APPS are transforming the way we learn, play and interact. We had the opportunity to check out APPNATION NYC. The Garage at APPNATION NYC was a dedicated zone ithat exclusively featured young, emerging developers and mobile entrepreneurs from leading incubators, accelerators, and universities from around the Northeast and from across the country.

You can learn more about the conference @ http://appnationconference.com/nyc-tv3.0/

We had the opportunity to speak to Sam Hoffman Creator and Director of Old Jews Telling Jokes. Old Jews Telling Jokes was born in an empty storefront in my hometown of Highland Park, New Jersey in the summer of 2008. Eric Spiegelman and Tim Williams of Jetpack Media had asked me if I had any ideas for an internet show and I suggested: “how about we shoot my father and his friends telling jokes?” Surprisingly, they agreed. The rules would be simple. Every joke teller had to be at least sixty years old and “Jewish.” The age thing I would be strict about, the Jewish thing would be in spirit. If nothing else, we would make portraits of people who had lived at least six decades and that would be something to see.

We had the opportunity to speak with the co- writer and co- director Yonatan Nir of Dolphin Boy. Seventeen year old Morad Azba’s innocent text message to a female classmate in an Arab village in the North of Israel triggers a brutal beating at the hands of the girl’s brother and his friends. Unable to speak, recognize his family, or make eye contact, Morad’s post trauma symptoms are so severe that his Israeli doctor, world renowned psychiatrist, Dr. Ilan Kutz, recommends further treatment in an institution. But Morad’s father Asad cannot bring himself to limit Morad’s freedom and asks Dr. Kutz if there’s another option. There is one alternative, albeit unconventional—Dolphin therapy in Eilat’s Dolphin Reef — contact with the Dolphins might help restore Morad’s broken life. Morad’s father sells and mortgages everything he can, including his beautiful land in Northern Israel, and accompanies his son on this riveting journey. Filmed over the course of Morad’s four year therapy, the award winning DOLPHIN BOY is a profound confirmation of the healing power of nature, patience and unconditional love—and a most under-reported and inspiring story about the relationship between Israel’s Arabs and Israel’s Jews. You can learn more at www.dolphinboyfilm.com

The seder brings together families from near and far. Every family has some dysfunction. In the new film Reuniting the Rubins Director/Writer Yoav Factor puts together a truly unique story about a seder you don’t want to miss. An uptight lawyer, Lenny Rubins, (Timothy Spall — The King’s Speech), has to put his dream retirement on hold when his ailing mother (Honor Blackman — Goldfinger) emotionally blackmails him into reuniting his estranged children for a holiday gathering.

Over 1,000 New Yorkers came out to BB Kings to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day) hosted by Dor Chadash. We spoke with attendees and asked them what Yom Ha’atzmaut meant to them .Dor Chadash is a dynamic community, empowering a strong network of Israeli and American Jews to:

1.Create meaningful connections with Israel through cutting edge programs and engaging events focused on Israeli culture, heritage and current events.

2.Develop social bonds with members who are equally passionate about Israel.

3.Become actively involved in the local, national and global Jewish community.

Since October 2003, Dor Chadash has successfully carried out more than 186 programs attended by more than 30,000 Israeli and American Jews in the New York area. They have discovered an incredible need among Jews in New York to connect with Israel in an authentic way. From providing educational events with prominent Israeli speakers, to showcasing the best of Israeli cultural offerings, to dancing to Israeli pop music on Jewish holidays, Dor Chadash has something for everyone who is passionate about Israel. Central to our mission is that we use the energy and passion of volunteers to carry out extremely innovative Israel-related programs that appeal to a diverse and sophisticated group of Israeli and American Jews. You can learn more about
Dor Chadash @ http://www.dorchadashusa.org

Do you have an idea for a toy or model that you would like to create? With Solidoodle you can make it happen. Sam Cervantes, founder and CEO of Solidoodle, brings a wealth of engineering success and business knowledge to the 3D printing industry. Having previously served as the Chief Operations Officer of a 3D printing company in New York, Sam has a deep understanding of the emerging 3D Printing industry. Before working in 3D printing, Sam worked as an aerospace engineer where he worked with and supported engineers in India and China.
Sam received his Bachelors Degree in Engineering from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and his MBA from Ohio State University.
An avid outdoor enthusiast, when not working on improving design and affordability for 3D printers, Sam can be found rock and mountain climbing throughout the United States.

