Tech leaders aim to help nonprofits

Orlando’s tech community is taking a shot at helping nonprofit organizations and social groups.

Leaders of local agencies in need will share with local technology leaders problems that could use a tech-centric solution at today’s first meeting of the Momentum group.

Teams will then form around the more-popular ideas, touching off a monthlong effort to build the requested product, be it a website, mobile application or other ideas.

“They will each bring real-world need for our teams to address and share the outcomes they envision when that need is met,” an online post from the Orlando Tech Association reads.

The first meeting will function as an idea-pitch night, with subsequent meetings focused on working toward the final product.

On July 24, teams will reconvene to show off what they have built. a $500,000 contract from the U.S. Army.

Cole Engineering Services won the deal with the U.S. Army’s Orlando-based Training and Readiness Accelerator, known as TReX .

The simulator is meant to help pilots improve training and defense against air artillery.

If the prototype wins over the military, Cole could be in line for further development of the units and, potentially, deployment through U.S. Army Combat Training Center locations across the U.S.

“We are confident that our solution will boost training and improve the ability of the Army to combat enemy threats, and we are excited to be able to pioneer next-generation capabilities during this effort,” Cole project manager John Surdu said in a news release.

TReX works under the U.S. Army’s Arlington, Va.based National Security Technology Accelerator, or NSTXL.

The award “highlights that the Army is very serious about testing important technologies as soon as possible in order to combat threats,” said Tim Greeff, NSTXL’s CEO in the release. “The Army’s TReX program provides the service with an agile mechanism to refine critical technologies that keep pace with ongoing and emerging challenges.”

A T-shirt design contest for the OrlandoiX tech conference, planned for Full Sail University Aug. 17-18, has opened its public voting period. The winning design will earn $250 cash, with a winner expected to be announced July 16.

OrlandoiX is a two-day conference that showcases Orlando’s tech and video game companies. Augmented and virtual reality expert Cathy Hackl will keynote the conference. Hackl last year participated in an Oculus program that helped support virtual reality content creators. No other speakers have been announced.

There are two ticket options for the event: full access to exhibits and sponsored workshops, along with a kickoff party for $25. For $149, attendees can also watch the main conference and speaker presentations.

The conference was cut to two days from four this year with no explanation.