Mobile Tech & Gadgets

Science already knows why they generate an indestructible bond with their grandchildren.

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It is often said that some family traits skip a generation, and we have some scientific evidence that this is true. But people have four grandparents. Are there any that have some evolutionary favoritism when it comes to perpetuating their traits? The secret of longevity. Scientists have been asking for years why humans survive for a long period of time. after their reproductive agesomething that differentiates us from practically all animals, even those closest to us evolutionarily. This is especially notable since women generally live many years past menopause. We still don’t have a clear answer to this question, but the “grandmother’s hypothesis” postulates that the reason is that the presence of these relatives represented a survival advantage for the little ones. Evidence of the importance of grandmothers. Theories are of little use without evidence to support them, and one of the first was provided by Finnish researchers in a study published in the magazine Current Biology. In it they verified that the survival of children between 2 and 5 years old was positively correlated with the presence of grandmothers. The researchers found that the age and general health of the grandmothers were also associated with that of the child: the older and more frail the grandmothers, the less the benefits. The results were similar whether the grandmothers were maternal or paternal, except when they were very old or in poor health. Health status matters. This is where one of the most curious results of this study can be found: the possibility of competition. The authors postulated that grandmothers in worse condition could have a negative effect on the well-being of their grandchildren by “competing” for care, that is, since adults in good health should distribute these tasks among more people. This effect was greater in the case of paternal grandmothers, although the authors explain why. Different forms of care. The way in which ties are established can also have a lot to do with how relationships are established in families. The idea that parents take on a harsh role in the upbringing of children, while grandparents tend more towards indulgence, is widespread. A sort of familiar good cop and bad cop that makes us see people in a different way. And why science can have it too: a study, this one published in the magazine Proceedings of the Royal Society B analyzed the brain responses of grandmothers to images of two family generations and other control images. The team observed that the brain response was more pronounced with grandchildren even with the children. Environment and genetics. Not everything depends on care. Genetics matter too. One of the most obvious reasons is the possible presence of certain diseases that can manifest in the first years of life, many of which may have a genetic origin. This is where we can find a curious fact brought to light by biostatistics. Clarice R. Weinberg through an article published in the magazine American Journal of Human Genetics. In it he reported a curious anomaly with respect to what genetics predicted, and it was a greater matrilineal genetic contribution. The explanation given in the article was the transfer of phenotypes between mother and offspring during the nine months of pregnancy. Therefore, the genetic imprint of the maternal grandmothers would be greater than that left by the rest of the ancestors. Although the difference is not great, the effects can be great when it concerns diseases related to genetics, some of them serious. Matrilineal inheritance. Matrilineal genetic inheritance has greatly helped scientific development, in this case thanks to mitochondrial DNA. Mitochondrial DNA, which is transmitted solely and exclusively through the mother, has allowed us to solve the most varied mysteries, from crimes until the death of the cave bearand of course, it has helped us better understand our origins. Each family, a world. Tolstoy began his Anna Karenina by saying the famous phrase: “All happy families are similar to each other, but each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” It will surely fall short because surely every happy family is also a world. This implies that differences can be large from one family unit to another, but also between countries and regions and between periods. It is difficult to know what will the relationships be like? between alternate generations in the future, but at least we are getting a better idea of the bases of this relationship. Image | Ekaterina Shakharova In Xataka | The connection between a grandmother and her grandchildren is greater than with her children. And science has studied why

