Verizon preps local LTE network, Comcast launches WiFi offering

Updated, 10/13: Comcast communications rep Charlie Douglas writes to correct us that Comcast’s Xfinity WiFi is not related to its 4G Xfinity 2go service, which launched last year. “The [Xfinity WiFi] devices are located directly on our existing hybrid fiber-optic coaxial cable network,” Douglas says.

Philadelphia is no stranger to being a mobile testground for telecommunication companies, and two announcements last week have not broken that trend.

Verizon Wireless has announced at a CTIA mobile conference in San Francisco that Philadelphia will be a part of the company’s initial 4G Long Term Evolution mobile technology launch. The fourth generation tech, which will be available before the end of the year, will allow devices average downloads of 5 to 12Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps.

Comcast, too, officially launched its new entered the 4G mobile market Xfinity WiFi network last week, PC Mag reports. Comcast’s residential broadband customers in Philadelphia and some parts of New Jersey are able to access the hotspots at no cost. Users can locate hotspots for the service here.

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Startup Roundup: Poptent raises $6.8 million

Technically Philly’s Startup Roundup parses 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 newsletter or RSS feed. If you’ve got news to share, get in touch.

MUST READS

Poptent has raised $6.8 million in venture capital funding after converting from a California LLC to a corporation based in Delaware, Citybizlist reports. The crew’s been busy since we interviewed them in March.

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VC Roundup: Osage invests in Halfpenny

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.

DEFINITE READS

There a new firm in town focusing on mezzanine investments. Wayne-based Boathouse Investments has announced its first four deals for a total investment of $28 million. None of the four are in tech, but we’ll be keeping an eye out.

Osage Ventures has co-led a $2.6 million round in Halfpenny Tech, a Blue Bell-based healthcare information company. Among other things, the company helps hospitals streamline their data collection across mobile devices.

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Event Highlights: October 11th – 17th, 2010

After taking a close look at our events calendar, it seems that this week is a coder’s dream. Whether your language of choice is Python, Ruby or the PHP Symfony framework, there’s a meetup for you.

On Tuesday get your Ruby on in Center City, then switch gears to Python the next day. Afterwards, close out your week at Indy Hall with the Cocoa Heads on Thursday.

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Friday Q&A: Amanda Steinberg of the DailyWorth

When we were wrapping up our phone call with Amanda Steinberg last week, we asked her if she had anything else she wanted to add.

“Oh, just my Cosmo photo shoot,” she says. “They just called me up one day and asked if they could feature me.”

The founder of the DailyWorth, a financial email newsletter for women and Mount Airy resident, has been attracting lots of media attention of late for her efforts to encourage financial literacy among women. In addition to the Cosmo fashion shoot, Steinberg has also contributed to Forbes magazine.

“We need different financial plans than men,” she says. “We are still under-earning and under-saving related to men.”

During the day, Steinberg is the CEO of Soapbxx, a web agency that she works on out of her home. The Philadelphia-native moved back here after attending college in the 67th Ward.

We caught up with Steinberg as she was traveling to New York City to meet with investors and secure more content deals for the newsletter. After the jump, we ask her how much investment she is looking for, and why she wants to leave her other successful business to start all over again.

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Links: $251k for low-income entrepreneurs, DesignPhiladelphia and more

Co-Working is So Sweet at Lancaster’s Candy Factory [Keystone Edge]

Open House: The Future is Now at Intel [Keystone Edge] — Cool developments at Intel Labs at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh

Innovation Nation: DesignPhiladelphia Gives Boost to Creatives, City [Keystone Edge]

From Running A Deli To Head Of SAP: A conversation with Bill McDermott, co-chief executive of the software giant [Forbes] — Based in the Newtown Square North American headquarters H/T PTN

Exploring Innovative Technology in Montgomery County [Chamber blog]

Beyond.com-Acquires-Orbius  Beyond.com Acquires Orbius [Press release] –Two regional companies

SBA awards $251K in Phila. area for low-income entrepreneurs [Philadelphia Business Journal]

Tweet of the Week: “NYC for Comic Con. Folks rave that this city has the most beautiful women in the world. Meh. I’ve seen better. Miss you, Philly.” (Geekadelphia)

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:

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.

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.

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.

The complete Switch livestream now available

If you didn’t get the chance to make it to Switch, we have posted the complete event video on SwitchPhilly.com or you can watch it after the jump.

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Thanks for coming to Switch, videos soon

The speakers: From left: Deana Zelenka, Zecozi; Steve Barsh, Packlate; Geoff DiMasi, P'unk Ave; Josh Marcus, Azavea; Greg Wilder, Myna Music

We’ll make two promises to you, Philadelphia: One, to do the best we can to host events worthy of your time. And two, we’ll never again hold an event during a once-in-a-lifetime postseason performance.

In our first ever Switch, Zecozi, Packlate, P’unk Ave, Azavea and Orpheus Media Research showed off their products for an audience of over 160 people at the Levitt Auditorium. And, judging by some of the feedback, the companies won some new fans and maybe landed a few business deals.

TP readers even have two chances to win some shwag:

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For Google Maps, it’s the “Daleware” River

It might be a subtle shout-out to the local vernacular, but Google’s misspelling of the Delaware River as “Daleware,” is maybe more comical than insulting.

To top it off, the search giant’s current set of Google Maps data mislabels the Schuylkill River as the “Deleware,” and Pennypack Creek is, too, incorrectly titled as the river.

It’s not the first time that Google’s mapping platform has made mistakes. Last month, Time reported that Sunrise, Florida disappeared from the site for about a month.

Reader and GIS guru Michael Miller tipped off Google to the error, using the site’s “Report a problem,” feedback loop. He says the search giant responded in a little less than a week and officials say they’re working on a fix.

After the jump, a shot of the Schuylkill labelled as its Eastern kin.

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