Have an Idea? Need an Idea?

Three weeks ago we kicked off “Idea of the Week”. Students are challenged to prototype their app idea for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card. I’m happy to announce the first two winners:

• Johnny Simmons (@simzzdev) posted his idea which brings friends together through GPS treasure hunts.
• Carlos Barreto (@cbarretopy) created a prototype of how to turn your phone’s camera into a tool to help you arrange objects so they are straight & level.

We are selecting the best idea each week thru December 25^th, so there is still time. To take part in the competition, you must be a student and have an idea for a Windows Phone app. To join in the fun, follow these simple steps:

1. Sign up for DreamSpark (www.dreamspark.com), get Expression Studio (free of charge for students from the DreamSpark site) and the Sketchflow Template for Windows Phone
2. Create a Sketchflow prototype of your app idea and post the prototype online
3. Tweet out the link to your prototype using the hashtag “#wpappitup”. For example, “Check out my idea, UltimateApp, at http://www.findyourcolony.com #wpappitup”

The official rules are posted here. No Purchase Necessary. Open only to students 18+. Game ends 12/25/11.

Looking for a Great Idea?

We often hear from developers that they are looking for the next great app idea. They know how to build apps but just haven’t found the right thing to work on. Last month Core77 launched “Fast Track to the Mobile App Contest”. The focus is on getting amazing designs for productivity apps. We expect that many of the participating designers will need help from developers to get the apps built and released.

Core77 is accepting design submissions through November 18^th and will be awarding some great prizes to those who make the cut (see here for the details). If you have been looking for your next app idea, we encourage you to visit http://fasttrackapp.core77.com/developers. Winning designers want to see their ideas come to life and you, our diverse developers, have the skills to get the job done.

Ben

@benlower | phoneninja@microsoft.com | +1 (206) 659-NINJA (6465)