Mobile Tech & Gadgets

There is a Granada cooperative demonstrating that the opposite model to Mercadona also works: Covir will

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The large supermarket chains have market share and penetration – or in An extraordinarily high profit margin for your sector-, but there are alternative models that without appearing at the top of those rankings, they are also successful in their own parameters. Covirán is a good case study: it is sustaining in Spain and Portugal, building an empire of proximity. Why is it important. Covirán represents the alternative approach to the dominant distribution model. Your growth strategy (rural, cooperative) goes against nature of a sector used to consolidation. This Granadina cooperative closed 2024 with revenues of 1,846 million euros (everything that is sold in all stores operating under its teaching), and with 617 million business figure of the gripo (which really invoices as a company). The negative reading is that it was just 0.13% more than in 2023. The positive reading is that the flat figure tells another story: it is changing its business model while conquering more territories. Its benefit was 2.34 million euros over 617 million. 0.38% that sounds low because it is, but that allows you to get benefit, unlike older groups such as

There are those who ask why airplanes have no parachute. This manufacturer decided to stop asking him and putting one

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It is one of those questions that seem taken from an impromptu talk between friends: “And why don’t they put A giant parachute In the airplanes in case something happens? The company that achieved it is called Cirrus Aircraft, and for decades it has designed light airplanes for general aviation. His proposal was as simple as revolutionary: incorporating a ballistic parachute directly into the fuselage, as part of the plane design. Not as an accessory, not as optional. Serial. The system is called Caps, acronym for Cirrus Airframe Parachute Systemand it is present so much In the SR series as in the vision jetan airplane with a turbophah engine for five passengers, plus the pilot. A parachute that is not an accessory, is part of the plane CAPS operation It is as direct as its objective: saving lives when everything else fails. In the upper part of the fuselage, just behind the cabin, a capsule sealed with a large parachute is hidden. If a serious emergency occurs, the pilot only has to pull a t -shaped leverlocated on the roof of the cabin. In a matter of seconds, a small rocket purses the parachute up and it unfolds, braking the fall of the plane until it touches earth. Of course, there are conditions. The system should not be activated below 600 feet of altitude (about 180 meters above the ground), and its effectiveness is much greater if it unfolds between 600 and 2,000 feet. Above that altitude, the pilot has more margin to evaluate and make decisions, but it is still a valid option if the situation demands it. The history of the CAPS was not built from one day to another. In the mid -1990s, the Cirrus engineering team, led by Paul Johnston began to work on an idea that, at that time, seemed crazy: adapt a system of Complete parachute to a light plane. They were inspired by a previous prototype developed by BRS (Ballistic Recovery Systems)a company specialized in ballistic parachutes, which had already tried similar solutions for aircraft such as Cessna 150. A cirrus sr20 displays a parachute in a test In 1998, Cirrus performed his first real testin the southern desert of California. The person in charge of activating the system was a military pilot. That test was key: it showed that the concept worked. From there, Cirrus integrated it as a central part of the design of his first major production model, SR20. Not as an addition, but as a structural element designed from the beginning. Since its certification, the CAPS system has activated more than a hundred times in emergency situations. According to cup datauntil June 2025 they had Registered 136 deployments. Among them there are stories of people who survived motor failures, control losses or extreme weather conditions. Graphical representation of CAPS deployment On its official website, Cirrus states that its system has returned more than 250 people home alive. And some of those stories are especially shocking. Like Greg Huntleypilot and owner of a Cirrus aircraft, which suffered a motor failure on October 22, 2014. Activated the CAPs and managed to land with the plane hanging from the parachute. It was unharmed. Graphic Representation of CAPS IN ACTION Huntley flew every week for work. He had his base in Charlotte, North Carolina, and although he was never passionate about aviation, he acknowledged that he saved him a long time. On October 22, 2014 he took off like any other day. A few minutes after flight, some 5,000 feet of altitudethe engine stopped dry. “Just before declaring the emergency I thought: I have five minutes of life,” I would remember later. One of the many airplanes that used the Caps He made a clear decision: if at 3,000 feet he still did not see the terrain, he would activate the parachute. And so it was. The sky remained completely black through the windshield, so he informed by radio that he was going to display the Caps. “I have taken many children already their parents on their first flights. I always explain that if something happens to me, pull the lever (…) that morning, putting hands on the shooter, I thought: now it is you who is going to check it.” The plane descended and in less than a minute touched land in a grass field. Caps lever The climax of this philosophy came with the Cirrus Vision Jet, a small monomotor reactor certified in 2016. It was the first Jet of the world equipped as standard with a ballistic parachute for the entire aircraft. But Cirrus went further: Safe Return was added to the CAPS system, a function that allows the plane to land only in case of emergency. Button ‘safe return’ The idea is simple. If the pilot suffers a sudden disability, any passenger can press a button. At that time, the Jet Vision takes care of everything: Calculate the routecommunicates the situation to the controllers and performs the descent autonomously to land on a safe track. Caps and Safe Return thus form a fairly complete security package. Cirrus’s parachute system is not designed for all types of aircraft. It does not intend to be. Its effectiveness has to do with the type of plane into which it integrates, with its weight, its structure and the situations for which it was thought. While it is not perfect, it has managed to open a door: demonstrate that there is room to think about security from another angle. Images | Cirrus | POT | CUP In Xataka | They are not fighters, they are planes of the Slovakia government: the day an Airbus A319 and a Fokker 100 stole the show

