Israel Active

When I reported previously on Israeli urban on-foot iPhone navigation app Sidekix, it was available in 15 cities.  Today it can be used in 60 cities in the US, UK, Europe and Israel and is growing at a rate of about five cities per month. An Android version is also planned.

Intel Israel is building what it claims will be the world’s smartest building. The 34,000-square-meter R&D center in Petach Tikva will contain thousands of smart sensors to control security, lighting, climate, recycling, parking, presentations, restaurants and coffee for 2500 employees.

Israeli scientists at Israel's Agricultural Research Organization (better known as the Volcani Institute) have identified a genetic mechanism in apricots that controls temperature sensitivity. Starting with apricots, they are now developing varieties of crops that thrive in temperatures where previously they couldn’t even grow.

Israeli marketing analytics developer Datorama provides an end-to-end marketing analytics solution for business users. Its Marketing Integration Engine uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to connect online and offline data. Datorama has just raised $32 million to fund more R&D.

I reported previously about Israel’s Sensibo which allows you to control your air-conditioning from any location.  Now it has launched Sensibo Inside that allows OEMs and distributors to turn any A/C appliance into a smart IoT (Internet of Things) device.

Israel’s Ministry of Environmental Protection has reported reductions of up to 52% in the emissions of air pollutants by 540 of the biggest enterprises in Israel between 2012-2015. The flow of pollutants into the Mediterranean also dramatically decreased between 2012-2015.

Researchers at Israel’s Technion and Israel’s Sela Ltd. have rewritten engineering rules to build the Dganit - a boat that is lighter, faster, more durable and uses less fuel. The design stops waves from the “slamming” effect that causes stress. Combined with a polyurea coating, it allows the use of thinner plates.

Scientists at Israel’s Technion have designed a low-energy system for harvesting safe drinking water from air. It uses a liquid desiccant to separate water vapor from air and then condenses just the vapor. It saves up to 65% of the energy of current systems.

A delegation of Panama’s water sector decision makers came to Israel to see its technology and strategy for making best use of its water resources.  They were most impressed with Israel’s central control of water and also focused on Israel’s water reclamation, treatment and purification systems.

Israeli startup MOBILAB gets you a trusted technician to fix your smartphone at home or the office. Use their app (if your phone is still working), or their website.  Available in Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, Bnei Brak and Givatayim, it will soon expand to the rest of the country and maybe internationally. (Hebrew-only site)