Announcing our partnership with Philly.com

One of our missions here at Technically Philly is to be a mouthpiece for the technology community of the city – a way to provide wider exposure to some of the great things happening here.

We’ve referred sources to the New York Times and have seen features on companies that we covered shortly appear on CBS News, among other places. And, as often as we can, we try to write tech stories for the Citypaper and for the Metro.

With that in mind, we’re happy to announce a new content partnership with Philly.com. As part of the deal, Philly.com can post our content and we are able to post Philly.com content on Technically Philly.

TP already has content sharing agreements with Philadelphia Magazine and Start Philly.

If you’d like to partner with TP, exchanging content or otherwise, be sure to drop us a line.

Event Highlights for May 17-23, 2010

We like to talk about our community being a growing, developing and diverse collection of smart people who involve themselves with technology and innovation one way or another.

This week’s free events make that seem apparent.

Though, the developers’ happy hour meetup of the Build Guild has been temporarily shelved, Wednesday is looking busy and varied.

First, out in the ‘burbs, Philly.net is hosting a panel discussion on the battle between all those browsers out there and what it means for how we all use the interwebs.

Later that night in town, Philly Startup Leaders is hosting one of their always sensational pitch blitzes Wednesday night, and, yes, as part of our monthly meetup schedule, the same night, we’ll be at Dark Horse to hear from you.

Then on Saturday, the Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby will bring out all the gear heads who’ve been tinkering on their strange and always artistic human-powered vehicles — you know, bicycles with an even more interesting look.

Web developers, entrepreneurs and the DIY crowd are all satiated, and that’s not all for the week.

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Thanks to our weekly sponsors

Technically Philly is made possible by advertisers and sponsors that are important to Philadelphia’s technology community. This week we’d like to thank:

Nonprofit Technology Resources – Fairmount-based NTR refurbishes used computers and peripherals for families and individuals in Philadelphia who may not otherwise be able to afford to buy a computer. We urge you to donate to this great local cause.

Caffeine Fish – Caffeine Fish develops the Trainboard iPhone app and offers iPhone development consulting in the Philadelphia area.

Towerstream – Towerstream is the leading 4G service provider in the U.S. and is setting up shop in Philadelphia. Contact Towerstream to find out how, in less than a week, you can have first-class 4G service for your business.

Springboard Media – Springboard Media is a certified Apple Specialist and retailer based in Center City and now, in Exton. They’ve got a ton of accessories and a great trade-in program that can score you up to $1,500 when you’re ready to upgrade.

Spark Networking (May 24th, Cira Center) – Be sure to head out to Spark Networking, an interactive entrepreneurial conference that focuses on developing business ideas and vital business relationships in a creative environment.

Interested in joining these organizations and individuals in supporting Technically Philly? Check out our ad packages and contact our Ad Sales Manager. Can’t find something that fits? We’ll customize a package for you.

Friday Q & A: David Reuter of LLR Partners

LLR Partners is likely the largest private equity firm in the area that you’ve never heard of.

While the firm, located in the Cira Center, is one of the more active investors in the region, it has companies in its portfolio that go beyond the traditional information technology and Internet startups that we are used to hearing in conjunction with the private equity firms that TP covers in our Venture Capital roundup.

The firm has invested in retail stores like Five Below and software companies like CyberShift, mostly staying local with its money; all $1.5 billion of it.

We sat down with partner David Reuter (who is also behind UrbanBlazers) to ask him to take us behind the scenes of one of the region’s largest and most active investors.

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Philly.com releases iPhone app, ranks third in app store

According to a press release, Philly.com has released its first iPhone app made by Verve Wireless.

The news app sells for $1.99 and is sponsored by long-time print advertiser TD Bank, something Philebrity got a kick out of.

The app is pretty standard fare for news applications theses days, acting as an optimized version of the mobile layout with seperate sections for news, sports, blogs and video. The app also allows users to read all of the day’s Inquirer and Daily News content, making the morning trip to the honor box a little less appealing.

Early reviews have been positive, and the app is third in the news app rankings.

We haven’t had much time to poke around, but as news nerds we dig the iPhone friendly story layout, videos and the ability to submit a story on the go.

However testing it in the Fairmount neighborhood, the app had some minor speed issues but all together it’s a solid start for Philly.com. Though we hope they can do more with the iPhone platform in the future (geolocation anyone?) However, as the future of the business is in question after this month’s auction, it will be tough to predict if the company will be able to dedicate future resources to mobile development.

Be sure to see our interview with Philly.com president Ryan Davis earlier this year.

