BlogmyQuery – BMQ

There aren’t many video game characters that are in the consciousness of the general public, however Mario certainly has made great strides in this area. It’s rare to meet someone who has not heard of the Italian plumber named Mario, but those who don’t play video games often may be unaware of his humble beginnings.

Mario was not the main character in his first video game appearance. You may be surprised to know that he wasn’t a plumber, and his name wasn’t Mario either. He made his first appearance in the 1981 pioneering Nintendo arcade game Donkey Kong. Mario’s character was called ‘Jumpman’ and he was a carpenter rather than a plumber. ‘Jumpman’ had to jump over barrels that were being thrown by Donkey Kong in order to save a damsel in distress (which would later be called Princess).

Since those small beginnings, Mario has come a long way. Over the last 30 years Mario has appeared in more than 200 video games and has been referenced in hundreds more Nintendo and non-Nintendo titles. Today we’d like to show you the changes Mario has went through since his humble beginnings over 30 years ago.

The Evolution of Mario

1. Donkey Kong (Arcade) – 1981

Who would have thought that ‘Jumpman’ would go from being a minor character in this game, to being the most successful character in video game history? Even in Mario’s first appearance, most of his trademark looks were there. Including the red hat, tradesman jumpsuit and famous Italian moustache.

2. Donkey Kong (Game & Watch) – 1982

Before Nintendo ruled the world of portable gaming with the Nintendo Gameboy, they had a lot of success with their ‘Game & Watch’ range of handheld games. Mario’s second appearance was in the port of the popular arcade game that was released the year before.

Game & Watch games had a fixed background which allowed the user to take Mario from the bottom screen to the top. Mario is almost recognizable in the game though this has more to do with the limitations of the Game & Watch system.

Photo Credit

3. Donkey Kong Jr (Arcade) – 1982

Mario returned in the follow up to Donkey Kong in 1982. The Jumpman moniker was replaced with Mario for this game. Graphics were slightly improved this time around, and Mario was noticeably larger in comparison to Donkey Kong and the background. Apart from his size, the Mario sprite hadn’t really changed in any way.

4. Mario Bros. (Arcade) – 1983

The simple yet addictive Mario Bros was the first game of which Mario was the star. Of course, he had to share the limelight with his brother Luigi, a new character that used green clothing where Mario used red (though they were identical apart from that). Mario himself had changed slightly since his last venture, most notably his nose was a little less protruded.

5. Mario’s Cement Factory (Game & Watch) – 1983

Mario’s Cement Factory was the first Game & Watch game to have Mario as the star. Mario himself was unchanged since his last appearance in the handheld environment.

Photo Credit

6. Pinball (NES) – 1984

Mario was frequently used on the cover of NES games, even when he had very little to do with the actual game. In Pinball, Mario was used on the front cover of the game though his appearance in the game was limited to the bonus stage.

7. Super Mario Bros. (NES) – 1985

The game that defined Mario and created a video game mega star. Mario initially started the game small however by taking a mushroom he would grow to double the size. This essentially gave you an extra life as when you were hurt as large Mario you simply reverted back to small Mario. Players could also change into fire Mario by collecting the fire flower. In addition to making Mario bigger, this power up also allowed him to kill enemies using fireballs.

8. Golf (NES) – 1985

Golf was a simple golf game that was highly playable. It was pioneering in many ways as it introduced the power and accuracy bar that has been used in most golf games since.

In the game, Mario resembled a fat middle aged man with a big nose. The design of Mario was bizarre to say the least.

9. Wrecking Crew (NES) – 1985

In Wrecking Crew, Mario donned a safety helmet and a sledgehammer. His skin color was slightly different from other games, though the actual design of Mario wasn’t too different from Super Mario Bros.

10. Super Mario Bros. (Game & Watch) – 1986

Super Mario Bros was brought to Game & Watch in 1986. This time the character looked more like Mario from its console namesake.

11. Mario Bros. II (Commodore 64) – 1987

The sequel to the original Mario Bros was only released on the Commodore 64 and bore little resemblance to the original game. Due to the Commodore 64 being less powerful than the NES, Mario & Luigi were not as defined as in their console games.

12. Punch-Out!! (NES) – 1987

Little Mac was the star of the popular game Punch Out though Mario was still able to play a part as the referee. Like Golf, Mario looked a little more human in the game. His stomach was fairly big again too!

13. Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES) – 1988

After Nintendo decided that the sequel to Super Mario Bros that was released in Japan was too difficult for American gamers, they adapted the Japanese game Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic and re-branded it as Super Mario Bros 2. Due to this, the game didn’t feel the same as other Mario games.

This was the first game in which Luigi was not the same as Mario except with different colors. Mario’s brother was noticeably taller, giving the ability to jump higher than Mario. Mario could run faster though.

14. Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES) – 1988

Regarded as one of the best video games of all time, Super Mario Bros. 3 saw Mario being given a lot of new powers. In addition to the super mushroom and fire flower power ups, it introduced the raccoon suit for flying, frog suit for swimming and hammer suit for throwing hammers. A similar suit to the raccoon suit was the tanooki suit. It also allowed Mario and Luigi to fly, however they could also turn themselves into stone to avoid being seen by enemies.

15. Super Mario Land (Gameboy) – 1989

Mario’s first adventure on the Gameboy was based on the original Super Mario Bros that was released 4 years before. Whilst it shares the same style and Mario uses the same power ups etc, all of the levels are completely different.

16. Super Mario World (Super Nes) – 1990

Super Mario World was the fourth title in the Super Mario Bros series. Mario had mainly appeared in NES games for the several years previous to this release and he looked much better in the new Super NES system. Colors were brighter, bolder and more defined.

The game featured a feather power up that allowed Mario to fly. It worked in a similar way to the raccoon suit in Super Mario Bros 3 however the cape allowed Mario to fly up and down and then make a crash landing. The game also introduced Mario’s friend Yoshi, a friendly dinosaur that could eat berries and shoot out flames.

17. Dr. Mario (NES) – 1990

Dr. Mario was a popular Tetris like puzzle game that featured Mario dropping medicine down to eliminate viruses. Despite the game being named after him, Mario was only represented at the side of the game as a Doctor.

