In the News

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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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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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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'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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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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UPenn prof's new book, The Anatomy of Violence, addresses seeds of aggression and tragedies like Bos

Time Thursday, April 25, 2013

University of Pennsylvania professor and criminologist Adrian Raine tries to answer some difficult questions for Time magazine, including what plants seeds of violence that lead to tragedies like the Boston Marathon bombings.

The question on everyone’s minds now is why…

Most mass killers have mixed motives, but more often than not there is a fundamental grievance, a score that needs to be settled with society. For [the older brother], the earlier questioning by the FBI and rejection of his application for US citizenship could have been a contributing factor that got wrapped up with political ideology and a dissatisfaction with his own life. But likely a complex combination of factors created this toxic mix – likely a biological predisposition to violence combined with social triggers and mild mental illness.

Original source: Time

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Philadelphia's East Passyunk Ave. named one of Food & Wine's best foodie streets

Food & Wine Thursday, April 18, 2013

Food & Wine includes South Philadelphia's East Passyunk Avenue among its best streets for foodies.

Philadelphia’s East Passyunk Avenue has fantastic restaurants like the elegant Fond, a terrific vintage store and the place to go for delicious limoncello.

Original source: Food & Wine

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'Outsiders' take over Philadelphia Museum of Art

The New York Times Thursday, April 18, 2013

The New York Times shines a light on an exhibition of outsider art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. "Great and Mighty Things: Outsider Art From the Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz Collection," celebrates the impending donation of the collection to the museum.

To a man, and a woman, the artists in the Bonovitz collection all made some form of magic whose power and urgency throw down a gauntlet, especially considering much of what passes for contemporary art these days. Sometimes they responded to their everyday surroundings. That’s the case with the shadowy drawings and angular constructions fashioned from soot, spit, string and cardboard with which Castle, who could neither hear nor speak, recorded the rough life on his family’s farm in rural Idaho. It’s also true of the sharp, prancing silhouettes with which Traylor expressed his amusement at the human comedy of African-American life in the South.

The show runs through June 9.

Original source: The New York Times

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Philadelphia's Dorm Room Fund expanding natinowide

The New York Times Thursday, April 11, 2013

First Round Capital's Dorm Room Fund, an investment fund helmed by Philadelphia college students, earns praise in the New York Times. Starting this spring, the Fund is going nationwide -- starting in New York.

New York City’s Dorm Room Fund will follow the model established in Philadelphia, Mr. Barnes said. Student investors will seek out promising ventures among their peers and present the most exciting projects to the investment team. Though partners from First Round Capital will offer advice, students will lead the decision-making process. First Round does retain a veto right, Mr. Barnes said, but “we would not use it unless we were legally or ethically required to do so.”

For more on the Dorm Room Fund, check out this story in K eystone Edge.

Original source: The New York Times
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A look at IBX's 10 promising startup investments

Information Week Thursday, April 11, 2013

Information Week writes about the Philadelphia-based DreamIt Health acclerator, a collaboration of Independence Blue Cross, Penn Medicine and DreamIT Ventures.

Among the firms that made the final cut are AirCare, Biomeme, Fitly, Grand Round Table, Medlio, MemberRx, OnShift, Osmosis, SpeSo Health and Stat. Each company will receive $50,000 in seed capital, as well as intensive mentoring in a four-month "boot camp."

Original source: Information Week

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Yo! Why people are losing their Philly accent

The Atlantic Cities Thursday, April 04, 2013

The Atlantic Cities writes about a University of Pennsylvania professor's investigation of the changing dialect of dyed-in-the-wool Philadelphians.

Labov began studying the speech patterns of Philadelphians in the early 1970s with his students. Looking back over all the data and audio collected since then from hundreds of speakers in dozens of neighborhoods – all of it more recently parsed with automated acoustic analysis – Labov, Fruehwald and Ingrid Rosenfelder have documented a city changing its linguistic identity. Their paper, "One Hundred Years of Sound Change in Philadelphia," recently published in the journal Language, methodically tracks the speech of residents in the city born between 1888 and 1991.

Original source: The Atlantic Cities

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TripAdvisor: PNC Park top ballpark in America

TripAdvisor Thursday, March 28, 2013

The Pirates have a long way to go, but Pittsburgh's PNC Park was named America's top ballpark by TripAdvisor. Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park, home of the Phillies, was No. 6 on the list.

1. PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Perched along the Allegheny River, this renowned ballpark features spectacular sights of the Steel City skyline and the beautiful Clemente Bridge. A unique two-level ballpark that opened in 2001, PNC provides an intimate setting and spectacular views and sightlines from anywhere in the stadium. A TripAdvisor traveler commented, "The views of the city from the ballpark are beautiful; great food and beer selections."

