Mobile Tech & Gadgets

These are the autonomous communities that maintain the discounts

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Yesterday, January 22, 2025, the Government failed to carry out the Omnibus Decree that contemplated the pension increasethe extension of the MOVES III Plan and its aid to the electric car or the public transport subsidywith free or discounted multi-trip passes and tickets. The latter has had a direct consequence among those who use public transport daily because they have seen how the same transport passes that were discounted yesterday have now returned to their official prices before the discount. Óscar Puente, Minister of Transport, assured yesterday that public transport passes acquired before the refusal was given Omnibus Decree of the Government will maintain the advantages until the end of the first quarter (when said subscriptions had to be renewed) since the user had the “acquired right” with the purchase of the titles. However, those who had not obtained the titles before yesterday’s vote will not have these purchase aids. Aid that also affects regional titles. In the latter case, the transport subsidy is maintained if the town councils or autonomous communities responsible for them undertake to extend their contribution. Some of them have already confirmed that this will be the case. The autonomous communities that will maintain aid for public transport in 2025 Just a few days ago, with the first hours of 2025, the Government confirmed that it was extending aid to public transport until June 30, 2025. A measure that It would cost us 1.6 billion euros and that came with another promise: a single public transport ticket for all of Spain starting in the second half of the year. Aid for public transport, however, reached citizens through two sources. In those of state ownership (such as free quarterly subscriptions for Media Distancia with predefined origin and destination, the 50% reduction in the price of Avant multi-trip tickets or the free state-managed bus lines), the aid has been completely eliminated as it does not have the support of the Congress of Deputies. However, passes and multi-trip tickets of municipal or regional extension within the same autonomous community had double funding in the aid. The responsible organizations that wanted to benefit from the aid had the obligation to offer these multi-trip passes and tickets with at least a 50% discount. In order to apply this discount, the regional government was obliged to commit to a minimum aid of 20% of the original price and the State would support with the remaining 30% until reaching that minimum 50% reduction. Without the contribution of the State and the extension of aid, the autonomous communities and town councils have three options: Eliminate aid for public transport Maintain your minimum contribution of 20% or the one you have been applying until now Assume the State’s part and maintain the 50% discount, accepting that the entire final amount has to come from its coffers. In this context, some autonomous communities have already confirmed that they will maintain their aid to public transport in one way or another: Community of Madrid: It will maintain the 60% discount that its users already enjoyed. The regional government matched the State contribution and, therefore, the reduction in the final price was 60%. Government spokespersons in the region have confirmed that They will maintain the aid “for the moment” and therefore the prices They are still the ones you find in this link.Catalonia: At least temporarily, aid for public transport in Catalonia is maintained. It has been confirmed by Metropolitan Transport Authority (ATM) who claim that prices are maintained at a 50% discount “until the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility officially publishes or communicates” the withdrawal of its 30% state aid. From then on, the ATMs of Barcelona, ​​Lleida, Tarragona and Girona will maintain the 20% aid that corresponded to them until now but the state contribution will be lost. the Basque Country: As stated EFEaid for public transport in the Basque Country will also remain at a 50% discount until the Government of Spain confirms the withdrawal of its part of the aid. At this time, 20% of Basque aid is provided, 10% by the Autonomous Community and the remaining 10% by the provincial councils and town councils. Regarding the application in each City Council, in Bilbao the 50% discounts are maintained on the barik card and in temporary titles until February 20. After this date, if the State does not maintain its 30% aid, the reduction will be 20%. In San Sebastián it has been confirmed that the 50% discounts are maintained although no date has been specified and in Vitoria they will be maintained, at least, until January 31, according to Basque Chronicle. Valencian Community: According to The Sixththe Generalitat Valenciana is studying to what extent it can maintain transport aid, which, for the moment, will continue to receive a 50% discount until next December 31. Andalusia: As stated Seville newspaperthe Junta de Andalucía will maintain, at least, the 20% discount on the price of passes and multi-trip tickets that it already supported with its funds. This discount is active throughout the Autonomous Community and, therefore, also in the Metro services of Seville, Málaga and Granada.Galicia: Pick up ABC that the Xunta de Galicia will also maintain transport aid at 50% until the end of January. From then on, the aid will be reduced to 20% corresponding to the section provided by the autonomous communities.Asturias: The Principality of Asturias has confirmed in X that the CONECTA card is used throughout the Autonomous Community will continue to maintain exactly the same current rates. The card can be recharged monthly up to a maximum of 30 euros (unused money is returned) and with it you can take trips that are divided into zones. Prices can be consulted at this link.Castile and León: Pick up EFE that the Junta de Castilla y León has confirmed that it will maintain public transport subsidies that depend on the regional contribution. Thus, the Avant service will maintain a 20% discount and metropolitan transport a 20% discount. Rural transport will … Read more

