The Vodafone App Star competition is open until 31 March to any developer across the world. Recent entries see well known developers such as Golden Gekko and Aperto Move now going head to head with independent rising mobile app stars like Gino Micacchi, creator of Mobnotes. Developers can choose to submit their app into one of eight markets across UK, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal or Spain.
Transportation has been a popular theme for recent entrants, with easycar allowing users to search and book a hire car quickly and simply and Tussam Mobile providing up to the minute information about local buses and trams in Seville, Spain. Dutch developer Peter Manuel has developed CarFinder, an invaluable app for users who might forget where they parked their cars.
German Vodafone 360 users in need of a taxi will benefit from Aperto Move’s TAXI deutschlandweit, the first widely available taxi ordering system for more than 3,000 taxis across Germany. The German developer has also recently submitted its APOTHEKEN app, which helps users find local chemists that are on emergency service and stay open all night.
In the lifestyle and entertainment arena, and perfectly timed for the summer festival onslaught, Dutch developers Tribe of Noise have submitted The GigMap, a free service for musicians and music venues to keep their fans up-to-date about latest concerts. Golden Gekko’s BioRhythm app also features in the entertainment category, providing users with a daily chart based on their date of birth which calculates their physical, emotional and intellectual levels.
“We’ve been really impressed by the quality of apps that have been submitted to our competition. We’re still seeing some great entrants as developers across Europe continue to share their apps with us right up to the deadline. It’s been particularly great to see so many local apps being created for specific markets,” said Lee Epting, director of content services at Vodafone Group. “Clearly there is a lot of talent out there among the international developer community – we want to showcase these great ideas and properly reward the very best players for their innovation and vision.”
The best entry from each country will receive €25,000. The second and third best entries will receive €15,000 and €10,000. The winning entries from each market will then progress to a second round of the competition, where the top eight apps will be put to the public vote. The app with the highest number of public votes will win an additional €75,000, with the second place app receiving €25,000.