Mobile Tech & Gadgets

Europe will invest a lot of money in countries as far away as Uzbekistan or Kyrgyzstan. The reason: rare earths

by

Surely it went unnoticed by the vast majority of the planet Between tariffs and war conflicts. Kazakhstan announced last week the discovery of his Greater rare earth sitewith an initial estimate of one million tons of key elements such as Cerio, Lantano, Neodimio and Ititrio, all fundamental for the global energy transition … or to begin a new arms era. And now the news that did reach more people: the EU will invest a fortune in Five Central Asian countries. The official reason? Strive ties. The truth? The track is one of the five countries: Kazakhstan. The news. In full escalation of commercial tensions with the United States, the European Union surprisingly announced an investment of 12,000 million euros in Central Asia during its first summit with the five countries of the region (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzista, Tayikistan and Turkmenistan). The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stressed that these funds will go to key sectors as transport, clean energy, connectivity and sustainable development of strategic natural resources. Tariffs and foreign trade. In a context marked by the new 20 % tariffs imposed by Washington to European imports, von der Leyen stressed that the EU seeks to offer A reliable alternative Faced with powers such as Russia and China, betting on egalitarian associations and investment in local capacities. In addition, the common commitment to the Territorial sovereignty and peace in Ukraine, condemning the Russian aggression and reinforcing the message that respect for international law will be a cornerstone of this new strategic association. The EU, which already represents 22.6 % of foreign trade And more than 40 % of foreign direct investment in Central Asia, seeks with this summit to consolidate its regional influence and open new trade routes that avoid Russian territory, such as the Transcaspiano corridorKey to reduce the Eastern Energy and Geopolitical Dependence. A key region. Behind good words are not only sustainable development and regional cooperation, but a critical geoeconomic priority: ensure the supply of essential minerals For the European green transition, the strengthening of its industrial base and the development of its defense capacities, all in a context of growing global tension and structural dependence of China and Russia. Strategic minerals. The urgency of this strategic turn was evidenced after the recognition of a disturbing vulnerability: in 2023, 94 % of imports European rare earth came from China, Malaysia and Russia. In addition, China controls the 60 % of world production of critical minerals and 85 % of its processing, while strengthening its own green industry. This concentration of power, added to political proximity between Beijing and Moscow, has led to worrying episodes, such as Chinese restriction to Antimony exporta key mineral in military technologies such as precision optics and night viewers. Abundance, but with limitations. In this panorama, Central Asia emerges as a realistic and attractive alternative. Kazakhstan currently produces 19 of the 34 minerals critics defined by the EU and could expand this figure 21 in the short term After the announcement of last week. Uzbekistan, meanwhile, is the fifth major supplier Uranium World and has important reserves of gold, silver, titanium and molybdenum. The region also has lithium, silicon and tungsten, fundamental for batteries, solar panels and electronic defense systems. However, much of these resources are trapped in a poorly developed mining sector, lacking modern infrastructure and technological capabilities for sustainable extraction. There, a priori, money would be destined. The European strategy. They counted on DW That, in the face of the geoeconomic competence of China and Russia, Brussels seeks to differentiate offering cooperation models based on industrial associations and mixed companies with local actors, favoring direct foreign investment, regional business growth and progressive industrialization. This approach is especially attractive to Central Asian leaders, who see in it a way to diversify their economies, reduce dependence from Moscow and gain greater strategic autonomy. The cornerstone of this approach would be the Gateway Global Initiativethe ambitious European project of 300,000 million euros conceived as an alternative to the New Silk Route China. The transcaspian corridor and a promise. A crucial component of the European Plan is the development of the Transpian International Transport Route (Titr), that logistics corridor that would unite China and Europe through Central Asia and the Caspian Sea, reducing traffic times to 15 days and avoiding the step by the Suez Canal or Russian territory. The problem? The dimension of investment. The implementation of this corridor requires an estimated amount of 18.5 billion euros In infrastructure, of which more than half have already been mobilized by the EU through an investment forum with support from its member states, the private sector, and institutions such as the European Investment Bank and the BERD. To get an idea, the Expert Samuel Vestterbye That this route could multiply container traffic from the current 100,000 to 800,000, with a transformative economic impact for both regions. The Russian “friend.” No doubt, the European turn also has a clear geopolitical dimension: stop use which makes Russia of Central Asian countries for avoid sanctions Western imposed after the invasion of Ukraine. The European diplomat Kaja Kallas was explicit in that sense when warning in Asjabad that Russian companies should not use the region as commercial escape route. In this context, the EU needs to balance a incentive and pressures policy: Offer real economic development through infrastructure and commerce, while demanding cooperation in compliance with the western sanctioning regime. Something like the “carrot and stick” approach that analysts see as an opportunity to consolidate strategic relationships that transcend the economic. Challenges and Emergency. Despite the advances, the European strategy has notable challenges before him. Experts Like Marie Dumoulinof the European Council on Foreign Relations, warn that the concrete projects of the Global Gateway take to materialize and lack visibility in the region, which could weaken the EU’s ability to compete with Chinese or Russian offers. In other words, that what is said is credible Brussels must Accelerate implementation of infrastructure works, show tangible results and … Read more

