StartPhilly: SemperCon’s cloud computing

This post originally ran on Start Philly. It is re-purposed here with permission, as part of a previously announced partnership.

In talking with people in technical fields, day-to-day verbiage can sometimes come across to the layman as robotic jargon. That’s when the interpreter comes into play.

When SemperCon’s CEO described his work as “cloud-based,” it took some dissecting to understand his reference to the Internet.

SemperCon first appeared on StartPhilly at the beginning of the year, with a contribution by President and CEO, Rick O’Brien.

O’Brien started this software development enterprise for young startups or already established companies. SemperCon works closely with its clients to build web-based and mobile Internet applications that leverage its motto of “always connected,” “cloud computing” capabilities…

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Ex-offenders seek training to improve computer literacy

In partnership with Temple University’s Multimedia Urban Reporting Lab, the university’s capstone journalism class, students Chelsea Leposa and Jared Pass will cover neighborhood technology issues for Technically Philly and Philadelphia Neighborhoods through May.

“I’m an individual that wants to try and get ahead in life,” says Hymine, 53, an ex-incarcerated felon who reentered society in 1992 after spending a year in prison for drug possession, who asked Technically Philly to not share his real name.

Hymine’s story illustrates the difficulties and inequalities ex-offenders often face upon returning to society.

Hymine says that he is a military veteran. He served in the Army and the Army Reserves from
for two decades in the 70s and 80s. He is also well educated. He received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Cheyney University in 1987. In 2006, he returned to Cheyney and received his Master’s in Public Administration. In addition he is currently working on his Doctorate in Human Services through an online program.

Even with his impressive resume, Hymine says finding employment is challenging. “I have one little smear and they treat me like I ain’t shit,” Hymine says.

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Nonprofit Technology Resources repairing computers, refurbishing futures

One of Nonprofit Technology Resource's Tech-Redi workers repairs a computer.

In partnership with Temple University’s Multimedia Urban Reporting Lab, the university’s capstone journalism class, students Chelsea Leposa and Jared Pass will cover neighborhood technology issues for Technically Philly and Philadelphia Neighborhoods through May.

Disclosure: NTR is a Technically Philly advertiser, though this post was not part of any advertising package and was reported by non TP-staffers.

Lorenda Legions was referred to Nonprofit Technology Resources Tech-Redi program in 2008, and three months later she was a full-time employee.

“It’s a wonderful program, I learned a lot,” Legions says with a smile.

Legions, like other Tech-Redi workers, was placed in the warehouse stacked-full with palettes of computer monitors, hard-drives and motherboards. She had no idea what any of the parts were used for, but that soon changed.

NTR, located on at 16th and Brandywine streets in the Fairmount section, helps welfare recipients gain useful computer and technology skills.  Workers learn to identify components, manage inventory, and assemble, refurbish and repair computers.

“It’s a very rewarding program,” Legions says. “If you come in with the right attitude and mindset you can really excel.”

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Ten Philadelphia competitors and their January Web traffic

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Perhaps one of the most influential realities of the Web is metrics. The details of traffic and audience online have so rapidly become expansive that they have likely not yet been entirely harnessed.

Arguments still rage around the accuracy and importance of a myriad of Web analytics, but, away from page views, an increasing standard is to compare sites by their monthly unique visitors, though that number’s efficacy has no doubt come into question.

Until now, very little attention has been paid publicly to comparing Philadelphia’s many competitors by way of traffic comparison. With the first numbers for 2010 released this month by public Web analytics company Compete, Technically Philly decided to compile the first such digest.

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Village of Arts and Humanities uses digital production to highlight youth issues

In partnership with Temple University’s Multimedia Urban Reporting Lab, the university’s capstone journalism class, students Chelsea Leposa and Jared Pass will cover neighborhood technology issues for Technically Philly and Philadelphia Neighborhoods through May.

The colorfully painted walls at the Village of Arts and Humanities in North Philadelphia allow the students to forget their day’s troubles and concentrate on their creativity.

Before class begins, students sit around sharing the latest gossip and brag about their day. The smiles on their faces and the energy of the room prove that the kids are enjoying themselves. At the neighborhood center, just north of Temple University, there are many classes and activities for the students to get involved in, ranging from fashion design to gardening.

“I’ve been coming here for five years,” Leon Sanford, 18, says. “It keeps me sane and out of trouble.”

The Village also has a Digital Media Program that includes video production, photography, writing, and graphic and web design. The program began in 2003 with four students and two computers. At the beginning students strictly learned video editing using existing footage. Since then, the program has expanded to over 20 students and now includes many aspects of digital media production.

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Black Family Technology Awareness Week launches 11th year, first without pioneer

Socioeconomic forces complicate an already complicated issue, but, still, the digital divide is perhaps most often seen as a split between white communities and black communities.

