Israel Active

Scientists at Israel’s NewCO2Fuels are testing a Weizmann Institute method for turning brown coal into an environmentally friendly fuel source. The process uses highly focused solar rays to convert the carbon dioxide produced in the burning of the coal into more fuel and generate oxygen.

Israel Chemicals Ltd. (ICL) has launched ICL Innovation Ltd., an Open Innovation program through which it will accelerate its development of sustainable new products and processes to drive its future growth. ICL will allocate several million dollars a year to fund the program.

Researchers at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have proved that combining large numbers of different distinct aromas produces a bland odour that has been named “olfactory white”. The discovery could be as useful as the discovery of white noise (mixed sounds) and white light (mixed colours).

In a winning move, Israel’s University of Haifa, in collaboration with chess Grandmaster Boris Gelfand, has launched a program to develop a novel academic approach to the skills and culture of chess-playing that can in turn contribute to social and scientific development.

Israeli start-up Yotpo provides a solution for companies to receive on-line reviews of their products – and a lot more besides. But during Operation Pillar of Defense, four of their ten employees were called up. Needless to say, the rest of Yotpo’s staff used their social skills to cover for their colleagues.

This clever video highlights 3 popular Israeli smart-phone applications that sum up what Tel Aviv life is all about. But be sure to watch through to the humorous self-critical ending.

(Thanks to NoCamels) Alcohoot’s application and smartphone add-on turn a user’s phone into an accurate BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) tester. It can also show you a list of nearby taxi companies and has other useful features.

This APV is by Research and Development Institute for Intelligent Robotic Systems, of the Computer Science Department of the College of Management Academic Studies (COMAS) of Rishon leZion.

(Thanks to NoCamels) Israel’s Center for Educational Technology and Singapore’s Dynamics Speech are developing VTAMIC (Visual Task Manager in a Calendar), which is designed to help children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) to deal with daily activities.

The Israeli company Epcon will build eleven wind turbines on land owned by Kibbutz Degania, to power electrical generators that will produce ten megawatts of power. On Israel’s first wind farm in the Golan Heights, built in 1992, ten turbines produce six megawatts of power.