1. Firstly you need to register and become a member of the JumpStart Community (here).
2. Register as a developer on the eTXT.co.zw platform REGISTER NOW.
3. Once you have created an amazing app submit it on the Econet eTXT platform.

1. Visit the official website.
2. Join the official ForgetMeNot Developers Facebook page.
3. Email Africa@fmnsoft.com.

You can still submit an app to the ZeTXT Apps Challenge until 25th May 2012. Following the success of the Kipokezi Apps Challenge, your app could be launched on the Econet eTXT platform.

1. Firstly you need to register and become a member of the JumpStart Community (here).

2. To start creating apps for the Apps Challenge simply register as a developer on the eTXT.co.zw platform REGISTER NOW.

3. Once you have created an amazing app submit it on the Econet eTXT platform.

1. Visit the official website.
2. Join the official ForgetMeNot Developers Facebook page.
3. Email Africa@fmnsoft.com.

Tokelezea is a social SMS event check in and management application. Users can search for events by location and in the future they’ll also be able to search by category when we have a big enough database of events. After finding an interesting event, users can view details such as description, address, date and time. From here they can choose to check-in (tokelezea) and invite their friends. They can also buy tickets by MPESA if the events are not free. It also allows attendees to interact by posting and viewing event comments and viewing the attendees.
As an event organizer, one can easily add an event, edit event information, delete event and view total attendees and money collected.
All of this happens on a basic SMS capable phone with no Internet access. Tokelezea has a mobile web version that shows the event page with information, and allows the user to locate the address on a map.

Be simple and intuitive

The app should be easy to understand and users should be able to quickly navigate and use it’s features without having to go through a manual first

Be Social

If there’s a way to add a social dimension in the app then you should try and utilize it. People always want to share what they’re up to and the content they are consuming. In the current tech scene, it’s difficult to sell applications that are not social. The way Tokelezea achieved this was to allow users to post comments and view comments and attendees.

Have a Large Target Market

The app should be useful to a large target market.

Be Practical

Think about the culture of the people you are building the app for. Think about how they usually do things and if the app would actually make sense to them.

Most importantly, take the feedback from the FMNA team seriously.

They know the Industry; they know what works and what doesn’t.

The Winning Tokelezea Team

ForgetMeNot Africa’s Kipokezi Apps Challenge (Kipapps) aimed to create sustainable employment through technology in Kenya. In partnership with iHub and Safaricom, Kenyan developers were encouraged to create new ‘apps’ utilising the ForgetMeNot Africa Optimiser Platform.

The launch event and workshops took place 24th-27th March and involved a presentation from John Carroll (ForgetMeNot founder and Director of Technology), as well as one on one discussions with prospective developers.  Exciting apps were developed to the Kipokezi platform and submitted until 20th April, to be reviewed by the FMNA team before a shortlist for the Hackathon on 27th April was announced.

Developers worked together with mentors to refine their apps

In the Kipapps Hackathon, shortlisted developers worked with mentors from ForgetMeNot Africa, iHub and Safaricom to polish their apps, and create a unique business case. All of the developers presented their business case and code to the Kipapps judging panel, who in turn meticulously reviewed each App within a confined judging criteria.

Business cases were presented in front of a Kipapps judging panel

Each developer put forward a strong case as to why their app should win. Bosco Wambua presented his Ujingani jokes app, as well as his addictive Numberfacts app which allows users to access a huge database of number-specific facts at the send of an SMS. Eventual runner-up David Lemayian (above) presented on his Kenya Premier League app, suggesting that access to fixtures, news, standings would cater for football fans without internet capabilities.The KaziPlatform app submitted by Mwema Jacob aimed to give skilled workers a channel in which to advertise their expertise and get work. Elvis Bando provided innovation in his malaria diagnosis app (Zahanati), whilst Anthony Musyoki announced an SMS-saver, and a message forwarding app.

After careful deliberation however, the judging panel came to a decision that Nick Hargreaves’ team would be the winners who would take home an iPad,  $2000, and (more importantly) the opportunity to launch their app on the Safaricom network. Their winning app ‘Tokelezea’ is an SMS app that allows people to find upcoming events by event type and location. Users can create events, browse events in their area, and even invite their friends (through email) to attend. This helps users find the right events to attend and reduces the need to rely on word of mouth or sparsely distributed posters.

The winning 'Tokelezea' team (centre) with mentors from FMNA, and Safaricom

All of the shortlisted developers received T-Shirts provided by Safaricom, whilst the winning team and runner up (David Lemayian) received brand new Safaricom LG android phones. ForgetMeNot Africa would like to thank all entrants for making this such a tightly fought contest and extend a congratulations to the winning Tokelezea team.

For more information on ForgetMeNot Africa Apps Challenges please click here, or join the Facebook group for FMN Developers.

