RefreshingApps.com

FWAPhoto is a new project that launched today from the same people as theFWA who have been showcasing online creativity since 2000. The idea behind FWAPhoto is simple one photo per day:

We will showcase one photograph every day via the website, the iPhone and you have the option to save your favourite photos to your LightBoxer to enjoy as a screensaver on your desktop.

LightBoxer is the Adobe AIR application part of the FWAPhoto offering, a way to have extremely high quality photography showcased upon your desktop everyday as a screensaver.

Users can register to comment upon photos and then choose which photos they want to appear in the LightBoxer AIR app.

The AIR application allows you to choose when the screensaver should fire options from 1 minute to 1 hour are available. The type of photos are also chosen from todays photograph, five randomly picked photos or your favourite photos which requires you to login.

Design eye

As is to be expected the FWAPhoto site and application have a great presence opting for a contrasting black and white scheme. The typography is nice and the palette really makes the photos standout, especially when a new photo slides into view and the background fades back towards black again.

One of the first things you notice is when you start the app you can’t move or resize the window – basically annoying. I know that it is a screensaver and when running it will take over you screen (single screen only it does not work over dual screens yet), however don’t assume that I want it sat in the middle of my screen.

When running the screen saver is minimal and makes the most of showcasing the great photos that are available. Moving the mouse or hitting the keyboard resumes normal play.

Please put a minimise button onto the LightBoxer settings window, I want it sat out of the way not commanding center stage on my desktop.

Technical eye

Built using Adobe Flash and the Adobe AIR SDK.

In Summary

A nice application that needs a few tweaks to get spot on. It is worth remembering that it is a compliment to the FWAPhoto website and there is also an iPhone application too.

This is the first type of screensaver I have seen on Adobe AIR and with the regular high quality photos that will be showcased it won’t get boring. Worth the install, even more if you like good quality photos.