They could be from the new Glyph rear of their next mobile, the Phone (3)

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Just yesterday the British manufacturer returned to the fray with the Pokémon which will be linked to some of the mobile phones that it plans to launch this year. There are several possibilities and everything seems to indicate that they would be the Phone (3) and the (3a), and if anything has to modify or change Nothing is the back, precisely what seems to be drawn in some sketches that the British company has shared. If there is a manufacturer that likes to play with mystery with its imminent launches, this would be Nothing, and since it began its journey as a new mobile manufacturer, started posting images of insects to give clues about your next Phone (2) or the same Phone (2a) from last year. In that game he now finds himself publishing five images from his Instagram account in which you can see a series of sketches that draw part of the design concepts of some of the mobiles which he plans to launch this year. They can look like pieces of a puzzle or simply loose concepts that throw ideas about the change that must occur on the back of your mobile. And it is precisely that he received a lot of criticism with the Nothing Phone (2) when it was launched, since the back was very similar to Phone (1). These criticisms led me to play with another “Glyph” in the design of the next Telephone (2a) that he launched last year in Spain, so it is possible that those sketches made with erratic linesbut that draw shapes, be they part of the back of the next Phone (3) or (3a). Nothing’s sketches nothing The Free Android Of them there is an image that does not fit into the rest or in some way it cannot be related, and that is that they look like two boxes with an oval shadow that do not make it clear what they are referring to; which could be part of the rear with which it can move away from the design of previous mobile phones and thus powerfully draw attention again as it has done with many of its technological products. Be that as it may, mystery once again surrounds a Nothing Phone (3) mobile that was anticipated by Carl Pei himself at the beginning of the year in an email that he sent to his employees to make it clear that this year his commitment is going to be greater. In fact, he announced that Nothing was looking for capital to invest in the technology necessary to bring generative artificial intelligence to its new premium; and even more so when this time it wants to elevate the mobile phone category to catch up with those from Samsung, Apple and others. All five images are available from your account at instagram.

A UK nuclear submarine caught a Russian ship in front of the nation’s undersea cables. It’s the second time in three months