Japan believes to have the largest deposit of rare earths hidden on a tiny island. And it is already date to extract them

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The Rare earth They are an element of great economic and geopolitical value and China stands as the greatest power. To its Japanese neighbors He didn’t make any grace have to depend on them and, after an exhaustive search, a year ago they found the treasure: A huge site of rare earths at the bottom of the ocean. Japan has already set date to start extracting them. January 2026. It is the date on which Japan will begin with the first test extraction, according to Nikkei Asia. They expected to start this year, but the delivery of the necessary duct to reach the deposit did not reach last May and delayed the project for a year. The duct, manufactured in the United Kingdom, has cost 12,000 million yen (about 71 million euros) and will allow them to reach a depth of 5,500 meters. The Chikyu. The Japanese Marine-Terrestrial Science and Technology Agency or JAMSTECfor its acronym in English, will use the chiichyu, the name received by the Japanese drilling boat with which these valuable minerals will extract. In 2022 they already did a test at 2,500 meters deep In front of the coast of the Ibaraki Prefecture, but the challenge they face now is to drill more than double deep: 5,500 meters. If they get it, it would be the first time that rare earths are extracted to so much depth. In the first phase, Chikyu will extract 35 tons of mud. It is estimated that a ton of mud contains about 2 kilos of rare earths, so, in the best case, we could be talking about 70 kilos of rare earths. A key discovery. As we said, Japan found the site almost a year ago in front of the island of Minami-Torishima, located about 1,900 kilometers southeast of Tokyo. The site is located in the exclusive economic zone of Japan, so their extraction corresponds to them. Among the minerals it contains, one of the most abundant would be gadolinio, used in the nuclear industry, and the disposium, used mainly in magnets for electric vehicles. It would also be rich in manganese, cobalt and nickel nodules, key components in the creation of batteries. The amount is not clear and is decisive. At first there was talk of a site of 16 million tons, which would place Japan in third place behind China (44 million) and Brazil (21 million). However, a Analysis of the University of Tokyo He pointed to the loot would be much more juicy: 230 million tons. If confirmed, Japan would overcome China and be placed as the largest reserve of rare earths in the world. Independence. Japan’s efforts to find rare earth date back to 2022 and had a clear goal: to be independent. Currently, Japan depends on imports to meet their needs of rare metals, with 60% of them from China. The Japanese government invested 6,000 million yen (about 42 million euros) in the first extractions and have made it a priority since then. Friction. As we said, China currently has the largest reserve of rare earth and that gives it A huge power. Just a few weeks ago something unusual happened: A combat fleet, headed by two Chinese aircraft carriershe entered the Japanese ZEE near the island of Minamitori. Japan He did not confirm If he presented a formal protest and just declared that he had sent “the appropriate message.” It is not the first time that China enters the Japanese area, nor are the friction between the two countries, But it is certainly a somewhat controversial maneuver given the economic importance of the area. Image | TNFSA In Xataka | Yonaguni’s Japanese island was known for its beauty and Bad Bunny. Now it is a military strength because of Taiwan

