George Lucas Declares Star Wars Franchise Finished

Star Wars fans, take a deep breath and make sure you’re sitting down. George Lucas, creator of the greatest space saga of all time, has declared that the Star Wars franchise is finished…FOREVER.

TMZ caught the celebrated filmmaker outside of Los Angeles restaurant Toast, asking when fans could expect the next installments of the franchise. Judging from Lucas’ answer, it looks like the series will be frozen in carbon for the rest of time.

What we really want to know, however, is how did he get that awesome parking spot?!

Top 10 Animation/VFX Tools of the Year

We left it up to our readers to pick their favorite animation and vfx tools/software packages of the year. Here are the terrific 10 items that earned the most votes, in alphabetical order:

3ds Max (3D Studio Max) ’09. Employed in many of the top Hollywood film productions, videogames and TV commercials, but also priced for the home studio, this full-featured 3D modeling, animation, rendering and effects solution has everything you need to create high-quality content. The latest version, 3ds Max 9, offers new rendering capabilities, improved interoperability with industry-standard products including Revit software, lighting simulation and analysis technology, and additional time-saving animation and mapping workflow tools. The software now comes in two distinct flavors to better meet the specific needs of entertainment and visualization customers. In addition, greater OBJ translation fidelity and more import/export options allow for more accurate data transfers between 3ds Max and digital modeling packages, including the new Autodesk Mudbox software. Suggested retail price is $3,495, with upgrades from 3ds Max 2008 going for approximately $895.

Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master Collection. Adobe has crammed a bunch of its popular software applications into this little box. This comprehensive, cross-media creative environment offers users a wide variety of options for designing print, interactive, web, film, video and mobile content. Integrating new versions of widely used Adobe software, the suite allows artists to design freely with images, vectors, video and sound, moving easily from page to screen. The Master Collection combines Adobe InDesign CS4, Photoshop CS4 Extended, Illustrator CS4, Acrobat 9 Pro, Flash CS4 Professional, Dreamweaver CS4, Fireworks CS4, Contribute CS4, After Effects CS4, Premiere Pro CS4, Soundbooth CS4, OnLocation CS4 and Encore CS4 with additional tools and services. You get all that for $2,499, or upgrade for $899.

Blender. Developed as an in-house application by Dutch animation studio NeoGeo and Not a Number Technologies (NaN), Blender is a free, open-source 3D content creation suite available for all major operating systems under the GNU General Public License. It may not have all the same bells and whistles of leading packages such as Max and Maya, but this software is a great value considering what it costs’nothing. Students, independents, hobbyists and even professionals can take advantage of Blender’s tools for modeling, rigging, animation, rendering, UV unwrapping, shading, physics and particles, imaging and compositing, and realtime 3D/game creation. Blender can be downloaded from www.blender.org, where visitors will find educational materials and support, as well as an online community of users.

DigiCel FlipBook. Many of our readers wrote in to tell us how easy it is to create 2D animation and line tests with this classic number. FlipBook allows animators to draw right on the computer using their mouse or tablets, or draw on paper, then shoot the rough sketches under a camera for speed, then scan the cleaned up drawings for quality. You can also paint the drawings quickly and add pans and zooms and then export the movies on the web. You can download the entry-level program for $79, the midrange version for $299 and the high-end professional program (1,500 frames and 99 foreground layers) for $699. As one of the software’s fans noted, ‘What I like about FlipBook that you feel like it was made with the animator in mind!’

e-on’s Vue 7 xStream. This product from e-on Software offers professional CG artists a complete toolset for creating rich and realistic natural environments and integrating them into any professional production pipeline, including 3ds Max, Maya, LightWave, CINEMA 4D and XSI. Possible applications for the 3D scenery program range from architectural visualization to broadcast and film. Vue offers full interaction with native elements, including two-way mutual shadow casting, reflection, refraction and lighting. The latest release is based on a totally redesigned integration approach. Among the new features is EcoSystem Generation III, featuring new Dynamic Population Technology for creating dense ecosystems that extend beyond the horizon without concern over the number of instances. There’s also a new way of viewing scenes from a graph-based point of view, MetaNodes for grouping several nodes or links into a single node, and full compatibility with mental ray technologies such as Sun & Sky, Photometric Lights and Distributed Bucket Rendering. Special offer pricing through www.e-onsoftware.com is currently $1,235.

Luxology’s modo 302. It’s hard to believe that the first version of modo was introduced at the SIGGRAPH confab more than four years ago. Since then, the advanced polygon, subdivision surface, modeling, sculpting, 3D painting, animation and rendering package has made believers out of many in the community. This brilliant tool helps artist create realist objects quickly, while incorporating advanced features such as n-gons, 3D painting and edge weighting. The current version offers tool updates, more rendering and animation features, and a physical sky and sun model. Oh, and don’t forget that some of the artists working on this little indie movie called WALL’E used modo to deliver the goods this past summer!

