In the News

Lessons from Pittsburgh's recession recovery can help Indian city

Quartz Thursday, May 16, 2013

Quartz writes about Pittsburgh's economic transformation and its potential to help surprisingly relevant Bangalore, India.

Although Pittsburgh today is not perfect, its philanthropic tradition has helped it build a high-tech post-steel economy around educational and scientific institutions founded (often with private wealth) during the industrial heyday. This history of private spending for public ends offers an example that wealthy citizens of other cities should heed. Bangalore is one such city. It is at the forefront of leading industries, most famously business-process outsourcing. As in industrial-era Pittsburgh, Bangalore’s boom has spawned vast fortunes while leaving daunting shortcomings in health and education. The time is ripe for Bangalore’s wealthiest to redouble their philanthropic efforts while the city’s economy remains robust.

Original source: Quartz

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See Amtrak's new 110mph trains running between Philadelphia and Harrisburg

The New York Times Thursday, May 16, 2013

The New York Times reports on Amtrak's new, modernized fleet of trains that will operate on the Northeast Corridor and Keystone routes.

The new locomotives will be on regular trains, not the railroad’s high-speed Acela line, which reaches top speeds of 150 m.p.h.

“The new Amtrak locomotives will help power the economic future of the Northeast region, provide more reliable and efficient service for passengers, and support the rebirth of rail manufacturing in America,” said Joseph H. Boardman, Amtrak’s president and chief executive.

Original source: The New York Times

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Picking Pittsburgh: Farm to table, Rust Belt style

The New York Times Thursday, May 16, 2013

The New York Times writes about growing Rust Belt culinary endeavors that are increasingly local and sustainable.

“See that?” said Cavan Patterson, gesturing to a vast abandoned truck depot across from his foraging and food supply business on Butler Street, Wild Purveyors. “Japanese knotweed would grow like crazy there,” he said. “It seems to love vacant lots.”

Wild Purveyors’s knotweed (it tastes like asparagus but grassier), along with the first morels of the season, were on menus at Pittsburgh’s most ambitious restaurants that night.

Original source: The New York Times

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Philadelphia business intelligence startup RJMetrics raises $6M-plus

TechCrunch Thursday, May 16, 2013

RJMetrics, a Philadelphia startup whose co-founder Bob Moore we recently profiled, had a big day this week when it announced a $6.25 million investment in the five year-old business intelligence startup from Trinity Ventures, reports TechCrunch.

The core RJMetrics product grew out of Moore’s own data analysis work (which has separately resulted in some great guest posts for TechCrunch, like this formative 2009 analysis of Twitter user behavior). The new funding round, which includes participation from existing investor SoftTech VC, will go towards sales and marketing. With the overall growth in the Saas BI industry, Moore says it’s time to focus on the ecommerce part of it.

Original source: TechCrunch

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Luring new teachers with new apartments in Philadelphia

The New York Times Thursday, May 09, 2013

The New York Times reports on a Philadelphia initiative that offers discounted, new apartments to would-be teachers in the hopes of attracting quality educators to the neighborhoods in which they will teach.

The idea of bringing educators together in an affordable, supportive housing complex is intended to make teaching in city public schools a more attractive option — particularly for those new to the profession — and to reduce the risks of burnout.

“It’s an especially hard job for young teachers who relocate from other cities and find themselves among tough students in poor neighborhoods,” said Greg Hill, a principal, along with Gabe Canuso, of D3 Real Estate Development, which is leading the $36 million project. “We’re creating a community of like-minded people.”

Original source: The New York Times

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Amtrak's impact on Pennsylvania especially felt in rural regions

The New York Times Thursday, May 09, 2013

The New York Times writes about Pennsylvania picking up the tab for Amtrak where the federal government left off.

Pennsylvania, which spends about $9 million a year for Amtrak service connecting Harrisburg and Philadelphia, recently agreed to pay an additional $3.8 million a year for the Pittsburgh-to-Harrisburg service. State officials worried about picking up the cost for the line, which averages about 400 riders a day. But they agreed to pay the cost after local officials like Huntingdon’s mayor staged rallies to support the route and Amtrak lowered its cost estimates.

Original source: The New York Times

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Temple University research connects cannabis with HIV treatment

Wired Thursday, May 09, 2013

Wired UK reports on Temple University research that indicates that THC, the chemical and high-inducing compound found in marijuana, can weaken the most common strain of the HIV virus.

Pathologist Yuri Persidsky from Temple University, one of the study's authors, said: "The synthetic compounds we used in our study may show promise in helping the body fight HIV-1 infection. As compounds like these are improved further and made widely available, we will continue to explore their potential to fight other viral diseases that are notoriously difficult to treat."

Original source: Wired UK

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Why Pittsburgh is an EdTech hive

Education Week Thursday, May 09, 2013

Citing a host of organizations and resources, Education Week digs into Pittsburgh as a hub for education technology activity.

Hive Pittsburgh is just one of many innovative learning initiatives happening in Pittsburgh. Tweens and teens have access to maker learning in MakeShop, STEAM learning at Assemble, on-line literacy games at community libraries, multimedia training at the LABS at the Carnegie Libraries, a Robotics Academy at Carnegie Mellon University, and even music remixing at Hip Hop on LOCK.

