Mobile Tech & Gadgets

what it is, compatible devices and how to use it with a monitor to turn your mobile into a PC

by

Let’s explain to you what is android desktop mode, an option that we have been waiting for years as standard on our devices. This is something that Samsung has been offering it through DeX for yearsand that we have seen on mobile phones like Motorola and some Huawei models. Now, it is starting to arrive as standard on Android. We are going to start the article by explaining how this feature works, and what the concept it pursues is. Then, we will explain its implementation so that you know how it can be activated, also mentioning For which mobile phones is it initially available?although it is to be hoped that as months and years go by it will end up reaching many more. What is Android desktop mode Connect your mobile to a monitor and launch an adapted Android at this screen size. It seems like a wet dream, making Android look like a desktop operating system, but this is the desktop mode that Google is starting to enable. When you are using the mobile in this desktop mode, the entire interface will change. You will have a desk with a lower dock with applications that we have launched. We also have a menu bar above where on the left we see the time and on the right the battery and connectivity controls. You will also have a button that acts as a start menu. Besides that, open applications will be seen in windowsand just like in GNU/Linux and macOS, an indicator will appear in the dock telling you which ones are open. This will allow you to do two or three things at the same time, such as reading the content of a social network in one window while watching a video in the other. In general, the experience is similar to that of a PCand you can even open notifications and quick settings. In fact, you can see the quick settings on a double screen to see the options within the menus. In addition to this, you will also be able to resize and move windows of applications to place them wherever you like on the desktop. You’ll be able to pin apps to the taskbar, show all open apps, and even use Android’s three-button control system. Finally, know that desktop mode It will use the apps that you already have installed on Android. It is not a separate operating system, but an interface that the mobile itself has to launch itself that way when you are viewing it on a larger screen. Desktop mode too It will allow you to use a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard. You will have to link them to your mobile, and when you are in desktop mode you can simply use them as if it were a computer. What mobile is it compatible for? Currently, desktop mode is only supported with Pixel phones from Google. And not with everyone, but from Pixel 8 onwards. You will have to update Android to receive its latest version, and in it you will already have the function natively when you connect your mobile. Being a native Android function, it is possible that over time it will also end up reaching other devices. But as always, you will first have them in the Pixel as an exclusive feature. We’ll have to wait and see when it reaches the others. How to activate Android desktop mode To activate desktop mode, you have to connect your mobile to an external screen. Since the Pixel has a USB-C port, you will have to use a cable with this connector or a cable that connects from USB-C to Micro HDMI, or whatever format the external monitor uses. The mobile will automatically detect that you have connected it to the screen. Then, a pop-up window will appear asking you what you want to do after connecting. In this message, you simply have to click on the option Computer and that’s it. Now connect mouse and keyboard via Bluetooth and voila, your mobile is now a computer. The projector mode that you also have as an option is the one in which you can see on the screen what you are doing on your mobile, but without using it directly on it. The mode to choose is Computer. Images | Javier Pastor In Xataka Basics | The best apps for Android 2026: new, essential and hidden gems

