over 12 years ago
Frequently Asked Questions Volume 1
I'm a beginner to Objective-C. Can I still participate?
Yes! Once you've signed up and e-mailed challenge@apple.com, we'll reply with a bunch of links to get you started. Before the competition starts, you should start reading up and playing around to learn the language and APIs.
Students of all grade levels and experience are encouraged to attend. You will be working in teams of up to 3 and we recommend working with other students that compliment your skillset. For example, you may have one designer, one beginner that can help with Interface Builder and general setup, and one more experienced person to write the core logic.
We are NOT planning a training session at this time, but there is a ton of really useful documentation on the web (we'll send you some links when you register). If you have questions over the weekend, we'll have Apple engineers on-site for you to get help.
An Apple recruiter will be on-site too if you would like your resume reviewed or have questions about full-time jobs or internships at Apple.
Do I need a team in order to register?
No! Go ahead and register individually. At the kick-off event, we'll have time for you to find teammates.
What if I already know who I want on my team?
Make sure each member of your team is registered on this ChallengePost site. When you do your final submission, each team member's username will need to be listed on the submission form in order to be eligible for the prizes.
What if I don't have a Mac?
No worries! We'll have access to a Mac lab on campus that you can use throughout the weekend.
What if I don't have an iOS device?
No worries! We'll have iPod touches and iPads that you can borrow during the Apple engineer office hours so you can test your app. Many features and iterative development can also be done using the iOS Simulator in Xcode.
What if I do have an iOS device and I want to test my app on my own device?
No worries! Just bring your device by the Apple engineer office hours and we will provision it for you.
Do I need to pay the $99 to be a registered developer in order to participate?
No, you don't need to be a paid developer to participate but you do need to sign up as a free developer by going to http://developer.apple.com. After the kick-off event, we'll send you an invite to join our university program so you can install your app on a device.
Who is eligible to participate?
The competition is open to California State and University of California colleges only.
Dinner will be provided on Sunday night but you'll be on your own for transportation, housing, and meals beyond that.
What makes this event unique from other hackathons?
This coding competition is targeting specifically to students wanting to learn Objective-C or to increase their existing knowledge. Not only will Apple provide engineers to answer technical questions but will also provide devices for you to test your app. Unlike other events that are limited to 24 hours, for this competition, you will have 51 hours to code. At the end of the coding time, you'll submit your app and then will have the next day (Monday) to get some rest then prepare your demo and presentation. Your demo is also important to the success of your app so it is important that it is polished and rehearsed. On Monday afternoon, we'll have time for you to practice your presentation.
Our prizes are pretty awesome too -- each member of the winning team wins a MacBook Air!
How are the winners selected?
A judging panel consisting of Cal Poly faculty and industry experts will evaluate your project on the originality of your idea, how technically challenging the implementation is, and the execution of your final demo. The judging panel will select the first and second place teams. Additionally, the audience at the final presentation will vote on their favorite app for the Audience Choice award!