Original source: TripAdvisor

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Exploring the geography of class in Philadelphia

The Atlantic Cities Thursday, March 28, 2013

The Atlantic Cities uses U.S. Census data to explore the geography of class in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia's class divide is pronounced. Its neighborhoods run the gamut from leafy townhouse enclaves to some of the country's most disadvantaged communities.

There are two major creative class clusters (purple areas on the map) in the city proper. The first is in and around the urban core in the Center City; the second is to the west in Chestnut Hill and Manayunk-Roxborough.

Original source: The Atlantic Cites

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Philly's Mario Lanza Institute among thriving shrines for local heroes

The New York Times Thursday, March 28, 2013

The New York Times explores Philadelphia's Mario Lanza Institute, an oft-overlooked Philadelphia-bred singer, and other small shrines to hometown heroes.

Bill Ronayne, president of the Mario Lanza Institute in Philadelphia, summed up the reason for such hometown tributes:

“It may seem odd to some people to have a museum to someone like Lanza, but I think we are obligated to remember those with talent. They may not be Lincoln, but they affected us, so whatever I can do to keep Mario’s memory alive, I am happy to be associated with it.”

Original source: The New York Times

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Philadelphia International Airport lures New York-based travelers

The New York Times Thursday, March 21, 2013

PHL has become an attractive departure point for New Yorkers, drawn by the low prices and the presence of Southwest Airlines.

Airfares have been dropping faster in Philadelphia than in any other big city, fueling a boom in traffic at the congested airport there. Despite its reputation for delays and baggage difficulties, Philadelphia International is now attracting more passengers for domestic flights than any of New York's three major airports - La Guardia, Kennedy International or Newark Liberty International.

Transportation officials say they do not know how many of those travelers are being lured away by lower fares, but they concede that New Yorkers are not immune to what is known in the travel industry as the Southwest effect. When Southwest Airlines, the king of the low-fare carriers, arrives in a new city, it drives down airfares and adds traffic.

Original source: The New York Times
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Time to make another national list for Philadelphia's Federal Donuts

Saveur Thursday, March 21, 2013

These days, if there's a donut list, local favorite Federal Donuts will earn a spot. This Saveur run-down of the country's 50 Best Donuts is no exception.

The donuts at this ambitious newcomer include the Appollonia, served hot and rolled in cocoa and orange blossom powder. The other specialty? Fried chicken.

Original source: Saveur
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Philadelphia Flower Show's attendance continues to soar

Washington Post Thursday, March 14, 2013

The Washington Post's Adrian Higgins visited the Flower Show, PHS's big annual event, and came away impressed. (Check out sister publication Flying Kite's pics from the shindig here.)

Historically, big-city flower shows are like big cities themselves: They either change or decline but cannot stay the same. By all appearances, the Philadelphia show is in the midst of healthy change: Attendance climbed from 235,000 in 2010 to 270,000 last year and is on track to exceed 300,000 this year. The number of competitive entries in a feature called the horticultural court — the horticourt — is about 11,000, and the entrants’ enthusiasm has been rewarded with a new $1 million setting for the competitions that includes a fabric roof and new show benches and display backdrops.

Original source: The Washington Post
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Ardmore alt-craft brewer Tired Hands among most promising in U.S., says Food Republic

Food Republic Thursday, March 07, 2013

Tired Hands Brewing Company, which opened in 2012 in Ardmore, Montgomery County, continues to get attention, this time ranking No. 4 on Food Republic's 10 breweries to look out for in 2012.

It’s already been a big year for Ardmore, PA–based Tired Hands Brewing Company, named one of the top five best new brewers in 2012 by Rate Beer. The limited output makes this a worthy destination for their famed beer dinners, but look no further than their beer for innovative food use. Next on tap: Ancient Knovvledge, an Asian-inspired saison brewed with hemp seeds, nori, black and white sesame seeds, tangerine juice, Schezuan peppercorns and long red hot peppers.

Original source: Food Republic

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Philadelphia and Pittsburgh among top cities for VC in tech startups

Mashable Thursday, February 28, 2013

Philadelphia and Pittsburgh rank ninth and 13th, respectively, in the National Venture Capital Association's list of top cities for venture capital investments in tech startups, reports Mashable.

"Venture capitalists will go to where the entrepreneurs are — and there is a great deal of startup activity outside of Silicon Valley," a NVCA spokesperson told Mashable. "Those regions with thriving VC ecosystems tend to have strong universities where technology is developed and research is completed and commercialized."

Original source: Mashable
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Zagat: Philly Fair Trade top local coffee roaster in Philadelphia

Zagat Thursday, February 28, 2013

Zagat ranks the top 11 local coffee roasters in Philadelphia.

Philly Fair Trade Roasters

Joe Cesa has been small-batch roasting in Philadelphia since before you were even drinking coffee. Ok, that may be an exaggeration, but it was way back in 2002 that he launched fair trade cafe Joe’s Coffee Bar on the corner of 11th and Walnut. A few years ago, he gave up the cafe location and went into roasting full time.

