Computer Science at the Hebrew University

LinkedIN – Does it Truly Deliver? (2nd - Has anything improved??)

2012-10-25T05:09:00.000-07:00

Following a lot of Feedback on the first article I wrote on LinkedIn I thought it would be a good time to check on what has changed since...

Anyhow, we all know that LinkedIn went public and indeed the main difference since is that they are doing less modifications and slower than before being purchased. While there have been some GUI modifications and more changes to the Profile are planned in the near future it would seem that not a lot has changed. Let's first take a look at the points I have raised the last time I wrote and see if LinkedIn made any modifications.

Here are some of the points that LinkedIN should consider modifying:

1. In the “Groups” module it is not clear why there is no option to export those contacts at least as the owner of the group.
I am afraid that there is still no way to export contacts in a group

2. In the “Groups” module there is no way to connect data such as files, movies and other material content other than links. Even a simple embedding is not an option.

I am afraid that there is still no change here as well

3. Not clear why I cannot determine the title of the Link I am supplying in the News and why I cannot add pictures or any other materials to news items.
I am happy to say that LinkedIn has improved the link attachment mechanism.

4. In the invitation option in groups it is once again not clear why I can’t use the saved profiles, tags and other search capabilities for adding exactly those contacts that I want.

I am afraid that there is still no change here as well

5. Did you ever find a way to search contacts according to something written in the notes? What if like me you have tons of connections and all you remember is that you wrote a note that you met someone at an exhibition?
I am afraid that there is still no change here as well

6. What about sending mail to more than 50 contacts? Why not have the options like in any normal mailing tool to add those contacts in BCC?
I am afraid that there is still no change here as well

7. How about the exporting option that will include the notes you have written?

I am afraid that there is still no change here as well

8. The “Groups” module should also definitely have an option to have more graphic capabilities in the body of the overview page. It should also allow connection to other company names the same is on the company module.
Again, LinkedIn has changed the GUI and now allows better networking but still no dramatic changes.

So most of the points I have written have not been modified or addressed. I am about to raise some additional points and maybe LinkedIn will have a better answer next time I write:

1. The "Answers" tool is a very powerful tool which if used correctly could provide important leads for any Business Development professional. The only option that should be added here is a better filtration of the contact that are chosen. On the one hand LinkedIn allows 200 contacts to be chosen and on the other there are only 2 very crude filters to choose them which does not make any sense since those are personal 1st degree contacts Would be better off to have the same filter screen as for any contact which would dramatically improve this tool.

2. Contact with people from Groups that are shared - Now here is something that LinkedIn changed very close to when it went public which has true negative effect. Seems that in the past people that were part of the Group I share could be contacted from the main Contact search. Today the only way to get in touch is to search for them again in the Group member page which is not logical and a major hassle!

3. Attachments - While I can understand that LinkedIn is not interested in people upload of material they are losing out on the fact that they do not allow some sort of Upload. The ability to upload various certificates to the profile could provide much more comprehensive look which is what LinkedIn is interested and hopefully they will find a way to allow such an option in the future.

4. Get More Applications - It is not clear to me why LinkedIn did not open the market for new applications to be developed on the Application part. This has almost stayed constant for so long which makes you wonder... in times where there are huge platforms for application development it is only logical that this portion will have at least hundreds of new applications so where are they??

5. Skills - This is a very important feature that LinkedIn entered and now allow endorsement. The only thing that is not clear is why LinkedIn does not allow search according to Skills as well!

6. Company Pages - I think that LinkedIn tried to develop new functionality to the Company pages which is very helpful although the content is somewhat disappointing I would guess that adding content to the company pages should be more easily updated from the Profile Page.

7. Matching between Employees and Employers - Now if you want something big I guess that this is the biggest option that I truly hope LinkedIn will take seriously. Today there is not automatic non-biased way to match between employers to employees. We all know the reasons for this:

a) Employees will tend to change their profiles to make themselves more attractive to a particular job of interest.
b) Employers do not give the true factors that are important for them in an employee.
c) The job description is not sufficient in order to make the matching

Taking the above into consideration there is a great need to find ways to try and match between Employers needs and Employees needs in a no biased way. Systems such as MBCD developed by Prof. Itamar Gati from the Hebrew University are a good example for such a methodology which could later be adapted to match between Employers and Employees automatically.

