Category Archives: Technology

Israel A Hub For High-Tech Action

Human Accomplishment, Intelligence, Israel, Outsourcing, Science, Technology

Contra the USA, Israel’s high-tech sector is thriving and the country is enjoying unprecedented “current accounts surpluses.” Yet quite a few political types, on the left and the right, wish to see parts of this hub of high-tech activity handed over to Katyusha operators.

Courtesy of the Etinger Report, here are some economic indices produced by a population that would fit into a couple of large American cities:

• Siemens acquired Israel’s solar energy Solel for $418MN, following Siemens’ 40% acquisition of Israel’s solar company, Arava Power for $15MN (Globes business daily, Oct. 16, 2009). Sigma Designs acquired Israel’s CopperGate Telecommunications for $200MN (Globes, Oct. 1). Britain’s M86 acquired Israel’s Finjan for $35MN (Globes, Nov. 4).

• Fitch International Credit Rating Agency has joined Moody’s (A1 stable) and Standard & Poor (A stable), maintaining Israel’s long-term foreign exchange and local currency credit rating at A and A+ respectively. Israel is one of the very few countries which have maintained its credit rating during the economic crisis of the last two years. According to Fitch, Israel’s stable banking sector, absence of “bubbles,” hawkish budget-deficit (curbing government spending) policy and stability of the high tech and services sectors have produced unprecedented current accounts surplus and foreign exchange reserves (Wall Street Journal, Nov. 6, Yedioth Achronot, Nov. 8). A 7%-13% rise in hiring has been recorded by Israel’s high tech sector during 2009’s third quarter (Globes, Oct. 26).

• “[Microsoft’s CEO], Steve Ballmer calls Microsoft as much an Israeli company as an American company, because of the importance of its Israeli technologies. Google, Cisco, Microsoft, Intel, eBay – says one of eBay’s executives – the best kept secret is that we all live and die by the work of our Israeli teams…John Chambers, Cisco’s CEO, has bought nine Israeli start-ups… Such economic dynamism has occurred in the face of war, internal strife and rising animosity from other nations. During the six years following the bursting of the tech bubble in 2000, Israel suffered one of its worst periods of terrorist attacks and fought a second Lebanese War, and yet its share of the global venture capital market did not drop – it doubled from 15% to 31%… Israel, a tiny nation of immigrants torn by war, has managed to become the first technology nation…” (James Glassman, Exec. Dir. Of the G.W. Bush Institute, Wall St. Journal, Nov. 23, 2009 book review of Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle).

• HP expands it R&D operations in Israel, hiring 100 persons during the next two years, in addition to its current 5,000 employees (Globes Business daily, Nov. 25). Microsoft’s newest anti-virus software, Microsoft Security Essentials, was developed in Microsoft’s R&D center in Israel (Globes, Oct. 1).

• Israel has been chosen to succeed Germany in heading the largest R&D network in the world, the “Eureka Initiative,” a pan-European, inter-governmental initiative that supports European innovation and oversees 1.5BN British Pound investments annually. Israeli companies have participated in 40 – out of 300 – Eureka projects launched in 2008. Eureka operates like the highly successful US-Israel Bi-National Industrial R&D (BIRD) Foundation (Israel 21c, July 27).

• The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has recognized Israel as one of the fifteen international centers (countries) for the search and testing of patents. Thus, global innovators will be able to apply – in Israel – to patent testing and approval, which will be recognized internationally (Ynet, Sept. 30).

• The Dutch Forbion Capital Partners – joined by Alice Ventures, Vitalife, Kreos Capital and IHCV – led an $18.5MN round by Israel’s NiTi Surgical Solutions (Globes, Aug. 12). Apropos IT, Dolphin Equity Partners, Inter-Atlantic Group and Hyperion Partners invested $17MN in a 3rd round by Israel’s SeaPass (Globes, Nov. 5). Yorkville Advisors Global extended a $15MN line of credit to Israel’s Mazor (Globes, Sept. 4). USVP led a $12MN round by Israel’s water-recycling BPT (Globes, Aug. 31). Japanese electrical giants led a $12MN 2nd round of private placement by Israel’s Plurality (Globes, Nov. 19). Dupont Capital, Saints Capital, Carlisle, Adams Street Partners, Deutsche Telecom (T-Venture) and Argonaut participated in a $10MN round of private placement by Israel’s Actelis (Globes Sept. 9). Trilogy Partners led a $9/4MN round by Israel’s Crescendo Networks (Globes, Aug. 14). The US-based Volcano Capital and Wheatley partners led an $8MN round by Israel’s VisionSense (Oct. 19). Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Index Ventures invested $8MN in Israel’s NovoCure (Oct. 1). India’s Kushla Ventures and the Silicon Valley-based Kleiner Perkins led a $7MN round by Israel’s eASIC (Globes, Nov. 5). General Catalyst, Spark Capital and Union Square Ventures invested $6MN in Israel’s Boxee (Globes, Aug. 14). Benchmark Capital and Tamares invested $5MN in a 2nd round by Israel’s Panaya (Globes, Aug. 6). 7Health Ventures led a $5MN round by Israel’s Activiews (Globes, Sept. 15). Benchmark Capital leads a $3MN 2nd round by Israel’s Zlango (Globes, Nov. 19).

