Google I/O sells out in less than an hour

At 10 a.m. Eastern, Google officially opened registration for its Google I/O developer conference, which will be held from May 15 to 17 at the Moscone Center, in downtown San Francisco. Less than an hour later – or 49 minutes exactly, by one estimate – the event was completely sold out. Last year, of course, Google I/O tickets vanished within twenty minutes. Still, 49 minutes ain't too shabby. 

So why is Google I/O such a big deal? Well, for one, even though the ticket price is high – $900 for members of the public, $300 for academic faculty and students, according to PC Mag – the gift bags tend to be worth the price of admission alone.

Consider, for instance, that last year, I/O attendees received a Google Nexus 7 tablet, a Google Nexus smart phone, and the Google Nexus Q orb. 

Meanwhile, this year, there's the matter of the Google Project Glass headset, which is expected to be the centerpiece of the I/O conference. Although Roger Cheng of CNET doubts that Google will actually be giving away free high-tech spectacles, he notes that "there are high expectations Google will wow the audience with new [Project Glass] features and apps." 

Back in February, Google announced it would allow Twitter and Google+ users to apply for a chance to test out Project Glass. But there was a catch: Even users who were selected had to pay $1,500 in order to pick up your test device and attend "a special pick-up experience" in New York, Los Angeles, or San Francisco. A listing for Google glasses subsequently appeared on eBay; it was quickly removed by eBay staff. 

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