Robert Levy Wins Windows 8 Contest With Easy SMS Sharing

October 10, 2011
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Robert Levy
Three weeks ago we asked the Twilio developer community to dance on the bleeding edge with a contest focused on Windows 8.  You answered with vigor, producing a number of clever WinRT / Metro integrations that brought tasty Twilio communication to Windows 8 slick new tablet experience.  Out of many strong entries, veteran developer (and proud papa) Robert Levy from Berico Technologies pulled down our top prize with a delightfully easy extension to the Windows 8 Share charm.

Dubbed TwilioShare, Robert’s elegant submission enables users to share a chunk of text from any Metro app over Twilio SMS or Voice with one easy swipe.  Extending the “charms” newly introduced with Windows 8, users swipe or right click on the right side of the screen to expose several shortcuts, including Share.  A user can click Share and then select Robert’s extension, which brings up an easy share menu with text already taken from the clipboard, allowing the user to share text from any application to any phone.

Where No One Has Hacked Before

Fresh off Microsoft’s //Build event where they unveiled Windows 8 to the global developer community, Robert’s contest submission is only one part of his exploration of Metro’s possibilities.  He also launched a new blog titled Learning the Hard Way to share the tips and tricks he comes across.  There he also is sharing the source code for TwilioShare, which is a great example for developers to get introduced to extending Metro charms easily.

You’re Next

For his stellar effort, Robert wins a Samsung Windows 8 Developer Preview Tablet PC with 1 year of AT&T 3G service and Windows 8 preinstalled.

Want your shot at some killer Twilio hardware?  Look no further than this week’s contest where we are giving away an 11-inch Macbook Air.  It’s a very permissive contest welcoming any previously submitted entry so long as it is sporting a new Twilio Connect integration and has not won a developer contest previously.

The contest ends next Sunday when the clock strikes midnight in California – get cracking and grab your share of the glory.