Death Of Window Washer Netanel Arami Was An Act Of Terror

Court lifts gag order, reveals Netanel Arami was murdered by Arabs for 'nationalistic reasons'; family furious over cover-up.

Death of Window Washer Netanel Arami was an Act of Terror - Due to the tenacity of the family, police have agreed to announce that the death of high-rise window washer Netanel Arami HY”D, 27, was a terror attack as they claimed all along. After the young man’s death police were quick to label his death an accident but the insistence of the family compelled an investigation which led them to learn an Arab tampered with Arami’s rappelling equipment, resulting in his fall from the 11th floor.

Police on Wednesday 4 Kislev announced three Arabs are in custody. Israel Police is announcing that the case is closed and the final determination is the death was an act of terrorism. The family will now receive benefits and rights given to bereaved families.

The family was represented by Honenu, taking the case to the Petach Tikvah Magistrate Court which on Wednesday morning ordered lifting the gag order on the case, overriding police objections. Justice Merav Greenberg permitted reporting the ISA (Israel Security Agency – Shin Bet) has three Arabs in custody who are connected to the attack involving sabotaging his equipment.

Court lifts gag order, reveals Netanel Arami was murdered by Arabs for ‘nationalistic reasons'; family furious over cover-up. In a dramatic turn of events Petah Tikva’s Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning lifted a gag order over the murder of Jewish construction worker Netanel Arami – revealing that his murder was indeed an Arab terrorist attack.

Arami’s family have  long insisted that his death was an act of murder by one or more of his Arab colleagues after he fell from a Petah Tikva construction site – apparently after his ropes were cut as he rappelled from the eleventh floor. The Arami family have led a hard-fought campaign for police to make public details of their investigation, and just yesterday petitioned the court to lift the gag order.

Initial reports claimed that when police arrived on the roof of the Petah Tikva building Arami fell from they found his ropes cut and Arab workers laughing, but police and other officials have remained tight-lipped on details of their investigation ever since. Police inaction and repeated allegations of a cover-up have sparked public outcry and protests.

Judge Merav Greenberg released for publication the fact that following Arami’s murder police arrested and interrogated three Arab suspects “under suspicion that they were involved with causing his death for nationalistic motives.” The three were released from police custody after a lengthy interrogation, as “no legal justification was found” to keep them detained while the investigation is still ongoing. The court also released for publication the fact that Arami’s family received a document from police confirming that they qualified as family of a “victim of terror.”

Arami’s mother Miriam – who last month accused authorities of leading a cover-up over the affair – responded to the court’s decision with both a sense of vindication and frustration. “It is important to us that they publicized the matter so that everyone should know the truth, and know that Netanel went to work and didn’t come but, but was murdered because he was a Jew,” she said. “All the silencing of people and attempts to cover-up did not succeed.” “With the help of God, we promised Netanel two weeks ago when we visited him at the cemetery on his birthday, that we will not rest and will not be silent until the murderers are found,” she said.

But the grieving mother could not contain her anger at the muted reaction of government officials to her son’s murder. “We are angry at the fact that not a single government official such as the President or Prime Minister have come to comfort us, and didn’t even offer condolences over the telephone.”

“Abu Khdeir everyone mourned,” she noted, referring to the Arab teenager murdered during the summer by Jewish extremists – an attack which drew sharp condemnations and an outpouring of support for the Abu Khdeir family by Israeli officials. “Apparently for them he is more precious than the blood of my son.”

Attorney Hur Uriel Nizri of the legal rights group Honenu, who has represented the Arami family in their campaign to lift the gag order, hailed the court’s decision. “It is important to say that until now no public or government officials have made contact with the family, despite the fact that the matter was known and clear (to all). “As such, we call on the President, who knows how to go visit victims of other kinds of violence should come and comfort the family… Netanel Arami was killed because he was a Jew.”

“I thank the court for its decision and we call on the various government authorities to come and do their jobs. We call on the Shabak (Israel Security Agency) and to the police to continue to investigate and carry out the required investigative duties,” he continued. Despite that, however, Nizri added that he and the family were “pained” at the fact that it took a long and difficult legal campaign just to reveal the truth about the affair.

Original story here

Ropes Of Window Washer Netanel Arami Intentionally Cut

Authorities believe Palestinian workers may have cut rope of Netanel Arami, who was hanging by the 11th floor of a building, sending him to his death.

Police suspect man who fell to death was murdered: Investigation shows that ropes holding window washer Netanel Arami were intentionally cut • Police looking into possible nationalistic motives • Family accuses authorities of covering up motive for murder, calls protest march in Bat Yam.

A window washer who fell to his death from the 11th floor of a Petach Tikva building at a construction site two weeks ago was murdered, police announced on Tuesday. They said the ropes that had secured Netanel Roei Arami, 26, to the building had been cut intentionally, possibly out of nationalistic motives.

