14 DAY TRIAL // With $180,000 on the table, Microsoft is encouraging students to think green. The Redmond company announced the kick off of the registration process for the Microsoft Imagine Cup 2008. The competition is opened to students from around the world, and the next year's challenge is focused on implementing technology in order to solve environmental issues. Imagine Cup 2008's slogan is, in fact, an invitation to help the environment, with technology concepts that will be featured in the competition. In the end, Microsoft's Imagine Cup is more than just a simple completion throwing ideas together in the same arena, as it provides the opportunity to bring a winning concept to life.
"Now in its sixth year, the Imagine Cup challenges students around the globe to imagine a world made better by technology and created by their talent and innovation. More than 100,000 students from 100 countries competed in last year's Imagine Cup. This year, Microsoft hopes to top that, calling on students to go green, dream big and rise to the challenge to 'imagine a world where technology enables a sustainable environment'. After advancing through online, local and regional competitions, finalists will be chosen to compete on the global stage at the Imagine Cup Worldwide Finals in Paris next summer. There, students will have a shot at winning more than $180,000 (U.S.) across nine categories", Microsoft revealed.
There is a total of nine categories in Imagine Cup 2008, including Software Design, Embedded Development, Game Development, Project Hoshimi, IT Challenge, Algorithm, Photography, Short Film and Interface Design. Each category can be approached in a different manner, from pure programing to artistic creation, and each can orbit around environment issues. At the same time, Microsoft is, of course, emphasizing the usage of its own technology in the competition, pointing potential contestants to .NET Framework, the Windows platform and the XNA Game Studio Express.