Israel Active

The Israeli firm Indolive is helping farmers to grow olives in the Rajasthan – a desert state with complex soil conditions in the west of India.

Israel’s Netafim, the pioneer of drip irrigation and the world’s largest irrigation company, has been named the 2013 Stockholm Industry Water Award laureate. The award committee said, “Netafim’s remarkable achievements, helping farmers across the world to ‘grow more with less’, are directly contributing to a more water and food secure world.”

This summer, “Digi-Tel,” will allow Tel Aviv residents to do all municipal business online. Via free wifi, you can receive event information and buy tickets for the shows and sports you are interested in.

(Thanks Uri) Israel Airports Authority has installed the automated Foreign Object Debris detection system FODetect developed by Israel’s Xsight, at Ben-Gurion airport. The system identifies material on the runway that could cause a disaster like the one involving an Air-France Concorde jet.

In a twist on the usual scenario, Israeli networking equipment manufacturer Mellanox has bought California-based silicon-photonics technology pioneer Kotura. The acquisition provides Mellanox with Kotura’s 100-megabit data transmission capability and perhaps even more.

Haifa-based IBM Research Lab scientists have developed “Big Data” algorithms that can interpret utility meter readings and sensors to detect water leaks. Israel’s Arad Metering Technologies will integrate IBM’s new consumption pattern analytics program into their smart metering system.

(Thanks to NoCamels) Israeli designer Nir Meiri’s Marine Light project uses seaweed to make lampshades. He writes that seaweed is harvested on a commercial scale, “as a result of a growing interest driven by environmental concerns.” Meiri presented his creation at Milan Design Week.

(Thanks to Israel21c) Israel’s Dip-Tech has an innovative digital glass printing solution that turns ordinary-looking buildings into extraordinary landmarks. Examples of Dip-Tech’s glass designs can be found on a Moscow Mall, Harlem Hospital, Barclays France HQ and Exeter University.

UK’s Foreign Secretary and Israel’s Minister for Science signed a Memorandum of Understanding, under the British-Israeli Research Academic Exchange, to double existing cooperation in regenerative medicine, increasing the number of research scholarships to 300 within five years.

Tel Aviv University researchers have used a light-measuring method, based on Einstein’s theory of relativity to locate a new planet 2,000 light years away from Earth. TAU Professor Tsevi Mazeh said that Kepler-76b was the first planet discovered using the Doppler relativistic beaming effect.