First, the nice simple one.  The character count displayed for outgoing messages should now always be correct.

Second, when we were evaluating apps for the Kenya Apps Challenge we noticed that some developers, who are obviously experienced in writing web apps, were coding their responses specifically for the sandbox.  Of course, this makes them look great in the web page view, but when the same response goes to a mobile phone it is filled with lots of HTML tags which just don’t work in SMS messages!

An example response from an app would be:

“Hello Friend! Welcome to myApp<BR>Please reply with a number<BR>1.Do This<BR><BR>2.Do That<BR><BR>3.Do The Other<BR><BR>”

which in the sandbox displayed as:

Hello Friend! Welcome to myApp
Please reply with a number
1.Do This

2.Do That

3.Do The Other

But on a phone would display as

Hello Friend! Welcome to myApp<BR>Please reply with a number<BR>1.Do This<BR><BR>2.Do That<BR><BR>3.Do The Other<BR><BR>

Remember, SMS messages don’t support HTML tags

Of course, the opposite was also true.

If your response contained the correct formatting characters for a CRLF (carriage-return-line-feed) it was ignored by the sandbox –  which was displaying the message as HTML.

An example correct response would be:

“Hello Friend! Welcome to myApp\r\nPlease reply with a number\r\n1.Do This\r\n\r\n2.Do That\r\n\r\n3.Do The Other\r\n\r\n”

Which in the sandbox would display as

“Hello Friend! Welcome to myApp Please reply with a number 1.Do This 2.Do That 3.Do The Other”

but on a phone would work just fine:

Hello Friend! Welcome to myApp
Please reply with a number
1.Do This

2.Do That

3.Do The Other

We’ve now fixed this in the sandbox.

Messages that contain HTML tags will now display the HTML tags.
Messages that contain the correct formatting characters for line-breaks will display the line breaks.

Hopefully this won’t cause too many problems for you, but please bear in mind that you are writing apps which ultimately use plain-text SMS messages, not HTML.

1. Innovation
2. Commercial aspect
3. Viral potential
4. Benefit to community

Your app needs to be submitted on the eTXT platform, but the working nature of the app will not be assessed for this feedback.

After this initial ideas cut-off date, developers can still submit your apps right up until the shortlist deadline (25th May), however feedback on your ideas will not be given.

4th May – 11th May 2012– Ideas Feedback

25th May 2012 – Shortlist Announced

16th June 2012 – TestDrive final (at the Harare Club)

1. Visit the official website.
2. Join the official ForgetMeNot Developers Facebook page.
3. Email Africa@fmnsoft.com.

The Apps Challenge Hackathon will be held in iHUB Nairobi over the weekend of the 4th/5th/6th May 2012. Winning teams/individuals can refine their ideas whilst working with mentors of ForgetMeNot Africa, Safaricom and iHUB. On Sunday 6^th May the final ideas, code and business case from each App will be presented to the judging panel and the winner will be then be announced.

We are pleased to announce the Kipokezi Apps Challenge Hackathon shortlist (in no particular order) :

1. David Lemayian
   1. Kenya Premier League
2. Elvis Bando
   1. Zahanati
3. Anthony Musyoki
   1. Exchange
   2. SMS Saver
4. Mwema Jacob
   1. M-Kazi
5. Bosco Wambua
   1. Ujingani
   2. Numberfacts
6. Nick Hargreaves
   1. Tokelezea
   2. Erevuka
7. David Mark
   1. M-Changa

Congratulations to the selected developers, we will be in contact to confirm your selection and to offer evaluation points for your Apps. Developers who haven’t made the shortlist need not despair, as Apps can continually be submitted for an opportunity to be potentially launched after the Competition deadline has passed.

Shortlisted developers are urged to work to ensure their app is polished and working well by using the “FMNA Sandbox Testing App” (http://api.forgetmenotafrica.com). The more work you have evidently put into your Apps could prove crucial when the winner is determined.

Should any developer have any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact Kipapps@fmnsoft.com or raise a question on the Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/FMNDevelopers/)

The deadline for developers to submit an app for the Kipokezi Apps Challenge shortlist has passed. Many exciting and innovative apps have been entered in the Challenge, to be reviewed for the Hackathon shortlist.

The shortlist for the Kipokezi Apps Challenge Hackathon is announced on Friday 27th April, so all submitted apps need to be ‘testable’ for review by the FMNA team by 5pm on Wednesday 25th April. The app doesn’t need to be completed, but it must have functionality and show how it will work.

All Kipokezi developers are urged to work to ensure their app can be tested using the “FMNA Sandbox Testing App” (http://api.forgetmenotafrica.com).

Should any developer have any issues, please don’t hesitate to contact Kipapps@fmnsoft.com or raise a question on the Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/FMNDevelopers/)