The Internet of Things

It’s official: The Internet revolution has reached Israel.

By ARIEL SHAPIRA
Computer keyboard [illustrative]. (photo credit: ING IMAGE/ASAP)
Computer keyboard [illustrative].
(photo credit: ING IMAGE/ASAP)
It’s official: The Internet revolution has reached Israel. The Second Annual Internet of Things (IoT) Conference, which took place in Tel Aviv last week, featured any and every gadget, mobile device or sensor that can connect you to the Internet.
People are saying that there will be more than 50 billion Internet products available by 2025 and that every single aspect of our lives will be affected by Internet usage. Just as smart navigation systems have become an integral part of our lives today, in the future there will also be smart cities, and the collection and management of information will rely completely on cloud computing.
IoT Israel 2014, which was organized by Eran Wagner, a general partner at Gemini, featured a variety of speakers, including Shmuel (Mooly) Eden, senior vice president of Intel and president of Intel Israel; Dr. Joachim Schaper, vice president R&D at AGT; Eran Sandhaus of Qualcomm; Dr. Guy Hoffman of the IDC Media Innovation Lab at IDC Herzliya; and Dr. Andre Schiele, founder of the European Space Agencies. Hundreds of Israelis who work in software and hardware attended the conference.
Here are a couple of quotes from an interview I had with Eden: “The Internet of Things is based on computing, communication and cloud connections. This includes any device that can help us manage information more economically. For example, the way they knew the general direction that the Malaysian plane that crashed took was because of the engine’s computerized system. Also, it’s important to create a safe environment that will prevent people from hacking into our systems.”
“I see Israel as a cyber superpower with tremendous human capacity. We have giants like Intel and Check Point that offer entrepreneurs tools to help them further revolutionize our world. The Israeli government supports us, and we need to take this opportunity to make Israel a leader in the IoT field.”
Easy creation of Web apps
An Israeli company called IQP recently launched an innovative system that enables the quick, easy creation of Web apps. Customers can save R&D costs and time developing cross-platform apps in the field of IoT. IQP is three years old and has its headquarters in Tokyo and R&D center in Israel.
“It’s almost impossible these days for entrepreneurs to infiltrate new fields,” IQP CEO Guy Kaplinsky said. “For example, it’s hard to create new opportunities in health care or the automotive industry, so that’s where our products come into play. Our platform enables organizations to create an ecosystem that allows them to join the game easier. With IQP, you don’t need an entire R&D team, which can be costly and take a long time.
All you need is a database manager and a business manager to lead the project.”
Five new Israeli startups
Say is an innovative type of smart jewelry that comes in a variety of colors through which young people can send each other text and images. Say is a great way to make a personal statement.
Sensibo lets you control your air-conditioning unit remotely through your smartphone. You can have it turn on before you get home, and you’ll never have to worry again if you forgot to turn it off before you left. Sensibo works with any air conditioner.
BitBite is an app that helps you monitor what you eat. You put the device in your ear every time you eat and say out loud what you’re eating, and the information is transmitted to the app on your phone. The company has almost completed its crowd-funding venture.
Gemsense is a sensor based on a wearable device that can operate electronic devices such as a TV or air conditioner by using hand gestures. Developers can use algorithms on VR and AR glasses and tablets to create their own apps using Gemsense.
GreenIQ can be helpful to anyone who has a garden. You can remotely control GreenIQ from your tablet or smartphone to automatically adjust irrigation schedules based on weather and seasonal changes throughout the year. GreenIQ also has a sensor that checks soil moisture and helps you save money.
If you run a young startup, have developed an interesting app or have a question, please feel free to contact info@social-wisdom.com.
Translated by Hannah Hochner.


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