(en.emetprize.org)
Hebrew University Professor David Kazhdan

Professor David Kazhdan of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem won Israel’s EMET prize for Excellence in Exact Sciences; A project is underway to build a 250-meter high solar tower in Israel’s Negev desert; Israeli startup Intuition Robotics is developing social companion technology to positively impact the lives of millions of older adults, and much more.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

An excellent mathematician

Professor David Kazhdan of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem won Israel’s EMET prize for Excellence in Exact Sciences (Mathematics) for his work in design of representation theory and its uses in algebra, algebraic geometry and number theory.
http://en.emetprize.org/laureates/exact-sciences/mathematics/david-kazhdan

Building the world’s tallest solar tower

Recent article and interesting video about the Ashalim project to build a 250-meter high solar tower in Israel’s Negev desert.  Also, Leonardo DiCaprio has publicized the project.  http://israelbetweenthelines.com/2017/01/12/israel-is-running-not-walking-on-sunshine/
https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q5ruCV4z-4I?rel=0  http://www.jpost.com/Business-and-Innovation/Tech/Leonardo-DiCaprio-showcases-Israeli-solar-thermal-plant-on-Instagram-479002

Computerized companion for the elderly

Israeli startup Intuition Robotics is developing social companion technology to positively impact the lives of millions of older adults.  Its first product is ElliQ, robot resembling a lamp that uses body language to convey emotion, plus sounds, light, in addition to voice, to express itself.
http://www.ifcj.org/news/fellowship-blog/Israeli-Invention-Offers-Computerized-Companionship-for-the-Elderly.html  https://www.youtube.com/embed/vLdlI77uQdk:rel=0

Israeli tech comes to the Super Bowl and Laliga

Intel bought Israel’s Replay Technologies and its 360-degree video technology for $170 million last year. FOX Sports will use it in the Super Bowl broadcast. Thanks to Pamela’s son Yonatan, Spanish soccer league Laliga is also now using it.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/tom-brady-ad-highlights-israeli-developed-video-technology/
https://www.youtube.com/embed/v=nTw7eten1no?rel=0
https://www.youtube.com/embed/OHJDzHHHsrQ?rel=0

4000 smart rental cars

Israel’s Pointer Telocation Systems (see here) has won a tender to manage a five-year driver behavior project in cooperation with the American Transit Insurance Company (ATIC), which insures rented cars in New York. 4000 cars will be fitted with systems from Pointer and Mobileye.
http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-pointer-enters-smart-car-market-1001172713

Did we just get hacked?

Israeli cybersecurity startup SECDO saves huge amounts of time following a security “incident”. It collects all data, all the time, from all endpoints.  When the alarms go off, management can see it’s not a false alarm and can close the breach instantly. SECDO has just received $10 million of funding.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-cybersecurity-company-secures-10-million-in-funding/
https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ts3OVjtChMg?rel=0

More joint science papers with the US

The number of co-authored scientific publications involving American and Israeli researchers has increased by 45 percent over the last decade, from 3,439 joint U.S.-Israel publications in 2006 to 4,979 publications in 2015.
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2016/12/07/joint-papers-us-and-israeli-authors-increase
http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/219369/american-israeli-academic-collaboration-soars-despite-israel-boycott-efforts-on-campus

Israeli tech finds major problem in Italian power station

I reported previously (Nov 20) on Israeli startup 3DSignals. Its acoustic technology has detected a malfunction in a hydroelectric power station run by Italian company Enel. Early repair of the faulty oil valve saved Enel hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of Euros.
http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-3dsignals-helps-enel-power-co-spot-major-fault-1001172580

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