| Follow Us:

internet : Innovation + Job News

139 internet Articles | Page: | Show All

CityCents.com Launches With New Spin on Local Deals

With local deal sites proliferating on the Internet as the latest business trend, it's important to do something to set a new site apart. That's the thought behind Edgewater-based Citycents. Rather than simply provide users with valuable offers, Citycents is the first pay-to-play local auction model allowing people to bid on the offers and win them at a fraction of the discount price. 

"We saw all the Groupon clones that are popping up everywhere and we wanted to put a unique spin on it. We thought the auction model would give us an opportunity to attract customers that are willing to score deals for just a few cents," says Brian Salta, Citycents

The site, launched last Wednesday, offers users two ways to purchase its deals. They can opt for the traditional method purchasing a deal for the listed discount price, or the site gives them the opportunity to take part in auctions of its daily discount deals.To participate in the auctions, users purchase bids, for 70 cents each, in bundles. All auctions start at zero dollars and there's no reserve. Each bid increases the auction price by one penny regardless of the cost of the deal. Bidders who don't win the auction also have the option to purchase the  deal for the "By It Now" price, cashing in their used bids for a discount on the deal price. Citycents also offer a variety of daily deals, another factor designed to set it apart from other deal sites.

"It gives us the opportunity to feature more merchants. We're in the process of working with local merchants in Baltimore and D.C. to bring our users more exclusive deals," says Salta.

Through its unique auction platform, Citycents says it helps the everyday consumer gain access and awareness to exceptional local and nationwide brands with deals at up to 99% off. Citycents deals are available in Baltimore and Washington, DC metropolitan areas and feature offers from local restaurants to spa services and events, including nationwide deals covering major brands such as Apple, Sony, Gucci, Burberry, and more.

According to Salta, the site has plans to offer deals in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, but needs to garner more interest from consumers in those areas before they can launch in those locations.

Source: Brian Salta, Citycents
Writer: Walaika Haskins


Indie Developer Releases Apple App for Casual Gamers

Shawn Grimes, a Baltimore-area independent game developer, has released Pond Hopper, a new casual puzzle game for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.

The game, which features five levels and 125 different puzzles, provides a way for users to exercise their minds and entertain themselves while waiting in line or passing the time. It is the fourth app and second game Grimes has released for Apple devices.

"Pond Hopper is a game that's easy enough to learn for the casual gamer, yet still provides a challenge for more advanced users," Grimes says. "It's easy to learn and quick to play, and includes interesting characters and features that make game play a blast."

Game features include a replay option that allows users to challenge themselves to beat their own low scores, which can then be submitted to the Apple Game Center or shared on social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Grimes hopes that Pond Hopper proves to be a hit with users at all levels.

Grimes developed the app in his spare time, working nights and weekends. The self-taught programmer says he saw an opportunity shortly after the iPad was released in early 2010. The apps he initially developed were more utilitarian, designed to help him in his photography studio. He eventually turned to creating games like StackEm, inspired by one of his favorite board games. While his first creations were moderately successful, they were targeted toward niche audiences. Grimes developed Pond Hopper for a larger market.

"I wanted to make a game that would be fun for everyone," Grimes says. "It's really easy to pick it up quickly whenever you have a free minute. It's for people who need something fun to do for a few minutes here and there."

The official release of game is December 14.

Source: Shawn Grimes
Writer: Walaika Haskins


WebAdvantage.net Launches "Social Media Roadmap" Service

WebAdvantage.net, an Internet marketing and advertising agency based in Havre de Grace, has launched its new Social Media Roadmap product. The consulting service is designed to assist brand owners interested in creating effective social media strategies.

The Social Media Roadmap utilizes the organization's marketing goals to identify the best social media channels, tactics, and strategies for engaging the target audience, while providing built-in metrics for tracking, measuring, and analyzing the results. The service expands WebAdvantage.net's suite of Social Media Marketing services including Social Media Optimization and Blog Support used by Baltimore-area clients like K'NEX, Visit Baltimore, and Freedom Federal Credit Union.

"Our agency has been providing social media services to clients long before 'social media' was defined. Our new service addresses the growing market need for business guidance and best practices in creating and executing social media strategies," says Hollis Thomases, president of WebAdvantage.net.

