Hackonten Not Only Produces NewsReader Apps

Hackonten, an apps development competition of Nokia Development in cooperation with Gramedia Majalah, has done last Friday in Jakarta. The competition’s participants are required to use the API of Gramedia Majalah’s content and able to innovate by creating more than news reader apps.

That is explained by Narenda Wicaksono, Developer Manager of Nokia South East Asia. According to narenda, as reported by Kompas Tekno, many out of the box ideas and features came from the participants of the event. When usually media company only creating news reader, the participating developers develop apps using other technology to be put in the news reader apps.

65 developer groups are participating in this Hackonten event. They are challenged to make an app using the API of Gramedia Majalah’s groups: Idea, Kidnesia, Sekar, Chic, Intisari, Nakita, DuniaSoccer, Hai, TabloidNova, and Kawanku. Of the 65 participants, 12 are chosen to enter the semi final round.

The result, a developer group named Blend with its app, Metro Hai, is chosen to be the winner with price worth IDR20 million. This app utilizes augmented reality technology and the content of Hai magazine. The augmented reality is used to find nearest location of the school of Cewek Hai (accomplished and potential girls by Hai). Augmented reality is also used too create Hai magazine’s cover using user’s photo.

The runner-up and second runner-up are the apps Ndongeng by Code Talk and Intisari Lumia by Happy Go Kenny. Ndongeng is a Kidnesia news reader app with equipped with short stories, pictorial stories and podcast features while Intisari Lumia is news reader app for Intisari magazine which provide Intisari’s content with an interesting interface.

Digital Project Director from Digital Media Kelompok Majalah Kompas Gramedia, Eddy Suhardy says that they will tend to the things related to content’s copyright and various legal matter in Kompas gramedia. The hope is for the apps to be able to developed further and can be placed in the Windows Marketplace so people can enjoy it.

Image Source: [HaiMagazine Tweet]