invention

Hungarian hippy saving the world with the biggest brands

A hippy with stretched-out T-shirts and festival bracelets around his wrist has world-saving ideas, but with the attitude characteristic of capitalists, not environmentalist hippies. On the cover of the newest Forbes Next is Tom Szaky, who has got the world’s biggest brands to stand by his waste recycling companies, Terra Cycle and Loop. In the magazine, the 15 most important Hungarian inventions of the past 30 years and the first Hungarian programmer, the now 84 years old János Szelezsán’s portrait can be found.

“At the end of May, five sperm whales were washed to the shore on Sicily’s beaches in just one week, almost exactly where I had been just two months prior,” writes Stella Bánlaki D. on forbes.hu. The cause of death? They consumed plastic waste; there could have been up to 40 kg in their bodies. For comparison, the human body collects 40 dkg microplastic in an entire lifetime according to the latest data.

Used paper coffee cups, bubble wrap, plastic peanut butter jars. Recycling seems to be the easiest thing — plastic in the yellow, paper in the blue trash can, — but all of the three mentioned above, for example, can only be thrown into the mixed household waste collector.

If we mess it up a little, it will be corrected at the waste processor. If we mess up big time? Then it is possible we will ruin the perfectly selected trash of all of our neighbours with something like our child’s diaper. The 99% selected trash will then end up in the non-recyclable category. But only very few people know this.

What normal people do is what professionals call well-meant recycling. The intention to recycle is there; only we do not do it right.

In the past six months, Facebook has been swarmed by posts about no-waste shops opening in Budapest, some Instagram celebrities campaigned for #nowaste, and people have started to sew their own shopping bags. The reality actually is that if this year, we throw 23% of our milk and fruit juice cartons — that is 15 out of the average 68 per person yearly — into the paper collector (rinsed and flattened), we will break a record. The EU average is currently 48%, while Germany’s is over 76%.

Forbes Next is always about smart people and their inventions and work that will hopefully better our future and wants to educate a little, too. It does the same this year, as one of the most emphasised pages, the last one, provides an opportunity for selective waste collecting. Selective waste collecting is the most important tool and opportunity in our world’s protection.

But the companies making the products have even greater responsibilities, and while they do not lack knowledge, they lack will. The big companies’ standing point and attitude will not change until legislation forces them to make better choices; as long as money dictates and not re-imagined capitalism. Or until someone comes up with a service, which provides economic benefits as well as environmental benefits. The next person to be on the cover of Forbes Next is just like that. Tom Szaky, the Hungarian who makes money out of handling trash right. Not only that, but he also tries to prevent us from making it.

Read more about Tom Szaky and his business HERE.

Szaky was born in Budapest but grew up in America. He told Forbes in Hungarian how he got the world’s biggest brands to stand by him and the Earth. Not with fire in his eyes, but with the realisation that capitalism can only be fought by capitalism.

The newest Forbes Next will collect the 15 most important Hungarian inventions of the past 30 years. They searched for concrete, innovative — and already existing — inventions, but this time, huge success was not the main filter, although a billion businesses are behind some of the advancements. As always, they will introduce contemporary Hungarian inventors, technological pioneers, such as 77Eletronika’s newest mini smart tool, which can make a complete blood count of a patient anywhere, at any time, in just seconds. They will talk about Medicontur making and developing lenses, considered to be top-quality worldwide, for 30 years in Zsámbék. They are market leaders in Hungary, and with the leadership of their doctor founder László Kontur, they are working on their biggest investment yet, while also heading for the finish line with the world’s first colourblindness correcting glasses.

They talked to Hungarians who can resolve the contradiction of biofuels, and they also repaid the Hungarian press’s debt by releasing a long profile about János Szelezsán. He was the first to work with computers in Hungary, he wrote the first information technology book and later took part in starting IT training at universities. Szelezsán is probably the first Hungarian to get peptic ulcer form programming as well. Alongside him, Forbes Next also talked to two leading programmers of today: Viktor Trón and Oszkár Józsa.

Featured image: Wikimedia Commons

June 8, 2019

Hungarian invention to solve Africa’s water problems?

A water retainer developed by a Hungarian company, Water&Soil Ltd, might solve the problems of Africa and other territories of the world struggling with droughts.

Already successful in a lot of countries

According to szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu, the product got marketing authorisation in Kenya so it can start its conquest on the driest continent.

Richárd Vattay, CEO of the company, told szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu that their participation in the Budapest Water Summit of 2016 increased the publicity and visibility of their innovation a lot, though then, they were only at the beginning of their marketing strategy. The fact that the company could introduce itself on a global event helped a lot to start conquering international markets. Since then, their product has been successfully tested

in South-Africa, Morocco, Ghana, Iran, India, Pakistan, Chile and Great-Britain

where they could become an active market actor. This list broadened with Kenya where they got marketing authorisation, he added.

In fact, the Water Retainer VízŐr® is an organic soil-conditioning product that can be applied by either spraying on the surface or solved in the irrigation water, with different levels of dilution possible. If the Hungarian innovation is applied appropriately,

the soil’s water retainment ability will be substantially increased,

and the benefits in better root development and better hydration will last for the whole cultivation period.

Significantly higher yields

The plants grown on soil treated with the product can survive twice the time in extreme drought conditions without serious damage. The Water Retainer also reduces changes to soil condition caused by drought, and the soil will be able to additionally trap air humidity during high moisture periods (dawn or night vapour formation).