Google’s compact has very good arguments, although not everything shines the same

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What if they told you that the cheapest mobile of Google of current generation has the same chip as its high range and that you will receive updates until 2032? On paper sounds very good, but another thing is to live with him for weeks. In a new one 24/7 of the Xataka YouTube channelwe have tested the Pixel 9a To verify how it yields, how it behaves in the day to day and if your camera remains the greatest claim. The first week makes it clear where the shots go. “The experience is being one of the most comfortable I’ve had with a phone in a long time,” says our partner. It is a manageable mobile, light and thought to be used with one hand. The 6.3 -inch OLED screen has 120 Hz and good brightness to exterior soda rate. But there is a design decision that attracts attention: “It seemed that we had overcome the great frames with Pixel 9, but they have returned in this middle range.” The 9A pixel repeats processor: mounts the same G4 tensioner than the most expensive models. So why sometimes seem to go slower? “I’ve found some Punctual thyrox or a certain slowness when unlocking the phone or opening some application. ”The device, in addition, arrives with 8 GB of RAM compared to the 12 GB of higher models. Is this combination a problem? Video tests can help us draw a conclusion. Where there are no surprises is in the operating system, which is Android 15. “It is the software that is closest to Android Stock that we can experience, ”he points out. Without aggressive layers or Bloatware, and with a promise that highlights:“ We have 7 years of updates, which would support us until 2032. ”Our partner reflects on whether the mobile will endure so much time. And then there is AI. Circle to Search, Gemini, Gemini Live… Functions that are already integrated into the system. But in practice, they have not had much prominence. “I have not had the need to use any of the Artificial Intelligence Tools”Will it be a matter of habit? Or real utility? In any case, will we know more in the video. In photography, Pixel 9a bets on balance. “He doesn’t want to be the best, but he wants to give us very good results,” he explains. The main sensor offers natural images, with a balanced dynamic range and pleasant blur even without using the portrait mode. That is how some loose points that can be decisive for some users also appear on the scene when choosing this phone or not. The battery improves previous generations. Now we have 5,100 mAh and that shows. “Most cycles will have achieved about 7 hours of active screen.” In practice, it is a mobile that It arrives at the end of the day with marginalthough without overcoming the best rivals in autonomy. Nor does it do so in fast charge: 23 W and something more than an hour to load it completely. Where then does this pixel 9a fit? Is it a recommended mobile? Everything will depend on the user’s needs, but to discover it you can help you in this video that Emos preparing in Xataka and which is already available on our YouTube channel. We invite you to take a look and leave your opinions in the comments. Images | Xataka In Xataka | I had no idea why my phone burned so much in summer. And he did not make me a bit of grace discover it

The great promise of obtaining a stronger material than steel

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Inventwood, a company that emerged at Maryland University, The Superwood Commercial Manufacture will begin After seven years of development. The material, invented by the scientist Liangbing Hu In 2018, it has 50% more tensile strength than steel and a ten-times higher resistance ratio. Why is it important. The construction industry generates high CO2 emissions: producing a ton of steel emits almost two tons of carbon dioxide. This supermadera not only eliminates these emissions, but carbon capture when manufactured with sustainable farm wood. In addition, it offers natural resistance to fire, humidity, termites and fungi without chemical additives. The context. What began as an academic discovery documented in Nature In 2018 It has evolved to become a technology that promises to be commercially viable. The company has managed to reduce the manufacturing time of weeks to hours and has raised $ 15 million to build its first plant in Maryland. In detail. The process requires two main steps: First, lignin is partially dissolved – the polymer that hardens wood – using food degree chemicals. Then, the wood is compressed at 65 ° C, collapsing its cellular structure in a dense matrix. The result is a material five times thinner than the original, but twelve times more resistant and ten times harder. The figures: The first installation will produce a million square meters per year from this summer. A second phase in autumn of 2025 will introduce outdoor panels. The initial price will be “Premium” but competitive with tropical high-end wood: between 12.50 and $ 25 per pound (between 27.5 and 55 per kilo), compared to the $ 1-2 of steel (2-4 per kilo). Yes, but. Although the supermadera is initially more expensive than steel by weight, its upper resistance-peso ratio means that a 5 kilos beam could match the load capacity of a 45 kilos steel beam. This reduces its effective cost to 2.75-5.5 dollars per kilo when we adjust for yield. Much more interesting and less far from steel. The panoramic. Inventwood A second installation already plans of more than 30 million square meters for infrastructure and large developments. Contractors can cut, pierce and hold this overmaster with standard carpentry tools, which should facilitate its adoption. The material could also be extended to other sectors such as vehicles, aircraft or furniture, but for now the company is focusing on construction, where steel and concrete suppose 90% of the carbon impact of buildings. Outstanding image | Inventwood In Xataka | China was for decades the largest CO2 issuer on the planet. Renewables are correcting what seemed impossible

