Google Announces $10M Contest For Android Developers

Developing for Google and its new Android open-source mobile operating system could be worth $10M.

Google announced a new contest that will award developers who build great applications for Android with a $10 million prize. The official announcement was made today by Google's technology director, Steve Horowitz.

The international company has released the new Android software development kit. The contest money will be distributed between two Android developer challenges. The first will run from Jan. 2, 2008, through March 3, 2008. The second will launch after the first handsets are available in the second half of 2008.

In the first challenge, 50 entries will warmly receive $25,000 for further development. Twenty of those entries are then eligible for one of 10 $275,000 awards and 10 $100,000 awards.

Google said it is looking to reward innovative, useful applications that make use of Android's capabilities to deliver a better mobile experience. The renowned company suggests 10 qualified sections of concentrated focus for applications: social networking, media consumption, productivity and collaboration, gaming, news and information, rethinking of traditional user interfaces, use of mash-up functionality, use of location-based services, humanitarian benefits and applications in service of global economic development.

Google's site also includes several tools and documentation to help developers in their quest to build Android applications, including tutorials and other tips.