Maya ’09. Once the crown jewel in Alias|Wavefront’s arsenal of digital creation tools, Maya is now a sibling of Autodesk’s 3ds Max. Maya ’09 launched just in time to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the popular 3D modeling, animation, rendering and effects solution. Highlights of the latest release include a new Maya Assets toolset and other new tools for managing the complexity and size of scenes, a new Render Proxy feature in mental ray, additional multi-threading work and algorithmic speedups, accelerated modeling workflow and collaborative, iterative projects and pipelines. The software has a new animation layering paradigm that provides animators with increased non-destructive flexibility, as well as an updated Render Pass toolset that offers precise control over render output and optimizes integration with Autodesk Toxik procedural compositing software. The suggested retail price is $1,995 for Maya Complete 2009 (standalone) and $4,995 for Maya Unlimited 2009 (standalone). The upgrade price from Maya Complete 2008 is $899, and the upgrade from Maya Unlimited 2008 is $1,249.

Pixologic’s ZBrush 3.1. It’s not surprising that many of today’s 3D artists, game developers and CG model supervisors have embraced this leading software application. The 3.1 version offers a new Brush Palette and features such as color mask and back-face masking, as well as poseable symmetry, user-assigned hotkeys, support of square alphas, refined user interface and higher subdivision levels. This slickly integrated modeling, texturing and illustration environment also offers instant feedback and real-time response’kind of like a friendly teacher (priced at $599) you can count on when you need to deliver a challenging digital sculpting assignment!

Toon Boom Software. Our readers had a hard time picking among the Montreal-based company’s family of various products, but one thing they all agreed on was that the Emmy-winning solutions have made 2D animation much easier and user-friendly. Whether they’re aimed at home users (Toon Boom Studio), boutique shops, freelancers and educators (Toon Boom Animate or Toon Boom Digital Pro) or traditional film/TV industry studios (Toon Boom Opus and Harmony), they’ve been hugely influential in the creation of modern animation projects in the past two decades. They even have a great model for beginners’Flip Boom, which is ideal for learning the basics. Keep in mind that some of the notable 2D animated features of recent years (The Triplets of Belleville, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie andCurious George) used Toon Boom software in their pipelines!

Wacom Cintiq 12WX. Aaaah, Wacom tablet, how do we love thee. It’s easy to admire the beautiful design, the 12.1′ TFT display and the way the 4.4 pound gizmo offers the advantages of a wide-format LCD monitor with Wacom’s pro pen technology. We could mention the point accuracy, the fast cursor control and the 1,000-plus levels of pressure-sensitivity on the pen tip and eraser, but once you take a look at the 12WX, the heart takes over the mind. Most important of all, you can take this small wonder home for only a grand.

The 20 Best CMS For 2012

A content management system (CMS) is a platform that facilitates management of digital text and media as well as a collaborative approach. A web content management system (WCMS) is a CMS specifically tailored to websites, and a website management system (WMS) is a WCMS that includes modules for e-commerce, communication and community management. In this article, we use CMS as a general term to refer to all of these technologies.

The core benefit to a CMS is that it makes web development more efficient and productive. A CMS is particularly helpful in scenarios where a lone webmaster manages an entire site. The core difficulty with these technologies is choosing the right platform. There are many diverse options, and they’re all constantly evolving. In order to give you a head start, we provide this look at the twenty best web-oriented content management systems for 2012:

1. WordPress

WordPress has humble origins as a PHP-based blogging platform, but it has since developed into one of the most powerful and feature-rich CMSs available. WordPress is free and open source, and it boasts a massive and diverse community. That robust community is the driving force behind achieving the great potential of WordPress’s extensive template and plug-in architecture.

2. Joomla

Joomla is a free and open-source CMS, and it distinguishes itself with a wide array of sophisticated functionality. Early on, WordPress was clearly the more user-friendly platform, but Joomla has closed that gap considerably, and through a layered approach, it’s now one of the easiest and most intuitive systems to use. Joomla also has more than 3,000 extensions, and it’s particularly rewarding to developers who invest the time in achieving an intermediate and greater skill level.

3. Drupal

Drupal is a free, open-source CMS and content management framework (CMF). Drupal is extensive and advanced, and like WordPress, it has a huge and active community. Technically, Drupal is more of a pure CMS than either WordPress or Joomla, which are both blog-centric. However, it does have blog features, such as profiles, user blogs, forums and support for OpenID, but it isn’t as blog-friendly out of the box.

4. Business Catalyst

For this list, we focused chiefly on non-hosted, non-remote CMS solutions, but Adobe’s Business Catalyst is an exception. What sets Business Catalyst apart is how aware it is of visitors and customers. As an e-commerce solution, this is simply the most sophisticated feature set available, and it has data-mining functionality that you can’t find elsewhere. The downside is that it’s a bit rigid, and updates come slower than they do with an open system.

5. Movable Type

At one point, Movable Type (MT) was in the discussion with WordPress, but MT eventually faded in popularity due to its cost and license. Modern MT is free and open source, and it has slowly made a comeback. It’s a powerful blog-centric CMS, and it has a community that nearly rivals that of WordPress. MT is a solid alternative to WordPress, and it’s worthwhile to perform a live comparison of the two.

6. Magento

Magento is an e-commerce-centric CMS. It’s available as a deployed or hosted solution, and there’s a free, open-source version as well as a premium, licensed edition. The most powerful aspect of Magento is the ability to start with the free version and then graduate to the premium edition when traffic and sales call for that type of performance and support. The Magento community is robust and thriving, and that distinguishes it from many other licensed solutions.

7. CMS Made Simple

CMS Made Simple, which has a recursive acronym, is free for personal and commercial use, and it’s extremely easy to use and learn. This system is not nearly as comprehensive and feature-rich as WordPress, Joomla or Drupal, but it’s an excellent alternative for small websites. A new user can install CMS Made Simple, and have a complete website or blog up and running in a few minutes or less.