Source: WebAdvantage.net
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Chewpons Launches Site for Daily Deals on Food and Drink

There's a new player in the popular daily deals game. Maryland-based Chewpons joins sites including Groupon and LivingSocial to bring residents in Baltimore City and surrounding counties discounted offers on food and drink from area businesses. 

Consumers who register thier e-mail address and zip code will receive "Daily Discounted Deals" ranging between 50 and 90 percent off in their email inbox.The Chewpons for featured businesses will be available for a period of 24 to 72 hours. The deals will expire six months to one year from the date of purchase. Chewpons do not require a certain number of participants and will not include an added service charge. 

A portion of the proceeds for each Chewpon purchase will go to support the charity of choice of that day's featured business highlighted in the site's "Daily Deal Donation" box on the homepage. If a business does not have a desired charity, then they may choose to give the proceeds to The Maryland Food Bank, Chewpons' primary charitable recipient.

Chewpons also rewards referrals with their unique "Chewbucks" program, which rewards existing users with discounts for recommending new ones.

Source: Chewpons
Writer: Walaika Haskins


FiberLight to Connect Baltimore with DC and VA via $20M Ultra Highspeed Broadband Network

Fiberlight, a provider of fiber optic networks, has officially kicked off its latest project, a new $20 million, 104-mile network that will provide local businesses access to a secure, high-speed broadband network and a telecommunications infrastructure stretching into D.C. and Virginia. The new network will extend from downtown Baltimore to the communities of Laurel, Columbia, Elkridge, and Greenbelt and will connect to FiberLight's 299-mile Virginia and D.C. networks.

FiberLight President and COO Kevin Coyne, a Baltimore native, says Baltimore was selected because it is a hub for innovation. He wanted to show his support of his hometown by building a high capacity, 100 percent underground fiber optic network to serve as a high tech bridge to other cities and data centers in the region.

"We selected Baltimore as a primary market to invest our capital dollars, including more than $1 million in conduit, as a way to provide greater economic opportunity for all citizens and businesses in the Greater Baltimore region," Coyne continues. "In today's economy, cities must position themselves as being forward thinking, innovative and technology rich in order to secure new economic opportunities. FiberLight's high fiber count network future proofs Baltimore and its surrounding communities and offers secure connectivity to Washington, Virginia and beyond while reducing the overall cost of broadband solutions through a choice of providers for service delivery."

Source: FiberLight
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Maryland Business Roundtable for Education to create online netowrk to enhance STEM education

Based on input from Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) teachers across Maryland and initial funding from AT&T, the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education (MBRT) announced plans last week to build the STEMnet Teachers Hub. The network will be a one-stop-shop for STEM teachers to find the resources, support, and professional connections they need to strengthen STEM teaching and learning statewide.

Phase One of the online tool, a joint project with the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), will launch during the 2010-11 school year. The STEMnet Teachers Hub will feature three components identified by teachers as "most needed and favored," including a Resource Clearinghouse through which teachers will have online access to STEM curriculum, lesson plans, webinars, tutorials, classroom-ready experiments, and professional development; a System-Wide STEM Connections portal that will enable teachers to link with STEM educators across Maryland at all levels and with private-sector STEM professionals to share knowledge and resources; and the Specialists in the Classroom compenent that will offer teachers a roster of STEM practitioners from federal agencies, industry, and higher education who are available to visit their classrooms, augment curriculum-based learning, and inform and inspire students about real-world STEM work.

"Strengthening Maryland's STEM advantage means giving teachers all of the support they need to provide students with strong STEM knowledge and skills," says MBRT Executive Director June Streckfus. "It's a place where teachers can make connections and access resources. We think that as a result of that innovation will really flourish."

Plans for the network included in the state's "Race to the Top" application for federal education funding, received high marks, says Strecfus. A major contribution from AT&T as well as support from Citi, Northrop Grumman, IBM, and MSDE have made the creation of the network possible.

According to Streckfus, the concept for STEMnet originated with Gov. Martin O'Malley's STEM Task Force. In 2009, the Task Force offered seven recommendations for securing Maryland's future as a global leader in STEM-based education, research, and economic development. The final recommendation was to "create Maryland's STEM Innovation Network to make STEM resources available to all."

