2013 Winners

Appy Awards

Books: Starring You StoryBooks by JibJab Media for StoryBots

Drawing on JibJab's "Starring You" technology, the StoryBooks app enables parents to easily graft their toddlers' names and faces into digital story books. The books come in a variety of design styles, all of which include unique animations and sound effects. Titles include "Elf for a Day," "Dancin' Feet," and "The Barnyard Band." Since JibJab - the company that provided the technology for Office Max's viral "Elf Yourself" campaigns -- launched StoryBooks in 2011, the app has consistently been a top 10 grossing iPad book app, with downloads throughout 89 countries.

Credits: JibJab Media

Branded Content App: Chevy Game Time by Detroit Labs for Goodby, Silverstein, and Partners/Chevy

More than half of people show up at Super Bowl parties for something other than the Super Bowl. Chevy realized this and created an app that those people could enjoy during their Super Bowl party. The Game Time app, once downloaded, provided a unique license plate number for users. If the user spotted the license plate in a Chevy ad, then they won the car. Users also answered trivia questions about the game and ads to score more points, thus making the users pay attention to the Super Bowl more than ever. Over all 700,000 people downloaded the app and 130,000 people played simultaneously.

Credits: James Vreeland (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Justin Osmon (Goodlby, Silverstein and Partners) Hunter Hindman (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Joakim Borgström (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Niklas Lilja (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Michael Limbert (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Sha Nguyen (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Brandon Locke (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Rachel Madrigal (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Antonio Marcato (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Jason Pierce (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Logan Walters (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Brooke Turner (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Crystal Trzok (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Karen Jackson (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Hunter Hindman (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Nicole Greenlee (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Alex Burke (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Agnieszka Palarz (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Cameron Luby (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Marika Wiggan (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Heidi Killeen (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Talya Fisher (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Paul Glomski (Detroit Labs) Dan Ward (Detroit Labs) Henry Balanon (Detroit Labs) Nathan Hughes (Detroit Labs)

Branded Gaming App: NBA: King of the Court 2 by Ogmento for Ogmento

NBA King of the Court 2 provides the user with an easy to play, yet fun experience. Ogmento provides the users with clear directions and logical controls that make for a quick learning curve. The game also incorporates different elements of basketball: shooting, passing, avoiding defenders, etc. which keeps the game interesting, challenging, realistic and most importantly entertaining. The developers did a good job of branding as the NBA logo is consistently featured prominently throughout the game but it is never overbearing. The game also has positive messaging promoting teamwork throughout the game that aligns itself closely with the NBA team mentality.

Affiliated Agency: The National Basketball Association - licenser

Credits: Brian Selzer: Co-Founder, President of Ogmento Brad Foxhoven: Co-Founder, VP of Marketing at Ogmento Tim Hernandez: VP Producer at Ogmento Tatiana Nahai: Marketing Manager at Ogmento Chris Shanley: Associate Producer at Ogmento

Business: Perch by Closely for Closely

Psst! Look who’s using Foursquare to foster loyalty? Why, it’s your main competition! Heretofore, you would have to go online and search for the name of each competitor in each social network to find out what they were up to. Now, with Perch, which knows your location, you can easily see where the local competition is finding customers, from Facebook and Twitter to hundreds of deal sites, all in one place. Even better, you can create a watch list and get notification when that other sushi joint starts offering deals that you can match or top.

Affiliated Agency: n/a

Credits: Perry Evans | Founder & CEO Our founder’s background seems custom made for leading Closely. As the founding executive behind the formation and growth of MapQuest, Jabber and Local Matters, Perry is one of the most experienced and respected product and business executives across local search, real-time messaging and LBS. Tom Bender | Co-founder & VP, Engineering Our technology leadership comes with a diverse base of experience across automated trading systems, geo-based services and smart energy platforms. Tom’s background encompasses leading development organizations at Tendril Networks, Jabber, and Digital Globe alongside complex platform projects with Ford Motors, Goldman Sachs, Boeing and Citibank.