Arami had been strapped into rappeling equipment while at work washing the windows. Initial investigations and evidence from Arami's workmates indicated that he had been working carefully, as he always did. The team of window washers had rappeled off the roof, and when their work was done, lowered themselves all the way down. When Arami's workmates did not see him on the ropes, they searched the area and were shocked to discover him on the ground.

The workers called an ambulance and the Petach Tikva police, who opened an investigation that was later handed off to the Shin Bet security agency.  Since the incident, Arami's family has been angry at the police and their alleged obfuscation of what took place. On Tuesday, Arami's parents and pregnant widow, Moriah, convened a press conference. The couple's two children -- Avia, 4, and Itai, 2 -- were also there.

"We knew from the beginning this was murder, because he was a professional. The fact that he was murdered because he was Jewish leads us to demand that the killers be brought to justice," said Arami's mother, Miriam. "The government needs to draw the right conclusions about how to treat terrorists. I am pleading that Netanel be the last victim. If the punishment isn't harsh enough, I'm afraid it won't be enough. All this whitewashing won't help," she said.

Arami's parents, Uziel and Miriam, and his widow, Moriah.

Uziel Arami, Netanel's father, said, "The loss of my son Netanel is the public's loss. Every day [terrorists] slam us. We weep for what God took from us and want Netanel to be the last victim of the Jewish people. Our strength is in unity. So we are asking the public's and media's help in bringing the truth to light."

Uziel said the family would hold a protest walk Wednesday evening from Yoseftal Street in Bat Yam toward the local police station. Moriah Arami described her late husband as "an amazing father. A man with no enemies … a full partner. A devoted father. A working man who left every day to make a living. An amazing husband."

The family's attorney, from the Honenu National Legal Defense Organization, Hori Nizori, said: "Two weeks ago, Netanel Arami was murdered, and since then welfare authorities have not contacted the family. … Only after two weeks of pressure from us and from MK Moshe Feiglin, did the police agree to partially lift the gag order [on the case] and admit that they are looking into possible nationalistic motives for the murder."

Feiglin said at the press conference that "whenever it's possible to turn a blind eye and stick their head in the sand, the police and the establishment does so, because it's apparently convenient, or because they are afraid of protests. There was pro-Hamas and pro-Islamic State graffiti on the building. Stones from the building were found in nearby playgrounds."

The police have not responded to the family's statements. According to the police, an investigative team has met with the Arami family no fewer than four times, including on Monday with the head detective. The police also said the family knew about the gag order and had received an update when it was partially lifted, and that some 20 minutes after the incident took place, Arami's brother arrived and said that he wanted to notify the rest of the family himself. 

A police source said, "All possibilities are being investigated. It is still unclear if this was nationalistically motivated. There have been no arrests thus far, and the investigation is ongoing and intensive." 'My son was murdered because he was Jewish'. Mother of Netanel Arami, who was killed 2 weeks ago after falling off the 11th floor of a building, criticizes authorities for mishandling the family, calls for capture of perpetrators.

“He told me several times that he was afraid that the Arabs at the construction site would try to kill him by cutting the cables,” his wife, Moria.

Police suspect murder in construction worker’s death: Family of Netanel Arami, who died in a fall two weeks ago, accuses authorities of covering up facts to keep public calm. Police lifted a gag order Tuesday on an investigation into the death of an Israeli construction worker who died in a fall at a building site in Petah Tikvah, confirming that he may have been murdered.

Following the death of Netanel Arami, 27, two weeks ago, in what police initially said was an accidental fall — both the cables he was using to rappel down the face of a building snapped — his family lobbied for police to investigate the possibility that he was murdered. “He told me several times that he was afraid that the Arabs at the construction site would try to kill him by cutting the cables,” his wife, Moria, said, according to Israeli news site NRG.

Arami’s brother, Ohad, said that his brother was a professional with many years’ experience who always employed proper safety measures, and there was no chance the fall could have been an accident. “When they are working and rappelling from high up, they are attached to two cables so that if one snaps, there is a backup cable,” Ohad Arami said. “There is no way that both cables could snap at the same time unless somebody intentionally cut them.”

Last week, Arami’s widow went as far as accusing the police of attempting to cover up the circumstances of her husband’s death. “Maybe they didn’t have a suspect, but they knew what happened, and could’ve given [us] the details of the incident,” she told Channel 10. “They tried to cover things up, so there wouldn’t be an uprising, chaos and war.”

The building Netanel was working on.

"My son was murdered because he was Jewish, there's no other reason," said Miriam, the mother of Netanel Roi Arami, who fell to his death two weeks ago from the 11th floor of a building under construction in Petah Tikva. The Arami family held a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, after police suspicions the death was not an accident were made public earlier in the day. "I call on all government branches to put a stop to those who slaughter us. It's as if we're in a shooting range. No one knows who's next," she said, clarifying that the family "knew this was a murder and not a work accident from the get go."

