Israelis are eagerly awaiting the world launch of the electromagnetic levitating taxis built by US skyTran, and the Israeli Pavilion at Milan Expo will host the finals of the first international competition for start-ups dedicated to children and adolescents.

By: Michael Ordman

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Sky taxis for Tel Aviv

Israelis are eagerly awaiting the world launch of the electromagnetic levitating taxis built by US skyTran together with Israel Aerospace Industries. The pilot is now targeted for early 2016.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/skytran-demo-not-quite-ready-for-prime-time/
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/02/03/tech/skytran-levitating-pods/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2015/10/26/we-are-one-step-closer-to-the-jetsons-pod/

Israel hosts global teen startup contest

The Israeli Pavilion at Milan Expo will host the finals of the first international competition for start-ups dedicated to children and adolescents under the age of seventeen. The finalists include Muslim students from the Israel-Arab village of Iblin.
http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/nations/israel/2015/10/26/expo-israeli-pavilion-hosts-start-up-contest-for-kids_d4cb1b22-3af0-4c9f-a487-c219d3071b8b.html

Solar power for Ethiopia

Israel’s Aora Solar is to install a “Tulip” solar energy field in Ethiopia – helping the African country to achieve its aim of being carbon-neutral by 2025. The modular system collects reflected sunlight on a solar concentrator tower shaped like a yellow tulip that generates electricity for day or night use.
http://www.israel21c.org/tulip-to-grow-over-ethiopia-for-solar-power/

Israel’s clean-tech competition entries

At the 2015 Cleantech Open Global Ideas Competition in Silicon Valley, Aseptoray’s pasteurization system saves 73 percent in energy costs, killing even heat-resistant bacteria; Chakratec‘s low-cost, eco-friendly kinetic battery stores electricity from solar fields, wind farms etc.
http://www.israel21c.org/winning-ideas-for-pasteurization-and-electricity-storage/

Ilan Ramon fund inspires Israeli space pioneers

The Ilan Ramon Scholarship fund, honoring Israel’s first astronaut, has allowed dozens of post-graduate Israelis to attend International Space University’s Space Studies Program (SSP) – an intensive nine week program for pioneers in the burgeoning space business.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-space-industry-get-a-boost-from-ilan-ramons-memory/

Cybersecurity agreement with New York

The New York Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Jerusalem’s Hagihon water provider have signed an agreement to develop new cybersecurity defenses for their water systems. It will also help Israeli cybersecurity firms to deploy their technology in the United States.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-tech-to-protect-ny-water-systems-from-attack/

Mapping genomes to breed better crops

Agrochemical giant Syngenta has deployed Israel’s NRGene to map the genomes of 12 diverse crops to help develop hardier, higher yield varieties of seed. NRGene’s proprietary algorithms have also been used independently to map varieties of wheat, maize, soybean and trout.
http://nrgene.com/httpfinance-yahoo-comnewssyngenta-chose-nrgenes-denovomagictm-map-124300420-html

Aquanos “cleans up” at Cleanvest

Israeli wastewater startup Aquanos won the trophy at this year’s Cleanvest Summit in front of around 150 participants including international investors. Aquanos uses algae to produce clean water, biogas fuel and agriculturally-useful bi-products.
http://israelnewtech.com/2015/10/aquanos-takes-top-honors-at-cleanvest/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhrAyeGiM1c

Annotate the Internet

The new Israeli “Peanut” browser allows Android mobile users to make notes and comments on web pages, sharing them with other Peanut users. Peanut already has thousands of users in Israel and is becoming rapidly more popular.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/in-android-browser-competition-peanut-offers-secret-sauce/

A 3D printer for dental labs

Israeli 3D printing company Stratasys has launched the Objet500 Dental Selection 3D Printer for larger dental and orthodontic labs that require volume production of highly precise, life-like models. It can create a variety of dental-specific palettes in a single run.
http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-stratasys-introduces-3d-printer-for-dental-labs-1001076373

The all-terrain suitcase

Remember Israel’s FUGU luggage that transforms from hand-luggage size to a full-size case? Well another Israeli startup has invented the G-RO suitcase, which can traverse every kind of terrain as well as charging phones and computers. It has raised nearly $1 million ($125,000 goal) on Kickstarter.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4712019,00.html

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/netta/g-ro-revolutionary-carry-on-luggage

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