127,000 million in weapons for war

by

It took Germany more than seven decades to speak again openly to build the most powerful army of Europe. For much of that time, its military spending was conditioned by the political and legal limits imposed after World War II. Today, however, the country that for years symbolized European strategic pacifism has become the largest investor military of the continent. And that change is having consequences far beyond its borders. Perplexed in half of Europe. The meeting that took place yesterday in the Oval Office left an image that is difficult to ignore: Donald Trump publicly attacking to Spain while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz remained silent at his side. The US president accused Madrid of the “veto” in Rota and of not assuming its share of NATO military spending, and threatened with economic reprisalsa warning that was surprising for its harshness against a European ally. When it was Merz’s turn to respond, avoided questioning the tone or substance of the threat and limited itself to pointing out that all members of the Alliance must increase your investment in defense. The scene drew attention because the leader of the most powerful country in the European Union did not come to the defense of a community partner at a time of maximum diplomatic tension. A calculated strategy. They remembered in the New York Times that very possibly the chancellor’s silence was not improvised. His strategy in the White House was to avoid any direct confrontation in front of the cameras and reserve disagreements for private conversations. Merz had arrived in Washington with the intention of maintaining a functional relationship with an unpredictable president and very sensitive to public criticism. The German priority was to discuss the conflict with Iran, the war in Ukraine and trade tensions with Europe without provoking a head-on clash with Trump. This calculation would explain why the chancellor chose to let the attacks on Spain (and the United Kingdom) pass during the meeting, even knowing that the scene would generate discomfort in several European capitals. 127,000 million reasons. There is, however, an even simpler reason behind this caution: the gigantic rearmament program German. Faced with public reluctance from Spain, Germany is preparing to spend around of 127 billion dollars in defense this year, a figure that makes it by far the largest military investor in Europe. The German Government’s plan is even more ambitiouswith the aim of raising spending up to 3.5% of GDP in the coming years and build the most powerful conventional army on the continent. This strategic leap marks the end of decades of military containment and places Berlin at the center of the new European balance of power. The German project. The German bet responds to a combination of factors: the war in Ukraine, fear of Russian aggressiveness and the perception that the United States could reduce its commitment to European security. After decades of reducing its army, Berlin tries recover capabilities at great speed and become the military pillar of the continent. This process is also transforming its defense industry, with companies like Rheinmetall expanding rapidly thanks to the increase in the military budget. If the Government’s plans are fulfilled, Germany will end up spending more on defense that France and the United Kingdom (and, of course, Spain) together in conventional capacities, a change that profoundly alters the military balance within Europe. Two diametrically opposed visions. In that context, the clash with Spain is better understood. While Germany pushes a massive increase of defense spending within NATO, Madrid has shown a more cautious stance regarding this increase and has defended more critical positions regarding some recent military operations. From the German perspective, the central issue was not the Trump threat, but the fact that Spain stayed away of the new rearmament consensus that Berlin is trying to consolidate among the European allies. That’s why Merz responded by underlining the need for all Alliance members to meet agreed military spending targets. A delicate balance. If you like, the chancellor’s attitude actually reflects a deeper strategic tension. Germany aspires to lead a stronger Europe militarily, but at the same time it needs to maintain a close relationship with the United States for this project to be viable. The US nuclear umbrella, technological cooperation and the NATO structure remain essential pillars of European security. In that context and always from the German prism, confront publicly Trump would have put at risk a balance that Berlin considers fundamental for its own rearmament project. The result is a cautious or fearful diplomacy that seeks to strengthen Europe without breaking the link with Washington, even when that balance forces silence in such uncomfortable and embarrassing moments for half of Europe. Image | IToldYa, Picryl, 270862 In Xataka | The small print that explains why the US has threatened Spain as an enemy: it has been vetoing the shipment of weapons to Israel for months In Xataka | “It’s not what we need”: Germany has just put the finishing touches on Spain’s great military dream, the European anti-F-35 is disappearing