Update III: On Boobs And Balloons (‘Hyper Inflation’)

Democrats, Family, Left-Liberalism And Progressivisim, Pop-Culture, Pseudoscience, Science, Technology, The Zeitgeist

The excerpt is from my new WND.COM column, “On Boobs And Balloons”:

“If you needed incontrovertible proof that homegrown retardation is far more pressing a problem than homegrown terrorism in modern-day America – 6-year-old Falcon Heene’s flight of fancy provided it.

The contagion that gripped the nation began on Oct. 15. Anyone turning on the boob tube was treated to a live broadcast of a levitating dome-shaped ‘homemade flying saucer.’

MSNBC’s David ‘Shyster’ informed his unfortunate viewers, matter-of-fact, that the small son of Richard and Mayumi Heene of Fossil Ridge Road in Fort Collins, Colo., had climbed into a carriage attached to the helium-filled contraption, which had become untethered. Boy and balloon were now scaling heights of 10,000 feet. …

Other TV entertainment outlets masquerading as news media hawked the Falcon pie-in-the-sky as fact. If anything, both the authorities and the media proceeded from the premise that Falcon was in fact flying two miles above them, rather than hiding somewhere on terra firma.

When you’re slothful, stout and stupid, it’s easier to look to the heavens than search high-and-low below. …”

The complete column is “On Boobs And Balloons.” If you miss it on WND.COM, be sure to catch it on Taki’s Magazine on the weekend.

Update I (Oct. 23): A NOTE FROM NASA. Edifying too:

Ilana,

It amazes me how the media are constantly duped by attention seekers such as these. I was at work when this was occurring and just like the rest of the fools out there, had to find out more what was going on.

Having launched hundreds of weather balloons, my initial reaction was “no way could a 6 year old boy be lifted by that balloon.”

If you use some math to deduce how much weight a 15 foot high and 5 foot wide balloon could lift at that altitude using helium gas, you come up with about 30 pounds. Not too may 6 year old boys weigh 30 lbs.

We were switching the channels at work to watch the coverage and noticed even the Weather Channel was carrying this. Now, did they use some basic buoyancy equations to figure out the impossibility of a boy being lifted by this balloon? Of course not! But then again the Weather Channel is now owned by NBC, so what do you expect.

Enjoy your articles!

Mark
Johnson Space Center

Update II (Oct. 24): I feel sorry for the Heene woman; she looks so sad. There are times when its obvious a brassy woman pretending to be abused is anything but. In this case, it’s plain to me that Mayumi Heene, while perhaps not abused, is certainly subservient to her husband. Via Drudge:

The mother of the 6-year-old boy once feared missing inside a runaway helium balloon admitted the whole saga was a hoax, according to court documents released Friday.

Mayumi Heene told sheriff’s deputies that she and her husband Richard “knew all along that Falcon was hiding in the residence” in Fort Collins, according to an affidavit used to get a search warrant for the home.

She allegedly told investigators the incident was a hoax meant to make them more marketable to the media.

Update III (Oct. 24): The column has been titled deliciously “Hyper Inflation” on Taki’s and appended with appropriately odious images. Added are some must-read links.

Update III: On Boobs And Balloons ('Hyper Inflation')

Democrats, Family, Left-Liberalism And Progressivisim, Pop-Culture, Pseudoscience, Science, Technology, The Zeitgeist

The excerpt is from my new WND.COM column, “On Boobs And Balloons”:

“If you needed incontrovertible proof that homegrown retardation is far more pressing a problem than homegrown terrorism in modern-day America – 6-year-old Falcon Heene’s flight of fancy provided it.