As a first step in making that network a reality, MBRT made creating a support hub for teachers its first priority. MBRT conducted focus groups and an online survey in spring 2010 to gain detailed input from STEM teachers throughout the state.

Based on the results of that market research, MBRT identified and then ranked 11 proposed initiatives to reflect the explicitly stated needs of Maryland STEM teachers. Phase One of STEMnet includes implementation of the three initiatives teachers identified as most important. "These initiatives represent the core imperative driving the first stage of Maryland's statewide STEM Innovation Network, the STEMnet Teachers Hub," says Streckfus.

Additional initiatives recommended by STEM teachers will be phased in over the next few years with support from stakeholders throughout Maryland whose shared interest in advancing STEM teaching and achievement will transform the state's ability to compete successfully on the international stage.

"We're starting with teachers, but it will support students and parents. Eventually, [one idea] is for it to support research in STEM across the state and to encourage people to enter that field. So we're looking at a major electronic system that will really promote STEM education in Maryland," she says.

Source: June Streckfus, MBRT
Writer: Walaika Haskins


Tidewater Remodeling & Construction Launches Website for Homeowners and Businesses

Homeowners looking for a little professional advice about their remodeling projects can now turn to a new resource. Tidewater Remodeling & Construction has launched a new website it hopes will serve as an information portal for Baltimore County area homeowners and businesses. The site features articles on a wealth of remodeling topics from the basic to the advanced, with new articles added several days a week. The site will also offer users an online monthly newsletter of remodeling tips.

Future plans include educational guides on selecting a remodeling contractor and professional advice from experts in the field.

"Our main objective is to be the number one remodeling resource guide for assisting everyone in the Baltimore County area with their remodeling needs. The depth of knowledge and resources on the site is simple, concise, and offers every homeowner some information about their home," says Bob DeGraw, owner.

Source: Tidewater Remodeling & Construction
Writer: Walaika Haskins


Ben Walsh Launches Pure Bang Games Social Gaming Development Firm

Ben Walsh, co-founder of the popular Innovate Baltimore technology-centric networking events, has launched Pure Bang Games, a social gaming development company.

Walsh, a veteran of two local gaming firms, Bethesda Softworks and Big Huge Games, has developed games both personally and professionally for over 15 years. He was responsible for producing multi-million dollar blockbuster console games, including AMF Bowling Pinbusters, Star Trek : Conquest (Winner of IGN's Game of the Month), Age of Empires 3: Asian Dynasties, and WET.

"I'm hoping that Pure Bang will become a catalyst for more gaming companies coming to the city. And as we continue to grow we'll definitely be reinvesting in our neighborhood and the city. I love Baltimore and want to see more creative tech companies get started. If I can help bring more young professionals to the city that is definitely a side benefit of being able to do what I already love -- create video games," Walsh says.

The new gaming firm, based in Highlandtown, will release its first game, My Pet Rock, on the Facebook gaming platform in December. The virtual pet game offers social gamers of all ages fun times as they adopt a pet rock. They can chose from a variety of shapes, then customize the rock's look and its garden home. According to Walsh, players will be able to interact with friends through rock battles or dating their friends' rocks which will eventually lead to a baby rock.

Players will be able to purchase items for their pet rocks using "game money" or more unique items and extra energy for between $.10 and $1.70. A new Halloween pack of costumes has been released enabling players to dress their pet rocks up as Frankenstein or Bride of Frankenstein, etc. Anyone interested in playing the game before it is released should "like" My Pet Rock, and send Walsh an email requesting an invite.

"We want our games to represent our sense of humor and our belief in quality. This is our first game and it will be the best game that we can make. I think a lot of people will enjoy it. They'll smile when they see it. Laugh when they play it. That's definitely success for me, seeing and hearing people enjoying our game," says Walsh.

Pure Bang is also working on a simple arcade game it expects to also release on Facebook by the end of the year. The company will also partner with less-tech savvy individuals who have an idea for a game but no programming experience.

The company is currently hiring for a variety of positions, including engineers, product managers, artists, and marketers.

