Google's health and data company, Verily, is closing its operations in Israel three years after opening a research and development center in the country. Verily staff in Israel are expected to leave by the third quarter of 2024. The company cited an effort to refocus its strategy on core products and projects as the reason for the closure. "As part of our ongoing review of business needs, Verily has made the difficult decision to begin the process to close its R&D center in Israel located in both Haifa and Tel Aviv," a spokesperson for Verily said. "This decision is in keeping with our strategy as we continue to streamline our overall company operations."

U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced legislation Thursday that would create a U.S.-Israel Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Center to further collaborate in AI and contribute to the field's advancement. Specifically, the bill directs the U.S. Secretary of State to establish a joint U.S.-Israel AI Center in the United States to serve as a hub for research and development in AI across the public, private, and education sectors in both nations. "America, and the world, benefit immensely when we engage in joint cooperation and partnerships with Israel, a global technology leader and our most important ally in the Middle East," said Rubio, the Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. "I'm proud to lead this legislation to build on current, highly successful bilateral research ties between the U.S. and Israel, as well as help both nations stay ahead of China's ever-growing technology threat." The Senators said the bill would enable America to maintain its technological edge and enhance its competitiveness while leveraging the innovation advantages of its allies.

Reported by Bloomberg, Apple has acquired Vilynx Inc., a startup specializing in artificial intelligence and computer vision technology that enables video to become searchable. The Cupertino, California-based technology giant acquired Barcelona-based Vilynx Inc. earlier this year, according to people familiar with the deal. Vilynx developed technology that uses AI to analyze a video's visual, audio and text content to understand what the video shows. It used that technology to create tags for the video, making it searchable. According to the report, Apple acquired the company for around $50 million.

Google announced today it has acquired machine learning startup Moodstocks in an effort to bolster its work around smartphone image and item recognition. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. See how the cloud is disrupting traditional operating models for IT departments and entire organizations. Moodstocks began developing image recognition technology in 2012 and more recently shifted into object recognition technology. The Paris-based startup said on its website that its "dream has been to give eyes to machines by turning cameras into smart sensors able to make sense of their surroundings."

Hoax callers are a special kind of jerk. At best they can cause their targets emotional distress. At worst they can cause or incite property destruction and even divert scarce resources from real emergencies where they are needed to save lives. Technology can sometimes be applied to catch the criminal. Doing so casts technology specialists in the detective role by letting them trace calls to find their origins.

Detroit got its first toehold in Startup Nation on Tuesday, after Ford Motor Co. said it was buying SAIPS, an Israeli company that develops technologies that are key to self-driving vehicles. The acquisition was one of four deals the U.S. carmaker announced with the aim of having a high-volume, fully autonomous vehicle in commercial operation in 2021 in a ride-hailing or ride-sharing service. Ford said the investment/collaboration with the four startups is part of its strategy of enhancing its autonomous vehicle development, which includes more than doubling its staff at its Palo Alto, California, research and development center. Ford said SAIPS, a computer vision and machine-learning startup, would strengthen its expertise in artificial intelligence and enhanced computer vision. The company provided no financial details about its acquisition, but industry sources estimated it at tens of millions of dollars.