Police suspects Netanel's murder was nationalistically motivated. Miriam urged for the capture and the execution of judgment of the perpetrators. "Let Netanel be the last victim. If there's no deterring punishment, this would not be the last case. All of these cover-ups won't help. The people are not stupid." Miriam also criticized the police's handling of the family. "They come to tell the family and they find a woman with a baby in her arms, and she collapses, but they ask her to come straight to the station so she could sign off on the autopsy. There's no emotional support from the police. They have to also show sensitivity," she said. "The people of Israel support us, and came to the shiva (Jewish 7 days of mourning), and continue supporting us. We don't get support from the government or any other authority. No one from welfare or the municipality came to visit us," Miriam charged.

Netanel's father, Rabbi Uziel Arami, also spoke at the press conference, saying his son was "not a private victim. He's a public victim that belongs to all Israelis. We see what's happening out there - one time it's an attack with a truck and another time with a tractor. Stones are thrown at kindergartens and there's graffiti in support of Hamas and ISIS. We don't want another victim like Netanel. I'm asking for the truth to be set free, and for things to not be covered up." Choking on tears and struggling to speak, Netanel's widow, Muriya, turned to the gathered reporters and asked: "My son is two years old and asking me where dad is. What do you tell a child that age? I tell him that dad's watching over us from the sky."

Netanel Arami with his wife and children.

Muriya, who is pregnant, said her late husband "had no enemies and he was loved by all. He was a full time father, an amazing husband, dedicated, who did everything. I don't know how my children could grow up without a father."

Attorney Hur Nizri from the organization Honenu, who is representing the family, said: "Two weeks ago Netanel Arami was murdered and until now welfare authorities have failed to contact the family. The family was abandoned and was not taken care of by the authorities, while at the same time it needs to bear the pain of a situation likes this - losing what is most precious to them. The family is determined to fight until the truth comes out, and we expect the police to keep the family updated on the progress of the investigation."

Netanel Arami, 26, owned a construction company contracted to do exterior work on a hi-rise building in central Israel. During the fatal day, Arami was rappelling along the side of the Petah Tikvah building in order to seal vent openings when both his cables snapped and he fell 11 stories to his death.

Over 50 workers were at the site of the time, the majority of which are Israel-Arabs and Palestinians, as well as a few Chinese nations, but none have been arrested. The workers, for their part, claim his death was an accident. During the investigation all were quested about their whereabouts and if they know anything about the suspected murder or who was behind it. Their stories were crosschecked and none were arrested. The police say the investigation continues and all investigation leads are being followed.

According to an initial investigation, Roi Arami left his home in Moshav Ahiezer, said goodbye to his pregnant wife and two children and proceeded to the site. There, he and a group of other rappellers worked on the side of the building, sealing the air ducts of the building's security rooms. The team had finished, but Roi Arami was still working. The crew worked their way down and waited in the car for his arrival. When he failed to show up they began to search for him and were horrified to see he was no longer on the building. A few minutes of additional searches led them to his lifeless body.

Window Cleaning News

A never ending window cleaning job

Dubai’s Ziggurat City Will House A Million: Dubai wants to build one of the wonders of the earth – a massive flat-topped pyramid where a million people can live in a self-sustaining environment. A city within a city, dubbed Ziggurat after the temples of ancient desert peoples who first lived in the Middle East, the base will be almost a mile square. With roots in history, the building is definitely at the cutting edge of science with green technologies that do not run on fossil fuels and a transport system that runs vertically and horizontally. The futuristic building is expected to be open in time for the Cityscape Dubai exhibition in October 2013. Cityscape is the region’s largest and most prestigious real estate event that attracts thousands of delegates from around the world each year.

A 15-year-old boy working as a window-washer fell to his death from the ninth floor of a building on Wednesday afternoon. The incident occurred at a construction site in the central Israeli town of Bnei Brak. Paramedics tried to resuscitate the boy at the scene, but were unable to do so. The young man’s family has been involved in criminal activity. Two family members were arrested recently for serious crimes, and another relative was arrested in a separate incident. Despite the family history, the Dan District Police believe after a preliminary investigation that the boy’s death was an accident, not the result of foul play. The boy worked with his father at the site near the Bnei Brak- Ramat Gan border, where two apartment towers are in their final stage of construction.

Keeping New York workers safe in the heat: New York workers need to take precautions to keep themselves hydrated and healthy in the summer heat and humidity. This summer is turning out to be a particularly steamy one for many parts of the country, and while the temperatures haven't been "record high" in New York, there are still countless workers exposed to hot and humid environments on a daily basis. What many employees - and in some cases, their employers - don't realize is that heat-related illnesses can result in serious injury and even death.

What are heat-related illnesses? Sometimes when the body is exposed to hot and humid conditions, it simply cannot cool itself enough. When that happens, heat exhaustion and other heat-related, on-the-job injuries can occur. According to information about heat illnesses provided by the New York City Department of Health, heat exhaustion can cause nausea, vomiting, clammy skin, weakness and dizziness. When the body's temperature spikes suddenly, heat stroke is possible. Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness, and it can cause death if not properly treated. The NYCDH also gives some guidance about the warning signs of heat stroke, which include excessive sweating, muscle cramps, loss of appetite, confusion, hallucinations and light-headedness.

