Israel Active

The Israeli Cabinet has approved a 250 million-shekel ($66 million) plan to advance and strengthen the smart transportation industry in Israel. The goal is to "position the Israeli high-tech industry as a global leader in the field”, which could be worth $7 trillion in 2030.

Facebook says its Israeli-developed Facebook Lite app for low-end phones serves more than 200 million monthly active users globally – double that of last year.  The app supports 55 languages and is popular in countries such as Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and the Philippines.

Israel’s PacketLight Networks is partnering with Russia’s Avelacom to build out their high-speed network from London to Moscow with PacketLight’s optical transport solutions. The 1100 km long-haul network will provide speeds of 100G.

Israeli start-up Kado has raised $1.2 million to complete development of what it says is the world’s thinnest wall charger that fits in your wallet. Kado has two chargers: one for smartphones and tablets and one for laptops. The founders sold their previous disposable charger mobeego for $6 million.

Uri Alon is the founder and owner of the Salad Trail - the educational food farm at Moshav Talmei Yosef.  He teaches about some of the amazing vegetables, fruit and herbs that Israel has developed. Purple carrots, flying strawberries, edible flowers and, of course, cherry tomatoes - all growing in the Israeli “desert”.  Please also listen to the interview.

Cyberbit - the cybersecurity subsidiary of Israel’s Elbit - is to launch a unique cybersecurity training and simulation center in Tokyo. The Israeli system will contribute to Japan’s cyber readiness for the 2020 Olympic Games and beyond.

The IDF is soon to inaugurate its largest solar project yet when it begins running a solar farm, built by Israel’s Enlight Renewable Energy, at its Ramon Airbase. The 16,000 solar panels will produce 5 MW - half of the base’s electricity.

Israel’s Hot Mobile and Partner have completed deployment of their technology to make Eilat the first Israeli city to have a 4.5G LTE Advance cellular network. Customers can now obtain speeds around 100 Mbps.

Just in time for World Wildlife Day (Mar 3rd), Israeli drivers can now use the Israeli Waze navigation app to report a dead animal on the side of the road. The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel will then consolidate and analyze the data to find solutions for providing safe passage for wildlife.

Israeli architect David Fisher has designed Dubai’s 80-story Dynamic Tower Hotel, due for completion in 2020. Hotel residents will be able to rotate their rooms through 360 degrees, to either follow the sun or shade or change the view endlessly or on demand.