What it is, what games you have access to, and how to get more titles

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We are going to tell you everything you need to know about Amazon Luna free for Amazon Prime users. The online store has changed the strategy with its cloud gaming platform, and allows users who have a Prime subscription to access its basic version. Let’s start by briefly reminding you what it is Amazon Moonand then we will tell you which version of the platform you can access and what different versions you have. Then we will tell you how to get more games, and how to start playing and where you can do it from. What is Amazon Luna Amazon Luna is a streaming video game platform. This means that they are games that you will not play locally by installing them on your computer, but rather you will connect through the Internet to the servers of this service to play them remotely. The advantage of this service, which is a competitor to others such as NVIDIA GeForce Now either Xbox Game Pass the thing is you don’t need a powerful computer nor modern for current games, since you don’t have to install anything. When it comes to playing, the operation is as follows. The video games you play They are installed on Amazon serversand you connect to them through this platform. You will need a controller connected to the computer or device you are going to play on, in addition to having a good Internet connection. In addition, Luna has its own controller that also connects directly to the servers, although on the computer you can use a keyboard and mouse. The good thing about the controller is that when it connects to Luna and not to your device, when you press the button it goes directly to the servers of this platform without first going through the device, which makes the response time shorter. Amazon includes Luna within the services of its Prime subscription. This means that If you pay for Amazon Prime you can use Luna and many of the games included. Not all, because you will only have access to those in your basic subscription. You can play Luna on multiple devices. You can do it on any computer with a browser, on Android with its own app, iOS and iPad with a browser, Fire TV devices and some Samsung and LG televisions. The way to use Amazon Luna is simple. You simply enter the file of a game that you like in its catalog and you click on the play button to start it in the browser or device, using the controls you have linked. What games do you have access to? Amazon Luna has two versions, the standard and the premium. Your Prime subscription gives you access to the standard version, which has fewer games. The catalog is limited, although there are some big name gamesfrom popular ones like Fortnite to recent ones like Hogwarts Legacy or the latest Indiana Jones game. You also have access to the GameNight group gameswith which you can play with other people on the same television by sharing a link, and accessing titles with cooperative mode. How to get more games on Luna In addition to the games that are included in the Prime subscription, you can also pay 10 euros per month for the premium subscriptionwhich has a larger catalog of games. You will also be able to link your accounts from other services such as GOG, EA, Electronic Arts or Ubisoft. This will not allow you to play all the games purchased on them, but it will allow you to play some of them. Furthermore, there are also a game storealthough its operation is complex. In some cases you will buy them directly from Luna, but in other cases You buy them through the linked services store. For example, from Luna you can buy a compatible GOG game to play streaming. In these cases, if you buy a game from another platform through the Luna store, you will also buy it on this platform. Come on, then you can also use it independently. Finally, Amazon has long allowed you claim free gamesand this has now somehow been linked to Luna with the web luna.amazon.es/claims. In it, from time to time they offer you free paid games, both for Luna and for third-party stores. In Xataka Basics | Amazon Luna, analysis: Amazon’s cloud play is pure potential. You just need to exploit it

“Steal everything from grandmothers”

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GoogleXcoder is the alias from the 25-year-old Brazilian arrested in Cantabria a couple of weeks agoaccused of directing the largest operation of phishing banking that Spain has suffered. His group, ‘Team GXC’, cloned 35 financial institutions and emptied the accounts of thousands of clients. The Civil Guard arrested him along with six other members of the network after more than a year of monitoring. Why is it important. This case marks a turning point in Spanish cybercrime. The GXC did not only steal: according to a report by The Worldthey also rented their tools to other criminals for up to 900 euros a day. The multiplier effect turned each day into dozens of banks supplanted and millions stolen. His name on Telegram sums up the philosophy: “Steal everything from grandmothers.” The method. They combined phishing traditional with malware for Android, a double scam that nullified any security barrier: First, they captured bank details through fake websites. The malware then collected additional documents, digital signatures, and passwords. With that arsenal, they emptied accounts without leaving any apparent trace. The investigation. Group-IB, a cybersecurity firm that collaborates with Interpol, detected the threat in 2023. Anton Ushakovhis head of investigations in Europe, alerted the UCO of the Civil Guard when he confirmed that Spain was the epicenter. For months they tracked IP addresses bouncing around global servers until they located the mastermind: a digital nomad who changed provinces every few weeks. GoogleXcoder used stolen identities for its phone lines and cards. He lived with his family, constantly moving between provinces, believing himself to be invulnerable. The agents followed him while they gathered enough evidence. They hunted him in San Vicente de la Barquera, a town with less than 4,000 inhabitants, with their devices full of evidence as well as wads of cash. The UCO has published both the moment of his arrest and a recording of the tool used: The scope. The network operated from Spain but its tentacles reached Slovakia, the United Kingdom, the United States and South America. Six people directly linked fell in simultaneous operations in Valladolid, Zaragoza, Barcelona, ​​Palma, San Fernando and La Línea. The forensic analysis of their cryptocurrencies took more than a year due to the complexity of the network. The collaboration between Group-IB and the UCO sets a precedent: Until now, private cybersecurity companies mainly worked with Europol or Interpol. This time, identifying a specific threat against Spain, they shared findings directly with national forces. The result: one of the largest operations against cybercrime in our country, as recognized by the UCO itself. In Xataka | They seemed like useful tools for WhatsApp Web, but they were part of a large spam campaign Featured image | UCO

