Israel Active

Israel’s Viber Media has launched Blackberry and Windows Phone 7 versions to join its iPhone and Android mobile platforms for free HD-quality phone calls, text and photo messages.

A team from the Savionim middle school in Yahud-Monosson has won first place in the First Lego League International Robotics Competition, held in Orlando Florida. The Israelis developed a sophisticated robot that gave an optimal solution to food quality problems.

JoyTunes, which develops applications for fun music learning, received the United Nations’ “World Summit Award 2011” in a special ceremony held in Cairo, Egypt. JoyTunes was selected from 460 projects and 105 countries that were submitted by regional experts.

So said Dr. E. Williams Colglazier, science and technology adviser to the US secretary of state at Israel Chief Scientist’s Annual Conference for Research and Development, held at Airport City. “Governmental investment in scientific education is the key to facilitating innovation.”

Paralysed Claire Lomas finally crossed the finish line of the London Marathon after 16 days. Her Israeli exoskeleton didn’t let her down. Please tell everyone where it was made, as the British TV channel ITV somehow “forgot” to mention it. (A few will have seen it, though, on this fast-moving youtube video.

Control your devices just by moving your head. Israeli app Umoove uses head and eye movement to control the applications and content that can be found on a mobile device. The uses include gaming, entertainment, helping people with disabilities, homeland security, book reading and so on.

(Thanks to Israel21c) Israel’s Exotech Bio Solutions has developed a unique natural super-absorbent polymer (SAP) with almost unlimited applications. It has recently partnered with three companies who will build factories to manufacture products that contain the amazing material.

Ormat Technologies – a subsidiary of Israel’s Ormat Industries – has won a $61.2 million deal to provide two air-cooled Ormat Energy Converters for a geothermal power plant project in North America.

(Thanks to Israel21c) Normally basil has a short shelf life, and the plant rarely lives longer than a year. However, the Israeli company Hishtil (“seedling” in Hebrew) has grafted two types of basil plants together. One of the company’s first grafted trees is five years old, and still provides fresh Basil.