As a result,

the yields can increase by 6-20 pc

on non-irrigated arable lands, which, in fact, is 80 pc of the land used for growing plants on the globe, so, the market is huge. Furthermore, on irrigated land, it can halve the amount of water used for irrigation since it not only keeps water in the topsoil layer but also traps air humidity during high moisture periods.

Thanks to these properties, studies show that by the use of the product on a 100,000-acre-land on which irrigation intensity is an annual 30 pc, we can save 120 million m3 water, which equals the annual average

water consumption of 2 million people.

We have already reported about many brilliant Hungarian inventions HERE. If you want to read about Teqball and how football superstars love it, click HERE. If you want to know how to cool down your drink in just 5 seconds with the help of another witty Hungarian invention, click HERE. And if you want to know how the Hungarian GlovEye won the prize for entrepreneurs founded by Prince Andrew, click HERE.

June 8, 2019

Teqball conquering the world – football superstars love the Hungarian invention!

The Hungarian invention, teqball, seems to have won over another famous fan – Neymar was spotted warming up with the help of the Hungarian sport. Luckily, the pass exchanges were caught on camera.

Teqball can be played as a singles or as a doubles game, with two or three-four players respectively. According to Origo, the video shows the PSG star paired up with Gabriel Jesus against the team of Filipe Luis and Enderson. The rest of the team is present, too, but they are only observing the game.

The Brazilian national football team is actually a long-time fan of the invention. They regularly use teqball during practice, and they have been featured in videos before doing the Hungarian-inspired sport.

This time, they are preparing for Copa América starting June 14th. Brazil is actually the host of the tournament this year.

As seen in the videos above, teqball is the combination of table tennis and football. The sport helps practice hitting the ball with any body part other than the hands. It was invented in 2014, and a world cup was organised as early as 2017, just three years after the foundation of the sport. The very first world cup was hosted by Budapest, but in 2018, 90 players went to Reims in France to celebrate the sport at the second world cup. Fans of teqball want the sport to be soon included at the Olympic Games, too.

Another big supporter of the sport is Ronaldinho, who became the ambassador of it in 2016.

June 2, 2019

Special cocktail time! – Unique cocktails inspired by Hungarian inventions

Apart from its special culinary flavours, Hungary can also be tasted in the form of unique cocktails inspired by Hungarian inventions.

Located on the bank of the Danube, Corso Bar & Terrace offers a unique cocktail selection inspired by world-famous Hungarian inventions such as the Rubik’s Cube, Safety Match or Vitamin C.

Irresistible aromas are combined with an exclusive design that results in an unforgettable experience.

Hologram

The cocktail’s fancy name was inspired by the invention of the Hungarian Gábor Dénes who created the first hologram picture 70 years ago. As a result of his ingenuity, three-dimensional objects can be visualised out of thin air. Many years later, the brilliant idea impressed some imaginative bartenders who created the cocktail speciality called Hologram, which is a mixture of Agárdi Gin, Pimento Liqueur, homemade grenadine syrup and fresh lemon juice. Besides its unforgettable taste, the cocktail is visualised in a special way by the help of tricky mirrors and a little fume.

Safety Match

The multicolour cocktail was designed based on the invention of the Hungarian chemist, János Irinyi. The key components – which are Bailey’s, Coffee Liqueur and Grand Marnier – are visibly reflected in the colour scheme of the tasteful alcoholic beverage. Representing the power of fire, Safety Match cocktail is served in a spectacular way. Its consumers can witness how a bartender sets the coffee-based speciality on fire before tasting.

Soda Water

Based on the appearance of the cocktail with a creamy texture, it might be surprising that its main ingredient is soda water itself – also known as carbonated water – invented by Hungarian physicist Ányos Jedlik. The differentiating feature of the bubbly water is the iconic soda bottle from which it is served. Remaining faithful to the special procedure, bartenders create a mixture of Tanqueray Gin, Lime and Lemon Juice, Cream, Egg white and Soda water.

Rubik Cube's koktél - Corso Bar — www.facebook.com/CorsoRestaurant&Bar

Rubik’s Cube

„Maita’i roa ae!” that is to say „Out of this world-the best” – described the first taster of this alcoholic cocktail speciality. Just like in the case of the brilliant Hungarian invention, Rubik’s Cube, its simplicity is hidden in its complexity. The main ingredients are Oak Bottle Aged Spice Rum, Orange Liqueur, Lime Juice and Falernum Syrup.

Vitamin C

Bloody Mary - Corso Bar — www.facebook.com/CorsoRestaurant&Bar

As the legend says, the world-famous Hungarian biochemist, Albert Szent-Györgyi, was not a big fan of paprika. However, his worldwide reputation can be connected to the essence of this vegetable, Vitamin C, representing a key dietary supplement and a fundamental ingredient of the world’s most complex cocktail, Bloody Mary. The healthy vegetable mixture contains Absolut Vodka, Celery Pálinka, Tomato Juice and a Spicy Mix of Vitamin C.

Bíró’s Pen

The ballpoint pen was invented by Hungarian journalist László Bíró who created the revolutionary object accidentally. With the help of his genius innovation, the recipes of beloved Old Fashioned drinks can be rewritten, just like in the case of Bíró’s Pen cocktail containing Whiskey, Bitter and Sugar.