We have to start calling what is happening in Venezuela by its name. The “other” US bombers have arrived

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May America return to “walk” bombers strategic actions against Venezuela gives shape to an idea: this is no longer a tactical whim, it is a military campaign that moves on a dangerous border between ambiguity and prelude of something of greater significance. Not only that: the presence in the air, sea and territorial periphery of a country without the capacity for military parity introduces a geopolitical message directed towards third partiesand places the region before an unprecedented scenario. The visible phase. United States has done it again. Now they have been B-1 Lancer (long-range bombers, high payload and supersonic speed) from Dyess (Texas) to the outskirts of Venezuelawithout entering sovereign airspace but close enough to constitute an unequivocal signal of availability of remote fire. These flights are added to previous demonstrations with B-52 and F-35B, and are part of a expanded deployment which includes eight warships, a submarine, P-8 maritime patrol, MQ-9 Reaper and a squadron of F-35s already advanced in the theater. The novelty is not the capacity but the frequency: what used to be an annual exercise has become a sustained cadence that Pentagon officials already hint will grow, under the operational argument of surveillance and destruction of boats, but with a clear transition potential to fixed targets ashore. What the bombers reveal. Air traffic scans showed pairs of B-1 with BARB21/22 and nodal planes (KC-135 for replenishment, RC-135 ISR and a E-11A BACN) composing architecture of command, link and persistence typical of complex operations, not symbolic gestures. The immediate precedent of the B-52 in the same areadescribed by the Department of Defense itself as a “demonstration of attack”, reinforces the reading that Washington is setting up an environment from which it will be able to strike from outside the Venezuelan tactical range without the need to preposition bombers in regional bases, exploiting the strategic autonomy of the heavy wing. The E-11 BACN The bridge and options. The campaign against suspicious vessels (with at least seven confirmed attacks on speedboats and a submersible since September) complies a double function: produces immediate kinetic effects and, at the same time, normalizes the use of lethal power without explicit congressional authorization on targets politically designated as “narco-targets.” Trump openly declared that, once the maritime phase has been exhausted, the attacks could move to land against distribution or production facilities, and former USAF officers admit that the B-1 platform is ideal for that scenario. The Republican-dominated Congress has blocked attempts to limit presidential authority, and the line between war on cartels and strategic coercion of the regime has been blurred. deliberately blurred. A B-52 and two F-35Bs seen flying together during the “bomber strike demonstration mission” last week The background. Before reappearing heavy wing on the Caribbean, Washington had consumed three cycles without success: maximum sanctions, political negotiation and recognition of a parallel government. They all failed in dislodging Maduro, protected by a Cuban counterintelligence apparatus and armored by alignment with Russia, China and Iran. The turn to military coercion (destroyers with Tomahawk, embarked special forces, ISR means and precision fire) replicates a repertoire with long and bumpy genealogy in Latin America, but here with a deliberately ambiguous purpose. The Caribbean without law. The Pentagon has sunken vessels alleging narcoterrorism, with no specific congressional authority to equate cartels with al-Qaeda-type threats. Trump came to contemplate blows on the ground that would produce high-impact viral images, but without a sure path to a stable political outcome: the available force (some 10,000 troops) is not enough for a conventional invasion, and a surgical assault to capture Maduro would entail catastrophic risks if it failed. The limits and fragility. I remembered a few hours ago the financial times that the recent history of the United States in “nation-building” after the use of force is poorand in Venezuela the vacuum after a forced decapitation could be occupied by hard factions of the apparatus or consolidate Maduro himself if a failed operation gave him an alibi for deeper repression. The legitimate opposition is fragmented or in exileand institutional continuity after a crash would be uncertain. The main weight of the warning lies not so much in the probability of an immediate attack as in the fact that, by declaring the war open to “narco-terrorists” and pointing to Maduro as one of them, the administration has crossed a line from which it is difficult to retreat without showing strength. The strategy. If you want, the bomber flyover In the face of Venezuela, it functions as an element of psychological pressure, as an enabling infrastructure for a rapid kinetic leap, and as an extra-regional message to those who support the regime. Until now, the legal elasticity of this “anti-drug” framework has served to go through it lining barriers to the use of force without declared war. Now, with the appearance of heavy wingWashington points out that coercion has left the discursive plane to settle in the closest thing to a real architecture of the theater. Image | USA, USAF In Xataka | The US has several warships deployed off Venezuela. Venezuela has a Soviet missile capable of penetrating them In Xataka | Satellite images leave no doubt: there are 10,000 soldiers and unusual artillery pointing at the same place in the Caribbean

