Mobile Tech & Gadgets

In the 15th century Mallorca was a great manufacturer of nautical charts. Now that has allowed him to get hold of a treasure

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When almost six centuries ago the cartographer Pere Rossell created a detailed nautical chart of the Mediterranean, its purpose was to help sailors negotiate the winding coasts of North Africa and the Tyrrhenian, Ionian and Black Seas, a vast expanse of water crisscrossed with trade routes. What Rossell probably did not imagine is that in 2025 that Portulan letter full of annotations, lines and the occasional illustration would end up becoming a treasure in itself. One for which the Consell de Mallorca has paid 700,000 euros. The goal: bring him back home. A map, a treasure. That there are maps (and codices) that are worth more than many treasures is nothing new. He reminded us a few years ago an atlas supposedly consulted by Christopher Columbus on his first trip to America that ended up sold for several million euros. And we has remembered again now the Consell de Mallorca, although with a much more modest outlay. The island government has just paid 700,000 euros by a nautical chart prepared in the mid-15th century by one of the most important (and prolific) cartographers on the island at that time: Pere Rossellpart of the Mallorcan cartographic schoolwhich in turn connects with one of the eras of greatest splendor of the region in the preparation of nautical charts. From the workshops of Mallorca came plans so precious that they were in demand from Flanders to Alexandria. The Mediterranean on paper. The Majorcan press assures that the objective of the Consell is to expose the document in the Mallorca Museumbut the truth is that you don’t have to wait that long to enjoy its details, colors and annotations. At least if we don’t mind doing it through a screen. Sotheby’s, the firm in charge of the auction, includes a description and a detailed gallery of images on your websitewhich recalls that the plan was drawn up at the end of the 1440s, is written in Latin and Catalan and shows the Mediterranean and Black Seas in great detail. In the work Rossell reviewed dozens and dozens of place names and multiple navigation routes. As a cherry on top, it included shields, flags and details of nine cities with their fortifications. “Part of our identity”. Sotheby’s also stated that the plan has been valued by between 700,000 and one million of pounds. Mallorca Diary precise that the starting price was 600,000, around 687,000 euros, the amount that the island Government has decided to disburse through a direct purchase. The effort is more than justified for the Consell. Its head of Culture, Antònia Roca, celebrated a few days ago that portulano returns to Mallorca after spending several centuries outside the land where it was made, around the year 1447. “We acquired one of the most important jewels of maritime navigation and our historical heritage and we want to share it with the citizens.” A jewel that comes home. Roca is not the only one who thinks this way. A few weeks ago, prestigious historians such as María Barceló, emeritus professor of Medieval History, they claimed to local institutions to take advantage of the Sotheby’s auction to enrich the island’s heritage with a unique piece. Among other reasons, they alleged that no Majorcan public institution has one of the 15th century letters that came from the island’s School of Cartography. “They are the first who should act, they have the moral obligation to acquire it. We must recover the cultural heritage of this land dispersed throughout the world,” the expert insisted. Days later the Consell seemed to take note. Is it so valuable? Beyond its heritage value, Sotheby’s highlights the peculiarity of the nautical chart within Rossell’s legacy: the work that the Consell has just acquired is “the oldest of the ten navigation maps signed by Rossell”, one of the great exponents of the Mallorcan school. The plan was probably drawn up as a commission from the powerful Florentine Martelli family, in whose archive it was preserved for more than five centuries, until almost the 1970s, when it appears in the book dealer’s catalogue. Kenneth Nebenzahl. In the 80s it passed into the hands of the Pritzker couple and now (after a stop at the Sotheby’s auction house) it returns to Mallorca. Works of art…practical. Pere Rossell’s nautical chart is relevant for another reason. In his day there were ordinary plans in which practical criteria predominated and were basically designed for use on board ships, so they were sparse in decorations and ornaments. Then there were luxury portulans, meticulously decorated objects that usually ended up in palaces. As explains Ramón J. Pujadeshead of research at the Barcelona History Museum, The Worldthe work acquired by the Consell is halfway between both categories. They are premium nautical charts, designed for navigation but that do not give up aesthetics or becoming a status symbol. Images | Shoteby’s and Wikipedia In Xataka | Someone has created abstract works of art with one of the most unique forms of engineering: highway “knots”

Christmas has become the big business of happiness, and that turns sadness into something revolutionary