Who's at risk? Obviously, those working outside in the summer heat, including construction workers, landscapers, roofers, painters, window washers, delivery persons, law enforcement professionals and utility workers are at high risk. People working inside with no air conditioning or little ventilation, metal workers, restaurant chefs and those in commercial bakeries (and other factory positions) can also succumb to the heat.

Heat-related illnesses are more common in the elderly, those unaccustomed to the heat (like new hires who have not yet built up a tolerance or workers returning from an extended break), those taking medications that make them more susceptible to heat (antidepressants and anti-anxiety medicines are notorious for this) and those who have pre-existing medical conditions.

Prevention: They say that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That is definitely true when it comes to preventing heat-related illnesses. Employers and workers who understand the dangers associated with excess heat and humidity can take steps to ensure that their bodies are not overcome by the stress of hot, humid weather. The most important thing that any outdoor worker (or one in a heated indoor environment) to remember is that water is absolutely crucial. Drinking at least one cup of cooled water every 15 to 20 minutes can go a long way toward keeping the body's temperature under control.

Wearing loose-fitting clothing and a hat to protect the body from the sun's rays can also be beneficial. Another helpful hint is to avoid alcohol and caffeine when working in the heat; both of these actually dehydrate the body, so they can diminish the effectiveness of proper water consumption. Taking breaks in the shade often, using fans or air conditions whenever possible, and wearing light-colored clothes will also help put the body in an optimum position to fight the heat and humidity. 

Suncream and cosmetics spark allergy epidemic: Millions of people are being exposed to toxic chemicals in everyday products ranging from shower gel and deodorant to make-up and suncream, doctors have warned. Skin experts say that Britain is in the grip of a skin allergy epidemic which could reach crisis point if more is not done to slash the amount of the preservatives – known as MI and MCI/MI – being used.

Dr John McFadden, consultant dermatologist at St John’s Institute of Dermatology, said: “The time for action is now. We are in the midst of an outbreak of allergy to a preservative (MI) which we have not seen before in terms of scale in our lifetime. “Many of our patients have suffered acute dermatitis with redness and swelling of the face. I would ask the cosmetics industry not to wait for legislation but to get on and address the problem of MI allergy before the situation gets worse.”

Dr David Orton, president of the British Society of Cutaneous Allergy, said: “Data suggest that rates of allergy to these two preservatives are now nearing 10 per cent – and in some cases higher – this is clearly far too high and is an unacceptable situation. “The last time a preservative had this type of effect it was banned by the EU. Although the relevant bodies in Europe have set up a review this all takes time – in the meantime the number of people coming to see us with this allergy is only likely to rise.

“We would welcome the opportunity to meet and discuss this issue with representatives of the UK cosmetics industry so as to take immediate steps to protect UK consumers.” The MI – methylisothiazolinone – and MCI/MI – methylchloroisothiazolinone aka methylisothiazolinone – are found in abundance in personal care products including moist wipes, cleansers and shaving foam as well as products such as washing up liquid. MI is also present in window and floor cleaners, air fresheners and paint. It is also used in the paper, metal and oil industries.

This week, at a City Hall reception in London, party guests roasted – surrounded on all sides by windows that didn't open; and, when windows don't open in summer, they turn into heating panels. Ever since the Romans first inserted glass into wall apertures, the window has got more sophisticated. First came the casement window – with its thick glass divided up into tiny chunks by lead strips. Then came the most sophisticated window of all – the sash window, imported from France in the late 17th century, allowing minute adjustments, with the sashes balanced by cords and weights, and the air circulating through both a top and bottom opening if needed. Through the 18th and 19th centuries, window panes got thinner and thinner, and lighter and lighter, allowing fewer glazing bars – until you got to the stage in the late Victorian period when you could have a single pane of glass over another single pane. And then, suddenly, over the last 20 years, we regressed and sealed our windows permanently shut. Why?

First health & safety working at height workers - Mary Smith: Legendary knocker-upper, picture from 1905. Mary Smith was a notorious character in the east end of London, allegedly earning sixpence a week for shooting peas at the windows of local market workers in Limehouse Fields to get them up in time for work. Knocker-uppers were reportedly on duty in towns and cities across the country between 1870 and 1945!

San Antonio Window Cleaners Needed (Deadline today) - The upcoming TV season sure is shaping up to be a special one for San Antonio viewers. It's to feature real, hard-toiling Americans and, according to casting producer Bonnie Clark, San Antonio is one of the cities selected for the hunt. The idea is that hard work deserves a reward. The ads and online documentary will be produced by the team behind the reality series, “Dirty Jobs.” Those chosen to appear will be paid. A description of what the casting folks are looking for: stories from dedicated workers who know what real labor is all about — ranchers, commercial fishermen, mechanics, factory and construction workers, window washers ... you get the picture.