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If yesterday Taiwan was the nation that suffered a new cut of submarine cablestoday the tension moves to Europe, to be more exact, to British waters. A few hours ago it was known, through the UK governmentabout events that occurred last fall with a mysterious Russian ship called Yantar. The problem is that it has reappeared in the vicinity of the nation’s underwater communication channels, and this time it has been “escorted” by a Royal Navy nuclear submarine. Recent raids. The UK has raised its voice about what appears to be a growing threat of aggression from Russia following the recent Yantar spy ship raid in British waters for the second time in just three months, which has been interpreted as an attempt by the Kremlin to evaluate the country’s defense capabilities. According to British Defense Secretary John Healey, a nuclear submarine and two Royal Navy ships were deployed for two days to monitor the activity of the Yantar, described as a vessel designed for intelligence gathering and mapping of critical underwater infrastructureincluding telecommunications and power cables connecting the UK to mainland Europe. This incursion, furthermore, occurs in that context of growing concern over the security of key infrastructure in Europe that we have been talking about, and at a time when Western intelligence services have warned about Russia’s intention to use sabotage as a tool of pressure after the war in Ukraine. The Yantar and its history. The Yantar had previously been detected in November 2024when it was observed to remain over areas of strategic submarine infrastructure of the United Kingdom. On that occasion, Healey authorized a Royal Navy nuclear submarine to surface near the Russian ship, sending a clear message that its movements were being closely monitored. During the raid, The Yantar was also escorted by the Russian frigate Admiral Golovko and the tanker Vyazmawho left the area after the British response. Russian ship capabilities. The Yantar, operated by the Main Directorate of Deep Sea Research of the Russian Navy and “officially” a project 22010 oceanographic research vessel, is a ship specifically designed for the collection of information on underwater infrastructure. It is equipped with autonomous submersibles capable of operating at depths of up to 5,500 metersallowing you to identify, map and even manipulate submarine cables essential for Europe’s connectivity and energy supply. In this regard, and although its capabilities could allow acts of sabotage, security experts, such as Justin Crump of the intelligence firm Sibylline, point out that the main purpose of the vessel appears to be aimed at collecting sensitive information for future strategic operations, rather than direct action. Concern about Russian sabotage. There is no doubt that Yantar’s activities have generated concern in the United Kingdom and throughout Europe, especially after recent incidents in the Baltic Sea, where underwater energy and telecommunications cables were found cut in what have been suspected to be deliberate acts. of sabotage, unconfirmed acts and that, as we told yesterdayofficial investigations point to other types of problems derived from inexperience. Be that as it may, what is certain is that NATO has responded by intensifying its presence in the region with operation Baltic Sentrydeploying warships, air patrols and drones to protect critical underwater infrastructure. What the United Kingdom says. After what happened for the second time, the British Defense Secretary has emphasized that Russia represents the most immediate and significant threat to the United Kingdomand has reiterated the country’s commitment to taking firm measures to protect its national security. As part of this strategy, Royal Navy rules of engagement have been updated to allow closer monitoring of Russian vessels suspected of hostile activities. In fact, the most recent incursion of the Yantar into British waters caused HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne will escort the Russian ship until its departure for Dutch watersensuring that he did not remain in the area for prolonged periods. What does seem crystal clear is that the return of the Yantaring into British waters highlights the growing Russian threat to the UK’s critical infrastructure and the need for constant surveillance and a determined response. Image | Royal Navy In Xataka | The investigations into the cut submarine cables in the Baltic have taken a turn: it was not Russia, it was inexperience In Xataka | If China once again displays itself against Taiwan in the next two years, it will find a surprise: the US army