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“The second most important fact about Christmas is that it is one of the times of year when the suicide rate increases.” This is how a text by Alasdair MacIntyre, one of the most important moral philosophers of the 20th century, begins. circulates on the internet every Christmas. We know that the data is not true (no more people commit suicide at this time) and, in fact, we are not even sure that this text was written by MacIntyre (although the reference also appears in his main work): However, it is something that keeps repeating itself over and over again. It will be because, despite the lights and the fanfare, there are many people who approach the ‘happy holidays’ as something deeply sad. The great Christmas dissonance. There are many ways to view Christmas, but in almost all of them there is something of a great social celebration of happiness. It is the time of sharing, of meeting loved ones, of reconciliation, of taking advantage of the time as if another spring were not going to come after the barren winter. But what if we don’t want/need/can feel that way? That is, what if in the middle of that chorus of messages, posters and songs that tell us that we should be fine, what we feel is that, simply, “we are not”? Usually, when the implicit norm is “feeling grateful, generous and happy”, anything that goes beyond that is perceived with a mixture of shame and self-criticism; puts on a “good face” (emotional performance) and fatigue, irritability and you end up burning. And everything we lack. “Christmas is also a recounting”, said the writer Gonzalo Torné. “It is the day that as children they taught us what our family landscape was, the people who were interested in us and whom we could count on. And the day that, absence after absence, we confirmed the fragility of what as children we learned as something stable.” The duels. It is a quite precise text: during this type of festival, all the duels that we carry behind us are also activated. It’s not just about “nostalgia”, it’s about everything a ritual of remembering absences on which we have built our lives. Just as the idea that MacIntyre mentioned at the beginning does not fit the data, the truth is that, among the population treated in psychiatric emergencies at Christmas, the “stressors that are repeated the most“are loneliness and being-without-family. A “pressure cooker.” Because, let’s face it, last year up to 20% of Spaniards They experienced political fights at some family dinner. Six out of ten, in fact, avoid talking about controversial topics not to argue: the great “polarization” is converting all in one problem (that adds to material stress and unequal loads). Many reasons, only one why. MacIntyre said that much of this is because “we have lost any ability to understand our lives as something that embodies a narrative structure—not to mention narratives in which there is hope for a happy ending.” No need to go that far. Everything seems to indicate that it is something simpler: Christmas runs the risk of becoming something sad when it becomes an emotional obligation. That is the great design problem of these parties, which, being made to “feel accompanied”, by contrast, make losses, inequalities and fractures visible. We need to reclaim sadness… also at Christmas. In recent years, and with increasing force, positive thinking has become fashionable. Ideas like “You have to be optimistic”, “Don’t give up” or “Always positive, never negative” have become true mantras of our time. But as he says the teacher Jose César Peralesfrom the University of Granada, positive thinking has serious problems that we overlook due to its friendly and adorable appearance. Our culture, increasingly full of characters, is gradually distancing us from a simple truth: that “we suffer, hate or are envious because they are the way we live reality. Denying it, embracing an irrational and meaningless positivism, is the contemporary way of denying ourselves.” Isn’t Christmas a good time to accept ourselves? Image | Bryan Heng In Xataka | Toledo promised them happy holidays with its 49-day mega Christmas. Until the neighbors said ‘not so fast’

Five board games that you can’t miss to have fun this New Year’s Eve with friends and family

