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BBC brings hackers out of the dark

UK computer hackers were portrayed in a different light last weekend after the BBC and other major IT organisations allowed them to show off their skills.

The occasion at the Alexandra Palace in North London saw the hackers interact with some of the most innovative and creative web developers in the UK in the annual fete known as Mashed.

With a brief requiring them to make something cool, the hackers displayed their mashing skills by using existing web applications and anything they could throw in to mess around with BBC programmes and applications.

The event saw the hackers, who are apparently not the traditional criminal type associated with online threats, showcase some really cool things that included creating a live TV speech translator and redesigning programme demos among others.

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 sponsors of the event included Microsoft, Yahoo and O'Reilly.

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