This is the biggest hydroelectric bet in China

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In the middle of remote mountains, at 3000 meters of altitude, China follows configuring your electrical networks Towards an energy transition model. From Harbin, in the northeast of the country, a gigantic 80 tons turbine headed for Tibet left this week. Its destination: the Datang Zala hydroelectric plant, where the power of water will be transformed into electricity thanks to an unprecedented machine. Short. In a great official ceremony, the delivery of a large pelton -type impulse turbine was held with a unit capacity of 500 megawatts, designed and manufactured by Harbin Electric Machinery Company Limited, as He has reported The Xinhua state agency. The size is unique and striking: a diameter of 6.23 meters, made of martensitic stainless steel and has 21 precision kanglons. According to China Dailythe process took six years of research and development, and was tested in the National Laboratory of Hydroelectric Equipment. The definitive commitment. China is distinguished by developing infrastructure from Colossal scale either Unique as a technical levelbut this time it focuses on strengthening electrical networks in strategic areas and accelerating its carbon neutrality objective by 2060. According to South China Morning Postthe turbine will reach an efficiency of 92.6%, an increase of 1.6% compared to previous turbines, which will result in additional 190,000 kWh per day. The central will have two turbines and a total installed capacity of 1 million kilowatts, generating about 4,000 million kWh per year. Is it the most powerful? It depends on how it is measured. In terms of unitary capacity, this 500 MW impulse turbine is the most powerful of its kind in the world. However, it is not the most powerful if compared to the gigantic Chinese dams, that is, their set. On the one hand, highlight The Baihetan dam With the largest arc in the world and a total capacity of 16,000 MW, managing to supply 500,000 homes for a year. On the other hand, even more impressive, it is The three throats dam that with its 22,500 MW it holds the world installed capacity record. Of course, not without controversies: its environmental and geophysical impact has been such that has slightly altered the terrestrial rotation. Another factor: the location. The hydroelectric power plant is being built on the Yuqu river, a tributary of the NU River (Salween), In an area geographically rugged and with strong seismic activity. The water jump that will feed the turbine has a vertical unevenness of 671 meters, which makes this installation one of the few that take advantage of such a pronounced unevenness, ideal for impulse turbines such as the Pelton type developed by Harbin, As SCMP has developed. In addition, this is added the political context. The Tibet It is a region of historical tensions between the central Chinese authorities and the aspirations of local autonomy. Some voices see these types of projects as a way of strengthening Beijing’s strategic control over the territory, through economic development and energy infrastructure. Forecasts. The turbine is already on its way to its destination and it is expected that the plant enters into operation in 2028. It is not just a colossal machine: it is a declaration of intentions. Toe technology, unprecedented efficiency, and a clear commitment to hydroelectric domain in one of the most complex regions of the planet. Image | Unspash Xataka | In the twentieth century the pipelines were the key to the world. In the 21st century are the electrical networks and a country is winning them: China

Spain promised them very happy as the power of the data centers. Did not have the heat waves

