Mobile Tech & Gadgets

If the alcohol industry no longer had enough problems, it has now encountered one more: Ozempic

by

The drugs of the family of the GLP-1 hormone (peptide similar to type 1 glucagon) as Ozempic or Zepbound have meant a revolution in the world pharmaceutical market. The success of these medications aimed at the treatment of diabetes has to do with its slimming effect but the ramifications of this phenomenon go further. New tests. One of these ramifications has to do with alcohol consumption: a new study He has found evidence That the semaglutida, the active compound used by drugs such as Ozempic or Wegovy, can also help in the treatment of alcohol addiction. Chronicle of a social phenomenon. Ozempic began to gain popularity about two years ago when it began to be used not to keep glycemic levels under control in people with type II diabetes, but as a treatment to lose weight both in people with diabetes and in those who only wanted to lose weight. In parallel, several clinical trials endorsed this effect and the regulatory organisms approved the use of the drug for this second use. This success led to the appearance of other side effects associated with this compound, some of them positive. It was then that some laboratories got to work to test these effects. Among them An apparent reduction in alcohol consumption among those who were under this treatment. How does it work? The GLP-1 hormone performs several functions in our body, one of them being indicating that we have satiated our appetite. That is why the drugs that function as their analogues in our body generate the same feeling of satiety, which in turn implies that we will eat less and therefore lose weight. But soon some users began to realize that this not only affected food, but also the alcohol they consumed. Although the mechanism is not entirely clear, it is possible to intuit that it is the same mechanisms that enter into operation. There is another factor to take into account, and among the Side effects From ozempic drugs we can find stomach symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. This can also lead to alcoholic beverages less appealing, as well as other foods. 48 participants. The study was conducted through a randomized rehearsal with placebo. That is to say, It was distributed randomly to the 48 participants in two groups: one was treated with semaglutida and another with a placebo. They contrasted that the effects of treatment were greater than those of a simple placebo, that is, the participants drank less alcohol. While the number of days in which the participants drank these were not reduced in less volume. “These data suggest the potential of the semaglutida and drugs similar to covering an existing need for treatment for alcohol use disorder,” explained in a press release Klara Klein, member of the study responsible for the study. “Broader studies (…) are necessary to fully understand security and efficacy in people with (this) disorder, but these initial results are promising.” The team presented the details of the essay In an article In the magazine Jama Psychiatry. The analyzes continue. The reduced sample size in this study suggests that there is still a lot of work to be done. If we want to better understand Ozempic’s potential to fight addictions and similar disorders will need experiments with greater samples and studies that allow us to better understand the underlying biological mechanisms, as well as the potential risks of this use. All this while other teams investigate other potential risks and benefits of this drug family. An example of the potential benefits still to explore is In cardiac healthcontext in which we have begun to see some potential benefits but that, as in the case of excessive alcohol consumption, we must still explore more thoroughly. In Xataka | In Tinder there is a trend that is gaining weight between generation Z: quotes without a single drop of alcohol Image | Andreas m / Chemist4u

The era of supermaterials is about to begin. And we can thank the AI

by

The applications of the artificial intelligence (AI) are presumably unlimited. The rapid development that this technology has experienced during the last five years, and of which we are all being to a greater or lesser extent, invites us to assume that we are probably not yet entirely aware of the impact it will have on our lives. The AI ​​is already being used in the medical diagnosis by images, to elaborate new drugs, to discover exoplanets, or even to filter the data that LHC detectors collect (Large Hadron Collider). These are just some of the applications that are already underway, and we can be sure that many more will arrive in the future. In any case, the authentic protagonist of this article is a discipline in which AI already has much to say: the science of materials. And this technology is already being used to Design new materials with optimal properties for biomedicine, energy, aeronautical or electronic applications. The era of supermaterials is in the hands of artificial intelligence Domenico Vicinanza, who is an associate professor of smart systems and data science at the Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge (United Kingdom), explains in the very interesting article he has published in The conversation that the complexity of many materials at the atomic and molecular level forces scientists to invest a lot of time and effort in their search. Until the arrival of AI, the design of a new material required to resort to specialized equipment and apply the test and error method once after another. Fortunately, AI is changing everything. And is doing it because Automatic learning In particular, it puts in the hands of scientists and engineers the possibility of developing more efficient and better directed strategies. In fact, current AI models are already capable of Generate new materials in a direct wayand, therefore, without the need to resort to the essay and error in the traditional way, from the set of requirements and properties specified by the researchers. Somehow we are facing a technology that allows us to obtain new “to the letter” materials. Automatic learning puts in the hands of scientists and engineers the possibility of developing more efficient and better directed strategies On January 16, a group of Microsoft researchers published an article in the scientific journal Nature in which Mattergen and Mattersim announced. They are two AI tools designed to elaborate inorganic materials, and, therefore, not based on carbon. The first one is able to generate new candidate materials, while Mattersim carries out the filtering of the candidates and their validation with the purpose of ensuring that it is possible to manufacture those materials with the capacities of the real world. The most surprising thing is that Mattergen can generate thousands of materials with specific properties in much less time than it would be necessary to invest using conventional material science techniques. In this way, researchers can explore a much broader fan of possible new materials and then carry out an exhaustive analysis only of the most promising candidates. The implications of this technology are huge. And it is that in the short term in the short term it will have a very deep impact on the areas of battery design, renewable energies, the manufacture of medical devices, implant setting, obtaining new drugs, carbon capture or The administration of waste, among many other possible applications. Image | Oak Ridge National Laboratory More information | The conversation | Nature In Xataka | Solid state batteries will only be a success if they are safe. Superionic materials have reached the rescue