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Christmas is a time when we tend to get together much more with friends and family, and not only on the two specific dates such as Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. If you want to have a fun time on Christmas evenings (especially this New Year’s Eve), count on a good assortment of board games will make a difference. We present five totally essential options that you cannot miss at home. Exploding Kittens In the corner intended for board games at home, one of the ones that cannot be missing is Exploding Kittens. This has managed to achieve the achievement of being the most supported game (in all history) in Kickstarter. One of the main reasons for the success of this game is that it allows you to play quick games of about 15 minutes and from 2 to 5 players. The objective is simple: build your own deck of cards while avoiding the explosion of any of the protagonist kitties. Asmodee Exploding Kittens, Game for children and adults from 7 years old The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Throw Throw Burrito Another game that has already had some success at gatherings with friends and family is Throw Throw Burrito. It is for ages 7 and up and the games (like the previous one) are quick (about 15 minutes) and between 2 to 4 players. It’s a board game very simple to play: you will get points with the cards you win, but you will lose them if you get hit by the soft burritos, which are the protagonists of the game. This game is created by the same authors as Exploding Kittens. Exploding Kittens Throw Throw Burrito The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Catan One of the essential board games if you like classic strategy games is Catan. It is designed for three or four players and the games last between 45 minutes and an hour. This is a game for bring out your negotiating streak. From Catan, it can be noted that you will never play two identical games. Likewise, you can buy separately a good number of expansionswith which to give greater depth to the game and have new gameplay options. Devir – Catan, Board Game The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza On any Christmas evening with children, I personally recommend Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza; a very simple gamebut with which fun and laughter are more than guaranteed. Created by Lupilo, it is perfect for players from 8 years old and the games can be played up to a maximum of eight players. The mechanics are simple and when the card matches the word it says, the last one to put their hand on the central amount wins the pile. The games are also quick, about 10 minutes. Ludilo – Taco Gato Goat Cheese Pizza | Board Games The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Trivial Pursuit The last of the board games that we believe are essential in any home is Trivial Pursuit in your classic version. Above all, it is a perfect option to have fun while learning about different categories. Of course, you should know that it is a game suitable for those over 16 years of age, although there are also editions for children and with specific themes, such as harry potterFor example. The objective of the game is simple: go around the board and answer the questions correctly. six categories (entertainment, geography, science and nature, sports, art and literature, history and hobbies) and get a cheese of each color or category to be declared the winner. Hasbro Gaming Trivial Pursuit (in Spanish) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Exploding Kittens, Hasbro, In Xataka | The 41 Best Board Games: From ‘Catan’ to ‘Gloomhaven’ In Xataka | These are the board games that are never missing in my suitcase when I go on vacation with my partner

NASA captures the unusual trail of the “twin” tornadoes in Mississippi from space

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If we look at the Mississippi from 700 kilometers above sea level, the landscape we usually see is a green carpet of forests and agricultural fields. However, last March this carpet was ‘torn’, as NASA could see through the Landsat 8 satellite. The images obtained revealed something extremely strange: “scars”, which are nothing more than traces of total destruction that reveal the trajectory of one of the most violent tornado outbreaks in the last decade. The surprising thing. It is not the magnitude of the damage that the passage of these could have generated. tornadoes down the Mississippi, but the geometry it has. And in Walthall County, satellites have immortalized an extremely rare phenomenon: two perfectly parallel scars. Something that represents a “mute” testimony of two tornadoes that advanced hand in hand, wreaking chaos. Paths of destruction. The tornado outbreak in question occurred between March 14 and 16, 2025, and the truth is that it will be remembered for how aggressive it was. Specifically, data from NASA’s Earth Observatory and the National Weather Service (NWS) suggest that they were developed a total of 113 tornadoes in just three days, which affected 14 states. But it was precisely in Mississippi where the atmosphere decided to leave a unique visual signature. Landsat images show these two almost parallel tracks, like train tracks, near Tylertown. Your description. The first of these traces indicates that it arose due to the tornado EF4which had a journey of 90 km with estimated winds of 274 km/h. The second trace, which is shorter, but just as destructive, has a distance of 15 km, and was generated by a different tornado that followed an almost identical path. This phenomenon of “twin tornadoes” leaving parallel trails is a statistical rarity that allows meteorologists to study how supercells interact with each other under conditions of extreme instability. An ‘X’ of disaster. Not only were these parallel trails recorded in Mississippi, but in Covington County researchers they found also another quite unusual pattern: two scars that intersect almost at right angles forming a large ‘X’ over a wooded area. As if a great pirate treasure could be found underneath. And it was not a sensor error, since according to the data, two different tornadoes crossed their paths in an interval of just 40 minutes. For families in the area, it was a statistical nightmare: being hit by a natural disaster and, before an hour had passed, watching another large funnel pass through the rubble of what the first one had just destroyed. A violent 2025. This year’s March has certainly shattered weather records with a total of 299 tornadoes in a single month, and experts point to ‘The Girl‘ as responsible for all this. This climate phenomenon has altered the Pacific jet stream over North America, creating a perfect breeding ground for supercells! By moving the humidity of the Gulf of Mexico to the north and encountering very persistent cold air, everything necessary was in place to have a true meteorological war. And it is no wonder, since at least 1,000 homes were damaged by this phenomenon. Its usefulness. Beyond the photography of scars, science seeks to anticipate the disaster. Researchers at NASA Langley Research Center They are using these satellite images and data on cloud patterns to refine prediction models that allow the population to be warned with a little margin (but not much). The objective right now is to gain 10 minutes’ notice of tornado warnings so that the population can be protected. And it is no wonder, since a scenario where an EF4 can erase a neighborhood in seconds, having 600 extra seconds is the difference between life and death for those who find themselves in the path of this scar. Images | POT In Xataka | What is a tornado and how it forms: the perfect recipe for the most destructive phenomenon on the planet