Source: Ben Walsh, Pure Bang Games
Writer: Walaika Haskins

CRISP Launches Statewide Health Information Exchange

The Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients (CRISP) has launched its statewide health information exchange (HIE). HIE is the infrastructure that supports the private and secure flow of health information among physician practices, hospitals, labs, radiology centers, and other healthcare institutions.

The information exchange is a major step towards the ubiquitous delivery of the right health information to the right place at the right time providing safer, more timely, efficient, patient-centered care. 

Healthcare organizations currently participating in the HIE include: Holy Cross Hospital, Suburban Hospital, Montgomery General Hospital, Community Radiology (a RadNet partner), Advanced Radiology (a RadNet partner), American Radiology Services, Quest Diagnostics, Laboratory Corporation of America. Several more organizations will connect in the next few weeks

All 48 Maryland hospitals have recently committed to sharing data with the statewide HIE. This commitment covers 11,175 in-patient beds, from Garrett County to the Eastern Shore.

"We at Holy Cross Hospital believe a statewide health information exchange can help make care safer and more efficient for Marylanders," says Kevin J. Sexton, president and CEO of Holy Cross Hospital. "We are delighted to join CRISP, state government and other healthcare providers in getting Maryland to this important milestone."

Other hospitals, physician practices, and clinics will be coming online before the end of the year, including many of the state's federally qualified health clinics, which predominantly serve Medicaid, uninsured and other underserved patients. CRISP will also be expanding the kinds of data the HIE is able to exchange as participation grows, from today's hospital discharge summaries, lab results and radiology results to medical documents that contain more complete medical information, sometimes referred to as continuity of care documents, or "CCDs."

This summer, Lt. Gov. Brown joined Gov. Martin O'Malley to convene a roundtable forum of industry leaders and experts, including medical system presidents, hospital CEOs, state officials and other stakeholders to discuss health care reform and innovation in Maryland. The governor has set a goal for the state to become a national leader in health information technology by 2010 by developing a safe and secure statewide HIE and promoting the adoption of electronic medical records among providers. Maryland is well on its way to achieving that goal.

"This is a major step in developing an electronic system that protects individual privacy while improving the quality of health care and controlling costs," says Lt. Gov. Brown. "Soon, every Marylander will be able to enjoy the benefits of having their critical medical information delivered with speed and accuracy to the point of care, avoiding medical mistakes especially in case of an emergency."

Source: CRISP
Writer: Walaika Haskins


Microsoft Scoops Up Baltimore-based Tech Company AVIcode

Microsoft, the Redmond, WA-based tech giant, has added a Baltimore company to its long list acquisitions. The company announced last week that is has purchased AVIcode, a developer of of real-time, always-on application monitoring solutions, for an undisclosed amount.

As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Microsoft, AVIcode will use its monitoring technology to provide a 360-degree view of Microsoft's ever-expanding portfolio of cloud-based technologies. Micorosoft says it has been using AVIcode's solution in conjunction with its own System Center Operations Manager for years in its datacenters.

According to a Microsoft spokesperson, AVIcode will continue to be based in Baltimore.

"AVIcode will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft and will maintain AVIcode offices in Baltimore, MD, for now. We're excited about the caliber of employees at AVIcode and are working closely with AVIcode's management team to bring a number of AVIcode employees to Microsoft across most functions of the company," he says.

Source: Microsoft spokesperson.
Writer: Walaika haskins.

GBTC TechNite 2010 Highlights Baltimore's Innovators

Hunt Valley-based Oculis Labs, a cyber security firm, and Tom Loveland, CEO of Mind Over Machines, were the big winners named at the Greater Baltimore Tech Council's (GBTC) TechNite last Thursday. In truth, though, it was the region's tech community as a whole that won. The annual event serves as a fundraiser for the GBTC while also shining the spotlight on some of the area's most innovative technology companies.

Oculis Labs, which took home top honors for the "Hottest Tech in Town," was selected from among 15 finalists. The first-time award was based equally on votes from the public and a panel of judges. Oculis edged out Direct Dimensions, a 3D imaging company, and Gloto, developer of a social media marketing platform, both of which had more votes from the public.

