TRENDS: Contest to develop mobile widgets

2009/09/12

CHANDRA DEVI RENGANAYAR

WEB widgets have made our Internet experience much more fun.

With these mini applications we are able to customise our experience online. We can easily select, install and execute content that appeals or matters to us the most.

If you are a Facebook user, for instance, you would have noticed the many applications available on this site, which provide services such as horoscopes, game downloads, video access, dictionary, clock, language translators and calendar. And you also may have selected some to enhance your social networking experience. Widgets can also be found on blogs and home pages.

On a mobile platform, web widgets are considered a blessing. Browsing on a small device such as a handphone has its downside and these little apps (each representing a single function) bring users straight to the information they need.

Who creates widgets? Anyone who has some knowledge of HTML codes, Java script or Flash programming can develop a widget and share it with millions online. Nokia in collaboration with Limkokwing University of Creative Technology is holding the first Nokia Mobile Widget Wizard Contest 2009. The contest is intended to encourage the university’s students to develop locally relevant and commercially viable mobile widgets. Students can develop widgets based on three themes — Entertainment, Personal Information Management and Social Networking. It is held to coincide with the launch of Nokia’s latest mobile phone, the N97. This is one of the many high-end Internet capable phones from the Nokia stable. The Nokia N97 is the first handphone that comes with Ovi Store, Nokia’s one-stop shop for various applications, games, videos, podcasts, productivity tools, web and location-based services.

A total of 30 teams have been shortlisted and they will showcase their works in a final exhibition from which judges will select the winners. Among the shortlisted submissions are: - Airliner — a mini flight search engine that helps users find flight information and airlines - Cardbook — an e-business card holder. - Bananas Manager — a widget to provide information about upcoming events, discounts, promotions and more - Jobs in your hand — a widget to provide updates on jobs available - P-Secure — a portable security system to view surveillance camera - Widgets-based positioning system — a widget to locate friends and family - Hot Market Place — a widget to advertise product or services Besides cash, prizes include the N97 and N86 cellphones.

The winning widgets will also be made available worldwide at Nokia’s Ovi Store.

Nokia N97