The rains have left a splendid Spain and a tourist destination is benefiting from it: the reservoirs

by

“While the world wobbles, nature seems to want to compensate us.” This phrase of Jose Luis Gallego summarizes very well what is happening in the Spanish countryside. With full swamps and aquifers recharging, Spain is living “its most splendid spring in decades.” And that has an unexpected beneficiary: tourism. The many droughts in each drought. Galician explained in El Confidencial That, in broad strokes, there are three types of droughts: the meteorological (linked to the shortage of rainfall), the hydrological (which has to do with the water in the system. – rivers, swamps and aquifers) and the edaphic (which is related to the soil and its ability to provide the vegetation of the water it needs). The good news is that we have overcome all three and the land knows. It is no longer that the fields of Extremadura, Castilla or Andalusia are a show; It is that even the ugliest and dirty surroundings of any Spanish city are pretty. It is true that the wetlands plagued by birds and overflowers of vegetation are the areas where this “March miracle” It shows morebut even the most arid places are full of surprises. The Sea of ​​Castile. The best example can be seen in that corner between the provinces of Cuenca and Guadalajara that is usually known as “Mar de Castilla“. There are five reservoirs (Almoguera, Bolarque, Entrepeñas, Estramera and Zorita) in the Middle Tagus and one more (good day) in the Low Alcarria with a capacity of 2,515 hm³ and a tourist capacity that has lived better times. In the 60s, as consequences of the hydrological and developmental policies of the Franco regime, the region was filled with urbanizations, restaurants and small embarrassing. It became a tourist claim that improves infrastructure, first, and The Tajo-Segura transfer, afterthey put in a slow decline. The drought of recent years did the rest. However, with the rains of March, the Sea of ​​Castile It is back. How to turn water into gold. Just read the chronicles of the local press to verify that the residents of the riverside municipalities are really excited. Entrepeñas has only transferred water to good times eight times since 1956, The last almost 30 years ago; But this weekend it has happened again. The swamp has such a amount of water that you have been able to see really unprecedented images (or that had been not seen decades). He Runrun of the situation He has made “every day more curious who arrive at the riverside region to witness in the first person and immortalize with their cameras or with their mobile phones such an exceptional moment and who knows if unrepeatable.” The question that is asked in the Sea of ​​Castile is how much the situation will endure and if the Lcoal Tourism of it can be used. Although, in reality, it is a question that many more people are asked. Our country has more than 1,200 swamps and “almost double the fresh water coast than Marina in the country.” The reservoirs have historically been much more than water reserves: they have been tourist attractions that contributed to stop the demographic bleeding of emptied Spain. The problem is that, in recent decades, that interest has been falling little by little. And rural tourism has failed to fill the hole fully. Therefore, the councils of Cáceres, Lugo, Badajoz and the 530 municipalities associated with the Federation of Municipalities with Hydroelectric Plant and Embalses of Spain (15 communities and 46 provinces) have decided Bring Pantanos Tourism back. Upon? Indeed and with A very simple value proposal: Adventure activities (“Barranquismo, the paragliding or balloon walks”, “Boat routes or kayak, candle courses, sport fishing or paddle-south”, but also “horseway or bicycle routes, enjoy the observation of birds or practicing hiking”), proximity gastronomy and cultural, monumental and historical heritage. A new solution for a worrying problem. As We counted a few days agowhile in 2024 the hotels in Spain registered 7.5% more of foreign travelers, the speakers of Spanish tourists stagnate with a minimum rise of 0.2%. The price increase and the massification of the most important tourist areas are the main reasons for that break of national tourism. Therefore, now it is the least exploited areas that seek their part of a cake that grows 4.9% per year. And, seeing the photos of the country’s reservoirs, it makes a lot of sense. Image | Riaño, León (Paulo Valdivieso) | Pelayo Arbués | Eduardo Kenji Amorim In Xataka | Mass tourism has the days counted in Spain thanks to a phenomenon outside its control: extreme heat