18. NES Open Tournament Golf (NES) – 1991

Mario looked a lot better when he returned for his second golf game for the NES. Luigi could be chosen as a second character and Princess Peach and Princess Daisy were used as caddies. The game also featured a cameo appearance by Donkey Kong.

Photo Credit

19. Yoshi (NES) – 1991

Graphically similar to Dr. Mario, Yoshi was a puzzle game that featured lots of common Mario enemies. Mario was controlled by the player and could switch around to ensure the enemies fall into the correct places.

20. Super Mario Kart (Super NES) – 1992

Another Mario game that is regarded by many as one of the best console games of all time. Super Mario Kart featured lots of characters from the Mario world such as Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong Jr and Bowser. Each character had different strengths and weaknesses for driving and players that weren’t controlled by humans had their own special powers e.g. Donkey Kong Jr threw bananas.

21. Mario Paint (Super Nes) – 1992

Mario Paint was an interesting game that came packaged with the SNES mouse. The game allowed you to create drawings and music within the game and save it for later. Mario appeared throughout the game in a variety of ways. For example, in the music generator he would jump along on top of the beats.

Photo Credit

22. Mario is Missing! (Super NES) – 1992

As the game title suggests, Mario is missing, therefore his brother Luigi took centre stage in this educational game. The game bears a striking resemblance to the graphics used in Super Mario World.

23. Super Mario All-Stars (Super NES) – 1993

Also known as Super Mario Collection, Super Mario All-Stars contained Super Mario Bros 1, 2 and 3. The original Super Mario Bros 2 that was only released in Japan was included as well and was referred to as ‘Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels ‘. A later version of the game also included Super Mario World.

All of the games had been visually enhanced to take advantage of the 16 bit graphics the Super Nes offered. Other than that, the games were identical to the original NES equivalents.

24. Mario & Wario (Super NES) – 1993

The 1993 side scrolling game Mario & Wario was only released in Japan. Users had to take Mario through each level avoiding obstacles using the SNES mouse accessory.

Photo Credit

25. Hotel Mario (CD-i) – 1994

Another Mario themed puzzle game that has the unfortunate tag of one of the worst Mario games ever released. The cut scenes featuring Mario and Luigi used full motion video.

26. Donkey Kong (Gameboy) – 1994

The first game to be designed with the SNES Super Game Boy peripheral, it is perhaps surprising that one of Nintendo’s flagship games was not released until 5 years after the Gameboy was first launched. The player had to guide Mario through a whopping 101 levels in order to save Pauline from Donkey Kong. The game play is very similar to the original Donkey Kong games released in the arcades.

Photo Credit

More on Page 2

Mario’s evolution is far from complete! Check out the rest of his gaming career highlights over on page two

On 27 July this Summer, athletes from 204 countries from around the world will head to London for the 2012 Summer Olympics. With social media integrated into everyone’s lives, this years Olympics looks set to be the most recorded and most talked about Olympics since the great spectacle was reintroduced in Athens in 1896.

Today we would like to share with you 28 centerpiece Olympic stadiums. These stadiums, while used for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics, are also traditionally used for other athletic events as well. Due to this, they are the focal point of many large and historical events and usually have the largest capacity of all stadiums used in the Olympics.

From the stadium at Olympia to the newly built Olympic Stadium in London, we hope you enjoy our list of Summer Olympic stadiums.

Stadiums of the Olympiads

1. Stadium at Olympia – 5th century BC Olympia

The stadium at Olympia hosted many events from the ancient Olympic Games. In its day around 50,000 spectators would sit in mud seats on the grass slopes that looked upon the main field. A stone platform was placed in the Southern slope for judges. The shot put events for Athens 2004 were also held here.

2. Panathinaiko Stadium – 1896 Athens

Panathinaiko hosted the first modern Olympic games when they were reintroduced in 1896. It was also used for Archery in the 2004 Olympics (Athens) and as the finish line for the marathon.

The stadium looks as impressive as it did 116 years ago despite its age. Between the 5th and 4th century BC the stadium had wooden seating. It was improved in 140 AD to a capacity of 50,000 seats and was built entirely from white marble from the nearby Penteliko Mountain. To this day no other stadium has been built entirely from marble.

For the 1896 Olympics the capacity was increased again to 80,000 though today the capacity is 45,000. Panathinaiko has stood the test of time and remains one of the best looking stadiums in the world.

3. V̩lodrome de Vincennes Р1900 Paris

Initially built as a velodrome (cycling track) in 1894, the Vélodrome de Vincennes was used as a the main stadium for the 1900 Olympics in France and had a capacity of 50,000. Most centerpiece stadiums host athletic events though for the 1900 Olympics athletics were held in the nearby Stade Yves-du-Manoir stadium that football club Racing Levallois 92 used. Whereas other events such as cycling, rugby and gymnastics were held at the Vélodrome.

The Olympic games were held in conjunction with the world fair that was held in Paris that year. Bizarrely, the organizers downplayed the Olympics so much that many competitors apparently didn’t even realize they were participating in the games. The games are remembered as being the first time women participated in events.

4. Francis Field – 1904 St. Louis

Like the 1900 Olympics, St. Louis had a world’s fair going on in the same year and just like in Paris 4 years before, the Olympics were overshadowed by the world’s fair.

The Francis Field stadium was built for the world’s fair and then used as the main stadium for the Olympics. It originally had a capacity of 19,000 but this was reduced in the 1980s to only 4,000. Along with the games in Paris in 1900, the 1904 Olympics are regarded as one of the worst events held under the Olympic banner.

5. White City Stadium – 1908 London

The 1908 games were originally supposed to go to Rome but London got them instead on short notice due to Rome not being prepared. One of the reasons London was easily ready was due to the ‘The Great Stadium’ in White City (London). It had been built for the Franco-British exhibition in 1908 and was perfect for such an event. With a capacity of 68,000 it was considered one of the most advanced stadiums of its time.

The stadium was host to a lot of historic events. Over its lifetime it was used for greyhound racing, speedway, rugby and one of the matches in the 1966 FIFA World Cup. Sadly, the stadium was demolished in 1985 and replaced by a series of buildings for the BBC.

