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6 of the Best Star Wars Apps

 

Tickets for the latest Star Wars film, “The Force Awakens,” are already on sale for the anticipated December debut. Fans are expecting great things after the movie trailer was released mid-October and stirred up quite a buzz online— most notably, viewers were thrilled by the narration from Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and the sight of Han Solo (Harrison Ford) standing alongside Chewbacca. 

The film’s director, J.J. Abrams, has promised fans to keep to the tangibles as much as possible, ditching Lucas’ overzealous use of computer graphics. Even the cute new droid BB-8 is a working prop. 

Fans still have a couple months to twiddle their thumbs before the movie premiere on December 18, and what better way to keep those thumbs busy than by downloading a Star Wars app? 

Here’s a list of the six best Star Wars apps to keep your fandom hot throughout the upcoming holiday season:

 

Star Wars

For basic news, social media updates, and fun trivia, the namesake app is a solid choice for fans that like to be in the know. This app is good for adults and children alike—and the Star Wars selfie filters are a hit for children of all ages. The Star Wars app is free and offered for both Android and iOS. 

 

Star Wars: Commander - Worlds in Conflict

This Star Wars-themed app makes the list because it’s similar to another popular game, Clash of Clans. While this may be a drawback for some folks, why reinvent the game wheel if you don’t have to? Play a game you already enjoy but with the added bonus of familiar Star Wars characters and vehicles.  Star Wars: Commander is free for both platforms, with purchases also available in app. 

 

Star Wars Scene Maker

This is a great app for the creative fan and especially younger fans who want to try their hands at creating live action scenes with personalized voiceovers. Of course, the app includes the obligatory opening credit sequence to polish off all in-app movie creations. Star Wares Scene Marker is only available for iOS (so far), and it’s free, though you’ll likely need to make some in-app purchases to make your movie a masterpiece. 

 

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga

This app is great for new or younger fans. Take your character through missions and explore the expansive Lego world created in the likeness of all things Star Wars. The Lego Star Wars appis polished, well designed, and free for both Android and iOS users. 

 

Star Wars: Uprising

For the ultimate RPG experience, this app is the way to go. This mobile game is the most recent in a long line of previous successes produced by Kabam. Create your character and save the universe in both solo and cooperative playtime set in the gap between episodes VI and VII. Star Wars: Uprising is free for both Android and iOS users, with lots of upgrades available for in-app purchase. 

 

BB-8 App Enabled Droid Powered by Sphero

Finally, remember that cute little droid I mentioned? Well, Sphero has designed a free app where you can remotely control your very own BB-8 using a smartphone! The only (and obvious) drawback to this amazing bit of fan fun is the droid itself is about $150 in the U.S. If you’ve got that kind of cash to burn on a geeky Star Wars gadget, this is defiantly the app for you.

These are the best Star Wars apps available to keep fans busy while they wait for the movie premiere this December.  

Enjoy them, you will. 

AOL Deal Will Help Verizon’s Mobile Advertising Push

Over the past two decades, AOL Inc. has undergone some massive changes. What was once a portal for dial-up internet access, AOL suffered under the merger with Time Warner. After starting over again six years ago, AOL managed to increase its value by acquiring relevant sites like Huffington Post and Tech Crunch. Perhaps most importantly though, AOL took a dive into the deep end of the mobile advertising pool – and it looks like their gamble will pay off.

Last Wednesday, Verizon Communications Inc. announced that the company will be acquiring AOL Inc. in a $4.4 billion deal.

With the latest trends predicting a greater shift toward mobile use by consumers, many corporations have been seeking to carve out a piece of the market share. Currently, the mobile market lies directly in the hands of two leading companies, Google and Facebook. Facebook Inc., of course, owns and operates the largest recurring mobile app user base, while Google provides several integrated apps like Drive and Maps, while providing  the most popular search engine for users as well. As a result of their products’ frequent use, these juggernauts have had the mobile advertising market in a virtual stranglehold.

All of this, however, is poised for a change.

By acquiring AOL, Verizon has the opportunity to integrate advertising and content programming with one of the most ubiquitous wireless networks in the world. The assets provided by AOL include several websites with marketable content, but most importantly, Verizon will receive a mobile video-streaming service out of the deal. As consumers continue to shift away from paying for traditional TV bundling packages and move toward mobile video-streaming services, Verizon wants to provide such a service to new and existing users.

With the overcrowded wireless market in the United States, Verizon is looking to offer even more to customers to get them on board. While they have been searching for opportunities to increase their brand saturation over rivals like T-mobile and AT&T, they have concurrently been developing their video-technology wing by acquiring other tech companies like upLink, EdgeCast and OnCue. Unfortunately, their original plans for a mobile video-streaming service lacked an advertising component.

Now, with the acquisition of AOL Inc., Verizon has the opportunity to create a brand-new revenue stream for the company, for the first time ever. Verizon has been known for years for having excellent data streaming and calling services, and they have generated an enormous amount of brand awareness in that time. The next step in their business’ evolution involves the creation of a mobile-integrated advertising platform that they can use exclusively on their mobile video-streaming service. The plan is simple with potential for success, but one cannot imagine Google Inc. sitting idly by as Verizon takes a bite out of their market share.

Only time will tell. Expect to see Verizon’s new streaming service in late June of this year.