the first plasma produced by the SMART reactor invites us to optimism

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We have news of the experimental reactor of nuclear fusion from the University of Seville. Very good news. The SMART Tokamak plan aims to develop a type reactor tokamak extraordinarily compact. In fact, the acronym SMART comes from the English name ‘SMall Aspect Ratio Tokamak’. Building a compact fusion energy reactor is not easy. In fact, ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), the experimental fusion reactor that an international consortium led by Europe is building in the French town of Cadarache, is gigantic for several good reasons. The most relevant is that a large vacuum chamber together with high intensity magnetic fields allow the plasma to be stabilized more effectively. And the other advantage is that This design minimizes energy loss. The SMART experimental fusion reactor that the engineers at the University of Seville are working on does not have the titanic size that ITER will have in its favor, but this does not mean that it will not come to fruition. In fact, its strategy is radically different from that of ITER and its design is surprisingly innovative. In any case, the development of SMART is being carried out within the international initiative Fusion2Gridso Seville researchers are not alone in this adventure. They work side by side with scientists from the Plasma Physics Laboratory at Princeton University (USA). SMART has generated the first plasma with negative triangularity The vacuum chamber in which the fusion of the deuterium and tritium nuclei, the two isotopes of hydrogen involved in the fusion reaction, occurs does not need to be as large in the SMART reactor as in ITER or other experimental fusion machines because because it has negative triangularity in its favor. Broadly speaking, triangularity identifies the geometry of the plasma within the tokamak by being confined inside the magnetic field. SMART’s negative triangularity causes the plasma cross section to compress toward the center By adopting positive triangularity, which is common in experimental fusion reactors of the type tokamakthe widest part of the triangular section of the plasma is outside the center of the vacuum chamber. This geometry is very well known, and it works, although it is not optimal to control plasma turbulence. In contrast, SMART’s negative triangularity causes the plasma cross section to compress toward the center, so the widest part faces the inside of the vacuum chamber. Negative triangularity has two major advantages. On the one hand, it is very effective in controlling plasma instabilities. And, in addition, it helps to distribute the heat at the base of the reactor in a more homogeneous way. Its biggest problem is that this technology is still young and requires much more research. Fortunately, researchers at the University of Seville are on the right track. On a very good path. And they have already done the first plasma testa milestone that marks the beginning of the experimental phase of the SMART reactor. “We were all very excited to see the first magnetically confined plasma, and we look forward to harnessing the capabilities of the SMART reactor together with the international scientific community (…) SMART has attracted enormous interest around the world“, Eleonora Viezzer has declaredphysicist and professor at the University of Seville. The initial investment in this project has been slightly more than five million eurosbut over its estimated 10 years of development it will presumably require a total investment of about 500 million euros. Image | University of Seville More information | Nuclear Fusion | University of Seville In Xataka | “We are already on the last step”: how Spain has obtained the key to making nuclear fusion a reality

so you can use it and get the most out of it

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Movistar just announce a very interesting agreement with Perplexity. Thus, Movistar customers will be able to access for free to the premium version of the Perplexity service, called Perplexity Pro. Perplexity is a “conversational search engine” that since its beginnings It is proposing a paradigm shift in the way we search for information on the Internet. Your answers collect data from trusted sources and then built using AI models. The result is clear and complete answers that are certainly a great alternative to those provided by traditional search engines, but this platform also goes one step further. Perplexity allows the client to expand and deepen the investigation by providing the possibility of asking follow-up questions related to the answers obtained, so that the client can dialogue with the answer engine in a personalized way. Movistar customers will be able to activate the option from the website or from the miMovistar app. Thanks to this agreement, the miMovistar service, along with the rest of Movistar’s contracting options, includes from today free access to Perplexity Pro for 12 months, a version that works using the most advanced AI models in the world (GPT -4o, OpenAI o1, Grok-2 and Claude 3.5). So you can use it and take advantage of all its options In order to activate the service we will have to go to our personal area on the Movistar website and in the miMovistar app. Movistar customers will have a personalized URL that they can use up to five times to activate the Pro version of the service for 12 months, so you can share it with family and friends. The service Perplexity Pro offers important advantages over the free service. Among them the following stand out: Pro Searches: Up to 300 Pro searches per day, which are deeper and more detailed and may follow a “reasoning” process for more complex searches. Normal searches unlimited. Access to powerful AI models: from Perplexity we can choose advanced models for the responses. Among them, GPT-4 Omni, Claude 3 Sonnet/Opus and Sonar Large 32k (based on Llama 3 70b) stand out. File upload: It is possible to upload documents in PDF or CSV for example in addition to images to take advantage of the multimodal capabilities of these models. API Credit: It will also be possible to experiment with the API thanks to the five dollars a month of credit granted. With the API it is possible experiment with the latest Open Source LLMs, such as Llama 3, and the Perplexity Online LLMs. An agreement that strengthens the alliance between both companies The agreement comes shortly after Wayra announced in October 2024 that it was investing in Perplexitythus joining other companies such as NVIDIA or Databricks that participated in that investment round. The agreement with Movistar is part of a global agreement between Telefónica and Perplexity, which is already being executed in Brazil and the United Kingdom, and which will soon be launched in other countries where Telefónica operates. Likewise, Telefónica also announced that it is offering the first Perplexity experience through television worldwide, an app hosted within the Movistar Plus+ catalog that allows customers who have a UHD decoder to easily interact with Perplexity. Users can ask about any topic through the Movistar Plus+ Voice Remote by pressing the Aura button, and receive text responses generated by AI in real time that will be displayed on the screen and can also be heard. In Xataka | Perplexity wants a piece of Google’s pie: the AI ​​search engine already processes 100 million queries a week

