Mazal Tov to Eta and Yaakov on their Engagement!
BuddyTag is the revolutionary wristband built to monitor and protect your loved ones
A missing child is a parent’s worst nightmare. A one of a kind product is here to keep kids safe while allowing them to discover their own independence. BuddyTag are colorful wristbands equipped with Bluetooth technology that pair to an innovative app designed to track kids.
BuddyTag works in conjunction with the free custom app to alert connected phones when the child is out of proximity and sends an e-mail when they are completely out of range. The app is currently available on iTunes for iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, 5C, 5S, fourth generation iPAD, iPAD mini, iPAD Air and 5th generation iPod Touch. An Android version is set to be released in Google Play shortly.
After losing sight of his daughter at a crowded amusement park, Creator Willie Wu realized the need for an immediate tracking device.
“No matter how careful or attentive you are, there will be times that any good parent will lose track of their children. BuddyTag provides my wife and myself an extra safety net in keeping our children in our immediate proximity when we are out,” says Willie Wu. “I sincerely believe BuddyTag will help many other moms and dads in keeping their children and loved ones safe.”
Key features include:
• Proximity Alert System- When kids are out of proximity an alarm will sound on your phone to alert you. Customize the range according to the size of the venue.
• Panic Button- Located on the wristband, kids can press the button to alert their parents they are in danger.
• Email with Location- Allows parents who have kids on field trips or with a babysitter to view when and where they were last tracked by the app.
• Multiple Connections- Pair several BuddyTags to one phone and customize the name of each to identity the “buddy” you are monitoring.
BuddyTag is available in 4 different styles (Silicone, Disposable, Terrycloth, Velcro) and over fivecolor combinations. Each wristband with a Bluetooth tag retails for $35.00 and can be purchased directly at www.MyBuddyTag.com.
What started out as a series of Bible studies in people’s homes has evolved into a wide-ranging program of lectures, workshops and study courses hosted by Chabad of the Conejo.
The religious organization’s Jewish academy is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and is now based at the Center for Jewish Life in Agoura Hills.
The adult education program offers classes on a variety of Judaic subjects, including faith, spirituality, philosophy, culture and heritage.
More than 3,000 students have passed through its doors, and the academy has hosted hundreds of speakers from all over the world on subjects related to Judaism, according to Rabbi Moshe Bryski, the executive director of both the academy and Chabad of Conejo.
The Conejo Jewish Academy was founded in Westlake Village by Bryski.
“I was giving a series of Bible studies on Jewish themes in people’s homes, and they said let’s take it out of people’s living rooms and dining rooms and make it an institution where everyone can take part,” said Bryski.
The academy moved to Agoura Hills 16 years go.
In 2011, Chabad of Conejo celebrated the opening of its new Center for Jewish Life at 30347 Canwood St. and David and Sara Bergstein dedicated the institute as the Leonard Bergstein Jewish Academy in memory of David’s father who passed away in 2008.
“It enabled us to really expand,” said Abba Bryski.
Judaic study and Jewish awareness are key elements of Chabad’s mission, which is “to bring Judaism to every Jew on earth,” the rabbi said.
“Our job is to make it as simple as possible for Jews to discover and learn,” he said. “We take our role as the chosen people very seriously. We are chosen to bring Godliness and goodness to all people on the face of the earth and to do so we need to understand what we need to practice ourselves and what we need to share with the world.”
Tom Block, of Agoura Hills, has been attending the Lunch ‘N Learn program hosted by Bryski since the beginning.
“When I first started, I was the third person to join,” said Block. “Now, it has between 70 and 100 people every week.”
Block says he grew up as a secular Jew but thanks to Bryski and the Jewish Academy, he has become connected to his Jewish faith, history and heritage.
“I have just grown in my knowledge and my observance and my interest,” he said. “I’ve raised a family in it, and it’s made a huge impact on me – I hope for the good.”
