CAS CONNECT 2015

29 The OSU App Center completed its third annual App Competition this spring. The theme for the 2014-2015 compe- tition was “Insurance Telematics.” Participants could choose to develop mobile apps in two categories. The “Drive to Win” category apps were to encourage safer driving habits, while the “Fitness Telematics” category apps were to track fitness data. For the second consecutive year, computer science sophomore Marcus Gabilheri won first place and $4,000 for his “Fitness Telematics” app, FitHub , which tracks data collected from multi- ple fitness devices. Gabilheri and Computer science students dominate contest Dr. Eric Chan-Tin (left) and Arjun Reddy Lingala helped to make the VidNow app a real i ty. VidNow is not the first mobile app to come through the OSU computer science department, and it certainly won’t be the last. With professors like Chan-Tin work- ing with students on app development, and with the OSU App Center committed to helping students and faculty, the future for mobile app development at OSU is as bright as one of those handy smartphone flashlight apps. With all of this research involv- ing robotics and smartphone technol- ogy, the OSU Department of Computer Science proves it is increasingly multi- faceted. Perhaps the next technological breakthrough that will make life easier is being worked on right now in a computer science lab in Stillwater, Okla. California-based graphic designer Jeremy Avery had placed first in the 2013-2014 competition for their “ Insuring My Life” app, splitting the $5,000 prize. Computer science students Chris Portokalis and Aaron Weaver , with teammate Alex Melton , won the “Drive To Win” category and $4,000 for their prototype application to monitor a driver’s habits in order to improve road safety and reduce insurance rates. The OSU App Center is a space where students can turn their appli- cation ideas into functioning web and mobile apps. The App Center houses the necessary equipment and programs for students to facilitate this process for free. The OSU App Center and its annual competitions have enjoyed sponsor- ship from AAA Oklahoma and its parent company, CSAA Insurance Group, since its launch in 2012.