8. ExpressionEngine

ExpressionEngine (EE) is one of the most elegant and flexible CMS solutions. From the ground up, the developers have designed it to be customizable and extensible, and it’s very intuitive and user-friendly. It’s robust directly out of the box, and for developers, it has a sophisticated template engine, including built-in versioning, custom global variables and custom queries. EE also boasts tag, template and query caching, which helps the most template-intensive EE sites stay fast and responsive.

9. Concrete5

Concrete5 is an open-source CMS that is deployable or hosted, and it distinguishes itself with a focus on inline editing. In other words, every piece of content and every UI element on a concrete5 website is editable in place. This very powerful approach to web editing allows the developers to build the site through the eyes of the visitors. Concrete5 is not as advanced as WordPress, Joomla and Drupal, but that lack of complexity makes it much more usable in some scenarios.

10. ImpressCMS

ImpressCMS is a relatively new option and it was born when the XOOPS team divided. XOOPS didn’t make our list, but it gets an honorable mention. ImpressCMS, on the other hand, makes the list due to the ImpressCMS Persistable Framework (IPF). The IPF allows for rapid development of modules, and it lets those modules to have advanced feature sets. This has allowed ImpressCMS to catch up with WordPress in terms of plug-ins, which is something most CMSs struggle to do.

11. TYPO3

TYPO3 is a free, open-source CMS that uses the GNU license. TYPO3 is fast, sophisticated, extensible and customizable. The defining aspect of TYPO3, however, is its support for a wide range of platforms. It also provides a great deal of interoperability between its platform-distinct versions. Currently, TYPO3 supports Apache or IIS running on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, FreeBSD and OS/2.

12. Textpattern

Textpattern is a free open-source cross-platform CMS. It has a reputation as a top blogging tool, but it’s also a powerful general-purpose CMS solution, and it’s deployable over a wide range of contexts. Compared to WordPress, the advantage of Textpattern is that it has a more robust article system, and it’s a bit more flexible for custom solutions. The downside is that it has a much steeper learning curve.

13. e107

The e107 CMS is a portal-centric, as opposed to blog-centric, platform. This style of CMS has fallen out of a favor to a degree, but for portal-type sites, e107 is an excellent solution. It’s also quite capable of producing websites that focus on blogs, forums and news, and it manages to distinguish itself through built-in automation as well as custom automation via scripting.

14. SilverStripe

SilverStripe is a free open-source CMS, which uses the BSD license, that has a wide range of built-in sophisticated features, including a WYSIWYG editor. One of SilverStripe’s best features is the extensible and customizable application interface. Most CMS interfaces provide access to features you’ll never use and lack access to features you’ll use all the time. SilverStripe, on the other hand, lets the developer build the administration panel so that it’s perfectly suited to that website.

15. Contao

TYPOlight was the free, open-source version of TYPO before TYPO became free and open source. When that happened, TYPOlight evolved into its own standalone project: Contao. In many ways, Contao is similar to WordPress, and it’s a viable alternative. Compared to WordPress, the main benefit of Contao is that it has a lot more integration of advanced modules right of the box, so getting an advanced website up and running is a little bit easier with Contao.

16. Wolf CMS

Wolf CMS is a free cross-platform CMS, and a fork of the Frog CMS project, which is a PHP port of the Ruby-based Radiant CMS. Frog CMS didn’t make our list, but Radiant CMS does at #19. Wolf CMS is a strong alternative to WordPress, and it has a large, thriving community. It also distinguishes itself through its high-quality integrated plug-ins. Many of these plug-ins, such as the archive, file manager, comments system and statistics mechanism, are much more advanced than are available for the other CMSs.

17. Pligg

Pligg CMS distinguishes itself by specializing in creating social publishing networks. These networks, like Digg, Mixx and Reddit, allow users to submit and promote content. These sites tend to not to display their own content, but rather display the best of the Web in an organic way. Pligg is the first CMS to take this approach to content management. It’s not nearly as sophisticated as the top options, but it shows a great deal of promise.

18. Plone

Plone is a relatively new CMS, and unlike most of the PHP-based options in this list, it uses Python and the Zope application server. Plone is perhaps the only CMS that has intranets as its core focus. It’s an awesome option for internal solutions, and used by many governments, corporations and universities. Plone is also a full-featured web solution. It boats powerful security, workflow management, automation, time-based publishing, inline editing, versioning, wiki support and more.

19. Radiant CMS

Using the MIT license, Radiant CMS is free Ruby-based CMS. Radiant CMS distinguishes itself from other CMSs, including Wolf CMS, by having a very small core. The goal here is to be able to build a CMS piece by piece specifically for the needs of a particular website. This approach is very powerful and versatile. It also demands much more effort, and designing basic sites can take much longer in Radiant than it would in WordPress, Joomla or Drupal.

20. Cushy CMS

Cushy CMS uses a similar approach to CMS Made Simple and concrete5, and in its default configuration, it requires no installation or programming. The reason we rank Cushy so much lower than its comparable is that it’s much less accessible. If simplicity is the key, then CMS Made Simple does it nearly as well without cost. If hosting is the key, concrete5 provides that as well as inline editing at less cost. Cushy is a great blend of the two, but the professional version, which allows branding, can cost more than $25 per month.

