innovation : Innovation + Job News

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake kicked Baltimore's push to win the Google Fiber competition up a notch last week, enlisting the support of top business and technology leaders and organizations. Heading the team is Tom Loveland, president of local tech company Mind Over Machines and the newly annointed Google Czar.

Loveland will work with Joseph Weaver, president Global Design Interactive,  and Scott Plank, vice president Under Armour in conjunction with Baltimore Fiber, a grassroots effort launched several weeks ago in response to the announcement about Google Fiber for Communities, an initiative that asks American cities and municipalities to compete for up to a billion dollars in fiber optic network infrastructure delivering speeds nearly 100 times faster than most internet connections.

Google, Inc. is asking local governments and communities to express interest and provide information by completing a "request for information" or RFI by March 26.

With Baltimore's rich history of technological innovation, "there is no doubt in my mind that Baltimore is the best and most appropriate City in America to invest in new blazing fast internet infrastructure," Mayor Rawlings-Blake said. "Baltimore is a 'City of First's' and we should be Google's first choice," Rawlings-Blake says.

The Mayor also pegged Greater Baltimore Committee and the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore to assist the already burgeoning grassroots campaign to lure Google to Baltimore by recruiting additional support from larger corporations and institutions. Mayor Rawlings-Blake announced an agreement with Under Armour to supply in-house marketing capabilities to assist the effort.

"Baltimore's business community will enthusiastically engage to take full advantage of this opportunity to achieve a quantum leap in technology resources and enhanced speed capabilities," says Donald C. Fry, President and CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee. "This project fits Baltimore's business legacy of technology advancements and transformational innovations."

"Greater Baltimore has emerged as the nation's "knowledge center"... from the best hospital and researchers in the world to the nation's leaders in defense intelligence and communications. This framework provides an opportunity to enhance our connectivity within the region, as well as connecting the rest of the world to our community," says J. Thomas Sadowski, President & CEO, Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore:

Loveland in his role as a volunteer "Google Czar" will be charged with working with the Mayor's Office of Economic Development and Neighborhoods to complete and submit the RFI by the due date.

"Baltimore is a tinderbox of innovation. Google Fiber is the spark, a game-changer that could turn Baltimore into a global innovation leader," Mr. Loveland said. "Mayor Rawlings-Blake understands that and I'm honored to serve the City."

According to Loveland, Baltimore is an ideal city for the Google project. "We are fortunate to have a multitude of unique, world-class resources that we all know and cherish. We are fortunate [to have a] growing population of entrepreneurs and creative's who want to make a difference in our community. We are fortunate that our region has the largest population of technology professionals in the country."

"Mix these together � unique world-class resources, entrepreneurs, and technologists � and you see that Baltimore is a tinderbox of innovation just waiting for a spark. Google Fiber is that spark. Google Fiber can turn Baltimore into a global innovation leader," he continues.

Whether Baltimore is successful or not in its bid to win the Google Fiber competition, both Loveland and David Troy, who has helped spearhead the grassroots effort among businesses and communities, say the city will have won. Both men expect the consortium of business and community leaders to tackle future projects.

"This is just the beginning," says Troy.

Mayor Rawlings-Blake also released a new YouTube video that will be posted on the Bmore Fiber website.



Source: Tom Loveland, Mind Over Machines; David Troy, Baltimore Fiber
Writer: Walaika Haskins
Google logo by Senait Weaver

The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) has launched a new program to promote the use of electric vehicles in Maryland. The Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program (EVIP) initiative will provide aid in the installation of Electric Vehicle Recharging units and Truck Stop Electrification. The new program, run by MEA and the Maryland Clean Cities Coalition will provide $1 million during the current fiscal year in grants to state and local governments as well as nonprofits and private entities.

The announcement follows Gov. Martin O'Malley's introduction of an Electric Vehicle Tax Credit bill during 2010 legislative session. The proposed bill provides Maryland residents with up to $2,000 in tax incentives to help defray the upfront costs of purchasing electric vehicles.

