EDGELib.com and ClickGamer.com announced a cross-platform mobile game programming competition today to promote the EDGE game library for Windows Mobile and Symbian devices.

The competition starts December 7th 2005 and ends June 7th 2006.

Competition Criteria
All game entries must be submitted supporting at least 2 platforms. The judging criteria will be based on:

1. Cross Platform considerations
2. Originality
3. Game Play
4. Fun Factor

Any additional support such as graphical effects and multi-networking games will earn you extra credit!

Prize
The winner will receive a ton of cool stuff:

•  A developer edition Gizmondo unit
•  A two year commercial EDGE license
•  $5,000 worth of free advertising at Clickgamer.com for their game

Competition Judges
The Cutting EDGE Coding Competition will call upon an independent panel of Windows Mobile Pocket PC and Smartphone and Symbian Smartphone experts from throughout the world to judge and select winners for the best game entries. These experts will be contributors, helpers and associates of top mobile device (PPC, Smartphone, Gadgets) gaming websites.

Anyone interested in forming a team?  I don't have time to lead it, but if someone wants to step up to the plate, I'll definately help with the coding.

Let me start this post by saying thanks to all the readers from Make, Hackaday, and Blogcadre that helped me beta test.

Get Ready.

THANKS!

As you can guess from the post's title, PhotoPlug is finally ready for download.

Make sure you put it on someone's phone for Christmas. It's a great program - you wont regret it.

Here is the final feature list:

• Your photos play as a slideshow on your phone's homescreen
• Play images from internal storage (My Documents), SD Card, or a custom directory of your choice
• QVGA support for the new high-res devices!
• Settings tool makes configuration a snap
• Choose the photo playback speed
• Action button launches camera application on supported devices. On all other devices, the configuration program is launched.
• Faster performance and smaller memory footprint
• Battery saver: photo playback is paused when phone is not in use
• "Slideshow" theme is included with this install. Check back soon for more PhotoPlug enabled home screen themes.

Get It Now!
Click here to get the 2003, 2003se, and 2005 (Magneto) version

Click here to get the 2002 version

In a strange series of events, Macromedia pulled a quick strategic u-turn... just as I began writing this article. The original story, titled "Macromedia ditches Pocket PC Flash," began like this:

On the 3rd of October, Macromedia decided to remove Pocket PC Flash Player 6 from their website. This download is what allows Windows Mobile Pocket PC devices to view Flash content within Pocket Internet Explorer.

Why on earth would Macromedia attempt to shrink their Flash install base? It boggles the mind. Or does it.

If you want to entertain your suspicions about what Macromedia is doing with the Pocket PC and Smartphone platforms and whether we'll ever get to see Flash for the PSP, keep reading.

I'm just days away from shrink-wrapping the release version of my Smartphone app. PhotoPlug lets you view slide shows and access your phone's camera directly from the home screen.

I think it's the best Smartphone app ever, but I am a little biased. It's definately the best homescreen plugin. That, I am sure. ;)

I'm looking for a few nice people with 2002 or 2005 Smartphones to help me test. In return, you get a free copy of the application before anyone else gets to see it, and you get the opportunity to help an indie developer ensure that this is, in fact, the best SP app ever. If you want to help, please contact me.

Got a favorite Smartphone or Pocket PC application? Let us know in the comments.

UPDATE Dec-02-2005:
The release version of PhotoPlug is finally available for download from smartphone.net. Thanks to everyone who helped!

Get it now!
Click here to get the 2003, 2003se, and 2005 (Magneto) version

Click here to get the 2002 version