Each year Google announces their Google I/O developer conference in a cryptic way — without dates. Dates are usually revealed after the puzzle they make is solved but this time it will take a number of people to solve the puzzle before the dates are revealed.

In a Tweet Google Developers have announced that not only is Google I/O coming but that you once again have to solve a puzzle to find out more. The link to head to to attempt the puzzle yourself is https://events.google.com/io/mission/dashboard and once there you will be shown a dashboard with a command line interface (MISSION.LOG) on the right to help you solve the puzzle.

This year’s puzzle is called “Collaboration of the Cosmos” which requires multiple users to work together (hence collaboration in the title) to solve the puzzle and reveal the dates and location for Google I/O this year.

The homepage of the puzzle shows a “Signal Strength” for each of the six different puzzles. Once you accept a mission it loads the MISSION.LOG dashboard to explain the puzzle.

[MESSAGE] The satellite cluster nearest your current location has been located. Determine its proper name, then restore its satellites to their original frequencies. If successful, a portion of the signal board will illuminate. Once all clusters are fully operational, the entire Grid will shine brightly and the connectivity of the cosmos restored. Remember, your fellow space citizens will be working alongside you.
Good luck.

You are given tasks that lead to the solving of the cluster names. 9to5Google have published the answers of the six cluster names and frequencies:

  1. cluster –name HEXAGON
  2. cluster –name OLYMPICENE
  3. cluster –name OPHIUCHUS
  4. cluster –name BYZANTINE GENERALS
  5. cluster –name SIERPINSKI TRIANGLE
  6. cluster –name ICOSAHEDRON

Each time the puzzle is solved the “signal strength” increases and once it reaches 100% the “special message” (which we assume will be the dates and location of I/O) will be revealed.

We all want to know when Google I/O will be so why don’t we all pitch in and solve the riddle so we can find out. Stay tuned because we are sure it will be solved some time today.

Source: Google Developers.
Source 2: 9to5Google.