"These grants represent the future of sustainable transportation," says Gov. O'Malley. "Today's announcement is part of our long term commitment to lead by example in energy advancements and create cleaner, less expensive, and more fuel efficient transportation options for our citizens."

The grants will assist organizations in purchasing and installing Electric Vehicle Recharging units and Truck Stop Electrification systems. Several plug-in electric vehicles are expected to be commercially available later this year, including the Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf. These vechicles will reduce the amount of liquid petroleum utilized in the state while also reducing our carbon footprint and promoting energy independence. Interested parties may download the application from the MEA website.

"The Maryland Energy Administration is thrilled to be able to partner with Clean Cities to make continued strides in promoting electric vehicles and accelerate our transition to a cleaner energy future," says MEA Director Malcolm Woolf, "Maryland is moving to take advantage of this exciting technology, which promises to reduce fuel bills, improve air quality, and reduce our dependence on oil imports."

Source: Maryland Energy Administration
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Imagine being able to download an HD movie or other large file in just a few minutes. Or collaborating with classmates around the world while watching live 3D video of a university lecture. Those are just a few possibilities available to communities with universal ultra high-speed internet access, according to Google.

That's why, on Feb. 10, Google announced plans to build ultra-high speed broadband networks in a small number of trial locations across the country. The search giant's plan is to invest a few billion dollars to bring a few lucky communities with a fiber-to-the-home broadband network that offer speeds of one gigabit per second. The network would be competitively priced to at least 50,000, and potentially up to 500,000 people.

This connection would be 2,000% faster than the fastest connection currently available to Baltimore residents, according to BmoreFiber, the recently formed group trying to win the service for Baltimore.

BmoreFiber,  a conglomeration, of local leaders, tech companies and business owners, wants to show Google that Baltimore is a city replete with creative types who would be able to take full advantage of super fast broadband network.

"We expect the level of investment to be about $1 billion dollars and that's hard to turn down. I don't care what the investment is. It's something we'd love to see happen here in Baltimore," says David Troy, CEO of Roundhouse Technologies, founder of Beehive Baltimore, and BmoreFiber spokesperson.

"We have a burgeoning technical community in terms of tech startups. It's an opportunity to make a difference with the digital divide and that sort of thing. We offer a lot of diversity and opportunity for a business like Google," he continues.

However, the group needs the help of every citizen in Baltimore. They need everyone who would also like to see the Google project come here to vote for Baltimore by logging in their location and then filling out a short questionnaire about their current Internet service.

Google is asking local governments and residents to express their interest in the fiber optic trial, and to provide information about their community by completing a request for information by March 26, 2010.

"Part of this is that [Google] is trying to use these early implementations as a test market for learning the lessons that would be required to do this in other places. What we need to show is that if they came here people would be interested in it and sign up for services."

The second thing the Baltimore community needs to do, according to Troy, is show that we have a "representative climate," and that Google would be able to learn a broad number of lessons about physical infrastructure, dealing with digital divide issues, and what it takes to make businesses happy. "[We want to offer them] a nice test lab," he adds.

Historically, Baltimore has been a pretty good test market for a variety of technologies. "We're our own media market. We have a diversity of socio-economic classes represented and its a relatively low cost place to do something," explains Troy.

The win for Baltimore is that businesses would see the service as a plus when considering Baltimore.

"We are always looking for opportunities to distinguish Baltimore City from its competition," says Andrew Frank, deputy mayor for Economic and Neighborhood Development. "We need to find new and build on existing strengths that retain and attract residents and businesses. The Google high speed Internet opportunity would achieve those goals. Also, as a technology gadget aficionado, the Mayor gets that having access to the latest technology can influence the choices that residents and businesses make."

But, whether Google choses the city or not, Troy says its win-win for Baltimore either way.