The Best Online Businesses in 2012 (And How to Get Started)

The Internet is the new frontier, and with a little ingenuity and hard work, there is a wide range of opportunities to make money online, including businesses with long-term potential.

Of course, it’s easier said than done. Many web ventures begin with a great concept, but don’t get far beyond the web hosting phase. A successful online business requires more than just a great idea, and for the new entrepreneur, it’s easy to stumble into pitfalls and bog down with the minutia.

In this article, we’ll present you with a series of high-concept business trends, ideas that are particularly well suited for small startups in the online business environment of 2012 and beyond. But first, we’ll put some verbs into our sentences by exploring what it takes to turn a great idea into an online business that actually works.

Find Your Niche

As a small business, embrace the concept of being small. Many online businesses fail simply because they try to do too much. A small business cannot be all things to all people. The way to succeed as a small business is to find a niche, cater to that niche and excel in that niche.

Let’s consider a very broad example. Later, when we discuss business trends, we’ll talk about the mobile mania that’s sweeping of society. Mobile-oriented sites are hot commodities now and for the foreseeable future. Perhaps you’d like to create a site geared toward tablet users. Rather than just being another all-purpose site for tablet aficionados, the better way to distinguish the site would be to pick a particular concept or tablet family and be the very best resource for that topic available online.

Web Hosting 101

After concept and planning, the next phase is web hosting and domain registration. Many sites, however, put the proverbial cart before the horse. The problem with doing this is that you end paying for services unnecessarily. Instead, have the concept and plan firmly in place first. Research and understand the niche, and then choose an available domain name that is memorable and has real brand potential.

The domain name aside, there’s no sense paying for something you won’t actually use yet, so start small. There’re many full-featured e-commerce web hosting plans available that cost less than $5 per month. The key here is versatility. What distinguishes the top hosts from the pack is the flexibility that they give their clients to adjust their hosting packages mid-contract. This way, you can start with just a shopping cart and basic services, and then upgrade to the more advanced services when you’ll actually be able to take advantage of them.

Design Matters

Professional web design is expensive, so most small online businesses do without. That’s all right. By taking advantage of tried and true web platforms or web builders, non-developers can create effective and professional websites quickly and easily with minimal investment.

The biggest mistake new webmasters make is reinventing the wheel. In order for any website to be effective, it has to be highly usable. In order to be user friendly, a website must have intuitive navigation, it must be visually appealing and it must engage the visitor. Once it has the visitor’s attention, it should lead them to the next article or product/service.

As a rule of thumb, simpler is better. Use an established template, or take the time to research what works for other successful sites in your niche. Your primary goal should be creating the impression of professionalism. This single biggest mistake you can make is fostering an amateurish image. A visitor will be less likely to buy from you, and they’ll be much less likely to view you as an authoritative source.

Branding

Another important aspect of good website design is a suitable logo. An appropriate logo is aesthetically pleasing, and it reflects the concepts, products or services that the business deals in. The logo must also be versatile. Beyond the home website, it should work just as well on Facebook, blogs, forums and other Internet resources.

Earlier we mentioned choosing a domain name that is memorable and has real brand potential. There also has to be synergy between the domain name and the logo, and the logo should incorporate the domain name if possible. If the business is a success, the logo and the domain name will essentially be the brand. Consumers will recognize it, and it will foster a very specific business image.

SEO Basics

SEO stands for search engine optimization, and it means fine-tuning a website so that it grades better with popular search engines like Google or Bing. SEO is a complex topic, but a webmaster doesn’t have to master it immediately. Think of SEO as a process. As you learn new skills, you can further refine the site. Take comfort in knowing that there’s no SEO mistake that can’t be undone.

With that in mind, here are ten essential SEO points:

1. Create fresh content. If the site is a store, augment it with a blog.
2. Create a sitemap, which helps indexing.
3. Monitor SEO standing; Note what works and what doesn’t.
4. Choose keywords purposefully, and never keyword stuff.
5. Use internal links to lead visitors and for SEO purposes.
6. Links should be search-engine-friendly: short and keyword-rich.
7. Avoid Flash and other objects than have little SEO value.
8. Use keyword-rich text to augment images, video and other multimedia.
9. Link to other sites, and create beneficial relationships with those sites.
10. Distribute the business through social media.

Promotion

Website promotion is a massive and complex topic, and there are many effective strategies. Here, we’re going to focus on the strategy that is most accessible to fledgling small businesses: social networking. The following effective steps are available to all websites, and they’re essentially free:

• Blog
• Facebook page
• Twitter account
• Forum presence
• Guest articles

The core goal is to engage readers. Use the blog to post content. Use Facebook to host events. Use Twitter for humor, brief news and advertisement. Integrate these mediums as much as possible. Be active in other communities related to your niche, and use that positive presence on forums and other blogs as a form of promotion. Guest articles on other blogs and article directories can be very effective. A popular technique is to create an engaging lead-in on a remote site that drives traffic to the main site.

Legal Considerations

Legal considerations will grow as your business does. There’s not much to worry about early on, but you do want to make sure that you protect yourself. For instance, never start an online business on a “free” host. This may seem harmless early on, but it can have serious implications down the road when you achieve success. To put the business in the best possible situation, pay for the domain name and web hosting.

