Mayor Nutter opens a Twitter account

We can’t take credit for it, but Mayor Nutter is now tweeting.

When we interviewed him in July, we asked Nutter if he had ever considered the opportunity to connect with citizens on the microblogging site.

“It’s certainly something I’m taking a look at,” he told us.

No joke.

Yesterday, we heard from new social media communications rep Desiree Peterkin-Bell that the Mayor’s been hard at it. You can follow him @Michael_Nutter.

“He’s focused on engaging with residents as well as highlighting initiatives, programs and accomplishments of the Administration,” Peterkin-Bell said in an e-mail this morning.

Since launching October 15, the Mayor has about 330 followers. He’s been actively engaging users, using hashtags and sticking to proper twetiquette.

But, is it really him? Peterkin-Bell, officially the Mayor’s Director of Communications and Strategic Partnerships, says yes — except for photos and links. Admittedly, we never expected the man to make so many exclamations in his 140-character correspondence. He’s kind of a laid back dude, don’t you think?

Whatever the case, it sure beats the old days.

VC Roundup: First Round raises $126 mil, Philly VC investment is up

Welcome to the VC Roundup, where we’ll parse through venture capital news related to Philadelphia-based private equity firms and the companies they fund. Subscribe to the roundup as an email newsletter. If you have any VC-related news to pass along to us, please drop us a line.

Edit: Corrected the amount of Seatgeek’s round.

DEFINITE READS

While Q3 VC investment was down nationally, it was all rosey here in Philadelphia. According to the PricewaterhouseCoopers Money Tree report, there were 31 deals totaling $136.3 million involving companies in the area.

It looks like First Round Capital is finished raising its third fund. Astute SEC watchers have noticed that First Round Capital III is estimated to be somewhere around $126 million. The firm has had several nine-figure exits, and has backed nearly 100 startups, according to PE Hub. The firm celebrated the new fund the only way it knows how: by investing in FREEjit and UberCab.

MIGHT BE WORTH YOUR TIME

DreamIt grads SeatGeek have raised a round of $550,000 from a handful of out-of-town VCs. If you remember, the founders of SeatGeek started out as Scribnia before selling the site midway through their time at DreamIt. We interviewed the then-Scribnia founders last year. The company, now based in the 67th Ward, is a ticket search engine and price forecaster that helps its users find the cheapest tickets.

Comcast Interactive Capital is among the investors in CarWoo, a Lending Tree-like service for automobile purchases. The San Francisco-based company raised a $4.5 million round and is a Y Combinator grad.

GIVE A GLANCE

Burrill & Company, a San Francisco-based life sciences company that dabbles in VC, is opening up a new “Alternative Equities Group” here in Philly. It appears we’ve finally reversed the flow of money from Philly to San Francisco. Good job, everyone.

Breadboard launches augmented reality art exhibit throughout city

Public art and augmented reality have collided in Philadelphia.

On Friday, tech arts program Breadboard — an initiative hosted by the University City Science Center — launched the local version of the Virtual Public Art Project, a national augmented reality art program.

Using a free mobile application at eight locations in the city users can load up three-dimensional images that correlate geographically with popular Philadelphia landmarks like the Philadelphia Art Museum and Logan Square.

For Breadboard organizer Dan Schimmel, it’s a counterweight to the commercial AR experiences that are starting to become more prevalent in the mobile sphere.

“[Augmented Reality] is certainly going to crash through our lives through commerce and advertising. The fact that there’s an organization that exists now and is using this technology and exploring creative and artistic aspects, we thought was a really good project to bring to Philadelphia.”

Read more

Event Highlights: October 18th – 24th, 2010

Thank the Great Oswalt, it’s Monday in Philadelphia; and you know what that means: three can’t-miss technology events.

For the record, we would have listed the Philly Startup Leaders Entrepreneurs Unplugged event this week, but it has been cancelled because of the Phillies game. Good for them, as we know a little bit about hosting an event during a Phillies game. Also, several sources have written that TEDxPhilly is this week when it is November 18th.

This week, catch up with our friends at Hive76, drink absinthe with designers and chat SEO while enjoying some microbrews.

