Baltimore weekly roundup: A digital skills org closes; AI-powered bots for cops; Towson Apple Store workers make history

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Byte Back abruptly closes

For the bulk of its 27-year existence, Byte Back operated in DC before expanding to Baltimore in 2019. The nonprofit offered virtual and in-person classes, taught in both English and Spanish, on a wide range of technical skills. As of its 25th anniversary, it had served 7,000 people and was highly regarded by the DC government. 

But there’s another option for people affected by the sudden and unexplained closure. Computer CORE, which offers all-virtual, no-cost digital literacy classes for Virginia residents, will accept Byte Back enrollees from DC and Maryland for the foreseeable future.

Despite stepping in, Computer CORE’s executive director Donna Walker James told me that a major gap remains in teaching digital literacy in DC and Maryland. 

“It’s a big void that’ll be there,” James said. “A real need.”

➡️ Learn more about Byte Back’s end and how Computer CORE is stepping in.

The disconnect between cybersecurity and operations

This month’s CrowdStrike fiasco, while extreme, is far from the only recent instance of a software issue disrupting major systems. In May, the health payment processing company Change Healthcare failed to deploy a software update, which led to a cyber attack.

These are different cases that represent similar challenges in cybersecurity and operations, writes Tina Williams-Koroma, the founding CEO of Baltimore-based companies CyDeploy and TCecure. 

Updating and protecting programs is a balancing act, Williams-Koroma said, and organizations need to better manage security changes. Her company CyDeploy is attempting to bridge the gap between cybersecurity and operations teams so that fewer outages like CrowdStrike’s happen. 

➡️ Learn more about the cyber-operations divide in Williams-Koroma’s op-ed.

Calling all AI startups looking to grow

Comcast NBCUniversal is on the lookout for startups revolutionizing how we integrate AI into our professional and daily lives to join the next cohort of the LIFT Labs Accelerator. The five-week program, running Oct. 14 to Nov. 15, is designed for startups at various stages, from pre-seed to enterprise-ready.

Leaders are seeking innovative AI solutions that transform work environments, facilitate collaborative efforts across teams and organizations, improve accessibility and inclusivity, increase personal productivity, supercharge supply and demand planning, boost climate resilience and upskill the workforce of tomorrow.

➡️ Get all the details and apply online by Aug. 4

This sponsored blurb supports our journalism. Want to see your message here? Contact sales@technical.ly.

News Incubator: What else to know

• Apple has reached its first union contract with workers at one of its retail stores in Towson. Employees will vote on Aug. 6. [The AP]

• The Baltimore-based tech company X9 Intelligence, which distributes AI-powered crime-fighting robots, is aiming to sign the Baltimore Police Department as a client. The robots have 360-degree vision and facial recognition capabilities. [WMAR]

• Body-camera video obtained through a Maryland Public Information Act request shows police officers rescuing construction worker Julio Cervantes Suarez after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. [Baltimore Banner]

• There’s a new innovation hub down I-70: Frederick Innovative Technology Center opened Maryland’s EDGE at 321, a facility complete with labs and community spaces. It took seven years to finish. [FITCI/Technical.ly]

• The US Department of Commerce and the St. Louis-based nonprofit Urban Strategies Inc. will be bringing tech support, capital and other resources to minority-owned businesses in Baltimore. [Baltimore Sun]

• Columbia-based Nava Health cleared a roadblock to go public in a $320 million deal with the Gaithersburg-based special acquisition company 99 Acquisition Group. [Baltimore Biz Journal]

• Maryland’s first offshore wind farm off the Delmarva Peninsula will have minor adverse effects on the environment, according to a recent report. Most of those impacts will be temporary. [Baltimore Banner]

🗓️ On the Calendar

• Aug. 7: CharmCityJS hosts its latest monthly meetup near the waterfront in Baltimore’s Canton neighborhood. [Details here]

• Aug. 9: The coworking space Spark Baltimore is offering complementary day passes on International Coworking Day. There will also be a fireside chat with the nonprofit CLLCTIVLY. [Details here]

• Aug. 10: Baltimore Code & Coffee is holding a workshop for developers about how to communicate and advocate for yourself and your work. [Details here]

• Aug. 14: Baltimore Climate Tech Meetup is hosting lightning talks and a dinner at Morgan State University. [Details here]