Remote control cars you can fit into
Posted on October 31, 2007 • By Rebecca Markowitz
Category: Technology | Tags: | View Comments
The buzz on the streets has people talking about Israel’s venture into electric cars and as Haaretz points out, “there’s nothing trendier than global warming”. The initiative comes via Shai Agassi and Idan Ofer’s “Project Better Place” which aims to shift the world’s cars from fossil-fueled to electric-fueled. Agassi is confident that an electric car will be built over the next five years, and is focusing his energies (ha) on creating recharging stations across the globe. You can watch CNBC’s interview with Shai Agassi here. Is it wrong to still be rooting for the flying car, too?
Talmudic Logic – a joke
Posted on October 29, 2007 • By Miriam Schwab
Category: Jokes | Tags: | View Comments
After months of negotiation with the authorities, a Talmudist from Odessa was finally granted permission to visit Moscow. He boarded the train and found an empty seat. At the next stop, a young man got on and sat next to him.
The scholar looked at the young man and he thought: This fellow doesn’t look like a peasant, so if he is no peasant he probably comes from this district. If he comes from this district, then he must be Jewish because this is, after all, a Jewish district. But on the other hand, since he is a Jew, where could he be going? I’m the only Jew in our district who has permission to travel to Moscow. Read more»
Second Israel Web Tour, February 2008
Posted on October 29, 2007 • By Rebecca Markowitz
Category: Business, Technology, Videos | Tags: | View Comments
The second Israel Web Tour is scheduled for February 4-7, 2008 in Silicon Valley and will bring 15 of Israel’s hottest startups to present, mingle, and find investment. The event is organized by the CICC – California Israel Chamber of Commerce in an effort to “advance Israeli companies and Israeli technology”. Last year’s Israel Web Tour was hosted by Michael Arrington of TechCrunch and featured startups Yedda, beinsync, SkyLow, Gizmoz, Fixya, FoxyTunes, RadarSync, ILCU, SpearCast, TrustedOpinion, Interating, Kasamba, ViewScore , MyHeritage. Looking forward to finding out who’ll be there this year.
Here’s a little taste of last year’s event:
Israel Center for the Treatment of Psychotrauma helps 10 percent of Israelis who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder
Posted on October 28, 2007 • By Naomi Ragen
Category: Social | Tags: | View Comments
Over ten percent of Israel’s population suffer from post traumatic stress disorder, three times the number in America. They include the policemen who are the first to arrive at terror scenes and cannot erase the pictures from their heads. They are the battle-hard reservists who went through hell in Lebanon. They are Gush Katif evacuees. They are the school children in Sderot (a full 50 percent desperately needing psychological intervention) and children in the North, who experienced the Lebanese War. They are Ethiopian Jews who watched their children starve to death, their mothers and father die on the long trek to come home to Israel. They are people like me who, with the proper help, can get their lives back. Read more»
Israelis are getting funnier, watch Reshet to see for yourself
Posted on October 22, 2007 • By Rebecca Markowitz
Category: Art and Culture, Technology | Tags: | View Comments
After years of perfecting their dark, black, sarcastic humor, Israelis have switched gears and started in a new direction – hilarious TV shows. And now, thanks to the Reshet Video Machine, you can watch plenty of these funny Israeli TV shows online. It sounds like an almighty and powerful machine, and it is. Take a look. The videos load super fast, it creates a playlist for you based on what you select, and gives you a URL so you can send your favorite clips to your friends. The video technology of course, is from Israeli company, HIRO Media. My two favorites shows are HaYisraelim and Ktzarim, which both feature short skits. They are in Hebrew, but Ktzarim has Hebrew subtitles so you can read along. And, if you miss the jokes the first time, just reload them. No shame. Enjoy!
Goldman Sachs to invest $100m in Israeli Mobileye
Posted on October 21, 2007 • By Miriam Schwab
Category: Business | Tags: | View Comments
The deals involving Israeli companies keep getting better and better, this time with Goldman Sachs agreeing to invest $100m in Israeli company Mobileye at a valuation of $600m.
Mobileye develops systems aimed at preventing traffic accidents by detecting the distance between vehicles, and providing warnings in dangerous situations. Apparently their solution costs less and allows consolidation of multiple applications on a single platform. Mobileye is scheduled to provide its technology in six production platforms in 2007 (start of production) with BMW, GM and Volvo.
Mobileye’s R&D center is in Jerusalem’s Har Hotzvim hi-tech park, and they have been picked as a Top 100 Private Company in Europe, and Top 100 Innovator by Red Herring.
Did the people behind Mobileye gain their inspiration by watching their fellow Israelis drive? If so, at least something positive has come out of the Israeli driving methodology (honk, wave hands vigorously, put on blinker after changing lanes, etc.).
Good news from Israel vs. bad news from…the Netherlands?
Posted on October 18, 2007 • By Miriam Schwab
Category: Social | Tags: | View Comments
israelplug was born as an effort to produce a news site with the type of news about Israel you won’t find on mainstream publications – good news! Sometimes I watch the news and I think “Are they talking about me and everyone I know?” It makes me wonder if I actually am oppressing poor minority children in my free time…
Anyways, there are those who claim that the media repeatedly adopts a negative slant when reporting on Israel, thus promoting a bias rather than reality, and that we’re not necessarily worse than other countries. For example, The Netherlands is a particularly sinister place.
The Netherlands?! The Netherlands is a place full of windmills, tulips and free pot! A bad day there must be when someone smoking pot fears that the windmills are blowing the tulips over.
Well, The Netherlands ain’t as rosy as it seems Read more»
New facebook app lets you add your Hebrew name to profile
Posted on October 18, 2007 • By Miriam Schwab
Category: Art and Culture | Tags: | View Comments
Jacob Richman, the ever-active guy behind the very useful CJI (Computer Jobs in Israel) mailing list and his directory of all things Israeli, has developed a new facebook app that lets you add your Hebrew name to your profile fittingly called My Hebrew Name. All you have to do is add the app, enter your Hebrew name in English letters, and it adds a box to your profile with how your name is spelled in Hebrew. Here’s mine:
CNBC Breaking News: Kosher Ka-ching
Posted on October 18, 2007 • By Rebecca Markowitz
Category: Miscellaneous, Videos | Tags: | View Comments
24/6 Kosher vending machines that sell hot dogs, mozarella sticks, knishes and other kosher goodies are making headlines across America. Hot Nosh founders Doron Fetman and Alan Cohnen are planning to roll out 2000 kosher vending machines over the next two years. This is a dream come true for many observant American Jews drooling over their company’s cafeteria food but know they should just wait till they get home. As if the idea weren’t cool enough, these Brooklyn boys got Ruby Azrak, founder of Phat Farm and friends with Beyoncé, to fund their initiative. I wonder if these guys were inspired by the French Fry vending machine that I spotted 5 years ago on Rehov Hillel in downtown Jerusalem? Watch the video to learn more… and help me make the connection to Fiddler on the Roof?!
Tables and walls are the new power outlets, thanks to Powermat
Posted on October 17, 2007 • By Rebecca Markowitz
Category: Technology | Tags: | View Comments
NYConvergence informs us about an Israeli company Powermat, who created the technology that will let people charge electronic devices like cell phones and laptops from hard surfaces like tables and walls. It sounds ideal – no more carrying heavy chargers around. Now all we need to do is convince every coffee shop and office to follow suit and offer the powermat. Ran Poliakine of Powermat is officially launching the product in New York City, so get ready, your laptop cases may get lighter and you won’t be able to use the excuse “my battery is dying” when trying to end an awkward phone call. Powermat was also prominently featured in BusinessWeek and Crains.
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