The Spainsat NG II satellite is cutting-edge technology Made in Spain

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More than one team of engineers stayed up late from Thursday to Friday to watch the launch of the Spanish Spainsat NG II satellite live. With its successful deployment, Spain is placed at the forefront of European defense from space. On board a Falcon 9. In the absence of European alternatives, the Spainsat NG II took off from Cape Canaveral, in the United States, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The launch, however, was impeccable. The rocket placed the satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit, completing a new generation constellation for the Spanish Armed Forces. The most advanced in Europe. The second launch of the Spainsat NG program, operated by Hisdesat (now part of Indra) for the Spanish Ministry of Defense, is the culmination of years of development and strategic investments to redefine Spain’s autonomy and climb positions in Europe and NATO. Composed of the twin satellites NG I (launched in January) and NG II (launched yesterday), it is designed to guarantee secure, reliable and uninterrupted communications, both for Spain and its partners. In any circumstance. The new satellites are true orbital fortresses. The Spainsat NG incorporate advanced technologies protection against interference attempts (anti-jamming) and identity theft (anti-spoofing). They are even reinforced against high altitude nuclear phenomenameeting the strictest NATO requirements. This capacity for resilience is precisely what makes Spain climb positions in the Atlantic Alliance. In a modern war scenario, the first battle would be fought in the electromagnetic spectrum, as the Ukrainian war and dependence on Starlink demonstrated. The ability of a country to maintain command and control of its operations, even under nuclear or electronic warfare attack, is a capability that very few countries possess. Made in Spain. But what really distinguishes this project is the qualitative leap for the national industry. 45% of the Spainsat NG system has been manufactured in Spain. The jewel in the crown is PACIS3, the technological heart of the satellite, which includes an active X-band antenna developed by Airbus Defense and Space in Madrid. This antenna, the most advanced in Europe, is the equivalent of 16 traditional antennas and allows the satellite adapt and change your coverage up to 1,000 times per second In practical terms, the satellite can not only resist jamming, but can geographically locate the source of the attack on Earth and nullify it. All this while redirecting its communication beams to the areas of operations that need it. For its part, Thales Alenia Space integrated the complete Communication Module of both satellites. To this end, it built a new state-of-the-art clean room at its Tres Cantos facilities. It is the largest satellite system ever assembled in Spain: a structure of more than two tons and six meters high. Image | Airbus In Xataka | Europe has done the only thing it could do to compete with SpaceX and China in space: merge its largest companies

offer “sun a la carte”

