MTV launching Israel site, picks Israel-based TVinci platform
Posted on October 16, 2007 • By Rebecca Markowitz
Category: Art and Culture, Social | Tags: | 1 Comment
According to Go2web2, MTV is launching a MTV site for Israel on December 1. And their music video platform of choice will be none other than Israel-based TVinci. The site promises to entertain us for hours with both English and Hebrew (Yiddish, too?) music videos, CD reviews, interviews, and the ever popular shows like Jackass and Punk’d. MTV Israel also promises to let users promote themselves by uploading songs, videos, pictures and whatever else you can think of. But, just in case the music videos and The Real World don’t keep you addicted enough, MTV will be using TVinci powered TVBox (the music player) to serve as a social network, letting people share the hottest albums, clips, or gossip with each other.
Israeli TV startup RayV raises $8m
Posted on October 14, 2007 • By Miriam Schwab
Category: Business | Tags: | 2 Comments
Another funding success story: Israeli Virtual TV Network company RayV has just raised $8m. According to alarm:clock, the company is in stealth mode, and offers a new way for “consumers to find, review, and talk about local businesses. A cross between a web-based social community and an online business directory, RAYV is where people go to express their opinions on any type of local business and get recommendations from a trusted source – their peers.”
Israel seems to be pretty strong in the Internet TV arena, with some leading companies like BlogTV, Metacafe, and 5min.
If you know of any other Israeli Internet TV companies, please add them to the comments below.
Answers.com partners with WordPress with new Plugin
Posted on October 14, 2007 • By Miriam Schwab
Category: Business | Tags: | Leave a Comment
Answers.com, an Israeli company publicly traded on the NASDAQ, has partnered with the guys behind WordPress to integrate Answers.com’s service with WordPress blogs. The company has developed a plugin for users of the free, downloadable WordPress.org platform, and is providing an integrated service on WordPress.com blogs.
Answers is a free online service that provides definitions and encyclopedic-entries on millions of topics. Their new plugin will add a button to the toolbar that, when clicked, creates an automatic link from a word to its entry on Answers.com. Here’s the explanation from the press release: Read more»
Fraud Sciences raises $11M in 2nd round
Posted on October 12, 2007 • By Miriam Schwab
Category: Business | Tags: | Leave a Comment
A few days ago we took a look at Fraud Sciences, an Israeli hi-tech company that helps online retailers lower the risks and costs from fraud.
Well, happy news: Fraud Sciences has just closed a second round of funding to the tune of $11m! According to Business Journal, the round was led by Redpoint Ventures, and included Israel-based BRM Capital.
The homework machine a reality with Israel start-up Shvoong
Posted on October 10, 2007 • By Rebecca Markowitz
Category: Social, Technology | Tags: | Leave a Comment
As a kid, I read Shel Silverstein’s famous poem, “The Homework Machine” which, as you can guess, is about a machine that does your homework for you, just doesn’t promise the best results. Today, this homework machine seems to have taken shape in the form of Israeli start-up, Shvoong. I’m not claiming that it will do your homework for you, but it does come pretty close. Shvoong’s website boasts free essays, term papers, articles, summaries, and abstracts - any student’s fantasy site.
On a social level, Roi Carthy writes that Shvoong Homework lets kids “use Shvoong Homework to type-up their schoolwork, keep it organized, and then share it with individual or groups of classmates, the entire class, students from other schools entirely, or no one at all. ” Does education need to be another social networking site? What happened to the days of paying attention in class, writing things down in a notebook, and doing well all on your own.
Polite Israelis: a possibility in our lifetime, thanks to new contest
Posted on October 10, 2007 • By Rebecca Markowitz
Category: Social | Tags: | 1 Comment
The contest seems easy enough, you propose an idea to civilize Israelis and you could win $60,000 cash. Unlike another recent, somewhat similar contest, there is no teaching commitment for the winner, nor do you have to leave your house to write about or implement your idea. It seems almost too good to be true. But, in a country with no lines, no driving rules, and strikes every other day, can it be done? Can Israelis change for the better? This is an unbelievable contest, and one that’s long overdue. Thank you, Ronny Maman, wealthy Israeli businessman, for creating this contest and I truly hope to see results in my lifetime. The website for submitting ideas seems to be only in Hebrew. Here’s what you need to know:
Deadline: January 22, 2008, Tu B’shvat
Email ideas to: info@derech-eretz.org
Send to: Rehov Achuza 96, POBox 26, Ranaana
Fax to: 09-7409592
Winners will be announced: June 6, 2008
(Hat tip: The New Jew: Blogging Jewish Philanthropy)
Israeli money makeover: Goodbye 5 agurot, Hello 2 shekel coin and plastic bills
Posted on October 9, 2007 • By Rebecca Markowitz
Category: Miscellaneous | Tags: | 1 Comment
In an effort to make our pockets even heavier, the Bank of Israel has decided to stop circulation of the 5 agurot, sure to be a collector’s item, (roughly equivalent to a penny), and add a 2 shekel coin to the shiny array of Israeli coins. Now it’s America’s turn to shed the antiquated copper version.
Compared to US dollars, Israel’s shekel bills have always been a colorful sight, making spending money a pleasure since it doesn’t feel like real money. And now, those bills will look even more fake, thanks to a new protective plastic coating that will be applied to the 20 shekel bill. Now we’re talking, money that doubles as an umbrella for the upcoming winter months, and as Haaretz points out, a replacement for missing monopoly money.
Unusual prize to reignite Jewishness involves Brandeis, teaching, and money
Posted on October 9, 2007 • By Rebecca Markowitz
Category: Social | Tags: | 2 Comments
Too bad Charles Bronfman already thought of birthright israel, or I would’ve entered it in Bronfman’s competition to “find a new idea which can transform the way the Jewish community thinks about itself“. Let’s say I enter a great new idea and win. Would I want to leave Israel and move to Boston to write about my idea and teach at Brandeis for 2 years? Well, that’s exactly the prize that Mr. Bronfman is offering the winner.Even with a six-digit salary thrown in to make things interesting, I’m not sure the incentive has been properly thought out, leaving many people hesitant about submitting their thoughts.
The prize reminds me of meetings I’ve attended where I’m eager to suggest a good idea only to avoid saying anything so I don’t have to take on extra responsibility since I know how it works - whoever suggests it, does it. Maybe there could be a second prize like 1000 bucks, a mention of your name on the Brandeis campus, and explain your idea in further detail over the phone. I’d submit 20 ideas right now.
Israel natural resources include timber, potash, and sand
Posted on October 8, 2007 • By Miriam Schwab
Category: Tidbits | Tags: | 4 Comments
Did you know that sand is considered one of Israel natural resources? Israel’s list of natural resources according to the CIA Factbook is unimpressive, to say the least. The list includes timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, and sand.
Sand?!
It’s as if they felt the list was too short and had to add something, anything - so they added sand and clay. Yup, the world is just clamoring for our clay.
I guess the one comfort is that Israel has been forced to look elsewhere for income, and as a result has developed a pretty impressive technology sector.
The beat of the metal detector
Posted on October 8, 2007 • By Miriam Schwab
Category: Videos | Tags: | Leave a Comment
Security is a regular part of Israeli life. This video pays “homage” to the urban soundtrack of our lives, post-terrorism - by Edan Alterman.
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