Great ideas don't always come from the top down. Sometimes they come when you least expect it: in the shower first thing in the morning, while you're riding the bus to work or after a late night of hanging out with friends or coworkers. Sometimes the ideas are obvious winners, sometimes they are long shots and sometimes you just need someone to say, "that's so crazy, it just might work."
At Comcast, we're always looking for new ways to encourage innovation. From our NBCUniversal Technology Center’s Media Labs outside New York, to a brand new Innovation and Technology Center in Philadelphia, we're always on the look out for new, unique and exciting ways to build on top of Comcast's products and services to improve the video and Internet experience for all our users. Between the technologists at Comcast and the media experts at NBCUniversal, we're fortunate to have some of the brightest minds in television and content creation under the same roof.
To help continue spurring innovation in media and technology, we're excited to be hosting our inaugural Comcast NBCUniversal Hackathon, titled "Help Shape The Future of Media & Technology" from June 21-22 in New York City. Developers, designers and engineers from across the country will set up shop at the NBCUniversal Media Labs and have 24 hours to hack together a prototype app or website that pushes the envelope in areas like TV, web video, second screen, movies, entertainment technology and consumer electronics. Once their project is complete, they'll have the opportunity to present their new innovation to a panel of judges at the legendary Saturday Night Live Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center.
Throughout the Hackathon, we'll have Comcast engineers and executives on hand to serve as mentors to provide guidance, advice and suggestions during the competition. Participants will have access to content and technology from a variety of Comcast and NBCUniversal properties, as well as special APIs from NBCUniversal, Comcast and external APIs. Check out the press release for more details on the participating properties and external APIs.
Winners will have the opportunity to walk away with cash prizes, the chance to pitch their ideas to NBCUniversal and Comcast and more. The Comcast NBCUniversal Hackathon is an amazing chance for everyone to preview the future of entertainment and video technology, as imagined by some of the best and brightest developers in the industry. It’s also one way we’re investing in the tech community and encouraging innovation. For more information visit http://nbcumedialabs.com/hackathon/.