Israel Active

Media giant AOL is funding the multi-million dollar “Connected Experiences” lab (ConnX) being launched by NYC-based Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute.  The lab will operate in both Israel and New York, allowing research of communication and coordination, food and wellness, education and safety, and information and entertainment.  It also includes a graduate fellowship program.

Israeli Zach Bamberger has developed the SmartAlarm, which checks weather conditions, traffic alerts, and other data and decides when you need to get out of bed in order to make it to work on time.  E.g. detecting an incident on your route at 4am, the alarm can wake you 15 minutes earlier than usual.

(Thanks to Size Doesn’t Matter) One million users per month are joining Israel’s Moovit community for easier travel on public transport.  Moovit works in hundreds of cities worldwide.  It combines service company data with live actual data from Moovit travelers.

Israelis Shai Mishali and Pavel Kaminsky won the $100,000 grand prize at the global hackathon competition held at PayPal’s California HQ.  They beat 3,000 international programmers by developing (in 24 hours) AirHop, for messaging without cellular reception or using devices without SIM cards.

(Thanks to Stuart) A study by scientists from Israel, Germany and the US shows Israel’s plants to be more resilient than other plant species in being able to withstand the stresses of any threat from global warming. One researcher said, "Our plants are strong and so are the people of Israel!"

Two Tel Aviv University professors had key roles in the Rosetta project which completed the first ever spacecraft landing on a comet. Prof. Akiva Bar-Nun helped design the craft and its experiments.  Prof Morris Podolak and other Israelis will analyze the Dust Impact Monitor experiment.

(Thanks to Israel21c)  All major auto manufacturers, including Volvo, Toyota, Renault, Fiat and BMW, seek after Israeli car-tech.  Israel has about 150 companies developing some of the most advanced security and vision systems for the vehicles of today and tomorrow.

The Ford Motor Company has signed a deal with Israel’s Mishor 3D, which develops augmented reality navigation systems for automobiles.  Ford will fit Mishor’s navigation systems into future Ford vehicles.  Mishor’s ShadowBox displays vital information onto the car’s windshield.

No more smelly armpits.  Israelis Gilad Arwatz and Carla Bahri have invented the ClickStick – the world’s first reusable, electronic deodorant applicator.  It dispenses precise amounts of any retail deodorant, with eco-friendly refills.  Their kickstarter campaign is coming up roses!

The WeR@Home home security system from Israel’s Essence has just won the Broadband Infovision Award for Best Broadband Home Service Innovation.  Back in July, WeR@Home also won the European Consumer’s Choice Award for 2014.  Besides its alarm facilities, WeR@Home can control more than 1,000 devices and applications including door locks, switches, dimmers, and thermostats.