Musical legend on its way, a shopping revolution, top models and more…This week from Israel!

Are we to expect a visit from Spielberg?

While NBC's The Voice is set to introduce new coaches Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams this fall, the new season of The Voice Israel also has a big name in its midst: a Spielberg. Jessica “Jessy” Katz, the 25-year-old daughter of Playmount Productions president Nancy Spielberg-Katz, sister of Academy Award-winning filmmaker Steven Spielberg, is one of the hopefuls vying for a spot on the singing competition show's third season.
According to sources in the show's production, Jessy’s uncle may visit Israel to root for his niece, depending on the progress Katz makes in the competition.

Read more “>here.

Another music legend is set to visit Israel

After a 60-year musical career, Tony Bennett is finally coming to Israel. The 88-year-old American singer, known for his deep baritone voice, will give one show at Tel Aviv's Charles Bronfman Auditorium on September 14. He is set to perform his greatest hits, including “Steppin' Out with My Baby,” “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” “Because of You” and “Rags to Riches.”

Read more “>here. 

Thanks to this car, no driver will ever feel lonely again

Kitt, the famous talking car from the TV series Knight Rider, is being brought to “life” by Robin Labs, an Israeli-California start-up that has designed an intelligent voice recognition and communication system for Android devices. Creators say this technology is a lot like the science fiction intelligent robotic “characters” many of us grew up on — from the Enterprise’s service-oriented computer that kept the various Star Trek crews alive in deep space, to the malevolent craftiness of 2001′s HAL, to the corny jokiness of Kitt.

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A friendly Germany-Israel match

It was announced this week that Germany’s football team will travel to Israel for a friendly on March 25 next year, to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the countries. German Football Federation president Wolfgang Niersbach says the match is “another signal for the close ties” between Israel and Germany.

Read more “>here. 

Changing the world in 72 hours

At the three-day Tikkun Olam Make-a-thon (TOM) running through July 1 in Israel, teams of engineers, occupational therapists, designers and artists from around the world are pooling their talents to produce open-source working prototypes of affordable assistive gadgets for people with disabilities.

Read more “>here. 

“Suspenders Tuesdays”

Tuesdays in Israel are set to become known as “Shleikes (“suspenders”) Tuesdays,” according to an initiative of Senior Citizens Minister Uri Orbach. The program, which launched on Tuesday, aims to encourage seniors to leave their homes and travel, consume culture, shop or simply enjoy life by offering them special discounts.

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