Not really. Android's VM has Java semantics and should be able to run any Java bytecode, including JRuby, Jython, Rhino, etc.
The contest requirement to use Java may just be an oversight on Google's part. JVM-based dynamic languages may not execute very fast on a phone, though.
Scala would most likely be the leading contender.
Exactly. And I'd wonder if some sort of direct Scala -> Dalvik compilation could work around some of the crufty bits of Scala (like its lack of proper tail recursion) and of Android (like all of the performance tuning suggestions in the SDK documentation).
true - although I think if people are put off a mobile platform cause of the initial incarnation of a programming language for it, then perhaps they aren't really that interested in the apps (only in the tech).
I don't think that's quite I'm saying. I'm not put off by the platform because of the initial incarnation of the language I still want an Android phone and expect to write programs for it at some point. Instead, I'm saying that I'm put off by the contest because of the rules - which is something different.
Ah ok. I am waiting until I can actually get an android phone before I would try. As fun as emulators are, there really is no substitute when its all about the user experience (ie how your app works when you are hurrying to catch a train or something - I have an iphone and I have to say its not too bad in that regard so far).
I'd like to think people might be interested in Hecl as well, since I've been working to see that it runs on Android nicely.
Yeah, there does seem to be some confusion on that point. The Terms and Conditions say that it has to be written in Java, but the FAQ just says that it "should" be written in Java. Hopefully they'll change it...