pricing starts at only $20/day which can be a good choice if you are trying to see what coworking is all about.

As with many other spaces you can find plenty of events and social programs held from within Kleverdog. These are not as common as people using the working space itself, but check out their events calendar to see if anything interesting may be coming up. Also the coworking space runs an online blog with updates for members and potential signups alike.

Overview/Summary

• Website: http://kleverdogcoworking.com/
• Location: 418 Bamboo Lane, Los Angeles, CA
• Membership: Drop-in $20/day; Flexible $200/mo; Studio Desk $300/mo; Personal Office $800/mo
• Physical Net Space: 6,400 sq ft

15. Paragraph, New York

My last example from New York City is the coworking space Paragraph. The name itself is definitely unique and stands out among many other creatively named spaces. This coworking space is marketed as a quiet place for writers to get some work done. The luxurious interior is coupled with desks and private rooms for dedicated members.

The site itself is located on 14th street in the 4th floor of their office building. The space is quite roomy and does have that author/writer feeling to it. Paragraph is a much better choice for freelancers than creative teams because of the freedom to roam and setup your own working area. It is also open 24/7/365 for any writers who just need to get some work completed.

You can read more about Paragraph from their about page. The site is not your typical coworking space as it does require filling out your application and waiting for a response from the team. Again it is not a huge working space, but the amount of room is perfect for a collection of writers just trying to get stuff done.

Overview/Summary

• Website: http://www.paragraphny.com/
• Location: 35 West 14th Street Floor #3, New York, NY
• Membership: Part-time $133/month; Full-time $178/month
• Physical Net Space: 2,500 sq ft

16. Miami Shared, Miami, Florida

The downtown area of Miami, Florida is home to a beautiful coworking space named Miami Shared. The space is open Monday-Friday from 9AM to 7PM for typical working hours. The offices really look like any typical startup office space, and there is plenty of room for a collection of young teams or individuals.

Their website claims that Miami Shared is more of a home + cafe + office for small businesses and freelancers. It does include all the typical office amenities like a coffee machine, projectors, copier, printer, and even a couple of plasma televisions. This modern office is perfect for busy creatives living near southern Florida who want to jump into coworking head-first.

Everything within Miami Shared is perfect to get your self esteem rising to finish off that final product. Their membership fees can get expensive when you are looking to purchase your own private office. But just for dropping in you can get away with even $35/day to share the coworking space. Take a peek at the site FAQ to answer any other questions you may have.

Overview/Summary

• Website: http://www.miamishared.com/
• Location: 990 Biscayne Blvd. Office #503, Miami, Florida
• Membership: Shared Space $195/month; Dedicated Desk $295/month; Private Office $695/month
• Physical Net Space: 8,000 sq ft

17. Thinkspace, Redmond, Washington

Redmond, Washington is about 20 minutes inland away from Seattle. This is another big city which is actually home to the Microsoft Headquarters. It also has the brilliant coworking office Thinkspace located in the same downtown area. The direct location near Microsoft’s campus is very inspiring for new tech companies and startups.

The workspace itself features private offices and conference rooms for teams to gather and share information. It is a wonderful solution for startups which are just not close enough to Seattle, yet still want to consider a solution for coworking.

Individual freelancers and telecommuters may also like this space for its wide open interior design and the location to many other restaurants and shops in the downtown area.

You can read more about the Thinkspace coworking details which discusses the office spaces and the many helpful people within their community. Thinkspace is a very large area which can house plenty of creative professionals and teams within the industry. You will have access to a wide assortment of designers, developers, and business people who would be quite competent to answer questions if you have them.

Overview/Summary

• Website: http://thinkspace.com/
• Location: 8201 164th Ave NE, Suite 200. Redmond, Washington
• Membership: Drop-in $30/day; Full-time $425/month; Full-time + Personal Desk $575/month
• Physical Net Space: 33,424 sq ft

18. Oficio, Boston, Massachusetts

Oficio in downtown Boston is your home office away from home. This coworking space has all the typical office supplies you would need and boasts a large capacity of over 40 different seating arrangements. Oficio is great for individuals and freelancers who need an office space to get started or finish up some of their work.

The coworking space is open Monday-Friday from 8AM to 7PM, which in my opinion are very flexible hours. You can even stop by for a daily work pass which costs only $25/day. The Oficio workspace features very high ceilings with bright lighting, phone booths, private bathrooms, and its own kitchen area with related appliances. You can even find videos of the interior on the Oficio YouTube page.

