Good News Israel presents a better booster seat; turning plastic waste into fuel and much more.
By: Michael Ordman
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Good press coverage for Israeli water
In advance of October’s WATEC Israel 2015, Israel’s Ministry of Economy took 21 international journalists on a tour of Israel’s water installations and companies. Adi Yefet of Israel NewTech said, “I feel like we’re riding a great wave of positive publicity.”
http://israelnewtech.com/2015/06/international-journalists-tour-israel-towards-watec/
Measuring a plant’s health
Israel’s Phytech is bringing the Internet of Things to the plant world. Plantbeat’s sensors measure how healthy a plant is and what to do to improve it. Phytech is to sell its PlantBeat alert system to farmers in North and South America.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/plant-world-to-get-israeli-internet-of-things-tech/
Samsung launch Israel startup incubator
Samsung is founding a startup accelerator in its Israel development center. Samsung is looking for 6-10 startups in mobile communications, information security, wearable computers, big data, cloud computing, biometric identification, wireless charging, and autonomous vehicles.
http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-samsung-founding-startup-accelerator-in-yakum-1001050331
Not just coffee – it’s art
Israeli startup SteamCC has invented the Ripples coffee “foam printer” that produces a personalized design in the foam on the top of your coffee. Choose one of the hundreds of designs available on the Ripple Maker’s touchscreen, which is printed out through the tiny openings in the machine’s nozzle.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/your-face-on-a-latte-israeli-start-up-makes-it-possible/
A better booster seat
Israeli entrepreneur Jon Sumroy has developed mifold, a booster seat that is 10 times smaller than the typical booster seat. It holds the seat and shoulder belts down to match the child’s height and body contours, so as to fit securely. It is easily folded up – ideal for carpools, taxi rides, and even bus rides,
http://www.timesofisrael.com/better-booster-seat-gives-british-immigrant-a-leg-up/
Israeli tricorder is ready to beam up
The SCIO molecular scanner from Israel’s Consumer Physics is ready to ship to its first customers. The SCIO has been 4 years in development and raised $2.76 million on Kickstarter (1381% more than it asked for). So prepare to hear cries of “It’s life, Jim, but not as we know it!”
http://www.timesofisrael.com/star-trek-style-tricorders-on-their-way-to-customers/
Turning plastic waste into fuel
The Israeli government’s Environmental Services Company Ltd is to begin operating a new facility recycling plastic waste and turning it into fuel (600kg oil per ton of waste). The facility will process 3,000 metric tons of plastic waste every year.
http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=26403
Detecting dangers on Facebook
Israel Technion student Eden Saig has developed a system that classifies sentiment in texts on social media. The system can identify potential terrorist threats or suicide risks. Eden’s system won Amdocs’ Best Project contest.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/social-media-analysis-may-help-prevent-terror-attacks-study-shows/
LCD screens using organic molecules
Israel’s StoreDot (famous for its technology that re-charges a dead phone battery in one minute) has now developed a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) made of a single layer of organic molecules. The LCD displays vivid colors for TVs, phones, tablets and (future) roll-up screens.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/5-minute-phone-charging-nano-tech-creates-better-display-too/
Google launches Waze ride-sharing app
Google has launched a pilot carpooling service for Tel Aviv commuters. It is being offered through Israeli navigation app Waze, which Google bought in 2013 for about $1 billion, and through RideWith – a new app for passengers who are not Waze users.
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2015/07/06/google-to-pilot-carpooling-service-for-commuters-in-israel/
http://www.wired.com/2015/07/googles-waze-launches-ridesharing-service-israel/
Click here for all of this week’s Good News from Israel.