The laptop is still important in the age of AI

by

Samsung has reserved the Mobile World Congress to announce the arrival in Spain of its new batch of laptops: the Galaxy Book6 series. This family is made up of three models, namely Book6, Book6 Pro and Book6 Ultra, and its objective is not so much to compete in specifications and price, but also to position itself as one of the fundamental pillars of the AI ​​ecosystem that the firm is developing. The news. Samsung has announced the launch in Spain of its new laptops. The Galaxy Book6 will start at 1,149 euros, the Galaxy Book6 Pro will start at 1,799 euros and the Galaxy Book6 Ultra will start at 3,399 euros base. It will be available from March 11 and its specifications are as follows: Galaxy Book5 Galaxy Book5 pro Galaxy Book5 ultra SCREEN 14 inch IPS Anti-Glare WQXGA+ (2,880 x 1,800 pixels) 350 nits brightness — 16 inch IPS Touch WUXGA (1920 x 1200 pixels) 350 nits — 16 inch IPS Anti-Glare WUXGA (1920 x 1200 pixels) 350 nits 14/16 inch Touch AMOLED Anti-reflective panel 16 inch Touch-AMOLED Anti-reflective panel WQXGA+ (2,880 x 1,800 pixels) 1,000 nits DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 14 inches: 313.4 x 221.1 x 14.9mm 1.48 kilos — 16 inches 357.1 x 248 x 16.8mm (touch) 357.1 x 248 x 16.8mm (non-touch) 14 inches: 314.2 x 220.6 x 11.6mm 1.24 kilos — 16 inches: 356.9 x 248 x 11.9mm 1.59 kilos 356.9 x 249 x 15.4mm 1.79 kilos PROCESSOR Intel Core Ultra 5/7 Intel Graphics NPU up to 49 TOPS Intel Core Ultra X7/7/5 Intel Arc Graphics/Intel Graphics NPU up to 50 TOPS Intel Core Ultra X9/9/X7/7 Intel Arc/RTX 5060/5070 Graphics NPU up to 50 TOPS RAM 16/32GB LPDDR5x 16/32GB LPDDR5x 16/32/64GB LPDDR5x STORAGE Up to 1TB PCIe SSD Expansion port Up to 1TB PCIe SSD Expansion port (16″) Up to 1TB PCIe SSD Expansion port (16″) FRONT CAMERA 2MP 2MP 2MP BATTERY 61.2Wh 45W USB C fast charging 14 inches: 67.18 Wh 16 inches: 78.07 Wh 65W fast charging 80.2Wh Fast charging 100/140W OPERATING SYSTEM Windows 11 Home Windows 11 Home Windows 11 Home CONNECTIVITY Wi-Fi 6E Bluetooth v5.4 802.11ax 2×2 USB Type-C x2 USB Type-A x2 HDMI microSD RJ45, S-Lock combo jack Wi-Fi 7 Bluetooth v5.4 802.11 be 2×2 Thunderbolt 4 x2 USB Type-A HDMI 2.1 port (8K@60Hz) combo jack Wi-Fi 7 Bluetooth v5.4 802.11 be 2×2 Thunderbolt 4 x2 USB Type-A HDMI 2.1 port (8K@60Hz) combo jack OTHERS Stereo speaker Double microphone Dolby Atmos Stereo/quad speaker (16″) Double microphone Dolby Atmos 6x speakers Double microphone Dolby Atmos Haptic trackpad PRICE From 1,149 euros From 1,799 euros From 3,399 euros The mobile as the center. Galaxy phones, especially Galaxy S and, more specifically, the Galaxy S Ultraare the central axis around which Samsung’s product strategy pivots. The thread that unites the entire ecosystem, that is, tablets, watches, headphones and, of course, computers, is artificial intelligence. This is how Samsung makes money: the secret is in the IPHONE Samsung Galaxy Book Series6 | Image: Xataka Samsung’s idea is that our devices know us better and anticipate our needs, being proactive when it comes to suggesting data or taking action. In that sense, the more complete the ecosystem is, the more capacity to react it will have. It is something that Motorola and Lenovo They have also understood and that companies like Apple, in their own way, have been working for years. Samsung wants to connect everything and knows that in its enormous ecosystem it has a great competitive advantage, so it makes sense that it wants to continue exploiting it. And it works for them. According to internal data shared by the company, the laptop market grew by 9% in value in Spain last year. Samsung, for its part, has been the brand that has grown the most, with 88% in value and 93% in units. It is possible that AI PCs have not taken off as the market would have liked, but perhaps that is because the real value It is not in the execution of AI models locallybut in how products integrate with each other in the age of AI. Samsung Galaxy Book Series6 | Image: Xataka The role of AI in Book6. Samsung’s new laptops integrate Galaxy AI and Microsoft Phone Link. What does that mean? That the user can use the mobile phone from the PC, transfer files and synchronize devices to, for example, use a tablet as an external monitor. You can also use AI features such as generative editing, AI Select, voice file search, writing assistant, as well as all the Copilot+PC options. To do this, Samsung relies on the cloud, but also on the NPU of the Intel Core Ultra Series 3 that the three laptops mount inside. Roughly speaking, this allows certain functions to be executed locally, which increases privacy. The Ultra model, for its part, mounts NVIDIA RTX 5070/5060 GPUs, so, at least on paper, it should also excel in gaming and graphic tasks. Samsung Galaxy Book Series6 | Image: Xataka The importance of the laptop. And, although AI has proven to be a valuable ally in mobility, when it comes to productivity the laptop continues to be the reference device. The mobile phone is fine for doing things on the go, but when it comes to being really productive, a larger screen and a proper keyboard win out. Brands, aware of this, are working to ensure that their devices understand each other better and better and have found a way to achieve this in AI. AI cannot and should not be seen as something isolated, but as a common thread between devices that, for better and for worse, are condemned to understand each other. Images | Samsung In Xataka | Samsung has a plan for all its factories: have humanoid robots controlled by a central AI work