Also, don’t choose a domain name that is contestable due to another brand. Don’t post content and media unless you have the rights to it. And if someone is stealing your content, be active about defending your rights. Contact the webmaster, then the web host and eventually the ISP. Usually, you can effectively defend your rights without having to resort to a lawsuit.

Online Business Trends in 2012

1. Blogging

Blogging is still the most lucrative and accessible small business opportunity online. The blog is the perfect platform for niche expertise, and as we mentioned earlier, niche marketing thrives online. Everyone has niche interests, and the Internet is the place where they can go to find people just like them and information that interests them. The key to successful blogging is to blog about a topic that you’re truly passionate about it. If you do it well, you can make money online writing about almost anything.

2. Affiliate Marketing

Online affiliate marketing is as old as the Internet itself, and it’s still going strong. It’s an extremely popular online business because there’re no barriers, no risk and little overhead. The biggest issue with affiliate marketing is the competition. There’s a lot of it, but fortunately, most of that competition seeks success through quantity rather quality. An affiliate marketer can distinguish itself and earn real success by trying to achieve a high conversion rate rather than a low rate on a high volume of traffic.

3. Social Networking and Media

Social networking is redefining the online business landscape and the Internet as a whole. Social media is already a multibillion dollar business, and it’s still growing. There’re a numerous opportunities for niche websites to grab a small piece of that pie, and a small piece of a multibillion dollar pie is significant. Some popular trends in this field include sites that teach social networking skills, allow users to consolidate network resources, and distribute the “best of” from various social networks.

4. Mobile Computing

The days of being chained to our desktop computer are gone. Today, we have laptops, tablets, smartphones, Internet on the go and Wi-Fi hotspots. Mobile computing is the now and the future, and there’s a great deal of opportunity for both content- and product-based websites. In terms of knowledge bases and how-to guides, there’s already a lot of broad focus. Consider specializing. The Apple iPad is a solid choice, but there’s already much competition there. Consider, instead, the very popular Toshiba Thrive. That niche is underserved, and a site that excelled there could really make a name for itself.

5. Cloud Services

As our computing opportunities become more distributed, our need for centralized storage grows. Many people have begun to use online storage services, and consumer surveys indicate that within the next five years, as many as 50 percent of everyone with Internet access will be using some form of paid-for centralized storage. The importance of this to us is that there’s a glaring need for websites that cater to these services and their consumers.

6. Consumer Assistance

Online shopping is not just the domain of the super savvy anymore. Mom and dad and even grandma and grandpa are shopping online too. So there’s a great need for websites that provide insight into retailers and potential purchases. Look at Reseller Ratings. This was a small website that filled a consumer assistance niche, and within a very short period, it evolved into one of the largest and most influential consumers sites on the Web.

7. Coupons, Deals and Reward Programs

In addition to insight into retailers and potential purchases, online consumers want to save money. Some of the hottest trending sites in 2012 are those that specialize in online coupons, deals and reward programs. One reason this trend is lower on our list is that there’re some barriers in terms of having access to the networks. However, one opportunity with few barriers and great earning potential are sites that provide honest and authentic assessments of these online shopping opportunities.

8. Online Gambling

There’s a great deal of money to be had by gambling-related websites due to the lucrativeness of the various referral programs. When the US enacted the UIGEA as part of the Safe Port Act, it changed this landscape considerably, because the advertising dollars for US customers was no longer there. That’s about to change. Soon, online poker will once again be legal in the US, and there’s already been an emergence of US-related gambling sites. Such an opportunity may not truly pay off for a couple of years or so, but 2012 is a great time to get in on the ground floor.

9. Online Gaming

Online gaming was once solely the domain of the nerd, but with much greater access, almost everyone plays some form of online game, especially from mobile devices. A particularly hot trend is websites catering to free mobile games. In addition, some gambling providers, like 888.com, have begun to blur the lines between arcades and casinos, and that’s provided websites with some lucrative affiliate opportunities.

10. Financial Fitness

The Great Depression gave rise to America’s most frugal generation, and now, recent generations have had to face some of the greatest economic hardships since then. It’s no surprise then that Americans are saving more now than they have in a long time, and many more Americans are taking a vested interest in their financial futures. Because of this, sites dedicated to personal finances have been some of the hottest trending sites over the last several years, and that trend looks to continue for the foreseeable future.

Conclusion

Start with an idea. Choose something that has value today and in the near future. More importantly, choose something that resonates with you. The key to niche marketing is passion, and if you have passion for a topic, you’ll convey that to your visitors, and it’ll be infectious. Have a plan, and take your time executing it. It’s better to post good content slowly than it is to post a lot of poor content quickly.

Some of the Best Android Apps of 2012 – So Far

Applications have come a long way, and now, a smartphone or tablet would be nothing without apps. As such, we’ve collected 25 of the best Android apps, both free and paid. From essentials to games, these apps will keep you glued to your smartphone and maybe even make your day a little better and easier.

Cut The Rope

By: Zepto Lab

---

Cut the Rope began as an iOS app in late 2010. Finally, after the Android community paciently waited in agony, Zepto Lab brought the game to Android.

The main objective of the game is to catch at least one star per level before delivering the piece of candy to Om Nom (The hungry little green monster). To get around saws, spiders, and spikes, you have to cut ropes, pop bubbles, and fly through magical hats. According to the game’s Android Market description, over 60 million people have already played Cut The Rope, and it currently holds a 4.7 star average rating.

