Google IO 2015 set for 28 May, but buying $900 tickets will be a lottery

Google I/O, the company's annual developer conference to show off the future of computing, will take place on 28 and 29 May, with a lottery for tickets opening on 17 March.

Faced with huge demand from developers, Google will be using the lottery system first introduced last year, where potential attendees apply for the chance to buy a ticket and are picked at random. Prices haven't yet been announced, but last year's ticket was $900 (£560).

For those who can't attend, Google says it will be live-streaming the main, two-hour keynote online.

This may sound like a lot for a two-day conference, but entry often includes a bunch of Google products for developers to keep and experiment with. Last year, every attendee received two Android Wear smartwatches and the Google Cardboard virtual reality concept.

As is traditional, I/O will take place in the Moscone Centres West in San Francisco, and while the conference website mimics Google's Material Design used in Android 5.0 (Lollipop), a schedule of events and topics is yet to be published.

In the past, Google has used I/O to show off Google Glass, Android Wear, and hardware like the Nexus Q media hub and Nexus smartphones and tablets.

Although hardware headlines are expected from I/O 2015, the event is primarily a chance for Android and web developers to learn about new tools and features in Google's products. The main keynote presentation is a blend of consumer-focused product announcements and detailed explanations of new code in products like Google Maps.

In all, there will be 16 hours of presentations and sandbox sessions, and we expect more detail on what topics these will cover in the coming weeks.