Tag: Contest »

So, you've broken free of AT&T and now own a shiny new Verizon iPhone 4. How are you going to protect it? Speck has the answer with new fitted cases for the Verizon iPhone 4, and we have ten to give away starting Thursday, February 10th.

All you have to do to win is keep watching our Facebook page. Sometime on the 10th, and then for the next ten days, we'll post on our wall that the daily contest is on. You then have to "like" our post and comment below it to be eligible to win. We'll choose one winner at random from all of the commenters, so please keep it to just one comment per contest day.

Winners will need to provide us with a valid email address as well as a physical mailing address, since we can't electronically transmit your case to you. :)

Keep watching www.facebook.com/148apps for more information.

The first person to download the 10 billionth application, or submit the first free entry after the 9,999,999,999th download (more on that in a second), will win a $10,000 gift card to the iTunes store. We'll consider that victory marginally better than the free balloons you get when you're the millionth shopper at your local market.

It's absolutely absurd to consider that in the span of only two and a half years (the App Store launched on July 10, 2008) there are more application downloads in a single marketplace than there are people on Earth. Nearly double the amount, in fact. That is, if you consider being shy by two billion a small margin of difference.

Those interested can head to the contest's page on Apple.com. There you'll see a scrolling ticker representing how close the world is to seeing that 10 billionth download. Is the ticker an accurate representation of the actual apps downloaded? Probably not. One would assume that Apple took the time to figure out how many apps are downloaded in a given span of time and then applied that rule to the ticker itself. But why is that important?

It's only important if you plan on using the no purchase necessary form of entry. For those that don't want to download the 10 billionth app or, alternatively, even for those that don't have an iOS device, you can simply enter using this form within the contest page. You can do so 25 times a day. Obviously, it's not fair to let non-purchasing folk walk away with the prize by just entering a bunch of times. So, the factor that contributes to the entrants eligibility is the timing of said entry.

The gift card will go to either the person that downloads the 10 billionth app or the person that uses the entry form immediately after the 9,999,999,999th download, whichever comes first.

If you've already checked out our massive list of Black Friday sales then you may have noticed a few cool apps from Readdle available for great prices. Well it seems they're a company that keeps on giving, as they've also announced that they'll be giving away three lucky winners a free iPad.

In order to enter into the sweepstakes you must answer me these questions three. No wait, that's not right, but you do have to take the following steps:

1. Own any Readdle app
2. Follow @Readdle on Twitter
3. Send out the following Tweet sometime between November 24-30: "Readdle Apps #BlackFriday Sale. Follow @readdle, RT to win an #iPad: http://readdle.com/blackfriday"

Once you've completed all the tasks set before you you'll be entered to win one of Apple's wonder tablets. In order to cause general jealousy amongst friends and family we recommend if you win that you wrap the iPad and then place it under the tree with a card addressed to you from Santa. Then act shocked when you open it and snidely comment how you must have been so much nicer over the past year than everyone else in order to be worthy of such an amazing present.

We'll take this opportunity to say good luck to everyone who enters and please know that we're already jealous of you even before you've won. Just because we write about the iPad doesn't mean we can actually afford it so congratulations, you're better than us.

If you've got any questions or want to check out the official rules then head on over to Readdle's Black Friday page and have a look around. Otherwise enjoy your Thanksgiving weekend, especially since you'll be using it to gather up as many horseshoes, rabbits' feet and four-leaf clovers as you can find.

As the site says "Put down your iPad, pick up a knife and carve a homage to your favorite app." App-o-Lanterns, started by a group of enthusiastic app developers and fans, is a site that's offering a fun, unique Pumpkin Carving contest this Halloween. It's a way for fans to show what their favorite apps are, and to express their creativity. It's also a really unique way for developers to try and get some attention - it's an interesting way to show off their app, all wrapped up into a contest which gives anyone the ability to win a great prize!

All you need to do is carve up a pumpkin that pays homage to your favorite App (or if you're a developer, your own App!) and send in the photo to the site - they'll add to to the blog and you could win one of five prizes, depending on your category entry.

There are three kinds of submissions: Fan Submission (this is from everyday joes who are just carving up their favorite app), Developer Submission (Use a App-o-Lantern as a showpiece for your app!), or Kids Submission (if you're under 13!).

The prizes, in addition to having one of the nerdiest pumpkins on the block, are as follows. Winners will be chosen by a panel of judges.