disconnect from the Internet with a digital iron curtain

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Imagine a world without Internet It’s not that strange. In October, an AWS outage left the Internet shivering. In December, with Cloudflare sneezehalf the Internet collapsed. These are just two examples that show that, At any tremor, the network wobbles. And they are specific cuts, but imagine that there are 655 cases in a month. Or until 2,099. If they are very specific figures, it is because that is what is happening in Russia. And not because of an error or a server crash. But because Russia is experimenting to completely disconnect from the global Internet. RuNet. We told it a few years ago. The Russian Ministry of Statistics noted that the Government had instructed all state sites and services to change their domain names. From a global one to a Russian one. It coincided with Ukraine asking that Russia was disconnected from the network, and that was it: mere coincidence. According to the rulers, disconnect of the Internet responds to a strategy of defense against cyber attacks (Russia is a power in this sense). According to others, it has more to do with implementing a filtering system similar to the one China operates with its ‘Great Firewall‘. The truth is that we knew this as ‘RuNet’and the strategy that began step by step in 2019 is now colossal. The new normal. Throughout these years, Russia has been testing disconnection tests. 2025 has been a critical year in this sense, one in which administrations have repeatedly pulled the cable to test the system. They have even been given massive blackouts in regions such as Dagestan, Chechnya and Ingushetia to test the stability of RuNet. In 2024 They tested in several regionsbut this year has been a ‘massacre’. In May of this year, on the eve of Victory Day40 regions were left without mobile communications. There were 69 “blackouts” of the network, but in June there were 655 and in July the figure increase to 2,099. It is estimated that it exceeds the number of outages in the entire world for a full year. Data packet loss reported on Cloudflare when Russia has pulled the cord Roskomnadzor. That’s a key name in this story. To ensure control over Internet access and consolidate it within the legal framework, the Russian government expanded the powers to Roskomnadzorthe state regulator. The entity has the ability to isolate and redirect traffic within Russia in the face of “specific threats” such as cyber attacks, critical infrastructure failures or loss of access to both domestic and foreign networks. They have the authority to issue binding orders to teleoperators, allowing them to disconnect Russia from the global Internet in an emergency, and in fact, in recent years the authorities consolidated more than half of Russian IP addresses in the hands of seven service providers who are clearly linked to the state. In the evidence This year, which has left regions without mobile Internet for up to two months, the narrative is defense. If the ukrainian war is that the rules have changed, but in 2025 in particular, lDrones and cyber attacks They have created a totally new battlefield. That is what they hide behind for some of these patterns of cuts, but the problem is that they are occurring in remote regions, such as Omsk, 2,500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Lock. During these outages, users are not completely disconnected, but rather have limited access to websites that are on a government-approved whitelist. Anyone who is not there is blocked or penalized. YouTube is an exampleexperiencing a significant reduction in speed since summer of last year. Any service that uses Google caching is also being throttled. AND cloudflare It is also being penalized by Internet providers. From Cloudflare itself they affirmed this summer that only Russian users are allowed to upload the first 16 KB of any website. It is a limitation that affects 20% of the entire Internet and 16 KB is not even enough to upload a sad image. WhatsApp, Google Meet, FaceTime or Telegram also have been penalizedto the point that in October there were users who they complained because they did not receive confirmation SMS from those apps to create a new account. 2026 doesn’t look better. The Government has a solution: Max, a super app similar to China’s WeChat with messaging, calls, video, file sharing and banking operations option. With everything that this implies. And, if throughout 2025 new laws and articles have come into force to give more power to Roskomnadzor, on March 1, 2026, Decree No. 1667 will come into force, which will establish new rules for centralized network management, giving more power to the regulator and which will be in force until 2033. The decree will potentially give Roskomnadzor the ability to pull the cable permanently. For now, what has been experienced in recent years responds to different tests, but it is evident that Russia is preparing for this total disconnection and the creation of an Intranet. Much more controlled and to where VPNs to see what happens abroad are criminalized. In Xataka | The color of your Ethernet cable is not for decoration: it is a key visual language

