BT is offering £1,000 to the best mobile phone application that uses a Wi-Fi connection for something, anything, in an attempt to work out just what such connections are for.

The "Developer Challenge Competition" is open to anyone who can put together a Symbian application - Symbian is supporting the competition, so Java hackers need not apply - that uses a Wi-Fi connection at some point during its execution.

The judging criteria include "innovative use of Wi-Fi connectivity", and BT is pretty open about the fact it's trying to find new things for people to do over their BT Openzone Wi-Fi hotspots.

Several models of mobile phone have Wi-Fi these days, but short of VoIP it's hard to find a killer application for the technology. 802.11g is slightly overkill for remote-controlling the stereo, and it's not often that one finds oneself with a Wi-Fi connection, a need to surf, and no laptop nearby.

A grand is hardly likely to send major companies rushing to their design boards, though there's no requirement for entries to be polished products, so where there's an idea brewing it might motivate some to hack out a prototype.

As long as your entry can install on a S60 or UIQ device (version 3 or above), then it can be entered into the competition - assuming it uses Wi-Fi, of course.®

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