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.

Links: Second Lower Merion student sues over webcam, Peco to display digital artists and more

DEFINITE READS

• The Philadelphia Daily News reports that a second Lower Merion student has sued the school district over the webcam controversy.
• KYW reports on a Northern Liberties cell phone-photography art collection.
• ABC News reports on a trend of more websites selling class notes to students, including former DreamIT Ventures participant Notehall.com.

MIGHT BE OF INTEREST

• Washington Post tech columnist Cecilia Kang has a Q&A with University of Pennsylvania Professor Joseph Turow about online privacy.
• Society Hill’s own Science Cheerleader Darlene Cavalier guest blogs for Discover magazine on the origination of the BP oil leak cap.

GIVE A GLANCE

• The Philadelphia Business Journal reports that University City nonprofit biomedical research center Wistar Institute is planning a major new expansion.
• The Business Journal also reports that Peco and the University City Science Center are partnering to showcase digital artists on Peco’s Center City headquarters the first Friday of every month.
• The Business Journal also reports that CoverSports USA, the Kingsessing-based manufacturer of protective covers, has expanded — but is staying in Philadelphia with its 67 employees.

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

Friday Q&A: Austin Lavin, formerly of myfirstpaycheck.com

Myfirstpaycheck.com founders Austin and Celeste Lavin.

Austin Lavin is excited.

During his phone conversation with Technically Philly we can nearly hear the 25-year-old smile through the phone. His excitement is well-founded.

Austin, along with his 19-year-old sister Celeste, just sold their first company: myfirstpaycheck.com.

The siblings founded the Ardmore-based Web site in 2007 when then-15-year-old Celeste Lavin began looking for her first job. The family noticed that, in an age where teenagers spend increasing amounts of time online, there were no career resources for teens.

The duo built a job board that also featured career resources for young people, a niche popular enough to attract the attention Phoenix-based Simple Employment Solutions.

We sat down with the Penn grad to ask him what it felt like to sell, his advice for others and when he will be buying his yacht.

Read more