Viridity Energy and SEPTA partner on batteries to capture and reuse lost electricity: Links

• Saving Electricity on a Philadelphia Subway Line [Green: New York Times] — “in Philadelphia, on the Market-Frankford line of the Southeast Pennsylvania Transit Authority, a new company called Viridity Energy will install batteries to capture a lot of that electricity and hold it while the train is in the station. Then it can deliver the power when the train starts up again or store it for a time of day when it is needed more.”
• NuPathe gets more funding to launch Zelrix migraine patch [Philadelphia Business Journal]
• FTC seeks more information on Teva, Cephalon deal [Reuters]
• New chair for Science Center [Philadelphia Business Journal] — “University of Pennsylvania Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli has been elected chairman of the University City Science Center’s board of directors, succeeding Richard P. Jaffe, a partner with the Philadelphia law firm of Duane Morris”
• GPTMC drops advertising with Travel + Leisure after it calls Philly dirty [Philadelphia Business Journal]
• BioNanomatrix Opens West Coast Headquarters, Expands Senior Team to Accelerate Commercialization of its Whole Genome Analysis Platform [press release]
• Lockheed Martin’s space business to cut 1,200 jobs [AP] — “The cuts will most heavily affect areas where Lockheed Martin is winding down its contract work, such as Sunnyvale, Calif., the Delaware Valley region of Pennsylvania, and Denver.”
• Philadelphia2035 Master Plan Approved [Flying Kite] — It includes mention of broadband access, something Technically Philly pushed on with this coverage. Watch video below.

Comcast partnerships with Skype, Facebook: Roundup [VIDEO]

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 subscri ption for our Comcast news updates.

DEFINITE READS

• Comcast to Offer Customers Skype Video Calls on Their TVs [New York Times] — “In the cable television industry’s latest extension into home communication, Comcast and Skype  announced on Monday that some Comcast customers would soon be able to video chat on their TV sets from the comfort of their living rooms. ” VIDEO below
• Comcast Taps Facebook for Enhanced TV Experience [Hollywood Reporter] — “Comcast Corp. is working with Facebook, Intel and other technology firms to create what it calls a next-generation TV experience, which will make the TV screen more interactive by adding Internet features and apps. “
• @ Cable Show: Comcast’s Roberts Shows Off 1Gbps Potential [paidContent] h/t Philly Tech News

Below, video of Comcast/Skype partnership, plans to profit off the Olympics and more.

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FCC won’t vote on Comcast-NBC merger in January: Comcast 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.

• Comcast to Start Streaming on Tablets [Gadgetwise: New York Times] — “Comcast on Wednesday took a step toward television viewing on tablets with two announcements about live and on-demand viewing.” The Comcast blog gave more corporate perspective on those announcements.
• No Comcast vote at January FCC meeting [The Hill] — “The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will not vote on the Comcast merger at its January meeting, according to an agenda summary released Tuesday.”
• Taking Media Mergers to the Next Level [FAIR] — Perspective on media coverage of NBC merger
• Why I Love Comcast [The Motley Fool] — Counter to the maxim of ‘don’t buy what you hate,’ an investor suggests that “we just need to ensure that we don’t extrapolate our own personal experiences too greatly onto the general population, and assume that everyone thinks like us.”
• Analysts: Comcast-NBCU conditions could change if GOP wins White House [The Hill] — “Telecom analysts say the conditions that may be placed on the merger of Comcast and NBC Universal could be rolled back if Republicans take the White House in 2012. “
• Inquirer Editorial: Cable giant grows bigger [Inquirer] — Local voice on the merger, without much hard perspective we can find.

Marlton firm accused of fraud

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.

Since it’s a light news week. Let’s call these all “Might be worth your time:”

NJBiz has a story about the recent success of Edison Ventures and what it means to New Jersey entrepreneurs.

Not exactly venture capital, but an investment firm in Marlton has been accused of cheating its investors out of $40 milion through a complicated Ponzi scheme.  The Inquirer reports that Carr Miller Capital spent investor’s money on on luxury cars, vacations, and a suite at the New Jersey Devils’ arena.

Comcast Interactive Capital portfolio company Ortiva Wireless has received $8 million Series C investment from Intel. The company helps wireless providers monitor video traffic.

Comcast Roundup: Senate chairman worried, House leader encouraged by NBC deal

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

• Internet issues bog down Comcast-NBC merger [LA Times]
• Comcast Tests Combo Internet-Cable Device [Wall Street Journal] — “Comcast Corp. is testing a new service that knits together television and the Internet, as the U.S. cable giant goes after rivals that threaten to undermine its business.
• Rockefeller Pans Comcast-NBCU Deal [Tech Daily Does: National Journal] — “Senate Commerce Chairman Jay Rockefeller – the most powerful voice in Congress on telecom policy — told the FCC he’s worried that the $30 billion transaction could have a detrimental impact on consumers and competition.”
• Comcast getting good deal on NBC Universal, research firm Bernstein says [Philadelphia Business Journal]

Below, why Comcast should chase the Olympics, is the end of NBC regulatory approval nearing and more.