Why there is another app called the officer and what are the differences

by

Let’s explain Why there is another application that also has the same name that Midnithe official app with which you can carry your identity document on the mobile. It is something that can be very confusing, go looking for one and find that there is another one called similar, and we will try to clear the doubts. We will try to explain this in a simple and easy to understand way. First we are going to explain why there are other applications that are called, the same, and then we are going to tell you What are the differences between them and the official app. Remember that the official app you can download it In Google Play From your android or In the App Store of iOS. Why are there other apps with the same name? The reason you are going to find other apps with names like my DNI is because These applications were first. Simply, the National Police chose a name for its official app that was already being used by other applications. It is not fraudulent applicationsat least not the majority. They were simply apps that were looking for temporary solutions to help you carry the DNI on the mobile before the final and official app came out to help you with this. Android’s unofficial app has been active since February 2024, so it is possible that he continues to leave first in searches. What allows you is to take a photo of the identity card on the mobile, but only that. It is not a scam, but I recommend that you do not use itsince you will be giving this personal information to another company. Differences between both applications The difference you should know is that The official MIDNI app is the only one with legal validity. If you use the alternative you will simply be taking the photo of a ID, and when doing official procedures they will not accept it. Maybe in some businesses yes, but it will not have legal validity. This means that the only one that will be accepted in public administrations to carry out any procedure is the police app, not the other, and that you have to teach the police if I asked for it. In addition to this, the unofficial app simply allows you to see the photo of your DNI. In the official app you can present your documentation in several ways, depending on how much you want to reveal. You can show only the age to verify it to show all the information, always with a QR that is generated when connecting to the police servers. In Xataka Basics | Download your digital certificate with the ID: How to do it for free and in a minute with the mobile

Before Tesla’s collapse, Elon Musk already presses for an agreement between Europe and the United States

