In The News

Esquire declares Philly 'late-night capital'

Esquire Friday, August 10, 2012

Good brew and food for hungry fellas in the wee hours puts Philadelphia on Esquire's radar as the late-night capital of the U.S.

Once referred to as the "workshop of the world," the great factory city of Philadelphia still has a third-shift appetite: It gets hungry after midnight. And it doesn't hurt that the local love for microbrewing, dating to the late 1600s, shows up on beer lists so intricately compiled they'd be described as curated in more pretentious cities. (Yes, Brooklyn, I mean you.) Epic jukeboxes and random dartboards, roasted meat and melted cheese, super-hard-to-find beers and whiskey neat — all served up without judgment in an American stronghold for going big into the wee hours: Welcome to the dark side.

Original source: Esquire

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BresslerGroup founder testifies for Apple in $2.5B Samsung suit

Bloomberg BusinessWeek Tuesday, August 07, 2012

Peter Bressler, founder and chairman of award-winning product design firm BresslerGroup and a product design prof at the University of Pennsylvania, testified for Apple in a multi-billion dollar trial against Samsung on Monday, reports Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

Bressler is an expert in “user research, human factors application, manufacturing processes and innovative criteria conflict resolution,” according to his website. His testimony may continue to lay the groundwork for Apple’s infringement claims, which Apple started last week with Scott Forstall, the company’s senior vice president in charge of iPhone and iPad software. He gave jurors the first detailed testimony about one of the patents at issue.

Original source: Bloomberg BusinessWeek

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UPenn inks research and licensing deal with drugmaker Novartis for new cancer treatment

The New York Times Monday, August 06, 2012

The University of Pennsylvania and drug company Novartis have joined forces to commercialize a new cancer-fighting approach that has proven promising in preliminary trials.

The alliance seeks to build on the recent results of an experimental treatment that trains a person’s immune system to kill cancer cells. Scientists at the university announced last year significant results in several patients with advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia who were treated using the new technique, including two who went into complete remission.

Original source: The New York Times

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Haas & Hahn's Philly Painting bolstered by Village of Arts & Humanities

The Atlantic Cities Thursday, August 02, 2012

The Atlantic Cities catches up with Philly Painting, which we wrote about in May.

Urhahn credits El Sawyer at the Village of Arts & Humanities, a community-based nonprofit organization dedicated to neighborhood revitalization through the arts, with orchestrating the duo's introduction to the neighborhood. “We didn’t just show up and start painting. We showed up and started making friends, talked to people, tried to get to know the neighborhood," says Urhahn. "Basically the first half-year we talked to everybody form the police officers to the guys on the corner and everyone in between. Especially the store owners."

Original source: The Atlantic Cities

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Little Baby's Ice Cream's heady video ad draws reactions ranging from creepy to arousing

Gawker Thursday, August 02, 2012

It takes a lot to creep out Gawker, but chalk another one up for Little Baby's Ice Cream, which launches today on Frankford Ave. in Fishtown. We think Little Baby's Ice Cream's new video ad is pretty genius, plus they're going to be at Second Friday on Lancaster Ave. on Aug. 10.

Ripping a page right out of the Big Book of WTF Japan Seriously, Philly-based ice cream company Little Baby's Ice Cream invites screaming enthusiasts everywhere to cry themselves to no sleep with the most horrifying, least appetizing ice cream ad ever produced.

Original source: Gawker

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Society Hill's Fame House helps DJ Shadow break new ground with BitTorrent

GigaOm Monday, July 30, 2012

We reported on Philadelphia-based Fame House's groundbreaking work with DJ Shadow in February. Now CEO Mike Feibach is receiving a heap of attention for helping Shadow become the first artist to make money through BitTorrent, reports GigaOm.

BitTorrent has been partnering with indie musicians and filmmakers for some time to distribute authorized content bundles through its popular uTorrent client. However, this is the first time that the company has struck a revenue sharing agreement with one of those artists. “It’s a really important moment in the history of content distribution,” said Mason.

That sentiment was echoed by Fiebach, who told me that he doesn’t see BitTorrent as a piracy tool. “That’s the wrong way to look at it,” he argued, adding that the technology itself couldn’t be blamed if people use it to pirate content. Instead, it’s a way to get to an audience of millions, he said, adding: “(Shadow) and I just see this as a great opportunity to make history.”

Original source: GigaOm

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Pizza Brain's Kickstarter campaign will 'increase the piece' from Fishtown HQ

Tecca Monday, July 30, 2012

Fishtown will be home to the world's first pizza history museum when Pizza Brain opens in August, reports Tecca.

The brainchild of Brian Dwyer and his friends, Pizza Brain -- with its delicious slogan, "Increase the Piece" -- will open its doors next month thanks to the power of Kickstarter, where Dwyer was able to raise enough dough earlier this year to turn his dream into a reality. The combination museum and restaurant will house hundreds of pieces of pizza memorabilia that Dwyer has amassed over the years -- a collection which got him recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records last July.

Original source: Tecca

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Bucks County site is where pianos go to die

The New York Times Monday, July 30, 2012

A trash-transfer station in Southampton, 20 miles north of Philadelphia, are a regular stop for piano movers looking to dismantle played-out pianos, reports The New York Times.