Béres Drops

Béres csepp koktél - Corso Bar — www.facebook.com/CorsoRestaurant&Bar

The Béres Drops was invented in 1972 thanks to the genius Hungarian researcher, Dr József Béres, who struggled for decades for the professional appreciation of his brainchild. His fight was rewarding as the legendary product was declared a medicine in 2000, contributing to the most prestigious scientific recognition of Hungary, the Széchenyi Award. In 2013, the product was acknowledged as a “Hungaricum”. A few drops of this essence give the singular aroma of the espresso-based special cocktail, containing Absolut Elyx Vodka, Coffee Liqueur, 42 Coffee and the indispensable Oak Bottle Aged Béres Eszencia Drops.

May 22, 2019

The stories of five Hungarians who were first in Hungarian history – Photo Gallery

Achieving something in the field of science, sport, engineering, etc. is always an extraordinary thing, especially if it is the first significant discovery or result in the history of the world or the nation. These five famous Hungarians below ensured that their names would not be forgotten in the history of the country. They were the first ones who achieved something great in their field; something no one has ever achieved before them.

Emília Aranyváry (1839–1868)

The first Hungarian dancer and choreographer

Hungary’s first professional ballet dancer and choreographer was born in a wealthy family and danced since the first day she saw the sunlight. Her first trainer was the French François Crambé who was the choreographer of the Hungarian-German Theatre in the capital city. After her first tutor, her father decided to send her daughter to Paris to learn from more excellent masters.

After many lessons and hard work, Aranyváry debuted in the National Theatre in Budapest, 1848 with great success.

She left the country to try herself in foreign countries. For many years she danced in Paris and was a guest performer in London and Vienna. She returned in 1854 and signed a life-long contract with the Hungarian National Theatre. Dancing in the capital and the countryside, Aranyváry was considered to be the best in the golden era of the Hungarian ballet. In 1868, among mysterious circumstances, she suddenly disappeared and was never seen again.

Emília Aranyváry, Hungarian, first, history — *Photo: Wikimedia Commons (National Széchényi Library Digital Archive)*

András Csonka (1852–1939)

The inventor of the first Hungarian motorcycle and motorboat

On January 22, Csonka was born as the seventh child in his family. From an early age, he examined carefully when his father worked in his forge and decided to become an engineer. He was an excellent student and spoke German and Latin fluently. Besides his studies, he was keen on examining different kinds of machines and the shifts in engineering.

In 1893, he and his fellow engineer Donát Bánki invented the carburetor and their invention spread across the world with sensation.

Csonka was also enthusiastic about designing and building new types of vehicles. By his great effort and exceptional mind, the first Hungarian automobile, motorcycle, motorboat, motor-tricycle, and postal car were constructed in the early 1900s.

János Csonka, car, Hungarian, first, history — Photo: Wikimedia Commons

János Csonka, Hungarian, first, history — Photo: Wikimedia Commons

ános Csonka, car, Hungarian, first, History — Photo: Wikimedia Commons by Pilgab

János Csonka, postal car, Hungarian, first, history — Postal car (Photo: Wikimedia Commons by Andor Elekes)

Mária Vendl (1890–1945)

The first Hungarian professor and scientist

Vendl was born in Ditró (today: Gyergyóditró, Transylvania) and dedicated her life to the scientific research of minerals and rocks. After graduating from university, she continued her research and taught in two elementary schools. Because of her hard work and exemplary research, the National Museum of Hungary hired her and Vendl became the first female scientist in the institution.

In December 1925, she was the first Hungarian female whose research was presented in front of the council – consisted of only men – of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

In 1934, she became the first female professor in Hungary and started to give lessons at the University of Debrecen (Hajdú-Bihar County). Besides researching the Hungarian rocks and minerals, she also achieved significant successes abroad.

Mária Vendl, Hungarian, first, history — *Photo: Wikimedia Commons*

Böske Simon (1909–1970)

The first Hungarian beauty queen

Born as Erzsébet Simon in Keszthely (Zala County), she was the daughter of Hungarian-Jewish parents. Her beauty was discovered at an early age as the sixteen-year-old Simon was chosen as the most beautiful girl of Keszthely, then of the Lake Balaton. The real breakthrough in her career came when she got the opportunity to take part in the first Miss Hungary competition in 1929.

Out of two hundred and eighteen competitors, Simon became the most beautiful woman in Hungary. In the same year, she took part in the European competition (Miss Europe) which she also won.

After winning the competitions in her homeland and on the continent the next step was the international Miss Universe in the United States, but Simon refused to participate. Instead, she returned to Hungary, where many people celebrated her and considered the beauty queen as the saviour and positivity of the country after World War I and Trianon. Although many other people mocked Simon because of her Jewish origins, she survived the Holocaust and died peacefully in 1970, in Budapest.

Böske Simon, Hungarian, first, history — *Photo: www.facebook.com/literaturairodalmiesmuveszetimagazin*

Győző Kovács (1933–2012)

The inventor of the first Hungarian computer

After graduating from grammar school in 1950, the young Kovács could not attend a university because of his origins. He had to work one year as a common skilled-worker before beginning his studies at the University of Technology and Economics in Budapest.

In 1957, he invented the first Hungarian computer which was a major breakthrough in the history of Hungarian science. Two years later, he officially became the director of the first Hungarian computer-centre in the capital.

With his invention, hard work, and several studies and researches, Kovács is considered to be the father of Hungarian computer science and the engineer who made this field popular in the country.

Győző Kovács, Hungarian, first, history — *Photo: www.facebook.com/PosztmodeM*

May 15, 2019

This Hungarian guy can save the World with reusable energy

#Tom #Szaky, #Hungarian #CEO of #TerraCycle and #Loop

A Hungarian-born businessman living in Trenton, United States has come up with an excellent idea of a recycling-method shopping system.

