Enter the Adobe AIR App Challenge, Sponsored by Sony

As part of their expanded, long-standing relationship to deliver great content experiences for "Sony Tablet" devices, Adobe and Sony have announced the Adobe AIR App Challenge, Sponsored by Sony to drive the creation of innovative Android applications for the two models of tablet devices by offering developers a chance to win up to US$130,000, premium promotion on Sony Tablet, prerelease access to Sony Tablet prototypes and the latest version of Adobe AIR, conference passes and paid travel to Adobe MAX 2011 in Los Angeles, and more prizes. Both companies will enable developers to tap into native device capabilities and combine Adobe Flash technology and HTML5 to deliver unique, high-performance mobile applications using Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 and the open-source Adobe Flex framework.

Sony is developing two tablets with unprecedented design, including Sony Tablet S (previously codenamed S1), which is optimized for rich media entertainment, and Sony Tablet P (previously codenamed S2), which is ideal for mobile communication and entertainment. Both tablets will become available in the global market starting in fall 2011. Learn more at sony.com/tablet.

Developers will be able to deliver new application experiences in addition to thousands of apps already available on Android Market today. They can use the latest tools including Adobe Flash Professional CS5.5, Adobe Flash Builder 4.5, and the mobile-optimized, open-source Flex 4.5 framework to create a wide range of powerful applications including media, gaming, and data-driven apps that support Adobe AIR. As part of the collaboration, Sony will preinstall Adobe Flash Player on Sony Tablet devices, enabling a complete web browsing experience that includes an array of videos, games, and other rich content. Users are expected to experience performance gains on Sony's high-performance web browser when compared with the native Android browser. (Performance gains will depend on various circumstances including the website being browsed.) As one of the top free apps on Android Market—with close to 13 million downloads to date and more than 300,000 users giving it a 4.5 (out of 5) star rating—Flash Player brings rich, Flash based content via the web browser to devices.

The Adobe AIR App Challenge is open to submissions from Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, UK, and the United States.  Due to the need for early access to prerelease prototypes, Sony Tablet prototypes can only be made available for developers in Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, UK, and the United States at this time.

• Jul. 13, 2011: Launch of the Challenge
• Sept. 16, 2011: Deadline to submit your working app to be considered for showcase at Adobe MAX 2011 in Los Angeles, Calif.
• Sept. 23, 2011: Selected MAX Showcase apps notified
• Oct. 1–5, 2011: Selected MAX Showcase apps demonstrated at Adobe MAX and MAX Public Favorite vote
• Oct. 10, 2011: Deadline for entries to be selected as a finalist
• Nov. 11, 2011: Final deadline for your finished AIR app
• Nov. 17, 2011: Announcement of the winners

Your submission must be created with at least one of the following Adobe tools (exception will be made only for 3D games/apps using the Stage 3D feature in Adobe AIR):

• Adobe Flash Professional
• Adobe Flash Builder
• Flex SDK

Your submission must be compatible with Android 3.1 or later (Honeycomb) and optimized for Sony Tablet P using a binary provided for this purpose and Sony Tablet S compatible.

Your final app must be uploaded to airappchallenge.com and Android Market by November 11, 2011.

Entry form and other supporting material must be submitted in English for judges to evaluate. Both newly developed and existing Adobe AIR applications are eligible to enter the Challenge.

Details on how to enter and contest rules can be found at airappchallenge.com.

Project submissions and final app entries in each category will be judged based on the following criteria:

• Quality and performance on Sony Tablet S and Sony Tablet P
  
• Innovation and creativity
• Overall user experience

While it's not a requirement, judges will look favorably on applications targeting additional screens other than Sony Tablet S and Sony Tablet P, such as Sony Ericsson Android smartphones, Sony VAIO desktop computers, and Adobe Flash Player enabled digital home devices such as Sony televisions with Google TV support and Sony PlayStation consoles.

We're excited to announce the judges on board for the App Challenge. They'll be reviewing apps submitted in the various categories (Entertainment, Lifestyle & Community, Games, Business & Productivity, and Innovation) and selecting the winners. Show 'em what you've got—and good luck!

• Rob Ford, founder and principal, The FWA Network, established The Favourite Website Awards in the UK in 2000. Since then, Rob has been focused on showcasing digital innovation from pioneering creative individuals and agencies across the world. His hands-on approach has ensured that the best digital work of the last 11+ years always gets the exposure it deserves. He also oversees the other FWA showcase sites for mobile and photography and has two bestselling books under his belt. Prior to FWA, Rob worked for companies including Halifax PLC and American Express.
• Jolie O'Dell, journalist, VentureBeat, brings 11 years of experience in journalism into her work in technology. As a daily writer for some of the most popular and influential technology blogs on the web—including ReadWriteWeb, Mashable, and VentureBeat—she has spent extensive time and research on the mobile and web development industry, focusing on startups as well as on the titans of the industry, such as Facebook and Google.
• Michael Gough, Vice President of Experience Design, Adobe, is the leader of Adobe's Experience Design Team (XD), an internal design practice focusing on the next generation of digitally enabled experiences. A longtime advocate for quality in all digital experiences, he has been pushing the digital envelope for years. Previously, Michael was the Chief Creative Officer at Macromedia, Vice President of Brand Design at Nike, Chief Creative Officer at Quokka Sports, and Creative Director at Construct.
• Ricky Liversidge, VP of Product Marketing, Media Solutions, Adobe, is responsible for the definition and execution of Adobe's media solutions strategy, covering digital publishing, video solutions as well as mobile/device partnering. During his 16 years at Adobe, he led the marketing efforts in North America, Asia, UK, and Western Europe as well as product marketing for Adobe Acrobat. Prior to joining Adobe, Ricky was a business manager at Computer 2000 and held marketing roles at JVC Systems and Summagraphics.
• Hideyuki Furumi,VP Business Planning and Strategy Division of the VAIO and Mobile Business Group, Sony, is responsible for overseeing Sony's worldwide marketing, product planning, and business development for PC, Tablet, Walkman and Reader products. He has 25 years of experience at Sony, which includes marketing and business management of multiple consumer electronics and IT products—plus 17 years of assignments overseas throughout South East Asia, Europe, and North America.
• Makoto Ishii, General Manager of Product Planning, VAIO and Mobile Business Group, Sony, is responsible for Sony Tablet product planning, business strategy, and business creation with strategic partners. During his 19 years at Sony, his roles have included R&D, engineering, and system architect for IT area products, as well as project manager for the development of Sony's communication-related products. After completing his education at MIT Sloan School of Management, he also covered business strategy for new business areas around IT technology experiences.

Watch the webinar launch recording from July 20, where Ty Takayanagi, director of product management at Sony VAIO & Mobile of America, and Adobe Evangelist Ryan Stewart covered the Sony Tablet specs and contest, and gave a demo.

Visit the Adobe AIR App Challenge, Sponsored by Sony site to learn the full Challenge details and for more information about submitting your AIR app.

The Mobile and Devices Developer Center contains many tutorials and articles to get you started or advance your existing skills. The Google Android topic page contains content specific to developing mobile apps for Android devices.