Handhelds play a role in many peoples lives. For some they simple serve as a way to organize contacts and shopping lists. For others, they serve a much deeper purpose. These are the types of people and stories Handango when out looking for with its Software Mobile Fanatic Contest.

After receiving dozens of submissions from around the world, a panel fifteen Handango judges narrowed the list of participants to one grand prize winner and ten finalists. Handango said they graded each submission based on uniqueness, believability, good use of software, quality of story and overall quality of entry.

"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."

The winner of the contest is Todd from Texas. His story, After I bought my iPAQ, life at the gym became fun, details how after a lifetime of weight problems, a nutrition program and his handheld helped him lose 50 pounds.

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."

Todd, the winner of the contest, won the phone or PDA of his choice, 100,000 Frequent Buyer points and a Handango goodie bag. The finalists received 50,000 Frequent Buyer Points and goodie bag.