Balt

From the BaltTech blog: Big news today: Verizon Wireless will soon start selling the iPhone 4. The Verizon homepage has been updated to include the iPhone 4. Apple's homepage has it, too. Verizon will be selling the 16 GB version for $199 with a two-year plan, starting Feb. 10. I'm checking to see the details on the monthly plans that are offered... the rumor was that Verizon would offer an unlimited data package to differentiate itself from AT&T, which offers tiered/capped plans.

Baltimore county firefighters responded to a single-alarm fire in a Middleborough row home today, fire officials said. Glenn Bitters, of the county's fire liaison office, said firefighters responded to the Epping Court home, where they found a fire on the second story. Bitters said the fire was quickly extinguished and the four adults believed to reside in the home were unharmed. No other details were available. erica.green@baltsun.com .

From the BaltyTech blog: Google today said that their Fiber for Communities project winner(s) won't be announced till early next year. The search giant had hoped to name a community to be the recipient of a massive pilot project where up to 500,000 people would be given access to ultra-high-speed broadband connectivity. But apparently the huge turnout overwhelmed even Google's capacity to pick a winner (or winners). Baltimore was one of about 1,100 communities across the country (and among several in Maryland)

Many consumers now think "buy local" when it comes to food, or in choosing to shop at small local storefronts as opposed to national big-box chains. But how about buying local when it comes to technology purchases, especially around the holidays? In honor of Cyber Monday, BaltTech compiled a list of products — hardware, software, accessories and games — that originate in Maryland, and could make for holiday gifts. Your dollars also would help to support Maryland's technology entrepreneurs and businesses.

From the BalthTech blog: Big news for fans of Verizon's wireless network: It'll be getting the Apple iPad starting Oct. 28. You'll be able to buy the iPad at 2,000 Verizon Wireless stores nationwide. (Is this the precursor to Verizon getting the iPhone next year, as recent reports suggest?) Interestingly, consumers won't have access to the iPad 3G. Instead, if you want one from Verizon, you could buy an iPad Wi-Fi version plus a Verizon MiFi mobile hotspot. The hotspot uses Verizon's 3G network and generates a Wi-Fi hotspot that you can then use the iPad with.

Two development projects in Baltimore County, including an office building in Towson and a hotel in Owings Mills, will make use of $26 million in federal stimulus financing, county economic development officials said Monday. Two development projects in Baltimore County, including an office building in Towson and a hotel in Owings Mills, will make use of $26 million in federal stimulus financing, county economic development officials said Monday. Developer Towson City Center LLC plans to use up to $16 million in federal Recovery Zone Facility Bonds to redevelop a vacant, 12-story building overlooking Towson Circle into 155,000 square feet of offices and shops, a $27 million project that will create 500 permanent jobs.

The Community College of Baltimore County has agreed to pay $50,000 and provide other relief to settle an age-discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the agency announced Monday. The lawsuit accused the college of failing to hire Sheri Chosak as a part-time adviser for English as a second language at its Owings Mills campus because she was 60 years old. Chosak has been a registration clerk at the Owings Mills campus since 2001. In addition to compensating Chosak, the settlement requires the college to provide at least two hours of mandatory training on preventing age discrimination and federal anti-discrimination laws to all managers at its Owings Mills campus.

Carbon monoxide poisoning killed three members of the Wiley family in July 2005 after the colorless, odorless gas built up to astronomical levels in their Eastern Baltimore County rental home in the Cove Village complex, apparently as a result of faulty installation of the unit's furnace or other appliances. It's not so surprising, then, that immediately after Cove Village management installed carbon monoxide detectors in all the other homes in the complex that firefighters got a string of false alarms from nervous residents.

A developer receives a zoning change allowing the construction of dozens of homes on one particular Middle River tract. Landlords in another community in eastern Baltimore County are added to a group of property owners required to subject their rental homes to inspections. Shopping centers across the county are told they must install security cameras in their parking lots -- but the requirement applies to fewer outlets than originally proposed. The Baltimore County Council passed all of these measures.