Photo Credit: Telegraph

6. Stockholms Olympiastadion – 1912 Stockholm

The 1912 games were the first Olympics to have competitors from all 5 continents. The main stadium that was used for the event was the Olympiastadion. It was designed specifically for the 1912 games, and with a capacity of around 14,000, it is one of the smallest stadiums ever used in the Olympics.

The stadium would later host the equestrian events for the 1958 Olympics in Melbourne due to Australian quarantine rules. It has also hosted a lot of football and athletic events and concerts for The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen.

7. Olympisch Stadion (Antwerp) – 1920 Antwerp

Due to the 1916 Olympics being cancelled due to the ‘Great War’, the 1920 games were awarded to Antwerp in memory of victims lost there during the conflict. The Olympisch Stadion, sometimes referred to as Kielstadion or simply Kiel, was built specifically for the games. Back then it had a capacity of around 30,000 but over the years the stadium capacity was reduced. Today it can accommodate just under 13,000 people.

8. Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir – 1924 Paris

Having been used for athletic events for the games in 1900, Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir was an obvious choice as the centerpiece stadium for the 1924 event. It had a capacity of around 45,000 during the events but has since been reduced considerably. The now familiar closing ceremony was first introduced at these games.

9. Olympisch Stadion (Amsterdam) – 1928 Amsterdam

Another stadium that was designed specifically for the Olympics. It had a capacity of 31,600 when it was first built, though 9 years later a second ring of seating was added to the stadium, increasing the capacity of the ground to 64,000.

The Olympic flame was lit for the first time at the 1928 games.

10. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – 1932 & 1984 Los Angeles

Created in memory of those who died in World War I, the stadium was completed in 1923 with a capacity of 75,144. With the stadium being used as the main stadium for the Olympics in 1932, it was upgraded in 1930 to a capacity of 101,574. Despite the stadium being built in a remote area of California, over 100,000 people attended the opening ceremony.

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum was used again for the 1984 Olympics, making it the only stadium in the world to host the Olympics twice. It has also hosted the Super Bowl and World Series.

11. Olympiastadion (Berlin) – 1936 Berlin

Berlin was chosen as the host city of the Olympics for 1916 but due to the war the games were cancelled. They later got the games in 1936. For the 1916 games the Germans built the Deutsches Stadion, which had a capacity of 64,000. That stadium was demolished in 1934 and replaced with the Olympiastadion for the 1936 games. It had a capacity of a whopping 110,000 and a special stand was built for Adolf Hitler.

The games were the first to be broadcast on television. Those who watched would have witnessed Jesse Owens winning 4 gold medals with trainers made by Adi Dassler (creator of Adidas).

12. Empire Stadium – 1948 London

Due to World War II, the 1948 Olympics in London were the first for 12 years. Once again London had been called upon with short notice to host the games. Empire Stadium, which was completed in 1923, was used as the centerpiece stadium. Most will know the stadium by the name it was later adopted – Wembley Stadium. The stadium had a capacity of 82,000 during the games.

Wembley, as it was later called, is synonymous with football and is famous around the world due to the games that were held there. It hosted the 1966 FIFA World Cup final, 1996 European Cup Final and 5 European Cup finals. It also hosted countless events and concerts. It was demolished in 2003 to make way for the new Wembley stadium.

Photo credit: Daily Mail

13. Olympiastadion (Helsinki) – 1952 Helsinki

The Olympiastadion was finished in 1938 in time for the 1940 Olympic games. Due to war, the games did not proceed, though Helsinki were awarded the Olympics for 1952. During the games the stadium had room for over 70,000 people though today the capacity is around 40,000. It remains the largest stadium in Finland.

The 1952 games were the first to include Israel and the Soviet Union, who would go on to dominate gymnastics for many years.

14. Melbourne Cricket Ground – 1956 Melbourne

The Melbourne Cricket Ground, often shortened to the MCG, is one of the oldest modern stadiums in the world. It was originally built in 1954 with just a wooden stand and subsequently upgraded on numerous occasions over the following 100 years. By the time the ground was used for the 1956 games, 103,000 were in the stadium to watch the opening event. Today the capacity remains just over 100,000.

Closely beating Buenos Aires in the vote, Melbourne was the first Olympics held in the Southern hemisphere.

15. Stadio Olimpico – 1960 Rome

Opened in 1937, the Stadio Olimpico is the home stadium of football clubs Lazio and Roma. When the stadium was used for the 1960 Olympics it had a capacity of 65,000 though today it has room for over 7,000 more people.

The games are famous for a boxer named ‘Cassius Marcellus Clay’ winning gold in the light-heavyweight category.

16. National Olympic Stadium – 1964 Tokyo

Opened in 1958, the Olympic stadium was first used for the 1958 Asian Games and was later used for the 1964 Olympics. It has a capacity of 57,363. The stadium will be used for the 2019 Rugby World Cup and with Tokyo one of three cities in line for the 2020 Olympics, there is a possibility that the National Olympic Stadium will be the centerpiece of the Olympics again.

The 1964 event marked the first time the games had ever been held in Asia.

17. Estadio Olímpico Universitario – 1968 Mexico City

Opened in 1952 with a capacity of 70,000, the Estadio Olímpico Universitario was upgraded to accommodate 83,700 spectators for the 1968 games. Today the stadium has a capacity of 63,186 and is home to American football team Pumas Dorados de la UNAM and football team Pumas de la Universidad.

Mexico City proved to be a controversial choice for many athletes due to the city’s altitude of 2,300 metres above sea level. This proved to be a big problem for long distance runners and others in endurance events.

18. Olympiastadion München – 1972 Munich

The former home of football teams Bayern Munich and TSV 1860 Munich, the Olympiastadion was initially built with a capacity of 80,000. In addition to the 1972 Olympic games, this beautiful stadium also hosted the 1974 FIFA World Cup Final, 1988 European Cup Final and European Cup Finals in 1979, 1993 and 1997.

Sadly, the 1972 games will always be remembered with the terrible acts of the terrorist group Black September in which two Israeli athletes, nine hostages, one policeman and five terrorists were killed.