I have used my Android mobile as a PC thanks to desktop mode. It is a fantastic option

by

Ricardo Aguilar, a colleague at Xataka, knows a lot about mobile phones, so from time to time he throws some insult at me about my already somewhat mature Pixel 8 Pro. Today, however, the insult is mine. Because? Well, because as he himself warned the team, Android ‘desktop mode’ is finally available. This optionthat I’ve been waiting for years (he knows it well) it also arrives in a limited way, because only some devices can enjoy it. Specifically, the recent Pixels. And my Pixel 8 Pro is one of them. In the past I have tested this feature on other devices: I did it of course on Samsungs, which has been offering it through DeX for yearsand also on some other mobile such as Motorola and some Huawei models, which they also boasted of said characteristic. Google had been around for a while raising this possibilityand last year an Android beta appeared that offered this capability. Now that option is finally officially available, although as we say, for now only on Google Pixels starting with Pixel 8. Enviable start-up To activate this option you must first activate the developer options in the Android settings, and then enable option for desktop features which we can find almost at the end of those options for developers. Once this is done, the system asks for a restart, after which everything is ready to use desktop mode. To do this, I connected a 15-inch external monitor to my Pixel through a USB-C to Micro HDMI cable (I tried a USB-C to USB-C cable, but the cable I used had a small problem). By detecting that we connect the mobile phone to a screen, The Pixel gives us the option of using the mobile phone as a “Computer” (the desktop mode itself) or of projecting it as it has been possible to do for years. I chose the first option​​ and I finally found that desktop mode that basically makes Android becomes a hybrid operating system which works practically the same as Windows, Linux or macOS do on a PC or laptop. Thus, we have a desktop in which there is a lower bar with the application launcher and a series of “pinned” apps, and at the top a system bar that allows, for example, access to notifications and quick settings on our mobile. From there the experience is very similar to using a PC. We can open applications and, of course, resize and move windows to place them however we like on the desktop. I normally use two competing advantages of the browser to work on the topics I prepare for Engadget, and that is exactly the configuration I have used to write this text: with two Chrome windows I have worked practically the same as I usually do on my Mac mini M4. A small change of mentality Obviously in that desktop mode it is necessary connect a mouse and keyboard to the Pixelwhich I have connected via Bluetooth. The detection and operation of these devices was carried out without problems, and once on the desktop everything works, I insist, as one would expect. You can quickly launch apps from the taskbar launcher and pin certain apps to that taskbar. It is also possible to show all open applications with that old access at the bottom right with a square-shaped icon. There is a strange feeling here because logically what you are using are the applications on your mobile phone natively. Thus, it is not necessary to open WhatsApp in a browser tab because you already have the native app ready and running in the background, and the same goes for the rest of the options, such as the Twitter app (X) or YouTube: they are not tabs, but full-fledged apps. It is a slight but curious change of mentality, of course. And there is also the other reality: some apps that we usually use on the desktop are not as clear as those on Windows or macOS. There is a clear example in the file explorer: Android has its own (Files) and I, for example, usually use Amaze for these tasks, but Google has never conceived Android as an operating system in which the user messes with files and folders. We can do it, yes, but it is not the strong point of this platform, as neither is it, for example, working with the command console. Here again that possibility exists, but you have to “play around” a little more to be able to install a terminal and use it in a similar way as we would do in Linux, macOS or in Windows CMD/Powershell. I have not tried much more demanding applications at the moment, but this opens the door to using some more advanced and ambitious applications in desktop mode: here it occurs to me that an image or video editor could be a striking candidate to take advantage of this desktop mode. There is also striking scope here for entertainment with games that we can play with a mouse and keyboard as we would on a PC, even though they are games for Android. The possibilities are most striking. Your PC can certainly be your mobile These tests have made me realize that this definitely opens up those possibilities that we have been talking about for years. A laptop normally solves the mobility issue, but if you need to have “your PC” anywhereyou don’t even need that anymore: if you have a monitor, keyboard and mouse somewhere else, this Android desktop mode allows you to use your device almost like a PC. I just did it while writing this article, and the truth is, the experience has been surprisingly good. Not perfect, mind you– The on-screen keyboard appears from time to time as if the system does not detect that you have a physical one connected, for example, and window management is not as intuitive as one might wish. But still the overall result is fantastic in my … Read more