Kids Submission: Promo codes for some of the App-o-Lantern Sponsored apps. Fan Submission: Also win Promo codes from App-o-Lantern's Sponsors. Developer Submissions: You get 100k ad impressions within the Sponsor's app. Best Back-story: Come up with some sort of unique take about your App-o-Lantern and you could win a Promo Code for the Story Tracker app.

But here's the Big Grand Prize: Best In Row!
If you make your submission and you get the most Tweets + Facebook Shares from their blog you're going to win an AppleTV!

Obviously you should head over to their site and read the full contest rules, and definitely check out the submissions so far. But more importantly, I really think that you should head out to the pumpkin patch, grab your power tools and carve up a tribute to your favorite app! I've already got a few ideas of my own -- good luck to all the entries!

The design team behind the new Decide Now decisions-making app is running a contest to try and find the most interesting and creative ideas to be added to their app. What's in it for you? Well, a pretty nice Bluetooth headset or one of two iPhone 4 cases, is what. All you need do is give them a neat idea or suggestion, your honest and creative feedback on the app itself and the best three ideas will win the prizes.

Decide Now is an app for those who can't seem to make up their minds. I'm sure I'm not the only one who will instantly think of Office Space's "Jump to Conclusions" mat as the possible inspiration for this app. But the idea makes sense, and I know there are probably a couple times that I'd rather someone decide for me instead of having to think about all the options in a given situation.

What it offers is 10 predefined wheel templates for varying situations. Also, you can create your own custom options, so if you want it to decide what movie you should see, simply enter in each of the movies, and spin the wheel. Leaving it to chance or even letting Decide Now narrow down your choices for any situations might relieve you of any worry or stress associated with tough choices. Although, obviously this is for entertainment purposes -- please people, don't spin this thing for any major life-choices.

The description boasts of different color design options and that the graphics are retina display quality, so this app should be easy on the eyes. Try it out, and if you think you have a brilliant idea on how to improve it, head over to the contest page website and enter the contest. Not only will you help make the app better, but you could be walking away with a sweet new case or better still, bluetooth headset. The contest started September 28th, and runs until October 10th! Good luck!

To celebrate the release of Star Wars: The Battle for Hoth LITE, developer FluffyLogic is giving away some sweet prizes. All you need to do is download and install the free Star Wars: The Battle for Hoth LITE game, review it in four words or less on the iTunes App Store, and then email that review to FluffyLogic. Click here for full details and official rule stuff. More details from the developers:

The top prize is an original 80s Star Wars action figure of Luke Skywalker in his Hoth battledress. Second prize is also an 80s action figure - but of a Snowtrooper this time. Both winners will also get a copy of the book Plug In & Turn On: A Filmmakers Guide to Internet - written by the game's producer and designer a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away - so they can get some hints and tips to use their new found action figures to make fan films! The best runners-up will also get a copy of the book.

The full version of Star Wars: Battle of Hoth is also out - and the devs have a handy help guide for the game if you get stuck. But wait, THERE'S MORE!

In the email we got today, FluffyLogic teased us with the fact of a near-future iPad version coming out. With even MORE sweet new features and levels. Stay tuned for them right here as they're revealed.

Being a developer in the iPhone world is a tough life to live. You're bombarded every day with all sorts of worries like "Where is my app in the App Store?", "What if people don't like our new app?", and "How many shots of espresso should I get in my latte?" While some people handle the stress quite well, many fall into the dark world of addiction. From the sounds of things, employees at Two Tribes, makers of the hit game app (Toki Tori), fall into the latter category.

There have been reports from inside Two Tribes that their employees have been experiencing some sort of mass confusion. Items are going missing, things are being found in absurd locations, and people have been doing jobs that they weren't hired on for. Most importantly, the staff at Two Tribes has completely forgotten what kind of app they were developing.

All that they have to go by is an obscure game trailer (see below) and a picture that is too pixelated to make out, and they need your help solving the mystery.

If you have any idea what kind of app they are producing, send Two Tribes an email; they would be extremely grateful. According to Two Tribes, they will reward the most helpful answers with "an exclusive goodie-bag as well as a free copy of the game when it hits the iTunes store!" The deadline for emailing your thoughts is Wednesday August 18th, so don't miss out on your chance to do a good developer a favor.

Click here for more information on the addiction and related contest. And remember, friends don't let friends forget what they are developing.

