• 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.

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.

MIGHT BE WORTH IT

• Comcast Said to Be in Talks Over G4 Cable Channel [New York Times] — “Comcast is in talks to sell a controlling interest in the G4 cable channel to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. ” The price could be as high as $600 million, Bloomberg reports.
• Comcast CEO’s Bet on Profitable Olympics Met With Skepticism [Bloomberg] — GE said it lost $223 million on the Vancouver Games
• Keeping Olympics was priority for NBC [Company Town: Los Angeles Times] h/t PTN
• Comcast home security available in six markets including Philadelphia [Philadelphia Business Journal]– Expansion of service deployed in Houston last year.
• The startup behind Comcast’s home security service: iControl [Gigaom]
• NBCUniversal Executives Huddle for First Retreat Under Comcast [Hollywood Reporter] — “Days after NBCUniversal successfully won U.S. television rights to the Olympics until 2020, top company executives are holed up in Santa Barbara for the first strategy-planning retreat under the new Comcast ownership” Steve Burke among executives there
• NBC Chairman Robert Greenblatt Shares His Plan to Rebuild the Network (Exclusive Q&A) [Hollywood Reporter]
• What You Need to Know About Comcast Xcalibur [Zatz Not Funny] — “Comcast Xcalibur, the code-named IP-based service designed to feed consumers their Internet access and video content all through a single fat pipe”
• Bloomberg TV wants Comcast to be more neighborly, files FCC complaint [Philadelphia Business Journal]

GIVE A GLANCE

• Comcast doubly blessed with wireless spectrum [Fierce Cable] — From PTN: “Discussion from yesterday’s RCR Wireless conference in Philadelphia.”
• Comcast at the 2011 National Cable Show [Comcast blog]
• Comcast Donates $50,000 to North Minneapolis Relief Efforts [Comcast blog]
• Comcast Names Johnnie Giles Executive Director for External Affairs [press release]

• Comcast and Skype Partner to Bring HD Video Calling Experience to the Living Room, watch video below

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.

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.

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.

MIGHT BE OF INTEREST

• Voros: Comcast bullies rivals even during federal probe [San Jose Mercury]
• Comcast Must Court Olympics, Part of NBC’s Legacy [TV Blog: Media Post]
• Upton urges FCC to finish Comcast-NBC merger review [Post Tech: Washington Post] — “Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich), the incoming chairman of the House energy and commerce committee urged the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission to wrap up the agency’s review of Comcast’s proposed merger with NBC Universal and resist imposing conditions that don’t apply directly to the deal.”
• Comcast Answers Today’s Traffic Question [Comcast blog]
• Net neutrality expected to pass, investment analyst says [Post Tech: Washington Post] — Comcast has been actively involved in the conversation.
• End near? Comcast, NBC meet with FCC, Justice on proposed Internet video conditions [Post Tech: Washington Post] — “Comcast and NBC Universal executives met earlier this week with senior staff from both the Federal Communications Commission and Justice Department on proposed conditions on Internet video distribution”
• Comcast tests new way to navigate TV shows [Company Town: LA Times] H/T Philly Tech News
• Genachowski: Dec. 21 Net Neutrality Vote “Essential” [Broadcasting and Cable] — “FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said Tuesday that it is “essential that we move forward next week to adopt the first enforceable rules of the road to protect Internet freedom.” That came at the Generation Mobile forum on texting and kids.”
• What’s Inside Comcast’s Parker Box? [Light Reading]

WORTH NOTING

• Universal Not in Talks to Sell Focus Features [Hollywood Reporter] — “While the Gores brothers have made an informal proposal to buy Focus, due to the pending merger of the NBC Universal assets with Comcast, any deal is unlikely in the midst of regulatory reviews. “
• Writers on E! and other Comcast cable networks vote for guild representation [Company Town: LA Times]
• Xfinity Mobile App Version 3.0 Now Available [Comcast blog]
• Comcast, NBCU, and Asian American Leaders Join to Expand Media Diversity and Community Engagement [Comcast blog]
• Comcast Tests Pricing For 105-Mbps Tier [Multichannel News]
• Comcast: Restructuring likely will not result in any lost jobs [Times Herald, Montgomery County, Pa.]  — “Though its Oaks location will likely remain functional in other capacities, Comcast Corp. is shifting operations away from the cable division headquarters there in efforts to pare its four operating divisions down to three.” H/T PTN

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.

MIGHT BE OF INTEREST

• Comcast, Level 3, Netflix, the FCC: Busy week for neutrality debate [Philadelphia Business Journal] — Broader context.
• Why Does Everyone Hate Comcast? [Gigaom] — Offering a timeline of net neutrality criticisms, leading to Level 3 allegations
• Netflix Partner Says Comcast ‘Toll’ Threatens Online Video Delivery [Media Decoder: New York Times]
• FCC looks into Level 3-Comcast spat over online video [Post Tech: Washington Post] — As the FCC announces plans to move back into the net neutrality debate.
• Meet the Un-Mogul Reinventing TV [Advertising Age] — “Steve Burke Will Decide What You See and How You’ll See It — and Change the Ad Model in the Process” H/T Philly Tech News

WORTH NOTING

• Comcast outage hits Boston, East Coast cities [PC World ] — “Comcast’s cable Internet service on the U.S. east coast was hit with problems late Sunday that left many users unable to access the Internet.” H/T PTN
• Comcast Seeks Suspension Of Dish Arbitration Order Against Three RSNs [Multichannel News]
• How Internet Peering works [Comcast blog] — Watch the video below.