After almost a decade with the Apple Watch I have spent a Garmin. And I have understood what I was losing me

by

In June this year They had been ten years since I had an Apple Watch in my doll. They had. I had. During this almost-década I have defended their virtues, understood their limitations and celebrated their improvements. AND I have spread a lot about him And how to get the most out. The idea of ​​migrating to Garmin was always alien to me: his watches seemed excessively specialized, with complex interfaces and a public too specific. Watchos versatility eclipsed any alternative. Today, after more than a month with a Garmin Epix 2 On the wrist, all these convictions have faded. Other priorities The catalyst for this change was my own evolution as a corridor. From the trot to seven minutes per kilometer five years ago, in recent months I have completed A half marathon at 1:40 h and 10 kilometers races in 43 minutes. Nothing very there, but of course much better than before. Now, with an eye on improving those brands and completing my first sub’3: 30 h, my needs have changed. The Epix 2 on my wrist. Image: Xataka. The epiphany arrived in the half marathon of Valencia, two days before the Dana. My Apple Watch Ultra 2with which I left 50% battery, agonized at 1% when reaching the finish line. The LTE, inadvertently active, had drained energy almost until I left without a record since I moved away from the iPhone, because several hours passed. The revelation was crystalline: Even the most advanced Apple Watch is, in essence, a smart watch with sports benefits, not a sports clock. The Garmin had notified me before starting the race telling me that with that configuration I would not even have for two hours of race. For years I compensated for the lack of Apple Watch with a mosaic of applications: Many of them with their monthly subscription, fragmenting the experience and multiplying costs. What Garmin offers natively, the Apple ecosystem resolves it by means of third -party payment patches. The final drop was A 31 kilometers run In a little familiar area. Three stops to guide me with the mobile phone put on the navigation limitations of the Apple Watch: it is possible, but it is also tedious and is not natively integrated into the training application. The first popular race with Garmin on the wrist. Image: Xataka. Between Garmin, Suunto and Choos, I opted for Garmin mainly to keep the payment from the clock. Epix 2 demolished my prejudices from the first moment. Its interface, surprisingly intuitive, is controlled by five physical buttons and an optional touch screen. Navigation is precise even with rain or sweat, without the need for constant visual attention. Minipunto for buttons. A sphere with twelve very customizable complications and the time in digital very visible. Image: Xataka. Not even the most complete and versatile spheres of Apple Watch come to so much. Between seven and nine complications (in that case, with analog time) is the maximum where it arrives. Image: Xataka. The contrast with Apple Watch is clear: where Apple offers a polished but rigid experience in sports, Garmin allows huge customization, so great that the principle overwhelms. From the granular configuration of each training screen to the creation of complete routines via web, much more comfortable. The device not only records data: interprets, analyzes and translates them. Some examples: Training load focus. It induces to balance the load between low intensity aerobic, high intensity and anaerobic aerobic. At first he always had unbalanced in favor of high intensity aerobics, which makes improvement difficult and increases the risk of injury. When starting with the Garmin this graph was unbalanced, a month later the values ​​that were low are within the range and the one that exceeded by a lot is about to normalize as well. Image: Xataka. Resistance score. To understand our real physical form and its evolution over time. Sleep score. Not only says how much we have slept and how much in each phase, but gives a score and gives a brief description that correlates with our recovery and our predisposition to train. Pending score. It measures our resistance and strength in earrings, bad news for the ego of a Valencian accustomed to flat. The role of VO2 Max. A key metric that in the Apple Watch is relegated to a corner of health and the one that Garmin gives prominence. Image: Xataka. Acute training (short -term) and its optimal range depending on chronic (long -term). Image: Xataka. Another example: when detecting my suboptimal career cadence (160 steps per minute), the clock not only helped me visually understanding that it was too low, but allowed me to build the solution: integrates a vibration metronome to guide me towards 170 steps Ideal for my height. This level of integrated detail makes the difference. Do I miss Apple Watch? Undoubtedly. The quick message response, the musical control, the remote control of the iPhone camera, instantaneous Shazam, voice timers or consult the Valencia score from the sphere during a concert (real case) are luxuries difficult to leave. But I have discovered that I prefer the specific excellence to versatility that is not so deep in sports. There are nuances, of course. The GPS is not as precise as that of Ultra 2 or selecting the maximum precision mode. The predictions of career times (5k, 10k, 21k, 42k), another added that is not in the Apple Watch, and there are not even options of third -quality third parties and reliability. Image: Xataka. Autonomy deserves separate mention: Weekly load He has replaced the daily ritual. On Friday mornings are my new load ritual. And there is still a battery after seven days of use. Migration has not been easy. Ultra 2 is still extraordinary, but my needs have evolved. I no longer seek just register activity, sleep and passive metrics: I need to understand those metrics to optimize and plan precisely. Specialization has its value. The Epix 2 does not aspire to be a mini-uhone, … Read more

