Urvashi Verma

I am an American journalist, specializing in the coverage of science and technology with focus in big tech, business, startups, technology companies and South Asian news. I hold a MS in Journalism from Medill School of Journalism in Chicago, Illinois. 

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TECHNOLOGY

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Israeli startup hopes to clean up with hands-free toilet brush

Whether you are Donald Trump, who was recently offered a 24-karat gold toilet by the Guggenheim, or you have a throne made of standard white porcelain, keeping it clean is an age-old challenge. But that difficulty may finally have met its match, thanks to two Haifa-based entrepreneurs, David Alush and Daniel Tokarev, who have created a robot capable of cleaning a toilet without its human owner having to touch a toilet brush or bowl ever again, they say. “We were asking ourselves, how can it be

Smart cities are wide open to cyber-attacks, experts warn

The smarter and more digitized a city gets the more vulnerable to cyber-threats it becomes, warned former Mossad director Tamir Pardo, who spoke at the Federation of Local Authorities Muni-Expo last week. “You can destroy a country and win a war without ever firing a single shot. In the next war, our enemies won’t need fighter jets and rockets. They can hit us hard with cyber-attacks and disable all of the systems here,” said Pardo, who spoke at the event as a part of the Congress of Local Auth

OrCam raises $30.4 million, bringing startup to $1 billion valuation

Jerusalem-based OrCam Technologies Ltd., a startup that has developed devices to assist the blind and visually impaired by using smart algorithms and a camera, said it has raised $30.4 million in its most recent funding round led by Israeli institutional investors Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd. and Meitav Dash Provident Funds and Pension Ltd. The company said the funding round values the firm at $1 billion, pre-investment. The latest investment will fuel the company’s R&D efforts, and

Israeli smart software harnesses flood of data to manage diabetes care

Petah Tikva-based DreaMed Diabetes has developed cloud-based software that uses machine learning to help doctors and healthcare professionals better monitor their patients with type 1 diabetes. The firm has received a CE mark from the European Union, which means it can start marketing its product in Europe. Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin, a hormone that allows glucose to enter cells and provide them with energy. When there is a deficie

Johnson Controls seeks startups for innovation program

Johnson Controls, an Ireland-based maker of automotive batteries, electronics and air conditioning equipment for buildings, is seeking applicants to join the 4th cycle of its flagship Partnership Program, which aims to help startups grow and tap into global markets. Startups in the areas of security and safety, video processing and deep learning, retail analytics and loss prevention, batteries and energy solutions, heating ventilation and air conditioning, building automation and sensing, detec

Israeli AI software whips expert lawyers in contract analysis

Artificial intelligence software developed by an Israeli startup has proved in an international study to be quicker and more accurate at analyzing legal documents than experienced lawyers. The software developed by Tel Aviv based LawGeex was able to analyze nondisclosure agreements with more accuracy and speed than 20 experienced lawyers, the results of a collaborative study between leading US institutions and the company show. As part of the study the researchers compared the work of the expe

West Pharma sets up new R&D center, sees Israel as regional hub

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc., an Exton, Pennsylvania-based US manufacturer of packaging components and materials for injectable drugs and other healthcare products, relocated its existing Israeli offices last week, combining its former product development and administrative facilities from Raanana and Or Yehuda into one Raanana location. West acquired Israel-based Medimop Medical Projects in 2005, which has grown into a regional office with nearly 100 employees. The 2,750 square meters o

Israel-Singapore partnership sires $5 devices to detect dengue fever, strokes

BGN Technologies, the technology arm of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, is developing a $5 device that can diagnose dengue fever and stroke symptoms. The device is being created in collaboration with Singapore-based firm Biosensorix. The joint development is a biosensor that can detect the composition of chemicals in the blood to diagnose diseases within minutes, eliminating the need to send blood and tissues samples to the lab. Immunosensors or biosensors are medical devices that measure

Israelis lack long-term view needed to enter Chinese market, VC tycoon chides

Doing business with China takes time, but it’s well worth the wait. That was the resounding message at the GoForIsrael Conference last week to Israeli companies aiming to enter the East Asian giant’s booming consumer and industrial markets. “You must be cutting-edge. Make your plan from the beginning and be patient,” advised Ronnie Chan, Chinese real estate tycoon and venture capitalist, chairman of the Hang Lung Group, in an interview with The Times of Israel at the sidelines of the conference

From video game to disaster relief, pioneering Israeli tech showcased at AIPAC

Edgybees Ltd., an Israel-based startup, has developed a technology to enhance the awareness of first responders in emergency situations, by layering 3-D mapping and other data onto live video feeds from drones, airplanes, and cars. The startup, which has just completed a $5.5 million funding round, was among one of three selected to present its technology at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s (AIPAC) annual policy conference on Sunday. The technology has received an “overwhelming re
Connected Real Estate Magazine •