19. Olympic Stadium / Stade Olympique – 1976 Montreal

Built as the main stadium for the 1976 Summer Olympic Games, the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, also known as ‘The Big O’, has one of the most unique designs in Olympic history. The design was one of the main causes for the stadium not being completed in time for the games. When the games opened it had a capacity of 58,500 though the planned roof was not added until several years later.

22 African countries boycotted the games due to New Zealand attending as their Rugby team had toured apartheid South Africa.

20. Luzhniki Stadium – 1980 Moscow

A grand stadium that was opened in the Summer of 1956. During the 1980 Olympic games, Luzhniki Stadium had a capacity of 103,000 though today the capacity has been reduced to 78,360. The stadium will be used for the final of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The USA boycotted the 1980 games in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

21. Olympic Stadium (Seoul) – 1988 Seoul

Used for the 1986 Asian Games and 1988 Olympics, the Olympic stadium initially had a capacity of 100,000. It has since been reduced to around 70,000.

The 1988 games are remembered for Ben Johnson setting a world record in the 100 metres, only for it to be revoked after he tested positively for steroids.

22. Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys – 1992 Barcelona

The Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys was built in 1927 for the international expo that was being held two years later. It was also used for Barcelona’s bid for the games in 1936 though they lost out to Berlin. The stadium was renovated for the 1992 Olympic games. Today it has a capacity of around 56,000 but during the games it had a capacity of just over 67,000. It has been used for a lot of large football events and concerts over the years.

23. Centennial Olympic Stadium – 1996 Atlanta

A great looking stadium that was built specifically or the 1996 games in Atlanta. For the games the ground had a capacity of 85,000.

The stadium was later renamed Turner Field and is home to the baseball team the Atlanta Braves. As a result of this its capacity was reduced over the years.This was clearly planned from the start as the stadium has a similar design to most baseball grounds. Today the stadium can hold 49,586 spectators.

24. Stadium Australia – 2000 Sydney

In 1956 Australia used a stadium which could accommodate 100,000 people in Melbourne. When the games were held in Sydney in 2000 they built a stadium which had a capacity of over 110,000. Stadium Australia is nothing short of impressive and is the largest stadium ever used in the Olympics.

25. Olympic Stadium (Athens) – 2004 Athens

In 2004 the Olympics finally returned to Athens. This time the newly renovated Olympic Stadium was used instead of Panathinaiko Stadium as the main venue. The Olympic Stadium had a capacity of 71,030 during the games though the official capacity for football games is 75,000 (it is a 5 star UEFA approved stadium).

The stadium is used as the home ground of all three football teams in Athens: AEK Athens, Panathinaikos and Olympiacos Piraeus.

26. Beijing National Stadium – 2008 Beijing

Known as the ‘Bird’s Nest’, Beijing National Stadium is a beautiful design that captured the world’s attention. It initially had a capacity of 91,000 but this was reduced to 80,000 after the 2008 Olympic games.

The games were the most watched to date with over seven hundred million people watching the events worldwide.

27. Olympic Stadium (London) – 2012 London

This Summer the world will be watching as London hosts the 2012 Olympic games. The newly built Olympic Stadium was built on an island and has a capacity of 80,000.

With many cities struggling to find a use for stadiums after the Olympics are finished, a lot of thought went into how the stadium would be used in 2013 and beyond. The bottom tier of the stadium accommodates 25,000 people whilst the top tier can hold 55,000 people. This top layer can be removed or modified easily later to reduce the capacity of the stadium if necessary.

Currently there are a lot of different parties bidding to use the stadium including the football teams West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur. As yet, no decision has been made as to who will own the stadium and how it will be used after this Summer’s games.

28. Estádio do Maracanã – 2016 Rio

The world famous Maracanã will host the 2016 Olympic games in Rio. The stadium was opened in 1950 in time for the 1950 FIFA World Cup. That years’ final between Brazil and Uruguay had an unbelievable 199,854 people inside the stadium watching.

The current capacity is 92,000. Rio is also hosting the 2014 FIFA World Cup so is making some improvements for these events. The roof is being extended in order to cover all seats in the stadium and the seating arrangement inside is being changed (which may change the capacity of the stadium).

Let the Games Begin

That finishes up our side of the collection and history of Olympic stadiums, so now we turn the post over to you. Which out them all is your favorite Olympic stadium, and why? Use the comment section to share your thoughts.

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Originally a fork of Mambo, Joomla has grown into the second most popular Content Management System (CMS) on the web behind WordPress. In January 2012 Joomla was upgraded from 1.7 to version 2.5. It brought a lot of great new features such as notifications for easier updates, multi database support and improved search functionality.

Today we would like to show you a collection of 30 beautiful Joomla templates that showcase what this powerful and popular script can do.

The Collection

1. Momentum
Regular License: $50

A stylish template that comes with 6 preset styles, 78 module positions and 58 module variations. It also includes a colour chooser and a background slideshow option. The drop down navigation menu at the top of the page looks beautiful and it includes a lot of pre defined typography settings build in (most of which can be used using shortcodes).

Info & Download | Demo

2. Ionosphere
Regular License: $50

Ionosphere is a versatile template that comes with 12 colour schemes. It has a whopping 84 module positions and support for viewing on iPhones and Android devices. RocketTheme exclusives such as the Fusion Menu and RokSprocket extension for styling are also included.

Info & Download | Demo

3. Modulus
Regular License: $50

Another versatile theme from RocketTheme that comes with a colour chooser, 12 colour schemes and 68 module positions to choose from. 16 unique RocketTheme extensions are also included such as the comment extension RokComments, content rotator RokNewsFlash and Twitter module RokTwittie.

Info & Download | Demo

4. MissionControl
FREE

A free admin template that was developed for Joomla 2.5 to make administrating a Joomla website more user friendly. It’s fast loading and has features such as custom logo uploading, user statistics and an editor switcher.

Info & Download

5. Pixellove
Personal License: €40, Business License: €65, Lifetime License: €99, Developer License: €199,

A beautiful dark blog template that has portfolio options for showcasing your work. A light version of the theme is also included and support for 3rd party extensions such as the K2 component and News Show Pro.

Info & Download | Demo

6. Game Magazine
Personal License: €40, Business License: €65, Lifetime License: €99, Developer License: €199,

Designed for multimedia topics like gaming, movies and music. Game Magazine has a great looking home page slider that can show featured, recent and popular posts. It works with a lot of 3rd party extensions and has beautiful typography as well.