A young, 37-year-old man Tom Szaky with Hungarian origins has become a successful business owner of two companies, TerraCycle and Loop. Tom believes that the future of saving the planet and being environmentally friendly is not in recycling, but rather re-using.

What does that mean?
Piacesprofit.hu wrote about Tom’s idea with the ‘milkman example’. In the ’60s in the United States, a milkman would come to a house, bringing a glass of milk that you could use. Tom’s business, Loop is something similar, it is the modern version of a milkman’s services, but with more than 300 products. In his opinion, the future’s best solution in consumption is reusing bags, packets, boxes and bottles.

#Tom #Szaky #Hungarian #entrepreneur , #ceo #usa — Tom Szaky Hungarian entrepreneur, CEO,
facebook.com/tszaky

Recycling is not efficient enough!

A really shocking statistic says, since 1960, only 9% of the all-time produced plastic were recycled. The rest of the plastic waste (91% since 1960) polluted our environment, which is unbelievably sad.

“The use of 100% recycled packaging is not feasible in such global supply systems. Recycling is an industry doomed to failure.” – said Tom Szaky, also in Hungary and in the US.

Szaky’s reputation and the future of Loop

Szaky’s other business, TerraCycle is collecting already used diapers, chocolate packages, cigarette stubs, ash to transform them into usable products.
In 2017, as the CEO of TerraCycle, Tom flew to Davos, Switzerland, when Loop was only a half-idea in his mind.

He was surrounded by the CEO’s of companies like Heineken, Alibaba, Walmart or Protect & Gamble at the conference. Interestingly, the leaders of FMCG corporations (companies producing ‘Fast Moving Consumer Goods’) were the first to sit down and negotiate with Szaky and it was not a coincidence.

Companies such as Nestlé, Unilever, Danone and PepsiCo are more than aware of the fact that their consumers find their products’ packages as polluting waste and they are not happy about it. That is why they sat down with Tom Szaky.

Two years after these negotiations, at the 22nd – 25th of January 2019 World Economic Forum, Szaky announced his new idea of Loop. He said the company will be ‘soft launching’ the service in New York, Paris and London this year and in Toronto, Tokyo and San Francisco in 2020.

#hungary #hungarian #entrepreneur #Tom #Szaky at the World Economic Forum 2019 — Tom Szaky at the World Economic Forum 2019, facebook.com/tszaky

What Loop offers:

• The customer opens an account online, add products to the virtual shopping cart.
• Loop delivers 300 products at home, like shampoo, diaper, ice cream, mouthwash, liquid detergent.
• Products will be handed in Loop’s special box, full of reusable jars and bags.
• In the US, the delivery is done by UPS delivery.
• The consumer puts the used jars back (unwashed) to the special Loop boxes.
• UPS gathers the used delivery and TerraCycle cleans and disinfects the jars.
• Delivery is free in case you ordered at least 5-7 products.

Briefly about Tom

He was born in Budapest, but they moved abroad with his family. They lived in Germany, the Netherlands and Canada, then Tom went to Princeton University in the USA, which he eventually has quitted to found TerraCycle instead. The first product was worm manure made of worm excrement. The manure was sold in used plastic bottles. TerraCycle has an expected 32 million USD revenue of 2018. Their headquarter is located in Trenton, New Jersey, where previously many Hungarian emigrants settled down.

February 18, 2019

Hungarian drone software to ease your shopping at IKEA

Shopping at IKEA can be a bit of a challenge, especially when you are trying to find that last piece of furniture among the many, long rows. Now, with the help of the drone software of Hungarian startup Aeriu, this problem may soon be solved. The software is supposed to help with taking inventories and thus the whole process of shopping, both online and in stores.

According to Forbes, the software is already in a trial period in the Soroksár store. Using it is planned to make taking inventories faster and more efficient. The company believes that removing forklifts and manual elements from the equation and making the process more automated could serve not only the purpose of sustainability but would be better suited for the growing demands of online shoppers as well.

For this, they need software that complies with IKEA’s needs. This is where the Hungarian startup called Aeriu comes into the picture.

The software they developed, Aeriu Inventory, is optimised for drones and can be used even in big warehouses.

The product is supposed to be faster as well as more precise than the current system involving manual workers. The two companies are planning to collaborate long-term to develop a fully technology-controlled system, for which the testing period has already begun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPGIZXqzF2Q

The collaboration benefits Aerius as it allows them to test and improve the product in a real environment, while IKEA’s Hungarian branch gets a tailor-made solution for their problem, and members of staff will be able to navigate it, too.

The most popular items bought in IKEA are apparently for the kitchen and the living room.

Last year, about 17 thousand kitchen furniture was sold, and 37 thousand couches found homes. However, the problem is that these pieces of furniture are usually stored on the higher shelves as opposed to the lighter, more easily movable items. With the help of the drones, customers can get ‘real-time’ feedback whether the item is available at the store or not. This will help both online and offline shoppers.

Hungarian startup performs extraordinary show for the British Royal Family

Featured image: facebook.com/aeriu

February 16, 2019

Ronaldinho to popularize Hungarian sport-invention Teqball in Budapest again!

Hungarian sport-invention Teqball has a very good chance to become one of the most popular sports in the world and also a game at Olympics in 2024. Viktor Huszár and Gábor Borsányi inventors have recently met György Gattyán Hungarian billionaire and investor at the White House.

