Villanova University to open classroom at Navy Yard

Forget the Regional Rail to Paoli. Students can now pursue their Villanova graduate degree by way of video conferencing. The university has announced that it will provide graduate classes to students at a technology park in the Navy Yard.

Starting in August, the operation will gives students access to a small 40-seat classroom and a bay of 10 teleconferencing workstations that will take advantage of the Yard’s data center, Philadelphia Technology Park, and its broadband capacity.

Villanova’s Dean of Engineering, Dr. Gary Gabriele says, in a press release:

“This partnership allows us to offer our students the opportunity to learn in a new world-class research, development and industrial setting. It also allows our faculty to develop new research relationships, and strengthen existing ones, which will yield new challenges in the classroom and new opportunities for student research.”

For the for-profit technology park, access to classes and additional training gives its colocation facilities — that is, the Park offers corporate clients office space — more skin in the game.

Startup Roundup: More on the GSI Commerce deal; Startup Leaders executing

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

The $2.4 billion GSI Commerce deal is everywhere. Mike Armstrong wonders how First Round Capital’s Josh Koppelman might have impacted the deal, considering he joined GSI’s board in February and sold his own company, Half.com, to the auction giant. Law firm Morgan, Lewis and Bockius worked on the deal locally, along with a handful of other local advisers. ABCNews reports that GSI is doing well on the market, up almost $10 to $29.16 after Monday’s announcement. The Wall Street Journal ran a piece about eBay’s poor bets on deal-making, including acquisitions of StumbleUpon, Shopping.com and Bill Me Later. Reuters reports that two of GSI’s merchandise businesses, Rue La La and ShopRunner, won’t be important to eBay’s long term strategy.

Startup Leaders is gearing up for Entrepreneur Expo tomorrow. Forty folks will be showing off their startups. The group also posted a link to its Philly Tech Week event Tech Talent Found, which hopes to pair startups with talented developers. The site was down this morning, but tickets are available here.

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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:

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!

Springboard Media – Springboard Media is a certified Apple Specialist and retailer based in Center City and now, in E, ton. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

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!

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.

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.

Comcast’s live streaming TV tablet app facing pushback from cable networks: Roundup

Every Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. EST, find all the stories you need to know about your friendly telecommunications giant in the Comcast Roundup. Get an e-mail subscription for our Comcast news updates.

DEFINITE READS

• Comcast Chief Roberts Urges FCC Members to Approve NBC Purchase [Bloomberg] — “Comcast Corp. Chief Executive Officer Brian Roberts asked two Federal Communications Commission members for the agency’s prompt approval of the cable company’s purchase of NBC Universal, according to a filing. “
• Comcast’s live TV iPad app is running into resistance from cable networks [ZDNet] — “TV Everywhere is looking like it’s getting stuck at home. Comcast’s Xfinity TV app, which the cable giant promised would bring live programming and video on-demand choices to iPads and Android tablets later this year, has run afoul of cable networks that don’t think Comcast has the right to deliver its shows to these new devices.”

MIGHT BE OF INTEREST

• Comcast, NBC round up Hill support [Politico]
• More Legislators Push for Comcast/NBCU [Broadcast and Cable] — “Add seven more congressfolk to the list of those who have written the FCC to ask it to approve the Comcast/NBCU deal expeditiously.”
• FCC May Force Comcast to Unbundle Modems [Light Reading] — As part of NBC deal regulatory concessions.
• Comcast cuts cost of entry-level cable package 25 percent [Inquirer]
• Comcast, library offering digital glimpse of JFK [Boston Globe]
• Voices Weigh in as FCC Nears Vote on Comcast-NBC Universal Venture [Comcast blog] — David L. Cohen writes
• Comcast-NBC merger expected to have net neutrality conditions [Post Tech: Washington Post]

WORTH NOTING

• Comcast’s Gilford Jumps To ABC As SVP, Digital Media [paidContent]
• The Buzz from CES 2011 – Trends to Watch [Comcast blog] — Perspective on the major Las Vegas event.

Startup Roundup: Monetate still growing, UgMO helps irrigate Paradise Valley

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

While it’s on the hunt for 20 new employees, Monetate has announced a new client. Pet speciality shop PETCO will power its e-commerce site with Monetate’s technology. In related news, the company notes that 6 of Monetate’s clients made the Internet Retailer Hot 100.

King of Prussia-based UgMO, a water monitoring technology, has partnered with Waste Management of Arizona to provide measure irrigation in the dry town of Paradise Valley, according to a press release.

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Startup Roundup: Wharton restructures MBA program, news orgs get schooled by local

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

The Philadelphia Business Journal reports that Monetate has raised $5 million in venture capital to increase its staff from 30 to 50 employees with the help of First Round Capital.

Wharton faculty have approved a new design for its MBA program, which focuses on strengthened teaching of microeconomics, an integrated focus on ethical and legal responsibilities, more oral and written communication concentration and a new tack on self-reflection and self-analysis. Read the full announcement. In related news, Forbes covers the success sreak of marketing professor Leonard Lodish, who was an early investor in Diapers.com and Milo.com, which combined, exited for roughly $575 million. Lodish is currently working with DreamIt grad NoteHall and Philly’s First Flavor.

Read more

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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VC Roundup: First Round in legal trouble? and Edison quadruples up

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

As the city’s ALL CAPS TWITTER ACCOUNT told us yesterday, the Mayor and others were on hand at the Navy Yard to celebrate the $129 million received from the feds for the Penn State-led Greater Philadelphia Innovation Cluster for Energy Efficiency. Read the full write up from our friend, the Green Skeptic.

Edison Ventures received a return of 4X as TrueCommerce, one of its portfolio companies, was acquired last week. Edison has received returns as high as 20x lately so lets call this one an infield single.

Edison also announced a $4 million investment in Premier Healthcare Exchange, a healthcare cost management company.

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