They're also looking for people who have made a difference off the job: rescuing animals, building a park playground, any deed that showcases sacrifice, integrity and plenty of heart. Busch Beer and the ads' producers hope to come to San Antonio in August to film those chosen. Deadline to apply is July 10. Interested? Send an email to Clark (bclark@pilgrimstudios.com) with the following: name, age, location and phone number. Also include a recent photo and a description of how you really “earn it” at your current job or volunteer effort. Applicants must be older than 25.

Hugh O'Brian reflects on journey from Hollywood window washer to star: When he was a 17-year-old Marine on weekend leave, Hugh O'Brian made easy money washing the storefront windows on Hollywood Boulevard. It was 1943 and O'Brian would go up and down the 6600 block of the boulevard, earning extra cash for his labors -- money he said he generally used to help pay for dates. But it was his fame as an actor that permanently cemented his relationship with this famous street. His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was dedicated in 1960 -- 6613 Hollywood Blvd., smack in the middle of the neighborhood where he once washed windows.

Sitting on a recent afternoon at a sidewalk table with his wife, Virginia, outside the Lucky Devils gastro pub in the middle of the block, the 88-year-old actor said he has been drawn again and again to this stretch of the boulevard. "I don't remember what kind of store this was back then," he said, "but I used to get $2 to do windows like these. It was good money back in 1943."

Motorcyclist's 528-mile challenge in aid of Hoddlesden boy Sam: Window cleaner Andrew Smith, who is originally from Darwen, will complete the 528-mile round trip for the four-year-old Hoddlesden boy, who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, an aggressive childhood cancer, in January.

His parents are hoping to be able to take him to America for treatment but need to raise £250,000 to be able to do so.

Father-of-two Mr Smith, 52, who now lives in Salford, said he was inspired to take on the challenge on his Honda Blackbird after reading about Sam’s story in the Lancashire Telegraph. He said: “My mum lives in Hoddlesden and she visits me once a week and brings the papers with her. “I read about Sam and I thought it was a fantastic appeal, so I wanted to raise some money.” Mr Smith expects it will take him around four hours to get to Torquay, where he will have a two-hour rest before starting the journey home again. He has not yet set a date, but expects to complete the challenge at the end of August. Donate here.

DDB MudraMax - Outdoor wins big at Outdoor Advertising Awards (MUMBAI): Outdoor Advertising Awards 2013, which concluded recently, saw DDB MudraMax - Outdoor as the clear winner. The agency once again proved indomitable by bagging eight Golds, five Silvers and four Bronzes and the coveted 'Campaign of the Year' and 'Innovation of the Year' titles. The Campaign of the Year title was given to Volkswagen's campaign titled 'Post-It' and the campaign for Adventure 18 titled 'Window Washers' bagged the Innovation of the Year. Commenting on this exuberant win, DDB Mudra Group COO Pratap Bose said, "This is the fourth year where we have dominated this award function with a sack full of awards. It's a great result for the brave clients that we work with and a great thumbs up for the best Out of Home team in the country."

New York-based ABM is stating that if energy savings, measured annually, don't completely cover the cost of the work, as promised, including new equipment, they'll cut the town a check for the difference. ABM started as a window-washing company in San Francisco more than 100 years ago. It now offers such services as electrical and lighting, electrical testing, facilities engineering, janitorial services, landscaping and energy consulting.

Lucky escape for window washer - Man accidentally rams car into store-front property: The store front of Rent-A-Center was damaged after a man driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee struck parked vehicles before crashing into the business Wednesday near the intersection of W. Loop 281 and Gilmer Road. Police say the Longview man was backing out of a parking space when he lost control of his vehicle. Mike Stacy, manager of Big 5 Tires next door to Rent-A-Center, was on the telephone about 9:30 a.m. when he heard what sounded like a car peeling out of the parking lot. “He left the parking (space), and the vehicle was wide open on the accelerator,” Stacy said, describing the noise coming from the Jeep’s engine. “You could tell from the noise the accelerator was all the way on the floor.”
Witnesses saw the Jeep dart backwards across the parking lot and strike a car, pushing it into a van parked in the next space. With the accelerator still on the floor, Stacy said, the car continued traveling in reverse toward the Capital One bank building before it veered and entered the roadway on Village Drive. Stacy said at one point it appeared Barnes’ Jeep was headed straight into traffic on the loop. The vehicle then hit a small tree and re-entered the parking lot — still in reverse — back to its original parking spot before plowing through the Rent-A-Center’s front, floor-to-ceiling windows. Stacy said it was a miracle no one was hurt since there was a person sitting in the van Barnes damaged, people were walking in the parking lot and a man was washing the window the Jeep drove through.

The Mom thing hits me like a bolt of lightning when I least expect it. Like the other day when I was sitting in a meeting at work watching as a couple ropes swayed to and fro clicking and clacking against the 11th floor windows. I knew a window washer would make his appearance soon, but when his little wooden seat dropped down to my level of vision, my heart skipped a beat. He looked so young that I gasped. “There’s a mother somewhere who worries every day if her son will be safe when he goes to work.”