Its all about sharing. Each day hundreds of thousands of people around the world share pictures and video’s. We checked out Mobil at NY Tech Day. What is Mobli? Mobli is a real-time visual media platform made up of subject-based channels such as people, places and topics. Mobli enables users to see the world through other people’s eyes!
There’s no doubt that social media has taken the world by storm. However, let’s face it, social media was born in a pre-smart phone era. Mobli has created a website integrated to iPhones, Android & Blackberry apps that unlock the power of social media!
Mobli unlocks the hidden potential of social media by leveraging the power of smartphones, enabling people to quickly and easily share & experience events via high-quality videos and photos uploaded on-location and in real-time.
With the integration of channels and geo-location, Mobli enables people to share their special occasions, experiences or interests, with communities of individuals who will appreciate them.
For example, concert-goers, celebrity fans, wedding attendees, car enthusiasts and families can all share pictures and videos of an occasion, experience or interest with like-minded communities.

We had the opportunity to attend NY Tech Day and learned about some of the most innovative technology companies on the market today.
Gust provides the global platform for the sourcing and management of early-stage investments. Gust enables skilled entrepreneurs to collaborate with the smartest investors by virtually supporting all aspects of the investment relationship, from initial pitch to successful exit. Gust is endorsed by the world’s leading business angel and venture capital associations, and powers over 750 investment organizations in 65 countries. More than 125,000 start-ups have already used the platform to connect and collaborate with over 35,000 individual accredited investors. The company was founded in 2004 under the name Angelsoft and is privately held. Gust is based in New York, New York, with a development center in Vancouver, British Columbia, and European office in Paris, France.

NY Tech Day (www.nytechday.com), a “science fair” for tech startups to showcase their companies to the public, investors and press, will take place this Thursday, April 19th at the Lexington Armory. NY Tech Day is showcasing 160 exhibitors and 3,500+ guests are registered to attend the sold-out event. A list of participating exhibitors, detailing which companies are seeking to hire or are looking for funds can be found here, (https://nytechday.com/exhibitors.)
Many of the most prominent NY Tech startups attended including tumblr, Meetup, SecondMarket, Boxee, and Knewton. The event will also showcase newbies such as SpaceSplitter, Digital Ocean, Unroll.me and Songza. In addition, more than 35 notable VC firms attended, including Spark Capital, Greycroft Partners and Lerer Ventures.

NY Tech Day is the brainchild of Alec Hartman and John Petersen who themselves are young entrepreneurs and founders of Mail Canvassing (http://mailcanvassing.com/.) “We want to create an event that benefits startups of all sizes and helps them connect with the resources they need to grow. They can demo a new product, recruit for open positions, or just say hello to the tech community. The result has transformed NY Tech Day into a ‘science fair’ for startups,” said John Petersen, co-founder of NY Tech Day.

We had the opportunity to check out the 6th Annual Manischewitz Cook Off with Celebrity Chef Claire Robinson at the JCC of Manhattan. Its all about quick meals. If you can make a quick delicious meal you are golden. As Passover approaches we are all looking for something different and enjoyabe We spoke with the Finalists:
Jacquie Serebrani-Kesner—Lexington, MA—Gnocchi
Andrew Dorsch—Scotch Plains, NJ—Torte Vegetali
Jennifer Daskevich—Los Angeles, CA—Crispy Chicken and Cherries
Ronna Farley—Rockville, MD—Chicken Puff Sandwiches
Eric Silberman—Lincolnwood, IL—”Mod” Matzo Ball Soup

We also got firsthand look into the cook off and spoke with Celebrity Chef Claire Robinson, judges and Manischewitz Co-CEOs Paul Bensabat . Congratulations Eric Silberman—Lincolnwood, IL—”Mod” Matzo Ball Soup for winning the cook off