AmpiApps

How quickly can you design, test and launch a cross-platform mobile phone app to the world? A team of coders and designers at app developer Grapple gave themselves the challenge of seeing what could be completed in just 24 hours, working through the night with the intention of launching a finished app by 12:00pm BST on 1 October, 2010.

The app is called Ampi Apps -- a soundboard aimed at teens. Its function is -- as most soundboards are -- to play sounds that are in some way entertaining, from three categories: 'Animals', 'Annoying' and 'Celebrations.'

The challenge was to create a cross-platform application within -- one piece of code translated to work on simultaneously on three competing mobile platforms. The Grapple team developed the application for Android phones, the Nokia N6, Nokia N97, BlackBerry Bold and BlackBerry Curve simultaneously using its own technology. Usually, says Alistair Crane, Grapple's CEO, this would be a process completed over four weeks.

The team worked through the night over the past 24 hours to build the application – based on a focus group of shoppers on London's Oxford Street who were interrogated about their favourite types of mobile app. Apparently they like soundboard apps. Who knew?

Since Grapple was involved only in the design and build process, leaving the idea to its focus group. The first four hours were taken up with Photoshop work and user interface sketches. The rest of the time was used to code, test, code, test, code and test -- in that order, mostly -- until a finished product was produced for all three platforms.

Speaking to Wired.co.uk during the build process, Crane said he hoped the project would yield between 5,000 and 10,000 downloads across all platforms in the 24 hours that the app will be available. It'll be removed from the web at midday on 2 October, 2010.

You can get hold of the app by clicking this link from your phone's browser, or by texting the word ampi to 60066. Standard network rates apply.