Spend a moment of real panic with these books that review the grotesque world of 80s horror and horror noire

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We peer into terror in ‘paper maze‘, the fantastic literature podcast that we do at Xataka in collaboration with Minotauro, and we do it with a couple of new features that combine classic and modern. On the one hand, an essay that delves into the disconcerting and insane world of horror paperbacks from the eighties. And on the other, a compilation of stories focused on black horror, the subgenre most concerned with the most terrible and chilling side of racial conflicts. For this he accompanies us Bernard J. Lemanan expert in horror literature with whom we break down these two volumes edited by Minotauro, and which confront the past, present and future of the genre in a unique mix. Paperbacks from Hell is the work of Grady Hendrix, author of novels that we have already talked about here, such as ‘How to sell a haunted house‘. Here he writes a wonderful essay analyzing with detail and a sense of humor the incredible panorama of brutal and exploitative horror literature of the eighties. With a chilling selection of covers and a good edition by Minotauro, which has taken care of the translations of the titles that have been published in Spain, it is an essential volume for anyone who wants to find out more about how the horror genre has gotten to where it is right now. . Jordan Peele, director of films like ‘Let Me Out’, ‘Nope’ and ‘Us’ is responsible for compiling the stories of ‘out there screaming‘, a volume of horror noire perfect for entering very uncomfortable areas of the genre. All the stories in the book have a racial component, and all genres are explored: from pure and simple satire to new meat, including horror of manners. Varied and very combative. How can you subscribe? If you liked this episode of the second season or if you want listen to ‘Paper Labyrinth’ from your favorite podcast applicationyou can subscribe through the main platforms: You can also listen to us and see us on our Youtube channel. In Xataka | Overpopulation taken to the limit, ultra-space thieves and other science fiction milestones by Harry Harrison

The obsession with slim mobile phones is back. And there are several reasons

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The new ones Samsung Galaxy S25 mark the beginning of the year in the high-end smartphone range, but they also tell us about the beginning of a new trend: the war to create the thinnest smartphone. Samsung briefly showed us the Galaxy S25 Edge and rumors of a iPhone 17 Air for this fall they are too coincidental to ignore them, in the absence of official confirmation. Both promise to be the thinnest phones ever created by their respective manufacturers. The question is whether we really need thinner phones. History has taught us that The obsession with thinness usually has consequences. The 2014 iPhone 6, with its 6.9 mm, was so thin that it ended up starring in the bendgate. AND the first Galaxy Edgealthough innovative, sacrificed durability for design. The interesting thing about this trend is not so much the technology itself, but the chosen moment. We have been seeing for years how manufacturers have been thickening their devices to include larger batteries, better camera systems and more sensors. Apple went from 7.6 mm on the iPhone 8 to 8.25 mm on the iPhone 16 Pro. Samsung did the same with its Galaxy line. And users never complained about their phones being “too thick”. In any case, it is common to read a fairly recurring request: more battery even at the cost of greater thickness. And although Oppo, Huawei or Vivo have already launched models in this thickness range in the past, they never set a real commercial trend. Apple and Samsung, as leaders, are capable of doing so. The price of thinness is high. According to leaks, the iPhone 17 Air will have a single rear camera instead of two or three, and will sacrifice one of its speakers. Samsung, for its part, has reduced its Galaxy S25 Edge to two cameras. These are important commitments in 2025, when mobile photography defines the high-end. Why now? The answer may be in the folding. Apple has been working on it for years your foldable iPhoneand Samsung already dominates that format, which on the other hand It is far from what the expectations were. six years ago, when the first ones arrived. A foldable phone needs to be as thin as possible when unfolded so as not to be excessively thick when folded. These new ultra-thin models may well be testing grounds for technologies that will end up in future foldables. He Oppo Find N5 points right in that direction: an ultra-thin foldable. There is also a differentiation factor. After years of incremental iterations, both Apple and Samsung need something to make their devices stand out. Extreme thinness, although it may seem like a step backwards, is visually striking. It’s the kind of feature that makes people stop in stores or pause their gaze when they spot a phone like that in someone else’s hand. And that’s something brands crave. But the success of these devices will depend on whether the compromises are worth it. The iPhone mini failed because it occupied a niche that no one had asked for. Or rather, that he did not ask for enough clients. Will it be different with ultrathin ones? Samsung seems to be starting with some caution, limiting the launch of the S25 Edge to select markets. The mobile industry moves in cycles. This wave of ultra-thin devices marks the beginning of another. But this time, the technology could be paving the way to something bigger: the next generation of foldables. Apple and Samsung are betting big. We’ll see if consumers sacrifice functionality for style. The war for the thinnest mobile phone has only just begun. In Xataka | The cameras of the Samsung Galaxy S25, S25+ and S25 Ultra, explained: their best asset is their inspiration in DSLRs Featured image | Xataka

