1. A record number of apps in NYC BigApps 3.0

    NYC Department of Information Technology and Telecommunication Commissioner Carole Post kicked off Social Media Week yesterday with the opening of public voting for NYC BigApps 3.0. Nearly 100 eligible apps were submitted this year — a record high in the history of BigApps competitions.

    “NYC BigApps continues to be a success because of the strong ecosystem of software developers, NYC residents, judges, sponsors, and the City. This ecosystem, plus the Ideas challenge which gathered feedback from non-developers, the multiple hackathons, and the continually-improving data all were responsible for this year’s record number of apps. ChallengePost is honored to have been a part of this effort since the beginning.”

    - Brandon Kessler, ChallengePost CEO

    Check out the innovative apps at 2011.NYCBigApps.com and vote daily for your favorites! 

    NYC BigApps 3.0 fun facts:

    • Every application is built using NYC Open Data
    • More than half the apps integrated APIs from a BigApps API partner
    • Developers had access to nearly 750 datasets
    • 230 of the datasets were brand new, made available by more than 60 City agencies, Commissions, and Business Improvement Districts
    • All apps are free!

    Enhanced prizes & business opportunities:

    Eligible apps will be reviewed by an all-star judging panel of leading investors and entrepreneurs, and winners will take home 11 cash prizes totaling $50,000. In addition, these amazing non-monetary prizes will be awarded:

    NYC BigApps is part of New York City’s ongoing efforts to increase transparency in government, as well as improve quality of life for New Yorkers and visitors. We invite you to follow @NYCBigApps and @ChallengePost on Twitter, and join us on Facebook.

    More NYC BigApps 3.0 News:
    Official Press Release [NYCEDC] 
    Early Leader in BigApps Competition: Foursquare [Gigaom] 
    Vote for Your Favorite App in NYC’s BigApps 3.0 Competition [The Next Web]

    By Samantha

    Feb 10 Comments

  2. Save the planet, one line of code at a time

    Want to change the world this coming weekend? Sign up for the Cleanweb Hackathon, which takes place Jan. 20–22 in NYC. Participants will build apps that tackle sustainability issues and resource constraints (issues related to energy, food, waste, water, and so on).

    Bonus: if your Cleanweb hack uses NYC Open Data, your app can also be eligible for NYC BigApps 3.0 (the deadline is Jan. 25)!

    Event: NYC Cleanweb Hackathon

    Date: Jan. 20–22 (Friday evening social followed by 2 days of hacking) 

    Location: NYU ITP, 721 Broadway, Fl. 4

    Who’s invited: Developers, designers, students — and anyone else who’s interested (registration categories include Business, Press, and Presentations only)

    More information: Cleanweb on Posterous

    Register now: cleanweb-nyc-eorg.eventbrite.com 

    Follow @NYCBigApps and @ChallengePost on Twitter, and join us on Facebook.

    Jan 16 Comments

  3. NYC BigApps infographic

    From the nycedc:

    How do you like them apps? Check out our infographic to see how past NYC BigApps winners branched out to serve the different needs of New Yorkers.

    BigApps by the numbers:

    • 60 agencies, commissions and bids
    • 750 city datasets tapped
    • 140+ apps generated
    • Nearly 14,000 voters and 5,000 followers
    • Over $100,000 awarded in prizes

    The benefits of the BigApps challenge? Improved citizen and city life; publicity and a chance to meet Mayor Bloomberg; and access to leading tech entrepreneurs and investors.

    Submit your entry for this year’s challenge by January 25, 2012 at 5 p.m. EST.

    Jan 12 Comments

  4. A full house at NYC BigApps 3.0 Developer Day

    Nearly 100 software developers, designers, and innovators joined us for NYC BigApps 3.0 Developer Day on Saturday, Jan. 7 at Pivotal Labs in Union Square.

    NYC BigApps 3.0 participants coded, met new teammates, chowed down, and had a blast. Some were just getting started on their BigApps submissions (due Jan. 25!), while others shot their submission videos. One developer showed up with 3 tablets for testing. Another told me “the next Mark Zuckerberg is in the room.” (And judging by past BigApps winners’ successes, he might be right about that!)

    Special thanks to Andrew Nicklin, Director of Enterprise Architecture at NYC DoITT, who gave a tour of NYC Open Data offerings and took questions and feedback throughout the day. And to API partners CartoDB, Etsy, The New York Times, and StreetEasy, who were on hand to answer questions.

    Dev Day coverage

    Follow @NYCBigApps and @ChallengePost on Twitter, and join us on Facebook. Use hashtag #NYCBigApps when you tweet.

    By Samantha

    Jan 11 Comments