"What's the worst that can happen, we are up against some pretty sitff competition with cities like Seattle, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C. all which I'm sure have good stories about why they'd be good for this as well. It's not clear how many cities Google will do this in. It could 1, 5 or 10, we just don't know yet. Even if this doesn't come through, aligning stakeholders around that cause is a good exercise and gives us something to rally behind going forward. There might also be other funds out there -- stimulus money or other kinds of investment -- that we can repurpose some of this work for."

Follow BmoreFiber on Twitter or join their mailing list.

Sources: Dave Troy, BmoreFiber; Andrew Frank, City of Baltimore
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Constellation Energy recently announced plans to support the development of commercial photovoltaic power systems with a $90 million solar capital commitment. To maximize the value of government renewable incentives, the $90 million set-aside will be available for customer-sited solar installations of 500 kilowatts or larger which begin construction before mid-year 2010.

"Constellation Energy's solar capital commitment provides the resources to make photovoltaic power a simple and economical proposition for commercial and governmental customers who want to support clean, renewable energy at their facilities," says Michael D. Smith, senior vice president of green initiatives for Constellation NewEnergy. "Our solar business model gives customers a single source for every step of the process, from financing to planning and permitting, construction and long-term maintenance of the system. By working with Constellation Energy, customers can make meaningful and immediate impacts on their carbon and sustainability goals."

The capital commitment enables Constellation Energy to finance, design, construct and own solar installations for customers and supply the power generated on-site to the customer. This structure makes it possible for customers to deploy on-site solar and meet sustainability goals without incurring upfront costs. Approximately $18 million of the capital commitment has already been committed to projects soon to begin development in Maryland and New Jersey.

The companys has committed to expanding solar project development over the next several years. Constellation Energy currently has approximately 25 megawatts of solar power systems installed or under way in the U.S., ranging from customer-sited rooftop installations to a 17.1-megawatt large-scale project in Emmitsburg, Md., that will be among the largest in the U.S.

Constellation Energy has developed photovoltaic installations for retailers, manufacturers, government facilities and universities nationwide, with a focus on projects in Maryland, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and California where solar incentives and credits make development particularly attractive for customers financially. Solar renewable energy credits (SREC), which are granted to solar projects for every megawatt-hour of electricity produced, help make on site solar projects economically attractive/ With SREC values scheduled to decline over time as states require the development of more solar generation, the next several months represent the optimal time to begin construction of on-site solar with the strongest project economics.

Structured correctly, today's photovoltaic power systems can generate electricity that is priced at or below the cost of power from the grid. Qualifying projects of 500 kilowatts generally require at least 100,000 square feet of roof space or two acres of open ground. Organizations interested in developing solar projects can contact Constellation Energy at [email protected] or 1-877-427-2005.

Source: Constellation Energy
Writer: Walaika Haskins

It's our 24th issue! We can hardly believe it's been six months since the site went live on Aug. 11. In that time, we've written 44 features; published 14 videos; shown the spotlight on 24 local companies doing really cool things; featured 38 Baltimore residents who love their neighborhood and run more than a hundred breathtaking images taken by our photographer, Arianne Teeple, highlighting the best of Baltimore!

So, what better way to celebrate than a party! We invited everyone we've featured, our partners, freelance writers, friends and family for an evening filled with discussions about what makes Baltimore such a great place to live and what we all can do to make it better!

But, a party wouldn't be a party without a place to have it, some libations and a little nosh! We want to thank PNC Bank for allowing us to hold our party in their newest green branch at Paca and Baltimore Streets as well as Curtis Pope, branch manager, and his staff. Thanks also go out to Blue Agave Restaurante y Tequileria, Caesar's Den Restaurant, Hideaways, Langermann's, Morton's The Steakhouse, NADDs - New Age Dine and Dance, The Dogwood, and Waterstone Bar & Grille for donating wonderful tidbits of deliciousness from their restaurants.

Most importantly, though we'd like to thank you, our readers! It's great to know there are so many people out there who are committed to this charmed city and are working in your own ways to make this the best city in the world. Be sure to become a Bmore fan on Facebook and get invited to other upcoming events.

