Israeli researchers pinpoint Covid-19 in the sewers, Israeli kids go to space camp, Israeli app prevents online exam cheating, and much more!

By Michael Ordman

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Pinpointing Covid-19 in the sewers

As reported previously (see here) Covid-19 hotspots can be detected by analyzing virus levels in the sewage. Now Israel’s Kando (reported here previously) is working with scientists at Israel’s Technion and Ben Gurion University to detect outbreaks even before residents show symptoms.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3842574,00.html

Israeli kids go to Space Camp

Israel’s SpaceIL in partnership with members of the Israel Space Agency, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Ramon Foundation, have launched a free online space camp for Hebrew speakers aged 7 – 11. It runs Aug 9 – 13, each morning having four different 30-minute activities.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd-epIZ97i6J5_h4LvwzBnVzil86yKSsRAsIhYXnE7EgWmMlQ/viewform

An app to prevent online exam cheating

Israel’s ORT Braude College of Engineering in Karmiel won a 250-participant hackathon with “Anansee” – an app to prevent cheating, specifically for online tests. The app uses the camera in the student’s computer and mobile phone, plus issues and verification checking.
https://worldisraelnews.com/as-schools-go-remote-ingenious-israeli-app-keeps-tabs-on-cheaters/

Sodastream’s Covid-19 breathing machine

Israel’s Sodastream, now part of PepsiCo, has developed the StreamO2. It pushes temperature-controlled oxygen mixed with air into the patient’s nose. It helps Covid-19 patients suffering from respiratory distress, but who can still breathe on their own and don’t require a ventilator.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/sodastream-joins-covid-19-fight-with-new-breathing-machine/

Covid-19-proof construction

Tambour, Israel’s leading paint and building material producers, is partnering Israel’s Tera Novel. Tambour will integrate Tera Novel’s anti-viral, anti-bacterial additive “Germs Over,” (developed by Israel Institute for Biological Research) with Tambour’s paints, adhesives, plaster, cement etc.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/israeli-companies-to-manufacture-anti-coronavirus-construction-materials-635279

Extreme tech winners

Israeli startups won 2 awards in the Extreme Tech Challenge 2020 (XTC) – the world’s largest startup contest with 2,400 companies from 87 countries. ReWire won the Fintech category for its global digital banking solutions. TytoCare.(see here) won the Covid-19 Innovation Award for its telehealth solution.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3839941,00.html  www.rewire.com

Earthquake warning system

Recent video and update from SeismicAI (featured here previously) that uses an innovative sensor network and Artificial Intelligence to predict earthquakes and send alerts to help reduce damage. SeismicAi has pilot projects in Canada, the Himalayas and even Istanbul, Turkey.
https://www.israel21c.org/a-revolutionary-new-early-warning-system-for-earthquakes/

US-Israel to conserve our heritage

The United States and Israel have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to support cooperation and exchanges on biodiversity conservation, protected areas and the protection of cultural and historical heritage. It covers countering wildlife trafficking and protecting ecosystems.
https://www.jns.org/us-israel-sign-mou-to-boost-cooperation-on-conservation-nature-preservation/

New chip tech is “most promising venture”

The Venture program – Switzerland’s leading competition for up-and-coming entrepreneurs – ranked new on-chip memory technology developed at Bar-Ilan University, as one of three most promising ventures among nearly 330 start-ups. The technology is being commercialized.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/284577
https://www1.biu.ac.il/indexE.php?id=44&pt=20&pid=4&level=1&cPath=4&type=1&news=3525

Medals at chemistry Olympiad

Israelis won one gold, two silver medals and a bronze at the 52nd International Chemistry Olympiad, held on Zoom. 18-year-old Roi Peer won the first ever Israeli gold medal at the event. The Israelis competed against 240 students from 60 countries, including Iran and Syria.
https://www.israelhayom.com/2020/08/04/israeli-chemistry-students-win-gold-silver-and-bronze-at-52nd-olympiad/

A virtual desktop for working at home

Israel-based ControlUp (reported here previously) helps employees turn their home computers into a virtual office running on a virtual desktop from the cloud. Many of the 1,000 employees at Israel’s Sheba Medical Center use ControlUP for telemedicine and to work from home.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3841278,00.html

https://www.controlup.com/

Protecting the Internet from attack by your fridge

The Internet of Things makes home devices connected to the Internet (such as your fridge or TV) vulnerable to being hijacked and used to mount Denial of Service attacks via the Internet. Do not worry though – scientists at Israel’s Ben Gurion University can help stop that.
https://in.bgu.ac.il/en/pages/news/iot_attacks.aspx
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167404820302418?via%3Dihub

Israel’s largest server farm

Nine floors below Jerusalem’s Har Hotzvim tech hub, Israel’s Bynet Data Communications is building one of Israel’s biggest data centers. Some of Israel’s most sensitive information will be stored inside the hill. It is said Herod used rocks from Har Hotzvim to expand the 2nd Temple.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3843580,00.html

Smart spectacles now can focus

The MyEye device for the visually impaired, from Israel’s OrCam (reported here previously) has been upgraded to include Smart Reader. The wearer can now ask the AI device to focus on specific items – e.g. only to read out the vegetarian items on a menu or just a newspaper’s headlines.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/orcams-new-feature-helps-visually-impaired-tell-reading-device-what-to-focus-on/

AI to understand written text

Amnon Shashua, founder of Mobileye, has now founded AI21. Its aim is to revolutionize written communication with artificial intelligence (AI) software that can understand and generate text. Its AI generator HAIM fills in gaps in incomplete sentences. HAIMKE turns bullet-points into sentences.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3838814,00.html   https://www.ai21.com/

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