After purchasing the game for 99 cents, you will be able to play 250 levels of Cut the Rope with “New Levels Coming Soon”. New boxes (groups of 25 levels) are released about every few months, and the game itself is highly addicting.

Price: $0.99
Requires Android: 1.6+
Download: Here

Voxer Walkie-Talkie

By: Voxer

---

Have you ever wanted to skip dialing phone numbers and waiting on hold? If your looking to turn your phone into a “push to talk” live walkie-talkie, then Voxer is the app for you.

Voxer gives your Android 2.2+ device the ability to instantly talk with your friends and family over WiFi, 3G, 4G, EDGE, etc. In addition, if you can’t talk, the voice, text, photo and location options are all seamlessly integrated into one conversation.

The app works like a real walkie-talkie. When the other person speaks, you hear it almost instantly. And if you’re not by your phone, every voice and chat message is saved for later playback. Voxer also boasts 0 advertisements and group chats. Everything is completely free and is cross-platform between iPhone and Android. Over 5 million people have downloaded the app already on Android alone. When you download Voxer, you can sync with your Facebook account to see if your friends use Voxer, and also to let them know that you now have the app.

Price: Free!
Requires Android: 2.2+
Download: Here

Speedtest.net

By: Ookla

---

It seems like a new type of  ”G” comes out every year. To see how your internet connection stacks up, Speedtest.net has always been the #1 testing program.

The app is available on all Android 1.6+ devices and is 100% free. Upon downloading Speedtest.net, you will be able to test your ping and download and upload speeds. In addition, the app automatically saves every test that you record on your device, along with the type of data connection (Wifi, 3G, etc.), the date the test took place, and all of the recorded information. Finally, if you’re all about your data speeds, Speedtest.net even allows you to export your results as a CSV right from your Android device.

 

Price: Free!

Requires Android: 1.6+
Download: Here

GifBoom

By: Tapmojo LLC

---

Do you know what GIF stands for? Niether do I. But thankfully, we have Wikipedia. The “Graphics Interchange Format” allows pictures to come to life through animation.

Gifboom takes this technology mobile in a very simple and easy to use way. The app will “Wow your friends with high-res, cool Animated GIFs!”

The app takes a bunch of pictures at a set shutter speed. Then, after you have chosen the pictures you would like to use (including access to your local photo gallery), Gifboom quickly turns those photos into an animated GIF. Finally, you can play that animation backwards and forwards in addition to “One Tap Instant sharing to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Email and MMS”.

Price: Free!
Requires Android: 2.2+
Download: Here

Shazam

By: Shazam Entertainment Limited

---

Have you ever heard a song on the radio that you just can’t remember the name of? Shazam for Android will be able to identify that song almost instantly. The app truly works like magic!

After Shazam has identified your song, you can listen to a 30 second preview, share it, play it in Spotify, get tour info, and even see full screen lyrics of the song with LyricPlay. Shazam has become so popular that you can even tag TV shows and advertisements when you see the Shazam logo. Despite there being a paid version of the app (Shazam Encore), the free version offers unlimited tagging. However, if you want to free yourself of advertisements and also contribute to the Shazam creators, you can buy the paid version for $4.99.

Price: Free/$4.99
Download Shazam Free: Here
Download Shazam Encore: Here

Light Flow

By: Rage Consulting Limited

---

One of the best yet underrated features of most Android devices is their LED notification light. Devices such as the Galaxy Nexus and original Motorola Droid feature LED notification lights. To fully unlock the potential of this notification system, you have to take control with Light Flow.

Both versions of Light Flow work without root access and support a wide variety of notification types.While the Lite version will only allow you to control the color of basic notifications (SMS, E-Mail, Missed Calls, etc.), the full version of Light Flow allows for you to customize “about 140 different notifications”. Both versions also allow for custom notifications by contact.

For an incredibly long list of the differences between the free and paid versions, follow this link.

Price: Free/$1.99
Requires Android: 2.2+
Download Light Flow Lite: Here
Download Lite Flow: Here 

SMS Popup

By: Adam K

---

Notifications are great. And now that you know how to customize the LED light with Light Flow^, SMS Popup along with Light Flow will create an incredible notification tag team.

SMS Popup is a free application that displays your incoming SMS messages in a nice “popup” dialog. In addition, the app allows for custom notifications by contact and has convenient buttons located just below the message. After receiving a message, SMS Popup puts you one click away from sending a quick reply back. Furthermore, after you close the popup box, the message is automatically marked as “read”. An optional privacy mode is available to hide the sender’s name and message contents.

 

Price: Free!
Requires Android: 1.5+
Download: Here

Chrome Beta

By: Google Inc.

---

If you’re a true fan of Android’s daddy Google, you would be quite familiar with the Chrome series. Chrome has evolved from a web browser (#2 Most Used) to an operating system (For “Chromebooks”). And now, soon after the release of Ice Cream Sandwich, Chrome has become a mobile web browser.

Chrome has become famous for its speed, simplicity, and syncing capabilities. Furthermore, Chrome Beta for Android will feature Google’s signature omnibox (The single search bar for web history, Googling stuff, bookmarks and more. Omnibox only takes up about a 1/4″ of the screen. Furthermore, if you’re familiar with Chrome, you know that above the omnibox is all of your open tabs. Google knows that you want to maximize your screen and has taken the standard tab system away. In place is a very cool swiping feature that is similar to a deck of cards. The gestures are subtle, fast, and work with an unlimited amount of tabs.