The new space race has created Boomerang scrap. The probability that clash against a plane has also increased

by

We are launching more rockets to space than ever. Between China and Spacex, they occur releases every few days in a new space race with multiple objectives on the horizon. It’s something that is lowering space transportationbut also generates a new problem: the amount of scrap that orbits our planet. And this generates another conflict: with more satellites and rockets in orbit, the risk that a fragment of some of them hit a plane is increasingly high. At the University of British Columbia they have proposed to analyze it and have determined that, to anyone’s surprise, the consequences of the clash would be devastating. The problem. Beyond the test rockets, transport of goods and people, something that is causing more and more launching are the satellites that bring the internet to any corner. There are several players in this segment, but Spacex carries the front with its program Starlink. These satellites are sent in rockets that, when they fulfill their function, lose height and return to the planet. Some partially disintegrate and others, to the re -enter the atmosphere without controlthey fall anywhere. The ocean is usually the main receptacle, it is also possible that they fall in urban areas or that, on their way, they clash against a plane. The probability. First of all, tranquility: the risk that these space debris impact an plane is still low, very low. According to The Aerospace Corporation, in 2021 (when they were thrown, but it was not the current fever), that risk was one between 100,000, or 0.001%. The system predicted, taking into account future releases, which by 2035 would rise to seven out of 10,000, or what is equal to 0.07%. It is, as we say, a low probability, but that is there. In the study From the University of British Columbia they have analyzed how all this depends on air traffic density. Taking as an example the traffic of September 1, 2023, and the United States as a area, we can see that, every year, there is a 99% probability that the resentments of rocket bodies occur in green areas, 75% in the yellow, 26% in oranges and 0.8% in red. Las Rojas are the most activity areas, such as the main airports, oranges are large cities and green and green move away from urban nuclei and, therefore, from the agglomeration of airplanes. Long March 5B. Beyond the direct clash of this space scrap against a plane, something whose probability remains exceptionally low, there is another problem: the danger of happening and leads to the decision to cut the airspace. On November 4, 2022, the body of the Long March 5B rocket, 20 tons of weight, re -entered the atmosphere, falling on the Pacific Ocean. All good, but it might not have been like this: the entrance location was the product of chance, since the body of the rocket was abandoned in the orbit and a planned design was not made for the re -entry of the remains. Consequences. The night before the reentry, different surveillance agencies, as well as the European Air Safety Agency, issued reports in which they encouraged national authorities to restrict airspace “in a corridor of at least 70 kilometers and up to 120 kilometers on each side of the estimated reentry trajectory ”of the rocket. Spanish and French authorities complied with this and They closed part of their airspace. As a result, 645 flights were delayed, with an average of 29 minutes per plane. In addition, some airplanes that were in full flight had to return to the origin airport or take a detour. It was the evidence of a lack of planning, anticipation and control over this space scrap. Interestingly, Portugal, Italy and Greece did not make the decision to close, generating other problems in their airports due to the unexpected increase in air traffic due to deviant flights. In purple, the airspace closed by the Long March 5B. In blue, his career and fall Solutions. Unfortunately, although this is a problem that will go more, controlling the reentry of space debris is not something that has an immediate solution. The researchers propose that those responsible for launching rockets also invest in controllable reentry technologies so that they do not enter the atmosphere unpredictably. These technologies include engines capable of re -effective to partially direct the rocket, but also a better mission planning so that the rocket falls into a remote area of ​​the ocean, far from populations and, evidently, air traffic. The problem is that, although the technology is there, they estimate that less than 35% of the launches perform these controlled inputs and, with 2,300 bodies in orbit with an annual increase of between 30 and 40 bodies, the risks will continue to increase. In 2001, the titanium engine coating of the third stage of a Delta 2, with a weight of approximately 70 kg, landed in Saudi Arabia, about 240 km from the capital Obviously, it is also a huge money expense, so achievements such as catch the Starship propeller and the advances of Spacex engineers so as not to have launch and throw rockets They are so important. And a global protocol is also necessary to manage these resentments and make coordinated decisions, not to delegate everything in an aeronautical industry that is not responsible. In the end, it is much more likely that there are alterations in air traffic due to this space garbage than to the clash of one of these remains with a plane, but whenever this probability is not zero, solutions must be contemplated. Images | Nature, Spacex In Xataka | The capture of the Super Heavy changes everything: Spacex has gone from being 9 years ahead of the industry to not having a rival