Siemens Showcases Test Bed for Digital Twins & Smart City Infrastructure

The use of digital twin technology in smart buildings will become critical to meeting energy demand in the future. Population growth and urbanization put increasing pressure on cities across the world. Buildings account for nearly 40% of global energy consumption. With this is mind, the sector is expected to play a critical role in reducing energy use. This through technologies that optimize for efficient use of energy resources. Precisely by monitoring temperature control and occupancy levels i
Built In •

Behind the Effort to Make Startup Boards More Inclusive

It comes down to big-picture thinking and actionable next steps. Diversity, equity and inclusion is a problem that the tech industry seems to talk a lot about, but hasn’t yet figured out how to fix. In an effort to bridge that gap, a group of powerful stakeholders in the Chicago tech ecosystem are taking a closer look at the issue with a hyperlocal focus and an eye toward actionable next steps. Chicago’s existing tech workforce, much like Silicon Valley’s, is predominantly white and male. Wome
In-Building Tech •

PropTech co-living provider Bungalow outpaces WeLive, Common and Ollie

Bungalow, a co-living housing provider has, outpaced competitors WeLive, Ollie and Common to become the country’s fastest-growing shared living startup after announcing that it has more than 1,250 housemates in 10 of the nation’s most expensive cities. “The fact that we have doubled our market size and half the time it has taken our competitors speaks volumes to our value proposition and how we are differentiated from our competitors,” said Andrew Collins, CEO and co-founder of Bungalow, in an
NoCamels - Israeli Innovation News •

Now You Can Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch, Instead Of Culling Them | Health News

This article was first published by The Times of Israel and is re-posted with permission. Each year more than seven billion fluffy little yellow chicks worldwide are tossed into a grinder or gassed to death less than 24 hours after hatching because they are of no use to egg producers. Now, an Israeli startup, eggXYt, has developed technology that can detect their gender before hatching, saving the egg industry nearly $2 billion per year and eliminating the senseless killing. “These birds will
News India Times •

US viewers can now enjoy exclusive SonyLiv web originals & Bollywood movies on Sling TV | News India Times

Whether you are interested in watching your favorite old school Indian television show or an edgy web-series about Harshad Mehta’s 1992 stock market scam, SonyLIV, India’s fifth-largest pay-television broadcaster has your entertainment needs covered. DISH Network and Sling TV customers in the US can now enjoy on-demand Bollywood and American movies and shows on SonyLIV fr
Times of Israel •

Startup sets sights on scent as new frontier for smartphone apps

Your smartphone may soon be able to identify and analyze scent as easily as it scans a QR code or recognizes a voice. A Haifa-based company, Nanoscent, has developed an electronic nose that can detect odors and flavors through a smartphone. As an extra bonus, the technology might also help jump-start your love life, the company says. Co-founded by Oren Gavriely and Eran Rom, Nanoscent is developing a smartphone app that, used together with a chip called a “scent recorder,” can determine users’
Connected Real Estate Magazine •

Huawei Releases 5G Mate 30 Series, Without Google Apps

Huawei Technologies’ new Mate 30 5G smartphone series will be released today, but the new devices won’t come with YouTube, Gmail or Google Maps. The new devices may be the first round in the mounting trade war between the U.S. and China playing out on the frontlines of smartphone technology. And for the first time consumers outside the US and China will have to choose between better designed Chinese smartphone and Google’s operating software. Huawei, the world’s largest telecommunications equi
Connected Real Estate Magazine •

5G Is Coming to Mid-Priced Smartphones Faster Than You Might Think

The world’s top chip-maker Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. (Qualcomm) has unveiled plans to boost profits and bring 5G to the masses. They are developing chipsets compatible for mid-priced smartphones. The new chipsets expect to catalyze the adoption of 5G smartphones. It could increase accessibility to nearly 2.2 billion smartphone users worldwide. The company announced that the new chipsets dubbed Snapdragon 6 & 7 Series slated to hit the market next year. This announced at Germany’s IFA 2019 te
Connected Real Estate Magazine •

iPhone 11: No 5G Yet But Great Cameras

The iPhone 11 isn’t a 5G phone or overly ambitious. But it does support CBRS and the price may be just right to help Apple Inc. boost stagnating smartphone sales. The iPhone 11 priced at $699 is Apple’s cheapest new smartphone since the iPhone 8. Apple’s newest line of high-end smartphones revealed at the company’s annual launch event Tuesday. Other products unveiled include the iPhone 11 Pro Max, $1099, and iPhone 11 Pro, $999.
Connected Real Estate Magazine •

Smart Buildings: Landlording 2.0 Are You Getting the Most of Your Building's Data?

Smart Buildings: Landlording 2.0 Are You Getting the Most of Your Building's Data? ? BY URVASHI VERMA As the commercial real estate market faces tightening yields, the ability to maximize value from assets, equipment, tenants and occupants is becoming increasingly critical. Data-driven technologies are enabling landlords to derive maximum value from commercial real estate assets and create a completely new profitability paradigm for the commercial real estate industry. Now companies like Co
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