Page 31 - Jewish News_04-2021

ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD April 2021 31A

8 smart technologies...continued from page 30A
ators how many people are at a par- As the Coronavirus pan- and includes a list of Covid-19 testing
ticular site and the guests’ locations. demic hit, the company saw a sites in 28 countries.
Staff can then push out alerts notifying 150% jump in use. Insurance Brian Blum has been a journalist and
guests of overcrowding and directing from Israeli insurer Phoenix high-tech entrepreneur for over 20
them to quieter areas. allows tourists to use Air years. He combines this expertise for
Updates on safety guidelines and Doctor abroad with no out- ISRAEL21c as he writes about hot new
customized Covid-19 welcome mes- of-pocket fees (Phoenix is an local startups, pharmaceutical ad-
sages can be delivered as well. There’s investor in Air Doctor). vances, scientific discoveries, culture,
a site map for visitors and WishTrip The company is also part- the arts and daily life in Israel. He
can overlay the locations of dedicated nering with mobile operators loves hiking the country with his fam-
handwashing stations, alerting visitors Choosing dishes at a food kiosk no longer has to involve who can promote Air Doctor ily (and blogging about it). Originally
when they’re near one – an important touching the screen to enhance users’ peace of from California, he lives in Jerusalem
hygiene reminder. kiosk – Israeli startup Touchless.ai mind. The app is live in 42 countries with his wife and three children.
Fetcherr says: Talk, don’t touch.
Even as a return to commercial tourism Its Chrome browser extension al-
seems far in the future, eager jetsetters lows developers to add voice control
are speculating, “What will it cost?” to their touchscreens with no new cod-
Will airfares jump to make up for lost ing. Simply say commands like “up,”
time and lower capacity? Or will they “down,” “save” and “checkout.”
plunge to incentivize reluctant tour- A Touchless-powered interface
ists? The same question applies to ho- adds numbers to existing onscreen
tels and attractions. menus in order to avoid problems oth-
Fetcherr uses artificial intelligence er systems have understanding when
to predict prices up to a year in the fu- people speak naturally, in a non-struc-
ture with 90% accuracy, even in the tured way. Touchless.ai is a pivot for
event of a “black swan” event like a Israeli startup Hi Auto, which builds
global pandemic. speech-recognition technology for cars.
The product is for companies, Air Doctor
not consumers, and not just for travel You’re in a foreign country and you
(Fetcherr ran its initial tests on prod- fear you might have Covid-19. Who
uct data from Amazon), although are you going to call? How do you find
that’s where Fetcherr is starting due a trusted doctor locally? Does the doc-
to Covid-19. Companies “don’t have tor the hotel recommends speak your
a clue what’s going on,” CEO Roy language?
Cohen told ISRAEL21c. “We provide Air Doctor’s app connects travelers
certainty in uncertain times.” to physicians according to language, lo-
Touchless.ai cation, medical specialty and reviews.
If you’re hesitant about interacting In December 2019, the company added
with a touchscreen in a public space a telemedicine service enabling trav-
in the age of Covid-19 – say, receiv- elers to virtually meet with physicians
ing your boarding pass from an airport who speak their native tongue.

8/13/20 1:04 PM
APA_20_JNF5x5_MECH.indd 1
APA_20_JNF5x5_MECH.indd 1 8/13/20 1:04 PM
If you’re wondering what a gift to

the Healthcare Foundation can do,

Ask a stroke patient.

Kati had a stroke at her gym. At the time, she couldn’t talk but
she could think. She worried that her children might grow up

with a single parent—as she did.

The Healthcare Foundation has provided grants for stroke

telespecialists and life-saving, high-tech equipment such as the
Rapid iSchemaView enabling physicians to make faster, more
accurate diagnostic and treatment decisions for stroke patients.

Kati says that thanks to the SMH stroke team and the support of
the Healthcare Foundation, her family remains intact.

Every gift can make a difference to someone, including you.

Together we strengthen healthcare.

Give today.
941.917.1286 | smhf.org

A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE.
REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.THE HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION WILL USE THE FUNDS FOR THE STATED PURPOSE BUT RESERVES THE
RIGHT TO USE THE GIFT IN A MANNER CONSISTENT WITH ITS CHARITABLE PURPOSE IF THE STATED PURPOSE IS IMPOSSIBLE OR IMPRACTICAL TO ACHIEVE.