His Feltonville facility produces beans served at over a dozen cafes and restaurants, and are available to purchase in another dozen retail locations, including a prime spot at the Headhouse farmers’ market. Order your own online - you can choose from more than 20 different regions and roasts.

Original source: Zagat

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Small batch bikes: A look at North Philadelphia custom bicycle maker's incredible world

A Continuous Lean Thursday, February 28, 2013

North Philadelphia custom bicycle maker Bilenky Cycles Works is profiled in this video curated by A Continuous Lean.

Interestingly, the past few years have seen a resurgence in companies like Bilenky Cycles Works based on the same type of thinking from consumers: quality. There seems to be a critical mass of a certain type of consumer that is interested in quality and is willing to pay for it. Though, I have to admit, that the recent resurgence of small batch manufacturing has been mostly based on the same few categories of products like bicycles, small leather goods, jeans etc. I’m eager to see manufacturers take a leap and expand the circle to other types of products.

Original source: A Continuous Lean

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Philadelphia-area entrpreneur on Shark Tank again to promote company

News @Northeastern Tuesday, February 19, 2013

A Philadelphia-area resident and 2002 graduate of Northeastern University has parlayed an appearance on the ABC reality TV show Shark Tank into a thriving entrepreneurial adventure, reports News @Northeastern.

Rescate’s entrepreneurial journey has taken many twists and turns. Newly married and fed up with her cat’s litter box stinking up her tiny Manhattan apartment, she developed a training kit that helps felines gradually transition to using the toilet. She launched CitiKitty in 2005 with $20,000 in wedding gift money and personal savings; it has since reaped more than $4 million in sales.

Rescate pitched CitiKitty on Shark Tank in 2011 and secured a partnership with shark Kevin Harrington, founder of TVGoods, Inc. and chairman of As Seen On TV, Inc. That success led her to meet Chris Hindley, the founder of HoodiePillow—a pillow with a stitched-??in hoodie and easily accessible spaces for a smartphone and a pair of headphones. Recognizing the product’s mass market potential, Rescate partnered with Hindley—a decision that led her to dub herself “a mini-shark”—and recently returned to Shark Tank to showcase the company. (The episode was filmed in September, aired last Friday, and can be viewed at ABC?.com.)

Original source: News @Northeastern

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New ways of visualizing crime in Philadelphia

The Atlantic Cities Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Several area developers have repackaged a major municipal dataset published by the City of Philadelphia in December, providing new and interesting ways to visualize city crimes, reports The Atlantic Cities.

But the really impressive applications are coming from outside of City Hall. This is the PHL Crime Mapper, created by software developer David Walk. His tool enables users to draw a polygon around any area in the city. PHL Crime Mapper then maps crimes within that territory during a given time span (and spits out some relevant statistics):

Original source: The Atlantic Cities

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Philadelphia's Locally.FM launches with app to connect merchants' events with customers in real-time

Betakit Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Philadelphia-based Locally.FM challenges location-based apps like foursquare, Yelp and Now with its app that connects merchants' events and activities with customers, reports Betakit.

Any consumer can use the browser-based mobile and web app app for free, but for merchants and vendors it is in closed beta, with plans to launch publicly in two weeks. CEO and co-founder Steve Palmer explained that the idea for the app came from the frustration of trying to find local events and things to do last-minute, and from getting to know winery owners through wine blogging, and realizing they wanted to use apps to attract people to their events. “It’s hard to find actual things that are happening. It’s pretty easy to find where a restaurant, park or museum is, you’re just not always able to find what’s going on at these particular venues,” he said.

Original source: Betakit

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Philly's CHOP and Pittsburgh's CHOP at UPMC rank first and, sixth, respectively, among nation's chil

Parents Thursday, February 07, 2013

Parents magazine ranks Children's Hospital of Philadelphia first and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC sixth in its list of the 10 Best Children's Hospitals in the U.S.

1. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

It's the leader in kids' cancer research. Besides using a successful treatment for the sickest leukemia patients that was developed by oncologist Stephan Grupp's, M.D., Ph.D., it has masterminded a way to wipe out certain types of neuroblastoma and lymphoma with a single pill. Researchers found that some kids have a genetic snafu in the expression of a protein that's linked to the diseases, and they worked with a drug company to develop medicine that inhibited the protein. Seven of eight kids studied with lymphoma, and one of two with neuroblastoma, are in remission. "Targeted therapies for children with cancer are a hot area of research," says John Maris M.D., director of the hospital's Center for Childhood Cancer Research. "Chemotherapy kills off healthy cells too, while our new treatments zero in on just the bad ones."

Original source: Parents Magazine

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Free Library of Philadelphia's pop-up Pride & Prejudice part of worldwide celebration

The New York Times Thursday, January 31, 2013

The Free Library of Philadelphia was among those across the globe that celebrated the 200th anniversary of the publication of Jane Austen's classic Pride & Prejudice, reports The New York Times.

