4 Free Android Apps for Cool Smartphone Videos

Video has become a very big deal, particularly on social media. If you’re still only posting plain text tweets and status updates, you’ve fallen far behind the times. And yes, if you’re only posting static pictures, you’ve got a lot of catching up to do too. Plain text status updates and pictures definitely still have their place, but you definitely need to include video as part of your overall social media plan.

And this is true even if you have no interest in launching a YouTube channel or putting together a regular vlog. Video should be just as much a part of your strategy on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as the rest of your content. And while you certainly can invest in more expensive equipment, the smartphone you already own is already a remarkably powerful content creation tool.

But if you’ve only been using the default camera app on your phone, you’re still cutting yourself short. Stand out from the crowd with greater creativity and originality and leverage one or more of the free Android apps listed below.

Time Spirit

Depending on the smartphone that you own, the skinned version of Android may include a camera app that supports time lapse. Whether or not this is the case, Time Spirit by TimeLapse Studio is worth picking up. The app consists of two main functions.

You can record a regular video time lapse where a frame is captured every few seconds. You can define the interval (from as low as once every second) and the video resolution via the simple settings. The other option is what they call Photo Lapse, which is perfect for shooting changes over multiple days. You’ll want to keep your phone plugged in for that, of course. In both cases, though, your screen will automatically dim to reduce battery consumption and other concerns.

The app is completely free with no ads. The videos are automatically exported to your phone’s gallery and can also be reviewed within the app itself.

Microsoft Hyperlapse

As great as Time Spirit is for recording time lapses, it means that you need to plan ahead if you want to have the visual dynamic of a “sped-up” video. What if you already recorded a regular video and you want to adjust the speed after the fact?

An excellent tool for that is Microsoft Hyperlapse. Yes, it is completely free and what’s great is that while you can shoot new time-lapse videos from within the app, you can also import existing videos to transform them into hyperlapses themselves. Adjust the speed anywhere between 1x and 32x the normal speed, saving the resulting video in either 720p or 1080p if your device supports it.

Got a shaky video? Choose the 1x option and Hyperlapse will attempt to stabilize your video without creating a time-lapse, all while retaining the existing audio track too.

ADV Screen Recorder

I’ve written before about how you can easily record a screencast on your computer using a program called OBS, or Open Broadcaster Software. This is excellent for tutorial or walkthrough type content. And you can do exactly the same thing on your Android smartphone using an app called ADV Screen Recorder.

This app does exactly what it sounds like it does, all without intrusive menu options obscuring the screen while you record it. You don’t need to root your phone to use it and the app will easily record everything that you see on your Android smartphone. What’s cool is that you can even “draw on the fly with your favorite color.”

Once you’re done recording, you can export the video if you’d like to include it as part of your YouTube videos or for posting on whatever social network you’d like. You can trim the video from within the app too.

Quik by GoPro

Got a whole bunch of clips but don’t want to bother with compiling them together into something compelling and interesting yourself? Even if you don’t have a GoPro action camera, you can use the company’s Quik mobile app as a free video editor.

All you need to do is select the photos and videos on your phone that you wish to include, choosing between several different artistic styles and even choosing the music. The story can be further customized with text and the app will take care of adding transitions and effects, all synchronizing automatically with the music.

The app allows you to add up to 75 photos and videos to a project, including those saved on your phone, as well as what you have stored in Google Photos, Dropbox, GoPro Plus and GoPro Quik Key. You can let the app make its own smart cuts or you can add “highlights” to ensure certain moments are included.

Don’t feel limited just because you “only” have a smartphone for shooting video. With apps like these, creativity is a breeze.

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Eating a Pig Head at The Recess Room

In this episode of the Dot Com Lifestyle Vlog, we head to The Recess Room in Fountain Valley to try their famous deep fried pig head! It was a three hour gastronomic extravaganza that included doing shots with the co-owner. enjoy the video and try not to get too hungry!

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Some Motivational Words From “ME” to “YOU”

When starting an online business, having motivation is very important. This is what will keep you pushing in the right direction when you feel like there is nothing left in you. You are going to have days you want to simply give up because you don’t see the results you expected to see. However, I’m here to tell you I have been there and you shouldn’t ever give up. The difference between you and those who conquer their mission is they stay “motivated” to achieve what they set out to do. In the end, successful people are NOT smarter than you nor do they have a special talent, they simply have the motivation to go places where you refuse to. This can be physically or emotionally, but the end result is simple…

They achieve their dream while you’re left wondering why you haven’t been able to achieve the same thing – YOUR DREAM.

I recently had a question from a visitor who asked me why it is taking so long for them to achieve what they wanted to. I asked them a few questions and figured out that the main underlying problem is they simply want to give up. They don’t have the motivation to continue. They try something and when it doesn’t work out, they don’t want to continue. They don’t have the motivation to try different things that would make sure they find the solution that gets them closer to where they want to go.

I want to discuss some ways to keep your motivation abundant and why it’s important you stay motivation in your business. In short, this is the difference between success and failure!