One of the best reasons to start with Oficio is their flexible pricing rates. You can sign up for a small monthly account of only $99/month and gradually increase from there. The offices include your own personal mailbox and plenty of gourmet coffee. I’d recommend anybody in the Boston area who has an interest in coworking to check out their website and see what you think.

Overview/Summary

• Website: http://myoficio.com/
• Location: 30 Newbury Street 3rd Floor, Boston, Massachusetts
• Membership: Day Pass $25/day; Part-Time $199/month; Full-Time $329/month
• Physical Net Space: 2,300 sq ft

19. Independents Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

For those who are unfamiliar with American history, Independence Hall is the location where both the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were discussed, heavily debated, and eventually put together.

Independents Hall is a coworking space in the same city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania using a cute play-on-words. The community of workers includes designers, writers, web developers, marketers, entrepreneurs, game developers, and so much more.

This diverse culture opens up worlds of opportunity for working with creative individuals in almost any field. Inside the offices you will find 35 desks with a conference room, lounge area, and plenty of free coffee. The typical office hours are Monday-Friday 9AM-6PM with 24/7 access available to full-time members. The coworking office space is very flexible and rates start at only $25/day for newcomers.

There must be a small yet bustling startup scene within Philadelphia but there are certainly a lot of other freelancers, too. The reason Indy Hall can work so flexibly is because of the myriad of different positions and workers willing to come in and fill the gap. Check out their pricing details and see if Indy Hall might be a fruitful coworking experience.

Overview/Summary

• Website: http://indyhall.org/
• Location: 22 N. 3rd St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Membership: Day Pass $25/day; Lite $175/month; Full $275/month
• Physical Net Space: 2,100 sq ft

20. The Enclave, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs is a city based about an hour away from Denver, but it has its own bustling community of freelancers and young startups on the scene. One inspiring coworking space named The Enclave is located right within the heart of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The office space is open mostly to individuals but it can function as a team environment, too.

Surprisingly there are also a large number of social events hosted within the Enclave offices. The calendar itself is always getting updated so check back when you have the time. You can find both the office e-mail and phone number on their website for getting in touch with the staff. Also the member directory listing may be of interest to see who else has been apart of Enclave.

For people living in or around Denver you might consider Density or The Hive as alternatives. But Colorado Springs is also home to plenty of creative individuals who might be in need of a nice office outside the home.

Enclave is very affordable starting at just $15/day and moving up towards $200/month as a full-time member. If you might be interested to join The Enclave simply get in touch and let them know your project details. The community is wonderful and you may be surprised at how much you can learn by working around other talented professionals.

Overview/Summary

• Website: http://enclavecoop.com/
• Location: 2121 Academy Circle, Suite 104 Colorado Springs, Colorado
• Membership: Nomad $15/day; Gypsy $50/week; Full-Time $140/month; Permanent Desk $200/month
• Physical Net Space: 10,272 sq ft

Closing

Although there are far more coworking spaces to be found inside of America, this is a diverse collection spanning many of the bigger cities. From east coast to west coast you can find new companies and freelancers coordinated together working inside these office spaces.

The price is a lot cheaper than purchasing your own office space, and you’ll frequently get to work with some very interesting people. If you have any similar thoughts or ideas on the article feel free to share with us in the discussion area below.

When it comes to homescreen customization, Android really owns iPhone in all aspects. You can change every app icon, add weather widgets, calendar and clock widgets to the homescreen and even change the way you can multitask or switch between different apps. You can do a lot on an Android, and even more with a rooted one, but one cool thing unique to Android devices are live wallpapers.

Here is a list of 25 beautiful Android live wallpapers that you can download and use on your device. Most of them have support for portrait and landscape mode which means you can also use them on your Android tablet. Some even interact to your swipes and taps as you navigate on the homescreen.

Do note that there’s a minor compromise to your battery life with these moving live wallpapers, however once you give it a shot, it might be worth it.