Business Media App: Bloomberg by Bloomberg L.P. for Bloomberg

The Bloomberg app, first launched in 2010 (the same day the iPad went on sale), was recently redesigned to offer users a more personalized experience. Users now have their own "command centers," where they can access top news, a personalized snapshot of world markets and a summary of their investments (including news and earnings updates on companies in their Watchlist) without leaving their home screen. The app's scrolling stock ticker allows users to track the news and market data most relevant to them. Multitasking users can "pop out" a video and watch it while doing other things in the app.

Credits: The Bloomberg Mobile Team

Cooking: iCookbook by Publications International, Ltd. for Publications International, Ltd.

Dirty hands and mobile devices do not normally work well together; unless they are using the iCookbook App. iCookbook’s voice command function provides step-by-step instructions to complete a recipe without ever touching the device. iCookbook’s thousands of recipes include user ratings and the option to archive your favorite recipes or add ingredients to a shopping list. Conversion and substitution charts along with a built-in timer and how-to videos are just some of the tools in this all-in-one app.

Affiliated Agency: Appency - Specializing in App Marketing & Public Relations

Credits: Designed & Published by Publications International, Ltd: CEO - Louis Weber President, Cooking Division - Jerry L. Croft Editor-in-Chief - James M. O'Connor Project Manager- Brian Mathis iCookbook Editors - Carissa Kinyon Senior Art Director - Jason Clary Project Manager - Diane Connolly Vice President Licensing & Account Management: David E. Oates Vice President New Business Development: Su Bermingham Director of Database Development: Pat Hagle Director of Publishing Services: Jeff Krakow Projec Systems Administrator: Brett Thornsberry App Developed by Ratio Interactive Paul Kim Russ Whitman Yamini Shah Jeremy Olmsted- Thompson Mike Hitchcock Joe Do Jasenka Gracic Keith Guerin Megan Guerin Bart Claeys Adam Argyle Nathan Broyles Brenden Sawyer William Power

Communication: Tango by Tango for Tango

Since the commercialization of video calling with the iPhone 4, streaming mobile video has been a hard problem to solve. Tango has worked to make video calling a more fluid part of everyday life and gives the service a greater purpose for consumers by conveniently converging video calling, messaging, games, and unique content into one simple platform. More than competitors, such as FaceTime and Skype, Tango has been designed to work natively on mobile devices on direct peer-to-peer connections.

Credits: Eric Setton, Co-Founder & CTO

Consumer Magazine/Newspaper App: Distro by AOL, Inc. for Engadget

This niche platform for tech lovers is a smooth ride. Distro distills the best articles from Engadget.com in a magazine format. The site runs the gamut from gadget reviews to interactive features, covering an eclectic array of topics — apps to aviation. The clever design is engaging and inviting; the quick download times are a huge plus. Best of all, the app helps readers get the most out of the iPad and the information they seek. It must be working: Readers return four times a week to search the year-old pub.

Credits: Tim Stevens, EIC, Engadget Jeremy LaCroix, Head of UX & Design, AOL Mobile Christopher Trout, Executive Editor, Distro Greg Grabowy, Art Director, Distro Will Lipman, Photographer, Distro Scott Tury, Lead Developer, AOl Mobile Peter Niceberg, Production Manager, HPMG

Education: Star Walk™ - 5 Stars Astronomy Guide by Vito Technology for Vito Technology

Star Walk is an augmented reality app used for mapping out constellations and planets. Along with its unique and accurate augmented reality technology, Star Walk provides extra educational information by providing the user with upcoming astrological events. Also, upon coming across objects like planets, Star Walk provides the user with other facts. I was skeptical on the accuracy of augmented reality apps but Star Walk proves to work very well. The greatest feature I found within the Star Walk app was the timeline feature that allows you to see star movement paths. One drawback is I couldn’t seem to be able to turn off the constellation outlines to just view stars normally. This app achieves its goal on educating its users on astronomy.

Credits: Victor Toporkov - CEO Murad Nazaraliev - Managing Director

Entertainment: Professional Content: HuffPost Live by Huffington Post Media Group for Cadillac

Huffpost Live is a live-streaming video network, which makes the viewer an integral and involved part of the content. Viewers become engaged either by making or replying to real time comments as well becomming on-air guests. The IPad app takes this experience to the next level with the addition of air play/Apple TV so viewers can graduate from their small screens to their HDTV. The ability to be an on- air guest and to frame it on your HDTV speaks invitingly to the talking head in all of us. This is the future of media, as Diana Christensen from “Network” must have envisioned it, content by and for the people.

