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Dublin based digital agency, EightyTwenty/4d, have developed an App for Irish Television which allows us all to be hard nosed Dragons. The App is innovative for the Irish market in that it allows viewers of RTÉ series Dragons Den to interact with the show in real time.

Players can view the aspiring entrepeneurs’ pitches, and then decide if they are ‘out’, ‘in’ or assess the projects for equity. The aim is to scale the ranks on a live online leaderboard and bcome the sixth dragon on the panel : )
The app was developed to profile Bank of Ireland’s SME portal www.allaboutbusiness.ie and to demonstrate Bank of Ireland’s support for business in Ireland.
This game is a nice forerunner of TV based engagement, and heralds a future where television viewers will no longer be passive. EightyTwenty/4d have put together a nice story board of how they developed this campaign http://www.eightytwenty.ie/project/dragons_den_game

Did you know that more people are willing to pay for games than for any other kind of apps? that mobile games are the most popular app category? or that smartphone gaming industry is expected to double by 2016? This and much more interesting info below

Created by: BusinessDegree.net

Where does one get started with making an app? If you’d like to put your name to an app, you may like to know Microsoft are incentivising people to develop not just one, but four apps.

Through the Microsoft initiative for Irish app makers: ‘app me up’ wannabe App makers download tutorials and software from the Microsoft website to help them create an app.
They must publish four apps before 22 June 2012 to be in with a chance of becoming an app VIP and winning either a Nokia Lumia 710 or a Nokia Lumia 800 (subject to availability).
The process includes: free tools that help developers develop an app, draw in the detail, and test the app on a PC. Video tutorials in step two range from help for absolute beginners to Windows Phone Mango. There are also design resources, details of events in Ireland and user experience advice and game development. The third step involves registering with the App Hub to submit an app. Only have one app and not four – you won’t get a free phone but you can still enter the app of the month competition. Good luck! See http://www.microsoft.com/ireland/appmeup/.

An Irish equestrian app has been shortlisted for the 2011 Best App Ever awards.
‘Save a horse’ was developed by app development firm Greyhorseapps.com to support the work of the Irish Horse Welfare Trust.

The app has been shortlisted from over 7,240 app nominations worldwide. Previous winners of the award include Angry Birds and Instagram.
App developer and founder of Greyhorseapps.com Elaine Heney relishes the challenge of making great apps.
“With the recession and European economic challenges, now is a great time to push the boundaries and create innovate products.”
The Tipperary-based firm’s roots were planted in 2004, when Heney set up irishhorsemanship.com to find people who share an interest in good horsemanship.
She set up Greyhorseapps.com in 2010 after a friend asked for permission to use the content from irishhorsemanship.com for an app.
The firm has since published over 30 apps to iOS and Android.
Voting for the Best Ever Awards ends on 24 January.

Imagine ‘checking in’ on social media just by tapping your phone against a poster? And gain instant rewards?
An Irish company is making a splash across the pond with a new platform which will offer just that.

Called RewardAble, this new platform from Betapond combines social check-ins with near field communication (NFC) and was showcased for the first time at the recent Innovation in Entertainment Showcase in Sony Pictures Hollywood.
RewardAble CEO Declan Kennedy explains that consumers will be able to ‘check in’ on social media and pick up rewards by simply tapping their phone against a poster or scanning a QR code.
The software, which will be available on all smartphones and integrates with NFC technology, will allow customers to discover new ways to get instant rewards whilst also benefiting retailers by bringing customer loyalty to the next level.
NFC authentications means customers will also have the highest level of privacy and protection.