Google continues to invest in Israel by a 1$B acquisition of Israeli Waze
Following a tough competition between the mega technology giants of Apple, Facebook and Google, it was finally announced today that Google won the heart of the famous Israeli startup company called Waze. Waze is a social traffic & navigation app based on the world’s largest community of drivers sharing real time road info.
According to Bloomberg the acquisition is of $1.1 billion, making it one of the largest purchases in Israeli history. According to the speculations Waze preferred to be acquired by Google and not by Apple or Facebook, as Google has already a development Campus in Tel Aviv which has a headcount of several hundreds of employees.
Waze is one of the few companies out there that is bringing that kind of search together with actual map data and a social layer, so now the marriage had been announced: Google Maps and Waze, outsmarting traffic together.
way to go to the Israeli startup scene !
Below is a Tel Aviv – the financial hub of Israel. Every image is clickable.
Thank you,
Ronsho
photography of Israel
so here is a nice collection including some of my favorites photos of Israel which i really feel attached to. Most of these are of Tel Aviv and old Jaffa, but also of Jerusalem. Architecture and cityscape photography always amaze me with its power to reveal and expose the land we walk upon, especially when it is related to history and great stories from the bible.
Below is a focused Tel Aviv photo collection of Tel Aviv – every image is clickable.
looking forward to hear your feedback,
Thank you,
Ronsho
Here comes the flood
a heavy fog advanced earlier this month from the sea into Tel Aviv and covered the city. Low clouds and heavy fog covering the city might be a regular scene in San Fransisco, but it is very unusual to have such a scene in Israel.
Tel Aviv center
The heavy fog started suddenly on Thursday afternoon, where people working in the city skyscrapers observed huge low clouds coming from the sea, probably from Cyprus and slowly advancing into the city. For some people this was a shocking scene that was seen only in movies like “the day after“. The fog stayed all night across the shoreline and refused to go anywhere. In the next three days there was no wind, so these low clouds didn’t go anywhere.
Here is how the this square look like on a normal day, where you can observe the Mediterranean sea:
The center plaza in the photo is Kikar Hamedina plaza that was designed by the international architect Oscar Niemeyer. Tel Aviv has several major plazas and the best known are Rabin Square, Dizengoff Circle and HaMedina Square – translated into the State Square.
Below is a quick Tel Aviv photo collection of Tel Aviv – every image is clickable.
see you soon with more fog photos,
Thank you,
Ronsho
israel independence day
its Israel independence day 2013, so tears of sorrow and happiness are mixed together in these precious and sensitive moments.
The foundation of Israel is an amazing story, and sometimes it is very close to a science fiction story.
This is a story of faith and imagination, a story of pioneers who followed their dreams, who envisioned a place on the planet that would be a home for a small tribe that many years did not have a safe home.
Israel full power
Today we can can clearly say: it is a miracle.
and we need to remember – to always follow our dreams.
Thank you,
Ronsho
the oldest harbour in the world
Harbors have long been of great strategic naval and economic importance, and many great cities of the world are located on them. The port of Jaffa, on the Mediterranean is an old one, claims to be the oldest harbour in the world. Jaffa is mentioned several times in the bible and its history is spanning more than 3000 years.
Jaffa had been conquered more than 20 times in the history: by the Egyptians, Phoenicians, Babylonians, Philistines, Assyrians, Maccabeans, Seleucids, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Crusaders, Mongols, Mamluks, Ottomans, French and British. All realized the military strategic importance of the seaside city and each conquered it in order to gain control and approach to the holy land of Israel and especially to Jerusalem.
Many legends are related to Jaffa from Greek mythology of the beautiful Andromeda who was chained to the rocks near Jaffa, to the story of Jonah and the whale, but the most important story of the foundation of Jaffa by the son of Noah, the captain of the most famous arks in history.
the old city of Jaffa
The port is still functional today as a small fishing port, and currently serves as a recreational zone featuring cool restaurants and bars, a seaside promenade surrounded with walls of the old city and a vibrant flea market.
The old city of Jaffa with its narrow alleyways now house the picturesque artists quarter and is a goldmine for visitors with a unique atmosphere and historic attractions, museums and galleries.
There is a perfect summer weather at Jaffa all year round which makes is a fantastic place to visit.
.
Thank you,
Ronsho
Free public WiFi in Tel Aviv
As part of a new project initiated by the municipality of Tel Aviv, residents and travelers will receive a free WiFi connection beginning in March 2013. Travelers at Tel Aviv will be able to access the free WiFi service on a computer, tablet or smartphone with a bandwidth of at least 20 Mb.
The free internet access will be available near 80 free WiFi hotspots at major locations around the Tel Aviv, including the city’s beach promenade, the Hatikvah market, Florentin street, the Hayarkon park and old Jaffa, as well as major city streets, commercial centers, parks and tourism sites.
The speed provided will be around 5 megabytes so it would limit any major downloading and file sharing as well as pornography and gambling websites. This is a major step of Tel Aviv towards an advanced city government, which is adapting itself to the technological world.
Tel Aviv is the first city in Israel to operate a free WiFi network in public spaces.
Lately the city was nominated by The Wall Street Journal as one of the three most innovative cities in the world .