Investors are beginning to bet more and more on Chinese firms

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Things would have to be twisted a lot for The United States does not end up winning the AI ​​race. Has the most capable models and the most powerful chipsand has also prevented China, its biggest rival, from having access to its technologies. So how is it possible that more and more investors are putting their money in Chinese companies? what’s happening. They count in Reuters that many international investors are beginning to diversify their bets in artificial intelligence companies towards Chinese companies. Shares of Chinese companies listed abroad such as Alibaba, Tencent either Baidu have grown significantly in recent months. It’s not that investors have stopped believing in big tech Americans, they are covering their backs. Why is it important. He fear of the AI ​​bubble has been taken seriously by many investors and firms are recommending reducing exposure to a possible blowout. Furthermore, China’s efforts to create your own chips and be self-sufficient have caused a change in perception: one in which China is closing the technological distance with the US. This is what the British financial company Ruffer says: “the gap may not be as wide or as deep as many think. The competitive landscape is changing.” A smaller, but safer bet. The Swiss firm UBS Global Wealth Management recently published a report titled “look for opportunities in China” in which they highlight that “China’s domestic technological innovation is accelerating.” AI in China receives more political supportis cheaper and they are managing to monetize it much faster than the American one. Perhaps it is not presented as such a lucrative bet, but it is more reliable. National chips. The US blockade left China unable to use its chips for AI and Beijing’s response was to make it technological self-sufficiency was a national priority. The push to manufacture our own chips is bearing fruit and recently two companies dedicated to the task have had a spectacular debut on the stock market. One of them was Moore Threads, known as Chinese NVIDIA, which had a growth of 500%. Shortly after I followed in his footsteps MetaX and increased its shares by 688%. They are not the only companies looking for the holy grail of chips, there is also Cambricon, Biren Technology and of course Huawei and SMIC, which are also squeezing all the possibilities to get the best chips with the technology they have. At the moment China is still behind when it comes to technology, but the prudent bet for an investor in the face of uncertainty is to diversify. Image | Karola G, Pexels In Xataka | Thousands of trucks saturate the Vietnam border: it is the back door through which China avoids US tariffs

What comes after the coldest Christmas in 15 years?

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If this was ever normal, the truth is that, today, December 25, 2025, it has been something completely exceptional: we not only talk the coldest day of 2025we’re talking about the coldest Christmas in more than 15 years; We are talking about snow levels at 500 meters and thermometers at -6ºC in half of Spain. Although the warnings have been limitedare big words. What has really happened? Something very simple, really: a combination of polar air and precipitation in the east. It is the result of atmospheric blocking to the north with the consequent diversion of cold air masses towards our latitudes (and the successive arrivals of storms from the west also linked to that blockage). Be that as it may, the result is the same: a few icy days, with frost in the interior and in the mountains, snow at low levels and problems on around thirty roads. And, of course, as usually happens, while we focus on the ‘snow’, the real risk is on the ice. The sum of night frosts and humidity generates invisible plaques on secondary roads and mountain passes. That in a period of very high mobility (like Christmas) is a ticking time bomb. The underlying question, however, is another.. We already know that a day at -6 degrees is not enough for us to talk about a cold wave. And yet, the social sensation is clear: in a climate framework that tends to make this increasingly rare, a cold episode of this type is beginning to be very striking. But what will come next? The answer, depending on available modelsis that the cold “loses its bite”; but the minimum temperatures will remain low so the risk of frost will not decrease. For its part, during the weekend, instability will last a little longer in the Mediterranean and the Andalusian Atlantic coast. Then New Year’s Eve will comeanother of those “big days” in mobility. There we also expect colder than normal in almost all of Spain (except in the Canary Islands). However, no heavy rain is expected. January is still too far away to know what will happen for sure. Something we are not used to. We must not forget that Christmas 2023 It was very mild; we spent 2022 almost in short sleeve with “values ​​within the 95% percentile: that is, temperatures could occur in the range of the 5% of highest temperatures recorded for the date.” And what 2021 was closed with temperatures up to 25 degrees in places like Bilbao airport. The normal thing, lately, is an increasingly warm December in a context of increasingly warmer years. So we better enjoy it, it doesn’t seem like this cold is going to be common in the coming years. Image | ECMWF In Xataka | La Niña is going to be meteorologically “less intense” than we expected. And that actually hides a problem.

