Hundreds of students from across the country competed in the >Great Canadian Appathon last weekend, vying for a top prize of $25,000 for the team that created the best smartphone app.

About 100 teams for a total of 300 students from 20 schools across Canada worked night and day for not only the cash prize, but also the opportunity to have their app published.

Ray Sharma, founder and CEO of XMG Studio, says the teams had 48 hours to create "a simple game" to work on the Microsoft Windows Phone 7 platform.

A team from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology's game development and entrepreneurship program worked until the competition's final moments to create a game in which the player employs a sword for self defense.

"We developed the game completely from scratch, all our own art assets and mechanics," said team member Ryan Hill.

A team from Humber College created a space-based game. With three hours left in the competition, Dan Liverance said the team was "almost done" despite fretting they would not be finished by the time the clock ran out.

According to Sharma, Canada is a hotbed for game and app development, which means sponsors like Microsoft, Telus and his own company, knew they would see some innovative offerings.

"The game industry is really rich in Canada, we're talking the third largest employer in the world," Sharma said. "So we're way above our weight class when it comes to the game industry in general."

In addition to the cash prize, competitors are also vying for coveted internships. Winners will be announced on April 7.

You car needs an oil change, app says

Among the apps already on the market that Torontonians might find most useful is called Car Care, and is available for both the iPhone and Android phones. Car Care helps users keep track of their vehicle's maintenance schedule, and can even calculate its fuel efficiency.

Care Care was named best car app by Edmunds.com. It normally costs $4.99, but is currently selling at 40 per cent off.

Movie lovers may be interested in The National Film Board's app, which is available for the iPhone and iPad and is now available on the Android platform. The app gives users access to the NFB's library of Canadian films. A Blackberry version is still in the works.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

With baseball season just days away, avid gamers are turning their attention to the virtual versions of their favourite sport. Experts say MLB 11: The Show for PlayStation 3 is an improvement on last year's version.

"It's got some new features, like the pitching-batting interface (and) some new buzzwords," said gaming expert Todd Mowatt. "Turning the double play is a lot better. It's really an authentic baseball game."

The game is available in 3-D, and the PlayStation move controller can be used for the home run derby.

Mowatt says MLB 2K11 for the PS3 and Xbox 360 is not quite as good as The Show, but "it's got a good feel."