FITEQ (Fédération Internationale de Teqball) is planning on a Teqball contest in the Hungarian capital city, Budapest. In this year, the Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho will visit Hungary, too, being the sportsman-promoter of the brand new Hungarian ballgame. Vg.hu has also mentioned that the inventors and an investor were in USA White House, but it is unknown why exactly they visited it.

Ronaldinho, the perfect advertising face of Teqball

The truth is, we do not pay extremely high amounts to Ronaldinho, he is simply a big believer of the sport and he loves doing it.

Said Viktor Huszár, Vice President of FITEQ. Thanks to Ronaldinho’s, who has been popularised the game in Hungary before, Messi and Neymar have already bought Teqballs to themselves. Furthermore, Huszár said that they plan to send Paris Saint-Germain’s coach a Teqball table as a gift. “It is also among our plans – said Huszár – that the son of Donald Trump will receive a gift table, since he is a big-big fan of Football (Soccer)”. They also saw a football goal in the White House garden that belongs to the football-lover younger Trump, so Ronaldinho has instantly suggested to send one to him.

According to Huszár, this kind of attitude from Ronaldinho was present right from the beggining, this is how they knew that the Brazilian star was the perfect, most authentic representative of the Hungarian invention. He also added that based on their mutual agreement, wherever a Teqball-cup takes place, Ronnie is going to participate in them.

A little representation about the game:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llV2ZUTMZRA

György Gattyán, Teqball investor in US White House

György Gattyán is a Hungarian businessman (owner of Docler Holding), who was the third richest Hungarian in 2018. He is now Teqball’s stratetic leader and investor. He has posted on Instagram about how well they felt in Washington, along with the Teqball president, vice president and their wives.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BtjF3fvgjGg/?utm_source=ig_web_options_share_sheet

The three businessmen participated in Washington’s National Prayer Breakfast, where they met diplomats, sport presidents and senators. The goal was to make the new sport more and more popular oversees andd make Teqball also more attractive in the financial point of view.

Let’s all hope that Teqball is going to be remembered as a beautiful and smart ballgame that was invented and made big by Hungarians.

Featured image: youtube.com

February 9, 2019

10 Hungarians who changed the world – VIDEO

It is impossible to fit every Hungarian inventor into a simple list. However, the work of these 10 people definitely contributed to how we live our lives today.

Szeretlekmagyarország.hu posted a quite interesting video created by Hungarian YouTube channel Tízes lista. The creators of Tízes lista post their videos on a weekly basis. They create various lists of the top 10 of something interesting or intriguing. You can check out their channel here.

Tízes lista collected 10 Hungarian people who had a major impact on the history of humanity. You have probably heard about all of these Hungarians before, but it is very satisfying to see them one by one, collected in one comprehensive list. If you speak Hungarian and do not feel like reading, skip to the end and watch the full video.

Ignaz Semmelweis, the saviour of mothers

He was a Hungarian doctor who basically came up with the compulsory hand wash for doctors with the chlorinated solution before any procedure in order not to transfer lethal bacteria to other patients, especially mothers giving birth. If you want to learn more about this, check out our article about Ignaz Semmelweis, the saviour of mothers:

[button link=”https://dailynewshungary.com/learn-about-ignaz-semmelweis-the-savior-of-mothers/” type=”big” color=”green” newwindow=”yes”] Ignaz Semmelweis, the saviour of mothers[/button]

Mihály Kertész

You might know him as Michael Curtiz, the creates director you never heard of, according to Tízes lista. He was one of the firsts to start directing silent movies, and he directed over 40 movies during his career in Hungary. He later emigrated to the United States, where he was hired by Warner Brothers. In the U.S., he directed over 100 films, including the all-time-favourite Casablanca.

Gábor ZsaZsa

One could say that she was the first celebrity ever. She moved to the United States in 1941, and she became an actress. Even though she received a Golden Globe and has a star on the Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame, everybody knew her name from all the drama that was surrounding her. She married 9 times, one husband was always richer than the last one. She even went to prison for hitting a police officer. She was constantly in the centre of attention even after she stopped doing movies.

Count András

Hungarian engineer and businessman. He emigrated to the United States in 1957 and became the Engineer Director of the newly established company Intel. Intel became one of the biggest microchip producers in the world. He was among the ones who laid the foundations of modern technology.

Judit Polgár

Judit Polgár fought for gender equality in a very unusual battlefield: on the Chessboard. She became an extremely successful Chess player and quickly became one of the 100 best players in the world. She was also the first woman to be among the top 10 best players in the world! When she was young, only males played this highly strategic game, and Judit showed the world that women can also excel in a largely man-dominated field.

Albert Szent-Györgyi

Most people know Albert Szent-Györgyi as the scientist who discovered Vitamin C. He was also the first scientist to receive a Nobel Prize for the work he has done in Hungary. He stayed in Hungary during WWII, while worked as a spy to aid the Hungarian Resistance.

[button link=”https://dailynewshungary.com/seven-interesting-facts-albert-szent-gyorgyi/” type=”big” color=”orange” newwindow=”yes”] Seven interesting facts about Albert Szent-Györgyi[/button]

József Pulitzer

Ever heard of the Pulitzer Prize? József Pulitzer worked as a journalist in Saint Louise, where he quickly became famous for his satirical writings. He later became a media mogul and moved to New York, where he laid the foundations of modern journalism, as well as introducing many new genres in journalism.

The list also contains Kálmán Tihanyi, a physicist and electrical engineer who invented the iconoscope which launched the era of electrical televisions; Ede Teller, the father of the Hydrogen bomb; and János Neumann who was a pure genius and was one of the most influential scientists of the world. There were no modern computers today if it was not for him.