Motivation = Success

Here is something I’m sure all of you have heard – Motivation Equals Success.

The reason, I believe, is because it’s your motivation that keeps pushing you when you feel like you can’t continue. However, what builds motivation? I’d like to go over a few things you can do to make sure you stay motivated. These are NOT things that are hard to implement, but are the foundation of your business. If you can think about these before implementing them, then you’ll have a better chance of staying motivated in the long run.

Let’s look at the following:

Passion –

Invest in a business you are passion about and where monetary value doesn’t matter. If you start a business simply for the money, then you’re going to have a problem staying focused. I understand a financial reward is very important, however, that should NOT be your #1 concern. Why? Simple…

To make money through your business is a lengthy process and you won’t see a return on your efforts right away. Starting because it’s your passion will allow you to push forward even when you are NOT rewarded in the beginning.

Take Your Time –

The good news is when you’re NOT in it for the money, you’ll take time and spread out your growth. You’ll put effort and enjoy the work you put in, which is very important to ensure you do a quality work. However, I’ve also found that taking your time doesn’t stress you out as much as rushing through a job. I usually get de-motivated when I have a lot of work I need to finish off, but when I take a step back, I’m able to stay focused and motivated.

The same applies to NOT giving yourself time to relax. When you constantly work, you burn yourself out and this leads to you feeling de-motivated, tired, and NOT focused on your end goal.

Exercise –

I know many of you are wondering why this is on the list and the answer is simple. Whenever I exercise, it gives me a great outlook on life and what I’m trying to achieve. It’s been proven exercise will release natural pain killers into your blood known as endorphins. These help lighten your mood and help with focus. I believe this is a great way to stay happy about your work and business. I’m not saying to spend hours in the gym, but something like I’ve listed below will help:

• 20-30 minutes per day
• 3-4 times per week
• Change things up so you don’t get bored

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How To Create a Money Making eBook

In this video I will you my step by step method to create a money making ebook that will help you to increase your affiliate marketing conversion. I also show you how I use ClickFunnels to deliver the eBook instantly.

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3 Ways Offline Businesses Need to Utilize the Power of the Internet

Running a business in the world today isn’t easy. Sure, the internet has changed the way businesses connect with different audiences and customers around the world, but there are still many local and offline businesses that are struggling to compete.

This is especially true in the world of ‘trade businesses’, where individual contractors and hands-on jobs need to compete with bigger businesses and brands that have much larger marketing budgets. A perfect example of this would be if someone went to Google and was looking for a plumber or electrician — would they find your brand or one of the big name brands that either hire insider employees or outsources the work?

Today we are going to highlight some of the best ways that local small businesses, contractors, and trade businesses can compete in the new world of online searches, reviews, and local marketing. It’s not just about getting new business and leads from local audiences, it’s also about perfecting your expertise and authority within your space, while also using the power of the internet to make it easy for potential customers to find and get in contact with your as well.

How to Rank a Local Business for Local Search Results

When you have a local business or your personal name is your business, people are going to search for these online first. With that in mind, you need to rank at the top of Google for optimal results. If you don’t already have a website or blog in place, this is a must!

A website will make it easy for potential customers to find you online, while a blog is ideal for creating new forms of content and ranking for local long tail keywords. With a site of your own, you can also showcase customer testimonials, services offered, and having a live form for free quotes and estimates.

Try to rank for both your personal name and your business name. To help with this process, we recommend setting up both personal accounts and business accounts on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. The reason for this is that Google loves to rank these sites and by having profiles set up on each of them, it should be easier to rank for your name and business with each profile you set up.

Depending on your expertise and the type of business branding you want to focus on, registering and using your personal name as a domain name might be a good idea. In the world of blogging, make money online, and affiliate marketing, people are doing this all the time. Not only are they launching blogs with their name as their domain, they are also building powerful brands in the process.

The more focused you are on your brand name and ranking it on Google, the better the results you are going to see. An extra added bonus here is that you can often link back to your main site from each of these social profiles — which will also pass link juice back to your site. With enough of these in place (and promotion to your social profile), this will help your main website rank higher as well.

Time Management and Invoicing Solutions

When you run an offline business or are making money based on your hands or a specialized skill, you can only make as much money as there are hours in a day. With this in mind, it’s important to manage your time working as efficiently as possible, while also making sure you are getting paid for every minute worked.

While some business owners might not like how the internet has affected their businesses, they also need to take advantage of what has come out of it as well. A perfect example of this would be automated tools and solutions for better managing a business’ finances.

For example, imagine how useful invoicing software for plumbers would be in reference to keeping invoices in order, not having to write out and collect paper invoices, and also for creating easy to follow monthly revenue reports. At the end of the year, when it comes time to do the taxes, having all of this in order and through an online reporting tool could save hundreds of hours and dollars in itself.

According to U.S News, plumbers across the country can earn anywhere from $30k to almost $100k per year. The difference between the highest and lowest earners, isn’t likely just in reference to their work, but also their business and financial management as well. Through the use of online tools, better customer support and management, evert plumber and trade business owner should be able to increase their earnings.

