iconifier.net creates the Apple Launcher icons with the file names that devices expect, so there's no need to specify the icon locations in your HTML.
Transparency for PNG and GIF files are preserved.
The favicon file is created with multiple embedded sizes of 16 x 16, 24 x 24, 32 x 32, 48 x 48 and 64 x 64 so the optimum quality favicon will be displayed. This is increasingly important as retina screens and modern web browsers embrace higher resolution icons.
Uploads and downloads are all done simply from one screen. The created icons can be download individually or all together in one easy ZIP file that includes a folder so that icons aren't strewn across your desktop or elsewhere when the file is expanded.
A ReadMe page at: http://iconifier.net/readme has instructions on where to upload the icons you generate.
The ReadMe page includes links and more information about favicons and Apple Launcher icons and reasons why I felt the need to improve on the existing icon generator websites.
I'm very grateful to Chris Jean for sharing his excellent PHP-ICO tool which can now be found on GitHub. PHP-ICO enables favicon files to be created with PHP and the GD library only.
If you find the tool useful, please use the links on iconifier.net to share on your favourite social networks.
As a web developer, I am always learning about new technology and new ways to do things.
I was especially motivated during 2012 after discovering the free Nibbler test tool by Silktide. Nibbler analyses submitted websites and provides a free report and a score out of 10 on how well the website is put together including accessibility, technology, social networking and so on. Websites are awarded badges based on the Nibbler findings such as "W3C Compliant", "HTML5", "Well Linked" and so on.
Nibbler is used by developers all over the world and thousands of websites have been tested.
Developers can claim websites and earn badges (examples at right) and a score of their own. Add a leaderboard into the mix and it can become quite competitive and addictive!
So Nibbler did influence me learning more about quite a few things in 2012 including:
These are all useful things to know and have motivated me to continue improving both my own websites and client websites.
During the end of year break, I took the opportunity to work on my own http://webilicious.com.au website, updating to a responsive HTML5 Joomla Template together with a few other minor adjustments.
The website made it into the Nibbler "Top 50" for a while which I am very pleased with.
These extra points and some other badges boosted my own score and catapulted me into the Top 10!
Thanks to Nibbler and Silktide for making learning more fun than usual!
January 2013 Update: I made it to 2nd highest scoring Nibbler user!
Note that the free Nibbler test tool only tests five pages of each website. Silktide also have a commercial tool, Sitebeam that tests all the pages on your website.
It is so nice to work with someone efficient and who communicates well!