Image via The Straits Times
A team of three students from Singapore’s Republic Polytechnic has created ‘Apple Tree’, an app that rewards you for putting your phone away when you’re with others.
Aimed at encouraging people to talk to each other, it works when two or more users put their phones together. The app locks them and virtual apple trees will start growing on the screens. The longer users leave their phones aside, the more apples the trees will bear; the fruits can be harvested and exchanged for rewards such as discounts.
Libern Lin, one of the members of the winning team, told Channel NewsAsia that the idea was born after his friends suggested placing their phones together when they were out.
The ‘Apple Tree’ app was one of the winners of Splash Awards, an annual IT competition for students, and the team was awarded S$30,000 by organizer the Singapore Computer Society to develop and launch it. This year’s theme was ‘Bringing Singaporeans Closer Together’, which coincides with Singapore’s 50th year of independence next year.
The app will be available to download for free next year to celebrate the nation’s SG50 birthday bash.
Would you download this app?
[via BuzzFeed and Channel NewsAsia, image via The Straits Times]