Octopus tentacles have their own “brain.” We are now learning the implications

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Octopuses are invertebrate animals, but the absence of a central nervous system like that of birds or mammals does not make their brains less interesting than the rest. Brains, emphasizing the plural since neuronal systems of each of its extremities They have a degree of independence, which leads many to consider them as such. A nervous system not at all central. Now, a group of researchers has studied the nervous systems of these cephalopods to better understand how these nine neural organs operate together and to what extent they maintain their independence. What they observed is that each of these brains had the ability to operate individually. The team responsible for the new study believes that it is thanks to the unique segmentation of the nervous system of octopuses that these animals achieve the level of skill in the management of extremely flexible organs that serve these animals to move, feed, sense their environment, and even copulate. “If you are going to have a nervous system that is going to control such dynamic movement, that is a good way to organize it,” explained in a press release Clifton Ragsdale, co-author of the study. “We think it’s a feature that evolved specifically in soft-bodied cephalopods with suction cups to carry out these worm-like movements.” Studying segmentation. The new study focused on segmentation of this curious neuronal system, analyzing the distribution and function of the neurons of these tentacles, taking as reference an octopus of the species Octopus bimaculatus. Neurons that together add up to a greater number than the neurons located in the “central brain” of the animal, which is responsible for coordinating actions that require the use of various arms. These neurons in the extremities are concentrated, explains the teaminto an axial nerve cord (ANC), which “snakes” the tentacle connected to each of the animal’s suction cups. Neural columns. The ANC analysis showed that neurons in the octopus’s limbs were grouped into “columns” that in turn formed segments that the team compared to corrugated pipes. The segments were in turn separated by gaps called “septa” from which nerves and blood vessels made their way to the muscles of the limb. “From a modeling perspective, the best way to organize a control system for this long and flexible arm would be to divide it into segments,” Cassady Olson added.co-author of the study. “There must be some kind of communication between the segments, which you can imagine attenuates their movements.” Job details can be found in an article published in the magazine Nature Communications. Much to investigate. The tentacles of octopuses are very versatile limbs that allow this animal to navigate the seabed, but also, through their suction cups, they allow these octopods to perceive the world around them, hunt and feed on their prey. Knowing the details of the functioning of such complex limbs will still require new research. In Xataka | Octopuses are not aliens, and scientists have had to come out to explain why Image | Theasereje, CC BY-SA 4.0

Mobile phones have been stagnant for five years when it comes to innovation. There is an explanation