If LinkedIn will take this challenge it could become the best source for job matching on the globe so let's hope they take a hint....

Tamir

Hebrew U device uses sonar to help the blind navigate

2011-07-16T23:21:00.001-07:00

The "virtual cane" incorporates several sensors that estimate the distance between the user and the object it is pointed at.

The blind and visually impaired could be able to toss away their white canes or at least “see” better with them, thanks to a “virtual cane” developed by Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers and patented by Yissum, the university’s research and development company.

The device was unveiled at a HU press conference at the Jerusalem International Convention Center on Tuesday, just before the Israeli Presidential Conference opened there.

Dr. Amir Amedi of HU’s Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada and of the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences and colleagues unveiled the inexpensive device, which emits a focused beam at objects around the user and transmits the visual information to to him via a gentle vibration similar to the quivering of a cellphone.

The technology transfer company in Jerusalem is now looking for strategic partners for further development.

Amedi estimated that the lightweight device, which reporters quickly learned to use to get through a dark maze blindfolded, would eventually cost about $100.

The highly intuitive electronic device, the size of a cellphone, incorporates several sensors that estimate the distance between the user and the object it is pointed at. This enables the blind person to assess the height and distance of various objects, reconstruct an accurate image of the surroundings and navigate safely. The “virtual cane” is easy to carry and accurate and can function for up to 12 hours between charges.

Amedi said the blind user functions like a dolphin or bat, with sonar-type signals reacting to surroundings.

Unlike a white stick that can give the blind input from only a meter away, the device can function at a much shorter distance and up to some 10 meters in all directions. The young researcher said the device can also distinguish between smiling and sad faces and can be used for research on how the brain flexibly changes upon receiving input and on brain reorganization in the blind.

There is a potential market of some 200 million visually impaired people around the world; 40 million of them are legally blind; all of them have difficulties in orientation and navigation, even with an ordinary stick. One of the main challenges facing blind people is the ability to assess the height of various obstacles as well as to identify far away objects in their surroundings. So far, until the journalists tried it, about a dozen people successfully navigated the maze, and after a very short practice period managed to completely avoid walls and obstacles without bumping their heads.

Yissum CEO Yaacov Michlin said that the promising invention “can endow visually impaired people with the freedom to freely navigate in their surroundings without unintentionally bumping into or touching other people, and thus has the potential to significantly enhance their quality of life.”

HU, for the second year a partner of Beit Hanassi in organizing the Israeli Presidential Conference, filled a hall near the entrance with displays and demonstrations of developments of its researchers. Carmi Gillon, the university’s vice president for external relations, said that 40 percent of all academic research in the country is done at HU; Yissum has made the university the 15th in the world in R&D.

Dr. Yonatan Elkind of HU’s Smith Institute for Plant Sciences and Genetics inAgriculture, presented bell peppers suited to growing in the Arava in all seasons. The sweet pepper market has ballooned in Europe, with 60% of all agricultural land in the Arava devoted to the vegetable and yields very high.

The team are developinggreen peppers that remain green for a long time instead of turning red, and others that have special tastes and colors – even a brown one whose taste reminds people of chocolate. Others will have more vitamins and minerals than the conventional strains.

Agricultural doctoral student Oron Gar, who works with Prof. Dani Zamir, presented export roses that have restored a lovely scent instead of the scentless blossoms now sold commercially.

This was achieved from breeding that will also add new colors and forms of roses.

Hebrew University, Tel Aviv University and the Technion Sign Long Term Research Collaboration with Google

2011-03-17T00:40:00.000-07:00

Researchers from the Hebrew University, Tel Aviv University and Technion will conduct 20
research projects related to electronic auctions and markets

Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa, Israel, March 16, 2011 - Yissum Research Development
Company Ltd., the Technology Transfer Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem,
Ramot at Tel Aviv University, Ltd., the Technology Transfer Company of Tel Aviv University,
and TRDF Ltd, the Technion Research and Development Foundation today announce that
Google will sponsor them to conduct around 20 research projects to address the
opportunities of the Internet economy, with a particular focus on the fundamentals of online
auctions.
In the past two decades, we have seen the Internet grow from a scientific network, to an
economic force which positively effects the global economy. E-commerce, online advertising,
social networks and other new business models present the traditional economy with
fascinating questions, which could have a profound impact.
For example, unlike in TV advertising, where the advertiser buys a fixed number of
commercials, online systems like Google’s AdWords use a computerized auction where
advertisers determine how much they are willing to pay and other relevance signals then
contribute to an algorithm determining the online selection and rank of a particular ad. These
auction systems involve complex computation, and result with overall more relevant and
effective ads.
To date, these auctions have been developed mainly by the Internet industry. Academic
research in such disciplines, as algorithmic game theory and algorithmic mechanism design,
could greatly benefit from insights learned from the practice of the new industry, and may be
able to provide future insights to improve online advertising auctions and create more
opportunity for advertisers, users, and the online economy at large.
Google will support a cluster of research projects which will explore the basic questions
which lie at the heart of this new economy. Such questions include the economic effects of
viral networking, the dynamics of electronic markets, and new formats of selling
advertisements, which could be beneficial to the user and the advertisers.
The research projects will be conducted by experts in many fields, ranging from computer
science, statistics and game theory, through artificial intelligence and optimization to
economy and social sciences. This interdisciplinary and large scale approach is necessary
to tackle these challenges. At the Hebrew University, the projects will be led by Professors
Danny Dolev and Jeffrey S. Rosenschein from the School of Computer Science and
Engineering; and Professor Noam Nisan from the School of Computer Science, Dr. Liad
Blumrosen, Dr. Alex Gershkov, and Professor Eyal Winter from the Department of Economics, and Dr. Michal Feldman and Professor Ilan Kremer from the School of Business
Administration, who are also members of the Center for the Study of Rationality. At Tel Aviv
University, the projects will be led by Professors Yossi Azar, Amos Fiat, Haim Kaplan, and
Yishay Mansour from the School of Computer Science; Prof. Zvika Neeman from the
Department of Economics; Professors Ehud Lehrer and Eilon Solan from the School of
Mathematics; and Dr. Gal Oestreicher from the Business School. At the Technion, the
projects will be led by Prof. Seffi Naor from the faculty of Computer Science; Dr Ron Lavi
from the faculty of Industrial Engineering; and Professors Shie Mannor and Ariel Orda from
the faculty of Electrical Engineering.
Prof. Yossi Matias, Managing Director, Israel R&D Center, Google said: “The field of
Electronic Aucions and Markets has grown tremendously over the past decade, and has
become a significant factor in the Internet industry and economy. Google is proud to support
open academic research which will advance the fundamental research in this evolving
discipline. Israel boasts unusual academic excellence in the inter-disciplinary foundations of
electronic auctions and markets. I am personally delighted at this unique opportunity to
strengthen the collaboration between Google and Israeli academia.”
Yaacov Michlin, CEO of Yissum, said, "Paid ads are part of the most important resources
that help keep the Internet free and independent, and we are proud that our team of
scientists has been selected by Google to address the challenges of electronic auctions.
This agreement is further validation of the outstanding research performed at the Hebrew
University and the attractiveness of collaborations between Hebrew University excellent
researchers and leading IT companies such as Google."
Prof. Ehud Gazit, Vice President for Research & Development, Tel Aviv University said, "We
are delighted to expand our relationship with Google as a very important addition to the
successful collaborations of Tel Aviv University with major international companies in various
fields. This collaboration is yet another testament to the excellent research conducted in our
world class School of Computer Science."
Prof. Oded Shmueli, Executive Vice President for Research at the Technion, said ”The
Technion views this collaboration as a highly important component in its efforts to establish a
fruitful academia-industry cooperation in information technologies, an area in which the
Technion is highly ranked internationally.”

About Yissum - Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Ltd.
was founded in 1964 to protect and commercialize the Hebrew University’s intellectual property.
Ranked among the top technology transfer companies in the world, Yissum has registered
over 6,100 patents covering 1,750 inventions; has licensed out 480 technologies and has
spun-off 65 companies. Yissum’s business partners span the globe and include companies
such as Novartis, Johnson & Johnson, Roche, Merck, Teva, Adobe, GM, Phillips, Syngenta,
Vilmorin, Monsanto and many more. For further information please visit www.yissum.co.il.