Recommended Reading: 40 Really Cool Android Home Screens For Your Inspiration

iOS7 Fantasy. A wallpaper mimicking the look and feel of the iOS 7 background. [Download]

Lantern Festival 3D. A scene set on a serene, oriental background with Chinese lanterns that float on the water before flying off into the distance. [Download]

Thunderstorm Free. A non-stop action live wallpaper showing you a raging thunderstorm. [Download]

Panoramic Screen. Use your own wide pictures with this tweak to give it a panoramic view that moves as you navigate your homescreen. [Download]

Photosphere. Select photosphere images from your device and use it as a moving background, sensitive to touch and tilt, for your homescreen. [Download]

Ocean. Watch as gentle waves fill your screen and a fitting sunset that ends a good day. [Download]

Falling Leaves. Trees with falling leaves are set against a cloudy sky near sunset. [Download]

Koi Free. Get these colorful Koi fish swimming in a pond on your homescreen! [Download]

Forest HD. A scenic forest lit up by sunrays penetrating through the top with moving wildlife at every corner. [Download]

Tiny Farm. A game right on your home screen that changes according to the time where you can feed animals and build your barn. [Download]

Forest World. A beautiful view of the forest that simultaneously scrolls as you swipe through different pages on your homescreen. [Download]

Galaxy S4 Drop. Simulates tiny raindrops falling onto your screen. [Download]

Psychedelic Prairie. Teleport to a fairy world where clouds move in the distance while fireflies light up the field. [Download]

Earth HD Free. A 3D wallpaper where you can swipe your display and move the view of earth from space. [Download]

Galaxy S3/S4. The famous picture of the dandelion on Galaxy S3 i snow turned into a live wallpaper featuring flying seeds. [Download]

Photo FX. Watch as the photos from your device drop in one at a time to fill up your entire screen. [Download]

Sun Rise Free. Wake up to a beautiful sunrise on your phone with silhouettes of trees and birds flying above. [Download]

Under the Sea. An interactive wallpaper with tons of marine life like starfish, seashells and other ocean creatures, perfect for a sea lover. [Download]

Water Drop. Watch Water ripple effects as you touch and swipe your screen. Also works with your own pictures. [Download]

aniPet Aquarium. Turn your display into an aquarium where you can feed and grow 180 different species of fish. [Download]

Snowfall Free. A good Christmas theme for your Android that features gentle snowflakes falling on swaying pine trees. [Download]

Nothern Lights (Aurora) Free. An animated view of the beautiful northern lights moving on your screen. [Download]

Planets n Stars. Watch as planets and stars move about on your homescreen against different galaxy backgrounds. [Download]

GyroSpace 3D Free. View colored nebulas and planets in space that move according to your device’s gyroscope. [Download]

Nexus Revamped. Colored lines that move on your screen and reacts to touch. [Download]

In our previous post, we have shown you how to customize checkbox and radio input using CSS. One constraint from this technique, however, is browser compatibility. The effect will not appear in Internet Explorer 8 and earlier IE versions, as the :checked pseudo-class is not supported in those browsers. So, it is not a perfect fit solution for every case.

Today, we are going to explore another route to achieve a similar result using a jQuery plugin called iCheck.

Recommended Reading: Building A Step-By-Step Guide Using Intro.js [Tutorial]

Basic Usage

To run iCheck, we need jQuery 1.6 or newer, and once you have included these libraries in your HTML document, add this line to initialize the plugin functionality.

 $('input').iCheck(); 

iCheck will search for every radio and checkbox, and wrap them within a <div> element. The other input elements such as text and textarea will be simply ignored.

 <div class="iradio"> <input type="radio" id="radio"> </div> <div class="icheckbox"> <input type="checkbox" id="checkbox"> </div> 

Furthermore, iCheck will also append a class into the wrapper <div> upon certain conditions such as hover, checked and focus, like so:

 <div class="iradio checked hover"> <input type="radio" id="radio"> </div> <div class="icheckbox checked"> <input type="checkbox" id="checkbox"> </div> 

From this point, you can customize the input "look" using these classes in your stylesheet.

Skins

Well, not everyone is excellent in CSS. Fortunately, the iCheck’s author has provided several beautiful skins with a set of colors to choose. The following screenshot shows my favourite, Square skin.

The skins are provided along with the downloadable package. To use, simply link the appropriate stylehsheet like within your document. Given Square skin as the example, you can add the stylesheet as follows:

 <link rel="stylesheet" href="css/square/orange.css"> 

Replace the stylesheet name to one that is provided such as blue.css, pink.css, and red.css to change the color. Best of all, these skins are retina-ready, meaning that it looks great in both normal and high-resolution screen.

Further Customization

For more advanced users, you can use the Options provided to customize the markup that is generated by iCheck. Let’s say you only want to select and customize the radio input, you can specify it using the handle option, as follows.