Credits: Roy Sekoff - Founding Editor of the Huffington Post, President and Co-Creator of HuffPost Live Arianna Huffington - Chair, President and Editor-in-Chief of the Huffington Post Media Group Gabriel Lewis - Co-Creator & Executive Editor, HuffPost Live and Vice President, AOL Studios Otto Toth - Senior Technical Director, Head of Mobile Josh Klenert - Head of UX & Design Adam Denenberg - VP of Engineering Mitch Semel - HuffPost Live Executive Editor

Family/Parenting: BabyBump by Alt12 Apps for N/A

Have you fallen pregnant? Need to track your fetus' development? There's an app for that! BabyBump is one of the most popular apps with over 10 million visits a month. It's the most active mobile pregnancy community in the world. The app has a comprehensive set of tracking capabilities and even includes a daily journal for moms-to-be to track moods, cravings, energy levels and other important pregnancy-related milestones.

Credits: Jennifer Wong, Founder and CEO, Alt12 Apps Casey Sackett, Founder and CTO, Alt12 Apps

Finance: SnipSnap by SnipSnap for SnipSnap

SnipSnap is a coupon app that provides users with a convenient way to keep track of and discover coupons. On top of this, the coupons stored within the SnipSnap App are usable via your mobile as opposed to carrying a clutter of coupons with you. SnipSnap also provides users with a social option to discover what coupons other users and friends are using. Users can follow other users to see what coupons they are “snipping” so they may do the same. This app is easy to use, has a great interface, and is one of the sleekest looking apps in this category.

Credits: Ted Mann, SnipSnap, CEO/Founder Kostas Nasis, SnipSnap, CTO

Games: Action/Arcade/Sports: I Hate Zombies by Turbo Chilli Pty Ltd for Turbo Chilli

I Hate Zombies is an easy to pick up racing game with 2D graphics and fun visual features such as the ability to swipe to trigger windscreen wipers and clean zombie slime off the screen. The game offers 21 different vehicles to be unlocked, each with their own unique handling and characteristics perfect for zombie smashing. While your drive may be endless (the game only ends when you crash), it is also endless fun with jumps, coin collecting and the thrill of slaying zombies.

Credits: Ben Hazzard - Turbo Chilli Pty Ltd - Publisher Mark Fennell - IRIX Pty Ltd - Developer

Games: Board/Puzzle: Puzzle Craft by Chillingo / Ars Thanea Games for Chillingo

Does empire building top your do-to list? Then consider Puzzle Craft. Players have to farm, collect taxes, hire workers and more. It’s Bain Capital without bankruptcies, or Monopoly, assuming you were building Marvin Gardens from the ground up. Part town-creation Sim, part match-three puzzler, Puzzle Craft employs strategy and big-picture thinking. Named the App Store’s Best of 2012 “New Ways to Play” and winning IGN People’s Choice Award for Best Mobile Puzzle Game, the iOS game puts a premium on productivity. Winners get to revamp health care.

Credits: Bartlomiej Rozbicki — CEO & Partner, Ars Thanea Games Artur Ganszyniec — Lead Game Designer, Ars Thanea Games

Games: Educational/Family/Kids: Abductionary by DOJO for DOJO

Abductionary is an entertaining game/app in which has its users focus on creating words with a limited set of letters and a limited set of time. As the letters fall, users must choose ones they are presented with to make words of three letters or more. The more letters a user does not use the closer the game comes to ending. While this isn’t a groundbreaking type of game, I found myself returning to it often as it’s entertaining, has a good soundtrack, and quality animation.