Info & Download | Demo

7. League News
Personal License: €40, Business License: €65, Lifetime License: €99, Developer License: €199,

A professional looking news portal that was created for sports websites. Developed using HTML5 and the latest Gavern Framework, League News is arguably the best magazine style design available for Joomla at the moment. It includes a news rotator, support for many popular extensions and great social media integration.

Info & Download | Demo

8. Kallos
Regular License: $33

A business style Joomla template that can display content in 1, 2 or 3 columns. There are 17 module positions and 16 advertising positions to choose from and it comes with 5 colour schemes. Fixed and fluid layouts can be used and a layered Photoshop PSD file is included with the template too.

Info & Download | Demo

9. Mad Chicken
Regular License: $33

Designed for fast food businesses, Mad Chicken is a simple design that was setup to promote your menu. It comes with two colour schemes: red, orange and yellow and red, green and light brown. Powered by the Gantry Framework, the same framework that is used to power all RocketTheme designs, it includes a colour picker for choosing theme colours and has support for the iPhone and Android devices.

Info & Download | Demo

10. Slate
Regular License: $35

A corporate design that comes with 5 pre-defined colour schemes. The home page features a great looking featured slider and content can be displayed using portfolio, gallery and blog templates. It works with JoomShopping Cart so it can be used to build an online store too.

Info & Download | Demo

11. JTAG TV
Regular License: $40

JTAG TV was designed specifically for movie, video and TV websites and blogs. It works with most video services such as YouTube and Vimeo and includes the latest clips video slider.

Info & Download | Demo

12. N6
Regular License: $57

A one page template design that comes with 12 colour schemes and a fixed or fluid layout. Designed using the Wright Framework, Transitions between different sections are smooth and the typography used in the design is beautiful.

Info & Download | Demo

13. Joy
Regular License: $57

A versatile Joomla template that comes with 6 colour schemes. The design is clean and professional looking with box images used throughout the design to promote pages and posts.

Info & Download | Demo

14. Collective
Regular License: $53

A business design that uses a 960 grid layout. There are 12 module positions to choose from and you can use 1, 2 or 3 column layouts to display your content. 10 colour schemes are included though only the header and link colours are different in each skin.

Info & Download | Demo

15. Orion
Regular License: $47

A professional corporate style that has a great featured post slider on the home page and 14 module positions. 4 colour schemes are included and it has a cool drop down navigation menu at the top of each page.

Info & Download | Demo

16. Bensroben
Regular License: $45

A beautiful clean responsive Joomla template that changes the number of posts displayed depending on width of the browser being used. The transition from 2 to 3 to 4 columns is smooth and when a visitor hovers over a post the other post images on the page fade to highlight the post being selected. 8 colour schemes are included as well as a slideshow module and portfolio template.

Info & Download | Demo

17. Meltas
Regular License: $40

A clean minimal Joomla template that is suitable for business, blogs and portfolio websites. The home page features a large featured slider that has 27 animation styles. 7 colour schemes are available and there is a built in testimonial template too.

Info & Download | Demo

18. QT
Regular License: $35

A feature rich Gantry Framework powered design that has 11 different types of home page sliders and 65 module positions to choose from. Google web fonts are supported and there are 4 colour schemes included with the template. Alternatively, theme colours can be changed using the colour chooser.

Info & Download | Demo

19. Asareng
Regular License: $40

An elegant template that comes with a number of different dark and light skins (16 variations in total). 4 different home page layouts are included together with a testimonials template. A good choice for a business website, blog or portfolio.

Info & Download | Demo

20. Supremacy
Regular License: $35

A creative corporate design that comes with 50 colour variations. The colour variations are quite small though with the dark colour scheme retained at the top of the design and the content area changing colours. There are 11 different versions of the slide that is displayed on the home page (on an iMac no less!) and one or two sidebars can be used on content pages.

Info & Download | Demo

21. James
Regular License: $30

A simple yet stylish personal Joomla template that was created for resumes and simple information websites. Despite the simplicity of the template, it offers 67 different module positions and 36 different layout combinations.

Info & Download | Demo

22. JF Chrome
Regular License: $35

JF Chrome is a flexible Joomla template that could be used for businesses, blogs, portfolios and communities. There are two different versions of the beautiful home page slider available, 4 colour variations and 4 menu options. It supports Google fonts too and comes with 40 module positions, a pricing table and custom error pages.

Info & Download | Demo

23. Technik
Regular License: $40

A futuristic technology template for Joomla that has a gorgeous Javascript based slider on the home page. It comes with 5 colour variations with light and dark backgrounds, 28 module positions and lots of short codes for styling content. A good choice for a business website or tech magazine.

Info & Download | Demo

24. Superb
Regular License: $40

Superb is a creative Joomla template that comes with 16 colour schemes (8 variations of light and dark). It comes with a beautiful blog template, a 1, 2 or 3 column portfolio template and a 2, 3 or 4 column gallery template. 3 different home page layouts can also be chosen with each layout showing a different sized feature slider.

Info & Download | Demo

25. Ammon
Regular License: $40

A clean professional looking template that could be used for any kind of website. One of the themes biggest selling points is its 12 different sliders. These allow you to use rotating image backgrounds, a nivo slider or even a video background.

The theme has 70 different module positions and numerous page templates including a blog template, portfolio template, photo gallery and FAQ template. Google fonts are supported as well and there are lots of shortcodes for styling content. You need to check out the theme demo to appreciate the quality of this template.

Info & Download | Demo

26. BlackStudios
Regular License: $40

BlackStudios is a dark and clean corporate design that comes with 5 colour variations. It has support for Google fonts, looks great on mobile devices and there are over 60 module positions to choose from.

Info & Download | Demo

27. Aeon
Regular License: $45

A futuristic design that uses an impressive slider on the home page and a smooth drop down navigation menu at the top of the page. It has support for Facebook comments and has great typography for styling your content.

Info & Download | Demo

28. AMOS
Regular License: $40

AMOS is a versatile design that lets you use a one page scrolling template for the home page or a regular home page that links to sections as different pages. It includes 7 different sliders, 60 different module positions, 2 different portfolio layouts and lots of unique templates and shortcodes for styling content.

