First Comment!!
Anyway, about the article, this just seems like another way that TI is bowing their heads to us.
Good luck to all those copeting.:)

A calculator on wheels? Lol.

THRID POST! And, I don't really get it.

Don't really get what? As for the "calc on wheels" thing, I think it is really funny too. It is too bad it only works for the <flamebait> bundle of junk the TI83+. Stupid thing doesn't deserve the batteries it uses. </flamebait> :)
Seriously, I am sure the TI-89 would make a much better robot. Oh well, I already have my own lego mindstorms robot with vision command, why would I need anything more...

It would seem to me that anyone skillful at both z80 assembler and 68000 assembler would (theoretically) be able to port the command program to the 89, although any and (probably) all timing loops would need to be rewritten. If someone does that, the robot idea might actually sell, since TI's target audience with the robot is the calculator nerds like me (who know that the only real flash calcs are the 89/92+).

Disclaimer: I do not know either z80 or 68k asm, so I have no idea how substantial of an undertaking this would be, although it would be quite large.

Speaking of lego mindstorms, I really goofed up my calculator because of those. I took out the IR port cable and plugged in the graph link cable and hooked up my calculator. Unfortunately, the mindstorms program was trying to send IR messages to my calculator, and my calculator froze. I think TI should warn people about those sorts of things...

A calculator on wheels sounds really stupid... but still, the other prizes sound pretty good...

Ok, but what would be the use of the calc on wheels?

The robot is pretty funny, I think I speak for just about everyone when I say "screw the robot, we want the SDK!" :)

But they think its the coolest thing. It is at all the conferences.

I think TI inc. should give us money,TI calcs, or trips around the world besides working with them. 1/3 of the people don't want to work for them maybe micorsoft corp. Anyways It sounds so strange that TI inc. shut down 3 factories laying off more than couple thousands of people, and now the CD making which is not in their daily TI news in the AOL stock news,their stock is falling last month, and now the contest. I there is soemthing strange.

I think that it is kind of a paradox. To win the SDK, you must create an application that can only be created with the sdk. Anyways, I actually plan on entering this contest, since the conferences and three months paid development sound really nice.

The SDK is free. The application signings are not.

Let us hope that you are supposed to put it in APP form after you win, like the Detached Solutions contest.

This seems like a second chance for me. The Detached Solutions contest ended the day before I found the major bug in my entry and fixed it enough to send it in. I fully intend to enter this contest. The fact that it goes through the summer really helps. I really hope that the entry doesn't have to be in the form of a finished APP, I can't get an SDK anytime soon.

Update:
Your entry does have to be in the form of a signed APP. Ouch. Also, you have to be at least 16 as of May 15 to enter. (Double ouch for me, I'm 15)

Sounds to me like the TI engineers are too lazy to come up with their own programs, and want to hold these contests to get new and fresh ideas, and source code. Yeah, this is cynical. But with all the recent troubles they have been having, it makes some sense.

Are these contests often ?

<<and source code>>

I don't think they get rights to the source code.

What kind of programs do they expect? It seems that they are looking for CBL applications and other unusal programs or hardware like that robot on their website.
Does anyone has an idea what they want?

Maybe they are only looking for beta-testers of their SDK. In my opinion TI's SDK is not so bad, but I trust in TIGCC. It is public domain and there are always updates and the best thing is Thomas Nussbaumers message board. There are always TIGCC programers to ask for questions and problems whereas TI's programmers are too lazy to help us.

By the way it's very sad that TICT resigns...
Anyway TIGCC programers, keep TIGCC alive and kepp your sourcecodes free! It's very helpful for our TIGCC-newbies.

Good luck to all of you and good luck for the future to Thomas Nussbaumer!