Links: Lower Merion settles webcam lawsuit, ‘fledgling’ community and more

DEFINITE READS

• Lower Merion settles webcam lawsuits [Philadelphia Inquirer] — “The Lower Merion School District will pay more than $600,000 to settle two lawsuits over its tracking of student laptops..” Always interesting to see that the two lawyers make more money than is awarded in damages to the students.
• Philly’s their game [Philadelphia Inquirer] — A feature by freelancer A.D. Amorosi on Hipster City Cycle, the mobile game Technically Philly first covered in April, that serves as a lead into our “fledgling” video game and app community.
• Election campaigns are big business for Fort Washington firm [Philly Deals: Inquirer] — CampaignGrid

MIGHT BE OF INTEREST

• Philly Book Publisher the BRAAAINS! Behind Phenom [ABC News from Associated Press] — Old City-based indie publisher Quirk Books is featured.
• Vanguard Moon: How Johnny Zito and Tony Trov Reinvented the Future of Comics [Pop Matters] — The South Philly online comic stars with whom we spoke back in 2009.
• SEPTA still relying on its “farebox of the future” [PlanPhilly]
• St. Joseph’s U. using $1M DOE grant for environmental studies [Philadelphia Business Journal]
• Fairless Hills defense subcontractor Bristol Alloys pleads guilty to fraud [Philadelphia Business Journal]
• Rendell, Nutter part of Obama’s infrastructure meeting [Philadelphia Business Journal] — Part of select President Obama advisory council
• Platinum Equity to buy Ulticom [Philadelphia Business Journal] — Mount Laurel, N.J.-based telecommunication technology company Ulticom has been bought out by New York-based Comverse Technology, an affiliate of giant Platinum Equity.

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

Startup Roundup: Monetate hiring tear, Founder Factory to feature Invite Media

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.

Updated: Corrected Sam Decker’s new role at Monetate.

MUST READS

E-commerce firm Monetate has named former Dell marketting exec Sam Decker to the company’s Board of Directors. The company also posts a case study with local motorocycle retailer RevZilla.com, noting the former’s customer targetting technology and how its helped the retailer grow. In related news, the firm is hiring (and it has a full stock of Clif Bars).

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Shop Talk: The DIY game-makers of Port127

A screenshot from "Hipster City Cycle" Port127's iPhone game based in Philly.

Much has been written about the mass exodus of the city’s video game talent from Drexel and Penn as most students studying the digital arts usually lament the lack of job options and leave town.

The guys at Port127 decided they’d at least put up a fight.

The company is led by its one full-time employee: Ignite Philly presenter, Penn Digital Design-grad and video game film maker Michael Highland. The company’s other “employees” are made up of freelancers, most with ties to the University of Pennsylvania.

Highland says his ultimate goal is highlight video games as more than an entertainment device. But first, he must put the company’s trust in an 8-bit hipster riding his bike through Philadelphia.

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