Science Center takes on Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority this week

The University City Science Center is trying to fend off efforts from the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority to take control of undeveloped property on Market Street between 38th and 39th Street.

The Science Center is a non-profit that is home to numerous Philadelphia technology and pharma companies, including startup incubator DreamIt Ventures.

Currently, the property in question is a parking lot, and the UCSC blames the economic meltdown for the lack of development. “The RDA, seemingly oblivious to the global financial collapse, is in violation of its agreement with the Science Center and should be blocked from declaring the Science Center in default,” said a press release [PDF link] on June 1st.

Despite the lack of movement on the lot, the Science Center has been widening and improving the sidewalks in front of its buildings. And, according to PlanPhilly, the UCSC is working with neighborhood groups to get an elevator in the 40th Street El stop.

The UCSC refused further comment when contact by Technically Philly; we’d like to know if the legal battle with the RDA has any effect on the future development of the Center.

A hearing is set for June 16.

Drexel digital media seniors project tweets on seven story-tall display

It was only a matter of time until Philadelphia’s graffiti scene was given a digital upgrade.

At least, that was the thinking behind Drexel University’s Social Graffiti project, which projected digital animations and interactive messages on the side of the university’s Nesbitt Hall early this month.

Team leader Matthew Morton, who just graduated last week with a bachelor’s in digital media from Drexel, worked with five other members of the media school to develop the project. Inspired by Comcast Center’s video wall, the team used 3D animation and videography techniques to creatively—and temporarily—alter the building’s facade.

Optical illusions, like one scene where it appears as if the walls of the building are being pulled back, revealing its inside, were used throughout the projections.

Most notably, folks could “paint” the building with custom messages, the heart of the graffiti project. Anyone could tweet text to the project’s twitter account, which would be displayed on the side of the building at 33rd and Market.

“The Twitter messages were the next step in finding out how the piece could be interactive,” Morton says. In order to display the tweets, the production team used Twitter’s API to automatically broadcast 140-character messages directed at the Social Graffiti account.

Launched on first of June, the team was only able to run the event for a week. After all, the projector, a Christie Roadster HD 18,000 lumen monstrosity, cost about $11,000 per week to rent.

The project needed an extremely capable rig, since the projector shot from across the street in the Pearlstein building, 180 feet away. In order to fit the tall, thin facade of Nesbitt, the team turned the projector on its side to cover a greater portion of the wall.

Funding for the project was raised within the university and the team also tapped local tech companies to fill gaps. On three displays installed for the occasion above the entrance of the building, sponsors were given credit for their donations, Morton says.

It wasn’t a hard sell to university administrators. The team has even been trying to find funding to permanently install a similar projection system on campus.

It could be a valuable addition, Morton says. The project is a unique way of combining digital arts with the natural urban environment. “You engage an unsuspecting audience that way. No one coming down Market Street would have heard about it unless they came across it,” Morton says.

Much like graffiti of yesteryear.

Watch a video about Social Graffiti below…

Event Highlights: June 14-20, 2010

The Phils aren’t doing so hot, there’s no new television shows on and the weather is just freggin’ awful.

Which, of course, means you have no reason to not attend any events on our jam-packed calendar this week. Every day has a worthy event, though we can only pick three. So take this chance to brush up on your programming, your business savvy or at least mooch off of some air conditioning.

This week get the inside scoop behind visitphilly.com, learn how to get your startup off the ground from the experts and celebrate the return of Philly Build Guild. Though two of these events happen on the same day. Ah, choices.

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Friday Q&A: Verizon Wireless Regional President Mario Turco talks Philly, 4G

We’ve long tracked down the region’s mobile leaders to get them into conversation about Philadelphia’s market.

Tapping regional executive leaders has certainly shed light on how the mobile market in Philadelphia—crowded by nearly every national player— lives and breathes. But truly, we were hard pressed to find tough questions for Verizon Wireless Regional President Mario Turco. With proven customer loyalty and less reported dropped calls, Verizon’s network has done well for the company.

Of course, that the iPhone isn’t available on the network has been a media sore spot for the company since the phone launched.

But that wasn’t why we reached out. It was more important for us to breakdown how the company exists within Philadelphia—including the relationships it has developed with citizens and local government—and to explore how Verizon will move into next-generation mobile technologies.

After the jump, we talk with Turco about Verizon’s network infrastructure investments, partnerships with the community and about the roll-out of its 4G technology.

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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:

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.

Eight Eleven – The folks at Camden-based Eight Eleven do it all. Branding, communications, marketing, advertising, Websites, Web content management, user-experience (Web & software) and public relations. And they also do it for a lot of tech companies, of all sizes, to boot. Heck, they even customized a media kit just for you. Hit ‘em up.

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.

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.

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.