Credits: Executive Creative Directors: Mauro Alencar and Geoff Edwards Creative Director: Chris Masse  Game Design Lead: Rafael Gaino  Game Design: Rafael Gaino, Mauro Alencar and Justin Macha Programming: Rafael Gaino Creatives: Justin Macha, Deidre Lichty and Madelyn Lee Animation: Chris Vilchez and INK Animation Studio Music: Mauro Alencar and Rafael Gaino

Healthcare & Fitness: Health4Me by UnitedHealth Group for UnitedHealthcare

Healthcare behemoths generally aren't known for their embrace of new technologies, nor for the user-friendliness of their web sites. Thus UnitedHealthcare's Health4Me app feels like a revelation: It's easy to navigate and packed with the sort of smart, helpful features - including one through which consumers can learn the approximate cost of around 100 treatments and procedures without having to visit a doctor's office - usually associated with brands like Apple or Honda. It also gets the essentials right, allowing users to check the status of their claims, connect directly with a nurse on a 24/7/365 basis and manage account information.

Affiliated Agency: RLM Finsbury (Public Relations)

Credits: N/A

iPad Publishing: Newsy for iPad - Video from Multiple News Sources by Newsy for Newsy

Newsy is an app that promises to make you smarter and faster, providing current news stories from multiple sources around the world. The Newsy reporters on the videos take in consideration the various news platforms and weave them together to bring a wider view of the story. On the main page, each story is presented as a thumbnail that can dragged onto a personal playlist. The layout design and videos are very clear and the news content are well presented.

Credits: Geoff Pado, Director of Development Tony Brown, Director of Product Jim Spencer, President

Lifestyle: Proposal Pro by Rosetta for Helzberg Diamonds

Proposing to your significant other but haven't the first clue about rings or etuqiette? Proposal Pro by Rosetta has you covered. This app takes potential proposers through the stressful process or asking the parents, picking the ring and even gives tips on how to propose. The in depth diamond overview should prove especially helpful to novice gem buyers. The app already has 13,000 downloads. We imagine that number will soar in the Spring when love will most certainly be in the air.

Credits: Rosetta CCO: Gary Scheiner Rosetta Group Creative Director: Roger Wong Rosetta Creative Director: Brian Clevenger Rosetta Art Director: Rachel Gehrs Rosetta Copywriter: Paula Rogers Rosetta Copywriter: Craig Israel Rosetta UX: Jackie Greenfield Rosetta Solution Architect: Chris Guthrie Rosetta Planner: Lauren Trego Rosetta Mobiel Strategy: Sara Rodriguez Rosetta Developer: Jared Jacobs

Location or Place-Based App: Yiftee by Yiftee for none

Yiftee has an innovative underlying idea: allow people to buy gifts through the app from shops and restaurants near a recipient’s location. Someone might send a friend a “Yiftee,” for example, from a manicure, specialty coffee or flowers via Facebook, email or text and have them pick it up at a local merchant. Most gifts are under $20, so it doesn’t require a big occasion for giving. Launched nationally in December 2012 with 2 million merchants, Yiftee now allows people to search by zip code in addition to city and neighborhood.

Affiliated Agency: none

Credits: Donna Novitsky, CEO Aldo Briano, Co-Founder Lori Laub, Co-Founder Jon Kepecs, Co-Founder Christina Gray, Designer Veronica Borges, Developer

Mapping/Location Based: Columbia's GPS Portable Activity Log (GPS PAL) by ISITE Design for Columbia Sportswear

Columbia Sportswear wanted to develop a mobile app for outdoor enthusiasts and current Columbia customers to get more out of their adventures, enabling them to capture and track their experiences through a GPS-supported application. The GPS PAL app allows customers to track hikes, capture photos, videos, and notes with automatic GPS tagging, and sync them to a web journal. The GPS tracking app is battery-conscious and works across three platforms: Android, iPhone and the web, allowing virtually any customer to engage with the brand in a new way.

Credits: Paul Zaengle, VP of E-commerce, Columbia Sportswear Tom Russo, E-commerce Project Manager, Columbia Sportswear Garrett Gonzales, E-commerce Creative Manager, Columbia Sportswear Brent Wynn, Sr. Interactive Designer, Columbia Sportswear Gene Ehrbar, Director of Mobile Solutions, ISITE Design Tim Sears, Mobile Solution Architect, ISITE Design Sydney Wood, Account Manager, ISITE Design Bryan Ledford, Senior Solutions Architect, ISITE Design Devin Olsen, Front End Developer, ISITE Design Patrick Craig, Creative Director, ISITE Design Peter Heide, Mobile Solution Architect, ISITE Design

