New York City Launches Apps Contest

Have a great idea for a mobile or web application using New York City data? Well it could win you a prize of up to $20,000.

On Tuesday, the Big Apple launched NYC BigApps 2.0 , its second annual contest, which involves more than 350 datasets that have been made available for use. That's double the number from the first contest, held in October 2009. The datasets include information on public safety, building complaints and real-time traffic numbers.

Fourteen winners will be selected from the applications submitted in the contest, which is open to individuals and companies and non-profits with fewer than 50 employees. Submissions are due in early January.

Among last year's winners was WayFinder NYC, which allows users to find the nearest and best directions to New York City subway and New Jersey PATH stations.

"NYC BigApps combines two of our administration's important priorities: making civic information more readily available to New Yorkers and promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in New York City," said the city's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, in a press release.