500 nerds join Yahoo’s annual hackathon in Bangalore

24th July 2010
500 nerds join Yahoo’s annual hackathon in Bangalore
The digital wall display signals the countdown of Yahoo's Open Hack event in Bangalore July 24 ( IndiaTechOnline photo)

The third annual Open Hack Day hosted by Yahoo kicked off in Bangalore on Saturday, with a record 500-plus young Indian nerds vying to create compelling computer applications using the online media leaders slate of developer tools – all in the space of 24 hours. When the giant digital clocks in the ballroom of the Taj Residency hotel, began the countdown in the late morning, lone hackers and groups of up to four, staked out their  favourite corners, laptops drawn and ready,  either around the circular tables or on the dozens of bean bags strewn all over the place. 
This year Yahoo has provided its newest developer releases including YQL Open Data Tables - which allow users to create and use their own table definitions; YQL Users - the Yahoo Query Language QL platform that enables developers to query, filter, update, and combine data across the Web; YAP - the Yahoo! Application Platform, an open, self-service Web app environment where developers can write App frontend in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and/or Flash and your backend in the language of their choice and OAuth a simple, secure, and quick way to publish and access protected data such as photos, videos, and contact lists.

Going by past experience,    most of the ideas that bubble up to the surface at awards time,  may not be earthshaking commercial  opportunities -- but  the fillip that Yahoo has given annually  to Indian ingenuity is a   fallout  that cannot be measured rupees and paise alone.

For the first time the event also provides an opportunity for the young developers to interact with Yahoo’s own in house geeks like Chief Scientist Prabhakar Raghavan and  Head of Yahoo Research in India, Shouvick Mukherjeewho are sharing their ideas on the future of mobile apps on portable devices and ways to monetize web offerings. Winning entries will be announced at the close of the hackathon, Sunday and we will update this story with the results. Meanwhile hack around the clock guys – and may the best hacks win.
July 24 2010

UPDATE: Link to  list of winners posted at Yahoo.co.in:

http://in.yfittopostblog.com/2010/07/24/24-hr-open-hack-day-is-on/