The Free Library of Philadelphia is hosting an all-day celebration including lectures, film screenings and “pop-up” theatrical performances of scenes from the novel. Goucher College in Baltimore, home to what it calls the largest Austen collection in North America, will open “Pride and Prejudice: A 200 Year Affair,” an exhibition of rare editions and other items documenting the novel’s reception over the past two centuries.

Original source: The New York Times

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UPenn-developed software, Swarthmore study tackle smartphone security

Fast Company Thursday, January 31, 2013

A Swarthmore College study and software developed by a team from the University of Pennsylvania are on the forefront of smartphone security developments, reports Fast Company.

Research into smartphone security has revealed that your phone's sensors could help criminals unlock your stolen gadget. And, given that these elements all come as standard on most smartphone models, and are not subject to the same controls as other phone functions, they are a bigger security risk. The study was carried out by a visiting professor at Swarthmore College, who analyzed data captured from a smartphone's accelerometer--that's the gadget that analyzes the direction your phone is tilting or moving and turns the screen accordingly, and used for games like Doodle Jump--and found it could be used to work out where someone tapped the screen.

Original source: Fast Company

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Lehigh students crash PennApps 2013 hackathon, create SparkTab

TechCrunch Thursday, January 24, 2013

A team of Lehigh University students created SparkTab, a versatile browser add-on, at the PennApps 2013 hackathon last weekend, reports TechCrunch.

SparkTab is kind of like QuickSilver for your browser. Instead of setting your new tab page to, say, Google, you would add SparkTab. From the text entry bar, you can perform searches, send texts, and even post to Facebook and Twitter. Think of it as a quicker way to do lots of stuff online without having to enter a URL or click on search results.

Original source: TechCrunch

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How an 'odd duck' is reviving texile manufacturing and reimagining the urban factory in Philadelphia

Fast Company Thursday, January 24, 2013

Fast Company writes about self-proclaimed "odd duck" Karen Randal and her efforts to revive the textile industry and urban manufacturing in Philadelphia.

Yet there's a resurgence of passion for the idea of manufacturing in Philadelphia, if not manufacturing itself. Unlike New York, where most geographically desirable industrial districts have been rezoned residential, Philadelphia still has factories near the center of town, and the same cultural currents that have brought a taste for locally grown food into the American mainstream have lately buoyed the idea of making things around the corner rather than on the other side of the world.

Original source: Fast Company

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Philadelphia Mayor Nutter hires 24 year-old director of civic technology

TechPresident Thursday, January 17, 2013

TechPresident follows up on Philadelphia's new director of civic technology, 24 year-old Matt Wisniewski.

He has been part of the city government since January 2012, and served prior to that as the executive director of a nonprofit working to improve commerce in the business corridor of a low-income neighborhood. While working for the city, he was the project manager on development of a mobile application for the city's 311 non-emergency services system.

A handful of cities across the country are trying out the idea that Internet technology can dramatically change the way cities work. Philadelphia is one of them. In 2011, Philadelphia joined the first year of Code for America, a program to put technologists in city halls. The same year, Nutter issued an executive order that consolidated management of information technology across all city departments into one position, the chief information officer. In 2012, the city hired Mark Headd away from Code for America to become the city's chief data officer, and in December announced that the city would release detailed crime data, updated daily.

Original source: TechPresident

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Indy Hall among nation's coolest coworking spaces

Business Insider Thursday, January 10, 2013

We've been writing about Old City, Philadelphia coworking space Indy Hall since 2009 and now Business Insider ranks it among its 17 coolest coworking spaces in America.

Indy Hall is where you'll meet "the coworkers you've always wanted." The two-floor cozy communal office has broken down everything stuffy about the typical office and replace it with couches, colorful walls and beautiful modern artwork.

Original source: Business Insider

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NY Times does 36 hours in Philadelphia

The New York Times Thursday, January 10, 2013

They manage to work Stephen Starr into yet another lede about Philadelphia, but nonetheless The New York Times gets around Pennsylvania's largest city during a recent weekend.

There’s no secret handshake at Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. (112 South 18th Street; 267-467-3277; thefranklinbar.com), a candlelit subterranean bar in the speakeasy style. Instead, there are cocktail waitresses as hospitable as they are stylish (cat-eye glasses and saddle shoes) and drinks poured over globes of hand-carved ice. The 28-cocktail list has poetic subheads (one reads: “I asked for water, she brought me gasoline”) and esoteric ingredients (Rollin’ in the Ruins is a mix of Tanqueray gin, Hayman’s Old Tom, green Chartreuse, pear brandy, lime juice, lemon grass tea syrup, Bitter Truth Thai Bitters and pink peppercorn tincture).

