Temple University’s Center for Design and Innovation kicks off Design Week and incitexchange

Temple University’s Fox School of Business is kicking off something of a coming out party this week for the Center for Design and Innovation, which debuted last fall. To do so, the center is hosting a Design Week challenge for its students and, on Friday, hosting a free, day-long conference around innovation, called incitexchange [RSVP here].

Led by eager Director Youngjin Yoo, the center is meant to offer students “cross-disciplinary, action-orientated education” programs and feature driven research meant to foster a better Philadelphia through design, management and technology.

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Robot from Rowan University students solves Rubik’s cube in 15 seconds

The Inquirer on a pair of Rowan University students who have created a robot to finish a Rubik’s cube in 15 seconds:

…In a project that started in a Rowan course, Ridgeway and Zachary Grady, both senior electrical and computer engineering (ECE) majors, have built a robot that solves the cube in 15 seconds…The Rubik’s Cube-Solving Robot, a year in the making, has earned the duo more than 17,000 hits on YouTube and a congratulatory note from Erno Rubik himself. And though it’s not yet official, they are confident, based on their research, that the robot is the fastest of its kind.

We have been waiting for an opportunity to point out that Code for America Philadelphia fellow Pete Fecteau has his own Rubik’s cube legend.

Event Highlights: March 14 – 20, 2011

Good morning Philly.

With all the news coming out of South by Southwest, its easy to loose track of your own backyard. But don’t worry we’ve got you covered. If you didn’t make it to Austin this year, Philly has a few events to hold you over.

This weekend: drink at the not-at-SXSW mixer, talk games at the local game developer meetup, learn how not to get sued and a free one-day conference on innovation at Temple.

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Friday Q&A: Leadership at Princeton’s Center for Information Technology Policy

Housed between the sociology, engineering, computer science and economics buildings on Princeton’s campus is the Center for Information Technology Policy.

Completed in 2008, the new building is a physical representation of the colliding worlds of academia, public policy and technology.

And that’s how the Center’s leadership sees its physical location, too.

“The technical folks and computer science people are challenged to think through the policy and political implications of what they’re studying,” says Associate Director Steven Schultze. “[And] the people that come from public policy have a rich set of technical folks to lean on and challenge.”

At the Center, which started simply as a discussion group among interested faculty, dozens of scholars research the impact of technology as it intersects with public issues.

Since becoming a formal organization six years ago, the group has researched electronic voting, government transparency, social inequality security, privacy and more, testifying in Washington and publishing a prolific amount of information on its blogs.

We spoke with Acting Director Margaret R. Martonosi and Schultze earlier this week to hear more about what the organization is up to, after the jump.

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Philly’s entrepreneurial activity dead last again among 15 biggest U.S. regions

The Inquirer’s Mike Armstrong reports on the noted Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity report’s less than vibrant take on Philly’s business climate:

A key measure of business formation shows 2010 had the highest rate of activity in 15 years…That’s the good news. But here are two pieces of bad news. First, many of those new businesses created jobs only for their entrepreneurs, not others…Second, Philadelphia ranks dead last – again – among the 15 biggest metropolitan areas in terms of entrepreneurial activity. And Pennsylvania didn’t fare much better, surpassing only West Virginia, the state with the most frigid business climate.

Philly doctors work to allow young cancer survivors be parents when they’re older: Links

DEFINITE READS

• Science will bust out all over in April [Inquirer] — It’s a very unfortunate headline, but a good profile of Science Festival from the Franklin Institute happening in April, some events from which are cross listed with Philly Tech Week, the last week of April.
• School District of Philadelphia facilities map [Public School Notebook] — Very cool Google Map of all public school buildings, including occupancy rates and student achievement, among other details
• Philly, Pittsburgh docs hope to give young cancer survivors a chance to be parents when they grow up [RD Mag] H/T Keystone Edge

Below, PhillyCarShare goes electric, budget woes and triumphs and more.

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Steve Ballmer, Tom Corbett open Microsoft Technology Center in Malvern (no, not Philly)

Tom Corbett and Steve Ballmer look at computers in Malvern.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett led the ribbon cutting opening the Microsoft Technology Center in Malvern.

[Ballmer joined Corbett] to officially open the Philadelphia Microsoft Technology Center, a state-of-the-art facility designed to help companies throughout the mid-Atlantic region improve their use of technology to grow their businesses, add jobs, and strengthen their local communities… The 17,500 square foot facility, located in Malvern, Pa., just outside of Philadelphia, is provides access to Microsoft technologies and support staff who will work with companies in the region to envision, architect and demonstrate secure, customized solutions based on Microsoft and partner technologies, anything from cloud computing to business productivity infrastructure optimization.

We love the region, we love Malvern, but can’t we agree that investing in the future is investing in cities, like, Philadelphia and not, uhm, Malvern? As Peter Key from the Philadelphia Business Journal points out, nearby financial services giant Vanguard is happy, with some 22,000 Microsoft workstations. Maybe they’ll take the El there.

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.

Empowerkit MLM Software – Empowerkit roots are in Philadelphia where it started as a company. It creates websites for Franchisees through powerful software solutions.

Optimized Cable Company – OCC is a distributor of high end electronic cable products, at a much lower price than most physical storefronts. Pick up some HDMI cables for your upcoming football parties today!

GOPromos Promotional Pens – GOPromos has great promotional items, like custom envelopes, for you to use with your company or for personal use. Get great products to give away!

OpenDesks – OpenDesks.com lets you monetize unused workspaces – a cubicle, a conference room, an office or a seat in the lunchroom – as long as there’s somewhere to sit and work, you can post it. Join OpenDesks.com‘s Founders Circle today for a low-cost lifetime membership.

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.

Aaron Ogle: growing a family, a career and a better city in Philadelphia

Another in the Entrance Exam series, as part of the Why I Love Philly campaign from Young Involved Philadelphia and Indy Hall. Tell the world why you love where you live by tweeting #whyilovephilly.

Aaron Ogle says he’s committed to the idea that technology can change the world for the better.

While working at civic-friendly GIS firm Azavea, Ogle built Walkshed, which just might be the ultimate software tool for
Philly pedestrians. He decided to up the ante in 2011 and join the inaugural class of Code for America fellows.

As a part of the Code for America team, Ogle will spend this year dedicated to the cause of creating applications around Philadelphia’s open data. The goal of this effort is to make government more transparent and government services more accessible.

Having spent his childhood in small town Ohio, Ogle appreciates Philadelphia both for its urban escapes along the Wissahickon and for its thriving arts and tech scenes. While understanding that there are very real challenges in Philadelphia that need to be addressed, Ogle sees the potential for greatness.

Below, Ogle talks about what brought him to Philadelphia and what will keep him here.

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Video: SCVNGR launches LevelUp, returns to Philadelphia

SCVNGR COO Michael Hagan announces LevelUp, video below.

SCVNGR employees say the sales pitch for LevelUp is easy. They simply walk into any local business and ask: “Are you tired of Groupon and Living Social?”

At simultaneous press events in Boston and its new Center City offices, SCVNGR officially announced LevelUp, its latest local deals product that combines the gaming elements of its current mobile application while offering a daily deal, taking sites like Groupon and Living Social head on.

After the jump, see COO Michael Hagan’s video demo and learn more about the DreamIt alum’s return to Philadelphia.

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