Up until now, App Store sensation Pocket God has revolved around whatever you (as the de-facto god) did to your poor pygmy subjects. The folks at Bolt Creative, however, decided to bless the pygmies with initiative of their own...and their antics and adventures are the subject of the new Pocket God Comics. Yep, that's right. A real, honest-to-goodness comic spin-off of the famous pygmy-torture game. Let the mayhem begin.

Pocket God Comics hit the App Store on Tuesday. Your $0.99 purchase includes the first issue; later releases can be obtained through in-app purchase. The app is universal (iPhone + iPod + iPad compatible), with higher-resolution artwork on display for the iPad version. The art looks fantastic, even on a small device, and the pygmies are as entertaining as ever.

But wait! Why should the pygmy conquest be limited to the virtual world? Bolt Creative is trying to push a print comic, too. Of course, stores need to carry the Pocket God comic before you can buy it, so Bolt is staging a contest. Take a look at the blog post for full details, but essentially: print a flyer that asks the comic store to stock Pocket God. Go to comic store. Take a picture of yourself with the flyer. Give flyer to comic store staff, then email picture to Bolt Creative. Pocket God gets exposure; you get a code for a Jet Pack in Ooga Jump as well as an entry in a drawing for a $1000 Apple Gift Certificate.

Pocket God is really a stunning success story—it hasn't left the Top 50 for over a year—and it's really neat to see the developers branching out into the "real world." Hurrah for pygmies!

tap tap tap (Convert, Voices) has done quite well in the App Store despite not being a game developer. Continuing this trend, the company has announced today in a lengthy blog post that their newest app, Camera+, has made $250k in its first month. Surprisingly enough, the app did so with no advertising (the company doesn't advertise for its apps anymore due to costs) and quickly declining sales in the US market.

So how did they do it? Here's the abridged version.

Since tap tap tap does no advertising anymore, John Casasanta, head of the company and writer of the blog post, says that the key is to start with a HUGE launch. Huge as in contest for $10,000+ worth of camera equipment... but the key is how to get the word out. Fortunately for tap tap tap, John Casasanta is also the head of MacHeist, so the company got a large head start, but now tap tap tap has its own opt-in list with 70,000 subscribers. Says Casasanta, "Granted, not every developer has access to such resources, but there’s no reason that anyone can’t build-up resources of this sort over time… it’s taken us years so patience and persistence is key."

I guess in any business, you're only as successful as the people you know, or in this case, the amount of people you know.

The rest of the success lies in the app itself. Since the US App Store is completely dominated by games, it's imperative to have a flawless, detail oriented app with some fun touches and well done social network integration. The post talks, in detail, about making things feel right, with not too many options, but enough to work correctly. Also, developers need to be completely open to feedback, and update when the app needs to be updated, but only when the updates are necessary.

As a non-game, it's very important to keep hope even after sales wane in the US. The app market overseas is very different from our game and entertainment app dominated store, with countries like Finland having 14 of the top 25 being non game and entertainment apps. Check out the sales chart on the right to see how foreign app store are supporting Camera+.

The post ends with a warning. "You can spend a year on an app and hardly make a dime on it. It’s not just the nature of the App Store… it’s the nature of practically any business." Only make an app if it's something that you love, and be sure to slave over every last detail.

So good luck to all the devs that are out to make your own $250k. If every app turns out to look as well made as any of the tap tap tap apps, the world would be a much better place.
[Source: taptaptap]

This weekend, we're going to have fun in another brain game. This time, it's a game similar to Risk, Strategery.

Strategery is a land battle game where you battle up to 4 other players on random maps of various sizes. You start out controlling an equal part of the world map and battle to control more. You initiate a battle against another country on the board and then automatic dice rolls determine the winner. You turn continues until you have done all of the valid battles you wish. After your turn you can reinforce your troops in the countries that you still control to give you stronger forces for the next round. The game continues until one player or the other obliterates the others and controls all of the countries on the map.

The game takes strategy, planning, and a little bit of luck.

Strategery includes an online, 2 player battle mode that works similar to last weeks Words With Friends. Each player takes their turn on their own time and there are push notifications to let you know when it's your turn. While the multiplayer system isn't very robust, it gets the job done.

Now, the contest part! Add your Strategery user name below so that we can have a group of willing players to play against. I am, as usual, Jeff148Apps, feel free to hit me up for a game. We'll pick a random winner for a $15 US iTunes gift card from all the entries and announce it next weekend.

If you want to check the game out before buying, there's a Lite version available for the iPhone, but it lacks the online battle mode.