 $('input').iCheck({ handle: 'radio' });

icheckbox and iradio is the default class given in the div wrapper. But, we are allowed to change this class into something else by using the checkboxClass and radioClass. Here is an example:

 $('input').iCheck({ checkboxClass: 'mycheckbox', radioClass: 'myradio' });

In case these are not enough for you, you can further customize the ouput classes for input states ( such as hover, checked, focus, etc) by using:

• checkedClass
• disabledClass
• hoverClass
• focusClass

For me, the default value of these options is just fine, and I don’t see it require much changes for use.

Final Thought

As we mentioned earlier in this post, CSS technique might not be your best solution, particularly if older browsers are of concern. So, using a jQuery plugin may serve as the better option. All in all, iCheck is a great jQuery plugin with several ready-to-use and beautiful skins, customizable options, and lightweight.

So, what can we ask more for such a plugin? Head over to the official page to see it in action: iCheck.

Boombotix created a ultraportable speaker called Boombot Rex which enables users to take along and share music wherever they go. It was a successful Kickstarter project that went $100k over its initial goal.

Boombot Rex is built with a ruggedized high-impact ABS shell which gives it the protection required for a life on the go. It’s small for a speaker but not exactly small enough to fit in your pocket. It does however have a sturdy clip for you to clip it onto a bag strap.

Recommended Reading: 10 Hottest ‘Top-To-Toe’ Wearable Gadgets

Design & Features

The rubbery feel of the Rex together with the edges of the hexagonal body makes for an easy grip. The device measures in at 85 mm x 80 mm and is 54 mm thick and weighs about 180 g.

Here, you can clearly see the two 36 mm drivers behind the front grill. The bass woofer is hidden within the body; it is a 2.1 speaker system.

Above the clip at the back of the device are 3 buttons and a toggle switch to switch the device on or off.

Of the three buttons, two are for volume control while a third has multiple functions including playing, pausing, skipping to the next track (double tap), initiating Siri on iOS (hold down) and even answer calls with its built-in noise-cancelling microphone.

Under the clip, you’ll find 3 jacks: one is to enable charging of the Rex via micro-USB, the second, a line in and the third, a line out. The line in allows you to use the speaker with a device without Bluetooth. The line out lets you plug multiple Rex speakers in a daisy chain or other speakers simultaneously.

Setup

Setup can be done by pairing up your device’s Bluetooth settings to the Rex, or connecting with the provided line in cable.

We tested our Rex on an Android device, where it worked without flaw. On iOS, it even shows a battery indicator (next to the iPhone’s battery indicator) and has Siri integration.

The full-color LED shows colors for different meanings: a blinking blue indicates that it’s ready to pair, a solid blue means pairing is successful. Green indicates charging (2 hours), while red indicates that there is less than 10% battery life left. The device will automatically shut itself off after a few minutes of non-activity.

Sound Quality

The speakers are tuned to have a bit more treble than bass which we think makes it better for instrumental or acoustic tunes as these genres are not ‘flooded’ with a heavy bass. However, for such a small and protable device, there’s plenty of bass to go around.

As expected, the sound quality using the line in is slightly better than just via Bluetooth, but it’s only noticeable when played at the maximum volume.

The 2.1 speaker system really packs a punch. At its loudest, it can be heard from 30 ft or more indoors, which is almost as far as the Bluetooth range (25-40ft) of the speaker.

The Rex also has certified IP53 water-resistance that lets you use it during a light rain or snow; just don’t submerge it underwater. It’s available in a variety of colors and a few customized styles that are limited edition.

What’s In The Box?

Users receive a micro-USB charging cable, a 1-meter male-to-male 3.5 mm jack cable, a slightly shorter male-to-male 3.5 mm jack retractable cable, a Boombotix sticker and a simple user guide.

What’s Hot

• Lasts 6 hours on a single charge.
• Long Bluetooth range with high quality music playback.
• Sturdy rubberized exterior with light snow and water resistance.
• Line in for devices without Bluetooth.
• Line out to daisy chain multiple Rex’s or other speakers.
• Better iOS support with battery indicator and Siri integration.

What’s Not

• Not submersible in water.
• Arctic White Rex easily attracts dirt due to rubberized surface.

The Boombot Rex is available on the Boombotix online store for $119, or $129 for the limited edition designs. The Rex comes with a one-year warranty.