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Mobile phones have not innovated for years. Or, at least, not too much. There was a time when jumping from one generation to another was a box of surprises. New designs, completely new features, and crazy innovations to surprise the public iteration after iteration. For a few years now, the meme of Smithers and the doll with the new hat has become more true than ever. The new phone will be the same as last year, with a little more power, a slightly better camera and AI features that we may never use. All this has a reason for being. The times of innovating are (almost) over. There was a time when manufacturers were not afraid to break the mold to create different devices. Samsung did it with the curved screen of the Galaxy Round, LG had a G Flex 2 self-healing, and Xiaomi dared with pop-up cameras from the body with the 9T Pro. There was a time when manufacturers dared to innovate. A few years ago, jumping from one generation to the next meant a significant leap. Going from a Galaxy S2 to an S4 was a brutal change. The same thing happened between LG G3 and the G5. It is true that the brands were taking some blind steps, completely changing the phone from one generation to another: there was not much consistency, but there were significant changes. Apple, which has always moved at its own pace, was one of the few that continued to maintain designs and advance specifications discreetly, without disruptive changes between generations. On Android, every year was an adventure. Being groundbreaking doesn’t work. The most innovative ones have not fared too well. LG ended up closing its mobile divisionNokia stopped inventing and started selling traditional, simple mobile phones under the HMD umbrella, and major manufacturers like Samsung, Xiaomi and Huawei began to make iterations that were increasingly similar to each other. No matter how many critical voices are heard against continuity, continuity works. Or so the data says. If we look at the list of best-selling devices in the world We found that, year after year, the iPhone and Galaxy (both mid-range and high-end) are the ones that repeat the podium year after year. Those phones that precisely “innovate” the least are the ones that sell the most. A path to refinement. The image you see above is a good example: it is even difficult to distinguish last year’s model from the new model. Manufacturers have changed the philosophy: if something works, don’t touch it. For approximately four years now, improvements between generations have been slight. Changes in the camera, small refinements in the design, updated processor, and some technologies such as WiFi, Bluetooth or USB that change protocols. The great innovations of these years have been camera buttons, longer telephoto lenses and the arrival of AI (which, no matter how much it is sold as a gimmick, plays a very secondary role in daily use). And it’s not a negative thing.. Smartphones are at a point of maximum maturity. So much so that it is difficult to think about how to improve them. Screens: we have as much resolution as practically that of a television. Very high peak brightnessand calibrations worthy of studio monitors. The big leaps will involve the implementation of matte screens and better drivers so that these panels are increasingly more efficient. Batteries: 2025 has been the key year for the implementation of carbon-silicon, bringing with it more capacity in a smaller size. 6,000 and 7,000mAh batteries are a realityguaranteeing two days of full use in many cases. There is still a way to go, but the great leap has already been made. Microprocessors: today mobile phones they are so powerful That, in many cases, this is a problem. We have not reached peak power, but we are at a point where a phone is capable of playing triple A games as if it were a console. Cameras: It is one of the points where there is the most room for improvement, but this does not happen through the hardware, but through the software. Formats: Manufacturers want to break with traditional formats, and that is why they are betting on form factors such as folding ones. These grow slowly, but they represent just 1% of total sales. Again, innovation does not sweep. We are far from the real peak. We have been thinking for years that we are approaching the peak smartphoneto that point of no return where it will be practically impossible to improve what we already have. We are right in our approach: progress is becoming less and less and, to appreciate it, it is necessary to be more and more thorough. Despite this, progress is present and, although they are minor changes, they are there. Your 2025 mobile has a processor that allows it to run the applications with the best performance. The quality of its microphones is getting better and better, its fast charging system is very far from those 2/3 hours necessary to charge your old phone and, in short, if we look back 3 or 4 years, the advances are still present, for small as they seem. Image | Xataka In Xataka | The best quality-price mobile phones (2025). Their analyzes and videos are here