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Suppose you acquire the power to cancel the night in a specific place in the world. What would you use it for? It’s not a new idea. During World War II, Nazi scientists fantasized about launching mirrors into space. in order to “fry” enemy cities. Fortunately, they didn’t have the technology to do it. In the 1990s, Russia really tried with the Znamya projectwhose sole intention was to illuminate the dark cities of Siberia during the long winter. However, the experiment was short-lived: the first prototype disintegrated in the atmosphere and the second was never deployed. A new attempt. In the era of photovoltaic solar energy, the Californian company Reflect Orbital plans deploy a constellation of gigantic mirrors in orbit with a new purpose: to reflect sunlight towards large photovoltaic plants on Earth during twilight hours. In other words, offer “sun on demand” as a service to increase the production of renewable energy. The company, which has already raised $20 million, carried out successful tests with hot air balloons, and is ready to make the leap into space. Its director, Ben Nowack, sums it up like this: “We want to make it as easy as possible: you go to a website, tell us your GPS coordinates and we send you some sunlight after dark.” They have already applied to the FCC for a license to launch their first demonstration satellite in 2026, with an 18 x 18 meter mirror. In the long term, they propose deploying a fleet of 4,000 satellites with reflectors of up to 55 x 55 meters. “Catastrophic” for science. As energy companies know, solar panels stop producing electricity just when demand picks up. Reflecting sunlight from the sky can solve this intermittency, a seemingly laudable idea that doesn’t appeal to everyone. Astronomers, already fighting a tough battle against light pollution, have reacted vehemently. “The whole point of this project is to illuminate the sky and extend daylight, and obviously from an astronomical perspective, that’s pretty catastrophic,” explains Robert Masseyfrom the Royal Astronomical Society of the United Kingdom. Worse than Starlink? Unlike constellations like SpaceX’s Starlink, where satellite glow is an unwanted effect that the company tries to mitigate, in the case of Reflect Orbital, light pollution is the main product. The beams of light would be four times brighter than the full moon, and would not only affect the illuminated area, because atmospheric dispersion would extend the impact to hundreds of kilometers around, according to the astronomers themselves. This would not only ruin astronomical observations, but could have devastating effects on wildlife, disrupting the circadian rhythms of countless species, experts say. Too late? The Reflect Orbital project comes at the worst possible time for astronomy. The night skies have been under siege for some time. Artificial objects in orbit have already increased the brightness of the night sky by more than 10% above natural levels, exceeding the threshold at which a place is considered “light polluted”. Satellite megaconstellations led astronomers to come together and create a common front to save the dark skies. The fear is that, if projects like Reflect Orbital succeed, there will soon be no dark corners on our planet from which to observe the universe. Hence many of the most ambitious and powerful telescopes are being deployed in space. Images | Reflect Orbital In Xataka | The Nazi plan to build a huge space mirror with which to ‘fry’ enemies and the Russian project that (almost) makes it a reality

A Google Pixel at a knockdown price, another from Xiaomi much cheaper, offers on portable consoles and more, Bargain Hunting

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We return once again with a new Bargain Hunting in which we can take advantage of to get some cheaper devices. Stores have launched many discounts, so in this article we are going to review what the best deals of the week on mobile phones, computers, televisions and more. Google Pixel 9 Pro by 679.15 eurosa top quality-price mobile phone thanks to its discount with coupon. Lenovo Legion Go by 721 eurosa portable console that is at the store’s all-time low price. Poco F7 Pro by 429.99 eurosa high-end Xiaomi mobile that has dropped in price again. HP Omen 16 by 1,199 eurosa gaming laptop with a very good configuration. Samsung TQ65Q7F5AUXXC by 599 eurosa TV from the brand that comes with a 65-inch QLED screen. Google Pixel 9 Pro MediaMarkt right now has a wide range of discounts on Google devices thanks to the coupon 15MMGOOGLEwhich works on every product. But if what we are looking for is a good mobile, be very careful with the Google Pixel 9 Pro that has fallen to the 679.15 euros. This is an excellent and compact phone, which incorporates a very good screen and a very good set of cameras. Of course, in addition to the Google Pixel 9 Pro, we can also find many other Google devices discounted with the coupon. And not only mobile phones, but also smart watches or headphones. Google Pixel 9 Pro (128GB) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Lenovo Legion Go More and more we see portable consoles or consolidated laptops or PCs. This type of device has come on strong with quite powerful models, and the Lenovo Legion Go which was launched last year can now be bought cheaper. Amazon has it for 721 eurosits historical minimum price. He Lenovo Legion Go This offer includes an 8.8-inch screen, in addition to its respective AMD processor Ryzen Z1 Extreme along with 1TB of internal storage. Also comes with Windows 11 Home and with very comfortable controls. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Poco F7 Pro If you are not convinced by the price of the Google Pixel 9 Pro, Xiaomi offers an alternative in its mid-range with the new offer of the Poco F7 Pro. In the store it costs 429.99 eurosbut if we are new users we can receive a 20 euro coupon. This is a good mobile phone that incorporates a screen with 2K+ resolutionits processor is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and its battery 6,000 mAh supports 90W fast charging.- The price could vary. We earn commission from these links HP Omen 16 If what you are looking for is a good gaming laptop with a reasonable price, pay attention to the HP Omen 16 that has fallen on Amazon up to 1,199 euros. This laptop features a 16-inch screen with 2K resolution and refresh rate of up to 240 Hz, its processor is the Intel Core 7-240H, it comes with 32 GB of RAM and 1 TB of SSD and its graphics is a Nvidia RTX 5060. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Samsung TQ65Q7F5AUXXC Finally, in recent months we have also seen quite a few discounts on televisions, and MediaMarkt right now has the Samsung TQ65Q7F5AUXXC by 599 euros. It is not their best price and it has been at a similar price for a few weeks, but for this price we can have a TV with 65 inch QLED screen. Additionally, it includes both Alexa as Google Assistant and comes with Filmmaker mode. Samsung TQ65Q7F5AUXXC (QLED, 65 inches) 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 | Google, Lenovo, Xiaomi, HP, Samsung In Xataka | The best mobile phones (2025), we have tested them and here are their analyzes In Xataka | Best televisions in quality price. Which one to buy and seven recommended 4K smart TVs

