Israel Active

(Thanks to Israel21c) Israel’s Qlight has won the Best Nanotech Company of the Year award at Nanotech Israel 2014. Its nano-crystals enhance the quality and colors of LCD TV screens and LED lights while reducing energy consumption. Qlight is 50% owned by Merck.

Graduate student Michael Brandwein from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has incorporated a new module TZD into cardboard packaging for agricultural produce. TZD was synthesized at the HUJ, which is working with Kibbutz Beit Guvrin to commercialize the process.

Israel’s Webydo is one of the fastest growing designer communities in the world and has raised $7 million in investment for its website-creation cloud platform. With it, designers can create, manage, and host innovative websites, without writing code or hiring developers.

Israel’s Perion Network has developed the Lenovo Browser Guard that will be pre-installed on Lenovo laptops, PCs and tablets. It stops Internet sites from installing unwanted software on your computer. It also prevents unauthorized changes to the computer’s default browser and settings.

Tel Aviv-based Tracense Systems has developed the world’s first nanotech-based “electronic nose” to sniff out security threats like bombs, biological warfare agents, and toxic liquids. The ‘laboratory-on-a-chip’ sensors even outperform “sniffer” dogs.

(Thanks to Atid-EDI) Israel’s LinX Imaging has developed miniature multi-aperture cameras for mobile devices. Twin sensors provide far better quality than standard single sensors. Functionality includes 3D face recognition and ability to refocus even after capture.

There has been a 63 per cent increase in the number of households that participate in Israel’s waste separation-at-source program. 43 local authorities now collect approximately 2,707 tons of organic waste per month, most going to compost and anaerobic digestion facilities.

Livelens, an Israeli-developed app, lets users take video using their iPhone, Android or Google Glass devices and share them with the world in a live stream, which they can charge money to view. Livelens even recruited a notorious South African celebrity to promote the app.

Israel’s Afcon Holdings has secured NIS 200 million in financing to build two wind farms at Kibbutz Maaleh Hagilboa and Kibbutz Degania in the lower Galilee. The two wind farms will generate 21.25 megawatts of electricity altogether.

The popularity of the youtube channel of Israel’s Technion reflects the progress of Israel’s longest established scientific institution. Subscription is free.