The best medium flash offers in iPhone mobiles, 75 -inch televisions, electric scooters and more

by

Mediumkt has launched one of the best campaigns of what we have been from the year. In the Flash offers We can find enough discounts on a wide variety of devices, but there are five specifically that stand out above the others. The campaign will be available for just a few hours, Until February 17 (tomorrow) at 09:00 hours. iPhone 14 by 599 eurosApple’s mobile from two generations has never been so cheap. Samsung Q64D by 799 eurosa good price for this huge 75 -inch qled television. HP Victus 16 by 1,099 eurosa gaming laptop that mounts an RTX 4060 graphics card. Xiaomi Electric Scooter 4 Ultra by 399 eurosan electric scooter of the most complete that is at half price. Apple Airtag pack by 105 eurosa pack that includes four units of the Apple locator. iPhone 14 Before the rumors about an imminent presentation of the iPhone se 4Mediamarkt has launched a historical discount on the iPhone 14. Apple’s mobile can now be found at a minimum historical price during flash offers, since it remains for 599 euros instead of the usual 739 euros. The iPhone 14 highlights, above all, its excellent 6,1 -inch OLED Retina Screenbut also because still He has several years of updates. * Some price may have changed from the last review Samsung Q64D Mediamarkt has also launched a good assortment of discounts in many TVsbut there is one that stands out above others. The smart TV Samsung Q64D now it can be found by 799 euros instead of 1,899 euros with the discount of 57%. This television comes with a generous 75 -inch qled screenis compatible with HDR10+ Adaptive and integrate the voice assistant Alexa. Samsung Q64D (75 inches) * Some price may have changed from the last review HP Victus 16 On the other hand, if what you are looking for is a good gaming laptop, Mediamarkt also has a good price in the HP Victus 16 model. 1,099 euros instead of 1,499 euros, we are facing a fairly complete computer that integrates a 16.1 -inch antirrefle IPS screenan Ryzen 7 7840hs processor, 32 GB of RAM and 1 TB of SSD and a GEFORCE RTX 4060 graphics card. * Some price may have changed from the last review Xiaomi Electric Scooter 4 Ultra If you were waiting as water from May February a good price in a electric scooterhe Xiaomi Electric Scooter 4 Ultra It is in Mediamarkt at half price: by 399 euros instead of 799.99 euros. This scooter has double suspension, offers maximum speeds of 25 km/Hy an autonomy of up to 70 km, has IP55 certification and allows one Powerful acceleration in slopes with inclination of up to 25%. Xiaomi Electric Scooter 4 Ultra * Some price may have changed from the last review Apple Airtag pack Although it is not the best offer to date, the four pack Apple Airtag It has dropped in a good discount during the Mediamarkt Flash offers, since it stays for 105 euros instead of 129 euros. The Apple locator stands out, among other things, because You can prevent us from lost a wallet, a backpack, a suitcase and even house or car keys. It is integrated into the search network, its autonomy is up to 1 year and Changing the battery is very simple. Apple Aireg (pack with four units) * Some price may have changed from the last review Some of the links of this article are affiliated and can report a benefit to Xataka. In case of non -availability, offers may vary. Images | Mediamarkt and Buyardation (header), Apple, Samsung, HP, Xiaomi In Xataka | Best iPhone. Which to buy and recommended models based on budget, tastes and quality price In Xataka | Best gaming laptop in quality price ratio. Which to buy and eight recommended models