In the midst of the RAM and SSD crisis, there are those who are launching laptops and mobile phones with more capacity at the same price: Apple

by

Apple has set out to eclipse the Mobile World Congress. He does not attend the Barcelona fair, but he has presented products. For now, the iPhone 17ethe new MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro and M5 Max processorsthe new MacBook Air M5 and the renewal of your monitor Studio Display. And what has caught my attention the most is the “generosity” of an Apple that has not accustomed us to it. Because, with the one that is falling with the RAM crisis and of SSD priceApple is offering more without increasing the price. And it is something that has several readings… and some asterisks. The new devices. There isn’t much new in anything the company has presented so far. It is assumed that there is still a ‘cheap’ MacBook throughout this Wednesday, March 4, but what they have already presented is, basically, the same as last year, but with new processors. The iPhone 17e is a mobile phone with an outdated design, but it includes a slightly cut version of the processor of the iPhone 17 Pro. The MacBook Pros were already beasts in many ways and now they can be equipped with the M5 Pro and M5 Max that reach absurd figures for GPU capacity and memory bandwidth in the most powerful versions. And the MacBook Air was already a very interesting device for mobility, but now also somewhat more powerful. As I say, not much new on the front, until we look at the storage. With the one that is falling… At this point, no one is aware that we are experiencing an unprecedented component crisis. It’s not like 2020, when a bunch of factors caused a global chip crisis. Now there is only one “culprit”: artificial intelligence. There is three main companies that manufacture memory (Micron, SK Hynix and Samsung), and the three have focused almost the entire his production to memories for AI. This is causing not only us to have to pay more to be able to buy RAM or an SSD for our PC, but also the manufacturers themselves are changing their device launch plans –the steam machine-, there is someone who is selling laptops without RAM or without SSDwho looks to Chinese manufacturers to see if they can find a solution or, directly, those who can withdraw from the market. And, in the middle of that hurricane, Apple (which It is not characterized by its popular prices), launches devices. And the surprise came. Generosity. I’m not going to explain much, I’m just going to give some information: The iPhone 17e starts with 256 GB of storage and costs 709 euros. He iPhone 16e It started at 128 GB and cost 709 euros. The MacBook Air M5 costs 1,199 euros with 512 GB of SSD. He MacBook Air M4 It cost the same at launch, 1,199 euros (in October last year they lowered it by 100 euros to 1,099 euros), but with 256 GB. On these devices, Apple has doubled the storage while maintaining the price. And not only that: the Studio Display XDR was sold with a basic tilt adjustment stand, but you could purchase the articulated arm that allowed you to adjust both angle and height. The price of support? 999 euros, which became a meme. Now, the new Studio Display XDR It comes with that ‘Pro’ support included. Of course, the base MacBook Pro M5 costs 100 euros more with a 1 TB SSD instead of 512 GB. Generosity? What is happening here, is the first thing I thought when I started analyzing the price. There are several options that can be compatible… and even all at the same time. No company is there to give away, so it is simply possible that they have a huge stock of 512 GB SSDs that they now mount as a base in their computers. This would make sense if we take into account the very high price of expanding the memory on an Apple device. The most basic option would be the most chosen, so those with 128 GB on mobile phones and 256/512 on MacBooks would be the best sellers and, therefore, have a surplus of the expanded options that fewer people would opt for. Another reading may be that, due to the high price of the devices, Apple decides to absorb part of the cost of RAM because it’s still worth itmaking money per device sold and expanding the Mac user base at a time when Windows laptops can have a very difficult time. What Apple saves are the chargers in its new equipment. The MacBook Pro no longer included a charger, but the MacBook Air did. Now not even that. The turn. The other option is that… it will be our turn. The prices that I have detailed are in euros and for Spain if we take into account the launch price, without subsequent offers or reductions. In the United States, things are very different. They have also doubled the storage, but the MacBook Air in its 13 and 15-inch versions now They are 100 dollars more expensive than the previous generation. It is always complicated because direct conversions cannot be made from the US price to the European price (in fact, the M5 MacBook Air costs $1,099 and $1,299 compared to our 1,199 euros and 1,499 euros), but we may simply have to face that price increase in 2027 models. Because, unfortunately, the RAM crisis is going to last a long time. Intel He thinks he has the rest of the decade ahead of him, NVIDIA does not have good forecasts either and Samsung has just said that, if that, it will begin to ease in 2027. Images | Apple, Samsung In Xataka | Apple has been the industry’s first customer for decades. AI is relegating it to the background