Original source: Education Week

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Pocono Raceway leads pack in greening NASCAR

NASCAR.com Thursday, May 02, 2013

YahooSports carries a NASCAR.com report on Pocono Raceway's recent Green campaign, which is setting the bar high for other NASCAR tracks.

While the entire NASCAR industry has spent the past month showcasing and stepping up its commitment to the sport's Race to Green initiative, Pocono Raceway has been a factor for years -- an example of what's possible not only for other NASCAR facilities, but also for any sports franchise or facility.

From a one-of-a-kind, on-site solar farm to a goal of 100 percent sustainability to an E-waste recycling event, compost program and even a flock of sheep herding on property, Pocono Raceway has been first among sports facilities to NASCAR Green's checkered flag.

Original source: NASCAR.com

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'Rocky' musical jabs Broadway

The New York Times Thursday, May 02, 2013

A legendary Philadelphia boxer sings his way to the big time -- The Rocky musical is heading to Broadway.

The show -- conceived by Sylvester Stallone, who wrote and starred in the original “Rocky” -- had its world premiere opening in Hamburg in November and received positive reviews from German theater critics for its gritty realism and inventively staged boxing sequences...

"The title has very high recognition, so I’m sure tourists will want to see it, but we wouldn’t bring it to New York if we didn’t think it would appeal to traditional theatergoers,” said Mr. Taylor, chief executive officer and producer of Stage Entertainment USA. “I’m aware that ‘Rocky’ might be perceived as an odd choice for a musical, and there will be some raised eyebrows, but I think what people see will not be what they are expecting."

Original source: The New York Times
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Shiny, happy Philly: City ranks 7th happiest for young professionals

Forbes Thursday, May 02, 2013

The City of Brotherly Love is also a place for happiness, at least among young professionals. Philadelphia comes in at No. 7 on the list.

That’s according to CareerBliss.com, an online career site that just released its list of the 10 happiest cities for young professionals, based on analysis from more than 45,000 employee generated reviews between April 2012 and March 2013. Young professionals, defined by CareerBliss as employees with less than 10 years’ experience in a full-time position, were asked to evaluate ten factors that affect workplace happiness. Those include one’s relationship with the boss and co-workers, work environment, job resources, compensation, growth opportunities, company culture, company reputation, daily tasks, and control over the work one does on a daily basis.

Original source: Forbes.com
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Pittsburgh's Conflict Kitchen inspired by latest American foes

HyperVocal Thursday, May 02, 2013

Trying to be "provocative in the best use of that term," Pittsburgh's Conflict Kitchen serves ethnic food from countries that are in some type of conflict with the U.S, reports HyperVocal.

Rubin says the restaurant will remain Persian through at least the Iranian election in June. Coming this fall, though, after Rubin and co-director Dawn Weleski do some research in South Korea over the summer, the take-out joint will likely switch over to North Korean and South Korean cuisine, “a triangulation of conflict,” he says. They are also doing more research on the Israel/Palestine conflict for a future version of the restaurant.

Original source: HyperVocal

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Pong song: World's largest video game played on Philadelphia's Cira Centre

Ars Technica Thursday, April 25, 2013

Ars Technica goes behind the scenes of the world's largest video game played right in Philly -- a traditional game of Pong displayed on Center City's CIra Centre building.

A crowd of well over 100 gathered near the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Friday, despite rising winds and the looming threat of a thunderstorm. We were all there to play (and to watch) Pong, but not on an arcade cabinet—the version we'd be playing would be played out on the programmable LED lights lining the side of Philadelphia's Cira Centre, a 29-story office building across the Schuylkill River from the museum. The lights, normally used to display static images or simple looping patterns, had been transformed into a fully interactive game of Pong by Drexel computer science professor (and Co-Founder and Co-Director of Drexel's game design program) Frank Lee and his team in just a few short months. It's being billed by the event organizers as the "world's largest video game."

Original source: Ars Technica
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Has entrepreneurship turned the corner in Pittsburgh?

ID8 Thursday, April 25, 2013

The Project Olympus offices near Carnegie Mellon University are the starting point for ID8's look at Pittsburgh's entrepreneurial renaissance.

So where does Pittsburgh stand? Dennis Yablonsky, CEO of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, the region’s leading economic development organization, said a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem has five elements: research, programs to commercialize research findings, ample investment capital, a deep and talented workforce and, lastly, a climate that encourages startups.

He gives the city top marks for research and tech transfer, good grades for workforce and climate, but only a passing score for venture capital.

Original source: ID8 Nation

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Pennsylvania-made and exhibit-quality chairs soon to be available for everyone's patio

Fast Company Thursday, April 25, 2013

York County-based manufacturer Emeco teamed with design star Konstantin Grcic to produce stunning outdoor furniture for the new Parrish Art Museum in Long Island, reports Fast Company.

The six-piece series includes two chairs (lounge and side), whose curving seatbacks attest to Grcic’s effort to use as little metal as possible, as well as four tables of varying heights. But the real innovation lies beneath the minimal frames. All the pieces use a common hub--or, what the designer refers to as the “heart”--for joining the elements of the chair “to form a strong, integral anatomy.”

Original source: Fast Company

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