Thursday: Documentary screening about Drexel’s 1984 partnership with Apple

Apple banner at Drexel's Main Building.

Updated: The event happens this Thursday, not Wednesday, as previously reported.

In 1983, according to university lore, Drexel published an admissions brochure that helped to justify the reason it had enacted the Microcomputer Project, which required all incoming freshman to own a personal computer.

“…In every field of endeavor the successful professional will be required to use computer technology routinely to understand and deal with the ordinary day-to-day challenges of professional life,” it was written.

Not a bad bet.

After uproar that the costs of the computers would be too much for students, two-thirds of which relied on financial aid, Drexel President W.W. Haggerty assured students that the cost of those computers would be covered by financial aid, a progressive move for small university in Philadelphia. So it began negotiating with a computer company based in Cupertino, California called Apple.

In the fall of 1984, the first students received their Macintosh personal computers. A banner hung in Drexel’s Main Building, on Chestnut Street, celebrated the occasion with a simple slogan, perhaps a nod to Apple’s future branding efforts: “MacAdemia.” You can see more photos, like the one above, at Drexel’s Flickr account.

On Thursday, Drexel will screen the new documentary Going National, which tracks the story of what brought Steve Jobs to Philadelphia. A university representative says that the documentary was in the works before the passing of Steve Jobs. A panel will conclude the screening that includes, among others, Director Dean David Jones, Apple blogger John Gruber, and Sheldon Master, who was on the original sales staff for Apple.

The event goes from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. this Thursday, Nov. 10, and will take place at Drexel’s Library Learning Terrace at 33rd and Race. It is open to the public, but RSVP here.

For other Philadelphia Apple stories, see:

• Original Apple II developed by Steve Jobs used Norristown-made microprocessor
• Susan Kare, Regional Rail and the original Macintosh fonts

Rendell talks tech, national politics at NPower community service awards fundraiser

On Friday, two technology leaders were recognized for their commitment to the local community and for their commitment as board members of nonprofit information technology service provider NPower.

Marty Judge, who founded the Judge Group — growing the recruitment company from a $2,000 investment in 1970 to more than 4,500 employees — was awarded the Community Impact Award. Accenture‘s Nicole Tranchitella, who leads the company’s global corporate finance practice, received the group’s Founder’s Award.

The two were awarded at an NPower luncheon, which was keynoted by former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell and attended by more than 400 technology executives who gathered at the Crystal Tea Room in the Wanamaker building in Center City. The event was intended to raise funds for the nonprofit. [Full Disclosure: Technically Philly was invited to attend the event by a member of Npower's board of directors.]

At at least one table before the event, attendees exchanged stories of growing up in Philadelphia and caught up with one another before Npower executive director Patrick Callahan opened the award ceremony with a number of comments about the organization’s commitment to providing information technology services to nonprofits like Habitat for Humanity, and about its ITWorks program, which helps connect disadvantaged youth with IT internships and training. We covered ITWorks in February 2010.

Rendell then took the stage for a speech focused on technology, economic policy and the political rifts currently facing the country.

“You picked the wrong guy to talk tech,” Rendell said to the crowd, made up of companies like SAP, Judge Group, Accenture, Cigna, HP, Brandywine Realty Trust, NetApp, and dozens of others, many which sponsored the event.

Read more

DreamIt Ventures company and TEDxPhilly speaker Elect Next launches on Election Day, partners with the National Constitution Center

On Election Day, Elect Next has decided it was time for its coming out party.

You’ll be hearing a lot from the DreamIt Ventures company over the next few days, founder Keya Dannenbaum is scheduled to speak at TEDxPhilly today, the company is throwing a launch party tonight at National Mechanics and Elect Next has partnered with the National Constitution Center for a display inside the museum’s exhibit. The company also made headlines last month when it won the Judges’ Choice Award at the 2011 Web 2.0 Expo/NY Startup Showcase.

Disclosure: The National Constitution Center is one of our clients at Technically Media. Technically Philly had no role in the Elect Next/NCC partnership. 

Elect Next has most often been compared to a dating site, and its interface will look very familiar to anyone who has ever used a site like OKCupid. First, to best match the user to the candidate, Elect Next asks users to answer a series of questions from topics ranging from Abortion to Taxes.

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Tomorrow: Technology Professionals Happy Hour

Technically Philly is proud to present the Philadelphia Technology Professionals Happy Hour. Hosted by our friends at the Philadelphia Social Group, head on our to Public House at Logan Square and get your first drink on the house while chatting with your fellow Philadelphia technology workers.

Specials include $3 Coors Light and Yuengling Draft, $4 Select Wine, and $5 Mixed Drinks.

RSVP for the event on Facebook here.

Snipi raises $2.5 million [VC Roundup]

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.