The Japanese demography debacle, illustrated in a graphic that speaks for itself

by

The Japanese demographic crisis comes from afar. In 2019, we already commented that Japan was extinguishing. In 2018 there were 921,000 births in the country, a worrying number if we take into account that more than 1.3 million Japanese died. That exceptionally low fertility rate It is directly related to a very aging population, so much that it has already been baptized as a “demographic winter.” And it is something that is reflected perfectly in this graph elaborated by Visual Capitalist. And forecasts are not good. Discouraging. We can appreciate the data since the 1950s to see a clear trend that seems to be not changing. On the contrary, everything points to a worsening of a critical situation in the country. There are two very marked moments in the Japanese demographic curve. On the one hand, the population boom that occurred after Second World War. On the other, the unstoppable increase in the population over 65 due to improvements in life. However, at the beginning of the 21st century, the demographic curve began to twist. It is when we see that the amount of population begins to decrease as the amount of aging population takes run at a slope that seems to have no end. Forecast. The data In which they are based for the creation of this graph, they come from the Japan Statistics Office and, beyond the past and current panorama, it offers us an estimate of the country’s future demographic. It is not good and, in this table, we can see the proportion between the total population and those over 65 so far, as well as the projection for 2045: Year Population in millions Population of more than 65 years in millions Percentage 1950 83 4 4.9% 1955 89 5 5.2% 1960 93 5 5.7% 1965 98 6 6.3% 1970 105 7 7.3% 1975 112 10 8.4% 1980 117 19 10.1% 1985 121 14 11.8% 1990 124 16 13% 1995 126 19 15% 2000 127 22 17.4% 2005 128 25 19.6% 2010 128 29 22.8% 2015 127 33 26.3% 2020 126 36 28.6% 2023 124 36 29.4% 2024 124 36 29.3% 2030 123 37 30.1% 2035 120 38 21.9% 2040 117 41 34.8% 2045 113 41 36.4% Consequences. It is not necessary to wait for that 36.4% of the population over 65 to see the consequences: it is something that Japanese society is already experiencing. A clear example is schools: in the absence of children, there are schools that They are being reconciled in other spacessuch as aquariums or sake factories. It is so devastating that it is estimated that 450 centers close every year. Between 2002 and 2020, almost 9,000 closed and, if the trend continues, there are those who consider that, on January 5, 2720, There will only be a child under 14 in the country And long before, All Japanese will swell the same. It is an apocalyptic scenario, almost identical to that seen in the movie ‘Children of men’, but this does not only affect schools. Before the lack of young employees, there are companies that They are already delegating to robots To do the job and diaper companies they have reinvented themselves as adult diaper companies. Not to mention the pension system: without young workers to support it, the pyramid collapses. Measures. From the government, of course, they are taking measures. An example is that, in a curious movement, They want to attract digital nomads. They have also opened to something unusual: companies like McDonald’s have opened their arms to Workers with colored hair. Until not so long, the company prohibited its workers from dying hair and having certain beards, measures that have had to relax due to that demographic fun. There are also government measures, such as Free nursery in Tokyo to promote birth and four -day work week to support family reconciliation. Yuriko Koike, governor of Tokyo, said there was no time to lose and acknowledged that the crisis will not disappear for itself. Success cases. Missing time to see the green outbreaks of the new policies and attitudes of the government and companies in birth, but there are examples within the Japanese society that can give wings to recovery. One of them is Nagi’s. It is a small town that has been placing the problem of birth in the upper area of ​​its agenda years. Apart from the aid for parenting and nurseries, they do not pay books or school materials. There are also incentives such as family rents for a monthly rate of about 345 euros to the change or medical expenses fully covered for minors. Of course, they did not succeed from one day to another and get a rate close to the three points (when the country is closer to a single point) is something that took them two decades and sacrifices, such as the cut in public works projects . They are not the only. Nagi’s change of thought and model has not been simple and there are other measures involved, such as charging tourists for entering into the “miracle” in the town and the incentive for young couples who want to move to Nagi. We need to see how that case of individual success can be extended to a country, but Japan is not the only dramatic case worldwide and, above all, in the Asian territory. South Korea is an example, with 20% of the population over 65 and an enlightening national debate: At what age someone is ‘old man’. In China they do not get rid and, despite His efforts, tax advantagesyou aid, incentives And even his effort for campaign In favor of love and marriages, 2024 closed as the third consecutive year losing population. A quick solution seems immigration, something that Several countries are experiencingbut it is certainly a problem whose solution is not simple and that will not be solved overnight. In Xataka | Demographers have been wondering for centuries when the human population will stop growing. It already has … Read more

Emirates financed a study to know if it can cause rain in the desert with solar farms. The answer is yes