• 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.

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.

MIGHT BE OF INTEREST

• Comcast’s clumsy Hollywood kickoff [Variety] — “NBC U has deficiencies in various key areas, but the company has enjoyed enough success — particularly in cable — to create well-regarded stars within its executive ranks. Keeping them all happy — along with their new corporate Comcast siblings — was inevitably going to present a thorny challenge. ” H/T Philly Tech News
• Comcast prepared to give Ted Harbert big NBC job [LA Times] — “Comcast’s Steve Burke has been putting the finishing touches on his new management team, which would install two veteran programmers — Bob Greenblatt and Ted Harbert — to run the troubled broadcast network. Each would report to Burke.”
• Comcast Reshuffles NBC’s Deck: Who’s Up, Down And Out [Forbes] — “After many months of speculating, plotting and jockeying for position, the results of Steve Burke’s reshuffled deck are about to be unveiled.”
• Lawmakers weigh TV fees bill, some call television market broken [Post Tech: Wasington Post] — Sen. John “Jay” Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) “said cable and satellite prices have risen at a pace three times that of inflation in recent years.”
• War over? Comcast says “Consensus at hand on net neutrality” [Ars Technica] — A cheeky criticism of Comcast executives suggesting consensus for a still thorny issue.

GIVE A GLANCE

• RPT-Comcast talks with regulators on NBC deal heat up [Reuters] — “Comcast is pushing to close the deal by year-end, the sources said.”
• Regulators eye Internet, program conditions to Comcast-NBC merger, sources say [Post Tech: Washington Post ] — “Federal regulators have told Comcast and NBC Universal that they have significant concerns that a proposed merger will harm competition in the cable and satellite market and the nascent but fast-growing Internet TV industry, according to sources familiar with the reviews.”
• Google, Verizon, Comcast Hindered Network Neutrality: FCC Chairman [eWeek] — “FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said the Comcast ruling and Google and Verizon’s separate plan threw a hitch in his agency’s own network neutrality plans.”
• On Demand: Dickish Behavior [Portland Mercury] — An op-ed says “Comcast is being a total dick,” because several public access services, funded by Comcast as part of an agreement for exclusive franchise rights for the Portland area, may be lost because negotiations with city governments are slowing.
• Consumer 10.0: NBCU takeover only one of Comcast’s fights [Inquirer]
• Comcast: Google TV Isn’t Compatible With Our ‘TV Everywhere’ Service [Multichannel News]
• Hulu Plus launches, cuts price — look out Comcast and Netflix? [Seattle Times] — “After lots of testing, the hit online video site Hulu today launched its Hulu Plus pay service for $7.99 per month.”
• Comcast’s Tunerfish social TV app gets a new face [MediaBeat] — “Today, the company announced a bunch of upgrades that general manager John McCrea said should lead to more sign-ups and growth.”
• Comcast Sports, Sporting News team up [Philadelphia Business Journal] — “Comcast Sports Group said Wednesday it has formed a partnership with Sporting News magazine on regional editions of a daily digital magazine.
• Comcast’s new iPad app to show TV listings [Psysorg.com] — “It’s the newspaper TV grid on electronic steroids. “
• In a stirring and dramatic piece of video, a Comcast engineer talks about developing that new iPad app. Watch it below.

When there is just too much Comcast news to follow, the Comcast Roundup will be there every Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. EST

• 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.

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.

MIGHT BE OF INTEREST

• Hurt by merger, Comcast profits fall 8 percent [Delaware News Journal]
• Comcast revenue up despite shedding 275,000 customers [Inquirer] — Note the differing headline from the News Journal.
• Comcast CEO: iPad, tablets give us ability to ‘start from scratch’ on TV interface [ZD Net]
• Xfinity and beyond: Comcast’s TV Everywhere service goes nationwide [CED]
• What’s Bloomberg’s beef with Comcast NBC merger? The TV Dial [Washington Post]
• Comcast Opens Xfinity TV Online To All Video Subs [Multichannel News]
• Comcast Says Its Disappearing Subscribers Aren’t Cord Cutters [All Things Digital: Media Memo]
• Washington Post editorial: Comcast-NBCU merger without net neutrality conditions [Washington Post]

GIVE A GLANCE

• Bits: Kleiner Perkins and Partners Create $250 Million ‘Social’ Fund [New York Times] — Comcast, Liberty Media and others are joining a $250 million fund to invest in social networking startups
• Our friend J T. Ramsay has become Comcast’s chief blogger, after formerly being music editor for Comcast.net, as Philly Tech News notes. Ramsay is replacing Scott McNulty, who returned to Wharton Computing.
• Showtime Launches Online Service With Comcast [ABC News]
• Comcast offers TV online to its TV subscribers [Inquirer]
• Comcast Sued For Elderly Emergency Mishap [DSL Reports]
• Comcast CEO Discusses Q3 2010 Results – Earnings Call Transcript [The Street]
• Comcast’s profit slips in Q3 [Adweek]

When there is just too much Comcast news to follow, the Comcast Roundup will be there every Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. EST