You can watch the full video in Hungarian below:

Featured image: Commons.wikimedia.org By By Ibigelow

February 6, 2019

Hungarian-born researcher to receive the Nobel Prize for giving blind people back their sight? – video

Dr Botond Roska received the 2019 Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine because of his important discoveries enabling the restoration of vision in retinal disorders. Many regard the award as the anteroom of the Nobel-prize.

Impressive curriculum vitae

Dr Roska is currently working in Basel, Switzerland, but received his medical degree from Semmelweis University, Budapest. According to blikk.hu, he is the first Hungarian to get Louis-Jeantet Prize ever.

To be specific, he and his research group mapped how different cell types in the visual system extract visual information from the environment. Based on molecular mechanisms, they have developed novel gene therapies allowing the restoration of the vision for those who lost it because of genetic disorders. The Swiss research group developed special visual sensors that can be placed in the blind retina. These can interact with strategically important retinal cell types. Thus, they are able to

restore the delivery of visual information to the central nervous system of the patient.

Roska was born in in 1969 and obtained his medical degree at Semmelweis University, Budapest. Later he studied in the United States and got his PhD in neurobiology from the University of California, Berkeley. He also studied genetics and virology at Harvard University. He is currently working as co-director of the Institute of Ophthalmology Basel (IOB) where his research group operates. According to semmelweis.hu, part of his research is pursued at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI).

Everybody can get back their vision in the future?

Established in 1986, the Louis-Jeantet Prizes – which are sometimes referred to as

the “anteroom” of the Nobel Prize –

are awarded to two or three medical researchers a year. Last year, he was also recognized with the prestigious W. Alden Spencer Award from Columbia University because of understanding the process of vision and the Bressler Prize because of his vision restoration therapy.

Qubit.hu managed to do an interview with him after receiving the Louis-Jeantet Prize. Roska said that blindness is currently the most feared disease in the first world and because more and more people suffer from myopia which can cause blindness in the long run, this fear has some basis. He added that despite general belief, researchers still do not know enough about the human visual system. According to Roska, their most difficult problem was to repair those cells that need reparation without harming the healthy ones.

The clinical tests have already started in London and France, and approximately a dozen visually impaired people already received their vaccination. Roska believes that

each type of blindness can be cured

but the quality of the restored vision is different from the healthy one. This is because the brain has to learn how to process the information coming through the visual system again.

Here is a short video in which he speaks about the obstacles regarding medical scientific research:

Photo: semmelweis.hu

January 31, 2019

New Hungarian 3D Rubik’s cube presented in Las Vegas

Nokia introduced the digital Rubik’s cube to the great audience, at the CES exhibition in Las Vegas, the cube has one colour only, black or white. The cube’s colours will only be seen with a glass to the extended reality, appearing on a screen. Budapest University of Technology and the Nokia Bell Labs developed this device in Budapest, and it can even help users to solve the cube.

The new version of Ernő Rubik‘s cube was presented in the prestigious expo in the United States, writes Hungarian tech website hirek.prim.hu in this article. The widely famous Hungarian puzzle, Rubik’s cube has now reached another level its history.

The cube was made by 3D printing in Hungary and it contains several sensors so the application can identify the game’s real motions, also various rotations by our hands and transport it to the extended reality. (AR)

Due to the intelligent solutions and the real-time sensor communication, the device will convert the different gestures on the cube with only a 20 milliseconds delay, which is highly important for the human brain because we are only capable to handling such short, or shorter delays. If the display was somewhat longer than 20 milliseconds, then the virtual reality would cause us unwell feelings, we would not feel convenient at all. More opportunities of 5G can be revealed, it seems, especially if the computer’s reply was within 10 milliseconds.

It would mean a better gameplay feeling for the user.

The virtual Rubik’s cube had been shown on one of the most significant technological expositions CES in Las Vegas between 8-11th of January 2019. The show that introduces definitive technological innovations and trends brought about 4500 exhibitors and 180 thousand visitors from all around the world, mainly representatives of global technological corporations, journalists, and researchers of innovation.

Featured image is only illustration

January 17, 2019

New app for your phone: Budapest pee map – free places to go, when you really have to go

Hungarian political party, Kétfarkú Kutya Párt [Two-tailed Dog Party] or MKKP for short, created an app, which is basically a toilet map for Budapest to help you in need. The app directs you to the nearest free toilet in the Hungarian capital.

I believe that we all have had the delightful experience of getting nature’s call and having nowhere to go. It can be challenging to find a free toilet to use, even in a city that you are familiar with, not to mention a foreign one while you are on vacation. Well, if you are visiting Budapest, you do not have to worry about this problem anymore!

[button link=”https://dailynewshungary.com/there-is-a-map-that-shows-you-where-you-can-get-the-best-hungarian-wines/” type=”big” color=”green” newwindow=”yes”] There’s a map that shows you where you can get the best Hungarian wines![/button]

A critical gap has been filled with this idea. Kétfarkú Kuty Párt collected all of the free toilets in Budapest, and put them onto one map that you can download to your phone, Szeretlekmagyarország.hu reports. The final product is the MKKP Pisi App [pee app].

map application — Photo: Daily News Hungary

Besides Budapest, a few free toilet locations have been also identified in bigger cities in the countryside.

Unfortunately, iPhone users have to wait for a little bit more to be able to use the app because: yet, it is only available on Android.

The pee app currently has a solid rating of 4.9 stars in the Google Play Store.

The map shows you not only the available public restrooms but also pubs and restaurants where you can relieve yourself for free, without having to buy anything.

