Google released today the schedule for 100 technical talks that will be given at the company's annual developer conference. This is just the "first wave," in Google's parlance; more of the schedule will be revealed in coming weeks.
I/O, easily Google's largest conference, is being held May 18 through 20. However, unlike in previous years, the conference won't be held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. This year it will be at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, Calif., the city where Google has its headquarters.
The venue, which generally hosts large concerts and festivals, is an outdoor arena with a capacity of 22,500 to 30,000, including seating and staging on the lawn and in the parking lot.
The change of location has had many speculating on why Google would switch to an outdoor site. Could the company be preparing to show off its autonomous cars or robotics
The answer isn't clear, even after reading through the schedule for some of its technical talks.
"Last year, you told us you wanted more: more technical content, more time, more space, more everything!" wrote Mike Pegg, a member of Google's Developers Team, in a blog post. "We heard your feedback loud and clear and have added a full third day onto Google I/O to accommodate more comprehensive talks in larger spaces than in previous years. These talks will be spread over 14 suggested tracks, including Android, the Mobile Web, Play and more, to help you easily navigate your I/O experience."
The initial schedule shows that Google CEO Sundar Pichai will be the key player in the two-hour keynote.
After that the schedule includes topics that range from the cloud, to Android, gaming, Project Tango and security.
"We'll be adding more talks and events as we get closer to I/O, including a number of talks directly after the keynote (shhhh!! We've got some new things to share)," wrote Pegg. "We look forward to seeing you in a few weeks -- whether it be in person at Shoreline, at an I/O Extended event, or on I/O Live!"