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Category Archives: Hi-Tech

Video-Alerts – Your Google Alerts For Video!

January 20, 2009 – 5:07 am

video-alerts-logo

Video-Alerts, started at December 2008, launched by Israeli Metalgrass Software, is a simple yet powerful service for people who want to get notified when new videos are uploaded to YouTube. Video-Alerts can be used by bloggers, information professionals, and just anyone who wants to be the first to watch new videos.

Video-Alerts is a simple service that allows you to get email notifications when new videos are available, using keywords (or channels). The service is free and currently supports YouTube only.

Video-Alerts

Google has their own video alerts service (part of Google Alerts). But it wasn’t good enough - they only send alerts on “popular” videos. That means that:

  • Some videos you won’t know about at all
  • You’ll only get an alert once a video becomes popular - so you won’t be the first!

Video Alerts can be useful to bloggers who want to be the first to find out about new videos in their niche, information officers, or anyone really - can be used to follow your favorite musician, investment portfolio,  local events, etc."

In the future, Video-Alerts intend to expand the service to more video sites.

By Ionb | Also posted in Start-Up | Comments (0)

A Company Switched on Energy Saving Lighting Technology

November 4, 2008 – 3:36 am

metrolight

Recently granted the Eagle star award by the AICC (American Israel Chamber of Commerce), Metrolight - maker of smart electronic ballasts for high-intensity discharge lamps is on its way to be recognized as a significant contributor to global energy saving technology.

Over the past decade Metrolight has been developing electronic ballast solutions for HID lighting systems. Today the company has installations in major retail chains around the world that have accumulated over 1.4 billion operating hours. The overall savings have mounted to over $6.5 million in energy costs, and have shown a low rate of failure.

Metrolight’s motto is to help companies work smarter while improving the environment. Their overall goal is to reduce worldwide electricity consumption by at least three per cent. The Metrolight vision caught the eye of high profile venture capitalists such as Sir Richard Branson’s venture capital firm Virgin Fuels, Gemini Israel Funds, Israel Cleantech Ventures and Israeli investor Altshuler Shaham. Together they invested $9 million into Metrolight.

Metrolight’s ballasts can be controlled by analog devices like motion sensors so that HID lamps turn on and off when needed. For example; parking lot lights managed by Metrolight ballasts could keep the lights dim unless cars are enter or exit, potentially generating significant cost savings for their owners. Metrolight’s lamps last twice as long as traditional HID lamps and can be recycled once their lifespan has ended.

The system in effect provides the same amount of light as more traditional magnetic or electromagnetic systems, but requires less overall power.

Today the Metrolight solution goes far beyond standalone ballast: With the development of a communication interface - a central computer runs smart, yet simple control software for lamp monitoring and ballast status, defining schedules for dimming and switching lamps on and off.

The technology also complements some of the new lighting technologies. For instance, some companies are touting systems that pipe sunlight or electrically generated light into rooms with fiber-optic cables. Since the sun doesn’t shine all of the time, building contractors are considering combining sunlight/fiber systems with an HID system powered with Metrolight’s dimmers. The lights hooked to the lamp/fiber systems are actually HIDs anyway, so they are tailored for the dimmer.

By Ionb | Also posted in Start-Up, Technology | Comments (0)

Interest Heating Up On Cleantech Start Up

October 19, 2008 – 12:20 am

pythagoras-solar Concentrating solar power, which has been around for decades, is a promising technique for making solar electricity more cost effective. Recently it has been the subject of renewed research thanks companies such as Israeli start up Pythagoras Solar. The concept is simply to focus light to boost electricity output, through a wide range of methods - from utility-scale solar thermal projects to specialized photovoltaic solar panels.

Israeli-based cleantech startup Pythagoras Solar develops solar photovoltaics – an innovative way of changing some of the “basic principles” of PV technology to build highly durable, cost effective solar energy products.

Founded in 2006 by Gonen Fink, from Check Point Software and renowned scientist Itay Baruchi, the company works from its R&D center in Ramat Hasharon, Israel and a U.S. office in San Mateo, California.

Pythagoras Solar develops a unique method of solar energy by combining software models, optic design, semiconductor processes, materials science and mass manufacturing techniques.

Although the company has not revealed what sort of solar technology it is producing, it claims it has been concentrating solar power systems using optics lenses and mirrors to maximize the output of solar cells. These concentrating photovoltaic arrays are being tested for solar power plants in Israel’s deserts.

Solar, being one of the hottest areas of clean-tech has been luring entrepreneurs with promises to reduce sun-derived electricity costs through more efficient solar cells and optimized manufacturing processes. Being the flavor of the month, Pythagoras Solar secured $10 million funding earlier this year from leading venture capitalists Pitango Venture Capital and Evergreen Venture Partners, a round that was led by Israel Cleantech Ventures.

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By Iob | Also posted in Start-Up, Technology | Comments (0)

Elbit Systems Supplies IAF F-16I Simulator System to the IMoD

October 6, 2008 – 1:32 am

 elbit

Elbit Systems Ltd. and Lockheed Martin inaugurated the avionics simulation system delivered to the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD) for the Israel Air Force (IAF) F-16I Sufa aircrew flight and system trainer.