Students with a talent for IT, electronics or engineering are being sought for the 2013 Bright Sparks competition. The competition, created by The Skills Organisation, is designed to encourage young people, between 11 and 18, to experience electronics by developing and refining an invention before submitting a prototype for judging. This year the panel of four judges – all industry experts in their own right – has strict criteria for selecting a winner. “We’re on the lookout for technical excellence; innovation, including originality and commercial potential; and passion, involving personal engagement,” says Petersen. “It’s important to us that a Bright Sparks entrant has a balance of these three factors in their project.” Previous Bright Sparks award winners have gone on to win awards at national and international levels. The 2012 overall winner, James Watson, took his Rubik’s Cube-solving robot to the International Science Fair in Singapore, while fellow winner Sohail Abdullah (pictured) was selected to attend the prestigious INTEL ISEF Fair in Arizona where his robotic window cleaner placed third among 1500 entries. The awards were first held in 1998 and, Petersen says, the technology has changed markedly in that time, as well as becoming cheaper and more accessible.

Visitors are attracted to a performance by intelligent robots during the four-day 2013 China International Robot Show, which- opened on Tuesday in Shanghai.

Shanghai center to showcase robots: Expo plans to feature machines for dull or complicated assignments. The consumer robotics market is set to have a quick takeoff in China with the nation's first service robot exhibition center scheduled to open in Shanghai by the end of July. A robot-led automation boom is taking place in China as more companies use industrial robots for manufacturing and equipment operation. The market value of industrial robots in China surpassed 1 billion yuan in 2012, up 67 percent from the previous year, said Zhao Xinmin, head of the statistics department at the China Machinery Industry Federation. Service robots have long been a niche market, however, where overall revenue only reached 7 percent of that for industrial robots in 2011, IFR data showed. According to New York-based consulting firm ABI Research, the global consumer robotics market is poised to hit $6.5 billion by 2017 from $1.6 billion in 2012. ABI also said Asian companies are fueling new momentum in the industry by delivering newer task-based products such as window-cleaning robots.

The glass memory has been compared to the "memory crystals" used in the Superman films, which contain recorded holographic video and data saved by his parents.

Glass allows scientists to recreate superman's memory crystals: A new type of computer memory similar to the “memory crystals” used by Superman in the films has been developed. lasers to record and retrieve data from pieces of glass. They claim it could allow up to 360 terabytes, equivalent to 580,000 CDs, to be stored on a single piece of glass the size of a standard CD.  The process uses a laser to reorder the atoms in the crystal structure of the glass. The size and orientation of the tiny structures the laser creates adds extra information in addition to their location. These structures change the way light passes through the glass, meaning it can then be read back.

This means huge amounts of data can be stored. The scientists say that because the glass is stable and heat resistant up to 1,000°C (1,800F), it could also be used to ensure information can be kept safe for long periods of time in archives. Professor Jingyu Zhang, who led from the University of Southampton, said: “We are developing a very stable and safe form of portable memory using glass, which could be highly useful for organisations with big archives. “At the moment companies have to back up their archives every five to ten years because hard-drive memory has a relatively short lifespan. It is the first time researchers had been able store a document in glass using the device and then read it back. Previously the scientists created glass storage that could store the equivalent of a Blu-ray Disc – up to 50GB of data – but they now can store more than seven times that.

The scientists presented their latest work at the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics in San Jose.

The recording process, which is done by focusing a laser to imprint tiny dots called "voxels" into the pure silica glass. The process makes the glass slightly opaque and polarises the light as it passes through. This can then be read using a optical detector. The glass memory has been compared to the "memory crystals" used in the Superman films, which contain recorded holographic video and data saved by his parents. Professor Peter Kazansky, supervisor of the Optoelectronics Research Centre at Southampton University, added: “It is thrilling to think that we have created the first document which will likely survive the human race. “This technology can secure the last evidence of civilisation: all we’ve learnt will not be forgotten.”

A Hackensack man and his sister have been indicted by a Bergen County grand jury  in connection with a pair of pellet gun shootings in which a man was hit and a young girl was narrowly missed. Nicholas Battaglia, a 25-year-old pizza maker and window washer, apparently was taking potshots at people “for fun,” Detective Capt. Thomas Salcedo told CLIFFVIEW PILOT at the time of the mid-March shootings. The victims were in the area of a Pizza Hut parking lot at Essex and State streets across from Battaglia’s apartment, Salcedo said. “At the time we didn’t know whether it was a drive-by or from a stationary position,” the captain said.