by

The tariff war triggered by Donald Trump has unleashed chaos in the bags. From the United States to Asian bags through Europe. Everything falls and the perspectives are not good. And, along the way, we begin to see the consequences that are hardly affecting technological and automotive. One of the most marked is Tesla, who lives in his own chaos. April 2. Just five days ago Donald Trump unleashed the storm. It was April 2 in the United Statesthe edge of midnight in Europe and were already well entered in April 3 in Asia. The announcement of imposing tariffs with a flat rate of 10% to almost all countries in the world and elevate them to those that the president of the United States considers that they are doing special damage to his country unleashed chaos. Since then, the consequences have happened. Europe warns that April 9day in which the new tariffs should go into force if nothing remedies it, will vote what measures it takes against the United States. China has also made it clear that April 10 Equal 34% tariffs That the Trump administration has imposed them if they do not withdraw before or reach an agreement. The chaos. Since then, The bags have been immersed in chaos. Since last Friday, when China answered the United States, the drop in the bags was confirmed. Collapses in the United States of 10%, the Nikkei playing minimums since 2023 or the German stock market falling almost 10%. In Spain, Ibex35 is falling 5% and has already fallen more than 10% since the Chinese reaction was announced last week. Since Donald Trump announced the new economic measures, there are great losers in the commercial war. Apple, who was trying to diversify its production and partially leave China, has lost 15% because Tariffs will continue to impact in countries where it has been carrying its production. Nvidia has suffered similar falls and Microsoft has fallen 5% since April 2. Other of the companies that are suffering most are the textile -related. Nike has left more than 10% in the last five days and between April 2 and last Friday almost 20% had left but the shares have rebounded. Adidas has also fallen almost 20%. Under Armor exceeds 15% fall. LVMH (which has luxury brands such as Loewe) has left more than 12%. The automakers. But there is a sector that tariffs especially impact. The entry of cars to the United States and parts to produce cars within its borders It is taxed with 25%. Steel and aluminum, keys in this sector, also now cost 25% more. That has made shipments from Mexico and Canada paralyze or that some plants have already begun to Send your workers home with the aim of reducing production. From Trump’s announcement, Honda has fallen more than 10%, Toyota approaches 15% fall. Stellantis approaches 20%. Mercedes, Volkswagen or BMW also leave more than 10%. Benefit? Tesla was one of the few companies that I could get unscathed from the situation. Everything that sells in the United States manufactures it internally and its shipments to China are almost exceptional. Almost everything he sells in China produces it in China. In terms of trade between the United States and China, the company would have no problem. Yes there is clouds that can worry. China has taken years to allow Tesla to operate with advanced driving aid system. For this he has forced him to associate with Baiduwhat Elon Musk’s assumed aware that it is A key piece in the puzzle of its future economy. It remains to ask if China can press by cutting the tap to concrete companies. Tesla can be key since the use of data for autonomous driving are extremely sensitive to the Chinese state and does not want them to leak to the United States. Alleging these same national security concerns, from the United States they want prohibit the entry of Chinese cars or with Chinese sensitive pieces to the country. A strong fall. In spite of everything, the fall in Tesla’s actions are being considerable. On April 2, Tesla’s shares were quoted above $ 280. Today they are paid at $ 239 in a drop of approximately 15%. However, the data reflect the enormous volatility of Tesla’s actions. That same day April 2, the shares had started a little above $ 250. The alleged strength against the rivals caused the shares to rise in price but The data of your first quarterthe Chinese reaction and the rumors of Elon Musk of the United States Government have left the shares below the aforementioned 240 dollars. A crack. It is the one that has opened between Donald Trump and Elon Musk. The billionaire and owner of Tesla said he expected an agreement between the European Union and the United States. “They should advance ideally, in my opinion, towards a situation of zero tariff, effectively creating a free trade zone between Europe and North America,” he said in a video connection during a league congress, the ultra -rightist party led by Matteo Salvini and that Try to get to the Government of Italy. Words picked them up The avant -garde and opens a crack between Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s speech that had so far walked together. Just when Elon Musk is losing a fortune with the fall in the price of Tesla’s shares and everything indicates that Your departure as Executing arm of mass dismissals In the United States it will be sooner rather than later. Uncertainty. The truth is that fluctuation in the price of shares Between advertisement and counting related to the tariffs filed between the United States and China they obey the volatility of Tesla shares and the response of investors guided by the latest news rather than to the real economic background of the company. However, it is true that deliveries in Q1 of 2025 have been very bad. In China they seem to have recovered the usual rhythm after modernizing the … Read more

We lead all my life by measuring battery capacity in mobiles. Mah’s war makes no sense

by

How many more mah, better. We have been thinking about the specifications of a phone and, to a large extent, is something true. A greater capacity battery is usually a more capable battery with respect to a smaller. Despite this, there is a somewhat more complex unit of measure, but even more precise, traditionally used in the technical sheet of computers: Los watts-Hora (WHE). This is the most precise way to determine how long we can use our device, without leaving the capacity to your fate. We are going to explain, without delving too much into technicalities so as not to complicate your life, why we have been imprecisely measuring the battery capacity of our mobiles. Why do we measure in mah. The commercial standard for the phones battery is the Miliamperio Hora, a very useful measure for small devices with constant voltages. In addition, it is much more striking to indicate closed figures, such as 5,000mAh, than to tell that your mobile has a 19.4 Wh. However, its two main problems are, in the first place, when there is a voltage variation (you will soon understand why) this measure ceases to make sense. Although MAH is easy to understand, it does not provide an exact estimate of available energy, which can lead to incorrectly assume how long the battery will last in specific situations of use. Water measurement time. The watts -hora (WH) are the most precise unit to measure battery capacity, since they reflect the amount of energy available depending on voltage and current. He watt (w) It is the power unit, which indicates how much energy is consumed per unit of time. It is more useful to know how the battery will be used during the daily use of your mobile. The battery voltage is not constant: it is varying as its percentage of load and useful life changes. A battery, At the end of your useful lifeIt does not provide the same voltage as when it is new. In fact, if you have a modern car or motorcycle, you surely have access to real time voltage and you will see how you change as you use the vehicle. The mobile battery is lowercase compared to these, but also suffers small voltage variations. The ease of calculation. Even if the voltage was constant, the watts time would be an ideal measure. For example, if your mobile phone had a 5,000mAh battery and a typical voltage (the most common in phones) of about 3.85V, that battery would translate into 19.25 WH (capacity (MAH X Voltage / 1,000). Knowing the data, it would be enough to know the consumption in watts to deduce almost exactly how much the battery would last. In a concrete situation, as a very demanding game that leads to consume 6W constantly the division would be easy: 19.25 wh/6W = 3.2h. A data that stables: about three hours of screen with the mobile spending all rag This is why in segments such as computers, where consumption is crucial and marketing (something) less important, WHH is established as a standard to measure battery capacity. Image | Apple In Xataka | A battery that is not wearing after 850 cycles. This group of researchers has made it possible