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On July 19, 2002, at 06:33 PST, Google and Oracle Data Centers in London They stopped working. The reason was not a human or electrical failure. The only thing that happened is that 40 ° C were exceeded in the British capital, and the cooling systems of that data center could not support those temperatures. The result: falls of multiple services for hours. It was a dangerous advance (and we are talking about London, which is not especially hot) for data centers, especially considering what comes to us. Climate change also threatens data centers. The only good news of this summer’s extreme heat is that It will be carried compared to the one in the coming years. The theme, which is worrisome to humans, has a surprise derivative: these extreme temperatures are going to be a colossal challenge for data centers. We do not stop seeing record temperatures one summer after another, and that will test the cooling systems of those centers. Hello, cooling. There are no definitive data on the temperature at which data centers must work, and while certain experts They recommend that work in a range of 18 to 27 ºC, others They hold that the range must be even cooler, between 17 and 21 ºC. And of course, that is only achieved with powerful air and liquid cooling systems. Heat comes out. If it is more hot, it is necessary to refrigerate more, and that imposes greater electrical consumption and therefore, a greater electricity bill. Of not controlling those temperatures the efficiency of the components is decreasing. As in mobile. It is exactly the same thing that happens in our mobiles and computers when they overheat: if the cooling systems fail to bother those temperatures, The ‘throttling’ is normally produced: The components “go round” to consume less and dissipate less heat. And the water, too. In many data centers liquid cooling also plays a fundamental role, and in the face of heat waves, water consumption also rises. That is especially worrying now that Big Tech have announced that they will invest tens of billions of dollars in new data centers for AI. Liquid cooling to power. In those facilities dedicated to AI a huge amount of chips accumulates in small spaces, which makes liquid cooling solutions much more appropriate. And the same thing happens again: before extreme temperatures, it is up to “climb the cooling systems to deal with possible overheating. Evaporative cooling. Of course, engineers who develop these types of projects go to solutions to try to avoid problems, especially when data centers are in areas where summers are especially extreme. There come techniques coom the Direct evaporative coolingin which the refrigerated and humidified air is directly entered the data center. There are other techniques such as water cooling towers and of course an intelligent management of air flow management is optimal. Be careful where you look up your data center. That makes it more and more important to choose the ideal location for new data centers. In Spain Aragon is becoming In an absolutely protagonist region. There are several projects in which Big Tech will put (theoretically) in progress data centers in this autonomous community, although the risk of extreme temperatures there is not so high as would be further south of the peninsula. But with increasingly high temperatures in summer, what can be done? Ice cream clusters. The option in some cases is simply to choose locations in which the weather is much cooler … or even icy. Facebook has already built several Data centers in Lulea (Sweden) In 2013, but in Spain we have an even more striking case: the Social Security CPD He moved from Madrid to Soria for the simple reason that it is colder there. That, among other things, allowed to save The 150,000 euros that would have cost the cooling of these systems in Madrid during the summer. Image | Goal In Xataka | We have calculated how much money the Big Tech are being spent on data centers. The numbers are dizzy

The strokes have become a huge silent health problem in Spain. And there are ways to limit risks

