Be it digital first aid training on a tablet from the UK or an application engaging mentally disabled people from Brazil, the 40 WSA-mobile winners in eight categories, coming from 30 countries offer innovative thinking translated into mobile solutions. This year's WSA-mobile winners highlight one common denominator: smart content makes things not only easier, smart content makes things possible. Consider “Livox” an alternative communication app created by Carlos Pereira, father of a girl with cerebral palsy. He is one of the winners in the category m- Inclusion & Empowerment. Livox adapts itself according to its user's disability. Then there is the m-Learning & Education winner “Lifesaver: A new way of CPR,” which offers engaging mobile interactive first aid training. In the m-Tourism & Culture category, Makkah Window (www.makkah-window.com) is one of the five winners. Makkah Window comes in both iOS and Android versions. The app offers a video panoramic tour of Masjid Al Haram as well as an interactive map of Makkah, historical images and facts about many of the important holy sites in the city and nearby region. Makkah Window is a demonstration project by a group of young engineers who hope to attract the attention of organizations both within and outside Saudi Arabia who would like to fund and make available similar applications for cities, museums or exhibitions. The app has received considerable praise in reviews on both Google Play and the App Store.
Other WSA-mobile winners from the GCC include Talabat from Kuwait in the m-Business & Commerce category. The Dubai Police App and Oman's Electronic Consumer Guide (PACP Mobile APP) both won in the m-Government & Participation category. Also of note is the BrailleBoard App, created by a team of researchers from the Islamic University of Gaza, which won in the m-Inclusion & Empowerment category. The WSA-mobile winners will receive their awards at the WSA-mobile Global Congress, to be held from February 1 - 3, 2015 in Abu Dhabi. “To drive meaningful and relevant innovation in mobile technology, you have to connect smart minds. With the WSA-mobile awards, we dive into state-of-the-art mobile content and showcase development,” said WSA Chairman Peter A. Bruck. “This year's winners are an excellent selection, matching local solutions to local needs. Abu Dhabi will offer the special stage to highlight modern mobile technologies serving to develop local communities, national social strategies and meaningful use of mobile technology.” Hosted by the Abu Dhabi Systems & Information Centre (ADSIC), the event will deliver a best practice exhibition of the best m-Content projects worldwide. The agenda of the WSA-mobile Congress will be a compilation of interaction and inspiration, including workshops, business networking and keynotes, providing opportunities for UN officials, government representatives, the private sector and innovators to come together in the spirit of collaboration.