The simulator is fully compatible with the aircraft avionics and cockpit. Elbit Systems additionally supplied an advanced simulating system to enable the IAF pilots Out-of-Cockpit world view for full training in different air conditions in both day and nighttime. The systems were delivered to the full satisfaction of the IAF and the Israeli Ministry of Defense, within the planned timeframe.

In 2005, Elbit Systems supplied an advanced simulation system for the F-16A Netz and has already received a follow-on order for the development of a simulation system for the F-16B Barak.

In addition, Elbit Systems supplies the core avionic systems for the IAF’s F-16I aircraft. These systems include the Display and Sight Helmet (DASH), mission computer systems, head-up display systems, display processors, digital maps as well as stores management systems.

Elbit Systems operates within the simulator market and supplies systems for all types of platforms, including those for air, land and naval applications. Elbit Systems utilizes its advanced technological capabilities, particularly in developing software for complex system programs, as well as its global leadership in upgrading defense platforms, as the basis for the successful supply of simulation systems to various customers around the world.

By Ionb | Also posted in News, Technology | Comments (0)

Innovation through design is key to the Israeli kitchenware manufacturer

September 14, 2008 – 3:10 am

bramli The world according to Bramli

Bramli is a leading Israeli manufacturer of plastic kitchenware and houseware renowned for its fun, functional trendsetting designs. Over the past decade the company heavily invested in design and global brand development. Today Bramli’s fun and functional products are highly visible in renowned do-it-yourself stores and department stores such as Target across the world. Since its inception Bramli has been making a statement on the homeware design scene with its plastic homeware solutions. Taking the plastic medium to new levels, Bramli has dared to explore new directions with surprising results.

Bramli’s mission was to deliver innovative designer homeware at affordable prices that bring fun, joy and functionality to as many households as possible.

By 2000 the company began to manufacture eye-catching houseware that were impulse buys on one hand and great value for money on the other. Soon after Bramli lines were decking department stores with funky products, each with its own personality.

Today Bramli products are practical and appealing; their tactile surfaces, vibrant colors, collection concepts and fashionable forms consort with functional value.

But until over a decade ago, its mother company - Bram companies manufactured traditional plastic ware. In 1999 its founder Eli Bramli wanted to create a new global venture that developed brand conscious, trend setting homeware at affordable prices.

How did Bramli become a global success story? Bramli’s founder attributes the company’s success to the creative spirit of the company’s young team combined with a group of skilled experts with over 30 years of manufacturing experience.

Today the company produces three main lines segmented by functionality, each characterized by its own story, personality and appeal. Bramli has recently invested energies and finances into an international logistics operation. To streamline operations, the company purchased a manufacturing and logistics plant in France last year and plans to duplicate the process in the States.

As for 2008 and onwards – Bramli is looking to expand its ranges beyond the kitchen into the kids rooms, the garden and more.

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By Iob | Also posted in Start-Up | Comments (0)

PeerApp - unclogging the Video Internet traffic

September 7, 2008 – 12:34 am

 PeerApp

Its rush hour on the Internet and traffic is looking bad. Yet again the routes are jammed until the loading clog up clears… But wait, help is on the way and it seems to be coming from Herzelia based PeerApp.

PeerApp is a technology innovator and leading provider of solutions that helps Internet Service Providers (ISPs) manage P2P (peer to Peer) and HTTP video traffic. The outcome – traffic flows more smoothly and customers can download video files more quickly. What’s more video quality is boosted, bandwidth costs are reduced and digital rights are preserved – so even content owner’s needs are addressed.

Today, with over 100 million active P2P users, PeerApp is well poised to help transform video on the Internet. Already today millions of broadband subscribers around the world receive high-quality video and other digital media through PeerApp systems.

The huge potential was recognized by Red Herring who recently awarded PeerApp with an honored position on its 2008 winners list. PeerApp CEO and Chairman Robert Mayer in response said the award is an honor as it recognizes the company’s role in helping to spearhead a robust platform for delivering multimedia content.

PeerApp technology, he claims, enables ISPs to provide video and other multimedia to consumers with a great customer experience without investing in expensive network upgrades. So it seems the key video Internet value chain players; the ISPs, the content providers and the consumers all have something to sing about.

PeerApp’s success can largely be attributed to their new patented P2P caching and acceleration technology. Ultraband enables ISPs to take the heavy burden of downloading pages off their network and onto a video cache server which operates very much like a traditional Web cache server.
Instead of making direct connections to servers across the globe to download pages, web browsers fetch cached copies of updated web pages from third-party cache servers. Cache servers provide the same services as the direct server, but help reduce network traffic and speed up users’ Internet connections. This way, traffic flows more smoothly and customers are able to download video files more quickly. According to the company’s CFO Yossi Hazan a file that usually takes over six hours to download to your PC will arrive in six minutes - a factor of 60 times faster.
Phew, it’s good to know the coast is clearing especially when it comes to watching my Heroes episodes with almost zero network interference.

By Iob | Comments (0)
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