Have a crazy idea for an Android app? Google is putting out the call for intriguing, innovative ideas two months before Google I/O with its Android Experiments I/O Challenge.
The best three submissions for the challenge will get tickets to I/O, where they’ll show off what they came up with to a crowd full of top developers. The next best five submissions will win a Google Nexus 6P smartphone.
To help developers come up with interesting ideas, Google has offered a few suggestions on where to start. For example, it might be a good idea to come up with something that makes use of Android’s new capabilities, such as multitasking. Apps that have unusual effects and can inspire other developers are even better. If you still can’t think of anything and need ideas, you can see what other developers have done by heading to the Android Experiments gallery.
The apps can be built for phones, tablets, and even robots; however they have to use the “unique capabilities of the Android platform in an innovative way.”
The challenge is really part of the Android Experiments initiative that Google launched last year. Since it arrived, the website has racked up a fair number of submissions. With I/O just around the corner, Google wants more.
The Android Experiments initiative is similar to Microsoft Garage, but the apps built for Microsoft Garage are normally built by the company’s employees. Microsoft doesn’t mandate that the code for the apps built for Garage be open-source, either.
Submissions to Android Experiments must include a link to source code on GitHub, as well as a link to the app on the Google Play Store, and a video demonstrating the app on YouTube. A description of the experiments and contact information must also be submitted, and you can put your app in the running by heading to the website.