Check our our previous Weekend Fun posts.

Update 5/8: Wow! What a great response. Over 300 of you joined us in playing Words With Friends. Of the 20+ games I've got going, I'm losing most of them. No big surprise there! As mentioned below, we picked a winner, emailed them and once they respond we'll send them the $15 iTunes gift card. Check back later for another Weekend Fun post about another multiplayer game and a $15 iTunes gift card winner.

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Last week, we kicked off our Weekend Fun series with We Rule. 99 of you joined us to build our kingdoms to new levels. We've announced the winner of last weekends $15 iTunes gift card on that page and emailed the winner. This week, it's time to step it up a notch and start to exercise our vocabularies a little.

Words With Friends is our Weekend Fun contest for this week. If you aren't familiar with Words With Friends, it's a multiplayer Scrabble type game. What makes it work so well on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad (with HD version), is that you play it at your own pace. Once you play your move, the control passes to the other player who will play at their own pace.

Want to play Words With Friends? The cheapest way is to download the free version (link below), set up an account, and get started. From there you can initiate a game with someone you know, or have the game pick a random player for you. If you are looking for opponents, please add your username in the comments below and I'm sure someone will be more than happy to challenge you! Feel free to challenge me if you feel like winning (jeff148apps) -- I have about a 3rd grade vocabulary. (and yes, vocabulary is the largest word I know how to spell)

We'll pick a random player to win a $15 iTunes gift card (for the US iTunes Store) -- all you have to do to win is leave your Words With Friends id (not email address) in the comments below.

Good luck, and happy wordsmithing!

Update 5/1/2010: gokbert is our winner -- check your email and respond and we'll send you the iTunes gift card code.

We Rule from ngmoco:) is one of the more popular community trading games. A genre of game most popularized by Farmville. This type of game revolves around building things and trading goods and services with other players. In We Rule one of the best ways to gain experience points and in-game currency is to sell and buy services with other players. Both buyers and sellers gain in these transactions.

To sell services, you just need to build buildings that sell goods and services. This is basically any of the buildings other than farms and homes. Users can then come to your kingdom and order from those buildings just by touching them. This is the same way that you can order services from other kingdoms. Visit other kingdoms and look for open signs to see what's available.

So let's use this post as a place to share each our Plus+ Network usernames so that we can start trading with each other. The idea being that we build a community within the We Rule community all trading with each other to build our XP as fast as possible. I'll start, I'm jeff148apps.

Add your Plus+ Network username below, in the comments. We can then all add each other as friends and start building up experience points and gold. To make it a little more enticing, we'll pick a random user from below for a $15 iTunes Gift card so you can buy more mojo in the game. We'll give away the gift card next weekend.

Also, make sure you have the latest version installed. Ngmoco recently fixed some bugs related to open businesses that should make things easier for us all.

Bottle Rocket, the developers of Doodle Bomb have teamed up with OpenFeint to deliver the Blast for the Cash contest. The idea is that the higher up the Doodle Bomb leader board you are, the greater your chance of winning a piece of $2,000 in prizes. Here's a partial list of how the prize winners will be chosen:

–> Grand Prize <–
We will randomly select one of the top 5 overall scores to be awarded $1,000 cash!

–> First Prize <–
We will randomly select one of the top 10 overall scores to be awarded $500 cash!

–> Second Prize <–
We will randomly select one of the top 20 overall scores to be awarded $250 cash!

Winners will be selected on April 4th -- so you better get bombing! For a complete list of rules and prizes, see the contest site.

[img id="2009-Logo-Black-Stroke_larg.jpg"]Our parent site, 148Apps is wrapping up their promo code contest to celebrate all of the nominees for the second annual Best App Ever Awards.

There are plenty of promo codes still to be given away including lots of educational and parent apps like Peekaboo Barn, Peekaboo Wild, Madera & Figaro in The Rescue of Ginger, Little Red, Mathemagics and many many more.

Head on over to the Best App Ever promo code contest to see the rules, prizes, and info on how to enter for each of the apps. But hurry, the contest wraps up this weekend.

We're proud to announce the world's largest iPhone app promo code contest held to honor the nominees of the 2009 Best App Ever Awards!

In honor of the second annual Best App Ever Awards, nominees were invited to submit promo codes for their apps for a promo code contest. What we got back was absolutely staggering. We have thus far received 912 1092 promo codes for 100 121 different apps. That comes to a total retail value of almost $2500 $3045!