MUST READS

According to SEC filings, Snipi, the Evernote-like site that allows user to “snip” content from around the web, has raised $2.5 million. We’ve reported on Snipi, previously. The company has already raised $700,000.

A lawyer with an office in Philadelphia has defrauded a venture capital firm in New York City, reports the Philadelphia Business Journal. The lawyer set up a shell corporation to funnel money which he used to buy 76ers tickets, among other things.

First Round Capital is among the firms listed in the Series A round of Agari. The email security company raised $2.5 million and will release its product later this month, according to TechCrunch.

Read more

Workshop School: experimental project-based learning charter at Navy Yard follows HybridX program success [VIDEO]

Simon Hauger, one of the lead organizers of the Workshop School, an alternative high school experience launched this academic year at the Navy Yard.

Four years ago, Stefon Gonzalez was a freshman at West Philly High School.

Like others interested in working with his hands at the school since the late 1990s, Gonzalez joined the Hybrid X Team, an after school program that grew national fame for building electric and bio-diesel cars that outperformed college-level teams. Now Gonzalez is finishing his high school career at an experimental, project-based program at the Navy Yard.

This fall, the Hybrid X group, started by West Philly High teacher Simon Hauger, has launched the Workshop School, which embodies the science-driven, hands-on learning of the after school program but expands it to a full school day. Featuring 29 seniors from three different public high schools, Hauger’s effort is housed in a Victorian building overlooking hulking ships at the Navy Yard.

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This week: TEDxPhilly, TP Groups and HigherEd Camp [Event Highlights]

Have you seen those leaves, Philadelphia? The trees were beautiful this weekend, as was the weather. We hope you were able to take an Autumn stroll.

If you didn’t, we have a handful of technology events this week, and we encourage you to take the scenic route before you arrive. This week: the return of TEDxPhilly, a user group of user groups and higher education goes to the bar.

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Greg Osberg: one year since takeover, Philadelphia newspapers are stronger, technology initiatives succeeding

Thirteen months since being named publisher and CEO of the Philadelphia Media Network, Greg Osberg addressed the local Online News Association chapter Wednesday, updating the industry on the company’s direction.

The first half of that year was focused on stabilizing the core print products — the Inquirer and the Daily News — and the second half featured a flurry of technology-infused initiatives meant to begin reshaping the legacy news operation. Those latter initiatives largely fit under the Project Liberty umbrella, which include the much hyped Android tablet project and the incubation program.

The event, which was part of the local ONA’s monthly meetups and was held at the Inquirer building, featured a short speech and Q&A session with Osberg. [Full disclosure: This reporter is involved in the local ONA group.]

Read more

Philadelphia Jobs Corps Center receives $37M in federal funding [LINKS]

• Philadelphia job training effort gets $37M grant [Philadelphia Business Journal] — “U.S. Rep. Chakah Fattah, D-Phila., said Friday that the Philadelphia Jobs Corps Center at the Navy Yard will get a $37 million job training grant over five years from the U.S. Department of Labor”
• Giant’s online service leases N.E. Phila. building: The Fine Print [Philadelphia Business Journal]
• Monetate Reports Record 387% Revenue Increase in Third Quarter [PRWeb]
• PCVB Launches New Tools to Make Philadelphia more Connected to Visitors [Philadelphia Travel] — New mobile site for the Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors Bureau
• WordPress Geeks Rejoice, WordCamp Philly 2011 Scheduled For November 6th [Geekadelphia]
• Touring Microsoft’s Technology Center Campus in Malvern [Geekadelphia] — See video below

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:

Morgan Lewis — Morgan Lewis provides comprehensive transactional, litigation, labor and employment, regulatory, and intellectual property legal services to clients of all sizes—from global Fortune 100 companies to just-conceived startups—across all major industries.

Springboard Media — Springboard Media is a certified Apple Specialist and retailer with two locations in Center City, including its newest in Midtown Village. They’ve got a ton of accessories and a great trade-in program that can score you up to $1,500

Reed Technology — Reed Technology’s Web Archiving Service is a litigation protection, web compliance and e-discovery solution for all your online assets.

Your Local Security — Providing affordable home security systems in Philadelphia. Top of the line equipment and monitoring services from ADT keep your home and family safe.

Caffeine Fish — Caffeine Fish develops iOS apps including Trainboard and PhillySubway and offers consulting in the Philadelphia area.

MOGO Media — MOGO Media provides best-of-class training for designers and developers through world-wide conferences and seminars. The organization will host a Dreamweaver seminar on December 15 in Philadelphia.

Newsworks — NewsWorks is the online home of WHYY News and its growing network of journalism partners. This public media service covers the Philadelphia region, Delaware and South Jersey, with a focus on regional issues, neighborhoods, health and science, and arts.

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.