Finally, you can sync up your Google account and see all of the tabs that you have open on any other one of your Chrome devices.

Price: Free!
Requires Android: 4.0+
Download: Here

Chrome to Phone

By: Google Inc.

---

If you’re an avid Chrome user on your laptop or desktop computer, chances are that you want to be able to take your internet with you on your mobile device. Chrome Beta for Android offers the ability to see all of your open tabs on your computer. However, if you don’t have Ice Cream Sandwich, Chrome Beta is out of the picture.

Therefore, Chrome to Phone allows for you to click one button on your computer in Chrome, and the website is instantly sent to your phone as a notification. When you’re ready, simply click the notification and Chrome to Phone will open the link in your default browser on your phone. Voila! It is instant and magical.

If you are interested in sending websites in the opposite direction, from your phone to Chrome,download Phone 2 Chrome from the Android Market.

Price: Free!
Requires Android: 2.2+
Download: Here

ColorNote

By: Notes

---

A lot of people claim to have “photographic memories”. But for the rest of us, even the most important things go in one ear and out the other. ColorNote is the best notepad experience for your Android device.

ColorNote allows you to write text and checklist notes and also assign each note a different color. If you’re keeping secrets, you can also lock your notes from outsiders. Furthermore, if writing a note simply is not good enough to help you remember daily tasdks and other info, ColorNote allows you to set reminders and even pin a notification to your status bar. Finally, ColorNote even allows you to stick your notes to your homepage with the ColorNote widget.

Price: Free!
Requires Android: 1.5+
Download: Here

Movies

By: Flixster Inc.

---

When you’re out and about and away from your newspaper (the old-fashioned way to get movie times), Flixster is the #1 app to get instant movie times, movie trailers, reviews and more..

Flixster lets you search for movies by what’s coming out soon or by your favorite local movie theatre. On the way to the movie theatre, Flixster lets you play the trailer, view photos, and even rate the movie. After the movie, when you’re dying to find out when you can get the movie on DVD, Flixster has a section with a list of movies and their DVD release dates.

Price: Free!
Download: Here

PdaNet

By: June Fabrics Tech

---

Internet tethering has been around since Android 2.2 (Froyo). However, after the idea of sharing your phone’s data with other devices became popular, wireless providers started to charge a fee on top of the regular monthly fee.

The PdaNet software shares your phone’s Internet connection with your computer and does not require rooting your phone. To share with your computer, you can download the PdaNet desktop client. June Fabrics also released an application for tablets that makes it easier to share data to your Android tablet. PdaNet adds zero latency to your connection so your computer connects as fast as your phone’s Internet speed, such as 4G or even 100Mbps WiFi.

Price: Free!
Requires Android: 1.5+
Download: Here

TV Listings

By: TV24 Group

---

TV Listings is simply the best application in the Android Market for finding out what is on tv.

TV Listings supports over 13,000 channels and over 100 service providers. If you’re looking to see what is on tv later at night, this application makes it easy to check the full schedule for each channel. Once you have found your program, you can set a reminder so you don’t forget to tune in. Finally, TV Listings also displays lists that are specific to movies and sports.

Price: Free!
Requires Android: 1.6+
Download: Here

Words With Friends

By: Zynga

---

Games have always been the cornerstone of the Android Market. And being able to play with your friends has made games even more addicting than ever.

One of the most popular games in the Android Market is Words With Friends. The game has the same idea of that of Scrabble. After signing up for an account and registering with your Facebook, Word with Friends will be able to tell you which of your friends are playing.

If you enjoy word games and being able to play with your friends, Zynga has also made Hanging with Friends for Android (Hangman) and will also be releasing Scramble with Friends very soon.

Price: Free!
Download: Here

Google Music

By: Google Inc.

---

Android users have not had a definite platform for listening and buying music until now.

Google Music is a music player and storage service that lets you keep your music collection online so you can save space on your Android device. Best of all, if you’re going to be without the internet, Google Music lets you save any or all of your songs and playlists locally for offline playback. Furthermore, Google Music offers the easiest connection between the Google Music Store and your Android devices. You can also upload up to 20,000 songs straight to Google Music from your computer and listen to all of your songs and music from any internet connected device.

The Google Music interface also completely destroys its competition. Google Music is definitely the best Android music player out there.

Price: Free!
Requires Android: 2.2+
Download: Here

The Weather Channel

By: The Weather Channel

---

The Weather is unpredictable. So when you’re out and about, you need instant access to the forecast around you.

The Weather Channel is one of, if not the, best weather application on the Android Market. The app is easy to use and offers a wide variety of information. After inserting your location, The Weather Channel will instantly load the current weather. In addition to being able to add multiple cities to your home page for quick access, you can also click the “Maps” button to get a radar map with different layers and modes.

Price: Free!

Requires Android: 2.1+

Download: Here 

Flick Kick Field Goal

By: Pik Pok

---

It’s Good!

Flick Kick Field Goal is bringing all of the pressure of being a field goal kicker to the Android Market. Flick Kick has quickly become one of the most popular games in the Android Marke. Furthermore, within several game modes, the objective of the game is to flick the football in between the uprights (the two poles on the field goal). While playing the game, wind and distance will constantly be trying to knock the ball away. But with the right amount of power and angle from your finger, you can beat all 3 game modes and your friends.

