The World Bank is sponsoring an Apps for Development competition which challenges the public to create innovative software applications that move users closer to solving some of the world's most pressing problems.

Focusing on one of the various Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), submissions can be for any widely available software platform. The MDGs articulate specific targets to be reached by 2015 related to poverty and hunger, universal education, child health and other crucial dimensions. The potential datasets have been made available in the World Bank Data Catalog.

Submissions to the Competition will be accepted until January 10, 2011. Interested participants and developers must include a link to the application, a video of the application, a text-based description of the application, and at least one still photograph of the working application in order to be considered.

More info: http://appsfordevelopment.challengepost.com/

Online ideas brainstorm: http://wbapps.ideascale.com/

Sony Ericsson seems to be aiming particularly at smaller developers, or at developers in emerging markets. It claims there are no charges to submitting apps, and there are no annual fees for the service. Not only that, but 70% of the revenue from sales will go to the developer. The company specifically mentions India as a place where mobile app production is exploding, and is courting companies, bedroom developers and large companies to submit apps.

http://apppitch.sonyericsson.com/

Our Mobile Generation (OMG) is a project initiated by ENVIU to stimulate more sustainability around mobile phones. The objective of OMG is to inspire mobile phone users to come up with sustainable solutions or ideas that will lead to a more sustainable telecom industry and lifestyle. Our Mobile Generation concentrates on 5 challenges:

// Open Source Smart Phone: A sustainable and affordable smart phone. For the people, by the people!
// 3d Printing: And Local Production Models Wouldn’t it be great if you could produce a new phone from your own home?
// Sustainable Business Models: Let’s develop new ways of doing business that contribute to more sustainability!
// Apps4Sustainability: Inspiring new apps that contribute to a more sustainable lifestyle.
// Add-On Technology: How can we make new combinations between existing technology and your mobile phone to create sustainable impact?

The deadline for the idea generation phase is 31st December 2010, followed by the concept development phase which runs until 31st March 2011. Finally there is a prototyping phase with a deadline of 30th June 2011.

Apps4Africa is a contest launched in July 2010 to highlight the talent of local developers in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania. Across the region, the number of IT graduates and tech entrepreneurs is exploding, providing new opportunities to foster social and economic growth. The challenge was to find innovative technological solutions to everyday problems, and the winners were as follows:

1st Place // iCow, a voice-based mobile application that helps farmers track the estrus stages of their cows, enabling farmers everywhere to better manage breeding periods as well as monitor cow nutrition leading up to the calving day.

2nd Place // Kleptocracy Fighters Inc. allows citizens to record and report real time information on government corruption. Reports can include: audio, video, text, and will be forwarded to legal and media partners to help publish cases of corruption.

3rd Place // Mamakiba is a patient-facing SMS savings calculator and prepayment tracking tool specifically designed to help low-income women save and prepay for their maternal health needs such as ante-natal care and clinical delivery.

Honorable Mention // Fogs Funeral Announcements, an application for generating death and funeral announcements via sms, as radio and newspaper are costly in the region. Fog will allow users to ensure this news reaches friends, family, former schoolmates and colleagues – an important Kenyan custom.

http://www.apps4africa.org/

http://www.ihub.co.ke/blog/2010/10/meet-the-lady-behind-the-icow-idea/