Last Call for Google I/O


March 16 - 25, 2011



Starting Wednesday, March 16, we will be launching Last Call for Google I/O: A contest that spans 10 days, 10 developer challenges and 100 chances to win tickets to attend the now-sold-out Google I/O 2011.

Here’s how it works. We will announce a new challenge on the contest site on select dates at either 9am or 4pm PDT, that will last for 24 hours each. There will be 10 days of challenges with 10 winners on each day, spanning the following developer products:

March 16 - Android
March 17 - Chrome
March 18 - App Engine
March 21 -  YouTube APIs
March 22 - Game Developers
March 23 - Google Maps / Geo
March 24 - Commerce
March 25 - Developer Tools / GWT
March 28 - Accessibility
March 29 - Google Apps / Enterprise


How It Works
  • Each of the challenges will focus on one of our developer products and has two rounds that last over the course of 24 hours
    • You will need to be in front of a computer for the first 30 minutes when Round I begins to complete a lightning series of questions with a single right answer. Those who qualify in Round I will receive an email notifying them of the Round II challenge.
    • The 200 highest scoring individuals in Round I will be selected to proceed to Round II. Scores will be based upon number of correct answers and speed of entry.
    • Those who qualify in Round I will have a little over 20 hours to complete a coding challenge for Round II.
  • There are 10 winners for each challenge. Winners will be notified on April 4.

We want to make sure our best developers are at Google I/O and hope you’re feeling up to the task. Feel free to browse the site with additional questions, but follow us @GoogleIO or on Google Buzz for the latest.

FAQs

What dates will the challenges run and which products are participating? What is the timeline for the challenges?
The challenges run on weekdays from March 16 - 29. They will start at either 9am or 4pm PDT depending on the the product. See our full schedule for details.

I really wanted to participate in the Chrome/GWT/etc. challenge on March 17 at 9:00 am PDT, but can't make it at that time. Do you have a makeup session?
Unfortunately we will not be offering makeup sessions for those of you who cannot make the times specified. Please do your best to be in front of a computer with a working internet connection for the first 30 minutes that your challenge is announced.

Who is eligible to participate in the contest?
Contestants must be 18+ years old. While not a requirement, all of the challenges will require
in-depth knowledge of developer tools and Google products, so we suggest that you have proficiency in those areas. Current Google employees are not eligible to participate.

I'm an international developer. Will I be eligible for the contest?
Unfortunately the Contest Rules state that the contest is only "VALID IN THE 50 UNITED STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ONLY." Depending on the source cited, there are about 195 countries in the world and try as we might, we couldn't convince our lawyers to conjure up the legal hocus pocus to draft rules in each of these countries. We're really sorry on this one!

I've already purchased tickets to Google I/O. Can I still compete?
We'd love to see what you come up with, but unfortunately can't refund your ticket (nor can we transfer it to someone else in the case that you do win). But if it's glory you're after, we're all up for it!

Can I enter multiple times?
For each challenge, contestants are allowed only one (1) submission. Contestants are allowed to enter multiple challenges, e.g. you can apply for the Game Developers, Android and Chrome, but will only be allowed one submission for each. The challenges are open to individuals only--no teams will be allowed.

Wait, I thought Google I/O was sold out?
We told you we had a few surprises up our sleeves for this year's Google I/O and these 100 seats are just the tip of the iceberg. Stay tuned for more.