Mapping/Navigation: The Weekender by Metropolitan Transportation Authority for MTA

During the week, the New York City subway lines and bus routes are the most crowded in the nation. The 109 year old system accomodates 8 million passengers each day. To deal with that heavy load, the system is pretty much always undergoing repairs and maintenance, mostly on the weekends. Before the MTA released their Weekender app, hoards of New Yorkers were frustrated and quite angry over the fact that the weekend schedule for subways and buses differed from the weekday schedule. To remedy this, MTA released The Weekender app in June 2012 for both Apple and Android. Over 100,000 users have downloaded the app. Now, weekend travelers know what lines are under repair, when to expect delays and when there will be smooth sailing.

Credits: Paul Fleuranges Senior Director Corporate & Internal Communications Metropolitan Transportation Authority Mark Heavey Director Marketing & Communications Metropolitan Transportation Authority Sohaib Mallick Asst. Chief Officer Technology & Information Services MTA New York City Transit Charles Gordanier Production Manager Metropolitan Transportation Authority Yoshiki Waterhouse Partner Vignelli Associates Kamal Sheik Web Programmer/Consultant Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Marketing/Branding/Advertising: Chevy Game Time by Detroit Labs for Goodby, Silverstein, and Partners/Chevy

Super Bowl attendees: 63,000; peak active app users: 128,000. It enjoyed 40 million total views, and was downloaded 700,000 times. If ever a company hijacked the Super Bowl, Chevy did by giving viewers a live second-screen experience. Users answered questions about the game and Chevy’s ads in it to win cars. Each player was given a unique license plate and, if you saw a car in a Chevy ad with that plate, the car was yours. What better way to keep the audience more interested in their phones and commercials than in the game itself.

Credits: James Vreeland (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Justin Osmon (Goodlby, Silverstein and Partners) Hunter Hindman (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Joakim Borgström (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Niklas Lilja (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Michael Limbert (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Sha Nguyen (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Brandon Locke (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Rachel Madrigal (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Antonio Marcato (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Jason Pierce (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Logan Walters (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Brooke Turner (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Crystal Trzok (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Karen Jackson (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Hunter Hindman (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Nicole Greenlee (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Alex Burke (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Agnieszka Palarz (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Cameron Luby (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Marika Wiggan (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Heidi Killeen (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Talya Fisher (Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Paul Glomski (Detroit Labs) Dan Ward (Detroit Labs) Henry Balanon (Detroit Labs) Nathan Hughes (Detroit Labs)

Medical: Healthspek by rabble+rouser for EaseMD

Healthcare management is most effective with patient involvement, a necessity in controlling costs and treatments. Healthspek makes it easy to keep track of your medical history and allows continuous updates between you and your health providers. The end result is avoidance of redundancy and the ability of all your health providers to be on the same page. Medication reminders and prescription information are also included for daily maintenance and to avoid dangerous drug interactions. The benefits of this service are obvious for those who have health issues, but it is also helpful to keep track of immunizations and to build a medical history that can be used as a benchmark.

Credits: Randy Farr, President, EaseMD Systems. Ben Brough, Manager of Development, EaseMD Systems. Bruce LeFew, Chief Operating Officer, EaseMD Systems. Scott Schroeder, Principal, rabble+rouser. Lee Payne, Vice President of Client Service, rabble+rouser. Nicci Shaw, Account Executive, rabble+rouser. Chris Armijo, Interactive Creative Director, rabble+rouser. Patrick Hefner, Director of Application Development, rabble+rouser.

Mobile Payments: Fandango by Fandango for Fandango

I hate waiting in line at the movie theater for tickets. It seems so unnecessary. All I want to do is get my popcorn and trashcan-sized soda and find the best seat in the theater. Fangango knows this, too. With their app, movie going is much simplier. You can search for the movie you want on almost any mobile device and then buy your ticket instantly. Users get a barcode in return that can be swiped at the entry, thus negating the ticket-buying-waiting-in-line process.

