Hackers mash-up the BBC

[The Feedster]

Last weekend saw Alexandra Palace in London changed into a social hub for the best computer programmers and web developers who got to work on some material from BBC, Microsoft, Yahoo and O'Reilly, all with permission from the companies involved.

As reported on the Wotsat blog, the event was to bring together hackers and companies to come up with 'cool' new ideas for future applications.

Hack attack

Among the Mashed '08's weekend events was the BBC's a short-range Freeview multiplex, where hackers could play about with applications for live and interactive TV.

Speaking about the event, The BBC's Ewan Spence said: "The demo of Eastenders into rather robotic German proved the concept, but the emotional scenes from Walford took on a surreal air with the monotone computer voice."

Other hacks that took place involved accessing the website Twitter from the red button on a Freeview or Freesat remote and another hack where subtitles from BBC programmes were placed on to the famous cue cards in Bob Dylan's classic video for Subterranean Homesick Blues.

The event was launched to show people that there's a lighter, more pure side to hacking, where people simply do things with programs that might not be their intended use, but provide fascinating results.

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