Contest for Mac users' wildest (software) fantasies

Those fun little Mac shareware apps are all over the Web these days, and it seems like they can do just about anything that an OS X user could possibly want. But for the Apple user whose software desires go beyond iTunes-synced alarm clocks and automated invoicing software, software entrepreneur Phillip Ryu has launched a contest to allow Mac enthusiasts, regardless of programming experience, to pitch their dream application.

You can enter the contest, appropriately titled My Dream App, until Sept. 1. The contest's development team will whittle the selection of entries down to 24, and then site visitors will be able to vote out their least favorite app proposals, "Survivor"-style, until three final winners remain. Guidance during the voting process will be provided by a council of tech gurus that include Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and "Digg guy" Kevin Rose.

The prize arsenal includes 18 iPods and six Apple computers (no word on which models). The three final winners, however, will be awarded with contracts for the software they dreamed up--as well as lifetime royalties.