Your subscription to Xataka Xtra includes an exclusive badge for your profile: this is what it will look like

by

Xataka Xtra It is loaded with advantages. For only two euros a month you have access to exclusive newsletters, raffles and discounts, to the Discord server, to our editors to resolve your queries and, of course, to show that you, xatakera, xatakero, support Xataka and are part of the Xtra community. That’s why today we present to you another of the benefits included in your subscription: an exclusive badge for your profile. This badge will appear on your profile and in the commentsso that everyone can see that you are part of the Xtra community. It should be noted that it does not mean that your comments will be seen first, that they will not be moderated or that you will earn more karma, but it is a gesture that we want to have from Xataka to value your support in a more visual way. We remind you that Xataka Xtra It has a promotional price of two euros per month or 15 euros per year. In addition, for only 30 euros per year you can unlock advertising-free browsing. If you haven’t done so yet, You can subscribe now from this link. In Xataka | Subscribe now to Xataka Xtra

how to dissipate heat in a vacuum

by

We call it a cloud, but in reality it lives on solid ground, more specifically in mammoth buildings with endless corridors, or that’s how it has been until now. The idea of ​​​​taking data centers into space It sounds increasingly louder and is presented as the solution to the insatiable energy appetite of artificial intelligence. In the midst of this growing obsession, the player who holds the key to all current hardware has just had a reality check. NVIDIA puts on the brakes. Google, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos…everyone has talked about taking data centers to space. Even NVIDIA itself He has participated in projects of this type, but it seems that he has changed his mind. As published in BezingaDuring the company’s latest earnings call, Jensen Huang took the opportunity to lower short-term expectations for orbital data centers. dissipate heat. The idea of ​​bringing data centers to space was born from the need for energy. In space, energy is practically unlimited because solar panels can be receiving light all the time. The problem, according to Huang, is dissipating heat. On Earth, data centers use air or water for cooling, but in the vacuum of space there is no air. The only way to dissipate heat in space is by conduction to radiators which, in the CEO’s words, must be “quite large.” NVIDIA knows this well because already has a satellite with H100 GPUs in space. Why it is important. Huang’s intervention is relevant because NVIDIA is the main provider of the infrastructure that xAI, Amazon, Google and other technology companies need for their space plans. If the biggest beneficiary of selling chips for these projects warns about their viability, the market listens. Even so, his words have not been a complete refusal, but rather a “not yet.” Analysts agree. In a Gartner report to which he has had access The Registerclaim that companies are wasting money pursuing the dream of space data centers. Their argument is that orbital facilities are not profitable, but they also claim that they could not satisfy the necessary computing demand. In addition, it also highlights the technical challenge that cooling these structures in the vacuum of space would entail and another problem: the extreme temperature fluctuations that can go “from 100 degrees kelvin to 400 degrees kelvin” (between 126ºC and -173ºC). This would require the use of special materials and components, much more expensive than their terrestrial equivalents. Musk vs Altman. There is little that the CEOs of xAI and OpenAI agree on and data centers in space were not going to be any different. Elon Musk announced a megaproject with SpaceX and xAI to launch a constellation of one million satellites. At an event a few days ago, Altman called the idea ridiculous.although he also admitted that “it will make sense one day (…) we are not there yet.” In Xataka | Aragón is becoming a Spanish data center giant thanks to Amazon. There is still a big unknown Image | İsmail Enes Ayhan and NASA