Comcast Roundup: Accusations of bribery in NBC lobbying, field hearings and more

DEFINITE READS

• The L.A. Times reports that U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) received an improper lobbying call from Comcast, implying a bribery offer — Comcast denies the allegation — and, as the Inquirer points out, one Congressman likened Comcast to a ‘plantation.’
• The Inquirer reports that a letter supporting the proposed NBC acquisition that was signd by 15 of 18 Pennsylvania Congressional representatives was authored by Comcast lobbyist and former Sen. Arlen Specter chief of staff David Urban.
• Businessweek reports that Comcast pledges to add at least three cable networks with minority ownership after taking over NBC Universal. H/T Philly Tech News
• The Inqy also reports that some 70 Congressional representatives have formed something of an alliance calling for more public discourse on the acquisition.

Below, David L. Cohen on Monday’s NBC field hearing, competing with Google TV and more.

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Sponsored Post: What can the iPad do for higher ed?

This is a sponsored post from Jeff Thompson, CEO of Towerstream, a leading 4G service provider delivering high-speed wireless Internet access to businesses. Towerstream began providing service in Philadelphia in December 2009.

Home to America’s first university and more than 300,000 students, Philadelphia is synonymous with education. Recent developments in technology are rapidly changing the way that educators teach and create curriculums and how students process information and communicate with each other. Students and teachers are increasingly using mobile devices –such as smartphones, the Kindle and iPad – in addition to their desktop and laptop computers for their academic interests.

Recent reports from the top universities have shown that campuses are investigating how to best incorporate the latest technologies, specifically mobile devices, into their curriculums. With devices like the Kindle and iPad poised to potentially revolutionize education, schools will need to prepare themselves to support increased Internet bandwidth demands both on and off campus. The Illinois Institute of Technology recently announced that all incoming freshman will receive the Apple iPad and instructors will build applications specific to their courses. NPR reported a few weeks ago that an Arizona school district installed wireless routers in their school buses for students who have long commutes.

Towerstream CEO Jeff Thompson

Schools will continue to face the challenge of implementing high-speed Internet access for students and faculty without requiring major infrastructural build-out and additional costs. One solution that many schools have found to be particularly useful is setting up a wireless Internet connection, as it adapts to the existing campus set-up, does not require heavy installation and can be turned up in a matter of minutes if more bandwidth is needed.

Our mobile devices are only as good as the Internet connection that supports them, so my advice to schools that are contemplating adopting e-Readers for their students, would be to make sure that the Internet capabilities of the campus are ready to support a massive influx of data requirements.

Museum Without Walls audio program tours the art of the Ben Franklin Parkway

The Iroqoius model at 24th Street north of the Ben Franklin Parkway by Mark di Suvero. The story behind the sculpture is part of a new audio initiaitve from the Fairmount Park Art Association.

Ben Franklin Parkway, the cavernous promenade that thunderclaps from City Hall to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, never developed the type of urban density that the French boulevard after which it was modeled in the 1920s.

In reaction, city and state officials announced this week the immediate launching of $19 million in improvements meant to make the signature thoroughfare more pedestrian and bicycle friendly.

Tomorrow, another, unrelated initiative launches to better connect the prize art and acclaimed cultural institutions that litter the parkway like trash blowing in a neighborhood breeze.

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Startup Roundup: The Invite Media edition

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

After it was announced that Invite Media was acquired by Google, there’s certainly been some reverberations. Forbes caught up with Google VP of Product Management Neal Mohan about the deal. GigaOM notes that the Invite buy raises a conflict of interest since Invite CEO Nat Turner said in February that a demand-side platform must “remain neutral and have zero allegiances to any publishers, exchanges, data providers or other vendors.” Thing is, there’s Google’s pesky DoubleClick ad network right down the block. Indeed there are other concerned parties as well. Consumer Watchdog and the Center for Digital Democracy have both asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate privacy and antitrust issues, MediaPost reports.

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We need a Philly Tech Week

In an informal partnership with Philadelphia magazine’s new Philly Post daily news blog, Technically Philly will be offering our insight on Philadelphia technology to a broader audience of tech-interested individuals every Tuesday. As is true of so much of our effort, this is yet another opportunity to voice the triumphs and concerns of the community to a broader audience in the city and beyond.

Next week, the city’s bars, breweries and pubs will be center stage as the third annual Philly Beer Week kicks off. The event gives the city’s beer scene a chance to shine on a national spotlight, attracting outsiders to see the beer culture that has been growing rapidly in Philadelphia.

Meanwhile, the city’s technology scene is experiencing a similar revival. After being nonexistent for years, the city suddenly has a handful of events the blend culture and technology to help put Philadelphia in a broader national conversation about new startups, investment and innovative ideas.

The two “scenes” overlapped this week with the creation of the Philly Beer Week iPhone app by a group of volunteers. The application helps Philly Beer Week attendees easily find their next watering hole during the week-long festival and uses geolocation to tell you the event nearest to you. Technically Philly thinks, however, that the two burgeoning scenes have much in common and have a lot to learn from one another.

In fact we think techies should borrow liberally form our beer-drinking friends to help continue Philadelphia’s growing reputation as a tech town. Here’s what needs to happen:

Continue reading at The Philly Post.