Back in April, some Project Tango invitees reported that the tablet development kit's price had dropped from $1024 down to the "special price" of $512. In an email notification to invited buyers, Google advised, "We're opening up sales more broadly, so now is the last chance to buy the device we've reserved for you."

Evidently Google wasn't joking, as today Project Tango can be bought for the same $512 price invite-free from the Google Store.

Dropping the invitation requirement just one day before the 2015 I/O keynote is certainly an interesting move, and may suggest that Google will have more to tell us about its 3D sensing and tracking efforts during the conference.

If you've been itching for a Tango tablet kit, now's your chance to get it. But potential buyers might be well-advised to sit tight through I/O before making a final decision.