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Friday Q&A: Entrepreneurs Forum rebuilt to connect with startups, veterans

Dan Ross is proud to say that some Philly companies have done well during the past year in what many economists say is the worst downturn since the Great Depression.

And he’s got proof.

On Wednesday, 100 companies in the Philadelphia region were awarded at the Entrepreneurs Forum of Greater Philadelphia‘s Philly 100. It wasn’t an arbitrary designation; these are companies that were able to meet the contest’s stringent restrictions: real growth in sales and revenue figures year-over-year, among others.

“We know of a number of award programs, top 25s or top 50s, they were not able to fill their quota. The good news is that we were able to achieve our top 100 with some great firms,” Ross said in a telephone interview early this week.

Of course, the gains are modest, but they’re gains, found by companies that are staying current and nimble in concerning times.

“We don’t see some of the hugely dramatic numbers that we’ve seen across the board, but they’re growing. They’re making it through the economic times and continuing to thrive and grow employment.”

Since retiring, Ross has been steering the Forum as Executive Director for six years, volunteering 20 to 30 hours a week to help young businesses connect with veterans. The service — which is funded by business sponsors and the Forum’s monthly events — is offered free of cost.

Like the businesses it recognizes, the Forum, too, has refocused its efforts to stay current. After a series of focus groups, it has launched its fiscal 2011 event series, “True North,” which focuses on young, early-stage businesses and high-growth late-stage companies. And it’s now offering an “experts on-demand” advice service that any entrepreneur can take advantage of.

After the jump, Ross talks about the Philly 100 winners, the region’s information technology growth, and about the Forum’s newly found strategy.

Read more

Links: Lower Merion settles webcam lawsuit, ‘fledgling’ community and more

DEFINITE READS

• Lower Merion settles webcam lawsuits [Philadelphia Inquirer] — “The Lower Merion School District will pay more than $600,000 to settle two lawsuits over its tracking of student laptops..” Always interesting to see that the two lawyers make more money than is awarded in damages to the students.
• Philly’s their game [Philadelphia Inquirer] — A feature by freelancer A.D. Amorosi on Hipster City Cycle, the mobile game Technically Philly first covered in April, that serves as a lead into our “fledgling” video game and app community.
• Election campaigns are big business for Fort Washington firm [Philly Deals: Inquirer] — CampaignGrid

MIGHT BE OF INTEREST

• Philly Book Publisher the BRAAAINS! Behind Phenom [ABC News from Associated Press] — Old City-based indie publisher Quirk Books is featured.
• Vanguard Moon: How Johnny Zito and Tony Trov Reinvented the Future of Comics [Pop Matters] — The South Philly online comic stars with whom we spoke back in 2009.
• SEPTA still relying on its “farebox of the future” [PlanPhilly]
• St. Joseph’s U. using $1M DOE grant for environmental studies [Philadelphia Business Journal]
• Fairless Hills defense subcontractor Bristol Alloys pleads guilty to fraud [Philadelphia Business Journal]
• Rendell, Nutter part of Obama’s infrastructure meeting [Philadelphia Business Journal] — Part of select President Obama advisory council
• Platinum Equity to buy Ulticom [Philadelphia Business Journal] — Mount Laurel, N.J.-based telecommunication technology company Ulticom has been bought out by New York-based Comverse Technology, an affiliate of giant Platinum Equity.

Every Friday morning, we make sure you didn t miss anything with Friday Tech Links.

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:

Brolik Productions Customers visit your website and immediately judge your company. Will they stay or will they go? Brolik delivers innovative design, original content and a tasteful product that equals long-term loyalty for your brand and sour grapes for the competition.

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

NextFab Studio — NextFab is a membership-based, high-tech workshop and prototyping center. Our facility provides comfortable, clean, and safe workspaces with hand tools, 3D printers, computer controlled machine tools, software, and electronics workbenches. Expert instructors and a community of collaborators are on hand to help you problem-solve and achieve your vision. NextFab Studio has everything necessary for you to invent, repair, create, and innovate!

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.

Volpe and Koenig, P.C. — Since 1987, intellectual property boutique law firm Volpe and Koenig has provided guidance on matters relating to patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, e-commerce, technology joint ventures, non-disclosure agreements, technology acquisitions, licensing and litigation. Whatever your intellectual property law issue… Volpe and Koenig bring law to your ideas.

