Around Town

ARLnow and its parent company are developing an upgraded version of our Community Content Hub — and we need your help.

The Content Hub lets local businesses and organizations post events, announcements and home listings on our owned and partner local news websites: ARLnow, ALXnow, FFXnow, PoPville, Potomac Local and MoCoShow.


Schools

Arlington Public Schools is expanding an initiative that provides parents with information on how, and for how long, their children are using school-distributed devices.

In November, APS will move from an opt-in to an opt-out model for the Lightspeed Parent Portal, which provides families with weekly summaries of web-browsing activities for students in grades 2 to 12.


News

For the past two years, Marymount University has been among a small but growing group of higher education institutions leading the charge in offering degrees in AI.

The private university based in the Old Dominion neighborhood, which launched its AI program in fall 2023, currently offers a Bachelor of Science degree in the subject and an accompanying minor and graduate certificate.


News

A new AI chatbot is helping residents find answers to various questions about Arlington County government operations, elections and more.

AVA” — Arlington Virtual Assistant — is connected to four county websites: the general site (arlingtonva.us) plus specialized sites for library services, elections and Arlington Transit.


Schools

A new report from Arlington Public Schools’ internal auditor is raising concerns about how the school system handles student and staff tech equipment.

Inventory control is “unsatisfactory and requires improvement,” the report, detailed to School Board members on Aug. 21, says.


Around Town

An Arlington entrepreneur and a father-daughter duo have begun hosting events for young innovators at George Mason University’s new Fuse building.

Oasis Hill” — a project by Shy Pahlevani, founder of the local startups LiveSafe and HUNGRY, alongside the real estate development pair Hossein and Ivana Goal — set up shop at 3401 Fairfax Drive earlier this year.


Around Town

An Arlington-based IT specialist is launching a new tech support company seeking to troubleshoot problems and help people build technical competence.

Mahboba “Maya” Akhtarzadah is the founder and CEO of ReliableIT, which provides support for issues with computers, phones, TVs, printers, Wi-Fi routers and more. In addition to solving customers’ tech troubles, Akhtarzadah will host one-on-one training sessions to help people develop greater comfort with technology.


Around Town

A fleet of robots has begun wandering the sidewalks between Ballston and Rosslyn, searching for any defects to report back to the county’s Department of Environmental Services.

The bots, which went live at the start of this month, use a combination of laser scanners, mobile mapping, AI and machine learning to look for defects like cracks, weeds or gaps of at least half an inch.


Around Town

A Thomas Jefferson High School junior is launching an assistive technology start-up to help people with motor disabilities use computers more easily.

Dhanvin Ganeshkumar’s Swype AI will allow people to control their computer using a free mobile app on their smartphone in conjunction with gestures or vocal commands.


News

Arlington County staff hope to leverage strengths in the county’s location and workforce as advances in AI bring shake-ups to the nature of work.

Despite recent forecasts that AI will lead to corporate layoffs at Amazon in coming years, Ryan Touhill, director of Arlington Economic Development, told ARLnow that he believes the county has the potential to come out on top amid rapid technological changes.


Around Town

A new product to help people track down lost belongings made its debut in Arlington this week.

Falls Church accountant Dave Doctor is the entrepreneur behind LostAF — a brand of lost-and-found stickers with unique QR codes to help people contact those who have lost things.


News

Facing job cuts and wide-ranging uncertainty at the federal level, Arlington Economic Development has launched a new program to attract more tech companies.

Arlington Tech Launchpad formally kicked off on Jan. 29, the day after President Donald Trump’s “deferred resignation” emails cast federal workplaces around the country into turmoil.


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