The median salary for a plumber was $51,450 in 2016, the BLS reports. The best-paid pulled in about $90,530, while those in the bottom 10 percent earned $30,430 a year. Apprentices who are just starting out could make 30 to 50 percent less than a fully trained plumber.

Another great way to use the internet to better run an offline business is to look at your options with staying in contact with customers through the use of an online blog and customer email list. These are both pretty easy to set up, as there are many providers and solutions that were custom-built and catered towards small business owners. To learn more about other similar methods and solutions like the ones mentioned in this section, be sure to check out this article and infographic.

Using Social Media and Review Sites to Improve Presence

Another area that small and local business owners might not have been spending as much attention towards, is social media and how local directories and review sites could have an impact on their businesses. More often than not, sites like Yelp or HomeAdvisor will automatically create profiles for businesses through the world — thus allowing to rank higher and more often in the search results.

While this is great in theory, it also offers some problems for these smaller businesses. Such problems can be competitive on in the search results, more sites to claim as a business, and also more sites that need to be reviewed for complaints, ratings, and feedback.

To make the most of these platforms, it’s important to claim your business as soon as possible. This is especially the case with Google Local, as it’s going to be one of the most prominent sources for information appearing in Google. The benefit here is that many of these platforms also allow you to not just claim your business page, but also to update it with your business info, hours, contact info and sometimes even a link back to your site.

Offline or Online, the Internet is Your Friend

Improve the day-to-day operations and growth of your business by taking advantage of what the internet has to offer. Offline businesses that have ignored the internet have quickly found themselves in trouble and often out of business. Those who have adapted with time, not only found great success in the resources available, but have also moved past the competition in the process.

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Here Is What You Can Control

Before he decided to throw his name onto what would becoming a very popular brand of processed meat products, Jimmy Dean was a popular American country music singer and television host. In fact, it was on The Jimmy Dean Show on ABC in 1963 that Jim Henson got his first big nationwide break and we all know how big Sesame Street and the Muppets have become since then.

So, what does any of this have to do with professional blogging, Internet marketing, making money online or the dot com lifestyle? After all, Jimmy Dean made his fame and fortune well before the Internet was even a thing! Well, you have to realize that certain lessons in business (and in life) are timeless and you just have to know how to adapt them to your current circumstances. This is one of those times.

I make use of a Google Chrome extension called Momentum. Offered by a company called Momentum Dash, it’s free to download and generally well received. Basically, it replaces the generic “new tab” screen in your browser. You are treated to a new inspirational photo each day, as well as access to additional options like weather, setting your daily focus/intention, keeping a list of frequently used bookmarks, and so on. You can unlock more features with the paid “Plus” version, like integration with Trello, multiple to-do lists, and the ability to skip to new background photos.

One of the other main features is that you are presented with a new inspirational quote each day. And one day, I was presented a quote from Jimmy Dean. It went like this:

“You can’t change the direction of the wind, but you can adjust your sails to always reach your destination.”

In life, you’ll find that everything tends to fall into one of two big buckets. On the one hand, you have the things that are utterly out of your control. You don’t get to decide if it is going to rain tomorrow. This is out of your control. On the other hand, you have the things that you can control. It is completely up to you if you want to have coffee or tea in the morning. You can even drink orange juice if you want. This, barring unforeseen circumstances, is in your control.

So, while there are things that you can’t control, you can leverage the things you can control to best deal with the situation. You can’t control if it is going to rain, but you can control if you’re going to pack an umbrella. You can also control, to some extent, where you live. Maybe John doesn’t like the rain of Vancouver and that’s why he moved to Orange County.

And this is just as applicable when it comes to making money online. You cannot control or change what Mark Zuckerberg and his team decide to do with the Facebook algorithm, but you can control what you choose to do about it. Maybe you double down your efforts to get as much exposure on Facebook as you can. Maybe you choose to play by the rules and budget for some boosts. Or maybe you decide to divert your efforts (and resources) in other areas, like article marketing or arbitrage.

Because the intricacies of networks like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter are outside of your control, you can choose not to build your Internet business on rented land. You can focus on the properties that you can control, like your website and your mailing list.

You cannot control which way the wind blows, but you can control how often you revisit your strategy so you can best adjust your sails. You can still choose which way you want to point your ship and you can still choose what destination you’d like to reach. These are all elements within your control and you just have to choose how you’re going to interact with the circumstances as they present themselves.

This is why it pays to have a versatile skill set, including both technical (“hard”) and soft skills, that you can use to adapt to virtually any situation. Because if YouTube decides to boot you from the partner program tomorrow, you can always pivot, adjust your sails, and keep sailing toward your island paradise. You’re the captain now.

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How To Increase Affiliate Marketing Conversion

In this video, I follow up on yesterday’s video with a lesson how to increase your affiliate marketing conversion rate, plus a quick tutorial on how to apply for the Aweber and Constant Contact affiliate program.

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