Tek Lado Magazine: technology and pop culture magazine for the new bilingual generation, TekLado –  published in English and Spanish – caters to Hispanic and non-Hispanic geeks, gamers, techies, comix fans and more. The mag hits the streets of Philadelphia on Septempber 22, 2010.

Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce – The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to promoting growth and economic development, advocating for sound public policy, and serving its members with outstanding programs and benefits. GPCC is the premier advocate of the region’s business community, representing members in 11 counties across three states with one voice.

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.

DesignPhiladelphia gets technical with the Hacktory and Electronic Ink

Design is everywhere.

The clothes we wear, the cars we drive, and the buildings we work in all incorporate design in one way or another. In a society that has become increasingly dependent on cell phones, iPods and laptops, design is becoming a vital component of these and many other technologies.

Electronic Ink is an international design consultancy that is dedicated to improving the way users interact with technology by focusing on improving their design.

The firm has partnered with DesignPhiladelphia, an initiative created in 2005 to further the creative advancement of technology in Philadelphia and to showcase the city as one of innovation and vibrancy.

For 10 days, DesignPhiladelphia, which is partnered with the University of the Arts, is holding events, lectures and round table discussions to create opportunities for people to interact across a vast range of design categories.

“With 110 events happenings over 11 days, there’s really something for every type of interest,” said Beth Van Why, the programming director for DesignPhiladelphia.

Electronic Ink took part in the kick-off party on Oct. 7 at The Design Lot on South Broad Street to help celebrate the start of DesignPhiladelphia’s sixth year. The event played host to a few different exhibits, including the West Philly Hybrid X Team car, designed by high school students in West Philadelphia and Illuminating Graffiti, a LED light project created by The Hacktory.

Read more

Comcast Roundup: appeals court backs FCC, Comcast launches 2,000 WiFi spots in Philly and More

Every Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. EST, find all the stories you need to know about your friendly telecommunications giant in the Comcast Roundup. Get an e-mail subscription for our Comcast news updates.

DEFINITE READS

• Appeals Court Upholds Access Rules for Cable TV [New York Times] — “United States appeals court on Friday upheld a Federal Communications Commission rule that forbids cable companies that also own programming channels from refusing to allow competitors to also offer those channels.” This is expected to have a major impact on Comcast’s pending acquisition of NBC.
• As Technically Philly reported yesterday, Comcast has launched a free WiFi network for existing customers in Philadelphia and some parts of New Jersey.  The Jersey Journal reports on the spread of these hot spots outside New York City in New Jersey.

MIGHT BE OF INTEREST

• Comcast unbound: Wi-Fi service available in Philly, parts of N.J., Del. [CED Magazine] — Includes some 2,000 spots in Philadelphia
• Microsoft, Comcast, Yahoo: no zombie cookies here, Congress! [ars technica] — A breakdown of the use of Flash cookies by major sites, including what Comcast does.
• Comcast Says Interactive Ads Available in 10M Homes [Broadcasting and Cable]
• Comcast Sponsors City Year’s Opening Day [Comcast blog]

When there is just too much Comcast news to follow, the Comcast Roundup will be there every Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. EST

Jarvus: dev firm co-founded by 22-year-old Drexel dropout, former hacker, whiz kid

Northern Liberties information services development company Jarvus partners (from left) John Fazio, Matt Monihan, Chris Alfano outside their headquarters on Third Street north of Poplar

Updated: 10/13/10 @ 12:50 p.m. with high school details

John Fazio sometimes avoids his personal biography — “it’s a bit too colorful,” he says.

While teenagers, Fazio worked with Chris Alfano at competitive video-gaming center CyberZone in the Neshaminy Mall. They got to know each other and, during their first year at Drexel in 2006, raised $120,000 in private funding to build upon the CyberZone concept. But, they needed more capital than they could raise in six months to meet their bigger vision for a team-oriented video gaming center — not unlike Howie’s Game Shack in California and Arizona.

So, instead, the pair decided they’d quit school and make the money themselves.

Read more