If you want a good phone to take photos, this is the most top mobile of Xiaomi to get it

by

If you love taking photos from the mobile and want a terminal with a dream camera, this Xiaomi 15 Ultra It is one of the most recommended options that you can take into account right now. At the moment, in Amazon it is lowered and you can take it by 1,238.84 euros. Xiaomi 15 Ultra – 16+512GB smartphone * Some price may have changed from the last review A mobile with a camera more than outstanding He Xiaomi 15 Ultra It is a mobile that mounts a type screen 6.73 -inch AMOLED and with WQHD+ resolution (3,200 x 1,440 pixels). It presents a 120 Hz soda rate and reaches a maximum brightness of up to 3,200 nits, so you can see it perfectly even under sunlight. The photographic system of this Xiaomi terminal is its great trick and is signed by Leica. Mounted a 50 MP main lens, accompanied by a 50 MP telephoto, a Super Telefoto of 200 MP and a great angle of 50 MP. As for the front camera it is 32 MP. Mount a processor Snapdragon 8 Eliteaccompanied by a 16 GB RAM and a storage capacity of 512 GB. As for the operating system under which it works is Hyperosbased on Android 15. Your dual speakers are Compatible with Dolby Atmos and its battery, has a capacity of 5,410 mAh and admits fast charge by cable to 90 W. Finally, as far as connectivity is concerned, integrates WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4GPS, NFC and infrared. Protect this mobile with some of the best accessories Boerhang compatible with xiaomi 15 ultra * Some price may have changed from the last review Lutree for xiaomi 15 ultra tempered glass, 2+2 pieces * Some price may have changed from the last review Some of the links of this article are affiliated and can report a benefit to Xataka. In case of non -availability, offers may vary. Images | Ricardo Aguilar (Xataka) and Xiaomi In Xataka | The best mobiles, we have tried them and here are their analysis In Xataka | The best price quality price. Your analysis and videos are here

500 million years of evolution separate us from sea stars, but there is something that has not changed so much: our appetite