Tel Aviv – way to go!
Thank you,
Ronsho
the world’s top ten coolest coastal cities
half a year ago this blog released a post discussing where in the world is s the most beautiful beach ?
interesting enough, last week the famous “Lonely Planet” had listed Tel Aviv as one of the world’s top ten brilliant beach cities.
Just to be accurate, Tel Aviv was listed in the 7 place while Lonely Planet ranked Barcelona as number one, followed by Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro, Tangier, Sydney, Valencia, Dubai, Miami and England’s Brighton.
and even more interesting, “Lonely Planet” mentions that Tel Aviv is the total opposite of Jerusalem: ” Tel Aviv is the total flipside of Jerusalem, a modern Sin City on the sea rather than an ancient holy city on a hill “.
It is very interesting that the magazine editors bother to bite and note at the same time that Tel Aviv is not Jerusalem, which is as if they were saying that Miami is not Seattle. And they wrote about Miami, but did not mentioned that Miami is not Seattle. They also did not write Miami is not New York, and not even that Brighton is not London.
So why did they insist on writing that Tel Aviv is not Jerusalem?
But the most important point is that they have not forgotten to write that Tel Aviv (which is not as Jerusalem! said that already?) is a modern sin city (unlike Jerusalem!). Hinting about sex always brings some sort of traffic…
Greetings all the way from…. Tel Aviv !
Ronsho
Jerusalem in snow
in a world that is obsessed with non stop votes and discussions re the 7 wonders of the world, such as the great wall of China, Stonehenge, Taj Mahal, the pyramids of Giza, the Colosseum in Rome, Machu Picchu, etc – there are many who feel that these places are worn out. The whole ‘wonders’ subject Is terribly overused.
We’ve seen and continue to see an overflow of photos from these places and somehow a feeling is sneaked that people are tired to hear and see it again and again.
These are no wonders anymore. Not sure if anyone is getting any excitement about these touristic destinations.
meanwhile, and the other side of the globe – this month in Israel, a snow storm covered Jerusalem with a snow blanket. The scene that was exposed at that early morning was something that no one can ever forget. It was a fairy tales scene, a jaw dropping performance by nature, a hypnotizing and close to lucid dreaming experience.
Jerusalem turned into a fairy tale snow globe toy for a day.
The David Citadel – Jerusalem, Israel
People are used to believe that a picture is worth 1000 words. Thats untrue. There can not be a single photo that can deliver the magic of viewing the legendary and historic city being covered with a snow blanket. Unlike the Machu Picchu or the pyrmaids which can be visited and seen every day around the year, a snow in the holy city of Jerusalem happens once in every few years and even then – only for a day or two.
its was a rare scene. shocking. touching. straight to the heart. a scene that no one can ever forget and probably would be remembered for lifetime. a pure magic.
and all i wanted to lay down and to fall asleep on the fluffy snow besides the western wall. and to sleep there forever. besides the magic. unforgettable.
a fairy tale snow blanket in Jerusalem…
Ronsho photos are displayed at amazon as well at:
http://www.amazon.com/Ron-Shoshani
All displayed items at Amazon can be ordered directly at Amazon at this link
only happy when it rains
Dont we all have dreams ? and aspirations ? and what about ambitions ? yes, we do.
and there’s the spark that leads us, that pushes the envelope of our imagination, the spark that doesn’t allow us waste our limited time on earth, that blazes the trail that we walk upon – to follow our dreams.
and while many bang the drums like monkeys do, its time for each of us to make a difference, to hallucinate and to move forward.
is it a dream ?
No need to be pioneers, and no need to reinvent the wheel, just focus and follow our dreams.
and vision.
and always respect each other. being human.
winter thoughts.
cherish the moment
the middle east is a big big desert and my town Tel Aviv which is a part of it, is as a result – a single season city. It has only one season – the summer.
Out of the 365 days there are exceptional 10 days, where some rain and wind are coming for a short visit, but most of the time its a huge summer city.
The winter season is the most romantic and the most beautiful time of the year. There are so many visuals and so many beautiful colors – not to be missed. Unlike the summer season which is visually monolithic with static scenes, the winter is an ever changing beauty queen.
a winter scene
The rivers flow, the sky is beautiful, the clouds has so many different formations and structures, the grass is super green, the air is fresh, people are less aggressive, everything slows down, and beauty is all around us. It is the most romantic time of year – a time to cuddle, to cherish, to explore the treasures that surround us and to enjoy the relaxed energy and tempo of this ultra short season.
Many repeat the word “blanket” during this short period, and they miss all this greatness around. Winter is the time to inhale and breathe beauty.
All around.
Ronsho's Photos @flickr
More PhotosRonsho
latest posts- The Story About A Cityscape Photographer Of Ronsho Visual Art May 23, 2013
- End Of February Limited Time Photography Promotions Of Ronsho Visual Art February 24, 2013
- Recent Sales From The Galleries Of Tel Aviv By Ron Shoshani February 15, 2013
- Photography Of Boats And Ports February 3, 2013
- Photographer Ron Shoshani Loves Tel Aviv And Wants To Show His City In Its Best Light January 6, 2013
- Photography At The Golden Hour At Israel December 28, 2012
