New location for NextFab Studios, computer center in Frankford [Links]

• Soapy: an even better anti-SOPA browser plugin [boingboing] — From West Philly’s Griffin Boyce
• NextFab Studio is expanding from University City to a second location on Washington Avenue in South Philadelphia, NakedPhilly reports.
• Mayor Nutter Opens New Computer Center [City of Philadelphia] — in Frankford through Philly Rising program
• Former FM ‘pirate’ works to change rules [Inquirer] — an FCC win for Prometheus Radio
• The Final Buzzer [Philly Sports Daily] — the nearly year-and-a-half old daily local sports site is closing its doors
• A City Is A Startup: The Rise Of The Mayor-Entrepreneur [Tech Crunch] –No direct Philly mention

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Improv Everywhere: Youtube prankster Charlie Todd speaks at Drexel University [VIDEO]

Drexel University mp3 experiment led by Improv Everywhere's Charlie Todd, a Drexel alumnus. Photo Will Tanksley

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

Since 2002, Charlie Todd has been making a name for himself by starting flash mobs.

Charlie Todd

They’re meant to be the good kind of flash mobs, which Todd organizes as the creator of Improv Everywhere. The prank collective based in the 67th Ward performs large-scale stunts and publishes videos of said stunts on YouTube, where some of his handiwork has received tens of millions of views.

As part of Drexel University’s Comedy Week, Todd visited University City where he conducted an mp3 experiment where some 250 participants performed pre-recorded instructions from Todd as a flash mob-esque stunt. See video from the Inquirer of the prank below.

Todd was brought to the school by student group Urban Playground and its founder Ari Melman, a junior business student at Drexel. It was Todd’s and the group’s first time in Philadelphia, he added.

After the outdoor  Todd, gave a behind the scenes look at how Improv Everywhere got started, how it operates today, and he held a question and answer session with the audience.

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This is Not a Cheesesteak: new Tumblr follows the worst cheesesteak variations

From Tumblr user anacrisi, and referenced on This is Not a Cheesesteak.

Cheesesteaks don’t have to be just another cliche we’re saddled with, says Michaelangelo Ilagan.

The SAP web designer and Geekadelphia contributor is embracing the 80-year-old native hoagie variation by chronicling how far, wide and wrongly it has spread. Meet This is Not a Cheesesteak, a Tumblr that Ilagan is curating to collect new takes on the steak sandwich standard that he considers an insult to our roots.

“Unlike Rocky, we’re not revering something fictional. @visitphilly called it ‘Cheesesteak Pride’ when they tweeted a link to my Tumblr,” said Ilagan, 27, who goes by Mikey Il. “Let’s make that a thing. The cheesesteak is 100 percent real and absolutely delicious when done right.”

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Eric Smith as Master Chief from Halo visits Rittenhouse

Eric Smith of Quirk Books and Geekadelphia fame was traipsing around Rittenhouse in yesterday’s sunshine dressed as Halo’s Master Chief. He made good on a pledge to shake things up a bit in Center City with the costume from one of his favorite video games, as Technically Philly first told you in the fall.

See more photos of Smith causing hijinks in the suit, in addition to the assembly process on his Flickr photostream here, or read Smith’s recap here.

His favorite experience in the suit?: “Little kids running up thinking I’m a robot or a Transformer. It’s freaking adorable. I love seeing them smile. As lame as that sounds.”

He has two upcoming plans for the suit, in addition to any other impulse needs to wear a video game-inspired suit of armor. First, Smith hopes to visit kids at the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania and in November, following the Halo remake. Second, he plans to get a video of him going to FYE to buy the game wearing the armor.

Smith previously tried the outfit on a smaller trip along a couple blocks of his house and in the fitting setting of Philadelphia Comic Con.

Happy April Fool’s Day, Philadelphia

No, Technically Philly is not moving to New York to pursue an online news site in a new niche community, even if it meant the chance of running into Rupert Murdoch, pitching that media acquisition, and living the high life at News Corp.

Today was April Fool’s Day, after all, and we’re proud to be here in Philly’s tech community. Where else would we be able to make such crude jokes, rip-off the Onion, and take a day off from our editorial calendar?

