“Lung++” Second and “Fares Adventures” third
“
The Green
Socket”
2014 app by Abu Dhabi University
The Abu Dhabi University Team’s “The
Green Socket” app has won the first place
in the 9th Mobile Application Contest 2014
(MAC2014).
“Lung++” app by the American University
in Sharjah won the second place and the
UAE University team ranked third for its
“Fares Adventures” app. Meanwhile, the
fourth place went to Khalifa University
team for its “iCare” app.
MAC2014 is a yearly event organized by
Khalifa University allowing student teams
to submit original and culturally focused
apps. This year’s event was sponsored by
the Telecommunications Regulatory Au-
thority (TRA), Emirates Advanced Invest-
ment (EAI), Samsung and IBM.
Twenty-six apps were submitted this year
from universities across the UAE. Seven
out of the 26 apps were submitted by
Khalifa University teams, which was the
highest participation among other univer-
sities.
Commenting on the event, Khalifa Uni-
versity Executive Vice President, Dr. Arif
Al Hammadi, said that the importance of
this year’s contest lies in that it coincides
with the government’s move towards
smart services. “The UAE is keen to uti-
lize the latest smart applications in order
to strengthen its position as a technology
world leader” he added.
Al Hammadi emphasized Khalifa Univer-
sity’s commitment towards elevating the
higher education sector in the UAE, which
has become a regional center for tech-
nological research and innovation. The
University is also dedicated to providing
superior academic programs, advanced
technologies and resources to create a
knowledgeable and well-rounded gen-
eration that contributes to the Abu Dhabi
2030 vision in building a knowledge-based
economy, he pointed out.
Meanwhile, H.E. Hamad Obaid Al Man-
soori, Director General of the UAE m-Gov-
ernment said: “The MAC initiative reflects
Khalifa University’s interest in supporting
the shift towards smart government and
emphasizes the University’s leadership’s
keenness to develop student skills and
knowledge helping them to stay up to
date with the latest technological develop-
ments.”
Al Mansoori added: “We are embarking on
a stage where mGovernment and the mC-
ity will be a culture in all walks of life. This
requires a national work force that is able
to use technology to develop solutions to
various life problems”.
Some of the apps submitted included
iCare; an elderly-oriented bilingual mobile
health application, which acts as a “per-
sonal nurse” for its user. Another app that
seeks to help those in emergency is the
Multi-Source Patient Localization System
for Emergency Response, which uses
features available on smart phones to
identify the exact location of a patient and
gives the information to the emergency re-
sponder.
“Qorbe Social Network” is another out-
standing app. Unlike other social networks,
the Qorbe app will allow users to interact
with everyone in a certain radius of them.
Meanwhile, SMAPS app, Smart Mobile
Assisted Parking System, uses Bluetooth
short-range communication technology to
enable drivers to navigate gated parking
garages and easily park their cars.
Other innovative apps included a Smart
Shopping Cart, which allows users to cre-
ate, fill and pay for a virtual “shopping cart”,
all from the comfort of their smartphone,
and Cayram, which is a multi-player board
game based on a traditional game played
by Emiratis and uses Emirati rules.
7
May
2014