About Ramot at Tel Aviv University Ltd.
Ramot at Tel Aviv University Ltd. is the technology transfer arm of Tel Aviv University (TAU),
the largest university in Israel. Founded in 1973, Ramot fosters, initiates, and manages the
transform of laboratory innovations to commercial products. With over 300 patents families
available for licensing, Ramot has been granted an average of 30 new patents every year,
has been granting 25 licenses every year, and has spun off 57 companies so far. Ramot’s
partners include SanDisk, Johnson & Johnson, Teva, GM, Merck, Sanofi-Aventis, Sigma, Pfizer and many more. Ramot provides a dynamic interface connecting industry to leadingedge science and innovation, offering new business opportunities in a broad range of
emerging markets. For more information, visit www.ramot.org.

About T3, the TRDF - Technion Research and Development Foundation Ltd.
Business Unit T3 is the commercial arm of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. T3, operating
within TRDF, initiates and promotes the transfer of research findings and innovative
technologies developed by Technion scientists to the global marketplace. T3 has vast
expertise in IP protection and licensing inventions and forming win-win business agreements
in a wide variety of fields, including Nanotechnology, Biology, Medical Devices, Cleantech,
Computer science and IT, Pharmaceuticals, Homeland Security etc. T3`s responsibilities
include : Analysis of new inventions and concepts; Protecting and maintenance of IP; IP
licensing; Negotiation the IP and business aspects of agreements with industry;
Incorporation of spin-off companies based on Technion IP; and Participation in the board of
directors of Technion affiliated companies.

Media Contact:
Tsipi Haitovsky
Global Media Liaison, Yissum Ltd.
Tel: +972-52-598-9892
E-mail: tsipih@yissum.co.il

7 ways to get the most out of your SAM

2011-02-28T03:15:00.001-08:00

Launching and running a Software Asset Management programme can be a daunting prospect. Follow these top tips to make sure yours is a success.

1) Get buy-in from senior management

Before launching a Software Asset Management programme, make sure you get buy-in from the Board. This shouldn’t be difficult once you’ve explained the benefits that Software Asset Management can bring (such as increased efficiencies, cost savings and compliance) but it is an essential step in creating a successful programme given that it will involve every software user across the organisation.

2) Set your goals

Setting business goals is essential to the success of a Software Asset Management programme. They will help measure your success at various points along the line, keeping you on track and focussed.

3) Break down into phases

Embarking on a Software Asset Management programme can seem like a mountain; difficult to climb and full of impossible obstacles. Breaking down the project into specific phases will help it seem like a less daunting task and give satisfaction to all involved when each phase is completed. This will help you build towards your ultimate end goal.

4) Select appropriate Software Asset Management tools and providers

There are various Software Asset Management tools on the market which can significantly help facilitate and drive your Software Asset Management programme. These tools can make Software Asset Management a much less manual and time-consuming task. For most programmes, there is a need for several tools to be implemented, including asset inventory tools and licence management tools. When choosing a Software Asset Management specialist to help with your programme, ensure that they can provide the correct tools for your business, rather than you trying to fit your needs to their unsuitable tool.

5) On-going Management

After the initial implementation of your Software Asset Management plan, you need to develop an on-going management plan. From its initial purchase to its retirement, every aspect of each piece of software should be managed and recorded as part of a good Software Asset Management programme. You also need to create policies and procedures for effective deployment of software plus training programmes for certain pieces of software to help staff get the most out of their tools.

6) Check the authenticity of new software

Make sure you only buy software from reputable providers and resellers in order to avoid buying counterfeit products.

7) Share your success

Promote your achievements so that the entire company knows about your Software Asset Management successes. Sharing your triumphs with other departments and levels of the organisation will not only ensure you get a pat on the back for all your hard work, but make sure you receive on-going support and confidence in your Software Asset Management programme.

Written by License Dashboard

Brain doesn’t need vision at all in order to ‘read’ material, report Hebrew University, French researchers

2011-02-28T01:51:00.000-08:00

The portion of the brain responsible for visual reading doesn't require vision at all, according to a new study by researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and France.

Brain imaging studies of blind people as they read words in Braille show activity in precisely the same part of the brain that lights up when sighted readers read. The findings challenge the textbook notion that the brain is divided up into regions that are specialized for processing information coming in via one sense or another, the researchers say.

''The brain is not a sensory machine, although it often looks like one; it is a task machine,'' said Dr. Amir Amedi of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, head of the team of researchers whose work on the topic is reported in the latest issue of Current Biology.

