UPDATE 3/20: Let the voting resume! Looks like the technical problems are behind us. If you cast a vote yesterday, it still counts toward the March 19 daily drawing for a free phone. But out of fairness we’re not using them to help decide our Next App Star—so make sure to head back over to Facebook and vote again.
UPDATE 3/19: We’ve had to take our Facebook voting page offline temporarily to chase down a few bugs, which surfaced as people began hitting the page in large numbers following last night’s launch (the power of free phones). The team is working on it and hopes to have it back up soon. Thanks for your patience. I’ll update you when I know more.
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More than 100 great Windows Phone apps have already appeared in our ads. Today, we’re pleased to launch Windows Phone Next App Star on Facebook, which lets you help decide the next app to win a coveted spot in one of our TV commercials.
The competition pits 64 apps against each other in a bracketed tournament. You vote on which ones should advance. If that’s not enough motivation, we’re also giving away 21 new Nokia Lumia 920s—one free phone for each day of the contest. To enter, all you have to do is vote. (See the official sweepstakes rules for more info.)
Going head-to-head in the first round of Windows Phone Next App Star are two photo apps that take the camera to new heights:
PhotoFunia is a cloud-based photo-editing tool from Capsule Digital of London that automatically identifies the face in the photo and then lets you manipulate it using over 300 cool effects. You can even create funny face photo montages.
vs.
Lomogram from DevRain Solutions out of the Ukraine is another great photo editing app that gives you 40-plus filters and tons of borders and light effects that can be combined in multiple ways to achieve the perfect look.
Choose the winner of this battle and the other first round match-ups by voting now. Remember: Every vote is an entry to win a Nokia Lumia 920, so vote early and vote often. Good luck!
The Official Microsoft Blog has some fun background on the contest. Oh, and once you’ve started checking out these apps, let me know what you think. You can leave a comment, find me on Twitter, or shoot an email to Ask Ben Anything. Finally, developers can learn more about Next App Star on our Developer Blog.