by

Hormones are molecules that exert the functions of messengers in our body. They take part in a large number of physiological processes, among which are the food and digestion of the food we consume. Among them, we know several hormones that regulate appetite and satiety. Evolutionary History A new study has analyzed The evolutionary history of bombsin, a hormone capable of transmitting the signal of satiety to our brain. This hormone had already been detected in some species of vertebrates and we know that it is capable of exercising this function in humans. Now we have found the genes that encode these hormones in very distant species evolutionarily, such as sea stars. Bombsin Bombsine was discovered in 1971, not in humans but in an amphibian, the belly toad fire (Bombina Bombina). It is a small peptide similar to those used by our own body to transmit (among other “messages”) the sign that we have satiated, molecules such as glucagon, the gastric inhibitor peptide (GIP), or the peptide similar to glucagon-1 (LPG-1). The researchers who studied the bombsin verified that, by injecting it into mammals, this also caused a feeling of satiety. This caused the subjects to reduce the amount of foods they consumed and space their intakes more over time. Needle in a haystack. In his study, the team responsible for New Research, began to study the genomes of different invertebrate animals until it ran into genes capable of encoding hormones similar to bombsin. And they found them in several equinoderms species (Echinodermata), As for example in the common sea star (Asterias Rubens), but also in hedgehogs and sea cucumbers. “It was like finding a needle in a haystack,” explained in a press release Maurice Elphick, co -author of the study, “but finally we discover the genes that encode a neurohormone similar to the stars of sea stars and their relatives.” Arbn.After that, the team studied the function of this hormone, which they called Arbn. Through mass spectrometry, the equipment was able to determine the molecular structure of the compound, thanks to which they could synthesize it and submit it to test. Thus they found that the hormone had an impact on the gastric processes of sea stars. “When I put Arbn, I saw that it caused contraction in the stomach of the sea star,” Weiling Huang addedCo -author of the study. “This, Sig would, that Arbn could be involved in stimulating the stomach retraction when the sea star stops eating. And that is precisely what I saw. When I injected Arbn into the sea stars (…) it made the stomach retract (…). What is more, arbn also delayed the beginning of the food, since the stars injected with arb those that water was injected. “ The details of the study were published In an article In the magazine Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Making historians. The study gives us new clues about how our digestive system and its tools to control its internal processes evolved. A track that allows us to ride ourselves 500 million years ago, when the last common ancestor of humans and sea stars inhabited the earth. But the finding also has significance for the pharmacological industry. In recent years they have seen the rise of various treatments based on hormone analogous substances such as LPG-1 or GIP. Compounds such as semaglutida (better known by its commercial name Ozempic) or the tirzepatida (Tirzepatida) were born as diabetes treatments but achieved success as losing weight formulas. These compounds emulate the hormones that our body secretes behind meals, hormones that fulfill the function of communicating to organs such as the pancreas that our digestive process is underway but that also transmit to the brain the message that we have satiated our appetite. Compounds such as Bombsine, Arbn, or similar could perhaps be used also In this context. In Xataka | Japanese researchers have studied how to eat less. Your verdict is extremely simple: eat more slowly Image | Hans Hillewaert, CC by-SA 4.0

Of course, better combine it with exercise

by

Intermittent fasting has become a very popular strategy among those who seek to lose weight or, at least, keep their weight under control. However, as with most diets, clearly establish their effectiveness It is often difficult Due to the complexity of our food, our metabolism and, in general, of our own body. New tests. Now a study has contributed New tests of the efficacy of intermittent fasting. Tests that, yes, are limited to the context in which this diet is combined with regular exercise. The team studied a diet with a meal window limited at eight hours (inversely, 16 hours of fast) and observed that in this way a loss of “small but significant” fat was possible. All this without sacrificing muscle mass, a detail highlighted by the team. “We observed that (a greater reduction of fat was achieved) and a lower percentage of body mass over time, when healthy adults followed (a regime) both of exercise and temporarily restricted dietcompared to those who only exercised for at least four weeks ”, explained in a press release Nadeja Wijayatunga, co -author of the study. 15 studies. In its analysis, the team carried out a systematic review of scientific literature that studied the impacts of this type of interventions. Thus, 15 recent works found in which the combined effect of intermittent fasting and exercise on our weight was analyzed. From the results described in these studies, the team carried out a meta -analysis, that is, a quantitative study to estimate an average effect. In its study study, the team observed a statistically significant change, a loss of body mass that was not associated with a loss of muscle mass. The analysis also pointed out that variables such as age, body mass index, or the type of exercise with which the diet was accompanied, among other factors, did not affect this result. The details of this work were published In an article In the magazine International Journal of Obesity. Easier than counting calories. Perhaps because it is easier to tell the hours than to tell the calories, the intermittent fast has become the favorite option of many. But sometimes the easy thing is not the most effective and we already know at this point that miracle diets do not exist. That is why putting the virtues and limits of this type of strategies to the test. It should be noted that there are various forms of intermittent fasting, depending on the frequency with which we fast and the time fraction of the day we dedicate to fasting and food. The success or failure of these strategies can also depend on other factors such as having a varied diet in the hours we dedicate to food and even factors that might seem irrelevant like our dream. In Xataka | From the stomach to the brain, intermittent fasting affects unsuspected forms to our body Image | The5th