Forty-five percent of black Americans will use a computer on a typical day, 14 percent less than the figure for their white counterparts, according to Pew Internet and American Life research from last summer.

It was with that in mind that more than a decade ago that Baltimore-based media company Career Communications Group and IBM partnered to create Black Family Technology Awareness Week (Feb. 14 – 20), a loose confederation of events that center around the theme of bring technology education, job and other opportunities to black communities that need them. See a complete list of events here.

It has nearly as long a history in Philadelphia, but this year, its pioneer isn’t here anymore.

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Science Leadership Academy: A new model for schools

Students walk down the hallway in between classes at the Science Leadership Academy.

In partnership with Temple University’s Multimedia Urban Reporting Lab, the university’s capstone journalism class, students Chelsea Leposa and Jared Pass will cover neighborhood technology issues for Technically Philly and Philadelphia Neighborhoods through May.

At the Science Leadership Academy the students are treated like adults, says junior Cody Nichols.

Built in partnership with the School District of Philadelphia and the Franklin Institute, the Science Leadership Academy (SLA) is a new student-oriented, project-based program. Put away your No. 2 pencil—at SLA, there are no standardized tests aside from the state required PSSAs.

Students work closely together and with teachers to create a variety of projects. Student projects even contribute to the school’s daily activities. SLA’s help desk, for instance, is one of the largest student projects, says Chris Alfano, tehe school’s system administrator and computer support specialist.

“We have about 12 students who are assigned to come here, and they pretty much take care of all the school’s repair needs,” Alfano says. All 10th and 11th graders at SLA are required to have an internship that meets once a week.

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Drexel’s Jaemi HUBO robotics program helps introduce science to children

Humanoids like Drexel's Jaemi HUBO could make robotics relatable by giving the science a human face | Photos by Neal Santos (nealsantos.com)

This article originally appeared in Philadelphia City Paper’s annual Science Issue, published today. Read the special section, available on newsstands this week or online here.

Inside the sun-filled atrium of Drexel’s Bassone Research building, a blue, star-shaped balloon floats in the architectural web of gray steel that criss-crosses geometrically before six stories of glass paneling.

It’s just one of those metallic-looking, helium-filled tchotchkes you buy in a gift shop. But its mid-air rest speaks to Earth’s gravitational pull doing battle with the lightness of the gas inside, and its deflating mylar material brings to mind Kennedy-era NASA research.

It is widely recognized that the United States has let its once invigorated focus in science and technology slip from its fingers like that errant balloon.

Right now, American children score low in science literacy. A 2006 study ranked the U.S. 21st of 30 developed nations, President Obama pointed out last November when the White House launched its Educate to Innovate campaign, a $260 million private sector push to inspire the next generation of lab geeks.

Worse yet are statistics about women and minorities entering science fields. Only 18 percent of engineering bachelor’s degrees are awarded to women, and 11.1 percent to African-American and Hispanic students combined, according to a recent study by the American Society of Engineering Education [PDF].

So you could say there’s a bit of pressure on the shoulders of Drexel’s Jaemi HUBO, an adorable, anthropomorphic robot runt that acts like it just rolled out of bed.

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Next Fab Studio launches, opens Science Center to the community

Next Fab's NextEngine 3D scanner can import a real, three-dimensional object into CAD and 3D-design tools. You can see the scanned object on the screen behind it.

In December, the University City Science Center announced a seven-month revitalization of Market Street between 34th and 41st streets, working with the University City District, and with a $2 million grant from the City of Philadelphia.

The goal? Create a notable and noticeable tech corridor in University City.

This week, the center will open up a piece of that aesthetic when it launches its anticipated Next Fab Studio, a high-tech, street-level, membership-based prototyping studio. Next Fab is like a big boy’s Hive 76 or Hacktory—where commercial prototypes can be developed using high-tech, presumably expensive machinery.

Next Fab founder Evan Malone has been negotiating for more than a year on the collaboration, after members of the Science Center’s arts and technology program—most notably represented by the center’s Klein Art Gallery, and recently renamed to and marketed as Breadboard—helped him pitch the idea to UCSC executives.

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Economy League of Greater Philadelphia Turns 100

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In 1939, the City of Philadelphia was in a financial pinch. Some were clamoring for the city to privatize its gas works, because natural gas as an energy was in decline and the capital could finally right City Hall’s ship. Of course, there’s a good chance natural gas heats your home today, the city is once again in financial straits and people still talk about privatizing utilities.

That reality is something the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, the nonpartisan policy nonprofit, seemed to know even then, as it offered a report calling ideas to sell the utility “unwarranted.”

It was one in a century-long history of involvement in public affairs by offering analysis of the region’s issues of the day.

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