The city of Ottawa is one of a handful of municipalities giving away something valuable -- data. The city is supplying the raw information to those who want to design applications in a city-run contest.
The challenge is to come up with apps that improve life in Ottawa by using city data. Up for grabs is $50,000 in prize money.
Apps are where it's at these days. The Apple store has pushed out about seven billion apps for the iPhone and iPad.
Connor Hicks and Alishia Hui are Grade 10 students at Ottawa's Earl of March Secondary School. They've designed and built a website, ottawaforkids.webs.com.
Hicks says he "taught himself web design" while Hui is a graphic designer.
"I started web design about two years ago and this project forced me to do a lot of research on how to make the site work and access the city data," says Hicks.
"This is a great idea and a great way to connect government and its data to people."
However, he's found the city slow to update data and the students' site tries to stay on top of events for young people. The young designers spent three months to get the site running and more hours every week keeping it up-to-date.
There are already more than 30 entries in the contest.
opendataapps.org gives a look at apps already running and apps4Ottawa.ca provides contest details. Other apps include a dog park finder, a site to track performance of councilors and ideas on tracking transit buses.
You don't even have to build an app -- a good idea can win you a prize. The contest closes Jan. 2, 2011. Get your thinking cap on - how often does the city give away anything?
This Sunday on TECH NOW the toll texting takes when u r tapping msgs @ all hours of the night.