Info & Download | Demo

29. Sunrise
Regular License: $40

A clean business template that features a nivo slider on the home page. It comes with a light and dark skin though colours can be customised how you want using the theme style editor. Portfolio, gallery and blog templates are also included with the template.

Info & Download | Demo

30. Depeche
Regular License: €25

Named after the British band Depeche Mode, Depeche is a grungy design that is perfect for blogs. It includes a regular slider, full page slider and article slider and the tableless design allows modules to be collapsed.

Info & Download | Demo

That’s a Wrap

We hope you have enjoyed this list of professional Joomla templates. As always, if your favourite design didn’t make the list, please feel free to share it in the comment section.

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At the end of 2011 Chrome surpassed Firefox as the second most popular browser in the world. One of the reasons it has grown in popularity could be because of its expansive Chrome Web Store. The store has thousands of applications that help extend the functionality of Chrome and make your browsing experience safer, quicker and more fun.

In today’s article we would like to share with you 30 fantastic Chrome extensions. We have purposely not included extensions that simply link to an online service and instead listed those that make Chrome more useful.

Productivity

1. Offline Google Mail

An official extension from Google that lets you use Gmail offline. Emails can be read, responded to, searched and archived when offline and when a connection is available again everything will be synced. A great app if you use Gmail and find yourself without a connection frequently.

2. Send from Gmail

Another great app for Gmail users is ‘Send from Gmail’. Once installed, anytime you click on an email link when browsing the web, a Gmail message will be created rather than a default application such as Windows Live Mail.

3. Google Chrome to Phone

Once you have installed the Google Chrome to Phone extension and Android app, you can send information directly from your computer to your Android phone. This allows you to send links to your phone so that the same page is opened on your phone. You can automatically launch apps like Google Maps directly by using the extension. A great application for Android users.

4. ScratchPad

A really basic note taking application that supports basic style editing like bold, italic and bullet points. The notes load outside of Chrome so you can minimise the notes when you aren’t using it. By far it’s most useful feature is the option to sync your notes to your Google Docs account. A great app for anyone who just wants a simple way of taking notes online.

Web Development

5. PageSpeed Insights

PageSpeed Insights is a Chrome and Firefox extension that allows you to perform a test on any page on the web and measure the performance of that page. Pages are given a rank out of 100 and suggestions are given as to how the speed of the page can be improved such as not using @import for CSS styling and combining images into CSS sprites.

6. Web Developer

The official port of the Web Developer extension for Firefox adds a toolbar that developers will find useful. 8 different tools are available: CSS, forms, images, information, miscellaneous, outline, resize and more. And what’s more is that each tool offers a range of different options.

7. IE Tab

A great way of checking how a web page looks on Internet Explorer directly from Google Chrome. You can view a page in IE7, IE8 or IE9 mode and use auto URLs in order to make a whole website viewable in Internet Explorer. It’s an essential app for anyone who designs websites of themes.

8. ScribeFire

The popular blog editor ScribeFire allows you to write articles and post them to blog platforms such as WordPress, Blogger, TypePad, Windows Live Spaces, Tumblr, Posterous, Xanga and LiveJournal. Existing posts can be deleted, edited, updated and scheduled for publication in the future. Those of you who don’t like the editor for your blogging platform should check it out.

9. Awesome Screenshot

If you take screenshots a lot, you’ll love Awesome Screenshot. It lets you take screenshots of an entire page or selected areas. You can customise which areas are copied using a range of cropping tools. Screenshots can be copied to your clipboard, saved as a file or saved online using Diigo.com.

Tabs, Sessions & Browsing

10. RSS Subscription Extension

Once the RSS Subscription Extension has been installed, Chrome will automatically detect any feeds that are linked on a page. Google Reader, iGoogle, Bloglines and My Yahoo are built into the app, though other RSS services can be added manually. To add a feed to your newsreader you simply click on the RSS icon that appears on pages with RSS feeds on it and then select your chosen newsreader.

11. Read Later Fast Tab Plus

Recently renamed from ‘Read Later Fast’ to ‘Read Later Fast Tab Plus’ by its developer Diigo, Read Later Fast lets you save any web page you find interesting and read it later offline. You can save an infinite number of pages using your Diigo account. It’s a useful plugin for those that travel a lot and find themselves without a connection (i.e. when flying).

12. Xmarks Bookmark Sync

Sync bookmarks, passwords and tabs across different computers and different browsers (it also works with Firefox and Safari). One of the best ways of keeping your online experience consistent across all of your devices regardless of what browser you are using.

13. Incredible StartPage

Replace your boring Chrome default page with the Incredible StartPage. The app replaces your start page with a stylish board that shows all your bookmarks, apps and closed tabs. There’s also a handy note taking feature and links to Gmail and Google Calendar.

14. Chrome Toolbox

A useful extension that places all of the most commonly used chrome options in one drop down menu. Features include saving and restoring form data, a shortcut link to launch predefined URLs and the ability to set any image as your wallpaper.

15. TabCloud

Save any session and restore your tabs at a later date or even on another computer. The app is perfect for those of you who switch frequently between a desktop computer and a laptop.

16. Personal Blocklist

Personal Blocklist allows you to customise your search results and block results from certain domains and hosts. Worth installing if you get frustrated by the results that Google is producing.

Security

17. Ghostery

See exactly what a website is tracking with Ghostery. It shows trackers, web bugs, pixels and other hidden scripts. It can also be used to block images and embedded objects from websites you don’t trust.

18. View Thru

Link cloaking has been used for years by affiliate marketers to make ugly looking affiliate URLs look cleaner. The rise of Twitter and other social media services has increased the use of URL shortneners too. Once View Thru has been installed you can quickly see the real URL of any cloaked URL.

19. Hide My Ass!

Hide My Ass! is one of the most popular proxy’s on the web. The Chrome extension adds an icon to your browser that lets you instantly browse anonymously using one of 20 web proxy domain names.

20. Web of Trust

Available for all major browsers, Web of Trust helps you surf the web more safely by allowing user to rate websites for trustworthiness, vendor reliability, privacy and child safety. It’s popular with online shoppers though it offers ratings for all types of websites.