by

As water It becomes a more precious resource than oila group of scientists has analyzed if solar farms can have an even more beneficial effect than generating energy with sunlight: making it rain in the desert, offering the communities most affected by drought water and renewable energy at the same time . Climate engineering against drought. Given the drama of its waning water resources, the United Arab Emirates government financed a study published by German researchers in Earth System Dynamics. The researchers proposed to create artificial heat islands by installing large black surfaces (ideally, solar panel farms) to enhance precipitation in arid areas. A promising result. The scientists simulated the impact of these surfaces with advanced models and obtained surprising results. A heat island of 20 km² induces an increase in rains 571,616 m³ a day. This could be translated into water supplies for about 31,000 people. Only with an area of ​​20 km². But the interesting thing about study is not its quantitative results, but the possibility of implementing these surfaces taking advantage of existing infrastructure, such as photovoltaic solar panels. This solution would not only address water scarcity but also contribute to renewable energy production. How it works. That a farm of solar panels can induce rain is not a very intuitive concept, but it is something that He has been studying for a while, particularly in the Sahara. These facilities, by absorbing heat with their dark panels, could create ascending currents that, under the right conditions, would trigger rain storms. When these farms exceed a certain size (about 15 km²), the heat absorbed by the panels, in contrast to the most reflective sand, significantly increases the convection currents necessary for cloud formation. Areas where we know is viable. For this process to work, a source of atmospheric humidity is needed. The models showed that the wet winds of great height from the Persian Gulf are enough, to the joy of Emirates. The researchers also identified other areas of the world where it could work, such as Namibia and the Peninsula of Baja California in Mexico. Some limitations. The initiative requires darker surfaces than those commonly produced by solar panel manufacturers. Some panels are even reflective to improve your thermal performance. However, the Construction of increasingly large solar farmsespecially in China, they open the door to try the idea in the real world. It won’t be simple, of course. The implementation of gigantic heat islands raises logistic, but also ecological and social challenges. For example, how would these surfaces affect local biodiversity? What would be the visual and social impact on nearby communities? You need more research and pilot tests to discover it. The case of Emirates. The United Arab Emirates government, which financed the study, is facing the shortage of two ways, mainly: desalination and sowing of clouds. The program of Cloud sowing through airplanes Plan about 300 missions every year, but like desalination, it is an expensive method with limitations. In this context, large solar farm surfaces are a promising alternative. Image | Pixabay In Xataka | The regions of the world most threatened by drought, collected in a great interactive map In Xataka | The biggest problem of Perovskita’s solar panels was its durability. China has just resolved it *An earlier version of this article was published in February 2024

I have passed from the iPhone 16 Pro to Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. I don’t echo (almost) anything of less

by

How well the Android high range works. It is something that I have been thinking for a couple of years but, especially, since the end of 2024. The last phone I have been able to analyze has been the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultraa clear aspiring best android mobile 2025. A mobile that, although not the best in practically anything (except for integration of AI), makes check in everything. And this is usually more important than shining for some specific aspects. Battery, performance, cameras, software. Everything works as it should work. Something that seems basic on a mobile of more than 1,000 euros, but not everyone fulfills. Having analyzed phones such as OPPO FIND X8 PRO or the Magic7 Pro Honorthe feeling is different from the one I had a few years ago. The iPhone is no longer clear, saving an appearance. Let’s talk about power. It is me, the heavy power. I am obsessed with her, and I have my reasons. I dedicate myself to deepen telephones and, as a collateral effect, to be the official recommender of all my friends and acquaintances. There is something that ever has never been an exception: every time I have recommended a little powerful mobile, in less than three years everything has been complaints and regrets. To the question “Why do I want such a powerful mobile if you only use WhatsApp, Mail and some apps”, the answer is “so that in three or four years WhatsApp, the mail and those apps continue to work well.” There will be exceptions, of course, but in general terms mobile phones Poquipotent They are not made to last. A while ago, Apple’s superiority in processors was brutal. It was simply impossible to reach them in Benchmarks, and this helped an iPhone of a few years ago be more powerful than the Android of New Horn that were coming out. That ended a few years ago, and with the Snapdragon 8 Elite and MEDATEK DIMENSITY 9400the competition is more equated than ever. Everyone has an absurd power today, and more than necessary in a few years. In the case of Samsung, it has the Qualcomm and, although it is not the mobile in which it is best optimized, it is simply impossible to say that it works worse (or better) than the iPhone. Simply, they fly. The software, that great barrier. One UI 7, as I counted in my impressions with the systemit is for me the best software that exists in Android. At least, in this Ultra S25 (a separate case is how it works in less powerful models). Six years of updates, the new live activities of iOS inheritance, and a really useful artificial intelligence burden. Historically I have been very Pixel Experience, but Samsung’s Rom provides added value that no other gets. I am a Mac user, Airpods and iPad, I don’t hide. The integration between Android and these devices remains simply terrible, without half inks. Nor (even if you try and say yes) there are real alternatives to Airdrop, nor are new system versions as fast as in iOS. The quality of some apps is lower and, if you care a lot about the quality of the contents when uploading them to social networks, this is not your operating system. Saving this, iOS and Android have been approaching over the years. I still defend that, objectively, iOS is more stable and is better refined than Android. Despite this, the evolution of the Google operating system in recent years, especially if we talk about what manufacturers have done with their personalized roms, has been spectacular. Let’s stop fighting for the camera. One of these two photos is taken with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. The other is taken with the iPhone 16 Pro. One is clearly better than the other, but I am not going to tell you which, I will let you decide in comments. The key here is that, although I am clear that there is a phone that makes better photos than the other, the differences between high -end devices have been minimized over the years. Every year, in the great photographic comparison that I prepare in Xataka, I have to spend hours expanding the photographs and analyzing elements such as the reflexes that are generated in the lenses or other points to be able to determine a winner. Without expanding and without fixing in detail I am clear: practically no average user could objectively differentiate which photo is better than another. It would simply be in a position to choose which one likes the most. And this is excellent news. Buying a high Android range is no longer a bad idea. There was a time when buying a high -end mobile was to spend more than 1,000 euros on a phone that would be updated for two years and with a power about two years behind the iPhone. This is why, historically, it has been very difficult for me to recommend the purchase of Android mobiles in this price range. With the advances in hardware, things have changed a lot in recent years. To the point that what I look most is in the ROM and the user experience that the buyer will have, more than in the rest of details and differences between devices. And here, next to Google, Samsung is the one who is moving the baton. Image | Xataka In Xataka Android | After a decade with an Android mobile, three months ago I went to iPhone. I’m already clear with which platform I stay

