Adobe Mobile Challenge 2011

This website was created for the 2011 Adobe Mobile Challenge which challenged developers to create a mobile AIR application using a pure AS3 project or the Flex framework. The application could be a game, a productivity application, a lifestyle app, an artistic experience... any kind of engaging application.

For those who developers who participated, this was a challenging, yet fun contest. I arrived at the 2011 Adobe MAX Convention excited to be in Los Angeles. I had just completed a cross-country move from Baltimore using a local moving company, Von Paris Moving & Storage. And these expert Baltimore movers really made my move so easy. In Baltimore they helped pack all my household stuff, and then the long distance moving crew helped unpack it at its final destination. No need to spend days packing and unpacking. Instead I was off to the convention which was only about a half hour away. Having watched MAX keynotes online before, I was particularly excited about attending these in person. Word spread among the attendees that it was going to be best to sit right in the middle of the theatre. There was some debate among my friends about whether there would be a 3D element to the intro. It turned out that the intro sequence was incredibly realistic digital video merged with a live violin/dance sequence, played over three enormous screens. At two points I honestly thought the background was real from my vantage point near the sound desk. It was amazing to see in person. I managed to attend a decent number of sessions spanning the new Touch Apps, Flash Builder and Flash Player, AIR, large-team workflows, Facebook apps, among others. It was enlightening to listen to leading lights in the community speak in person about things they are passionate about. It helped me learn much better than watching videos or reading articles although it was a bit overwhelming considering the amount of information. My first two weeks in Los Angeles in 2011 were really memorable, considering the move, my new neighborhood, being in CA, and attending the Adobe MAX conference.

 

CONTEST

How to Participate

This challenge is open to all the developers who live in the European Union. First, you need to develop an AIR mobile application with or without the Flex framework. It can be a game, a pure artistic experience, a lifestyle application, or even a productivity application… there’s no restriction except that it be a useful and interesting app. If you have already developed an application, you can submit that as well. You are not forced to create a new exclusive AIR application for this challenge. When you feel confident with the quality of your application, submit it using this form. (submission goes to Adobe)

The Adobe jury will then check the quality of your application. We are looking for useful and original apps. For this stage, you can submit a video of your app, an APK file, or even screenshots. If the Adobe jury finds your application to be up to scratch, they will send you a notification by email and you will be eligible for the last stage where you can publish your application on the Apple Store, on the Android MarketPlace and on the BlackBerry App World. Once your application is approved by the three market places, you’ll become an official finalist in the competition. Your application must be approved on the three market places before the 1st of September, 2011 in order to be eligible to win.

The prizes are listed on this page. Keep in mind that not just the overall winner gets a prize! Top prize is a trip to Adobe MAX in Los Angeles, California. Other prizes include Adobe Creative Suite software.

 

SUBMISSION FORM:

We’ll review your application, and within the next 24 hours and send you a notification by email to say if you have made it to the next round. If we believe your applications has met the criteria, then you just have to publish your application on the Apple Store, the Android marketplace and on the BlackBerry App World, to get a chance to win the prizes.

 

FAQ

+ Should I develop a new application for this challenge, or can I submit an application I’ve already published on various market places ?

You don’t have to develop a new application for this contest. Feel free to submit a mobile AIR application you have already developed. You just need to make sure that the application is available on the Apple Store, the Android Market and the BlackBerry AppWorld by September 1st, 2011.

+ What level of quality are you expecting ?

We added a”quality validation” step to avoid poor quality apps. Poor quality apps are applications that are not usable or of poor quality For instance, we won’t accept a “Random Generator” application, or just an animation of a frog running from the left to the right. If you publish a game, it has to be fun and usable. If it’s an app, it has to be usable. We don’t expect a 100 screens application, but if you publish a to do-list app, it needs, for example, to be able to create some tasks, save them and delete a task once achieved. That’s a basic requirement, but that’s also what makes a quality app.

+ What is the due date ?

Your application must be available on the three market places by the 1st of September, 2011. Be careful, some markets such as the Apple Store, require a few days to approve an application. Keep this in mind. Don’t publish your application on the 31st of August. The jury will meet on the 2nd to download and judge the applications.

+ Do you accept Flex applications only ?

No. You can develop a pure AS3 project using Adobe Flash Pro, Flash Builder, … and package it as a mobile application.

+ As it’s an European challenge, which countries can participate ?

You must be a developer living in the European Union which means: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden or the United Kingdom.

+ Why is it just for European developers ?

This challenge is an initiative lead by the European Marketing team from Adobe. For legal reasons, we can only include countries of the European Union. Hopefully, if this challenge is a success, it might be extended to the rest of the world next year.

+ Can I sell my application on the market places ?

Absolutely, your application can be free or you can choose to monetize it. Just don’t sell it for a 100 euros please.

+ Can you explain the section 7 of the rules ?

Some developers wanted clarification about section 7 of the official contest rules. Our legal department sent us some clarifications:

“The entrant expressly declares that he or she consents to Adobe making the submitted App available to the public. The entrant grants Adobe and downloaders all there to necessary and related unlimited rights, in particular the right of use and the right of duplication.”