If you thought that getting the DGT V-16 beacon right couldn’t be more complicated, the beacons with an expiration date have arrived.

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Buying an approved and fully valid connected V-16 beacon is relatively simple. Or, at least, it should be. Because to the list of products and companies that market a completely valid product are added the beacons that can continue to be sold… but that will no longer be able to be sold. Yes, the DGT has opened a new list… and now everything is more confusing. The approved V-16 beacons. So that a V-16 beacon is valid by the DGT and is completely approved, the product must meet a series of requirements. Among the most important are the following: Connectivity with DGT 3.0 for at least 12 years Radiate light 360 degrees Maintain irradiation intensity for at least 30 minutes Protection degree IP54 at least Guaranteed operation between -10ºC and 50ºC How do I check it? It must be taken into account that non-approved beacons are being sold on the market despite being completely legal… more or less. And when the arrival of the beacons was approved in 2021, we didn’t know anything about the DGT 3.0 platform. In 2023 it was confirmed that its connectivity with the platform would be mandatory but, by then, beacons without connectivity had already been sold. Right now, they are still on the market selling. These beacons are not valid. We can use them but the DGT will force us to have one approved. From FACUA they point out that there are beacons that are being sold with the DGT badge but that are not approved because they do not have connectivity. Despite everything, they are still on the market. In this situation, the only thing we can do is check if the purchased product is in this list offered by the DGT. It includes each and every one of the products that can be purchased that meets the minimum requirements. The new list of the DGT. Click on the image to go to the official website. Brands and models with certificates with expired validity. Everything seemed, therefore, hands or less clear when it came to purchasing a connected V-16 beacon of those that will be mandatory from January 1, 2026. Until the DGT has added a new list with the name indicated at the beginning of this paragraph: Brands and models with certificates with expired validity. In the description of the DGT to explain what these models are, why they are on this list and what it means, Traffic points out the following: This table shows the brands and models with expired certificates that covered their manufacture and are valid for use by drivers who have purchased them until the end of their useful life. At the time of writing these lines there are three products from the Ledel Solutions CO brand. LTD and another from Ditraimon SL All of them have an end of validity date of 2025. What does this mean? To try to clarify the matter, we have contacted the DGT who have told us the following: “They are beacons that met the requirements in the first approval, but when they went to renew the certificate and had to pass the tests again, they did not meet the required quality criteria” That is, we are talking about companies that have put a valid product on the market. That product, over time, has to pass quality tests again to certify that it continues to meet the minimum required criteria. It was in this second test that they failed and, therefore, lost the certificate that allows them to sell connected V-16 beacons unless they again present a pilot product that guarantees its validity. What if I have one of these beacons? The DGT has confirmed to us that there is no problem. From Traffic they point out that if we have bought or, right now, we buy any of these connected V-16 beacons that are on the market There is no problem because the production runs that have been made until the certificates were withdrawn are completely valid. In theory, we have a guaranteed 12 years of connected V-16 beacon from the moment of purchase, as required by the technical requirements to approve this product. More confusion and more questions. Of course, what is certain is that this new DGT list adds even more confusion to the consumer. And based on the description and the responses from Traffic, it is understandable that a customer may doubt whether their connected V-16 beacon is now valid or not. According to the DGT, we repeat, yes it is. Other questions also arise. If the companies and products that appear in this list as of December 26, 2025 were lost between the months of April and September, why has it not been published until now that they have lost the certificate? In theory and with the answers that Traffic has given us, the companies Ledel Solutions and Ditraimon have not been able to put on the market a new productive run of connected V-16 beacons once the date on which the certificate renewal has been denied has passed, but there is no problem in purchasing one of these products after this date if they were already on the market. Theoretically, they are guaranteed to operate for the required minimum 12 years. Photo | Netun Solutions and DGT In Xataka | Counterfeit V16 beacons: what you should look for to differentiate them from the approved ones