Credits: Jessica Yi

Multicultural Media App: Dove Gifting by SapientNitro Shanghai for Mars / Dove Chocolates

Gifting is a big cultural trend in China. But with growing affluence in China, Chinese consumers have grown so used to giving and receiving gifts that there is now little meaning behind each gift. Dove wanted to remind customers that gifting is an act that comes from the heart, so they decided to create an app to accomplish this goal. The Dove Gifting App is the first 3D customizable Augmented Reality mobile online gifting platform, which allows each Dove chocolates gifting purchase to be a fully personalized one. Customers can create virtual e-card messages, select 3D objects, flash animations and upload pictures to accompany every Dove chocolates gift purchase for free on mobile.

Credits: Creative Director: Kestrel Lee, Chanthani Satjatham, Hueylu Ho Art Direction: Chanthani Satjatham, Jerry Kurniawan, Andrew Kupresanin Technology: Amy Hu, Costa Zhu, Elvin Chen, Sinisa Spasojevic Copywriting: Lydia Wang, Nancy Cui Account Servicing: Freddie Laker, Ashley Wu, Gary Zhao Project Management: Liz Chng, Pride Fang

Music: The Shazam App by Shazam for (n/a)

Shazam, one of the top ten most downloaded iPhone apps of all time, is accurately named for its magical powers. This simple app can provide the song title and artist name as well as album and history, just by holding the phone near the speakers. After a search, Shazam produces links for the user to purchase and download into iTunes. Shazam is accurate, quick, and very useful for any fan of music.

Credits: Founders: Chris Barton, Philip Inghelbrecht, Avery Wang and Dhiraj Mukherjee Current Executive Team: Andrew Fisher, CEO Jason Titus, CTO Avery Wang, Chief Scientist Keith Lovell, CFO Doug Garland, CRO David Jones, EVP Marketing

News: News360 by News360 for News360

Even before its redesign, the News360 app provided one of the best news-aggregation experiences on any platform. After it, the app is more or less peerless. What makes it so useful is its balance: users can tweak the News360 app to deliver their desired doses of personalized news (about teams, bands, etc.) and "important" news (world headlines, weather). At the same time, the News360 app suggests new topics on a semi-regular basis, getting smarter and more accurate as it learns from the user's in-app behavior.

Credits: Roman Karachinsky, CEO and Co-Founder Nina Grigorieva, COO and Co-Founder

Photography: flayvr by flayvr for flayvr

Flayvr has a wacky spelling but a nifty use: The app organizes your photos and videos into interactive albums for easy access. It’s great as a handy tool to catalog your photos or share with others. Given the sheer number of shots taken for any vacation or event, which the app identifies automatically, it doubles as a visual library of your life. Unique technology permits an instant display of albums in real-time. CNN named it one of seven social networks to watch in 2013.

Credits: Ron Levy, CEO and Co-Founder Adi Ashkenazi, CTO and Co-Founder

Privacy/Online Security: Hotspot Shield by AnchorFree for Hotspot Shield

The Hotspot Shield lets users secure their mobile communications while also saving money on data plans. The apps automatically encrypt users' Web visits, transforming HTTP sites into HTTPS. The app also blocks malware, phishing and spam threats. Plus, it allows users to anonymously access content and services -- like Skype or YouTube -- that might be blocked by foreign governments or employers. The app uses data compression technology to minimize the amount of data that users' consumer via their plans. By the end of last year, the mobile app had garnered more than 3 million downloads.

Affiliated Agency: LaunchSquad, PR agency

Credits: David Gorodyansky, CEO and Co-founder, AnchorFree and Eugene Malobrodsky, CTO and Co-founder, AnchorFree

Productivity: Fleksy by Syntellia for Fleksy

As mobile users, we’re all familiar with the so-called “fat finger” problem. Fleksy eliminates that issue altogether by providing an alternative smartphone keyboard designed to help the blind and visually impaired type accurately. The app uses state-of-the-art predictive technology to discern what a user wants to write, fixes errors and even speaks back words to insure they’re correct. The system lets users tap where they think each letter is, rather than pressing buttons precisely on the screen. With a replacement keyboard for Android devices launched at CES this year, Fleksy developer Syntella is rewriting the book on touch-typing.