Some of the topics featured during the winter semester which is just beginning are what it means to be a “mentch,” or a person of character; unlocking the secrets of the Torah by exploring Kabbalah; Hebrew for beginners; and Jewish identity and what it means to be Jewish, both historically and in the modern day.
For the first time, the academy is also offering a basic class on Judaism in Russian and a three-part lecture series in Hebrew, both in response to requests from the growing Russian and Israeli communities in the area.
The classes are taught by rabbis and rebbetzins who are part of the Chabad of Conejo.
For more information about the Jewish Academy and the courses and events it offers, go to jewishacademy.com.
By Rachel McGrath,
Ventura County Star
An IDF spokesman announced this morning (Feb. 4) that an IDF officer was killed last night on the border with Gaza by friendly fire during operational activities. His family was notified.
The circumstances of the incident are being investigated. The officer was commanding an intelligence reconnaissance unit, and initial findings indicate he was mistakenly identified as a terrorist. Another unit in the vicinity also identified this reconnaissance unit as a hostile force, so one of the observation posts may have misread the terrain and the deployment of the various units in action at the time.
By Aryeh Savir
Tazpit News Agency
A kinder, gentler approach to one of the most dreaded exams in medicine is on the way: U.S. regulators have cleared a bite-size camera to help screen patients who have trouble with colonoscopies.
The ingestible pill camera from Given Imaging is designed to help doctors spot polyps and other early signs of colon cancer. The Food and Drug Administration cleared the device for patients who have had trouble with the cringe-inducing colonoscopy procedure, which involves probing the large intestine with a tiny camera embedded in a four-foot long, flexible tube.
The Israeli company’s technology, developed from missile defense systems, uses a battery-powered camera to take high-speed photos as it slowly winds its way through the intestinal tract over eight hours. The images are transmitted to a recording device worn around the patient’s waist and later reviewed by a doctor.
While Given’s wireless, image-beaming system may sound like science fiction, it’s actually more than a decade old. In 2001, the company received FDA approval for a similar device used to get a close-up view of the small intestine.
At that time, analysts expected Given’s approach to grow into a direct competitor to traditional colonoscopy. But company studies found that images taken by the mini-camera were not quite as clear as those from the in-office procedure. As a result, the company has pursued a more limited market for its device: patients who have trouble undergoing standard colonoscopies.
The FDA on Monday cleared the company’s PillCam Colon for patients who have experienced an incomplete colonoscopy. Given estimates 750,000 U.S. patients are not able to complete the procedure each year, due to anatomy issues, previous surgery or various colon diseases.
Even with this limited indication, analysts estimate the new pillcam could grow to sales of over $60 million in North America by 2019, with room for expansion as the technology improves. MorningStar analyst Debbie Wang said the company has shrewdly positioned the device as another tool in the gastrointestinal specialist’s kit, rather than a direct competitor.
“Given’s management understands that the traditional colonoscopy is the gastroenterologist’s bread and butter right now,” Wang said. “So they didn’t want to do anything that would position this as a substitute.”
Wang notes that Given’s PillCam costs $500, significantly less than the roughly $4,000 rate for colonoscopy. Eventually, she thinks doctors may use the device to attract adults who avoid regular screenings due to fears of pain, embarrassment and general discomfort. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines currently recommend regular colonoscopies beginning at age 50 and continuing through age 75, though most U.S. adults don’t follow the recommendations.
In December, Irish medical device firm Covidien said it would buy Given for about $860 million. Given Imaging, headquartered in Yoqneam, Israel, markets seven lines of medical devices and surgical supplies, including pillcams to screen the esophagus and small intestine.
Pillcam Colon was previously approved in 80 other countries, including in Japan, Europe and Latin America.
(Ap)
With great joy and gratitude to Hashem, we are happy to announce the engagement of Yerachmiel Soto yerachmielsototaylor@gmail.
com & Chava ( Eva ) Zoltan evazoli@aol.com.
With great joy and gratitude to Hashem, we are happy to announce the engagement of Ryan Efume(ryan@hiltys.net) to Brynn Peskin!!