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Every year 90,000 cases of strokes are produced in Spain that leave 23,000 deaths on average, According to the data of the Spanish Society of Neurology. This number could be significantly reduced, after all, many of the Risk factors which are associated with this type of event correspond to behaviors and habits that we can modify. Before reviewing what the risk factors are controllable or not, associated with the stroke, maybe it is appropriate to consider us What exactly is an stroke. The stroke or stroke (stroke) occurs when the blood flow that reaches a part of the brain is interrupted or drastically reduced. There are two types of accidents: ischemic and hemorrhagic. The former are the most common, are produced by the blockade of one of some circulatory route, for example by a clot or its narrowing as a result of fatty deposits. Hemorrhagic strokes for their part are produced by the breakage of a blood vessel. There is no exact list of risk factors that are related to these episodes since there are numerous overwhelms and interconnections Among these factors. Nor can we make an accurate distinction between the factors that we can control and those that do not. A clear example is that of diabetes. This disease is a risk factor in the appearance of ICUTS. Suffering or not this disease is not under our control, but we can avoid factors that in turn are linked to it. Despite the difficulties when delimiting these concepts, experts estimate that controllable risk factors are associated with 60% and 90% of the risk of suffering a stroke. That is, avoiding these factors we can reduce very significantly the risk that this type of event will be triggered in our brain. And what are the risk factors on which we have the greatest control? According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute From the United States, controllable risk factors include blood pressure, obesity, physical inactivity, poor diet and tobacco. According to the American medical institution Johns Hopkins Medicinea blood pressure of 140/90 or higher is a factor that can condition our probability of suffering such an accident. Obesity, food and physical inactivity They are clearly interconnected risk factors. Smoking is one of the Risk factors More widely mentioned, but alcohol and some recreational drugs such as intravenous or cocaine are also related to an increase in the risk of suffering from an stroke. Some legal substances such as the contraceptive pill have also been related to an increased risk of stroke. With anxiety, depression and stress, something similar occurs than with other diseases: we have a certain degree of control, but this can be very limited depending on the circumstances of each person. Something similar happens with the environment in which we live: although residing or working in contaminated areas can aggravate our risk of suffering from an stroke, changing work or residence is often not in our hand. What we cannot change Some of the risk factors that we associate with the stroke totally escape from our control. Maybe age is the most important: Age. As we become greater the possibilities of suffering a stroke are increasing. Sex is another factor linked to the appearance of this disease and in a unique way: it is fine at an early age men suffer from these accidents more frequently, the greatest life expectancy of women means that throughout life these suffer more such problems. Different ethnic backgrounds can lead to different levels of risk: in the United States African -American, native and Hispanic people have a higher risk of suffering a stroke. Finally, Genetics And family history can also be considered risk factors, especially in cases where a family member has experienced one of these events at earlier ages. In addition to the risk factors, it is worth remembering what are the main symptoms that accompany these events in order to better identify an stroke and improve the chances that whoever suffers it receives medical assistance on time. There are a few key factors that can help us Identify an stroke quicklybut there is also a challenge of symptoms that can also be associated with strokes. Among the Key symptoms There are the loss of strength or sensitivity in the face, arm or leg, which usually swams to a single side of the body; Confusion in speech, for example in the use of unconnected words; sudden loss of vision; dizziness, loss of balance or the appearance of a severe headache without a clear origin. In Xataka | We have a new and promising treatment against the consequences of stroke (and has been created in Spain) Image | Anna Shvets

China has resolved the mystery of why there are people who ruin seeing streams: the “榜一大哥”

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A 37 -year -old man has mortgaged his house, sold his shares and indebted to spending 16 million yuan (2.2 million euros) donating money to a streamer called Lili (name modified by the original source, Tencent Newsto preserve its anonymity). His wife has put a lawsuit to try to recover family heritage. Why is it important. Chen Ping’s, told by SCMP, It is not an isolated case. In the Chinese courts there are 302 civil lawsuits related to “Streamers“And” Donations of streaming“. A residual figure considering the 1.4 billion inhabitants of China, but striking as an emerging trend. Of the 67 most relevant sentences, most plaintiffs are women of compulsive donors trying to recover family assets. The Virtual Donations Market in China was already by 140,000 million yuan (about 17,000 million euros = in 2019 and it is projected to reach 417,000 million in 2025 (about 49,000 million euros). The context. The “榜一大哥” (‘Big Brother‘) They do not seek sex or a traditional romantic relationship. They seek to be important in a community where money determines status. The platforms have gamified intimacy: each donation increases your “level of closeness” with the streamerthat will treat you as someone special, remember your name and give you private access by chat, generating that false feeling of intimacy. In detail. Chen Ping, the protagonist of the case, began donating small quantities that climbed a lot in a short time. The platforms offered “Blind boxes“Where paying real money you manage to send random gifts to Streamers to open them live. On your part. Like a casino, but where the prize is not money but virtual social status, let’s say. The streamer Lili had private groups from WhatsApp only for his greatest donors. Chen became administrator of his room streaming. His wife discovered intimate conversations where he wrote “I wait for you in bed” and she sent him videos in underwear. Yes, but. Chen He insists that he was only looking for “friendship” and “be treated as someone important.” In real life he was a manager in his father’s company, but he felt too controlled. In the sTreaming It could be he who started and ends relationships. The figures: In 612 days, Chen spent 13.5 million yuan in his main account and 2.5 million in another high school (1.6 million and 300,000 euros respectively). Only Lili directly donated 1.87 million yuan (220,000 euros) in more than 5,000 transactions. The rest vanished in blind and miniguegos boxes. On the other side. His wife, Ou Qing, lost three judgments trying to recover the money. Chinese courts have no clear jurisprudence: Some consider “consumption” donations (unrecoverable, therefore). Others consider them “gifts” (recoverable if there is adultery). In the end, Chen and Lili never met physically, so legally there was no “inappropriate relationship.” Deepen. This phenomenon is not exclusively Chinese. The Streamers They have discovered that selling artificial intimacy is more profitable than selling content. Muraunth already reinvented line 906 pulling from chatbot. And three years ago we talked about addicts to donate on Twitch. For that false feeling of intimacy, a special talent is not even necessary, just maintaining the illusion that the donor is special. It is the gamification of male loneliness. In Xataka | China has won the data war without stealing any. We have given them to them Outstanding image | Xataka