Research & Analysis

21. Daily Stats for Google Analytics

Adds an icon to your browser than shows you a quick analysis of your website traffic. It isn’t a replacement for Google Analytics itself though is a great way to quickly check your stats such as visits, page views, bounce rate and average time on site.

22. Google Publisher Toolbar

An essential extension for anyone who makes money through Google Adsense. The extension has two main features. Firstly, it lets you easily glance at your stats quickly without logging into your account. Secondly, it places an in site ad overlay over the advertisements on your website that shows exactly how much each zone is making.

23. PageRank Status

PageRank Status doesn’t just show you the Google PageRank of a web page. It also shows a websites Alexa ranking and geographical location of the server and links to backlinks and indexed pages for Google and Bing.

24. Diigo Bookmark, Archive, Highlight & Sticky-Note

A bookmarking extension that lets you highlight sections of text on a page and add sticky notes. A copy of the web page can also be saved in your library for future reference.

25. Search by Image

Once ‘Search by Image‘ has been installed, you can right click any image on the web and do a search by image on Google and find where that image and similar images are being used on the web.

Social Media

26. Google +1 Button

A handy extension that lets you +1 any web page on the web to your Google+ circles. Simple but effective.

27. Silver Bird

An advanced Twitter extension that is packed full of features. It updates in real time and you can check your time line, direct messages and favourites. Trending topics can be viewed too.

28. Facebook Notifications

Facebook Notifications is a useful app for anyone who uses Facebook to stay in touch with family or friends or connect with followers. It was developed by Facebook themselves however at the moment it lacks the ability to get updates from fan pages you have created.

29. Pinterest Right Click

With Pinterest jumping into the position of 3rd most popular social media website on the web, more and more web developers are looking to the service as a source of traffic. The Pinterest Right Click extension allows you to pin any image or video to your page. It also lets you share on Facebook too.

30. imo instant messenger

A web based instant messaging extension that lets you chat via Skype, Windows Live, Facebook, Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk, AIM, Jabber, ICQ and MySpace. It allows group chats, lets you send and receive files and video and audio chatting works natively. The application is also available for iPhone, iPad, Nokia, BlackBerry and Android.

It’s difficult to include every useful Google Chrome extension in one article, so we know there are a few favorites we probably missed. If your favourite extension for Chrome didn’t make the list, please feel free to share it in the comment section.

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Every year designers are pushing the boundaries of what WordPress can do. 2012 is no different. In just a few short months we have seen a large increase in the number of premium WordPress themes being released, and the bar is certainly being raised with the new additions to the ranks.

It’s encouraging to see so many designers making their themes responsive so that their themes look great on desktops, tablets and mobile devices. Designers are also adding more custom page templates, short codes and portfolio functionality to their WordPress themes too.

Today we would like to show you 25 of the best WordPress themes that desginers have been released so far in 2012. We hope you enjoy the list.

The Themes

1. Indie Fest
Regular License: $99

A fantastic looking design for bands and musicians that comes with 8 different backgrounds and 17 main colour schemes. It features a customized twitter feed widget for updating fans, a SoundCloud player to promote your music and a newsletter sign up widget too. It also utilizes the WordPress plugin GigPress for promoting upcoming gigs.

Info & Download | Demo

2. Unsigned
Standard License: $70, Developer License: $70

Developed by WooThemes, Unsigned is a powerful responsive design for musicians and bands. The theme is very flexible as it allows you to customise the home page using widgets. Several modules are included to help you build the perfect bad website.

There’s an events module for displaying a list of your gigs and events, a discography module that lets you display album information and a galleries module to manage your photos. There’s also a video module, a SoundCloud player and a featured slider. It also includes lots of WooFramework standard features such as short codes, sidebar manager, built in SEO options and custom page templates.

Info & Download | Demo

3. LitePress
Single License: $69

A responsive clean magazine design from WP Zoom, LitePress could be used for an online magazine, news website or blog. Featured images are used heavily in this design. There’s a beautiful featured post slideshow on the home page, a featured category widget and a tabbed widget too. All of which use featured images to promote your posts.

The theme also includes a video custom post type for displaying video slideshows and a great theme options area.

Info & Download | Demo

4. Smooth Pro
Essential Package: $39.95, Standard Package: $69.95, Premium Package: $99.95

An advanced real estate theme that comes with IDX-MLS integration. One of the themes best features is the property information search box that lets visitors search by property type, number of bedrooms or bathrooms, location and neighbourhood. Results can be filtered by price too.

Agents can login to your site and add, modify or delete listings. It’s also possible to add video tours directly into listings by simply adding the video link in the post editor video field.

Info & Download | Demo

5. Backbone
Standard Pack: $79, Developer Pack: $159

With Backbone, ColorLabs have managed to create one of the most beautiful clean responsive theme frameworks available for WordPress. It uses a drag and drop user interface for the options area that lets you customise every aspect of your website. The layout and sidebar managers work great and it has a useful import and export feature for your settings.

Bacbone also comes with two stylish child themes. Kirei is a business template that is suitable for corporate websites and portfolios, whilst Vidio is a great looking blog theme made specifically for video bloggers.

Info & Download | Demo

6. A Personal Blog
Regular License: $30

A simple elegant WordPress design that is perfect for personal blogs. It comes with five custom widgets for displaying your logo, tweets and ads. It also has 5 built in short codes for controlling your typography and archives and contact page templates.

Info & Download | Demo

7. Guesthouse
Regular License: 35$

Guesthouse is a fully functional hospitality theme that was created for hotels, restaurants, B & Bs, camp sites, travel agencies, ski resorts and more. Designed using HTML5, it comes with 8 theme skins, lots of portfolio layouts and a home page slider that has over 20 effects.

A short code generator is also built in to help you style your content and the admin area can be branded easily with your own logo, colours and text.

Info & Download | Demo

8. Webworks
Regular License: $35

Webworks is one of the most unique and most stylish designs released so far in 2012. Users get to choose from 4 beautiful animated menus for the home page. It comes with a resume page template for your CV, FAQ page template, 6 portfolio templates, contact template and a blog template that can have the sidebar placed on the left or right or removed altogether.

