What do a nurse, sign language interpreter, ski addict and cat lover have in common? They, and six others, are winners of Handango's Mobile Fanatic Contest.

The Handango Software Mobile Fanatic Contest recognizes people with funny, bizarre or touching stories. After receiving dozens of submissions from around the world, a panel of Handango judges narrowed the list of participants to one grand prize winner and ten finalists.


And the winner is ...
Todd from Texas -- "After I bought my iPAQ, life at the gym became fun!"

Finalists include ...

Patty from Indiana -- "The Palm saved this person's life, and I was hooked for life."

Cindy from Pennsylvania -- "My PDA and software allow both deaf and hearing persons to contact me."

Hillery from Virginia -- "How my Pocket PC saved Valentine's Day."

A.I. from Unknown -- "Powerful small apps ... brought new quality to my business life."

Gary "Tim" from California -- "My life was turned upside down when I was involved in an accident."

Roger from Virginia -- "My Pocket PC made the difference between [my cat's] life and death."

Mark from Utah -- "This program ... has been invaluable in keeping my diabetes under control."

Carlos from Florida -- "My handheld should have been my best man."

Bill from Texas -- "Finishing the job and being a good dad can sometimes get tricky."

Claudio from Montreal -- "With three daughters to raise, I had to think about the future."

"Reading each submission was like getting a small glimpse into someone's life. Stories ranged from tragedy to love to determination to victory," said Clint Patterson, vice president of marketing of Handango. "It's amazing to see how mobile technology and especially mobile applications have affected so many lives in so many different ways."

To be eligible to win, participants had to submit their stories by 2 April 2004. Fifteen judges graded each submission based on five criteria: uniqueness, believability, good use of software, quality of story and overall quality of entry.

The grand prize winner will receive the phone or PDA of their choice and 100,000 Handango Rewards Points. The top ten finalists will each receive 50,000 Handango Rewards Points as well as other runner-up gifts. Handango Reward Points can be used to purchase applications on Handango's Web site.