AI was supposed to free us from work. At the moment the engineers who develop it work 100 hours a week

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He impact of AI on work It fills many pages. On the one hand, it is presented as a threat to many jobs. On the other hand, a much more positive vision in which AI frees us from the burden of work so we can enjoy life. For now, what we do know for sure has been true is that the engineers who work in AI companies are working endless hours. what’s happening. We already talked about what Silicon Valley was embracing the 996th journey that China had already left behind. We are talking about twelve-hour days, six days a week, that is, 72 hours a week. Several AI engineers have in the WSJ that the days reach even 80 and even 100 hours per week, even comparing the situation with war. We are talking about large companies like OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft, Anthropic or Google, all competing to be the best in the frenetic AI race. May the rhythm not stop. The innovation cycle is crazy; Almost every week new models and new tools are announced that are not made alone. In the main AI laboratories there is no rest. Josh Batson, an engineer at Anthropic, defines it in a very graphic way: “we are basically trying to compress 20 years of scientific progress into two years.” In the small startups in the valley, things don’t change much and it is becoming more and more common that people are required to work 996 in the job interviews themselves. “We do not offer conciliation,” said the CEO of one of them. The urgency of the AGI. Furthermore, there is artificial general intelligence or AGI, that superintelligence that gurus like Altman either Musk They don’t stop mentioning. Especially in the case of OpenAI, getting the AGI is already a matter of survival. It would be a perfect argument to justify the parade of stratospheric investments of the last few weeks that have fueled bubble fears. Millionaire salaries. Over the summer, Mark Zuckerberg set out on a mission: take all the AI ​​galactics to Meta. He has managed to form a team, but also that millionaire salaries raise the bar even further in the sector. Engineers are the most precious resource and must be used accordingly. The irony of the situation is that many of these engineers who are now multimillionaires practically live in the office. Waking up from sleep. Gone are the days when working at a big technology company meant having all kinds of comforts. Google, for example, was a paradise with gyms, cafes, shops… even masseuses when you needed them. The return to the offices after the pandemic was anything but paradisiacal and many of those privileges disappeared. Until when? It’s a question we ask ourselves a lot when we talk about the AI ​​career. How long will the flow of investment continue despite the fact that AI is not making money (or not enough)? And now too, until when will there be engineers willing to dedicate all their time to AI? There have been other frenetic moments in Silicon Valley, such as the app boom after the launch of the first iPhone. The difference is that this is happening in much less time. Image | Pexels In Xataka | The co-founder of OpenAI is not afraid of superintelligence: he fears that we are building “digital ghosts”

The Chinese ambition to lead each and every area of ​​the planet has found its next adversary: ​​Jaén