The responsive design also looks great on mobile devices and it supports 50 font types.

Info & Download | Demo

9. ShopDock
Standard License: $39, Developer License: $59

Powered by WooCommerce, ShopDock is an Ecommerce design with a difference. Rather than having to go to the checkout page to view the number of items in their cart, a permanent shopping cart (the ShopDock) is displayed at the bottom of every page using Javascript. It sounds a bit gimmicky but is actually a very useful feature.

Coded in HTML5 and CSS3, ShopDock has a responsive design and it also comes with 7 colour schemes and a great looking customizable feature product slider on the home page.

Info & Download | Demo

10. Perseus
Regular License: $35

A simple yet beautiful WordPress design that is suitable for blogs or portfolio websites. The portfolio template allows you to place portfolio items in 1, 2 or 3 columns. You can also add a nivo slideshow to any of your pages.

It’s not the most feature rich WordPress theme available though this simplicity should appeal to those of you who are looking for a basic yet elegant design for their website.

Info & Download | Demo

11. Eleven40
Regular License: $24.95, With Genesis Framework: $79.95

Powered by the Genesis framework, Eleven40 is a beautiful responsive design that can have a 1, 2 or 3 column layout. It also comes with 4 colour schemes and works with custom headers, featured images and threaded comments.

Info & Download | Demo

12. Vintage Camera
FREE

A free, retro blogging design that comes in 5 different styles. It has a responsive design and supports WordPress post formats such as videos and quotes, custom flyout menus and 3 widget areas in the footer. Custom header and background options are supported too.

Info & Download | Demo

13. Delicacy
FREE

A beautiful clean design that was developed for food related blogs. Recipe details such as preparation time can be added underneath the post editor, though the design could easily be used for any type of blog.

It also features a nivo slider on the home page, 4 custom widgets, 6 colour schemes and 6 background patterns.

Info & Download | Demo

14. Resolution
FREE

One of the best looking free WordPress designs released this year. Resolution is big, bold and stylish. It uses beautiful fonts and blog post pages have no sidebar so that more emphasis is placed on content. The theme comes with a basic options area that lets you customise the background image and it supports WordPress menus too.

Info & Download | Demo

15. Convertible
Access to all Elegant Themes designs for $39 per year

A great theme for marketers, Convertible allows you to create professional looking landing pages easily. Pages can be designed using a user friendly drag and drop page builder. 13 modules are included to help you build your page including image and content sliders, testimonial boxes, tabbed content and ribbon headers. It also boasts a very cool Ajax powered options page.

Info & Download | Demo

16. Sundance
FREE

Sundance is a clean blogging theme from the Automattic team. It supports sticky posts and custom headers, backgrounds and menus. A full page template is included and the home page has a beautiful video carousel to showcase your latest video posts.

Info & Download | Demo

17. Veles
Regular License: $35

A clean corporate design that comes with 3 different home page layouts. It also comes with a services template, contact template, about us template, blog template and 4 different portfolio template layouts. 5 different sliders are included too and there built in short codes for styling your content.

Info & Download | Demo

18. Feature!
Regular License: $45

Feature! is a community magazine theme that integrates beautifully with the popular plugins BuddyPress and bbPress. Coded using HTML5 and CSS3, it comes with 6 different colour schemes and 100 background patterns and there is a built in review system with 3 different thumbnail types.

Unlimited sidebars can be created if you want to give each page a unique look. 6 custom widgets and lots of short codes are built in to the theme too. It’s a great option for an online magazine.

Info & Download | Demo

19. Domena
Regular License: $20

Domena is a simple clean template that will help you sell your domain name online. A light and dark version of the design are available and there is 4 different colour schemes available for buttons and links etc.

What makes Domena so special is it’s integration with Google Analytics. This option will be particularly useful to those who are selling domains with good traffic. A mobile version of the theme is also included.

Info & Download | Demo

20. Pixem
Regular License: $35

Pixem is a unique responsive portfolio design that was coded using HTML5. It’s an incredibly versatile theme which comes with light and dark colour schemes. It also includes 12 background images, 2 portfolio styles, four custom post types, seven custom widgets and 8 unique page templates.

Info & Download | Demo

21. HyperGrid
Regular License: $35

One of the best gallery showcase templates released over the last few years, Hypergrid is a great design for galleries and online portfolios. Advertising has been integrated into the design perfectly and it comes with a built in submission form to encourage visitors to submit their own websites or designs. The only thing it lacks is the option to charge visitors for submissions.

Info & Download | Demo

22. Big Company
Regular License: $30

Big Company is a clean corporate design that comes with 15 different colour schemes. What sets this apart from most other business designs is the ability to customise every single page with a different background. This is a great tool for branding different areas of your website.

A fantastic looking pricing table manager is also built into the theme and there are numerous custom page templates too.

Info & Download | Demo

23. Handmade
Regular License: $35

With a cute design that is more common on personal blogs, the Handmade theme from Obox is a fully functional WooCommerce eCommerce design that stands out from the crowd. Large images are used throughout the theme to list products and it has a stylish blog template as well.

Handmade is a great choice for an arts and crafts shop or a personal blog and is powered using the OCMX Live theme framework so WordPress beginners will be comfortable using it.

Info & Download | Demo

24. Right Now
Regular License: $35

Right Now is a stunning WordPress design for photographers that was developed using HTML5 and CSS3. The rotating full screen background supports images and video. Visitors can change the background using a gallery slider at the bottom of the page. Thankfully, there is a button at the bottom of the page for visitors to turn off audio if they find music from your video annoying.

The theme also supports over 450 Google fonts though one of its best features is the gallery manager that lets you upload more than 100 images at the one time. It’s shaping up to be one of the best selling WordPress themes in the ThemeForest marketplace in 2012.

Info & Download | Demo

25. Wisdom Of Life
Regular License: $35

Wisdom Of Life is a clean corporate theme that has a magazine style layout. It was designed for charities and non-profit organisations though could easily be adapted for a news or business website. It includes options for events management, 4 different portfolio page templates and lots of custom widgets.

Info & Download | Demo

What’s your favourite design from the beginning of this year? If your favourite theme didn’t make our list, please leave a comment below and share it with other Noupe readers.

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