AppJam

The winners of the UK’s first AppJam have been announced after a mammoth 48 hour challenge in Dundee to produce the next killer app.

‘i Giveadam’, which was awarded the top prize for ‘Best Overall App’ by judges, could vastly improve the current system for blood donors. The app not only helps blood donors connect with each other through social media, but reminds them of when they can next give blood. It also provides locations of the user’s closest donation centre along with general public announcements.

The app has already attracted considerable interest from a number of international firms looking to publish the app for the overseas territories.  

Andy Mackenzie, Project Manager, and Centre for Creative & Digital Industries for Dundee College, hosting the event comments: “It’s not an easy task creating an app. We wanted to make sure that the teams performed on every level such as ensuring that the product actually works on a chosen platform.

“We also asked teams to think about the app’s proposed function. No matter what an app does, it needs to do what it says on the tin, for instance, if they were producing a game, then it had to be fun or if it’s a business app it needed to crack the problem that they set out to solve, which iGiveadam clearly delivered on.”

Team ‘Pataka’, from Dundee, landed the ‘Nokia QT’ award for their innovative mobile multiplayer pencil game, where players compete by hurling pencils across the screen.

13 teams took part in the 48 hour challenge to produce the next killer app as part of an event that brings together some of the top names in the industry.

Starting from scratch the budding developers had to compete over a 48 hour session at the end of which they presented their work to some of the biggest developers in the industry.

Judge Tina Yang, from Nokia, has been amazed by the quality of work that has emerged from the challenge “It’s extremely hard to come up with something truly original, so we were looking for a great deal of creativity and original thought as well as playability and good functionality. We chose Pataka as the team delivered on all fronts. We were blown away by the standard of apps delivered today, particularly as it was in just 48 hours.

The lucky winners will receive a range of the latest Nokia handsets and a year’s subscription to the online training organisation lynda.com.

Dundee College staged the AppJam, which was part of a three day conference, part funded by the Interreg 'Creative City Challenge' project. The event has attracted businesses from across Europe to discuss and learn about one of the world’s fastest growing markets.  

The international AppJam is part of the week long  NEoN Digital Arts Festival.

You can find out more about the events via AppConference or follow @AppJamDundee on Twitter.