Coming Soon: A Whole New Boston 'T'(ech) Party

If you don’t see or hear anything new at this year’s Cable Show in Boston (May 21-23), it will be your own fault.

Next-generation content interfaces, new approaches for delivering IP content to connected devices and solutions for helping customers reduce energy consumption are among the many technology highlights that will be on display within the 20th CableNET exhibit, presented by CableLabs in association with the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA).

CableNET will feature 34 companies and 39 demonstrations spanning four themed areas: gateways, advertising, multiple screens and innovation in action. But wait, there’s more:

>> The CableNext Showcase will highlight innovations in delivering high-value video content to consumer-electronics devices using IP content distribution technologies.
>> The CableLabs – Energy Lab will display solutions for conserving energy, including a “light sleep” mode for set-top boxes that is being introduced by U.S. cablecos this year.

In addition, this year’s “Imagine Park” live-events venue will feature a college-student “hackathon,” a cable-apps display and what NCTA says are “some of the Boston area’s hottest tech startups.”

The interactive Imagine Park will offer more than 10 hours of hosted discussions, product demos and special events. Here are some of the highlights:

>> The Imagine App Challenge – Student teams compete in a live 48-hour application developer’s challenge, or “hackathon,” to create new tablet and/or smartphone applications that leverage the power of broadband. Teams come from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Pace University, Rutgers University, Stanford University and Wellesley College. For more information, click here

>> The App Pond – Self-guided tours of more than 30 of cable’s most compelling apps from 18 well-known industry players.   

>> Start-Up Alley – Boston-area tech companies with smart ideas and entrepreneurial spirit present their visions for new apps and services powered by cable’s broadband networks. 

>> A Live Debate Featuring Harvard vs. Columbia – The Harvard and Columbia University debate teams square off in front of a live audience and a panel of judges regarding the question of whether cable is doing enough to attract and retain “millennial” consumers.

All events in Imagine Park will be streamed live at www.live.thecableshow.com and will be available on demand following the show.