People hate meetings. So they are sending their secretaries to take notes

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Last month Clifton Sellers attended a meeting by video call at his work. Everything seemed normal until he noticed the list of the attendees. Of the 16 who went to the appointment, Only six were human beings. The rest were sent to transcribe the meeting, take notes and summarize it. The surprising thing is that what happened to Sellers is no exception: the rule is increasingly. To this meeting I come with my chatbot of AI. Some of the people who attended that meeting made it accompanied by AI chatbots to take notes and transcribe that meeting. And without warning, as if it were something totally normal. However, other chatbots of AI came alone on behalf of other employees. Those bots could only listen, not intervene. And yet we have a problem. “I want to talk to people”. Sellers explained In The Washington Post How this type of meeting caused him rejection because “I don’t want to talk to a group of bots that take notes.” The situation is ironic, because he himself had sent to a bot to take notes to any meeting in the past. The situation is worrying, especially since video calls are deriving dangerously. More meetings than ever. Pandemia caused Zoom, Teams or Meet to become the ideal alternative to physical meetings, and over time the phenomenon has transformed our way of working. According to Pumbleafter the pandemic there are 12.9% more doors per person and 13.5% more than meetings attendees. The video calls have caused, yes, that the meetings are much shorter (20.1%), but it is also happening something else. Goodbye to social norms in video call. This predominance of virtual meetings through video calls is causing changes in the “label” of these meetings. In many work video calls employees Now they usually join without turning on the camera and with the silenced microphone. The second is more normal: that everyone has the activated microphone can end up causing distortions and annoying echoes while another person speaks. The camera is more delicate, although it is traditionally associated with that recent phenomenon baptized as “zoom fatigue” (“Zoom Fatigue”). People are even using Gitlab recorded video calls To pretend that it is busy. The AI ​​boom for video calls. The big platforms to make video calls (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet) offer automated notes options using AI. There are also third -party solutions as Otter.AI that also enable these functions and raise a future in which meetings end up being very different from the current ones. And soon, meetings with digital twins. Eric Yuan, CEO of Zoom, explained Recently that your company wants to offer the possibility that your “digital twin”, an IA assistant who can not only attend those meetings in your place, but also can intervene in it as if it were. Everything you say will be recorded. This intrusion of AI at meetings has caused a new concern for attendees. Everything they say will be registered, recorded and transcribed. That can restrain freedom when expressing points of view or opinions, especially since those statements can then end up playing against who made them. Allie K. Miller, CEO of Open Machine, explained in Wapo how in her meetings her bot of AI to take notes until there are five minutes left to finish because that “people open more and the real questions come to light.” Machine, gather for me. 55% of managers Recognize That has too many meetings a day, and 27% of employees share that opinion. There are more and more meetings – many They could have been an email– And the AI ​​can help soften its impact, but we go to a future potential in which no one goes to meetings in person except who must explain any topic. Who knows if in the end not even that person comes and everything is meetings full of bots. Image | Surface In Xataka | Not only meetings kill productivity: notifications eat half of our day

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