''A particular area fulfills a unique function, in this case reading, regardless of sensory input modality,'' he said. Amedi is affiliated with the Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada and the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine at the Hebrew University.

Unlike other tasks that the brain performs, reading is a recent invention, about 5,400 years old. Braille has been in use for less than 200 years. ''That's not enough time for evolution to have shaped a brain-module dedicated to reading,'' Amedi explained.

Nevertheless, brain scans have shown that a very specific part of the brain, known as the Visual Word Form Area or VWFA for short (first discovered in sighted people by Dr. Laurent Cohen of Paris, a co-author of the current article), has been co-opted for this purpose. But no one knew what might happen in the brains of blind people who learn to read despite the fact that they've had no visual experience at all.

In the new study, Amedi's team, which included his doctoral student Lior Reich, used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure the neural activity in eight people who had been blind since birth while they read Braille words or nonsense Braille. If the brain were organized around processing sensory information, one might expect that Braille reading would depend on regions dedicated to processing tactile information, Amedi explained. If instead the brain is task-oriented, you'd expect to find the peak of activity across the entire brain in the VWFA, right where it occurs in sighted readers, and that is exactly what the researchers saw.

Further comparison of brain activity in the blind and sighted readers showed that the patterns in the VWFA were indistinguishable between the two.

''The main functional properties of the VWFA as identified in sighted are present as well in the blind, and are thus independent of the sensory-modality of reading, and even more surprisingly do not require any visual experience,'' the researchers wrote. ''To the best of our judgment, this provides the strongest support so far for the metamodal theory of brain function,'' which suggests that brain regions are defined by the computations they perform. ''Hence, the VWFA should also be referred to as the tangible word-form area, or more generally as the (metamodal) word-form area.''

The researchers suggest that the VWFA is a multisensory integration area that binds simple features into more elaborate shape descriptions, making it ideal for the relatively new task of reading.

''Its specific anatomical location and strong connectivity to language areas enable it to bridge a high-level perceptual word representation and language-related components of reading,'' they said. ''It is therefore the most suitable region to be taken over during reading acquisition, even when reading is acquired via touch without prior visual experience.''

Amedi said he and his research associates plan to examine brain activity as people learn to read Braille for the first time in order to find out how rapidly this takeover happens. “What we want to find out is: how does the brain change to process information in words and is it instantaneous?''

Hebrew University Professor First Israeli to Be Appointed to European Scientific Council

2011-02-28T01:42:00.001-08:00

Prof. Danny Dolev of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem is one of seven new members appointed by the European Commission to the Scientific Council, the governing body of the European Research Council (ERC). He is the first Israeli to serve on the council, which is composed of 22 distinguished scientists and scholars.

The Hebrew University consistently ranks among the top recipients of European Research Council grants, along with Oxford and Cambridge universities in Britain.

Prof. Dolev holds the Berthold Badler Chair in Computer Science at the Benin School of Computer Science and Engineering at the Faculty of Science at the Hebrew University. He is the chairman of the Authority for Computation, Communication and Information at the Hebrew University and has been the chairman of the National Committee for Information Technology and Infrastructure of Israel, as well as chairman of the Israel Inter-University Communication Center. He co-authored with Knesset Member Michael Eitan the position document on Israel’s readiness to the information era.

The European Research Council (ERC) is the first pan-European funding organization of its kind. It aims to stimulate scientific excellence in Europe by encouraging competition for funding between the best creative researchers of any nationality and age. The Scientific Council, the ERC's governing body, defines the scientific funding strategy and methodologies and acts on behalf of the scientific community in Europe to promote creativity and innovative research.

Desktop Indexing - What's it good for anyhow?

