Last call for porting apps starts Jan 18th – Register now for the Last Chance Port-A-Thon!

After staying up for 37.5 hours and working with some amazing developers to submit 15,060 apps, how do I reward myself? Obviously, by planning another port-a-thon this weekend! We’ve also doubled the reward opportunity for developers as we look for some new and exciting apps to add to BlackBerry World.

That’s right: this weekend we will have $2,000,000 available in rewards to developers for submitting their apps. Our last few port-a-thons have been so successful that we’re confident this weekend will yield some amazing apps for BlackBerry 10.

What apps are eligible, you ask? You can build/port apps using any one of the development languages that supports BlackBerry 10. Port from Android, use HTML5, Native C/C++, AIR, jQuery, Marmalade, Qt, PhoneGap, Appcelerator, Sencha and more. Additionally, apps created using BlackBerry App Generator are also eligible. (Note: you need to own the blog content to be eligible)

All apps that are submitted will be reviewed and approved apps will be notified with rewards. You can find answers to any logistical questions here.

These port-a-thons are just part of our dedication to our developers and apps for our new BlackBerry 10 platform. We’re dedicated to building a healthy ecosystem for BlackBerry 10. We’re committed to our Built For BlackBerry initiative and our 10k developer commitment.

Get on board – now’s your chance to get your app ready for the BlackBerry 10 launch.

Two of my twenty #BB10portathon apps appeared in app world in less than 24 hours! Just when I couldn't #bb10believe any more…—
Ross Cheriton (@RossCheriton) January 12, 2013

We submitted 2 apps yesterdays for this weekend's #BB10Portathon are you ready for BlackBerry 10 yet? 16 days till launch!—
techfruits.com (@techfruitscom) January 13, 2013

The #bb10portathon events have been great. I've released one or two apps/games at each one. I've learned skills, and released apps!—
Dale Wick (@hardhatpsp) January 14, 2013

I hope you can join us for the BlackBerry Last Chance Port-A-Thon, as it’s a great experience where you can to meet our team, other developers, learn more about developing for BlackBerry, and get rewarded.

Go forth and port!

The BlackBerry 10 Community Port-A-Thon will start on noon ET January 11, 2013 and run for 36 hours.  This is also going to be a virtual event, so it is up to you to decide where you would like to join us from.

Get Rewarded

The more you port and build the greater your rewards*:

• Port  one (1) – five (5) approved apps – $100 per eligible app –to  a maximum of 20 paid applications per Vendor
• Port five (5) – ten (10) approved apps – THE FIRST TWO HUNDRED (200) QUALIFIED PARTICIPANTS receive one (1) BlackBerry Dev Alpha Device plus $100
• Port ten (10) or more approved apps -  THE FIRST TEN (10) QUALIFIED PARTICIPANTS one (1) paid trip to BlackBerry Jam Europe to celebrate  the launch of BlackBerry 10 with us plus a Dev Alpha Device as well as $100!!!
• Additionally for those that did not receive a BlackBerry Dev Alpha, or Trip to BlackBerry Jam Europe, we will be conducting a random draw for one hundred (100) BlackBerry 10 Dev Alphas and ten (10) trips to BlackBerry Jam Europe.  All those who meet the criteria for a Dev Alpha  Device or the Trip but were not one of the firs 200 or 10 , respectively, to qualify, are eligible for the respective draws.

Get Ready to Port

Take advantage of the tips below to get a head start before you join the event.

Here’s what you need to get prepared ahead of time.

1. Register as a Vendor at BlackBerry World if you haven’t already.
2. Request signature keys. Make sure that you select for BlackBerry® PlayBook™ OS and BlackBerry 10 and higher. Downloading in advance is strongly recommended as the time involved to do so could prevent you from earning rewards.
3. Load up your laptop BlackBerry tools and plug-ins. Make sure you have your full source code file readily available too.
4. Make sure you have your images and icons ready to go.

Register

Submit your apps into BlackBerry World before BlackBerry 10 launches. Register for the Community Port-A-Thon for BlackBerry 10 today!

Have Questions? See our FAQ.

* A total of $500,000USD is available for distribution. To qualify for a Reward, you must register on the website at http://developer.blackberry.com/offers/communityportathon and submit your App into the BlackBerry World Vendor Portal between 12:00:01 pm on January 11, 2013 and 11:59:59pm ET on January 12, 2013. Any apps submitted outside this time frame are not eligible for this Reward program. Only those apps that have been approved through BlackBerry World and RIM will be considered towards a Reward. No purchase necessary to be eligible for the draw.  The odds of winning the draw depend on the number of eligible Vendors entered.  Skill-testing question applies to Canadian residents.  Limit one (1) Dev Alpha Device and one (1) Trip per person. Cash rewards limited to 20 per Vendor regardless of reward category.    See the Official Terms and Conditions for complete details.

Want to find a blog post from the video? Look no further:

BlackBerry 10 and Appcelerator Titanium Webcast
http://devblog.blackberry.com/2012/12/appcelerator-titanium-blackberry-10/

All Aboard the BlackBerry 10 Port-A-Thon
http://devblog.blackberry.com/2012/12/all-aboard-blackberry-10-port-a-thon/

BlackBerry 10 WebWorks and Maps
http://devblog.blackberry.com/2012/12/blackberry-webworks-maps/

BlackBerry 10 Gold SDK Tweetup – Sunnyvale, CA
http://www.eventbrite.ca/event/4985148714

BlackBerry 10 Gold SDK Tweetup – NYC
http://www.eventbrite.ca/event/4975640274

That’s what you missed last week. Got questions? Comments? Let us know!

We’re excited to announce the availability of the Appcelerator Titanium for BlackBerry 10 in a pre-release version. Through the power of Titanium’s cross platform capabilities, developers and enterprises will be able to build and port their applications to BlackBerry 10.

Leverage Titanium’s cross platform native experience to create a Built for BlackBerry app and qualify for many benefits!

• Qualifying Built for BlackBerry Applications are eligible the 10k Developer Commitment with a guaranteed one year revenue of $10,000 USD
• The first 1,000 participating developers to submit an app to BlackBerry App World which is created with the Titanium for BlackBerry 10 will receive a free BlackBerry Dev Alpha for testing*
• Up to 10,000 developers will get  free Appcelerator Cloud Services and Analytics (Terms and conditions apply)

Register for the offer at http://www.appcelerator.com/blackberry10.

Learn more during the webcast entitled “Developing on Blackberry 10 with Titanium” on Thursday December 13, 2012 at 1:00 pm EST. Register Now!