the keys that make me look for the Android experience at home

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Few devices have embraced the era of “smart devices” as much as mobile phonesbut there is one who, almost without realizing it, has adopted this strategy so much that In Spain it is difficult to buy one that is not: televisions. Until recently we could find models that did not have a system with apps, but currently it is somewhat complicated. It is even easier to buy a dumb phone, as those that do not have the ability to run apps are called, than a dumb TV. And it is not that there is no demand, since many users prefer to put their own devices to provide them with intelligence, such as Google TV Streamer. The main television brands in Spain are Samsung and LG, at least in the high range, but there are many others that are fighting to gain a foothold, not only in that category, but also in the entry range. There you sign as Xiaomi either TCL They lead the way. In part its sales pitch is not the hardware, but the software. Google TV for everyone These two Chinese brands also make mobile devices, and have taken a similar approach: use Android on your televisions. It is something that neither LG did when it was still in the smartphone market nor does Samsung do currently, despite the fact that it is the largest manufacturer of Android smartphones in the world. The reason why Xiaomi, TCL and other brands opt for Google TV is simple, but at the same time multiple: it is an option that attracts users, but does not involve the development or maintenance of your own operating systemwith what this entails in terms of resources and operating expenses. Although there are more options, such as WebOS or Tizen, Google TV (formerly Android TV) has positioned itself as the best option not only for manufacturers, but for many users who value what it gives them. And we are not only talking about integration with the smartphones they use, but also about functions and possibilities that they do not have in other models with other systems. Advantages of Google TV Many brands available. As with mobile phones, choosing Android as the operating system allows you to choose between more brands. Firms such as Xiaomi and TLC, but also industry giants such as Sony or Phillips opt for the Google system. The range of sizes, models, prices and brands is the largest when compared to other operating systems. Notifications for Android TV The Free Android Good voice control system. Typing on a television is complicated and tiring. Being able to dictate things is much more comfortable. Google TV is not the only system that allows it, but it does have very advanced voice recognition, in part because Google has been working on it for years. Google Assistant. And this function also enables integration with the Google Assistant, making the TV become a speaker if we want, because we can send content, ask questions, change channels… Integration with Google Home. The integration with Android of Google TV is obvious, but also with Google Home. The home automation application allows you to create routines using the television, use the phone as a remote control, etc. We’ll even look at how compatible headphones pair automatically to the TV. Button remapping. Remote control buttons rarely provide the shortcuts we all need. Thanks to applications like Button Mapper It is possible to change the behavior of buttons that we never use. Open applications, take screenshots, turn off the TV, change settings… everything is possible with this free application. Remote control Unsplash The Free Android All types of applications. Thanks to the fact that it uses Android, there are many developers who create applications for televisions, from casual or more advanced games to file management tools, video playback with all types of codecs, etc. Extreme customization. One particular type of apps are desktop replacements. These apps allow us to change the way the TV is shown to us, eliminating ads, sections that we do not use… If we want, we can make only the installed apps appear, to open them directly with the remote control. External storage management. And the memory possibilities skyrocket if we use external hard drives and want to play content. Android allows you to run all types of videos, either with pre-installed apps or with those you download from the Google Play Store. In addition, they usually have reading capacity not only for USB flash drives, but also for large capacity disks, in case we have our digital movie library stored there. bluetooth controls. Although television processors are not designed for games, some simple titles can be easily run on them, and having synchronized Bluetooth controls is an advantage. The number of options available is enormous. Especially if we use them with cloud streaming services. A person playing on TV Chromecast built-in. Of course, we could not ignore the fact that the televisions integrate a Chromecast system, which allows you to send content from a mobile phone on the same WiFi network. This makes it much more convenient to send a song from Spotify, a video from YouTube, etc. To these reasons we must add others such as the convenience that many users have in using a system that they already know because it is the same one they have on their tablet or mobile phone, knowing the applications because, again, they are the same ones that they already used. , etc. Of course, this does not mean that there are no disadvantages when compared to other systems, but the benefits outweigh the latter.

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