The value of used pianos, especially uprights, has plummeted in recent years. So instead of selling them to a neighbor, donating them to a church or just passing them along to a relative, owners are far more likely to discard them, technicians, movers and dealers say. Piano movers are making regular runs to the dump, becoming adept at dismantling instruments, selling parts to artists, even burning them for firewood.

Original source: The New York Times

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Percy Street Barbecue No. 1 place in America to get a can of craft beer

craftcans.com Monday, July 30, 2012

Memphis Taproom, BAR Philadelphia and Percy Street Barbecue, which earned the top spot, gave craftcans.com a distinctly Philadelphia flavor on its list of America's 15 top places to enjoy beer in a can.

Over the past couple years Aric Ferrell, Manager at Philadelphia's Percy Street Barbecue, has been on a mission. He has been on a campaign to have Percy Street feature the largest selection of canned craft beers in the country and we are proud to say that he has definitely accomplished his goal. But, its not just the vast array of craft cans available (at last count there are over 100) at this South Street eatery that put it at the top of the list. Nope, Percy Street is also home to some of the most amazing barbecue in the northeast. Two words: Turkey Tails. Everything we've had there was delicious and you can even get cans to go now! If it comes in a can and is available in Pennsylvania than Aric has done everything he can to put it on his can menu. Serving up Texas-style BBQ in a clean, modern environment with a ridicu-list of canned craft beers available as well as a serious whiskey list, Percy Street is our top choice for best place to grab a can of beer in America. They've earned it.

Original source: craftcans.com

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New Eagles tickets score with augmented reality features

Mashable Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Mashable reports on the Philadelphia Eagles' new season tickets, which provide a high-tech perk via augmented reality.

The Philadelphia Eagles unveiled this week a new addition to their team app that will add a host of supplementary content for season ticket holders who hover their smartphones over game passes. Each game will feature a different combination of highlights, previews, messages from players and analysis, according to the team. Videos will be able to be played with the tickets in the actual background for an augmented reality effect, or fans can opt to simply watch on fullscreen.

Original source: Mashable

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Second annual Vendy Awards honor best Philly food trucks on Saturday

Zagat Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Zagat checks in on the Philly food truck scene, including Saturday's second annual Philadelphia Vendy Awards.

After sifting through nominations, organizers have determined the 12 contenders for best food truck in Philly, judged by both a panel of food industry pro and festival attendees. The savory options at The Lot in West Philly on that late July Saturday will come from Delicias, The Foo Truck, King of Falafel, Lil Dan’s Gourmet, The Smoke Truck, Tacos Don Memo, Vernalicious and Yumtown. On the sweet side, enjoy desserts from Lil’ Pop Shop, Little Baby’s Ice Cream, Sugar Philly and Sweet Box. To eat your fill of all that goodness and make your food truck vote count, snag a ticket for $55 to the 3-7 PM event here (bonus: the price of admission does include beer).

Original source: Zagat

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NJ's Sourlands: The last green space between NY and Philly, just outside Bucks County

Smithsonian Magazine Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Smithsonian Magazine glances at Sourlands, an area untouched by development and rife with sustainable touches like organic farming and green tech entrepreneurs and the subject of a recent documentary.

Flesher hones in on the Sourlands’ microcosm of local sustainability, from small organic farmers to hunters to conservationists to green tech entrepreneurs. Though they face daunting obstacles such as climate change, local extinctions and an uncertain ecological future, Flesher says they do not sink into despair:

The environmentalists I meet and interview are rarely naïve. They seem to understand the big scope of the environmental problems we face. What is heartening is that these folks do what they can anyway, usually with a gritty sense of optimism. I believe this is a lot better than doing nothing.

Original source: Smithsonian Magazine

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Philly future: Government as 'an enabler and a platform for innovation'

GreenBiz Tuesday, July 24, 2012

GreenBiz reports on Philadelphia's Chief Innovation Officer Adel Ebeid and his talk to attendees at the GreenBiz Cities 2.0 webcast last week.

The city of brotherly love has published more than 100 datasets since April, when Mayor Michael Nutter issued an executive order requiring city branches to release their once-buried information through an online portal accessible to anyone. The site includes data from nonprofits, universities and businesses, as well as municipal data from maps of enterprise zones to a searchable database of childcare providers.

Original source: GreenBiz

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NY specialty coffee shop Joe expands to Philly with locations in Rittenhouse, UCity

The New York Times Tuesday, July 24, 2012

The specialty coffee shop Joe, which has nine locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, is opening locations on Rittenhouse Square (1845 Walnut) and on Drexel University's campus in University City, reports The New York Times.

Jonathan Rubinstein, who founded Joe with his sister, Gabrielle Rubinstein, said they were approached by the developer of the building on the square. “We jumped on a train and saw it, and within 15 minutes we knew we had to do it,” Mr. Rubinstein said, explaining that the 1,200-square-foot cafe, with an additional 400-square-foot outdoor terrace, will be twice as big as any of his New York stores.

Original source: The New York Times

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New Opera Company of Philadelphia composer-in-residence ushers in alt-classical

The New York Times Tuesday, July 17, 2012

The New York Times writes about Missy Mazzoli, the recently appointed composer-in-residence at the Opera Company of Philadelphia and her inviting, quirky original music.

Welcome to the world of indie- or alt-classical, where musicians are equally divided about which of those names they dislike more but share a stylistic omnivorousness that makes their work fresh and surprising.

Original source: The New York Times

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