Category: Technology
Wired Magazine Acknowledges Sabra Tech
Posted on May 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Although it might sound kind of scary, “The Danger Room”, is a special section of Wired Magazine focusing on technology for national security with a special category dedicated to Israel, called “Sabra Tech“. I wonder if anyone besides the author of this section, Noah Shachtman, actually knows what the heck Sabra Tech means. The section started at the end of April 2008 with an article about special army robots, “Israel’s newest soldier” that can see at night, navigate alone through cities and traffic intersections, patrol borders, scan 360 degrees, and alert officers if it identifies anything suspicious.
Sabra Tech also features flying robotic ambulances (too cool for words) and dogs that are trained to patrol and guard jails. Wired gets a big high five for reporting on Israeli technology for avid robotic fans and Israel fans alike.
What will you be driving in 2010? A Sneak Peek
Posted on May 13, 2008 | 2 Comments
If you answered “One of the two yellow Hummers in Israel”, you may not really be interested in the rest of this post. For the rest of us, we could end up driving electric cars within the next 2 years, thanks to Shai Agassi and Renault. The latest model has been spotted circling around parking lots in Tel Aviv. I wonder who the lucky guy/gal is that gets to test it and is forced to drive around in circles all day. Weee!
While I admit that this is no flying car, the electric car will create cleaner air and lower our dependency on fossil fuels, a good thing considering the only oil Israel has is olive oil and it’s too tasty to be wasted on transportation.
Newsweek explains that 150 recharging stations aka ’swaps’ will be built around Israel and will take the same amount of time to fill up as a traditional gas pump. You’ll also be able to recharge at home or the office for shorter distances. Drivers can pay for the recharging with monthly subscriptions, similar to a cellphone plan, and it should end up being cheaper than gas.
When these guilt-free and cheaper fueling electric cars become available to the public, I will definitely want one. But I ain’t getting on the roads until the national aggression level in Israeli drivers is lowered significantly. Where is Project Better Drivers? That is the real question here.
Shai Agassi, of Project Better Place, is speaking at the President’s Conference in Jerusalem this week, so hopefully we’ll learn of the latest status of the project and report it here on israelplug.
eBay aims to stop fraud with help of newly acquired Israeli Fraud Sciences
Posted on January 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment
In October, we reported about a smallish Israeli company poised to take on the evil world of online purchasing fraud. That company was Fraud Sciences, and now that baby’s all grown up and acquired by eBay/PayPal for $169 million in cash. Sniff. Read more»
Samsung invests in yet another Israeli company: Micro Components
Posted on January 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Samsung Ventures Investment Corp. has made a multi-million dollar strategic investment in Micro Components Ltd., a semiconductor packaging technology company, as part of its current financing round.
MCL’s press release states that “This is the first investment that Samsung Ventures has made in an Israeli technology company.” This is only partially true, since while Samsung Ventures may not have invested in other Israeli companies, another prominent arm of Samsung, Samsung Electronics, did invest in Israeli TransChip Israel in November of last year.
Remote control cars you can fit into
Posted on October 31, 2007 | 1 Comment
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?
Second Israel Web Tour, February 2008
Posted on October 29, 2007 | Leave a Comment
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:
Israelis are getting funnier, watch Reshet to see for yourself
Posted on October 22, 2007 | Leave a Comment
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!
Tables and walls are the new power outlets, thanks to Powermat
Posted on October 17, 2007 | 1 Comment
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.
The homework machine a reality with Israel start-up Shvoong
Posted on October 10, 2007 | 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.
Fear not, virtual reality is here to help
Posted on September 25, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Whether you’re afraid of the dark or spiders or gremlins under your bed, no fear is untreatable, according to a new treatment center in Herzliya Pituah. This new center uses virtual reality technology to help cure phobias, fears that start to take over your life, causing you to avoid every-day situations.
Using a process involving virtual reality, the clinic offers patients 3-D goggles that gradually expose them to their fear. The goggles come complete with sound for real effect and make the patient feel as though they were facing the object of their phobia. It really works, according to deputy chief of psychiatry Dr. Yehuda Sasson from Sheba Medical Center, who claims his “Fearless” clinic is the only place in the country offering virtual reality treatment for phobias.
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