It’s not too late for MSU students, faculty and staff to enter the MSU Innovation Challenge, which offers up to $10,000 in prize money for top iPhone apps designed by Bulldogs.
Sponsored by the MSU Entrepreneurship Center, the challenge seeks to cultivate would-be entrepreneurs, as individuals or in groups, to develop, market and have an application approved for sale on the Apple App Store.
Open until April 18, the contest is in full swing with as many as 11,000 downloads tallied by the current teams fielding apps.
So far, five apps in the competition have been approved and are available for download on the application store. The “Equater,” “iPlan2Study,” “College Rites,” “iFallDown2” and “iRoster” apps are designed to do everything from helping get your life organized to helping basketball fans keep track during a game.
“iFallDown2,” another ubiquitous, simple-yet-addictive smart phone game, and “College Rites” an app to complete the “unwritten rites” of SEC schools as the app’s developers put it.
When the contest closes on April 18, thewinners will be chosen based on most downloads, most revenue generated by downloads and the Bulldogs’ Choice award, which is based on votes cast on the Innovation Challenge’s Web site.
To help you figure out which app might be your next app addiction, we’re going to take a look at what MSU’s would-be iPhone programmers have to offer. In random order…
iRoster
When you’re watching the next game against Kentucky at the Hump and you just cannot figure out what number 11’s name is, then “iRoster” is good to have. (John Wall, by the way.)
Or if you’re a hardcore b-ball fan, having a player’s basic stats when you’re haggling over the name of a forward at Duke, then “iRoster” is a handy app.
It’s basic, but effective. For game day, the app lets you have flip between two teams’ rosters simply by tapping your iPhone for if you’re keeping track of opponents, or just two teams in separate games.
Right now, the app only has the rosters of the SEC, ACC and Big East, so some fans might be disappointed there’s not more D-1 love on it. Although, the developers said that more conferences are going to be added.
Equater
The app has plenty of spit-and-polish and is one of the smoothest-running apps I checked out.
This math game challenges your skill at creating and solving simple math equations in timed rounds.
It sounds somewhat lackluster, but it’s a definitely addicting game to pass the time with. I’m not a fan of math, but this game was actually pretty entertaining and there are some bonuses you encounter along the way to makes things interesting.
Still, that’s the m.o. of many of the most popular game apps (“Brickbreaker,” anyone?): a simple layout, with easy-to-understand rules surrounding a pretty simple task.
iPlan2Study
Most of us plan to study, but sometimes the implementation of that gets a little messed up.
It’s a pretty in-depth app at allowing you to upload notes from Web sites, upload and capture images, upload and create text notes and voice recordings along with an event calendar.
I’m not always the most organized person and I rely heavily on my iPhone to help me keep track of a lot of information, assignments, etc.
“iPlan2Study” is an easy-to-use app for keeping track of classes from your iPhone.
It takes a little set-up time to get everything up and running, but not anymore than normally goes into organizing any other new planner.
The good, organized student in all of us can get behind a free app like this one.
iFallDown2
“iFallDown2” is a paid game app that focuses on keeping a little red ball from being swept off your screen as it falls through layers of bricks. You steer the ball as it falls by moving your iPhone.
It’s a fun app for at home or wherever you might be alone, because you look kind of funny waving your iPhone around while playing the game.
There is a “Lite” app that’s free on the app store, so you can get a taste of the full game for free. Both are definitely worthy of a look in my opinion.
From personal experience, it’s a nice app if you’ve got little brothers, sisters or nieces and nephews and they ask to play with your phone.
College Rites
Some things sound pretty good on paper. Unfortunately, “College Rites” falls in that category.
Upon reading the description when downloading it in the app store I got kind of interested in the ability to experience the “unwritten rites” of SEC schools.
I thought I might finally get to have an “Animal House” or “The Graduate” moment, but these rites are unwritten perhaps for a reason.
The app is supposed to let you log-in and follow a checklist of these rites that students of other schools perform and experience.
Think of things along experiencing Left Field Lounge here at State, or tailgating at The Grove as the “rites.”
This could be a cool app if you’re into attending sporting events and all at other schools or you’re into random SEC trivia.
Disclaimer: I never got to really use this app because you have to create an account to log in to the app and it would never create an account. So, buy at your own risk.

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Adam Kazery

iPlan2Study