Get your applications in today! Baltimore Ignite wants big thinkers who just need a little loot to get their idea of the ground. The innovative speaker series devoted to sparking new conversations and innovative thinking across cultures and disciplines has one $1500 grant available for the person deemed to have the most innovative idea that will benefit the citizens of Baltimore City.

The grant is the brainchild of Heather Sarkissian, a former member of the Peace Corps. "My background is in economic and social development. I was helping someone write a grant application, five pages for 1500 bucks, and I said there has to be a better way to fund these projects," she explains.

The experience got Sarkissian thinking about Ignite, the decision to charge for tickets to the upcoming Ignite in March (so attendees have guaranteed seats), her Peace Corps experience and access to grant funding. "Because it was pretty easy to access grant funding you could do these really cool projects if the barrier to entry were a lot lower."

In keeping with the Ignite philosophy emphasizing brevit, the grant application can be no longer than 650 words. The project must be carried out by an individual and cannot be a continuation of a project that's already begun. It must be completed in six months and the winner will present the project at Baltimore Ignite 6.

"The idea is really just to provide people with the opportunity to realize a project that they've been thinking of, but didn't have the access to the cash the needed. Secondly, and more importantly, it's about igniting a conversation around really neat ideas for making Baltimore a better place. That's the more crucial part because in the end we'll only select one winner for the full amount, but that will get people thinking 'if I had $1500 I'd want to this or want to do that,'" she says.

Over time Sarkissian expects that the Ignition grant will gain momentum with each successive Ignite and build up a database of "really cool ideas." The hope is that the grant will not only inspire Baltimore's citizens to think about what they can do to improve the city but also point the city's cash poor big thinkers in the direction of Baltimore organizations from which they could seek funding.

"Some of these individual citizens will either come up with ideas that are already being executed or fits very nicely with the mission of a non-profit and ideally we could just throw a contest that pairs these individuals up with the right organization that's doing this already," Sarkissian notes.

The grant committee includes members from the Baltimore Community Foundation, Enoch Pratt Library as well as several Baltimore Community Foundation grant recipients.

Source: Heather Sarkissian, Ignite Baltimore
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Imagine using standard digital cameras and taking 3D pictures. Just point and click, like you do with your regular camera today, and get a 3D image instead of a 2D image. Thanks to an amazing new type of technology from Dimensional Imaging - this is not only possible, but at Direct Dimensions � it's possible today!

The technology, unveiled at TEDx Mid-Atlantic in November 2009, is now available for the average user. "ShapeShot is based on really on using the kind of camera you can find at Best Buy," says Michael Raphael, Direct Dimensions CEO.

Using the ShapeShot software, you could put your kids in their favorite video gaming. "We're interested in using real avatars. And finding reasons why people want to use real images of themselves in their Internet experience."

Other possible uses of the technology include customized 3-D jewelry, including cufflinks, a cameo, as well as dolls or even a wedding cake topper.

"We did a cake topper for one of our employees and it really blew everyone away," Raphael says. "We could create the iPhone of 3-D face apps."
 
The technology offers instantaneous image capture and automatic post processing to create accurate, high resolution, full-color 3D models. Specific features include:

• Use of standard off-the-shelf digital cameras � very upgradeable!
• 3D shape and color captured simultaneously in a single photographic flash
• Resolutions to 21 megapixels per captured image (depending on camera used)
• Does not use structured light, pattern projection, or any lasers
• Quick and easy to set-up and use
• Easily configurable (you can use as many stereo pairs of cameras as you desire)
• Portable for carrying and shipping to shoot locations

Source: Michael Raphael, Direct Dimensions
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Take One Digital Media joined forces with Special Olympics Maryland for the third year to produce zany viral media to pump up the volume on the 2010 Polar Bear Plunge.

"What we do every year is try to produce funny videos that will go viral. None of them are about Special Olympic athletes, or the Special Olympics at all. They're supposed to be kooky," says Liz Thibodeau, Take One Digital Media account manager.