Original source: The New York Times

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Nature's force: Inside Philadelphia's Fabric Workshop and Museum Residency

Wallpaper Thursday, December 20, 2012

Wallpaper sits down with artist Daniel Arsham, whos new show at the Fabric Workshop and Museum called Reach Ruin opens today in Philadelphia.

Part of the mission of the FWM is to encourage artists to work outside their preferred medium. I've never worked with a number of the materials in this exhibition, such as some of the resins we used. Some of the pieces involve wind, light and sound so I worked with an engineer from MIT to develop the performative work that you see in the video. I also worked with compressed glass; I have worked with this technique before where we compress sand and other materials into a mould, but the Fabric Workshop helped me develop this into a larger scale. So I have these massive 16ft-tall eroded columns, which wouldn't have been possible before.

Original source: Wallpaper
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Social clipper: Philly's SnipSnap 2.0 app gets a rebuild

TechCrunch Thursday, December 20, 2012

TechCrunch reports on the big update for SnipSnap's coupon clipping app, which has been rebuilt from the groun up.

But first, the biggest change. SnipSnap 2.0 takes what social elements were present in the original and expands on them greatly — unlike before, new users are asked to create accounts and can link them with Facebook or Twitter to connect with other coupon-conscious friends. From there, those users can also select their interests from a list so SnipSnap can provide them with some starter coupons — apparently, new users of SnipSnap wouldn’t know what do once they installed the app, and the starter coupons were intended to help them a get a feel for using it. Smart.

Original source: TechCrunch
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Pennsylvania-driven research uses HIV to fight leukemia

The New York TImes Tuesday, December 11, 2012

An experimental treatment developed by University of Pennsylvania scientists and administered at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia uses a disabled form of the HIV virus to reprogram cancer cells, reports the New York Times.

The treatment very nearly killed her. But she emerged from it cancer-free, and about seven months later is still in complete remission. She is the first child and one of the first humans ever in whom new techniques have achieved a long-sought goal — giving a patient’s own immune system the lasting ability to fight cancer.

Emma had been ill with acute lymphoblastic leukemia since 2010, when she was 5, said her parents, Kari and Tom. She is their only child.

Original source: The New York Times

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Making modernity inside 125 year-old UPenn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

The New York Times Tuesday, December 11, 2012

The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Philadelphia is marking its 125th anniversary with an accessibility initiative that appeals to a wider audience.

“We want to harness the incredible intellectual wattage, and to find ways to translate it to a much wider appeal,” said its new director, Julian Siggers, in an interview. “I don’t think that first-rate research is incompatible with a wide public mandate.”

Dr. Siggers, who until July was vice president for programs, education and content communication at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, said he aims to triple the Penn Museum’s current number of visitors, about 250,000 a year, within 10 years, and to raise the appeal of its contents by highlighting their relevance to modern life.

Original source: The New York Times

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DreamIt partnership with IBC and Penn Medicine to create digital health accelerator

TechCrunch Thursday, December 06, 2012

TechCrunch reports that DreamIt Ventures in Philadelphia is launching a four-month program with Independence Blue Cross and Penn Medicine to create Philly's first healthcare accelerator, seeding selected companies with up to $50,000 in capital.

Like other DreamIt programs, the health accelerator’s program will end in a Demo Day, at which all companies will present their businesses to an audience of investors and healthcare organizations. The advantage for entrepreneurs in working with DreamIt is that that the accelerator has already launched 80 companies over the last four years across its TechStars-like national network. The accelerator was founded in and runs a general accelerator in Philadelphia, where it’s currently incubating 15 companies.

Original source: TechCrunch

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Blackstone LaunchPad unites Temple, Phila U., Science Center for $3M entrepreneurship initiative

Temple University News Thursday, December 06, 2012

The Blackstone Charitable Foundation launched the $3 million Blackstone LaunchPad, establishing a partnership between Temple University, Philadelphia University and the University City Science Center to promote entrepreneurship, reports Temple University News.

The Pennsylvania Blackstone LaunchPad programs are expected to generate some 100 ventures and hundreds of jobs during the next five years.

“We at Temple want each and every student to be exposed to entrepreneurship as part of their personal and professional development and for it to become a central way of thinking throughout their lives,” Englert said.

Blackstone LaunchPad aims to multiply the connections among campuses, business communities and local entrepreneurs. It is open to all 41,000 students — regardless of major — at the two partner universities. Participants in the LaunchPad process establish a personal profile, complete a venture-assessment form, and receive individualized consultation and venture coaching. Jaine Lucas, executive director of the university-wide Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute, based at the Fox School of Business, will serve in the same capacity at the Blackstone LaunchPad at Temple, expected to begin next semester.

Original source: Temple University News

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Saxonburg manufacturer II-VI Inc. to purchase Calif. thin-film filter facility in $27M deal

Press-Democrat Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Saxonburg-based optical components manufacturer II-VI Inc. will purchase San Jose, Calif.-based Oclaro's thin-film filter facility in Santa Rosa, reports the Press-Democrat.