features, price and technical sheet

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In the world of photographic smartphones there is a model every year that we wait with great expectation. That model just arrived: the Xiaomi 17 Ultra has been presented in China, and once again we are faced with a true photographic beast. The manufacturer has once again given a twist to this flagship, and there are new features such as the 200 MP telephoto sensor, the 6,800 mAh battery and, attention, a unique mechanical zoom ring in the Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica edition. Xiaomi 17 Ultra technical sheet Xiaomi 17 Ultra Dimensions and weight 162.9 x 77.6 x 8.29mm 223.4g Screen 6.9″ Variable refresh rate from 1 to 120 Hz Resolution 2608 × 1200 pixels 420 dpi 3,500 nits peak brightness Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Adreno 840 GPU Memory 12/16GB LPDDR5X Storage 512GB / 1TB UFS 4.1 battery 6,800 mAh 90W fast charging Wireless charging 80W 22.5W reverse wired charging 20W reverse wireless charging rear cameras 50 MP main, f/1.63, Light Fusion 1050Ls, OIS, LOFIC ultra-dynamic range tech Ultra wide angle 50 MP, f/2.2, 115º Telephoto lens 200 MP 75 mm – 400 mm, f/2.6 3D ToF sensor front camera 50MP f/2.0 operating system Xiaomi HyperOS 3 based on Android 16 Sound Dual Dolby Atmos speakers Connectivity Dual nano SIM 5G SA/NSA Wi-Fi 7 Dual band GPS L1+L5 Bluetooth 5.4 NFC USB-C 3.2 OTHERS IP69 price From 6,999 yuan (approx. 850 euros) Armed to the teeth It is interesting to start by remembering that with this model Xiaomi has skipped a version number: We expected the Xiaomi 16 Ultra, but Xiaomi has dispensed with the number 16 to maintain its generational parity and above all to compete with the iPhone 17 and not seem like they are a year behind. Beyond that curiosity, the new Xiaomi 17 Ultra is different from the beginning because it grows on the screen. We now have a diagonal of 6.9 inches compared to the 6.73″ of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. We are looking at an LTPO AMOLED panel with up to 120 Hz screen refresh rate, in addition to a resolution of 2,608 x 1,200 pixels and up to 3,500 nits of brightness. On that front we find the front camera, which controls a 50 Mpixel sensor. The ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is under the screen, and the bezels are symmetrical and really thin, allowing the screen ratio to be enormous. The internal specifications of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra are led by its SoC, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. It is accompanied by 16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 1 TB of storage with UFS 4.1 format. The operating system is HyperOS 3.0, based on Android 16. One of the most striking sections of this new version is its battery, which now reaches 6,800 mAh (5,410 mAh on the 15 Ultra). The jump is striking, although it remains to be seen if that same capacity will end up reaching international markets. The phone supports 90W fast charging (wired) and 50W wireless charging, as well as reverse charging up to 22.5W. There are other interesting details such as its infrared sensor, dual SIM support, Hi-Res audio with stereo speakers, an array of four microphones, and IP69 resistance rating. Connectivity is more than served with Wi-Fi 7 support, Bluetooth 6.0, NFC and even satellite communication, another option that we will see reach other countries. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is available in black, purple, green and white. By its cameras (and its mechanical ring) you will know it The Xiaomi 17 Ultra arrives with a triple camera configuration in which we first have a 50-megapixel, one-inch Light Fusion 1050L main sensor. This sensor also has technology LOFIC, which comes to revolutionize the dynamic range. He is accompanied by a Samsung HPE 1/1.4″ 200MP telephoto sensor which stands out for its continuous optical zoom. The third sensor is the 50 MP ultra wide angle sensor with autofocus. What is especially notable is the Leica edition of the mobile, which shares all the specifications of the “standard” model but adds some special elements. Above all, one: in the Xiaomi 17 Ultra we have a mechanical zoom ring which will allow us to control this section by turning that ring to one side or the other. It is a striking way to offer that continuous zoom option, but with it we can also adjust other aspects such as exposure or white balance. That special model also has a special Leica Moment with a 3:2 aspect ratio. There is also a special security and encryption chip and dual satellite communication. The design of the rear case is also slightly different and adopts a subtle dual tone in the models available in black and white. Price and versions of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra The new Xiaomi 17 Ultra has been presented in China and will go on sale there from December 27. The prices are as follows: Xiaomi 17 Ultra (12GB/512GB): 6,999 yuan (about 850 euros) Xiaomi 17 Ultra (16GB / 512GB): 7,499 yuan (about 910 euros) Xiaomi 17 Ultra (16GB / 1TB): 8,499 yuan (about 1,030 euros) Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition (16 GB / 512 GB): 7,999 yuan (about 970 euros) Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition (16 GB / 1 TB): 8,999 yuan (about 1,090 euros) More information | Xiaomi