This year the videos were done a la the Onion News, a fake news site, Thibodeau says. "We called it PNN, the Plunge News Network. We did kind of pseudo news stories about plunge teams in the area that were doing wacky fundraisers. They've been very, very successful."

Take One released four videos, one a week beginning four weeks before the plunge. They also released daily videos the week before the plunge. Dubbed "Will it Plunge," the videos featured Tom Schniedwind, Special Olympics MD sports marketing director, plunging every morning off of Sandy Point. A riff of off David Letterman's "Will it Float" bits, Schniedwind plunged with different objects to see if they would plunge and also provided prospective plungers with tips.

"Yesterday morning, we put the Thursday morning video up and registered a 1000 unique hits within a couple of hours. It's truly being viral in nature where plungers are getting a huge kick out of it and passing it around," says Thibodeau.

The jewel of the series according to Take One is Special Olympic athlete Jimmy Myrick showing off his acting skills as American Idol's "Jimmy Randy" and a med-tech on the hit show "House". Contrary to the "tugging heart-string" approach used by many charities, plunge co-founder Tom Schniedwind is devoted to celebrating these athletes.

Thanks to these videos, the site saw a huge spike in traffic, viewers and buzz at www.plungemd.com and in all social media and despite a down economy, donations rose significantly. "The videos are up on our site, they're up on YouTube."

On the Friday morning before the Jan. 30 plunge, Thibodeau says online donations had reached almost $2.5 million. "That's amazing. We've never seen the online donations that high. The Maryland plunge is the highest grossing single day fundraiser in the world."


Source: Liz Thibodeau, Take One Digital Media
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Prognosys LLC, a company developing rapid, multiplexed diagnostics for multiple diseases, has joined the University of Maryland's Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech) Technology Advancement Program (TAP) incubator.

One of the company's first products, supported by a $100K phase 1 contract from the National Institutes of Health's National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, is a test for multiple cardiovascular diseases built on Prognosys' proprietary barcode platform.

The product is designed to rapidly and economically diagnose patients with acute cardiovascular diseases in emergency rooms, enabling physicians to make quick decisions based upon whether a patient tests for acute vascular clots, deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary emboli, or potentially acute coronary syndrome.

"When a person goes to a hospital with chest pain, the triage nurse or physician may initially have no idea what a patient has," says Kenneth Gabriel, president of Prognosys. "A blood sample is taken and shipped to the lab, where technicians work to process samples, but some tests can take up to two days for results, and in some cases patients die. Our test can be done in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, with results in as little as ten minutes."

Prognosys' patent-pending technology involves embedding multiple sensors on a barcode that react to certain indicators and show results when scanned with a standard bar code reader. Results are then sent through the company's software to a Web-based portal accessible by nurses and physicians or to a handheld device.

Prognosys plans to expand its barcode sensors to additional medical and other markets. The company's barcodes can be equipped with biological, chemical, physical and intelligence-gathering related sensors, as well as tracking devices and medical monitors, according to Gabriel.

"We can test for substances such as cocaine," says Gabriel. "We can test for temperature, radiation, humidity, pressure, vibration, and lethal substances such as anthrax. Prognosys' researchers are also working on quantitative as well as qualitative tests that don't just tell you when a substance is present; they also measure how much of it is there. This type of test is critical for monitoring the progress of disease and general treatment."

A privately funded company, Prognosys was founded in February 2007, by Gabriel and Dr. Marc H. Cohen. Dr. Gabriel is affiliated with the A. James Clark School of Engineering's department of electrical and computer engineering and an adjunct faculty member in the Robert H. Smith School of Business's department of management and organization.

Prognosys Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Dr. Marc Cohen is an assistant research scientist in the Institute for Systems Research in the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland.

Prognosys' technology was developed outside of the university.

Gabriel and Cohen relocated Prognosys to the University of Maryland to collaborate with its world-class faculty and student researchers.

"We liked the fact that it is co-located with bright people," says Gabriel. "It's not just the talent but the diversity of talent�people in engineering, biomedical applications, and environmental health. Working with people in these fields increases the chances our proposals will be winning ones, which translates to faster diagnostics for medical and other industries."