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In 2024, a Chinese delegation visited 154 Príncipe de Vergara Street in Madrid. A priori, one might think that it is nothing that does not occur relatively frequently in most capitals of the world. And it would be true. After all, the only strange thing about the matter is that, in that corner of the country, is the headquarters of the International Olive Council. What does China look like in the international olive oil market? It’s a surprisingly simple question. The ‘Asian giant’ is a leader in many things, but there is one in which it is nobody: oil. According to the statistics we haveChina represents only 4% of world oil imports. Despite the enormous amount of vegetable oils that Beijing devours, the olive is an inconsequential product on a social, economic and cultural level. However, none of that data interests us. The key is another: that consumption is expected to grow at 7% annually and that, in the medium term, are big words. And China knows it. That is why, while the international market continues to lurch, Beijing has already designed a plan to become a mixed player (it not only wants a role in marketing, but also a producer willing to sit at the table of the elders). This would not only give it a margin of security (and independence) in the country’s food policy, it would also allow it to reinforce its commitment to the modernization of rural China. And what are you going to do for it? Planting olive trees as if there were no tomorrow and learning from the best for it. Right now, the heart of Chinese production is around Longnanin Gansu province. In the Wudu district alone it has twice as many hectares as Almería and produced 56,900 tons of fresh olives in 2024 (about 8,200 of virgin oil). But the focus now It is located in Sichuan: It is a province with inland valleys, medium altitude and a climate that fits the Mediterranean olive tree like a glove. The province already had scattered plantations, but now it is destined to become the “new Jaén.” Oh really? Isn’t that a bit exaggerated? It is true that in Sichuan the orography is complex, that there may be more humidity than optimal and the mechanization costs will be high; however, the California experience (and its high-density models) is there. And if anyone can achieve it, it is precisely China. And it seems like he wants to. Or, at least, there are signs that he is going to keep all options open. As the Californian olive grove demonstrates, building a country brand is something that takes a long time. You can’t improvise. But it seems undeniable that they are getting the bases of it. It is not free for Chinese producers have already achieved win international awards. These are the first steps of what may be the only adversary that Spain will encounter on this path. Image | Vincent Eisfeld | Li Yang In Xataka | The very high oil prices are a symptom of something worse: a sector on the way to disaster

The connected glasses look like a lot of fun. Until they force you to wear them at work

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amazon he doesn’t trust his workers. It has never done so, and this is demonstrated by the measures that have been filtered and that served the same purpose: to monitor them and prevent productivity from dropping. Some control is reasonable, without a doubt, but this company stopped being that a long time ago and became in a nonsense. We are talking about a company that patented a wristband to find out if employees relax and they start to work a little less. Which was discovered to have automated tracking systems to evaluate productivity rates of each worker. Which used AI cameras to monitor delivery vans and drivers during 100% of the journey. that ended receiving fines due to this strenuous monitoring and had to change the algorithm that penalized productivity data for going to the bathroom. A company in which some employees they had to urinate in bottles to avoid wasting time and others said that working at Amazon was like being in a prison. Augmented reality glasses to work better… Well, now Amazon is working on augmented reality glasses that will follow the line of the Meta Ray-Ban Display. They are likely working on a version for end users, but what the company has officially confirmed is that I was developing some glasses for your messengers. After delivery, the courier will take a photo by pressing a button… which apparently is not on the glasses themselves. With them, they indicate in the press release, couriers will be able to “identify dangers, reach the customer’s door without problems and improve deliveries.” The glasses make use of AI, artificial vision, cameras and sensors to offer all their options to couriers. Thus, when a courier arrives at a delivery location, the glasses are activated and the courier has information about the package to be delivered on the display (a monochrome HUD with information in green). This same HUD allows you to follow navigation instructions similar to those of GPS navigators – but with a much more schematic design – to find the client’s home. The courier will also take a photo to confirm the delivery and can share it as a demonstration of that delivery if there are problems. …and to monitor workers more than ever The company is testing a prototype with the help of hundreds of couriers in the US, and is collecting information and feedback from those “beta testers” in order to refine the product. On paper, these glasses may seem like a useful aid for drivers, but it is inevitable to think that they also They can be used for much more exhaustive monitoring and control of those drivers and messengers. Thanks to this device, Amazon will, for example, have absolute control over the location of the couriers and their productivity when delivering packages. Are they fast or slow? Do they make mistakes? Here the border between supporting technology and that which allows for labor control is blurred. It is true that it provides advantages in terms of efficiency and even security, but the amount and precision of the data collected by glasses like this raises questions about worker privacy and, once again, the degree to which Amazon can supervise its employees. And like her, of course, many other companies that may also end up making this type of device a mandatory element for employees. In the EU, however, it seems more complicated that this type of wearables can be used: there are legal precedents that years ago already posed a clear obstacle to this type of monitoring, but it remains to be seen if these measures are finally also adopted among EU workers. In Xataka | The temperature in an Amazon warehouse was too high to work. So the company faked the thermometers

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