Solving world hunger with – grasshoppers
Israeli startup Steak Tzar Tzar (Hebrew for “cricket”) is farming grasshoppers to solve the world’s protein shortage. The insect is 70% protein and marketable to at least the 2.5 billion people who already consume insects. And they are even kosher – to the traditions of Yemenite Jews.
Yet another “doggy” app
PlayDate can now be added to the dog-friendly Israeli apps. The app is a one-stop service that allows dog owners to connect in a completely new way. Dog owners can swipe through profiles of canines in the area, and set up doggy dates through instant messaging.
Ensuring the purity of our drinking water
Israel’s national water company Mekorot is implementing remote water monitoring kits from Israeli startup Ayyeka. The kits work with all types of sensor to measure the level of chlorine and turbidity (murkiness). Mekorot plans to roll out the kits throughout Israel.
Snap it, find it, and buy it
The on-line shoe business is worth $10 billion per year and Israel’s SnapGet’s Android or iOS app makes it even better for customers. Just take a photo of a shoe that you want to buy and SnapGet will search 50,000 styles and 18,000 merchants to find it (or something very similar) at the best price.
AVG launches R&D center in Israel
Online security company AVG is establishing its global Center of Excellence for mobile technology in Tel Aviv. AVG previously bought Israel’s DroidSecurity which developed AVG’s AntiVirus for Android with over 100 million downloads.
Powering Mobile development
Excellent article about Israel’s success in mobile technology. It includes company features on Israel’s Moovit, Clear Sky Apps, IronSource and Zikit.
Google launches Waze ride-sharing app
Google has launched a pilot carpooling service for Tel Aviv commuters. It is being offered through Israeli navigation app Waze, which Google bought in 2013 for about $1 billion, and through RideWith - a new app for passengers who are not Waze users.
LCD screens using organic molecules
Israel’s StoreDot (famous for its technology that re-charges a dead phone battery in one minute) has now developed a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) made of a single layer of organic molecules. The LCD displays vivid colors for TVs, phones, tablets and (future) roll-up screens.
Detecting dangers on Facebook
Israel Technion student Eden Saig has developed a system that classifies sentiment in texts on social media. The system can identify potential terrorist threats or suicide risks. Eden’s system won Amdocs’ Best Project contest.
The fastest open switch in the world
Israel’s Mellanox has launched “Spectrum” - the world’s first 100 Gigabit open Ethernet-based switch. It allows businesses to increase the bandwidth of their data centers without having to upgrade all their other equipment. (A bit nerdy, but vital to computer managers!)