Credits: KOSTAS ELEFTHERIOU FOUNDER & CEO IOANNIS VERDELIS FOUNDER & COO JOHN F. MCGOWAN Senior Engineer VADIM MAXIMOV DEV NINJA GREY SKOLD DEV PIRATE BILL RAPPOS UX NINJA

Reference: Ancestry by Ancestry.com for Ancestry.com

The Ancestry mobile app takes the online experience of Ancestry.com and makes it easier than ever before (for new and existing users alike) to make family history discoveries on-the-go. With a simple and user-friendly family tree viewer, users can show off interesting facts, historic documents, and photos all while visiting a relative. Users can also add, edit, or delete profiles of ancestors or relatives on-the-go. Exclusive to the app is a "Shaky Leaf" hinting feature, which uses predictive analytics to suggest possible new information in a users’ family tree.

Credits: Kendall Hulet (VP, Product at Ancestry.com) Josh Bryant (Designer at Ancestry.com) Dan Reneer (Designer at Ancestry.com) Jason Butterfield (Director, Product at Ancestry.com) Aaron Orr (Product Manager at Ancestry.com) Branden Neish (Product Manager at Ancestry.com) Gentry Davies (Product Manager at Ancestry.com) Scott Lewis (iOS Development Manager at Ancestry.com) Matt Peterson (Android Development Manager at Ancestry.com) Gary Mangum (Mobile Architect at Ancestry.com)

Retail: Walgreens by Walgreens for Walgreens

To an already well-equipped shopping app, Walgreens in 2012 added a rewards program, integration with Apple’s Passbook and photo-editing capability. The pharmacy chain also capitalized on mobile's ability to link the physical and digital worlds by bringing in-store mapping to all 8,000 of its stores through a partnership with Aisle411. In the same vein, a “Find in Store” feature lets customers check whether their local Walgreens has items their looking for in stock. Even with the new options, the app offers intuitive navigation and a user-friendly experience.

Credits: Andrew Tidy - Director, Mobile Experience Tim McCauley - Sr. Director, Mobile Technology Joe Rago - Sr. Mobile Product Manager Jon Turkington - Mobile Product Manager Kate Paduchowski - Mobile Product Manager Mark Shaffer - Mobile Business Manager Kartik Subramanian - Mobile Product Manager

Search Tools: Zillow Real Estate App by Zillow for Zillow

Zillow’s free searchable database lists more than 110 million U.S. homes like those for sale, rent and not currently on the market. A tool lets app users define custom search boundaries and setup instant alerts for new listings. It also provides access to financial calculators to determine finance options. Taping GPS on the phone, the app pinpoints the user’s exact location and serves-up values, data and information on surrounding homes while walking or driving walk or drive through a neighborhood.

Credits: Jeremy Wacksman, VP Consumer Marketing & Mobile, Zillow Garrett McAuliffe, VP Engineering, Zillow Jay Al Hashal, Sr. Mobile Program Manager, Zillow Sanjit Saluja, Sr. Software Development Engineer, Zillow Preeti Aggarwal, Software Development Engineer, Zillow

Social Networking: ThankYouPro by Zendoa LLC for ThankYouPro

The ThankYouPro mobile app lets businesses follow-up with customers through a personalized thank you note via U.S. mail, combining old school and new strategies to connect with consumers. The free app lets anyone create custom notes to send anywhere in the world within 24 business hours. Domestic mail arrives in one to three days; Canadian, two to four; and overseas, five to seven. Place images or gift cards in the note from a variety of merchants like Barnes & Noble, Loews, or The Golf Shop.

Affiliated Agency: MobilityPR - PR Agency

Credits: John Testement - President Zendoa LLC

Sports: NHL GameCenter by National Hockey League for National Hockey League

The NHL's GameCenter app recently faced a threat that hit at the very core of its being: an absence of games, courtesy of a lockout that delayed the start of the NHL season. But when the games resumed, GameCenter again proved a must-have companion for hockey fans. In addition to the expected features - stats and real-time scores - the app includes live-game simulation (complete with shift changes) and a wealth of on-demand video highlights. Both the regular and premium versions of the app are customizable by team.