Say the type of trip you want and the artificial intelligence will find your destination and itinerary

by

Let’s explain to you how to plan routes with Claudeusing a new function like this artificial intelligence. The function will Claude It will start asking you questions to find out the type of route you want to take, and then it will offer you a destination and an itinerary with places to visit. This function is intended for when you are not clear about a destinationbut you do know the type of trip or route you want to plan. You will end up having a Google Maps module with places to visit, schedules and a complete itinerary. Plan your trip with Claude The first thing you have to do is write the initial prompt to launch this feature. It’s a pretty generic prompt where you don’t specify anything, because we’re going to have Claude ask us all the questions. The prompt would be the following: Help me plan a full day trip! Ask me questions to get more details about what I want to do. When you write the prompt, Claude three initial questions so that you can specify the characteristics of the trip you have in mind. First, it will ask you how many people are going and where you are leaving from. You will be able to choose between several answers. Then he will ask you What kind of excursion do you fancy?. Here you can choose answers that talk about nature, coastal, cultural or gastronomic excursions. You also have the field Another thing to specify a specific one. Lastly, it will also ask you how much effort do you want to make on your trip. Here you can choose between making little effort, walking a little or having long or sports routes chosen for you. Once you answer everything, Claude will ask you additional questions based on the data that I have given them so far. For example, since in my configuration I put that I am from Castellón, it asks me how far I am willing to drive to go to the destination. He also asks me about my preferences. When configuring my trip I have stated that I want it to be a cultural one, so analyzing what I have close to me He will ask me about cultural styles or eras that I would like to visit. And that’s it. After the three initial questions and additional questions that he asks you, Claude will plan an excursion and will show you a Google Maps module with the route. You will have a button to open the route in Maps, and you will also be able to see that it has been organized for you by planning the times at which you can visit each site, and the route to choose. In Xataka Basics | Claude: 23 functions and some tricks to get the most out of this artificial intelligence

SPC was the mobile brand for seniors. Now it has a system that learns when your grandfather stops behaving as usual

by

SPC has been digesting for a year the change that Teresa Acha-Orbea, its general director, described us at MWC 2025: going from a telephone manufacturer for seniors to a comprehensive technological services company. Again in Barcelona and again at the MWC, the company from Alava has presented the first product that materializes this transformation. It’s called Zeus Halo, and it’s a predictive telecare platform built around a hub domestic 5G with a 12-inch screen, four microphones and IoT connectivity to integrate sensors, activity bracelets and other home devices. It appears on the right in the image that heads these lines. The proposal is based on a demographic premise that defines our country today: Spain ages. According to INE projections, In 2030 almost a third of the population will be over 60 years oldand a growing portion of that group lives alone. Current telecare systems work reactively, waiting for something to happen before acting. Zeus Halo points in the opposite direction: the system learns the user’s behavior patterns. What time do you get up, how many times do you go to the bathroom, when do you leave the house… When these habits change abruptly, the device generates a preventive alert that reaches the smartphone of family members or caregivers, or directly to third-party telecare platforms. “If this person usually goes to the bathroom several times a day and suddenly they are only in the living room, something is happening,” explains Acha-Orbea in the stand of SPC in the Spanish Pavilion. It can also detect falls through the activity bracelet, monitor heart rate or temperature, and send alerts if the person leaves and does not return. The hardware does not require a router, or even that there is a WiFi network in the house, because the hub It carries a 5G SIM and covers all the sensors in the home, which eliminates a common installation barrier for this user profile. Compatible sensors include presence, door opening and smoke detectors, in addition to wearables. Cameras are technically possible, but SPC has decided not to incorporate them by default: “We all want to maintain our privacy, at least visually,” says Acha-Orbea. The second leg of Zeus Halo is the conversational agent. The platform includes a voice assistant that learns the user’s tastes and interests and maintains conversations adapted to them, with reminders for medication, medical appointments or birthdays that are delivered as voice calls instead of text messages, because “SMS are not usually read”, something that was already explained to us a year ago. The system can also organize secure video calls with family members through its own application, suggest activities inside and outside the home or connect Zeus Halo users with common interests. The unwanted loneliness of older people has been on the public agenda for years, The product will be launched before the end of the year in two modalities: ORa version for retail intended for families who want to install it in their parents’ or grandparents’ home And another institutional version for councils, municipal social services, residences, telecare and insurance companies that need to monitor their users proactively. SPC has clients such as CaixaBank or the Generalitat of Asturias in its portfolio, which gives it direct access to the type of organization it targets with the B2B version. The launch of Zeus Halo is accompanied by a brand repositioning. SPC launches logo, website (now in onspc.com) and a new definition of itself: “technology consultancy” that combines manufacturing, systems integration and consulting under the umbrella ‘human by design. The company, founded at the end of the eighties taking advantage of the liberalization of telecommunications, which for decades lived by selling landlines and mobile phones adapted for the elderly, today has 78 employees and headquarters in Vitoria, Lisbon and Shenzhen. It sells about 400,000 units per year of basic phones for seniors and about 30,000 adapted smartphones. It is, according to its own figures, the first Spanish brand in that niche with 50% of the national market. The transition that Zeus Halo embodies has not come for free. SPC has had to recruit software engineers and is setting up its own engineering in China to work directly with software manufacturers. chipsets. He 2G blackoutwhich forced the company to redesign its catalog a few years ago, turned out to be the lever that turned “dumb” devices into platforms capable of exchanging data. Zeus Halo is the next step in that same logic: a little hardware gadget that becomes the connected brain of the home. In Xataka | There is a good thing about having your grandchildren put in a hat: science suggests that it is a great shield against cognitive decline Featured image | Xataka