The contagion that gripped the nation began on Oct. 15. Anyone turning on the boob tube was treated to a live broadcast of a levitating dome-shaped ‘homemade flying saucer.’

MSNBC’s David ‘Shyster’ informed his unfortunate viewers, matter-of-fact, that the small son of Richard and Mayumi Heene of Fossil Ridge Road in Fort Collins, Colo., had climbed into a carriage attached to the helium-filled contraption, which had become untethered. Boy and balloon were now scaling heights of 10,000 feet. …

Other TV entertainment outlets masquerading as news media hawked the Falcon pie-in-the-sky as fact. If anything, both the authorities and the media proceeded from the premise that Falcon was in fact flying two miles above them, rather than hiding somewhere on terra firma.

When you’re slothful, stout and stupid, it’s easier to look to the heavens than search high-and-low below. …”

The complete column is “On Boobs And Balloons.” If you miss it on WND.COM, be sure to catch it on Taki’s Magazine on the weekend.

Update I (Oct. 23): A NOTE FROM NASA. Edifying too:

Ilana,

It amazes me how the media are constantly duped by attention seekers such as these. I was at work when this was occurring and just like the rest of the fools out there, had to find out more what was going on.

Having launched hundreds of weather balloons, my initial reaction was “no way could a 6 year old boy be lifted by that balloon.”

If you use some math to deduce how much weight a 15 foot high and 5 foot wide balloon could lift at that altitude using helium gas, you come up with about 30 pounds. Not too may 6 year old boys weigh 30 lbs.

We were switching the channels at work to watch the coverage and noticed even the Weather Channel was carrying this. Now, did they use some basic buoyancy equations to figure out the impossibility of a boy being lifted by this balloon? Of course not! But then again the Weather Channel is now owned by NBC, so what do you expect.

Enjoy your articles!

Mark
Johnson Space Center

Update II (Oct. 24): I feel sorry for the Heene woman; she looks so sad. There are times when its obvious a brassy woman pretending to be abused is anything but. In this case, it’s plain to me that Mayumi Heene, while perhaps not abused, is certainly subservient to her husband. Via Drudge:

The mother of the 6-year-old boy once feared missing inside a runaway helium balloon admitted the whole saga was a hoax, according to court documents released Friday.

Mayumi Heene told sheriff’s deputies that she and her husband Richard “knew all along that Falcon was hiding in the residence” in Fort Collins, according to an affidavit used to get a search warrant for the home.

She allegedly told investigators the incident was a hoax meant to make them more marketable to the media.

Update III (Oct. 24): The column has been titled deliciously “Hyper Inflation” on Taki’s and appended with appropriately odious images. Added are some must-read links.

Cooperation, Not Communism

Capitalism, Communism, Free Markets, Intellectual Property Rights, Liberty, Political Economy, Political Philosophy, Socialism, Technology

On my mind is another of Glenn Beck’s frequently made errors. Whenever Beck sends out a free copy of his newsletter, he declares “provocatively” that “Glenn has succumbed to socialism.” Avail yourself of the product of Glenn’s momentary insanity, he will exhort (referring to himself in the third person), and sign up for this free, socialistic service. This is a good opportunity to clarify what socialism really is, for unless you understand that there can be no socialism without state coercion, why, then, you comprehend very little about the dread socialism—as little as conservatives and Republicans do.

Indeed too many people conflate the voluntary provision of a free service with socialism. Voluntary cooperation, even absent remuneration, is never socialism. Glenn Beck seems to think that anything free is socialism. Not so. A Kibbutz—Israeli communal living—is a voluntary socialistic arrangement, which, if you prize freedom, is as good as any arrangement people want to enter that is coercion free. Kibbutzim are often economically viable arrangements. Perhaps this is because people are there by choice and by belief.

Thus, an open source software project, worked on voluntarily by scores of developers across the globe, is not socialism. Although volumes have been written on the pros and cons of open source versus proprietary software, the proof is in the pudding: Although free, open source is often as good as software that costs serious money.

I do not want to veer into the copyright debate. However, I still stand by my writing on the topic. “KAZAA,” for example, was engaged in voluntary exchange; “THE COPYRIGHT CARTEL” was the fascistic attempt to infringe on this voluntary exchange—and on tangible property not its own. But let’s leave this debate right now.