2010-07-11T05:54:00.001-07:00

A couple of years ago I received an "impossible" task, to search for a specific mail in which all that was known was the name of the company that was mentioned in an attachment to a mail that went out of the company I was working in.
The person that sent the actual mail was no longer an employee of the company and the CEO, which requested this mail, remembered that he was CC’d to this mail. At the time the CEO had more than 250,000 mails in the account which was active for more than 5 years and had more than 350 folders.
To make it even worse, the time I was given to find this mail was 2 days. If there is one thing I like it’s a worthy challenge and the above mentioned request certainly met my requirements but how could I succeed in such a task? I started searching with Microsoft tool for the name of the company but since the name only appeared as a part of an attachment I soon returned empty handed. After realizing very fast that Microsoft search is probably not a good way to go about it I started looking for a tool that will allow such a task.
At the time the concept of “Desktop Indexing” was not common and the search engines were used only to scout the web and not the unstructured data within the company. It so happened that I was lucky enough to stumble upon a beta release of Copernic Desktop search. I downloaded the software to the PC, installed and waited for 5 hours for the software to scan only the Inbox of the CEO account. along with me at the room, when the status bar showed 95% were several other people. The time went by until finally the index was completed and my heart missed a bit. I have invested 2 days in searching for the solution and did not even try to look for the actual mail. What if it wouldn’t work? I suppose you can guess what would be such a response from the CEO.
Anyhow, the search was over and I entered the name of the company in the search box. The search results that appeared in splash screens as I was typing the name appeared in front of my eyes and the software found 5 mails that included the name of the company in the search results. We were all amazed at the power of this software and soon adopted the software to the company. The later versions of Desktop Search engines included Isys, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and many others that soon realized the potential in allowing companies an indexed search of all their unstructured data.
Today we are using the X1 Professional search engine that allows a very smooth and fast search for big indexes of a million mails and more. The software also allows scanning documents in the network and as such allows ultra fast retrieval of data from almost every electronic source. In Today’s environment of electronic information we are so much relied on Desktop Indexing software that we cannot work at all without it.
The software allows saving all the time not only in the actual search for information but also saves time since opening folders in Outlook is not necessary. I strongly urge you to try out an indexing tool for your company for the following reasons:

1. Save time dramatically in search for any kind of electronic material
2. Enable searches on electronic materials of people that are no longer working in the company
3. Save time in tagging and classifying of the documents
4. Allow searches on multiple users in one search
5. Allow search on a broad spectrum of document and platform types

My hope is that companies will continue to develop this important field of applications, which is not happening at the rate I expected it, to allow companies gain true control of the information inside the company. Today’s situation is that companies do not fully utilize the know-how within and waste valuable time and money to rebuild information that was previously known inside the company.

Copyright - Tamir Huberman 2010

LinkedIN – Does it Truly Deliver?

2010-06-30T23:12:00.000-07:00

A year ago I was frustrated at the extremely low percentage of replies I received from companies I tried contacting with regards to Hebrew University cutting edge technologies. As a Business Development officer in the field of computer science and engineering and Director of IT at Yissum, Technology Transfer company of the Hebrew university, and the Director of IT at ITTN, Israel’s Technology Transfer Organization, I could not explain those low percentages of less than 1%. I have been using the best databases out there, such as; Capital IQ, SciFinder, Delphion, STN, Dialog, Lead411, LexisNexis, Nerac and many more.

All those databases gave me long lists of companies in the fields I was looking for and later, in specific databases, generated the names of the professionals that would be most suitable to hear about our opportunities. Taking into consideration a proven track record since 1964, over 1B$ in annual sales of products that were licensed from the Hebrew University and over 65 Spin off companies, among them companies such as; MobilEye, HumanEyes, BriefCam, ExLibris, Valensum, ReadEasy, NasVax and many more, it was clear we should be taken seriously.

According the ITTN database, the Hebrew University is responsible for almost 40% of the total technologies that are available for license in Israel, with over 350 technologies currently available for license.

Clearly something was wrong and not with the technologies or with the companies but rather with the approach to those executives.

I think it was Anthony Robbins that once mentioned in a lecture that I heard, if you do not receive the results you would like to get; “change your approach” until you do.

Thinking back a year ago I remember grasping the idea that perhaps the people I was trying to reach regarded my mails as spam, since they did not know who (or what) was Yissum and never took the time to see if there is actually something they might be interested to license in or collaborate with the Hebrew University.

It later dawned on me that I should try out professional networks such as XING, Ecademy and LinkedIN. I was already registered as a user for over 5 years on LinkedIN and as most of you I had several profiles without having a clue what was the password to those redundant accounts. I chose the account with the highest number of contacts, 35 at the time, and started to edit my profile. I could not escape the thought that I was wasting my valuable time but I had to give it a chance. I tried to search for executives in some companies that I found out from the other databases and it was clear that a lot of executives were online but out of my network grasp.