The Divisumma calculator was the mechanical jewel of Olivetti. Now is an icon of retrofuturist design

by

Before making a mathematical operation as easy as Ask for a voice assistant either type it in chatgpT, the calculators They were an essential tool on any desk. Long before Light and dear Casiothere were others that seemed authentic desktop computers: huge, heavy, and mechanically amazing. The most iconic were the Olivetti, jewels of engineering that combined technical precision with an industrial design Retroputurist that resists dying. And among them, a name shone: Divisumma 26 GT. The divisumma. Mechanical calculators exist since the 18th century in the 18th First calculator capable of multiplyingand it was in the XX when the revolution arrived. At the beginning of the century the keyboards were simplified, they became somewhat more compact, easy to use and the electric models appeared. That’s where Olivetti began to stand out. Its first electrical model, Divisumma 14 of 1948, was baptized like this because it could do the four basic mathematical operations and not only had a characteristic design, but surprising mechanics. Twelve years later the Divisumma 24 arrived, and this was a revolution. Although the keyboard was still very simple and easy to use, it had a double totalizing system that allowed to change between two calculations without losing operations. In addition, he had memory for multiplication and mechanically began to complicate the thing. Seeing one of these machines without industrial cutting is a show: 26 GT, the culmination of mechanics. Since model 24, launched in 1956, the Italian company was launching other mechanical calculators focused on various users, but the true generational relief, and the culmination of electromechanical calculation, was the divisumma 26 GT of 1967. Apart from the basic operations, it had the ability to make calculations with powers and had a totalizer in this case, but with two memories. This allowed the machine to store intermediate values ​​to chain calculations. It was fed by an electric motor that consumed 50 W and that storage of values ​​was not done in a chip or a memory like the ones we currently have: but based on mechanical parts. It was that characteristic that allowed the 26 GT to overcome the previous models due to that most marked automation. Its weight of between 17 and 20 kilos (depending on the housing) for a 28 x 25 x 50 cm machine, evidence that the interior was an authentic metal jungle and a delight for sight. It was not the most advanced in the brand, since that same 1967 came the Logos 27-2but the reliability and maintenance problems of this put more value the work done by Teresio Gassino and Natale Capellaro In the mechanical part of the 26 GT. The divisumma 26 GT with the exhibition housing Fashion calculator. Inside, the Divisumma were a real virguería, but on the outside it was not far behind. Like Braun, he is remembered, among other reasons, for iconic Dieter Rams designsa very important part of Olivetti was Austrian designer and architect Ettore Sottsass. He began collaborating with the Italian company in 1958 and remained as a design consultant for 30 years. At that time he gave birth not only the Elea 9003 of 1959 (one of the first electronic computers in Italy), but the Olivetti Valentine of 1969 that was a symbol of Italian industrial design and some of the electric calculators of the house, “wearing” those good mechanical characteristics with housings that innovated in aesthetics. The Divisumma 26 GT also had bodies of Sottsass, being one of them translucent to be able to appreciate mechanics and exceeding the passage of time. They are one of those elements that, such as Braun’s polishing, could launch at any time saying that they are retrofuturists and would not disregard at all. He had the foundations of the Divisumma 24, but added those distinctive orange colors and more straight lines so that it would not go out of style. Divisumma 18, whose compact design is exhibited at MoMA next to Divisumma 14 Electronics arrived. But we are in 1969 and progress tightened. Since the beginning of the decade, the electronic calculators had begun to appear the leg, but they were huge (the Anita MK VII with vacuum tubes and cathode tubes of 1961, for example) and impossible to use away from the desk. They evolved with the Sharp CS-10A From 1964 that already used transistors, but at the same time that Divisumma 26 GT arrived the real revolution. Sharp launched its QT-8ba very compact battery calculator. Canon did the same with the Pocketronic that already pointed ways from the name and MK6010 Texas Instrumental had everything integrated into a chip, being smaller, cheap and energy efficient. All were on the electronics ship, so the old electric calculators had to think about retiring. That does not break… Today, with that wave of nostalgia, we see users in places like Reddit who continue to love their ancient electric calculators Olivetti. They will use them or not, but there are those who affirm that, with basic maintenance, they continue to function as the first day. Its sound is still very representative, the design has not gone out of style and are even a very interesting decoration piece on a surface. Now, seeing these veteran calculating I can only think about my CRT televisions to play old consoles. Not because of nostalgia -I do not have nostalgia for a calculator other than the casio that we have all had -but because, at the time they break, we will surely not find anyone who can repair them. It will be that day when these pieces are only as a museum meat, but although the mechanics fail, that Retrofuturist design It will survive. Images | Museo della Scienza e della technology “Leonardo da Vinci” (2), Museum, Hgrobe In Xataka | Transcribe at full speed with a keyboard of only 21 keys: the office of stenotipist, according to someone who has been in it for 35 years