"Our tests buy physicians time and in some cases buy patients life," says Gabriel.

Source: Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Undergraduates in the University of Baltimore's Simulation and Digital Entertainment programhave come up with a novel way to help state legislators and the governor balance the budget -- educating the public.

The students have designed a Web-based videogame that will help ordinary citizens learn how Maryland's budget works�including the all-important and legally-required task of balancing it�as part of a public education effort by the Maryland Budget and Tax Policy Institute.

The "Maryland Budget Game" was unveiled by the institute on Monday, Jan. 18 and is be available online and at no cost to the user.

According to the institute, "Maryland Budget Game" players assume the role of the governor in making decisions to balance the state budget. Players travel to different locations to view budget options related to different policy areas: the schoolhouse for education, a clinic for health and so on. Based on the player's decisions, the state's near-term and long-term budget status improves or deteriorates. At the same time, 10 different simulated interest groups react to the players' every decision.

"Our students developed this project with the classic learning-game goal in mind: to provide an experience that replicates much of what goes in the real world, and do it so that it stays with the player in tangible ways," said Stuart Moulthrop, professor and director of the Simulation and Digital Entertainment program in UB's School of Information Arts and Technologies.

Source: University of Baltimore, School of Information Arts and Technologies
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Gov. Martin O'Malley and Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown recenly launched "MBE University," an initiative to support Maryland's minority- and women-owned businesses and to highlight the state's MBE program. MBE University will serve as a traveling conference throughout Maryland to offer training, opportunities, and information on the tools necessary for minority or woman-owned businesses to expand, create jobs, and thrive even in difficult economic times.

"Maryland is home to a rich and diverse community of 250,000 minority and women-owned enterprises that employ hundreds of thousands of Marylanders and serve as the economic engine that will drive Maryland's recovery," says Gov. O'Malley. "MBE University will provide access to information, jobs and job creation opportunities, and vital resources that will allow them to remain competitive and prosperous, especially during these tough economic times."

"By opening new doors for Maryland's innovative and dedicated small and minority-owned businesses, we are strengthening our workforce and making an important investment in our future. Governor O'Malley and I are committed to expanding opportunity to more Marylanders," says Lt. Gov. Brown. "Initiatives like MBE University will ensure that our great State remains well-positioned to not only weather this economic recession, but also thrive for years to come."

Maryland is home to the oldest MBE program in the nation, and it has established the highest minority- and women-owned business contracting goals in the nation at 25 percent. In addition, Maryland is one of only 15 states in the nation with MBE goals and one of only 4 states with an MBE law in statute. Maryland remains the only state in the nation to collect uniform reporting data including actual payments to MBEs.

In Fiscal Year 2009, Maryland state agencies achieved 22 percent MBE participation, the highest in recorded history, up from 20 percent in the previous year. These include over $1.6 billion in awards to MBE firms, an increase of 23 percent in one year and more than double the amount of MBE contracts awarded four years ago.

"MBE University" was created in collaboration with the state's minority business coordinating agencies and the Governor's Office. Coordinating agencies include the Department of Business and Economic Development, the Governor's Office of Minority Affairs, the Department of General Services, and the Governor's Grants Office. Today's conference is the first in a series that will be offered around the State continuing into next year.

For more information on the MBE University Initiative, contact the Governor's Office at 410-767-8232 or visit www.mdminoritybusiness.com.

Source: Department of Business and Economic Development
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Baltimore County has installed a wireless broadband network in 350 County police vehicles. The broadband connectivity will enable officers to conduct their work more effectively with a secure, mobile, high speed wireless connection to internal and online law enforcement applications and databases.

"This is another example of collaboration by Baltimore County agencies," says County Executive Jim Smith. "The partnership between the Baltimore County Office of Information Technology and the Police Department demonstrates that Baltimore County government is committed to working for the greater good of its citizens and those who serve. Supporting our police officers by giving them the most up-to-date equipment and training is at the forefront of our responsibilities."

