College students show off power, creativity of software systems at Hopkins hackathon

Teams of college students from across the country gathered at the Johns Hopkins University's biannual HopHacks event Sunday to show off.

They built software to help people seek out money lenders from remote parts of the world, even if they can't read or write. An app that uses technology known as augmented reality to help the elderly fix their printers or log into their Facebook accounts. A program that maps out President Donald Trump's personal connections through an analysis of news articles.

All in less than two days.

It was a "hackathon," in which engineers compete to build the most inventive and useful software applications over a sleep-deprived, Red Bull-fueled weekend. At the eighth iteration of HopHacks, sponsorships from companies like Capital One and Google gave the students access to their own complex programs and heavy-duty, lightning-speed computing power.

It's a way for students who are relatively new to the field to test their skills and creativity using tools at the cutting edge of the industry they hope to join — and a chance for employers to start grooming them for their workforces.

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