Students can win prizes and awareness through Windows Phone 7 app development
I am really excited how students are getting on with the development of application for Windows Phone 7. I was in a meeting today and a Student from Hull University was mentioned Harry Over’s. Harry has currently developed four apps which have been successfully developed and published via the Microsoft Marketplace.
This evening I have been playing with his version of Destruction Golf BETA which been riding high in the Windows Phone Marketplace for a while now, with over 30,000 downloads for what is an on-going development.
This really made me think, how many students are actually building apps themselves?
Were aware that Windows Phone 7 development isn't a common place within the curriculum at present. As a result we have added a host of Windows Phone 7 development academic resources and curricula resources developed by Rob Miles to Microsoft Faculty Connection Resources. This content is simply to help assist UK academics whom wish to adopt the platform within teaching and learning.
Another really important lesson is ensure you tell your students not to wait until all their game levels are complete before putting the game out into the MarketPlace. It is very easy to release upgrades to an existing program and quite a few developers are producing “episodic” content where they are releasing new versions at regular intervals.
So if your an academic teaching Windows Phone 7 Development we would love to hear from you and if your academic simply with interested students please let them know about the following competition from Microsoft UK Students.
The UK Student Windows Phone 7 app development competition is now into its third round. The competition is so easy to enter and it can get your student and your institution instant recognition within the UK Windows Phone 7 Developer community.
All your students need to do is develop an app, publish it into Windows MarketPlace, email a screenshot of your Windows Phone 7 application together with its name, your publisher name and email address to ukstucom@microsoft.com and you are done. Remeber all students get a FREE marketplace account and Windows Phone 7 Development kit from https://www.DreamSpark.com
Round winners get a web cam and a Windows Phone 7 T-Shirt and runners up get a T-Shirt. The overall winner will receive an an HTC 7 Trophy. See the full Terms and Conditions below for further details and you can see Jamie’s Round 1 winning entry below
Jamie’s entry was My Study Life which is quite self explanatory so if you have a Windows Phone 7 you can download it from MarketPlace. Search by publisher name virblue.
Additionally Microsoft UK Windows Phone 7 Team are running the incentives programme, and students can use the same app!
The competition is exclusively for UK Windows Phone developers. The purpose of this programme is simple, get rewarded by building an original and unique Windows Phone 7 application. There is a massive line up of prizes developers can redeem including Xbox360 consoles, LG 22” LCD TVs, Samsung Home Theatre Packages. In addition, by simply earning one point in the rewards programme, developers are automatically entered in the draw for an awesome weekly prize draw including Alienware, Acer & Dell laptops. For more information and conditions then click here.
For more guidance to help you get started you may want to check out these key resources
Download the Windows Phone Developer Tools
Understanding the Windows Phone 7 Development Tools
Windows Phone 7 Application Certification Requirements
Terms and conditions below.
1. ELIGIBILITY: This competition is open to UK students who are 16 years of age or older at the time of entry. Employees of Microsoft or its affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising or promotion agencies are not eligible, nor are members of these employees’ families (defined as parents, children, siblings, spouse and life partners).
2. TO ENTER: To enter, you have to have published a Windows Phone 7 application into Windows MarketPlace. Email a screenshot of your Windows Phone 7 application together with its name, your publisher name and email address to ukstucom@microsoft.com. All entries submitted during the 2 weeks of each round of the competition and by midnight on the closing date of each round will be entered into a random draw, overseen by three Microsoft employees. At the end of all 6 rounds the individual round winners will be entered into a separate prize draw. Any number of entries per person is allowed BUT only one entry per application published in MarketPlace will be accepted. Incomplete, damaged, defaced or illegible entries may be deemed invalid at the sole discretion of Microsoft. Entry constitutes full and unconditional acceptance of these Terms and Conditions. Microsoft reserves the right to disqualify anyone in breach of these Terms and Conditions.
3. TIMING: The competition timings are as follows (all timing are BST)
Round 1 Saturday 00:01am April 2nd 2011 until midnight on Friday April 15th 2011
Round 2 Saturday 00:01am April 16th 2011 until midnight on Friday April 29th 2011
Round 3 Saturday 00:01am April 30th 2011 until midnight on Friday May 13th 2011
Round 4 Saturday 00:01am May 14th 2011 until midnight on Friday May 27th 2011
Round 5 Saturday 00:01am May 28th 2011 until midnight on Friday June 10th 2011
Round 6 Saturday 00:01am June 11th 2011 until midnight on Friday June 24th 2011
The closing date of the entire competition is midnight BST June 24th 2011 . Completed entries will be entered into the prize draw for the applicable round based on when the email arrives in the Microsoft inbox.
4. USE OF DATA: Personal data which you provide when you enter this competition will not be used for future Microsoft UK marketing activity.
5. SELECTION OF WINNER: Three Microsoft employees will perform the random draw and the winner will be notified by email on during the week after each round closes . The winners agree to have their publisher names and application names published via the Microsoft UK Students Facebook page, Microsoft UK Students blog and Microsoft UK Students Twitter.
6. PRIZE: The winning entrant for each round will receive one Web cam and a Windows Phone 7 t-shirt and one runner up will receive a Windows Phone 7 t-shirt. At the end of all 6 rounds the 6 first prize winners of each round will be entered into a separate prize draw to win a Windows Phone 7 HTC Trophy Device. Prize is as stated and non-transferable. No cash or other alternatives available. Microsoft reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value. The prizes will be dispatched within two weeks of the competition’s closing date for each round. Prize may be considered a taxable benefit and the winner will be directly responsible for accounting for any tax liability arising on their prize.
7. WINNERS LIST: The winner consents to their surname being made publicly available. The winner’s name and application name will be available for a period of 3 weeks after the closing date by emailing <ukstucom@microsoft.com>
8. OTHER: No correspondence will be entered into regarding either this competition or these Terms and Conditions. In the unlikely event of a dispute, Microsoft’s decision shall be final. Microsoft reserves the right to amend, modify, cancel or withdraw this competition at any time without notice.
9. Microsoft cannot guarantee the performance of any third party and shall not be liable for any act or default by a third party. Participants in this promotion agree that Microsoft will have no liability whatsoever for any injuries, losses, costs, damage or disappointment of any kind resulting in whole or in part, directly or indirectly from acceptance, misuse or use of a prize, or from participation in this promotion. Nothing in this clause shall limit Microsoft’s liability in respect of death or personal injury arising out of its own negligence or arising out of fraud.