Robotics reaches Philadelphia students at all levels

The following is a report done in partnership with Temple University’s Philadelphia Neighborhoods Program, the capstone class for the Temple Journalism Department.

Without raising the alarm of an artificial intelligence-fueled planet takeover, robots are everywhere in Philadelphia.

The Transformers franchise, which has grossed over $1.5 billion to date, is set to release its third installment this summer.  YouTube is inundated with videos of robots doing everything from walking to playing the violin. Honda is set to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its humanoid robot Asimo this fall.

Philadelphia is quietly becoming a hub for the continually exploding robotics industry, especially in the robotics research and education fields.

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Microsoft Technology Center shows off sales-driven, corporate coworking space

The server display center gave off a neon glow in the lobby of Microsoft Technology Center in Malvern.

The following is a report done in partnership with Temple University’s Philadelphia Neighborhoods Program, the capstone class for the Temple Journalism Department.

On the whole, if you have a job that has a physical office space, you are more interested in working from home, or the coffee shop or some other suitable environment for a change of pace than a generation ago.

The annual Work without Walls survey from Microsoft and Ipsos Public Affairs has taken to ranking how well adjusted employers in big American cities are to teleworking.

Philadelphia ranked twelfth out of the fifteen cities surveyed, coming out ahead of Los Angeles, Detroit and Chicago, with 55 percent of the companies in the Philadelphia region allowing some kind of remote working for employees. Atlanta was the most well adjusted city to teleworking, according to the survey.

This movement toward shared space — both to cut business costs and feed employee desires for more flexible work options — is something Microsoft sees as an opportunity. Back in March, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Governor Tom Corbett opened the Microsoft Technology Center in Malvern. The company now has a dozen of these in the country and that many internationally. That backdrop brought Technically Philly to the space: something of a suburban, sales-driven, corporate coworking office, with more resources at a greater price, tucked inside a sleek and modern 17,500 square foot facility.

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PyStar Philly offers Python training for women, part of female tech scene

Women gathered together during the Pystar Philly event, held at Azavea in Callowhill, to learn the basics of Python computer language.

The following is a report done in partnership with Temple University’s Philadelphia Neighborhoods Program, the capstone class for the Temple Journalism Department.

A perception exists that computer programming is dominated by males, though there’s more balance here than you might think.

Pystar Philly, held this Saturday at Azavea’s headquarters in Callowhill, is a workshop event designed specifically to reach out to women interested in learning to develop using the programming language Python.

“The goal is to introduce Python to a group of people who have never been exposed to it before, and make it seem fun, appealing and easy to do,” said Dana Bauer, event organizer and GIS analyst at Azavea, in an interview with Technically Philly.

“Python is cool because it is relatively easy to learn and start making things quickly,” Bauer said.

Engaging women who want to gain skills for a personal agenda or to make them more employable is the purpose of the Pystar workshops.

“We want to create a friendly, inviting environment for women interested in learning to code to do so in,” Bauer said.

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Alexandre Scialom takes top prizes at Milken-Penn GSE Education Business Plan, NFTE sends winner to the White House

First place winner Alexandre Scialom smiled as he accepted his award plaque for his winning business plan, theCourseBook.

The following is a report done in partnership with Temple University’s Philadelphia Neighborhoods Program, the capstone class for the Temple Journalism Department.

theCourseBook, billed by its founder as “Yelp for adult education” won Thursday the two top prizes at the second annual Milken-Penn GSE Education Business Plan, netting San Francisco entrepreneur Alexandre Scialom a cool $50,000 $25,000.

Thursday’s event, held by the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, was a business plan competition that challenges young entrepreneurs to apply their innovative business ideas in educational formats.

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Scrapple TV: Marc Brodzik of Woodshop Films wants national ‘pirate TV’ network online [VIDEO]

Woodshop Films founder Marc Brodzik gives direction to Scrapple TV Sports co-anchor 'Hot Carl' during a recent shoot.

The following is a report done in partnership with Temple University’s Philadelphia Neighborhoods Program, the capstone class for the Temple Journalism Department.

A man in a suit and white beard with a deep baritone began to read the news in front of a green screen.

Suddenly, the bright ring of a cell phone broke the silence in the otherwise quiet recording studio. Marc Brodzik, who was standing behind the camera, wearing a faded Tide detergent shirt, shorts and flip-flops, reached into his pocket and with a grin pulled out his phone and shut the ringer off.

“Phones off, bitches.”

It is with that humor and laid backed demeanor that things are run at Brodzik’s Woodshop Films, a local video production company that started its own internet channel, called Scrapple TV, three years ago.

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Augmented Reality by PhillyHistory.org and Azavea launches on iPhone, Android

Click to enlarge.

The following is a report done in partnership with Temple University’s Philadelphia Neighborhoods Program, the capstone class for the Temple Journalism Department.

In February 2010, the National Endowment for the Humanities Office of Digital Humanities awarded the Philadelphia Department of Records a Digital Humanities Startup grant to investigate the use of augmented reality applications for mobile devices.

The prototype application, AR by PhillyHistory.org, is available for free download on iPhone and Android. It allows users to view historic photographs as 3D digital information overlaid atop their current location using the camera, GPS and many other sensors that came stock with nearly all consumer smartphones.

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Philadelphia Game Development meetup group hosts small May meetup, serves as ‘beginning’

Drexel student and aspiring game developer Tom Rodriguez discusses game development with other attendees of Mays meeting of the Philadelphia Game Development Meetup group.

The following is a report done in partnership with Temple University’s Philadelphia Neighborhoods Program, the capstone class for the Temple Journalism Department.

The Philadelphia Game Development meetup group held their monthly meeting Saturday at Cosi on 9^th and Chestnut streets.

The group, which was established in 2003, is an informal network of professional and amateur game developers from the Philadelphia region. The group has 200 members, according to its site, ranging from established developers to hobbyists.

There is no strict attendance policy, as members can RSVP for the meetups at the group’s website or just show up. The informality leads to fluctuating attendance numbers and topic discussions. Saturdays meeting covered topics ranging from 3D modeling applications to animation programs among only three attendees, though the group has had dozens at other events.

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GameLoop Philly: video game development convention draws 80 first year to UArts

The following is a report done in partnership with Temple University’s Philadelphia Neighborhoods Program, the capstone class for the Temple Journalism Department.

The number of groups, businesses, organizations and conversations around Philadelphia’s video game development scene is slowly growing. Add now: an annual showcase convention.

This Saturday, more than 80 game developers, designers and programmers gathered at the Corzo Center at the University of the Arts in Center City for GameLoop Philly. The convention, which organizers are aiming to make an annual event, is based on the success of GameLoop Boston, which began in 2008.

“Philly was the next natural choice. The founders in Boston knew a lot of people here and know the game development community here is starting to get some footing,” said Ray Merkler, an independent game developer in Philadelphia who was one of the events co-organizers.

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