The Earth turned on its great geological engine billions of years earlier than we estimate. We know it from a microscopic crystal

by

For a long time, textbooks They have painted the primitive Earth like a ball of infernal and static magma, being a “lid” of inert rock where life or complex geological movement was impossible. Specifically, it was thought that the plate tectonicsthe engine that shapes the continents and recycles our planet’s nutrients, had taken much longer to start. However, we were wrong. How he did it. Science, in a recent article, has just put on the table the definitive evidence that indicates that the Earth began to move much earlier than we believed: at least 3.3 billion years ago, and most likely, more than 4 billion ago. And the key is not in the gigantic mountains under our feet, but in small fragments of glass smaller than a grain of sand. And if we want to travel in geological time, you have to go to jack hillsin Western Australia, where the oldest known fragments of terrestrial rock are found. The protagonists of this story are zircon crystals, extremely resistant minerals that act as authentic geological hard drives. The interesting thing is that, when they form, they trap isotopes and tiny amounts of other elements inside that tell us exactly what the environment was like at the time of their crystallization. The results. According to detailed analysis that collects Natureand supported by key works such as those published in the prestigious magazine PNASthese S-type zircons hide unmistakable geochemical signatures. Specifically, they reveal that, instead of a static and dead Earth’s crust, subduction processes already existed. That is, the oceanic crust was already colliding and sinking under other plates, melting back into the Earth’s mantle. A double life. But researchers have not limited themselves to looking at a specific era, but have traced the proportions of trace elements such as uranium, niobium or scandium in different zircons from Australia, Greenland and South Africa. Here they observed that during the Eoarchean, the Earth did not have a single geological behavior. Instead, it had two tectonic regimes. The first of these, known as a ‘stagnant lid’ with areas of crust dominated by plumes of oceanic magma that simply pushed upwards. On the other hand, it also had the ‘moving lid’ zone, which were active zones where volcanic arcs were already forming and there was subduction, very similar to modern plate tectonics, recycling the Earth’s crust. But there is more. As if that were not enough, other published studies in Science and Geology have contributed even more pieces to the puzzle, such as the transform faults in the Pilbara Craton of Australia that show horizontal movements 3,000 million years ago, and even inclusions of fresh water in zircons from more than 4,000 million years ago, which suggests that there were already emerging continents interacting with the atmosphere and the water cycle. It changes everything. Knowing that plate tectonics started so early is not a mere geological whim, since tectonics is the Earth’s thermostat: it regulates the carbon cycle, releases fundamental gases into the atmosphere and creates the necessary environments for the chemical breeding ground. In this way, if more than 4,000 million years ago our planet was already recycling its crust, having primitive continents and fresh water, it means that the conditions for life to emerge occurred much earlier than what science books dictated. Once again, the Earth shows us that, from its most remote beginnings, it has always been a living world. Images | Javier Miranda In Xataka | There are scientists deliberately causing earthquakes in the Alps and they have a good reason for it

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.