Price: Free!
Requires Android: 2.0+
Download: Here 

ESPN ScoreCenter

By: ESPN Inc.

---

Calling all sports fans!

ESPN ScoreCenter will keep you up to the minute with your favorite sports teams and leagues no matter where you go. Whether it be checking live game stats and box scores, or discovering this years standings, ESPN ScoreCenter has it all for “over 100 sports leagues”.

ScoreCenter also allows you to save your favorite teams in the myTeams section for instand access. In addition, ESPN’s ‘round-the-clock editorial staff gives you breaking-news, analysis, and video clips.

Price: Free!
Requires Android: 2.1+
Download: Here

Wikipedia

By: Wikimedia Foundation

---

Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, has become known as the internet’s #1 source of information. Wikipedia has been accessible from mobile devices since 2004. However, their true mobile website for smart phones did not come out until 2007.

Now, with the Wikipedia app for Android, you can get all of the information Wikipedia has to offer in a very easy to use application. The Wikipedia app houses over 20 million articles in 280 languages. If you find an interesting article that you want to keep on your phone, the app allows for you to save it for offline reading. If you’re multilingual, Wikipedia for Android allows you to read any article in any other language.

Price: Free!
Requires Android: 2.2+
Download: Here

Home Switcher

By: ymst

---

If you enjoy downloading and playing with multiple launchers, including your standard Android one, Home Switcher is an app that you must have.

Home Switcher lets you see all of your installed launchers (homes) and pick which one to open. In addition, Home Switcher allows you to choose which launcher you want to set as your default one. For example, when you press the home button on your phone, this launcher will come up.

If you’re still puzzled about what a launcher is, check out Go Launcher EX, SPB Shell 3D, orLauncherPro.

Price: Free!
Requires Android: 1.5+
Download: Here

Battery Indicator

By: Darshan Computing, LLC

---

Have you ever noticed that the standard Android battery indicator does not include the percent battery remaining?

Battery Indicator shows your battery charge level (percent) as a small icon in your notification bar, with battery temperature, health, voltage, and time since plugged / unplugged. Battery Indicator is the best way to find out exactly how much battery you have left without opening any settings or other applications. It is very simple, does not have any advertisements, and displays the battery precent in 1% increments for advanced accuracy.

Price: Free!
Requires Android: 1.5+
Download: Here

Iris

By: Dextera

---

Surely, we have all heard of Siri, Apple’s personal assistant that is sweeping the nation. Although it is definitely not the first of its kind, (Google Voice Commands) it does offer the ability of deciphering your sentences rather than only accepting certain commands.

Iris, Siri spelled backwards, was released soon after Siri and even the developers claim that it is a Siri clone. Iris allows you tell your phone to:

• Call or text someone.
• Search nearby locations.
• Play music.
• Find News.
• And much more.

To show just how amazing their app is, the Iris team put Iris up against Siri. With the help of ChaCha and other information databases, Iris seems to be giving much better information without having to launch the browser. Take a look for yourself:

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=77B8DF0XMGc

Note: You need to have “Voice Search” and “TTS library” installed in your phone for iris. to work. Most of the phones have these pre-installed, if not please install them from Android market before you try iris.

Price: Free!
Requires Android: 2.1+
Download: Here

Lookout Mobile Security

By: Lookout Mobile Security

---

By now, most Android users are aware of malware, spyware, and trojans that exist.

Lookout Mobile Security is like an anti-virus software for your Android device. Whenever a new app is downloaded and installed, Lookout will automatically search it to ensure that it is safe. However, Lookout is not bulky or annoying like most anti-virus softwares and runs mostly in the background. In addition, by going to myLookout.com, users can find their phone (even if GPS is off) and activate a loud alarm, even if your phone or tablet is on silent. If you’re looking to keep your Android device safe, Lookout is the way to go.

Price: Free!
Requires Android: 1.5+
Download: Here

Beautiful Widgets

By: LevelUp Studio

---

Widgets have always been the center piece of the Android platform.

Beautiful Widgets is set of custom widgets that include clock, weather, date, and toggle widgets. Beautiful Widgets will completely enhance your home page in addition to giving you instant access to the most important information without having to open any apps.

Each widget is customizable in size and can be combined with 300 skins to ensure that the widgets fit in with the rest of your phone. LevelUp Studio is so confident that you will love Beautiful Widgets that they are extending the refund policy from 15 minutes to 24 hours!

Price: $2.89
Requires Android: 1.6+
Download: Here

SPB Shell 3D

By: SPB Software

---

One of the best features about Android is having total control of customization. More specifically, Launchers and Skins give Android users access to tons of new user interfaces and also features.

Putting aside some of the more well known launchers, SPB Software recently release SPB Shell 3D. The app, which will cost you $14.95 in the Android Market, will bring a whole new look and feel to your Android 2.1+ device. Over 100,000 people, including us, have already downloaded the launcher. Don’t be scared off by the steep price tag, SPB Shell 3D packs dynamic folders, custom widgets and panels, sweet animations and a full 3D experience. Once you download this app, no additional skins or plugins are needed.

Price: $14.95
Requires Android: 2.1+
Download: Here

Conclusion

And so, what say you, dear reader? Are there any apps that you’ve used recently that come to mind that are worthy of mentioning here? We’ll be updating this list constantly to showcase this years best apps, both paid and free, so let us know what you think in the comments!