Geek Speak

If cable operators want more retail space to showcase high-speed, VOD and other advanced wares, Best Buy would be happy to oblige, CEO Brad Anderson chimed after his keynote at Digital Life in NY. "Cable is a robust source of relationships," he added. "We can provide a lot of capacity for displays." Anderson sees a cable relationship with his company’s new "Geek Squad," a group of tech employees who work with customers at home. Imagine a BB and cable system field person working side-by-side in someone’s home to have HDTV or PVRs up glitch-free on one visit. Anderson can, and he’s open to operator discussions on that. Maybe he should touch base with CableFAX columnist M.C. Antil, who imagined just such a scenario in a recent column (Cfax, 7/13) or Sunflower Broadband, which has its own take, "Geeks on Wheels" (Cfax, 7/27). — Digital Life, the new Ziff-Davis-run, convergence- minded event for the public playing at NYC’s Javits Center today through Sun, offered cable companies and their competitors a chance to participate. Who accepted and exhibited? Motorola (digital cable set-tops with HDTV/DVR features, and videophones), EchoStar (a small tent) and overbuilder RCN (a van with HDTV/VOD/high-speed videogame attractions). Who didn’t? Time Warner Cable and Cablevision Systems’ local operations. Who made the attempt and bowed out late? CTAM’s On-Demand Consortium (an Only Cable Can pavilion was in development, but logistics went awry) and S-A. CTAM did live morning news segments via satellite Thurs with 10 stations from the show floor. Who may yet come? Road Runner officials, operating from AOL for Broadband’s booth. Ziff-Davis expects more than 25,000 consumers and 500 journalists before things wrap Sun night. — Simon Applebaum