"The judges probably looked at it from a slightly different perspective than the community. These are VC and private equity folks, people who deal with ventures on a regular basis. The judging panel was pretty strict. The community vote was great. We had over 5,000 votes which really blew my mind for a first year competition," says Jennifer Gunner, GBTC's interim executive director.

"I was pleasantly surprised that we won. There are a lot of really good companies in Baltimore doing some really interesting things. It was a really nice surprise to be picked," says Bill Anderson, CEO of Oculis Labs.

Tom Loveland's role as Baltimore's "Google Czar" and the work he's done to help win the Google Fiber competition were only part of the reason he received the GBTC's Beta 2.0 award. Inaugurated in 2009, the award is presented to a person who has done the most to help expand the area's technology and business sectors. Loveland was selected from a group of five finalists that included Newt Fowler, a partner at Rosenberg, Martin, Greenberg LLP,  Christian Johansson, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Business & Economic Development, Mike Subelsky, founder of Ignite Baltimore, and David Troy, president of Roundhouse Technologies.

"[Loveland's role as Google Czar] is one part of it, but it's also the fact that he's really been pushing things forward. From something as simple as pulling together everyone for a great barbecue at his house, to his work with the National Academy Foundation School, where he's trying to make sure that students have access to the STEM curriculum," Gunner says.

Loveland emphasizes that the projects he's involved in are group efforts and that he shares the award with the other finalists. And, of course, that none of this would be possible if there weren't smart, innovative people starting companies and working on cool technologies in the Baltimore area.

"What we really want to say is that it's not just about us. There are emerging leaders and we want to get them some recognition. All kinds of people are doing things. It's exciting. There's a lot of energy, a lot of programs that are getting people engaged," says Loveland.

The attention the event attracts for tech companies is significant, says Gunner.

"CSA Medical, Social Toaster, Direct Dimensions, and Juxtopia -- all of the companies are impressive. It was a really hard process to narrow it down. The most important thing that we did is to get their names and their products out into the marketplace," Gunner says.

Sources: Jennifer Gunner, GBTC; Bill Anderson, Oculis Labs; Tom Loveland, Mind Over Machines
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Bmore Team Takes Home Philly's Gigabit Genius Grant

Bmore Fiber, a group of business leaders and residents working to bring super high-speed broadband access to Baltimore, has won the $10,000 Gigabit Genius Award, created and funded by Philadelphia's startup and technology communities to encourage gigabit innovation worldwide. A panel of expert judges selected by Philadelphia's Division of Technology were instructed to choose the most promising projects from anywhere in the world.

The winning projects were chosen from among 20 finalists by a panel of expert judges drawn from Philadelphia's technology, civic, academic, and entrepreneurial leadership.

The projects were chosen for their potential to transform lives using ultra high-speed Internet connectivity known as gigabit. Gigabit technology would make the Internet up to 100 times faster than it is today, a difference in speed similar to the transition from dial-up modems to broadband Internet connections.

Bmore Fiber was awarded the bulk of the prize, $7,500, to begin developing teleradiology technology that will enable specialists to transmit and review radiology scans in real-time, making the experience identical whether the specialists are in the next room or the next continent.

"We are going to meet to consider our next steps. This is a big topic. One question is whether the funds should go to enabling the gigabit technology and then seek a path for the teleradiology work, or whether we should start work on the teleradiology project right away. In my mind the two are inextricably linked, so we'll have to see what makes sense," says David Troy, a Baltimore-based entrepreneur and spokesperson for Bmore Fiber.

The team will also start looking for partners from among Baltimore's robust technology and healthcare sectors.

"We have a broad range of volunteers here in the community, but we don't have anyone specifically lined up for the teleradiology project yet. Here in Baltimore, though, it would seem that with Hopkins and UMD medicine so strong here, we should not have trouble finding willing partners," says Troy.

The remainder of the prize, $2,500, was awarded to Israeli entrepreneur Daniel Dobroszklanka for a remote education project that would enable students anywhere in the world to participate in a world-class live classroom experience.

Source: Dave Troy, Bmore Fiber
Writer: Walaika Haskins


Millennial Media Filling 20 Positions by End of 2010

In an effort to keep up with the growth of business in the mobile ad space, Baltimore based Millennial Media announced last week that it plans to hire 20 additional staff members by the end of 2010.