I fixed some of my previous titles and got a phone call from my previous boss 10 minutes after adding the title. I was shocked at the fact that someone was actually looking at my profile and it gave me a boost to try it out more seriously.

After adding a lot of my colleagues and business associates my network began to grow dramatically and after less than 3 months I had over 500 connections. Best of all was the fact that the percentage of replies grew more than 10 fold. Soon after I got replies from heads of companies I never dreamed of receiving replies from LinkedIN gradually became a leading tool for business development. Using LinkedIN allowed me to get fast replies on technologies that I am trying to license and I also received help from professionals that connected me to the correct companies. The rate of Non Disclosure Agreements boosted and best of all other colleagues from my company were beginning to enjoy my connections on their projects as well.

Soon after passing the 1000 connections I began using the “groups” option which allows reaching more people and providing them with marketing materials in fields of their interest. “Groups” allowed me to generate important leads for our technologies at no cost.

I now use LinkedIN on a continuous basis and have a lot of thoughts on better using this incredible tool. Having said all the positive things on LinkedIN it is also fair to say that it is clear there is still a long way to go.

I have tried reaching LinkedIN to give them some idea on how they can improve their database and although there is a place to give such feedback LinkedIN never gets back to you on what they think on your suggestions which greatly reduces the motivation to give feedback in the first place.

I have tried getting in touch with professionals from LinkedIN via LinkedIN itself but it seems that although they are connected it is difficult, if not impossible to receive a reply from them on such issues.

Here are some of the points that LinkedIN should consider modifying:

1. In the “Groups” module it is not clear why there is no option to export those contacts at least as the owner of the group

2. In the “Groups” module there is no way to connect data such as files, movies and other material content other than links. Even a simple embedding is not an option.

3. Not clear why I cannot determine the title of the Link I am supplying in the News and why I cannot add pictures or any other materials to news items.

4. In the invitation option in groups it is once again not clear why I can’t use the saved profiles, tags and other search capabilities for adding exactly those contacts that I want.

6. What about sending mail to more than 50 contacts? Why not have the options like in any normal mailing tool to add those contacts in BCC?

7. How about the exporting option that will include the notes you have written?

8. The “Groups” module should also definitely have an option to have more graphic capabilities in the body of the overview page. It should also allow connection to other company names the same is on the company module.

I could go on and on and clearly LinkedIN have gone a long way and obviously they are working hard to try and improve but a clearer vision will lead to better outcomes. Clearly LinkedIN is not a place to search for companies in fields that you do not know, for example search a company according to a field. Currently companies are not really classified according to a recognized classification system and hence one cannot search for companies in a meaningful way. To summarize; clearly networking tools such as LinkedIN, XING and others will revolutionize the way we connect and do business. It is also obvious that consolidation of different tools will be the next step in this exciting market.

For additional information contact: Tamir Huberman (LinkedIN)

Yissum License to Adobe Photoshop CS5- Protect Details in Photoshop CS5

2010-05-25T00:14:00.000-07:00

Yissum Licenses Cutting Edge Technology for Enhanced Digital Image Processing to Adobe Systems

2010-04-13T01:17:00.000-07:00

JERUSALEM, Apr 21, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Yissum Research Development Company Ltd., the technology transfer arm of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem today announced that it has signed a non-exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with Adobe Systems for the development and commercialization of an imaging technology that improves digital image processing. The technology, invented by Dr. Raanan Fattal from the School of Computer Science and Engineering at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is called Edge Avoiding Wavelets and it enables better and faster detail enhancement and preserves edges when sharpening digital images.

Image processing applications invest considerable computing power in attempts to enhance details in digital images, and to enable users to accurately demarcate a specific object within the image. Current state-of-the art technologies for enabling such image processing functions are overly sophisticated and suffer from various limitations. The new Edge Avoiding Wavelets technology is fast and uses explicit computations to obtain results traditionally obtained by implicit formulations requiring sophisticated linear solvers. The new technology avoids pixels from both sides of an edge, thus achieving a sharper, halo-free image. Its fast performance accelerates various computational photography applications by a factor of more than one order of magnitude.

