Israel Active

Israeli wind sensor company Pentalum Technologies has raised $5.5 million to expand production of SpiDAR, a cost effective device for remote sensing of wind. The device is 20% of the price of competitors, allowing wind farms to improve electricity production by up to 10% - equal to millions of dollars.

Israeli start-up 22Seeds is raising finance for Greenbox - a revolutionary iPhone-controlled wireless irrigation system. From the comfort of your home you can program your irrigation valves, optimize water usage, import water programs, integrate with weather forecasts and much more.

(Thanks to Israel21c) Israeli farmers in the Negev have cut their use of chemical pesticides by about 80%. They use natural predators – bugs that don’t harm the crops – to get rid of the pests. Also they allow the land to rest in the July heat to kill off any remaining insects and fungus diseases in the soil.

The Israel Union for Environmental Defense has launched a new online website to give eco-conscious Israelis comprehensive information about recycling centers, air and water pollution, cellular antennas, open spaces, beaches and various environmental hazards.

A dangerous section of Route 1 between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem is being improved with a 16km new section. The NIS 2.5 billion cost includes an eco-friendly bridge, indistinguishable from the surrounding forests, which will allow animals to cross the highway in safety.

Israel’s mobile navigation and traffic community application, Waze, won the “Best Overall Mobile App” prize at the 18th Annual Global Mobile awards at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Jerusalem based UIU has developed a system that encourages individuals without smartphones to join the technological revolution. Even those with visual impairment can use the large fonts and security features. But did the Times of Israel really have to label people aged 55+ as “elderly”?

Russia is undergoing a retail boom. The Moscow Mall is one of Europe’s largest with 5000 stores. So Haifa-based WiseSec’s location application is essential if you don’t want to get lost. It also provides you with coupons to attract you to visit particular shops. No GPS necessary.

Eran Ofek of the Weizmann Institute is head of a team of researchers that has discovered the dying signature of stars. Just prior to becoming a supernova, stars emit gravity waves and eject up to one percent of their mass. The researchers studied a star, which became a supernova 40 days later.

The President of Tel Aviv University has written a nice piece in the Huffington Post. He tells about Maor, whose father - a construction worker – insists he goes to university. 12 years later, with a Masters degree, Maor is preparing his siblings to become scientists.