Technology

Larry Jenc has been working in the marine technology industry for more than four decades and, until recently, thought he was part of a dying profession. A combination of low pay and a shortage of boats to work on contributed to a significant decline in the number of marine technicians like Jenc. The Minnesota native, who grew up on the water, is trying to do his part in keeping his profession from becoming obsolete. Three years after helping to start a pilot program to teach marine technology to high school students in his home state, Jenk will be working at Fred's Shed at this year's Baltimore Boat Show.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security now incarcerates, via immigration detention, more people per year than any other state or federal agency. In 2012, the DHS detained over 429,000 noncitizens awaiting immigration hearings or deportation, at a $2 billion cost to taxpayers. Yet the DHS' new risk assessment technology, which comprehensively and individually assesses immigrant detainees and collects valuable data, makes it possible for Congress to improve detention practices while reforming broader U.S. immigration laws.

The Susquehanna Workforce Network will be hosting a defense, technology and intelligence job fair at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen Feb. 28, from 2 to 6 p.m. This is a major workforce recruitment activity for more than 30 companies looking to fill positions. A sample listing of the position openings include acquisition professionals, software and systems engineer, program analyst, product manager, bio-medical scientist, liaison officer, configuration managers, system integrator, software developer, multi-media assistants, project manager, proposal manager, acquisition analyst, electrical and mechanical engineers, business development, SharePoint developer, signal support, air traffic controller, Java developer, scientists and technical writer.

Under the plush leather exterior of Uber Technologies Inc. beats the heart of a rebel. The app-driven startup, which began operations in Baltimore at the end of January, hopes to attract upscale customers who don't mind paying extra - a lot extra - for the luxury of hiring a town car by smartphone to take them where they want to go. "All we're doing is helping people find a classy ride easily," said Rachel Holt, general manager of Uber's local...

Professional engineer Thomas M. Wirth has been promoted to vice president of Geo-Technology Associates Inc., a mid-Atlantic geotechnical engineering and environmental consulting firm. With 12 years of professional experience, Wirth specializes in geotechnical and materials engineering. He is responsible for managing quality assurance and quality control, and providing design services on a wide variety of geotechnical and construction observation and testing projects for residential, commercial, retail, industrial and governmental projects.

Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, bolstered by fourth-quarter and year-end revenue numbers that exceeded projections, made bold promises about the future of his Baltimore-based company during its fourth-quarter earnings call Thursday. Amid a reorganization of the footwear department and questions about how the sector was performing, Plank laid out a plan to continue building profit by focusing on shoe sales and through short, intense bursts of marketing meant to better spread word about new products.

I first want to commend The Sun's editorial board for their spot on assessment of expanding same-day voter registration to include change of party affiliation ("Voting early and easily," Jan. 22). As an independent voter and advocate of open primaries, this alternative is probably the closest compromise third party voters will get with a Democratic legislature. And please don't take my sincere compliment of this position lightly, as it comes rarely for the positions taken by this paper.

This month Marylanders learned that Education Week had named our state's schools the best in the nation for the fifth year in a row. Credit goes to our students, educators, parents and policy makers for this exciting recognition. But as CEO of a nonprofit dedicated to science education, I would caution against excess celebration. A closer look at recent test scores reveals that we must improve how we educate our students in science, a discipline that is vital to success in the 21st century economy.

Good news for Baltimore Ravens fans who have suffered through second and third string CBS coverage this season: Sunday's AFC championship game against the New England Patriots will get the full Super Bowl treatment, according to the network. "We will have in this broadcast Sunday our whole setup that we will have down in New Orleans for Super Bowl XLVII - with all the cameras, with all the tape machines, with extra microphones on the field," producer Lance Barrow said during a teleconference Tuesday.

Elementary school students in some Anne Arundel County public schools are learning how good they've got it — in other words, how many wake up in comfy beds to a ready-made breakfast, instead of beginning their day with daunting physical chores or, worse, wearing shackles. Life for children in the 18th century was quite different than it is today, and fourth- and fifth-graders in Anne Arundel schools are using some 21st-century technology to learn the hard truth about families from that period.