[button link=”https://dailynewshungary.com/the-most-romantic-places-in-budapest-date-map-from-the-nearest-wending-machine/” type=”big” color=”red” newwindow=”yes”] The most romantic places in Budapest: date map from the nearest vending machine[/button]

However, one essential feature is still missing from the application. Users do not have the possibility yet, to suggest new locations that are missing from the map.

It is definitely a brilliant and useful idea. Unfortunately, I have not used the Pisi App yet, because I have an iPhone, but I can already imagine the comments: “Soap has very nice smell. 5 stars,” “No toilet paper but I laughed at a funny cartoon on the stall’s the door. 4 stars,” “Do not go in there. 1 star”.

Well done, Kétfarkú Kutya Párt!

Featured image: Illustration/Pixabay

December 13, 2018

Hungarian Android apps among Google’s best picks

Google has just published its list of the Best Apps of 2018, where two Hungarian applications for Android operating systems are featured.

Index reports that two Hungarian apps – one for photo editing, and one for language learning – were chosen as some of the best Android applications in 2018 by Google. Both apps are available for free on the App Store and in Google Play.

Vimage

With the help of Vimage you can loop videos out of simple images in just a few steps. Vimage allows you to create cinemagraphs, which are photos having one moving section: for example, the steam is moving above the teacup. Traditionally you would need a professional equipment and serious skills to create cinemagraphs, but thanks to this app developed by a group led by Zsolt Czigler, you can create your own moving picture.

However, there is a limited set of ‘filters’, including smoke and steam movement, fireworks, moving clouds, and some 10-15 others so far, with new ones on the way.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqS6oPtnIJq/

Drops

Drops is an app designed to make language learning simple and fun, initially available only for iOS, but thanks to the high demand, an Android version was created too. Their website describes the app in a concise and attractive way: “The short, engaging games make language learning a fun part of your daily routine and not a chore”. After this, who would not be tempted to download it and finally take up an exotic language?

28 languages are available, including two different versions of English (American and British), of Portuguese (European and Brazilian) and of Spanish (Castilian and Latin American).

Most importantly, Hungarian too.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmRz-iWhbTA/

December 7, 2018

The legendary glove manufactoring in Pécs

If someone mentions fashion, the first thing that comes to our mind is Paris. It is frequently forgotten that Hungary also played a significant role in the history of fashion since the 19th century. For example, it is worth to know that it is the famous Hungarian city, Pécs that is the capital of glove making on the European continent. The legendary Pécs gloves, or Hamerli gloves are unique and famous all over the world. Even American superstars tend to have a pair of the Hungarian invention.

In 1861, Hungarian tawer János Hamerli established Hungary’s first glove factory. He was a master in making gloves as he learned the skills for the noble craftsmanship in Austria and the Czech Republic from well-known foreign masters. He was an excellent tawer in Hungary and managed to become famous in a short period of time. His skills were the best in the whole country. He invented the first glove sewing-machine. With hard work and new inventions, the factory became the most profitable business in the country and the continent. After his death in 1895, his oldest son became his successor. In the 1930s the factory started to export the unique gloves to foreign countries in Western-Europe. Luckily, the factory survived World War II and continued the manufacturing. In the 1950s the factory became known in the United States and Japan. In 1970 it became the biggest glove making factory in the country and in the world, as well, and had an excellent strategy on how to be available on the international market.

factory, old, fashion, product — The first employees of the factory in 1861 (Photo: www.hamerli.com)

At the beginning of the 1990s, Pécs gloves started to become old-fashioned and unpopular. It was also a problem that the company did not have enough employees to manage the huge amount of export. Soon the factory had to be closed. Fortunately, the employees of the factory started their small undertakings and kept the brand alive. After 1996, many workshops opened across the country and continued the tradition of making legendary Hungarian gloves.

Why are these gloves so special? Despite the 21^st century’s modern technology, Pécs gloves are made by hand. Manufacturers usually use unique materials like the skin of lambs and deer. If we are talking about exclusive luxurious gloves the material is usually the skin of pythons, peccaries (skunk pig) and ostriches. These materials are exported from France and Italy. The production of these gloves consists of the following steps: designing, cutting, pressing, decorating, sewing, lining, and packing. The colours of these gloves are usually black, brown, blue and red.

fashion, advertisement, history — Advertisement from the 1970s (Photo: www.facebook.com/RegiPecs)

The quality and excellence of these gloves lie in the perfect materials and the 150-year-old tradition which is unique. The company always comes up with new ideas and trends trying its best to provide the highest quality.

Pécs gloves are valued Hungarian inventions and famous all over the world. Even American superstars tend to have a pair of these gloves and they are always satisfied with its quality. Here are three superstars wearing the Hungarian product:

Lady Gaga

The Grammy and Golden Globe-winning American superstar started her carrier in 2007. Her debut single Poker Face became an international hit in several countries and the official music video for the song has been viewed by 500 million people. In the clip, Lady Gaga is wearing and dancing in greyish-coloured Pécs gloves.

Madonna

The American pop icon loves to wear gloves. Not only for different kind of events, in music videos, and photo shoots, but at her concerts as well. And, of course, she is wearing the world-famous Pécs gloves.

Ryan Gosling

In the 2011 movie Drive, the American actor wears Pécs gloves on the poster of the movie and in one of the scenes while driving a car.