The rare earth war has arrived in Spain. And it is in Ciudad Real where mining and ecology are confronted

by

If there is an resource that dominates the geopolitical panorama of today, that is that of the Rare earth. Are essential for many technological fields among which are electric vehiclessystem elements renewable energies and the technological world in general, and China dominates both its mining and its production. The rest of the world seeks a new ‘El Dorado’ of Rare Earth to be able to exploit, and it turns out that In Spain there is a very sweet site. It is in Ciudad Real, but it will not be so easy to extract its resources. I have land (rare). In Spain it is estimated that there are several rare earth deposits. Mount Galiñeiro in Galicia is one of them, In Gran Canaria It is also estimated that there are large quantities, in Cádiz and Almería there are also deposits and more of the same Between Salamanca and Zamora. Another important site is in the field of Montiel, in Ciudad Real, and something that practically everyone has in common is that their extraction seems complicated. Not so much because of the technical issue (extracting rare earths is not a problem, neither does its production), but by the environmental counterpart. It is a potentially polluting activity that is very regular in Europe (that is why China was doing with all the control) and that meets an added inconvenience: Spanish deposits are usually close to environmental areas of interest. Matamulas. Although in recent years it has been evidenced that rare earths are a Throwing weapon on the world geopolitical stageit really has been looking for the independence of China for years. In 2015, the Spanish company Quantum Mining It started to study the land in the Manchega region of Campo de Montiel, where municipalities such as Valdepeñas or Torrenueva are located. In general, the area of ​​mules, matamulas and auctione. It is Torrenueva the town that is right next to the great mining site that sought to exploit Quantum Mining And that, according to his studies, he is up to Monacita. Under this term we have elements and minerals such as Cerio, Neodimio, Torio or Lantano and is not very common in Europe. To the load. In a recent one video (Although, as we say, this comes from long), Quantum Mineria affirms that the production of Montiel’s Camp Build 350,000 electric cars or 10,000 wind generators. There is a problem: those rare earths are under large extensions of cultivation, mainly cereal. The company’s plan is to temporarily remove the half -meter vegetation layer that, they affirm, will carefully retain, once the mining process is over, restore it and leave it as it was. The backhoes remove the layer of land containing the monacite and all this takes to a plant in which the interesting thing is signed of what does not. This is done without using polluting chemicals and, once the monacite is on the one hand and the earth without interest on another, return it to the ground and place the previously removed crop. The machinery works by sectors of one hectare, without interrupting adjacent agriculture and claim that, once the land is restored, it can be re -cultivated “in better conditions than the originals.” Criticism. They complement their allegation by stating that they would create industry, help repopulate the area, attract jobs and encourage conditions for traditional agricultural and livestock activities. It is not something that has convinced neighbors or environmental organizations. In 2016, Ecologists in Action alleged that the environmental impact on the 27,500 hectares in which it was projected to work would be severe. Worry. Among other issues, water worried. From the organization, they affirmed that between 310,000 and 500,000 cubic meters of water a year, which would have to multiply for ten years of mining activity to cover all the estimated hectares. It was not logical in a region in which the problems of water supply in droughts are not rare, with overexploited aquifers and an intense agricultural activity of the economy in the area. Brake. To this we must add that in the area there are two Zepas (Areas of special protection for birds) and is a place of presence of the lynx. With all this in mind, and after two years of social struggle, the CLM government gave folder to the matter in 2017. Load return. In recent years, in different forums it has been followed defending The suitability of the area as a strategic enclave so that Spain – and Europe – stop depending both on the importation of strange earth elements of China, arguing that it is key to decarbonization and energy transition, but also defending the environmental respect of the activity. It was at the beginning of 2024 when Quantum Mining He returned To request permits to carry out a research project to quantify the amount of rare earths in the Montiel field, referring to the “high risk of supply interruptions” due to China’s strategic movements of the previous months. Quantum affirms that his process is respectful of existing crops Abandoned mines. Given this new attempt, environmentalist in action reacted again, but also proposed a solution. Joan Evans, responsible for mining in the organization, pointed out that the abandoned mines that are already in Spain could be exploited again, in whose dump there are “very important quantities” of rare earths. Before the resurgence of Quantum, both neighbors and the Diputación de Ciudad Real and the Platform ‘Yes to living earth‘They returned to oppose to the granting of permits. Given this new rejection, Javier Merino, president of Quantum Mining, affirmed that its activity would be “totally compatible with the traditional activities of the area” and that the rejection climate is due to the propagation of “false news with photographs of mining farms that have nothing to do with our project.” “The most ecological in the world”. As a support for the activities of Quantum, the Secretary General of Primigea -the Spanish Confederation of the Mineral Raw Materials Industries – affirmed Recently that “a … Read more