To sum up our trickery [Updated: now all below], no, First Round isn’t investing in the food market, we’re more emotionally attached to Port Richmond than you could believe, Mike Werth beat the entire Mario Brothers series years ago, keep those urban farms at Ignite coming, the power of GIS will continue to amaze and excite us, yes, we’re still a little bitter about the Gigabit thing, and actually, the Comcast parade kinda sounds like a good idea.

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Josh Kopelman is the new Old Spice guy

Josh Kopelman as the Old Spice guy in the First Round Capital's new Holiday video

Our favorite Christmas tradition here at Technically Philly (after reruns of How the Grinch Stole Christmas) is the First Round Capital Holiday Card.

In 2008, the venture capital firm produced its first “holiday card” video that was a riff on “Where the Hell is Matt?” In 2009, they went all Susan Boyle on us. And in 2010, First Round and its portfolio companies get shirtless. Sorta.

Keep an eye out for Philly (and Philly-born) companies Monetate, Solve Media, Adaptly, MyYearbook and ClickEquations.

Links: Pennsylvania has third most solar projects in country, and More

DEFINITE READS

• Invite Media had youth, energy and technology Google wanted [Philly Inc: Inquirer]
• Pennsylvania a top solar power producer [Earth Techling]
• Geekadelphia tweets that the culture blog celebrated the fourth anniversary of its creation, which is strange because co-founder Eric Smith doesn’t look a day over 40.

MIGHT BE OF INTEREST

• SciCheer on NPR’s Tell Me More, today [Science Cheerleader] — Founder of science literacy blog Science Cheerleader, Darlene Cavalier, is on the NPR national interview show.
• Wharton MBA conference theme: mobile revolution [Philadelphia Business Journal]

GIVE A GLANCE

• The Chamber Calls For More Clarity and Discussion around BPT Proposal [Chamber]
• MapQuest Founder on the Past, Present and Future of Location Tech [Mashable] — As Philly Tech News says: “Interesting interview with Barry Glick, who started MapQuest as a cartograhpic service of RR Donnelley in Lancaster.”
• Living in 8-Bits: Paperboy [Geekadelphia] — South Jersey production company Mixed Nuts.s online web series, one of which you can see below.

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

Comcast Roundup: Shaq and Ralph Roberts kiss, Warren Buffet 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.

Nothing gets us jacked up to welcome the new year more than keeping a watchful eye on corporate giants.

DEFINITE READS

• Minnesota Public Radio devotes air time to Comcast, NBC and their future for TV. H/T Philly Tech News
• The Canadian Press reports that the Comcast-NBC merger will indeed create a big power in sports, but it will take time.

Below, a Comcast executive joins Warren Buffet’s team, delightful video of Shaq and Comcast’s founder and five more.

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Ten Philadelphia iPhone apps that don’t exist but should

The iPhone application news has to be getting a little tiresome, no?

Google says the mobile application collection is a fleeting concept. The iPhone store is completely flooded with more than 36,000 and few are making money or much worth the time.

Still, they keep coming. We reported that Comcast has its own new iPhone and iPod touch mobile app. Educational software company Blackboard and freakin’ Harry Potter have apps. Newspapers on occasion have them, but big ones like the Wall Street Journal and USA Today are trying to figure out how to charge.

Philly has many apps made by Philadelphians, like one about old Abe Lincoln and a righteous one for Philly concerts, but they are hardly comprehensive.

So why doesn’t Philadelphia, rife with culture and on the cusp (and perhaps in need of a bit) of a technology renaissance, have more of their own?

That profit problem, of course. Because, really, with rare exception no real money is being made, so it isn’t likely that a crush of Philadelphia-specific iPhone apps are going to be made anytime soon. But it sure is fun to indulge.

So, after the jump, find the 10 Philadelphia iPhone (or Windows mobile) apps that should exist, but don’t and probably never will.

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RJ Metrics makes a rap video and admits it

Jake Stein at left and Robert Moore at right of business dashboard firm RJ Metrics performing in their "Business Intelligence" rap video.

And now for something totally different.

You may be tired of the ironic rap video — we know we are — but sometimes an old idea can pass. Does this?

Jake Stein and Robert Moore, the two Ivy League-educated entrepreneurs behind the business intelligence dashboard RJ Metrics that opened up shop earlier this month, have broken from their cipher and put business on wax.

Stein, who lives in Center City, sings the hook and plays straight man to Moore in their single “Straight Outta Camden,” noting their recent move to the Rutgers University-Camden tech incubator.

Peep the video and score an exclusive download after the jump.

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