Pécs gloves’s official website

Featured image: www.hamerli.com

November 10, 2018

If you are in Budapest, do not be surprised if your phone is acting up while passing an advertisement

Thanks to a Hungarian invention, a new type of ’city light’ signs communicating with smartphones are invading Budapest and other major cities throughout the world. According to developers, an enormous benefit of this technology is that users can get information about products and sales without further adding to the annoying nature of advertisements.

JCDecaux’s intelligent ’city light’ solution has been introduced in the Hungarian capital, Budapest. The inventors think that it can help people be more well-informed. The invention of the market-leading out-of-home media company started its world-conquering journey from Budapest.

The iBeacon, a compact yet customizable beacon, is manufactured in Hungary.

The gadget itself was invented by Bcon Technologies’ specialists, but the idea of its application was developed by JCDecaux Hungary.

JCDecaux sign smartphone — *Photo: www.facebook.com/pg/JCDecaux*

The technology – previously used in stores to entice purchasing – works through the formerly mentioned beacon that is installed into a ’city light’ sign. This little transmitter interacts with smart devices that enter its proximity. The smart device then automatically sends a signal to a server, where the engine for the given campaign can be found. This engine is activated and sends the appropriate information back to the phone in the form of a silent notification. The notification disappears if the device moves out of the beacon’s proximity, furthermore, these transmitters do not gather or use consumer information.

In the test period, instead of a notification, the commercial can be read in a traditional message. And, according to JCDecaux’s experience, this type of advertisement is more often followed by an actual purchase than those promotions that are conveyed through common offline means. Because of the flexibility of this technology, later, these beacons could transmit other types of information, for example, public service information, such as the schedules of public transportation or the weather forecast.

This technology is remarkably safe as it does not use any data from the customers and the notification is deleted after leaving the transmitter’s proximity.

So far, 50 ’city light’ signs received the upgrade, but by the end of the year – when they officially introduce the business – the number of these signs upgraded with the Beacon will increase to 300. In Budapest, people can test the device with the services of ’NetPincér’.

The initial two weeks of testing show promising numbers; thanks to the well-known nature of the promoted service, the number of coupons downloaded is beyond our anticipated figures for this new device – the company noted.

After the successful testing, the device will pop-up in other Hungarian as well as larger foreign cities. At the same time, the functions and the services in connection with the device will also broaden.

Featured image: www.jcdecaux.hu/portfolionk/nemzetkozi-jelenlet

October 24, 2018

Spacecraft developed with the help of Hungarians blasts off to its mission to Mercury

The mission blasted off on an Ariane 5 from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou at 03:45 CET 20th October. The 6.4 meters high and 4.1 ton spacecraft will reach Mercury, the Solar System’s innermost planet on 5th December 2025 – says Index.

When it reaches its destination in space, the two main probes (and a shading unit) detach to collect data in orbit around the extremely hot planet. The bigger one called ESA’s Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO), among others, takes photographs with wide-angle and telephoto cameras, but it is equipped with an infrared, ultraviolet, gamma, x-ray and a neutron spectrometer, as well as a telescope

which can detect asteroids potentially dangerous to Earth.

The smaller one called JAXA Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO) will examine the magnetic field of the planet and it will have different cameras.

If everything goes well, the mission of the spacecraft will last at least a year

which could be extended to one more year, if the condition of the satellites allows, and they would not run low on budget.

Hungarian researchers took part in developing two gauges and an interactive virtual environment for simulation, as it stands in the article of Wigner Research Centre for Physics.

The spacecraft was named after Giuseppe “Bepi” Colombo, Italian mathematician and engineer.

Featured image: ESA – image by C.Carreau

October 21, 2018

Mashable interviews with the mind behind the Rubik’s Cube

If you have been following us for a while, you are well aware that we are big fans of Hungarian inventions. And when it comes to Hungarian inventions, the Rubik’s Cube is probably the N° 1 search result. Index.hu recently came across a video by Mashable who were curious to find out about the man behind the world-famous puzzle.

A few weeks ago we shared another article about the inventor and how he solved his own creation. It seems like Ernő Rubik has been a fascinating interview subject for many companies lately.

The success of the world’s most famous cube is truly dazzling.

People use it for different things all around the world: a French pastry chef creates colourful cube cakes, an Italian guy uses the cubes for portraits of famous people, while it has also been featured in movies like Snowden.

From the video we find out:

what the original purpose of the cube was,
that you need 20 steps minimum to solve it, but if you want to be fast, it is better to choose more,
and that the inventor believes that the success of the puzzle comes down to it being a universal, transcultural and translingual challenge made up of simple shapes.

Featured image: www.youtube.com/Mashable

October 17, 2018

How the inventor of the Rubik’s Cube solved his own puzzle – VIDEO

Since the 1970s, millions of people have been admiring Ernő Rubik’s world-famous puzzle, trying to figure out new and witty ways to solve it. But how did the inventor come up with such a unique idea? Well, according to the crew of Great Big Story, it all started in the beautiful city of Budapest and the beautiful mind of Ernő Rubik.

Ernő was a design and architecture lecturer who wanted to find a new way to teach his students about three-dimensional space.

Little did he know that his teaching aid would become the world’s number one puzzle.

The Rubik’s Cube career is truly dazzling. People use it for different things all around the world: a French pastry chef creates colourful cube cakes, an Italian guy uses the cubes for portraits of famous people, while it has also been featured in movies like Snowden.

But how did Ernő Rubik crack his own code? You can find out about the secret in Great Big Story’s video:

“It’s a reminder never to give up. There is always a solution. If today not everything is good, it doesn’t mean tomorrow cannot be better. Depends on you.”

October 4, 2018