Among its products, II—VI manufactures optical components for industrial laser and thermal imaging systems and devices required for high-speed optical networks to increase Internet traffic. The company also makes infrared and visible light products for industrial, scientific, military and medical instruments.

Original source: Press-Democrat

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Running notes: A post-marathon ode to Philadelphia

Salon Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Mary Elizabeth Williams writes in Salon about the Philadelphia Marathon and the city's effort in include as many runners as possible from the New York Marathon, which was cancelled because of Superstorm Sandy.

In retrospect, I should have expected nothing less from a city whose very name means brotherly love. Besides, I knew how much Philly could give. I’d gone to school there; I’d forged some of the best and most enduring relationships of my life there. I had returned, again and again over the years, to see my friends and to eat soft pretzels and to introduce my children to the city’s charms. Yet on Sunday, Philadelphia gave me – and nearly 1,500 other New York marathon runners – something new. It gave us welcome and warmth and refuge after one of the darkest experiences in the Big Apple’s history, just by letting us pound its streets.

Original source: Salon

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Viewing Philadelphia's industrial past from the rails

The New York Times Magazine Thursday, November 15, 2012

The New York Times Magazine takes a ride on Amtrak along the northeast corridor and surveys the ghosts of our industrial past.

As anyone who rides Amtrak between New York and Washington knows, the trip can be a dissonant experience. Inside the train, it’s all tidy and digital, everybody absorbed in laptops and iPhones, while outside the windows an entirely different world glides by. Traveling south is like moving through a curated exhibit of urban and industrial decay. There’s Newark and Trenton and the heroic wreckage in parts of Philadelphia, block after block of hulking edifices covered in graffiti, the boarded-up ghost neighborhoods of Baltimore made familiar by “The Wire” — all on the line that connects America’s financial center and its booming capital city.

Original source: The New York Times Magazine
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A tattoo to benefit Alex's Lemonade Stand

TechCrunch Thursday, November 15, 2012

TechCrunch writer Drew Olanoff, a cancer survivor himself, is trying to raise funds for childhood cancer charity Alex's Lemonade Stand in suburban Philadelphia.

I turned 33 yesterday, an age that I wasn’t sure I’d hit when I was diagnosed with cancer. I’ve been in remission for three years and I feel great, except that others have to struggle way worse than I did. Before I was diagnosed, I raised money for childhood cancer by “auctioning off” space on my body for a tattoo. Not any tattoo, though, it was a Twitter handle for whomever donated the most. The high bid and donation was $2,112 and it was a success, and of course I got the tattoo. You can read all about it here if you like.

For Alex, and for children everywhere battling cancer, I’m doing it again. This time, the money goes right to Alex’s Lemonade Stand. Even if you don’t want to hop into a battle for real-estate on my body in tattoo form, every little bit counts.

Original source: TechCrunch

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A chocolatey, celebrity collaboration in West Chester

Thursday, November 08, 2012

West Chester master chocolatier Christopher Curtin is collaborating with chefs Eric Ripert and Anthony Bourdain on a "sleek" new Peruvian chocolate bar, reports the New York Times

The bar, embedded with crushed nibs, is a collaboration with the chefs Eric Ripert and Anthony Bourdain. In all his chocolates, Mr. Curtin starts with single-origin beans or a chocolate base, mostly around 70 percent dark, and adds flavorings and fillings like Aleppo pepper, shiraz wine, coffee and toasted corn. He just introduced bonbons filled with pumpkin and with gingerbread. You need a bib for his silky caramels.

Original source: The New York Times

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Young Visionaries: United By Blue's organic apparel and accessories

Entrepreneur Thursday, November 08, 2012

Entrepeneur's Young Visionaries series pays a visit to Philadelphia's United By Blue, an organic apparel and accessories company with a heavy social mission.

His vision provides for the removal of one pound of garbage from the nation's waterways through the sale of each item on the site. Each cleanup involves thousands of volunteers and has resulted in the removal of many thousands of pounds of garbage.

Original source: Entrepreneur

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Philadelphia's ScrubDaddy walks away with Shark Tank deal

Nerdles Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Aaron Krause, who owns ScrubDaddy, maker of what is described as "high-end cleaning sponges," walked away from ABC TV show Shark Tank with a deal, reports Nerdles.

He needs $100,000 in exchange for 10% equity in his enterprise. He’s currently selling the product online and in 5 Philadelphia stores. His sales have already reached $100,000 in the past 4 months alone. Since Aaron owns a patent for Scrub Daddy, he is now venturing into manufacturing the product on a large scale. As such, he needs the funds to set up his own manufacturing facility as he anticipates an in increase in demand from other supermarkets

Original source: Nerdles

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Sniffing success: Yardley firm's technology delivers nasal meds more effectively

Medgadget Thursday, October 25, 2012

Medgadget writes about Yardley-bsed OptiNose and its bi-directional delivery technology that uses a patient's breath to dispense nasal medications.