Detectives canvassed the area and hit on Battaglia’s apartment. They knocked and immediately spotted the box for an air rifle inside, Salcedo said. The .177 caliber Crosman Air Rifle — same as the model pictured above — was recovered, authorities said. Battaglia was taken to headquarters, along with his sister, 30-year-old Rebecca Battaglia. Nicholas Battaglia remains held on $75,000 bail in the Bergen County Jail. He faces six grand jury counts related to possessing, pointing and shooting the rifle His sister remains free on two grand jury charges of trying to hide the rifle and keep police from arresting him. Both are due back in Superior Court in Hackensack for conferences on July 17.

Community Alert: The RCMP are warning people about young people going door-to-door offering window cleaning services. In situations where unsolicited services are offered, you need to be wary that it might be an unsavoury character scoping out your residence. Never invite a stranger into your home, and always do reference checks on any contractor.

Percy Main serial conman locked up for cruel scam of Gateshead pensioner: Despicable doorstep trickster Philip Lamb was out of jail just months before he was preying on the vulnerable again. Lamb has a shameful history of posing as a window cleaner to trick his way into the homes of the elderly to steal from them.

And he’d only been released after serving half of a five-year prison sentence for a matter of months when he struck again. This time, the 30-year-old, whose own dad is severely ill, posed as a handyman and knocked on the door of an 84-year-old disabled woman and offered to clear out her gutters. The housebound pensioner, who lived in sheltered accommodation in Felling, Gateshead, initially refused to let him in, saying she thought that he was a conman. But it didn’t stop the career criminal from gaining her trust and worming his way in.

And it was while the victim was fetching him a bucket and water, that the shameless fraudster stole her handbag, a court heard. The woman only noticed her bag was missing after Lamb had left and contacted police. Now, Lamb, of Balkwell Avenue, Percy Main, North Tyneside, who pleaded guilty to burglary of a dwelling at Newcastle Crown Court, has been jailed for six-and-a-half years. Caroline McGurk, prosecuting, said Lamb was caught after police matched DNA to the bucket of water.

Branding Lamb a “serial burglar”, Recorder Keith Miller said: “You’re not a stranger to these courts, far from it. “You’re not a stranger to offences of burglary. You appear to be a serial burglar.” He added: “According to probation records, the circumstances for the matter for which you received five years was you called at the address of an elderly woman and asked if she wanted her windows cleaned. “You asked for her to fill you a bucket of water and you stole cash. The same report indicates a pattern of the deliberate targeting of elderly of vulnerable victims.

“According to the latest victim, you knocked at her door at about 3pm. “She wisely had a chain on the door so she could open it slightly without opening it fully. You asked if she wanted her gutters cleaning. She said the organisation that runs the sheltered accommodation carry out the work on her behalf. “You persisted and said it would only cost her £3. She continued to dispute the need for you to do the work, stating she doesn’t normally have to pay anything. She told you she thought you were a conman and you said ‘certainly not’, but that is precisely what you are.

“She eventually agreed and got a bucket of water for you then you asked for some soap. “She got that and remembered she needed to give you £3 and went to get the money out. “You then tried to confuse her, stating she had given too much money and you gave £1 back. It was after you went that she realised her shopping bag was missing from the side of her chair. “In the bag she not only had her keys, bus pass, rail card, purse, her pension card, spectacles, a bank card, £40 to £50 cash and her rosary beads. I’m sure the latter had particular importance to her. I’m equally sure she looked after all those items in the bag.”

The court heard Lamb committed his latest burglary in May, just five months after he was released from prison in December and while he was still on licence. She said: “He maintains he didn’t know beforehand that the victim was vulnerable as he was not in a clear state of mind.” Ms Hedworth also told the court Lamb, whose girlfriend is standing by him, was planning on giving £100 compensation to his victim.

Jailing Lamb, Recorder Keith Miller said: “The victim has lived in her house for 19 years and she now is frightened and is glad that the locks were changed, otherwise she would not be able to sleep in that property. I have gone at some length through what happened and the way the victim has been affected by it because, sooner or later, you’re going to have to realise that you must change your ways. The sentencing for this sort of offending only gets higher and higher.” Lamb fleeced an 81-year-old woman after posing as a window cleaner during the 2010 offence.

Woman Attacks Boyfriend With Windex, Car: A woman is accused of running down her boyfriend outside a store she was already banned from before attacking him with a bottle of window cleaner and standing over him with a box cutter. New Castle City Police say they responded to the BJ’s on Sunset Boulevard around 2:30 p.m. Monday for the report of a domestic incident between a man and a woman. Police say they found Adrienne Dorman, 21, of the 500 block S Dupont Highway standing over her 21-year-old boyfriend with a box cutter in her hand. BJ’s staff told officers that Dorman had already been banned form the store because of previous fights with her boyfriend.

The duo got into a fight in the parking lot this time over a cell phone. Witnesses told police Dorman intentionally struck her boyfriend with her car, sending him airborne. As the man lay on the ground, Dorman allegedly sprayed him in the face with Windex and began to go through his pockets. Police officers said they found her standing over the victim with the open box cutter. Officers were able to disarm Dorman and take her into custody. She was charged with second-degree assault, trespassing and related charges and released on $10,4000 unsecured bond. She was also ordered to have no contact with the victim and ordered not to drive a car. Her boyfriend was treated at a local hospital for leg injuries. Also see: A Use For Spray-On Window Cleaner.