This doesn’t mean that you lose your intellectual property or the ownership of the application. Not at all. It means that Adobe can showcase your application at Adobe MAX or on the Adobe.com website without any risk of being sued by the developer of the application. It also means that you cannot sue someone who downloads and uses your application.

“For avoidance of doubt, by entering the contest the entrant acknowledges that Adobe is entitled to develop products containing parts or ideas of the submitted apps, without thereby establishing any rights and claims of the entrants against Adobe.”

This clause is a standard protection for Adobe as it’s a software developer. Imagine that you submit a “Powerpoint like application and that Adobe releases next year a presentation tool (BTW there’s already one on acrobat.com), then you cannot sue Adobe by stating that Adobe stole the idea and the intellectual property of your application as a participant of a contest organized by Adobe.

I hope that these clarifications give you a better understanding of these legal statements. Sorry if some of you were uncomfortable with these legal terms. Don’t worry, the purpose of this competition is to motivate mobile developers and give them an opportunity to showcase their work. If you have any question, fell free to email us question@adobemobilechallenge.com

+ Does the application have to be in English ?

It’s not mandatory, but… the big majority of the members of the jury just speak English. If you plan to publish your app using a different language, make sure that it’s easy to use and intuitive enough for an English speaker.

PRIZES

First Prize: Trip to Adobe MAX in LA !

We’re offering the developer of the best AIR mobile application a trip to Los Angeles to attend Adobe MAX in October. MAX is an opportunity unlike any other, where you can discover the latest tools and techniques, connect with potential clients, new partners, and old friends, and be inspired by the brightest minds in the industry. The winner gets a trip to MAX including airfare, hotel and entry ticket. Visit the Adobe MAX website to discover this unique event: http://max.adobe.com/

We’ll also reward several applications that excel in certain areas: User Experience, Architecture, Novelty and Usefulness.

The User Experience and Design prize

The jury will also offer a Creative Suite 5.5 Web Premium license to the application with the best User Experience. Three applications with great design will also be rewarded by the jury offering Flash Builder 4.5 licenses.

The Application Architecture prize

This jury also wants to reward the applications that excel at an architectural level by leveraging the technical APIs of the Flash Platform. The most technically impressive application will win a Creative Suite 5.5 Web Premium license. Three applications with great technical features will also be rewarded with Flash Builder 4.5 licenses.

The Novelty/Innovation prize

Innovation is in the DNA of our community, that’s why the most innovative application will be rewarded with a Creative Suite 5.5 Web Premium license. Three innovative applications will also be rewarded with Flash Builder 4.5 licenses.

Usefulness of the product to the user

Mobile applications revolutionize the way people interact with their environment. That’s why the jury will reward the best idea. The most useful mobile application will win a Creative Suite 5.5 Web Premium license. Three others applications that respect this criteria will win Flash Builder 4.5 licenses.

The Adobe Showcase

Adobe will also promote the best mobile applications on the adobe.com website. It’s a great opportunity for you to showcase your work to the rest of the world.

 

WINNERS:

 

First of all, thanks to all the participants ! We received 50 submissions from different European countries! The majority managed porting and publishing their AIR apps on the three market places: the Android Market, the Apple Store and the BlackBerry AppWorld. The members of the jury reviewed the applications of different devices over the week-end. The first prize is a ticket to Los Angeles. The author of the application will attend Adobe MAX with the Adobe Evangelists. Then, the four best applications win a Creative Suite 5.5 Web Premium for exceptional achievements. We also wanted to rewarded the best 12 applications that were following the top 5, giving away Flash Builder 4.5 licenses. Drum roll…

The author of this application wins a ticket to Adobe MAX in Los Angeles !!! It’s a very innovative educational application. The technological progress of mankind has always been measured on the nature of his tools . Whole ages were baptized as Stone-, Bronze- and Iron Age – first of all because of the resources used therein. What title would you give todays era? Surely it wouldn’t be easy to find a clear answer to that question.  But it is almost certain that resources are getting scarcer and that the consumer is forced to handle these resources more gently. This trend can already be seen, in the large number of products made from recycled resources.  The app “ÖkoCheck Papier” should help to sensitize the user for his environment and his handling of daily goods.

All the members of the jury were touched by this application for several reasons: the topic, a disruptive UI, very smart use of the tablet devices combined with real paper (augmented reality), neat design.

The BIG 4: Special Prizes

The authors of these applications win a Creative Suite Web Premium 5.5 !!! They scored 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th after the jury reviews. Special mentions are assigned for each project on “Design”, “Novelty”, Usefulness”, “Technical”.

LAST.FMON AIR by Patrick Heinzelmann

Finally a decent client for Last.fm customers on all the tablet devices! Patrick submitted this beautiful app on the very last day of the contest. It was a nice surprise for the jury members who appreciated the nice UI of this application.

Last.fm ON AIR allows you to search or listen to your favorite artists, tracks or albums. Find nearby events and attend events or upload tagged event photos to Flickr linked to the Last.fm event. On the BlackBerry PlayBook, you can even control radio of the application with the physical button of the device: Play/Pause/Skip(Holding the louder button for some time)/Change the Volume. You need a valid Last.fm account to enjoy this application.

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Press Release