As a matter of fact, a new study comparing the OptiNose powder delivery device against traditional liquid nasal sprays has shown that the Bi-Directional system deposits medication more effectively to the middle and upper posterior regions in the back of the nose. The study involved seven participants that inhaled radiolabeled medication using the two delivery methods, the deposition of which was then assessed using a gamma camera sensitive to the emitted radiation.

Original source: Medgadget

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Study: Counseling yielded more fruit consumption among African-American adults

L.A. Times Thursday, October 25, 2012

Philadelphia-based American Association for Cancer Research released a study of more than 200 Philadelphia African-Americans who were being counseled on increasing produce consumption and exercise to reduce their risk of cancer or heart disease, reports the L.A. Times.

The fact that the participants were mostly poor, with incomes under $20,000, might mean they could not afford to join a gym or pay for exercise classes and might not feel safe walking or biking in their neighborhoods. She also said the researchers might ask about the fact that many fruits can be eaten as is while many vegetables are normally cooked – making it easier to eat fruit. And, Jefferson said, it’s hard to make more than one change at a time.

Original source: L.A. Times

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Eye chart: Philadelphia's Warby Parker in focus

CNBC Thursday, October 25, 2012

CNBC talks with Philadelphia eyeware company co-CEO Neil Blumenthal.

"We're an early-stage company, 2 1/2 years in," Blumenthal said on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street."

"We're just looking at the next step now. ... We're more focused on how can we get glasses to people as quickkly as possible," Blumenthal said.

Original source: CNBC

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Yeah, but how do they make money? Philly's DuckDuckGo among tech's biggest names

Mashable Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Mashable looks at how some of the biggest names in tech make money, including Philadelphia search challenger DuckDuckGo (which still isn't profitable).

As one might expect, advertising and paid subscriptions are two major sources of revenue for these companies. The Internet has also given rise to a phenomenon known as “freemium,” when a company provides a base service for free but charges fees for certain premium features. For instance, Dropbox offers 2GB of free cloud data storage. If a user wants more space, however, he or she will have to pay up.

Original source: Mashable
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UPenn researcher: Iran creating private internet

MIT Technology Review Thursday, October 04, 2012

MIT's Technology Review reports on University of Pennsylvania-funded researcher Collin Anderson's findings that indicate Iran is building a private internet network.

Anderson gathered his evidence using two hosts based in Tehran. He has obviously had some significant help from inside Iran to carry out this work and acknowledges the help of a number of individuals he is unable name because of "self-censorship and intimidation" within Iran and beyond. That's clearly difficult and dangerous work that must be applauded.

Original source: MIT Technology Review

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Survey: Pennsylvania among nation's top digital states

Government Technology Thursday, October 04, 2012

Government Technology reports on the Center for Digital Government's Digital States Survey, which gave Pennsylvania an 'A-' putting it among the top-10.

Most states submitted responses to a series of survey questions, focusing on IT leadership, service delivery, citizen engagement, innovation and collaboration. For those states not submitting information, evaluators considered several factors, including interviews and various other interactions with CDG staff throughout the survey period. Researchers, executives and senior fellows from the Center for Digital Government were involved in the comprehensive evaluation process that resulted in each state’s grade.

Original source: Government Technology

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High-tech duet sounds great in Philadelphia

NIU Today Thursday, October 04, 2012

A violinist in Philadelphia and a cellist in Illinois performed a duo in real-time thanks to new technology enabled by Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, reports NIU Today.

“Since Internet2’s inception, all across the world I have been asked by musicians, ‘Can we play together?’ and the answer has always been no,” said Ann Doyle, director of cultural collaborations for Internet2. “It is with gratitude to the LOLA project team, that the answer is now yes!”

Original source: NIU Today

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Philly's First Round Capital announces the $500,000 Dorm Room fund

Pando Daily Thursday, September 27, 2012

Pando Daily likes the idea of the University of Pennsylvania as Stanford of the East, reporting on new UPenn neighbor First Round Capital's Dorm Room fund.

Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and Facebook were started on college campuses. The thinking goes that if students were smart enough to create these companies, then they are smart enough to identify peers with potential. First Round is taking applications for its batch of eight mini-VCs on the Penn and Drexel campuses. Once its initial investment team is picked, those members will choose their own replacements as they graduate.

They’ll be given $500,000 to invest in companies (around $15,000 each) over the course of the school year.

Original source: Pando Daily

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Katherine Gajewski on greening gritty Philly

Grist Thursday, September 27, 2012

Grist interviews Philadelphia's sustainability director, Katherine Gajewski, who has injected youthful energy into the city's green directives.

