Judging your submissions is a panel of industry experts, chosen for their knowledge and experience in this year’s categories.

Judging will take place in December 2008.

Dan Frommer

Senior Editor

Silicon Alley Insider

Dan joined Silicon Alley Insider from Forbes.com, where he was a Technology Reporter focusing on the wireless, telecom, and networking industries.

Dan also created and co-hosted "The Download," a weekly online video show about gadgets and tech companies. A Chicago native, Dan is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

Billy Pigeon

Program Manager

IDC

Billy Pidgeon is the program manager for IDC's Consumer Markets: Gaming program. For this program, Mr. Pidgeon analyzes traditional and emerging hardware, software, business models and revenue streams in the game industry across all platforms and forecasts growth and market share for hardware and software in videogame consoles and handheld game devices. Mr. Pidgeon is an eighteen year veteran of the interactive entertainment industry with extensive experience in management, research, technical and product development.

Prior to joining IDC, Billy Pidgeon was an independent advisor to console manufacturers, software publishers, service providers, investors and international government agencies, and investors on business and marketing strategy for the games industry.

David Card

VP & Research Director

Forrester

David Card directs Forrester's coverage areas in media and marketing. As an analyst, he focuses on the media and music industries, with particular emphasis on cross-media programming, social media, audience segmentation – including teens – and online portals and networks. Previously, as JupiterResearch's Development VP, he helped guide coverage architecture, research methodologies, and overall quality.

Card is frequently quoted in the traditional and online press, and has appeared on ABC World News Tonight, ESPN, and NPR. He is a regular speaker at industry conferences.

Roger Entner

Senior Vice President, Communications Sector

Nielsen IAG

Mr. Entner, one of the most recognized telecom experts in the United States, leads IAG's Communications Sector covering the wireless, wireline and cable industry.

Before joining IAG, Roger was Vice President, Wireless Telecom for Ovum, responsible for establishing Ovum as one of the leading research and analysis providers for wireless in the United States. Prior to that, Roger headed the wireless carrier group at the Yankee Group.

Roger is one of the most quoted wireless industry experts in the United States and a sought after speaker at industry and corporate events. His views on the industry can be read on his blog here>>

Dina Kaplan

Co-Founder, COO

blip.tv

Dina Kaplan is the co-founder and COO of blip.tv. Dina oversees business operations for the company, including media partnerships, advertising and sponsorship deals, distribution deals, PR, marketing and investor relations. Blip.tv is the double Webby-award winning video sharing site focused on shows. It enables independent producers to create their own TV shows for the Internet.

Before blip.tv, Dina was an on-camera television reporter with WNBC in New York, Wave3 News (NBC) in Louisville Kentucky and News12 Long Island and New Jersey. As a news reporter, Dina won an Emmy and numerous Society of Professional Journalists Awards and Associated Press Awards.

Fredrik Nystrom
Creative entrepreneur
PlusFourSix

PlusFourSix is a team of specialists with comprehensive and strong experience in the mobile industry and are one of the leading mobile marketing companies in the Nordic region. They enable companies to mobilize their marketing campaigns using our proprietary mobile toolbox, IM46, which supports distribution of content and mobile communications and the creation and hosting of mobile sites.

The production team develops mobile applications, games, themes, panels and other mobile-optimized content, which is tested in the PlusFourSix testing center in Stockholm, containing more than 900 phone models.

Nathan Thompson
Manager, Mobile Marketing
The Orchard

Nathan Thompson is the manager of Mobile Marketing at The Orchard, a global leader in digital music and entertainment. He oversees the development and execution of all creative mobile marketing initiatives with The Orchard’s more than 150 mobile operator and retailer partners, securing high visibility placement and driving sales for The Orchard’s vast catalogue of more than 1.3 million songs.

Prior to joining The Orchard in 2006, Thompson managed synch licensing, mechanical licensing and creative services for MCS America, a Nashville-based music administration company serving independent artists and publishers.

Ross Rubin
Director, Industry Analysis

Ross Rubin is a director of industry analysis for The NPD Group. With over twenty years analyzing and writing about the technology industry, he leads The NPD Group’s coverage of consumer electronics and wireless with an emphasis on connected intelligent devices and convergence. CNN has called him "a top adviser to the leading technology companies."

Prior to NPD, Rubin was a vice president and chief research fellow at Jupiter Media Metrix, where he founded and managed research services focusing on PCs and peripherals, smart devices, wireless, broadband, and video games and created the firm's major analyst report structure.

Bernhard Schambeck

Human Machine Interface (HMI) expert

BMW 

Since joining BMW in 1996, Bernhard has worked in several R&D departments ranging from research to series development. As Human Machine Interface (HMI) expert he is currently responsible for the HMI of all MINI cars, ensuring customer relevant features and functions are best designed in respect to ease of use and operability paired with limited impact on driver distraction.

From 2001 to 2004 Bernhard worked at the BMW Technology Lab. in Palo Alto, California, where he pioneered new approaches in Human Machine Interface and mobile content applications.
   

Simon Judge

Freelance Mobile Developer 

Simon is a freelance mobile developer with over 12 year’s mobile experience. Simon has been responsible for many Symbian, Windows Mobile and Java projects for companies large and small. He has also written tutorials for Sony Ericsson Developer World.

Simon runs one of the most popular mobile blogs here>>