Justin Bieber urinates into restaurant mop bucket then decries ... President Bill Clinton? Justin Bieber acting out of control and as if he can do anything he wants continues, as TMZ has video of the pop star urinating into a mop bucket in a restaurant kitchen. TMZ is told the clip was shot earlier this year when Bieber and his entourage were leaving a nigihtclub by exiting through the restaurant kitchen. And instead of using a restroom like a normal person, Bieber decides to pee in some poor janitor's mop bucket while laughing like an idiot. And his "Wild Kidz" entourage buddies act like this is a moment to remember. Then on the way out of the restaurant, Bieber sprays window cleaner on a photo of President Bill Clinton that hangs on the wall, shouting, "F*** Bill Clinton." So, have we started an office pool yet for the total implosion of Bieber? Whatcha got?

Skybot: Israels Robot Window Cleaner

Getting robots in to clean high-rise windows: There are some jobs that are strictly for risk-takers; police work, firefighting, Alaskan crab fishing (according to statistics), and, of course, high-rise window washing. While the world is likely to continue needing police officers and firefighters, and trappers will continue to brave the cold waters of Alaska to find the pricey crabs, high-rise window washers could become a thing of the past thanks to Israeli company Skybot. Skybot's robotic window washing system gets high-rise windows cleaned faster and cheaper than human teams, and at much less risk to human life. Washing windows on skyscrapers is harrowing work. Injuries or death from falls, while not common, occur frequently enough; on average, about 70 window washers - mostly non-unionized and using substandard equipment - die each year in the US, while another 130 are injured (the injury and fatality rate among unionized workers is far lower). Scaling the heights The greatest hazard in the care and cleaning of tall buildings is, of course, gravity. There are a number of methods used to clean building exteriors, depending on whether they are made of steel, stone, or other materials, ranging from pressure hosing using cleaning chemicals to old-fashioned soap and water using big brushes. Almost all methods, however, require trained service personnel to scale the heights of buildings, usually using scaffolds suspended from above the building, a platform connected to the ground, or from the booth of a cherry picker. And since window-washers - and hopefully their employers - want the work done in as safe a manner as possible, cleaning must take place during daylight hours, preferably in fair or good weather. If it's too windy or stormy, the work just won't get done - meaning an extra expense for building management, who have to pay staff, and schedule delays in getting important maintenance work done. According to Skybot's Yoram Barmohay, it's far more efficient to use robotics. Skybot's system, "combines the most advanced artificial intelligence technology and plain low-tech common sense," Barmohay tells ISRAEL21c. "The robots allow a fully automatic and consistent cleaning process, much more efficiently and better than any human team can accomplish." The Skybot system consists of a computer which controls the Building Maintenance Unit (BMU), the hanging scaffolds used by workers, to position the robot in the right place to carry out its assignment. Once the robot is positioned, the computer controls the robot's operations, analyzing the results through a variety of sensors. Using mostly distilled water and environmentally friendly detergents, the system applies a mechanized pad to the window and cleans, using innovative adhesion technology developed by Skybot to ensure maximum surface contact. After that, the robot wipes away the excess - and hey presto, your windows are clean. There's no chance of a worker slipping, since there's no worker to slip - and the robot, made of light, anodized aluminum, is connected to the BMU, solidly rooted to the ground, roof, or side of the building. Every day is a workday As the system cleans an area of the building, it can also dry a previously treated area - making Skybot quicker than human alternatives. "Our system can clean a surface of 500 square meters in an hour, compared to 250 square meters a human team can cover on a workday," says Barmohay. And office work stays private. "It's unnerving to see a person looking at your business from the outside when you're on the 45th floor," Barmohay adds. And for Skybot's robots, every day is a workday. "Our system can operate in any weather, in winds up to 45 miles per hour, day or night. And the system works just as well in hot or cold weather," Barmohay says, adding that Skybot can clean in a week what it takes a human team a month to cover. The Rishon LeZion based company was founded in 2000, and the first robot was installed in a Tel Aviv building in early 2002. The technology has been tested in Israel during hot August weather, as well as in several European locations, in the middle of winter. Currently, the system is deployed in the Netherlands, among other places, he says. "With the major construction of skyscrapers over the past 40 years, builders and managers have been searching for a safe, efficient cleaning system, and although some progress has been made, there has never been a system like Skybot's," says Barmohay. "We've had thousands of hours of experience cleaning windows, and at this point, we can clean a small building in perhaps an hour - instead of the day it usually takes." Not to mention the success Skybot has had with behemoth buildings in Israel and Europe. After extensive tests, the company is ready for mass production of the system. Barmohay says a host of investors, as well as the Chief Scientist's Office, have supported the project - and all of them have no doubt that Skybot's system will "clean up" the high-rise window washing business worldwide.