We have experienced tremendous support, considering our [Greenworks Philadelphia] plan came out right before the recession hit. I expected more departments to say “We’re focused on our core functions and can’t take anything new on. This does not fit with our priorities.” I haven’t had anyone say, “No. I’m unwilling to do that.” Our mayor has been a leader on this and he’s made it clear that it’s important. But I think it’s also just been an exciting and logical extension of the work a lot of folks are already doing.

Original source: Grist

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Stealth Philadelphia startup funded by YouTube and PayPal co-founders

Forbes Thursday, September 20, 2012

Perceptual Networks hasn't yet fully divulged what it does but the Philadelphia-based startup has been funded by some heavy-hitters, reports Forbes.

Perceptual Networks is a company that… um… well, it’s a little bit hazy. On the upstart’s website, under the “products” category, the company states:

“We are building a suite of products that make it easier for you to make friends, fall in love, find the perfect career and find the perfect place to live. We do what matters most.”

Original source: Forbes

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HuffPo: Seven reasons to visit the new Philadelphia

Huffington Post Thursday, September 13, 2012

No new ground is covered here but we agree in spirit with Huffington Post's assessment of Philadelphia's increasing "visit-ability."

Philly is still a restaurant town. In fact, I've made several trips by car from my home in Manhattan for the sole purpose of eating at Zahav in a nondescript building at the far edge of Society Hill. This Middle Eastern hot spot was justifiably named as the best restaurant in the city by Philadelphia magazine. The baked-to-order pita bread alone is worth the drive (why can't you get freshly baked pita bread any longer?), but everything else is authentically magical. Grilled octopus and drinks at the bar at Water Works Restaurant at dusk is another reason to get in the car (or on the plane). Better yet, get an outside table on this historic site overlooking the Schuylkill River, followed with a walk along the Schuylkill River Trail. If you're into beer, check out Monk's or the beer garden at Silk City.

Original source: Huffington Post

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UPenn researchers make breakthrough with all-optical photonic nanowire switch

The Engineer Thursday, September 13, 2012

The Engineer writes about University of Pennsylvania researchers whose recent breakthrough, published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, could lead to development of consumer photonics.

According to a statement, the research team’s innovation built upon its earlier research, which showed that the cadmium sulphide nanowires exhibited extremely strong light-matter coupling, making them efficient at light manipulation.

This quality is said to be crucial for the development of nanoscale photonic circuits, as existing mechanisms for controlling the flow of light are bulkier and require more energy than their electronic analogues.

Original source: The Engineer
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SEPTA's regenerative braking technology saving estimated 10 percent

Wired Thursday, September 13, 2012

Early estimates place SEPTA's power savings at about 10 percent thanks to the regenerative braking system it activated in June, reports Wired.

Currently, trains running along the Market-Frankford line use the same kind of braking technology found in most hybrid cars, converting kinetic energy from braking into electricity and sending it along the third rail to a massive array of more than 4,000 30 Ah nickel cobalt aluminum batteries. Otherwise, that energy would’ve been wasted as heat. By recapturing and reusing that energy, SEPTA estimates it could save up to $190,000 a year in energy costs, not to mention decreasing wear and tear on its trains’ braking systems.

Original source: Wired

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Wayne-based recruitment software maker Kenexa bought by IBM for $1.3B

The New York Times Thursday, August 30, 2012

IBM's purchase of Wayne-based Kenexa for $1.3 billion earlier in the week is a sign that valuations are rising for enterprise software businesses that include social elements, writes the New York Times.

Technology giants are paying hefty premiums to rapidly expand their social footprint. The Kenexa deal, for instance, comes on the heels of Microsoft’s billion-dollar deal for Yammer, the enterprise social network. That $1.2 billion acquisition, announced in June, was seen as Microsoft’s first big push into the market. And Salesforce.com recently purchased Buddy Media, the social media advertising business, for $698 million.

Kenexa will help the company bolster its current suite of social enterprise tools, a group that includes social networking and instant messaging solutions. Kenexa, based in Wayne, Pa., has 2,800 employees and about 8,900 customers. The company reported a profit of $1.9 million in 2011 on revenue of $282.9 million. Revenue was up 44 percent from the previous year.

Original source: The New York Times

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Has labor thrown rail improvements off track?

Bloomberg Thursday, August 30, 2012

Bloomberg writes about labor's impact on rail efficiency, citing several situations in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia has perhaps the most extensive U.S. regional rail network, and the wasted potential to go along with it. Its Center City Commuter Connection, which linked the terminal stations of the Pennsylvania and Reading railroads, allowed trains to run through the city without stopping to turn around, increasing capacity and bringing the system to the same level as express rapid-transit systems in Germany and France. Add in its totally electrified network, and the regional-rail infrastructure of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority is the perfect candidate for an upgrade.

Original source: Bloomberg

Read the full story here.

Philadelphia : In the News