Yissum Announces a Novel Method for Swift and Robust Pattern Recognition

2010-03-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

Jerusalem, Israel – Yissum, the Technology Transfer Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, introduced today a novel method for real time, automatic, generic and robust pattern matching. The novel algorithm, developed by Professor Michael Werman and Ofir Pele, both from the School of Computer Science and Engineering at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, enables very rapid recognition of a particular pattern in a fraction of the time currently available. The novel algorithm can be used in computer vision software for managing images, in robotics as a simple and fast method for vision-based systems used for assembly manufacturing and inspection, as well as for face recognition and additional security applications. The findings were published in the journal IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence (Pele, O. and Werman, M., August 2008, 30(8) 1427-1443).

"This novel method enables ultra-rapid pattern recognition which is highly robust and reliable," said Nava Swersky Sofer CEO of Yissum. "The algorithm can enhance various imaging and computer vision applications that are becoming an ever-growing part of everyday life. For example, it can be helpful in quick information retrieval from large visual databases. One such application can be photographing a restaurant and

immediately accessing relevant reviews. In the filed of security, the algorithm can be used, among others, for surveillance purposes by finding a suspected person in a video movie."

Many applications in image processing and computer vision require finding a particular pattern in an image, a process termed pattern matching. Pattern matching is typically performed by scanning the entire image, and evaluating a distance measure between the sought pattern and areas, or windows, in the image. The novel algorithm is much faster than current methods because it does not attempt to estimate the distances for non-similar windows, but only decides that these windows are non-similar. The reduction in running time is due to the fact that unnecessary information is not computed. The method is applicable to any pattern shape, even a non-contiguous one, and is automatic and robust, enabling detection of low quality patterns, rotated patterns or patterns that are partly occluded.

About Yissum

Yissum was founded in 1964 to protect the Hebrew University’s intellectual property and commercialize it. $1 Billion in annual sales are generated by products based on Hebrew University technologies licensed out by Yissum. Ranked among the top technology transfer companies in the world, Yissum has registered 5500 patents covering 1600 inventions; licensed out 480 technologies and spun out 65 companies. Yissum’s business partners span the globe and include companies such as Novartis, Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Intel, Teva and many more.

For more information, please contact:

Tamir Huberman

www.yissum.co.il

Yissum Introduces a Novel Method for Ranking Online Reviews

2010-03-07T22:04:00.000-08:00

JERUSALEM (Business Wire)

Suppose you want to go to a movie, or buy a new book, or perhaps a new digital camera. What would be your first step? Certainly, most of us would consult the internet for reviews about the specific product we want to buy. This is where things usually get complicated, because we are often swamped with hundreds or thousands of reviews, some of which are useless.

Now, Yissum Research Development Company Ltd., the technology transfer arm of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, presents a new technology especially suitable for ranking product reviews according to the particular needs of the person performing the search. This novel method for content analysis, invented by Professor Ari Rappoport and Mr. Oren Tsur from the Hebrew University's School of Computer Science and Engineering, is specifically designed to automatically rank book and product reviews according to their estimated helpfulness.

"This novel method has the potential of changing the way we extract information from the internet. It already allows us to easily identify the most helpful reviews on various topics, and, in the future, will actually generate one comprehensive, optimized review from the available data. It offers a necessary tool for coping with the vast amount of data in the web world," said Yaacov Michlin, CEO of Yissum. "This is one out of dozens of breakthrough technologies developed at the Hebrew University and available for licensing in the field of computer science."

The technology, RevRank, first identifies a core of dominant terms that defines a virtual optimal review, and then uses those terms to rank other reviews relative to the `virtual core` review. The simplicity of RevRank enables easy understanding of the output and an effortless parameter configuration to match the personal preferences of different users. RevRank was successfully tested on book and product reviews on Amazon. As a result effective reviews that had a good chance of being missed by readers were moved up to top positions.

About Yissum

Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Ltd. was founded in 1964 to protect and commercialize the Hebrew University`s intellectual property. Ranked among the top technology transfer companies in the world, Yissum has registered over 6,100 patents covering 1,750 inventions; has licensed out 480 technologies and has spun-off 65 companies including, BriefCam, HumanEyes, Mobileye and ReadEasy. Yissum`s business partners span the globe and include companies such as IBM, Intel, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Monsanto, Novartis, Phillips, Roche, Sygenta, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Vilmorin and many more. For further information please visit www.yissum.co.il.

Yissum Ltd.

Tamir Huberman