Bob called it and ended up being a loud failure

by

Microsoft turns half a century. The Redmond company has exceeded crisis, reinventions and complicated moments, but has managed to stay in the race. It could have been as a distant memory of its golden years, something similar to what comes to mind when we think of brands like Kodak either Blackberry. But it was not so. Microsoft has not only survivedbut is in one of his best moments. It is not just one of the most valuable companies on the planet (At the time of writing these lines, he occupies second place in stock capitalization), but also leads such strategic areas as cloud computing, artificial intelligence or the world of video games. We already commented a few days ago: One of the keys to its success has been its ability to adapt. The previous list has a remarkable absence: Windows. And it is not an oversight. Although it is still an important piece within the Microsoft ecosystem, He had long stopped occupying the leading role in the business. Today it is installed in more than 70 % of the world’s computers And it is difficult to find someone who does not know what it is. But a few decades ago, personal computer science was a thing of a few. The solution to humanize Windows In the mid -nineties, the presence of computers in homes remained limited. Many users signed up for courses to learn to handle an operating system, and sit for the first time in front of a PC could be a disconcerting experience. Microsoft understood that, if I wanted to expand its user base, Windows should do more accessible. And his way of trying was a curious software called “Microsoft Bob”. The program, which internally It was developed under the name “Utopia”He arrived at the stores on March 31, 1995, a few months before the launch of Windows 95. He was compatible with Windows 3.1 and later versions, and his approach was clear: converting the PC interface into a kind of virtual house, with rooms, furniture and animated characters that served as guides. When starting the program, the user was with a door. After touching and introducing the credentials, he accessed a domestic environment where he could choose between different rooms, such as a study, a living room or an office. Each room offered accesses to system tools: a calendar, a address book, a clock or educational applications. Everything was presented with a cartoon aesthetics That, although it was looking to be nice, it was perceived as excessively childish. Each space also had a digital character that guided the user. The most remembered was Rover, an animated dog who worked as an assistant, although a turtle, an elephant and other characters also appeared. Microsoft’s goal was that the experience was more enjoyable than with traditional Windows. But Bob did not finish curdling. Not only for its design, which aroused all kinds of criticism, but also for its technical demands: required a computer with at least 8 MB of RAMa considerable figure for many homes in 1995. The result was the foreseeable: few adopted it and the program was withdrawn from the market less than a year after its launch. By then, Windows 95 was now available and offered a much more intuitive experience, without decorating it with digital pets. When Bob returned without warning But its story has an unexpected turn. When Microsoft prepared the Windows XP installation CD, the team realized that there were about 30 MB of free space. What to do with them? In order not to miss them and, incidentally, hinder illegal discharges a bit, they decided to fill them with fictional data. Instead of generating random files, a developer search in the company’s historical archives, recovered the images of the original Bob disks, combined them, I encrypted them with a random written key … and used them as digital filling. The result was as ironic as unexpected: Microsoft Bob ended up hidden within millions of legal copies of Windows XP, without anyone knowing. Even so, Microsoft Bob left a certain legacy. Rover returned years later as a search assistant at Windows XP. And although Clippythe famous Office clip, was not born within this program, the idea of ​​accompanying the user with animated characters who offered on the screen was already there. For many it was a disaster. For a few, a discovery. Microsoft Bob did not succeed, but for some it was his first contact with computer science lived as a game. Some remember hours designing rooms. Others, parts of his virtual house with a view to the city. Not all Microsoft attempts have gone well. And Bob is part of that list of experiments that did not work, along with products such as ZuneWindows Vista or Windows Phone. But it also demonstrates the company’s ability to prove, make mistakes and move on. Images | Microsoft | Wikimedia Commons | Sweetcoffemug (Reddit) In Xataka | “In a year or two code editors will not exist”: four programmers explain the Vibe Coding revolution

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.