Disclaimer: The members of Technically Philly have all freelanced or worked for the Daily News or Inquirer at one time or another and have a few friends there.

There are lessons for the city from Federal CTO visit

Aneesh Chopra, the first Chief Technology Officer of the United States addresses the Chamber of Commerce event at the Cira Center.

If you think Philadelphia is mired in debt and inefficiency, try wading through the federal government.

The nation’s first Chief Technology Officer, Aneesh Chopra, offered a peak this morning inside the Obama administration’s use of cloud computing and crowdsourcing to help streamline the inner-workings of the federal government and overcome a culture of bulky IT budgets and lack of accountability.

With a bustling 30th Street Station as a backdrop, a room full of business leaders listened to Chopra outline the inefficiencies of the old way government was conducting business in an event hosted by the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. He said that the president wanted to add transparency, collaboration and smart investment to help government be more accountable and effective.

Sound familiar?

As Philadelphia struggles with the fate of the Board of Revision of Taxes, the DROP pension program and its plans for a Digital Philadelphia there may be lessons to learn in some of the government’s efforts:

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Comcast Roundup: FCC defends right to regulate, new iPad device and More

DEFINITE READS

• Variety editorializes that Comcast has much to learn about the content world that NBC ownership would drag them into, but “is looking better all the time.”
• The Hill reports that nearly the entire Pennsylvania Congressional delegation supports the Comcast-NBC deal.
• The Inquirer’s Joe DiStefano reports on the ‘chaos’ that analysts predict will come from the FCC’s plan to regulate broadband Internet services, plans to defend so-called ‘net neutrality’ policies.
• The Washington Post reports that cable stocks took a beating because of it — and that the FCC has gone on something of a campaign to assert it does still have authority over cable broadband policy despite a recent appeals court that went in Comcast’s favor.
• With all humility, Technically Philly has a lengthy Q&A with Comcast Executive Vice President David L. Cohen on the company’s relationship with Philadelphia and his views on the region.

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Shop Talk: interactive design studio WellFed rides the Flash wave

Updated, 5/13, 4:11 p.m.: Added Partner Gavin Potts details.

At interactive design firm WellFed‘s office space at 2424 Studios on York Street in Fishtown, on a cold, late winter day, the firm’s excitable puppy, Bella, runs from desk to desk.

Founded by Wick Vipond, Ty Burrowbridge and Gavin Potts—who got their start at agencies like Red Tettemer and 1 Trick Pony—WellFed, which opened earlier this year, is a friendly place for Bella, who huffs up and down the steps of the two-floor loft to visit a handful of employees and interns, like partner and technology lead Gavin Potts.

Unlike the larger agencies where the founders got their start, Vipond, 30, says that WellFed’s small team that gives them an advantage.

“We’re small, lean and able to be more efficient,” he says, his hair curiously gray for his age. “This year will be interesting. It’s our first full year where we’ve been a brick and mortar shop.”

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Technically Philly May Meetup: 6:30 p.m. 5/19 @ Dark Horse Pub

Continuing our pledge to host a monthly event in which we can meet, drink beer and discuss all the many ways we have failed and can do better the next time, the May Technically Philly meetup is here.

We want to be available.

Next Wednesday, May 19, starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Dark Horse Pub in Society Hill, we’ll be there and hope you will too.

It’s a good Irish pub, but $3 Yuengling and Blue Moon drafts will allow you to go easy on the wallet. If you remember, last year’s Open Chefame was held there.

Technically Philly May Meetup
Wednesday, May 19 @ 6:30 p.m.
Dark Horse Pub
421 South 2nd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 928-9307

Startup Roundup: Newsberry launches new WYSIWYG campaign editor, DreamIT is everywhere

Introducing Technically Philly’s Startup Roundup. Here, we’ll parse out the small pieces that make our greater Startup ecosystem thrive. We want to keep you in touch with the innovations that we can’t quite get to covering, but that deserve highlight. Follow along with the Startup Roundup’s dedicated RSS feed. If you’ve got news to share, get in touch.

DEFINITE READS

Old City’s Newsberry has launched a new in-browser WYSIWYG email campaign editor and is allowing users to test the demo. It’s a lot sexier than offerings we’ve seen elsewhere. We won’t mention any names ‘cos yes, we’re biased toward our region.

Philly’s NearVerse LoKast has reached 125,000 downloads in two months since launching at SXSW in Austin, Texas, two months ago, reports TechCrunch. Though the proximity-based and real-time social network was built with general use in mind, it’s quickly becoming a proxy for live music acts: a handful of bands were sharing exclusive content with users at indy rock staple festival Coachella, the publication reports. Pitchfork, get on this.

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