Is glass solid or liquid? A much more difficult question to answer what it seems

by

There is an urban legend that attributes the irregularities in the glass decorated by the Gothic cathedrals to the fact that Glass is not a solid but an extremely viscous liquid that, over time ends up falling dragged by gravity. Well, according to experts, this story is a myth. And at the same time it really has a lot. Yeah, It is complicated. As we learned at school, matter can occur in three states: solid, liquid and gaseous. Then we would learn that the panorama is a bit more complex, with somewhat more unusual phases such as plasma, or the existence of a “Triple point”, A combination of temperature and pressure under which matter can be in three phases at the same time. In An article in The CovnersationPaddy Royall, a professor at the University of Bristol, explained a few years ago some details of this mystery and why the history of the windows of the cathedrals has some foundation Despite not describing a real cause of cause effect: the irregularities in these windows are due to the technique and not over time. For Royall, the key to the matter is in the transition. To understand where glass fits in all this we can think of water or, more specifically, what happens when the water changes its liquid phase to its solid phase. When the water freezes it does so more or less sudden. Small crystals arise from the liquid water, that is, regions where H2O molecules are structured in an orderly and invariable way. This crystallization occurs quickly, as a kind of infection that extends until the whole solidifies. In any case, the water will become ice in a discreet and not continuous process: it will pass from solid fluid without further proceduresso that their molecules will go from disorder to order. The problem is that not all matter seems to behave with that immediacy. And the glass, or rather, the glass are the best example of it. “The problem with the materials that form glass (which include plastics, alloys and ceramics, in addition to the daily ‘glass’) is that there is no obvious transformation. When cooling we cannot say the moment in which the glass becomes solid, ”he explains in Your article Royall And this is not simply due to a matter of temperature but in the same viscosity. So that a material crystallizes its atoms must “order” and structure. As explained to Livescience John Parker, from the University of Sheffield, “(the glass) cools quickly, but as it is so viscous, Atoms cannot be moved in a simple way to regroup in a more orderly solid structure, and are trapped in disorderly formations. ” “(Glass) is by mechanically solid, but with a messy structure like that of a liquid,” adds Parker. Something similar explains Royall In your article in The conversation. “The reason that (the transformation) is difficult to observe is that to do so we would have to wait an extraordinarily long time (much more than centuries),” he says. However, the teacher gives us some details of how atoms and molecules are structured in this solid that is not such. He explains that, if we look with a microscope, we can see how small groups of a few tens of molecules act differently: some are structured in orderly, as in a solid, while those around them remain unstructured, as in a liquid . A difficult experiment In 1927, the one that is considered “was launched”The slowest experiment in history” It is about Brea drop experimentan essay whose objective was to demonstrate that this substance was a liquid of enormous viscosity. Those responsible for the experiment placed an amount of break in a funnel, all protected in a glass bell. Under the funnel, another container to collect the fallen break. After three years letting the break, those responsible for the experiment opened their mouths and left the gravity to do their job. Ten years later the first drop fell. In the 95 years since the opening of the funnel, they have fallen A total of nine drops of break to the second container. This experiment remains active as curiosity and because it can still teach us things. For example, how environmental conditions alter the viscosity of this type of liquids. After the seventh drop (fallen in 1988), the University of Queensland installed air conditioning in the faculty that houses the experiment. The result: a remarkable slowdown of the speed at which the drops fall, that is, an increase in the viscosity of this fluid. So, glass is a liquid, right? The question remains without a definitive answer. In John Mauro’s words collected by Livescienceglass “is neither a true liquid nor a true solid: it has properties of both but has its own state of matter.” “The technical definition It is that glass is a state of non-echinibrated and non-cristaline matter that appears to be solid in the short temporary scale but that relaxes towards the liquid state, ”added Mauro, expert in material science of the Penn State University. The question of the time scale is important. The stained glass windows of the Gothic cathedrals are centuries behind. The temporal scale in which glass is located is much larger. That is why we know that, although there is something true in the legend of these stained glass windows, it would actually need more time so that we could observe changes in the structure of these materials. Much longer. In Xataka | We have discovered that diamonds can compact even more. The result is a much harder material Image | Antoine Pouligny / Jamieson Gordon

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.