Version 4.0 of The Iconfactory’s tool for measuring, inspecting, and testing layouts and graphics on OS X has been released today, adding powerful new features for designers and developers.

We’ve covered xScope on MacStories before, and the new release adds an Overlay feature to check alignments and mockups over a browser (useful when working on responsive designs) and a Text palette to “search, decipher, and reformat text and character glyphs”. xScope works with Retina displays and many of the app’s existing functionalities have been redesigned and updated to have faster performance, more flexibility (just take a look here), and Yosemite support.

I’m no designer, but I’ve used xScope before and I know it’s a solid app; I’ve downloaded the trial from The Iconfactory’s website, and the changes in this version look fantastic. For a limited time, you can get xScope 4.0 at $24.99 (50% off) on the Mac App Store.

From the Tokens blog:

With Tokens 1.2 we’re introducing Campaigns. As well as the convenient URLs we’ve always had for sharing and tracking individual promo codes, you can now add multiple codes to a campaign and use a single URL to share them. When a user clicks redeem on a campaign page we vend them an individual token, prioritising ones that are closer to their expiration date, and use cookies to prevent refreshing from using up more codes.

Originally launched in 2012, Tokens lets developers generate promo codes from iTunes Connect easily, without logging into the website using a browser. The app can keep track of codes that have been redeemed by users, and, personally, I’m always happy to come across Tokens links as they instantly open iTunes’ redeem page and I don’t have to copy & paste anything.

The new Campaigns feature sounds interesting and easier for developers to keep track of, and I like the idea of Passbook support for WWDC. With the update, Tokens is also getting a new pricing model and different limitations in the trial version. You can read the details here.

Great collection of motion patterns in iPhone user interfaces by Grant Liddall (via iOS Dev Weekly and collected from Capptivate):

Steer clear of distracting or even confusing the user with too much animation, Subtlety is key. It should be used to maintain or help focus. Not take it away. Also don’t over elaborate aspects such as screen transitions. This becomes increasingly frustrating to the user over time. Or if they are simply left waiting for what seems like “forever”.

Since iOS 7 came out, I’ve seen developers who failed to acknowledge the new OS’ reliance on context through motion and, on the other end of the spectrum, those who implemented too many heavy-handed transitions and animations that always become gaudy and detrimental to the user experience after a few days. Even Apple is guilty of this with some of the animations throughout the OS.

As usual, it’s hard to balance the abundance of available tools with good design, but the best iOS 7 apps are the ones that meaningfully rely on motion when necessary, not just because it looks good or new.