Affiliated Agency: Developer: NeuLion; Designer: Rosetta

Credits: John Pacino, VP Digital Design, National Hockey League Chris Golier, VP Mobile Marketing & Strategy, National Hockey League

Television/Video App: The Shazam App by Shazam for (n/a)

When Shazam first arrived, it was used almost exclusively to identify "that song" - you know, the one that you heard in the bar but couldn't quite place, at least not until you Shazam'd it for quick identification. Give its creators credit, then, for its unexpected evolution into one of the few apps that truly enhances a second-screen experience. Shazam has proven a worthy TV companion, not to mention a marketer's dream: Shazam-enabled campaigns allow consumers to self-identify as interested in a given product or service, and have more information immediately beamed their way.

Credits: Founders: Chris Barton, Philip Inghelbrecht, Avery Wang and Dhiraj Mukherjee Current Executive Team: Andrew Fisher, CEO Jason Titus, CTO Avery Wang, Chief Scientist Keith Lovell, CFO Doug Garland, CRO David Jones, EVP Marketing

Travel: TripAdvisor City Guides by TripAdvisor for TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor Mobile allows travelers to locate the best rates on airfare, ask questions in the TripAdvisor traveler forums, book hotel stays, and add reviews of their own while experiences are fresh in their memory. It can also be useful during a trip with unique features such as “Point Me There,” which navigates travelers to hotels, restaurants, and attractions, and “Near Me Now,” which lets users discover places nearby. As a bonus, the app is available in 21 languages.

Credits: TripAdvisor City Guides Team

Utilities: Proposal Pro by Rosetta for Helzberg Diamonds

Proposal Pro by Helzberg Diamonds does what no other jewelry app does—it owns the entire engagement process. Proposal Pro doesn’t just teach the 4Cs to young guys, but also walks them through the entire engagement process in a fun and useful way. Guys learn how to ask the parents, get numerous proposal ideas, and get help on finding the perfect location to pop the question.

Credits: Rosetta CCO: Gary Scheiner Rosetta Group Creative Director: Roger Wong Rosetta Creative Director: Brian Clevenger Rosetta Art Director: Rachel Gehrs Rosetta Copywriter: Paula Rogers Rosetta Copywriter: Craig Israel Rosetta UX: Jackie Greenfield Rosetta Solution Architect: Chris Guthrie Rosetta Planner: Lauren Trego Rosetta Mobiel Strategy: Sara Rodriguez Rosetta Developer: Jared Jacobs

Weather: WeatherBug for Android by Earth Networks - WeatherBug for WeatherBug

It is hard to argue with 121,000 five-star and nearly 50,000 four-star reviews. WeatherBug made everyone happy by eliminating frustrating performance issues as well as outright crashes. Here, it presents just about everything one could want or need to know about current and forecasted weather. Users glide easily from a look at the temperature, wind speed and a five-day forecast to a map showing precipitation and on to a deeper dive into what’s to come, information gathered from what WeatherBug calls the largest nationwide commercial-grade weather and lightning network. Impressive!

Credits: -Andrei Ponomarenko, Senior Android Developer, WeatherBug -Peter Liaw, Android Developer, WeatherBug

Wildcard: Seamless Food Delivery & Takeout for iPad by Seamless for Seamless

Hungry? Busy? No problem, grab your iPad, bring up Seamless and your lunch will be there in a jiff -- paid for through your registered credit card, tip included. If you’ve ever used Seamless online, then you already know that the service features menus for takeout and delivery from over 11,000 restaurants across the U.S. and UK. Mobile already accounts for 40 percent of orders Seamless receives from its 2 million members. They already had apps for iPhone, Android and Blackberry devices. During its development, Lizzy Klein, Seamless’ VP of Product, envisioned the iPad app being used in uniquely tablet-centric situations, like on the couch or in-transit. She developed a completely new interface exclusively for the iPad with menus that slide in from the side and options that expand when selected. When opened users are presented with two options: “I’ll have the usual” and “Show me the menus.” “I’ll have the usual” gives members the ability to browse their unified order history (from iPad, mobile, and web) and quickly re-order the same items or visit a favorite restaurant to try a different dish. Browsing the menus is a cinch using the apps food type filters, estimated delivery times, ratings and reviews. Fast, easy food delivery? I’m there.

Credits: Lizzy Klein, VP of Product at Seamless

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