In addition to the broadband network in vehicles, the County has implemented a mobile application that will allow County police officers to search for both in-state and out-of-state driver and vehicle information from all State and Federal databases, including driver license photos from the MVA. This application will allow officers to have access to vital information while in the field and serve as a critical verification tool while providing them a greater degree of safety.

The cost of installing wireless broadband in 350 police cars for the first year is $196,800 of which $176,400 is a Law Enforcement Terrorism Protection Program (LETPP) grant. Cost of the MVA photo/driver information tool is $110,324, of which $88,934 is a federal Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant. Police officers demonstrated the use of both tools at the news conference.

Source: Baltimore County Department of Economic Development
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Gov. Martin O'Malley has launched a new series of Maryland Economic Updates.  The intent is to provide a status update on Maryland's economy. The Governor's Economic Updates focus on such economic indicators as rising real estate sales, an unemployment rate consistently below the national average, and companies throughout Maryland announcing the hiring of additional staff.

"We learned this week that our national economy grew by three and a half percent in the third quarter, with economists now saying that things are moving in the right direction. This is encouraging news, yet all of us agree that we're not out of the woods yet," Gov. O'Malley says in his first online message. "While there is an emerging consensus that things are getting better we still have a ways to go. The good news is that the strengths, the potential, and the assets of innovation are right here, in Maryland."

The economic updates will include Maryland's latest economic news, including information on the State's unemployment rate, job growth and the local real estate market. The Governor will also highlight news on Maryland's businesses, including mergers, expansions, contracts and awards.

Governor O'Malley also noted this week's news that Black & Decker and Stanley Works will enter into a $4.5 billion merger. The Governor has directed Maryland economic officials to work with any and all impacted workers as the Department of Business and Economic Development remains engaged to ensure the Black & Decker power toll division remains in Towson.

"As we work to restore business confidence in Maryland, it is vital that we continue to tell Maryland's positive economic story and keep our finger on the pulse of the business community," says Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) Secretary Christian S. Johansson. "Governor O'Malley's weekly webcasts will complement DBED's ongoing efforts to inform our stakeholders about the things we are doing to grow business in Maryland."

Gov. O'Malley's weekly economic updates can be viewed here.

Source: DBED
Writer: Walaika Haskins

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) has launched a new web site that designers hope will enable the university's students to give prospective Retrievers a sense of what its really like to go to school there. "College.Be" came out of creative meetings between Ed Neenan, marketing director, Dept of Information Systems, Mark Neustadt, Neustadt Creative Marketing and UMBC's Creative Director, Jim Lord.

"Once we had the concept�the vibe�what we thought would communicate to and resonate with the prospective and current, new undergraduate college audience. The idea to build a unique, proprietary website specifically to support our radio and outdoor advertising campaign came about. Mark brought his colleagues Tracey and Amy at Fastspot into the mix. They had a methodology of using a social web aggregator�lots of behind the scenes function, with a branded screen face that is purely "College. Be." and UMBC,"explains Ed Neenan.

The first of its kind sites works as an aggregator for a bevy of social media websites, including Flickr, YouTube, Facebook, Last.fm and Twitter. Once students sign up for the site, any photos, video, Tweets, blog posts, and music lists that they've posted on other social media sites will be streamed to College.Be.Through the posted pictures, videos, Tweets, etc., potential students are able to get a feel for what current students think about UMBC and do when they aren't in class.

"Essentially, our purpose for going in to this was marketing. This site was developed primarily to appeal to prospective students and we needed to find a way to communicate the social world of UMBC. With the new technologies availabile in this day and age, it just made sense to try and use social media as a way to convey what life is like on UMBC's campus," says Mark Neustadt.

The site started with 20 students who "seeded" the site, but has grown to over 100 users in the week or more since it launched. The university plans to drive traffic to the site via a multi-pronged marketing campaign that will include radio, billboard and other outdoor advertising in the DC Metro area.

Source: Ed Neena, UMBC
Writer: Walaika Haskins