Innovation Alley: Chanukah Innovation and Tech

During the pandemic we have seen how companies have helped communities adjust to our new reality. I have followed the growth of temi over the years and how its dynamic robot has been used around the globe. The name temi originates from the word “team.” It was built to better connect teams, and help them collaborate more efficiently.

Israeli technology has influenced the way we do business, connect and re-imagine communications. From taking temperatures remotely to helping with a simple hand washing, robots are assisting healthcare around the world, using 3-D mapping, sensors and voice commands to interact with people. Temi has helped users connect to relatives and doctors using a video-chat app, deliver packages and collect items from rooms. During the height of the pandemic Israel’s Ministries of Defense and Health chose temi for their COVID-19 wards.

Temi founder, Yossi Wolf, had the original idea for temi as a smart caddy for his grandmother. She would struggle to carry items from one room to the other, and he wanted the possibility of checking on her when she wasn’t answering her phone. He quickly realized the potential a device like temi would have throughout different generations, and he conceptualized temi with the help of a skilled engineering team. Temi utilizes artificial intelligence and self-learning capabilities to understand, communicate, and respond to its users by voice command. The most noticeable human/robot interaction happens when temi is in follow mode. Temi locks onto the user and keeps their face in the center of the screen by driving and tilting the screen. This gives a user an unparalleled human-robot interaction, as the robot seems to be looking directly at the user’s face.

As the Omicron variant spreads across the globe people have been more hesitant to join together and celebrate. This past Chanukah, using temi’s dynamic interface, tech families that were immuno comprised were able to light together via unique virtual lighting ceremonies. As families lit the menorah together they were able to sing and follow each other to different parts of the house for Chanukah fun. It also has been used at Westchester Torah Academy(WTA) to conduct prospective parent information sessions and helped kids who have not be able to attend in person learning to connect with their classmates.

Over the holiday season people are looking to make sure they stay fit and healthy. A dynamic Israeli company called Lumen is making people’s lives easier. Lumen is the world’s first hand-held, portable device to accurately measure metabolism. Once available only to top athletes, in hospitals and clinics, metabolic testing is now available to everyone. Lumen uses a CO2 sensor and flow meter to determine the CO2 concentration in a single breath. This indicates the type of fuel your body is using to produce energy.

Lumen provides you with a daily measurement of your source of energy: fats or carbs on a scale of 1 to 5, based on your RER. Lumen then uses these measurements to provide you with a flex score, showing you the flexibility of your metabolism. The measurement is a comprehensive evaluation of your metabolism initially based on 4-8 weeks of measurements and other tracked metabolic factors to determine your flexibility. After your Chanukah parties this little devise is a key to keeping you healthy.

Lumen began with twin sisters Merav and Michal – two Ironman winners, and PhDs in physiology. As scientists and athletes, they were passionate about developing a way to provide personalized nutrition, but knew the only way to measure metabolism was costly and time consuming.

So they teamed up with entrepreneurs with experience building large companies; Daniel, Dror, and Avi, and after two years of R&D, they developed the first Lumen prototype. Lumen measured metabolism in a single breath, in less than a minute, instead of an hour-long test in a lab. After four years of hard work and hundreds of beta users, the Lumen team launched on Indiegogo. Lumen broke the $1 million threshold on Indiegogo in weeks, and now Lumen is leading the way in bringing personalized nutrition to the entire world. I’ve been using this incredible devise for a few days and I can tell you it truly is a great way to understand your body and how you need to structure your diet and workouts.

When you are throwing a Chanukah party and looking to make Chanukah pizza there is an incredible tool you can use call the Ooni Koda 16. Ooni is perfect for making quick shabbat meals and perfect for the holidays. What sets this pizza oven apart from everything I have seen on the market is how it is designed and how hot it can get. It is gas fueled for ultimate ease and control reaching 950°F (500°C) in 20 minutes for stone-baked fresh pizza in just 60 seconds. It cooks stone-baked fresh pizza in just 60 seconds. It has extra-large cooking area for 16” pizzas, meat joints, breads and more. It has an innovative L-shaped flame for one-turn cooking. I’ve made make restaurant grade food right in my backyard. They also have great accessories to help cooks get the most out of the cooking experience.

When celebrating Chanukah and you want your kids to really get into the holiday, Tipsy Elves has some fun apparel to help enhance the holiday experience. They also have great apparel for purim. Even after the holiday you can show your Jewish pride through their clothing. In these times it is important bring out your Judaism through unique ways . This fashion company has come up with ugly Chanukah sweaters, jumpsuits, and more so there is something for everyone. My son loved his Chanukah jumpsuit so much he did a Chanukah presentation in his school. You definitely own the room or your zoom meeting with this clothing.