A Xiaomi tablet for less than 95 euros, top price for the MacBook Air M4 and more in the last Bargain Hunting of the year

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The time has come to say it: we are facing the latest Bargain Hunting of 2025. Week by week we have been bringing you the best offers of the week every Friday, something that we were not going to stop doing now because we are immersed in the middle of Christmas. As usual, we are going to review the most outstanding offers on mobile phones, tablets and more that, obviously, are still available. PlayStation Portal by 168.08 euros with the MES15 coupon, the best accessory for PS5 now that allows you to play in the cloud. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra by 989 eurosthe winner of the award for the best super high-end mobile of this 2025. MacBook Air M4 by 899 eurosa great laptop that returns to one of its lowest prices. Xiaomi Pad Pro Tablet by 94.05 eurosone of the best tablets we can buy quality-price. iPhone 16e by 549 eurosa very attractive option if we want an Apple mobile but have a tight budget. Make your loved ones happy with the best purchases on these dates and don’t skimp on security when browsing with NordVPN. Only in Xataka, enjoy an extra 40% discount in its Christmas campaign, only accessible through this special link. Advice offered by the brand PlayStation Portal We start this selection of offers with the PlayStation Portalan accessory that arrived in stores to be able to play our PS5 remotely, but that, thanks to a recent updatenow allows you to play in the cloud without needing a console (if we have an active subscription to PlayStation Plus Premium). It offers an 8-inch LCD screen and a control that brings DualSense functions, such as haptic vibration or adaptive triggers. We get it on AliExpress for 168.08 euros with the coupon MES15. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra A few weeks ago, the Galaxy S25 Ultra rose like the best super high-end mobile of this yearwhich already tells us how good a phone it is. It is a device that has great performance thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Elite, which uses a 6.9-inch screen with the best anti-reflective treatment there is and has an all-terrain camera system that offers great results. Plus, it’s loaded with AI and has seven years of guaranteed updates. Costs 989 euros in its 512 GB version. Galaxy S25 Ultra (512GB) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links MacBook Air M4 Just before the year ends, the MacBook Air M4 at its lowest price in several stores. It is not Apple’s most powerful laptop, but it is one that offers great performance and is perfect for working or studying. Furthermore, thanks to the performance offered by the M4 chip and its 16 GB of RAM, it will be a computer that will be with us for many years. We have it available for 899 euros. Apple 2025 13-Inch MacBook Air with M4 Chip: Designed for Apple Intelligence, 13.6-Inch Liquid Retina Display, 16 GB Unified Memory, 256 GB SSD, Spanish Keyboard; Midnight The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Xiaomi Pad Pro Tablet Is it possible to have a good tablet for less than 100 euros? The reality is that yes, especially if we take advantage of this MediaMarkt offer to the Xiaomi Pad Pro. It is a device that, quality-price ratio, is very interesting for studying or watching movies comfortably without depending on a TV. It stands out for its 12.1-inch LCD screen compatible with Dolby Vision and a 10,000 mAh battery that will give us enough autonomy for day-to-day life. When you put it in the cart, its price automatically stays at 94.05 euros. Xiaomi Pad Pro (6+128GB) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links iPhone 16e We close this selection of offers with another mobile phone, specifically the iPhone 16e. This device is a very interesting option if you are looking for an Apple mobile, but you do not want to spend what the new iPhone 17 costs. It is a compact phone with a 6.1-inch OLED screen and good performance thanks to the Apple A18 that it has. In addition, it has a very good autonomy and, like all Apple phones, it is more than likely that it will last us for many years. We have it available for 549 euros. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | PlayStation, Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi In Xataka | The best mobile phones (2025), we have tested them and here are their analyzes In Xataka | Best wireless headphones. Which one to buy and 21 models from 15 euros to 470 euros

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