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Comcast Roundup: Level 3 price dispute becomes focus, ensnaring NetFlix, and More

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 Puts Tollbooth on Net Video, Says Backbone Provider [Epicenter: Wired] Colorado-based online video streaming service Level 3, which has NetFlix as a primary client, accuses Comcast of charging unfair rates. Comcast says it’s a standard rate negotiation.
• 10 Facts About Peering, Comcast and Level 3 [Comcast blog]
• What The Comcast/Level 3 Fracas Is Really About: Money [Tech Crunch]

More on the Level 3 dispute, another profile of anointed Comcast lead of NBC Universal Stephen Burke and more.

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Links: $45 million for new Drexel business school, NewsWorks launches and More

• TEDx at the Kimmel: Where ideas go to mix [Inquirer] — The TED preview, now read our TEDxPhilly review here.
• Drexel U. gets $45 million for new business school [BusinessWeek] — It’ll be a high-profile beauty on Market Street in University City.
• Gallup/Knight study: Love for a city tied to economic growth [Philadelphia Business Journal] — “In other words, it’s love and passion for the city that gets the economic engine going.”
• After an Adventure in Newspapers, a Publisher Returns to P.R. [New York Times] — Former Inquirer Publisher Brian Tierney is returning to his marketing roots by launching a new communications group with an online footprint and Ryan Davis, the former Philly.com president who we interviewed. H/T Philly Tech News
• Newsworks opens up shop; we wish it well (and have a few questions) [Clog: Citypaper] — Long awaited and much trumpeted online news venture from WHYY launches, with plenty of back story.
• PolicyMap Introduces Four New Decision-Making Tools [PR Newswire] — Updates from the Reinvestment Fund, which we’ve covered before.
• Lincoln Financial Field gets even greener [6ABC] — Wind turbines, solar panels and other sustainable measures being added to the LINC H/T the 700 Level
• Art of the American Soldier: National Constitution Center Uses iPads in Awesome Exhibit [Geekadelphia] — [Full Disclosure: Technically Media, the parent company of Technically Philly, is working with the NCC on various projects]
• Dept. Of Evil Geniuses: The Philly Church Parking For Atheists Website [Philebrity]

Every Friday morning, we make sure you didn t miss anything with Friday Tech Links.

Comcast Roundup: ‘Self regulation, not government mandates’ for internet and More

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 executive: self-regulation, not government mandates, for Internet [Post Tech: Washington Post] — “Comcast executive vice president David Cohen will deliver a speech in Washington on Monday, where he will stress the role of self-regulation of the Internet.”
• Verizon echoes Comcast: Feds shouldn’t reign over Internet service providers [Post Tech: Washington Post] Tom Tauke, Verizon’s executive vice president of public affairs, says: “After haggling over the issue for over five years, we are essentially in the same place we were when this debate started… There still is no identifiable problem to be solved, and instead, as predicted, technology and market forces are ensuring that access to the Internet is open to consumers, as well as to developers of content and services.”
• Who Should Govern the Internet? [Comcast blog] — David L. Cohen says “The more important the Internet becomes, the more discussion, debate and pressure grows for more government involvement. In my talk at Brookings, I will suggest a path that relies primarily on the consensus-based self-governance model that has typified the Internet since its founding as a better alternative…” And follow up on the Comcast blog regarding the panel that followed Cohen’s keynote address.

Below, Comcast said to struggle with the Hollywood entertainment ecosystem, NBCU reshuffling detailed and more.

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Links: Four new female heads of regional Fortune 500 firms and more

• Venmo Wants Its Users to Trust Each Other [New York Times] — The Rittenhouse-based mobile payment service gets the treatment from the Bits blog.
• How a new transportation bill could help solve Philadelphia’s transit woes [PlanPhilly] — Mr. Nutter goes to Washington
• Female CEO to lead Penn Mutual Insurance Co. [Inquirer] — The fourth female to recently take over a Fortune 500 company in the region
• SEPTA slowly moving forward with City Hall station rebuild [PlanPhilly]
• Philly Inc.: BIO to bring big biotech convention back to Philly [Inquirer]
• Unemployment down slightly but not even within range of ’07 [Philadelphia Business Journal]

Every Friday morning, we make sure you didn t miss anything with Friday Tech Links.

[UPDATED] Comcast Roundup: merger would make NBC ‘robust,’ Q3 profit falls and more

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 ane-mail subscription for our Comcast news updates.

Updated 10/28/10 @ 10:23 p.m. with a variety of new stories

DEFINITE READS

• Zalaznick Says Comcast Takeover Would Make NBC `Robust’ [Washington Post] — Video of Lauren Zalaznick, head of NBC Universal Inc.’s women and lifestyle division, saying just that.
• Comcast Loses More Subscribers Than Expected, but Its Earnings Top Estimates [New York Times]
• Is Comcast’s Xfinity TV a Trojan Horse? [Gigaom] H/T Philly Tech News

Below, Comcast says its ‘disappearing subscribers’ aren’t ‘cord cutters’ and more.

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