According to the company, from 2009 to 2010, Millennial Media's staff grew by more than 50 percent. To keep up with the company's unprecedented revenue and client growth, the number of employees grew an additional 34 percent during the first nine months of 2010. The 20 new positions will boost the company's engineering, operations, and sales teams in its Baltimore and San Francisco offices.

Source: Millennial Media
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Maryland Nabs $115M In Stimulus Funding for Massive Expansion of State's Broadband Network

Maryland has been awarded more than $115 million in competitive federal grant funds to extend broadband to rural and underserved communities across the state. The expansion is crucial for increasing Internet access and capacity across the state, helping create jobs, improve public safety, increase educational opportunities, improve health care delivery, and improve infrastructure for BRAC.

The Maryland Department of Information Technology (DoIT), in partnership with public and private agencies across the state that form the One Maryland Broadband Network (OMBN), won $115,240,581 in grant funding through the U.S. Department of Commerce's (DOC) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program. Funding was provided through the Fed's ongoing stimulus plan, aka American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and this grant is one of the biggest broadband grants awarded to date.

OMBN will use the funds to build more than 1,200 miles of high-speed Internet line, linking together three independent broadband networks and extending affordable and abundant Internet access to more than 1,000 anchor institutions � including 458 schools, 44 libraries, 262 police and emergency centers, 15 community colleges, 6 universities, and 221 other government and community support centers. The new network will connect the state from Western Maryland to the Eastern Shore, reaching 2 million homes and 443,000 businesses.

The grants are expected to create more than 800 new jobs now and at least an additional 800 jobs in the future. They will provide high-speed access to parts of Maryland that had little or no Internet connectivity. Many connections are too slow to process large amounts of data quickly � a problem when trying to send business records, video conferencing for educational coursework, medical records, and emergency communications.

Source: Office of Governor Martin O'Malley
Writer: Walaika Haskins


MP3Car.com launches largest online automotive app marketplace

Baltimore-based MP3Car.com is hoping to do for the automotive app what the Apple App store did for mobile apps with it's newly launched Auto App Mart.

Mp3Car, the largest car computing community online, is placing heavy odds that an in-dash computer will soon become a standard feature in every new car. The company points to the success of Ford's Sync, Genivi's selection of MeeGo as a reference platform and Google's entrance into telematics as clear indicators that in-vehicle infotainment is the new frontier in mobile computing.

Driving the market in that direction are d
rivers' demand for a smartphone-like application experience in their vehicle that provides access to a variety of helpful apps at little to no cost.

As the Apple App Store and other application platforms have proven, crowdsourcing application development is a successful marketplace that will continue to grow.

According to Heather Sarkissian, MP3Car's CEO, the Auto App will act as a conduit for carmakers, platform providers and others to connect with the its community of automative application developers with whom they can partner to create apps that balance consumer demands for functionality and a personalized experience with carmaker's concerns about safety and security.

"Essentially mobile computing will be increasingly available in cars over the next two to three years. The issue though is that the software for these systems becomes obsolete fairly quickly, are impossible to update, and right now there's no way to get apps to drivers that for the most part are free," she says.

MP3Car, Sarkissian says, is well positioned to become the leader in the auto app market. The Auto App Mart is important because it is mobilizing the global community of developers to consider developing a different kind of app, familiarizing them with what the concept of an automotive app would be, and getting them to start thinking about safety and usability concerns associated with these apps.

The company won't set industry standards, compatibility, other technical specifics, but rather to mobilize developers, acting as a central location for innovators.

"We're really focused on getting the developers all in one spot and being really aware of their needs and very supportive of what they need to do to innovate. Ideally [Auto App Mart] would be a resource that automotive makers will want to tap into to develop applications. The reality is that Ford isn't going to want to negotiate with 50 developers. They're going to want to negotiate with one -- MP3Car," says Sarkissian.

Source: Heather Sarkissian, MP3Car.com
Writer: Walaika Haskins

139 internet Articles | Page: | Show All
Share this page
0
Email
Print
Signup for Email Alerts