In search of the lost ark ‘, the answer is to pass it black and white

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At this point, say that Steven Spielberg It is one of the best directors in the history of cinema, it is meaningless. Has shaped Incredible works And, without judging me which is your best movie, I am clear that the one I can see again, another and again without boring me is’In search of the lost ark‘. Not only is the first in the saga of Indiana Jonesbut also a round tape with humor, good argument, sharp dialogues and masterfully shot action. His initial scene with the great rock chasing the archaeologist is part of pop culture and I know I am not the only fan of this film. But I also know that not so many people have seen the black and white version, without sound and industrial metal sounding in the background. Because yes, ‘Indiana Jones: In search of the lost ark’ he has a version made by a fan. And that fan is a winning film director of the best director: Steven Soderbergh. The other Indiana Jones face Soderbergh is a peculiar director. He has films that have been a failure and are somewhat rare, surprises like the raw ‘traffic’ that made him deserving of the academy award and balls such as the saga ‘Ocean’s’. In addition to directing, produces, edits and is director of photography of many of his creations. Also those of others. The director has a blog in which he releases his thoughts, but between filming and filming, at some point in 2014 he thought something like “Has people really see the work so impeccable Spielberg at photography level?” Or something like that, go. Being a director of photography, some of this knows and something proposed: to make his version of one of the most mythical films in history: the aforementioned first installment of ‘Indiana Jones’. I have to admit that, of all the times I have seen it, I had never done it as when I saw the Soderbergh version. I focus on action, I look at the definition of the first planes, I let myself be carried away by the music of John Williams and I must admit that the grain and the color palette flips me. But never, and see that I like photography, I had given me to value that aspect of the movie. I of course was good, but with what Soderbergh did … there I realized to what extent Spielberg is a teacher. Because Stephen does not want to improve what Steven did. Not only would it be a disrespect, but a boldness. What he wants is, precisely, to exalize Spielberg’s work, that everyone can put aside the elements that have nothing to do with pure and hard photography. And, for this, he applied a series of changes to the tape. The first and most evident: it was the color. Not only did he put a black and white filterbut made it hard, accentuating the shadows until it is indistinguishable. It is what stands out the most, but as soon as reproduction begins, the second thing that attracts attention is that John Williams has disappeared. All the sound of the movie, really. The industrial and heavy music of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross bathe each scene. Turning a Blockbuster As this in something similar to the silent cinema of German expressionism, Soderbergh wants us to concentrate on one thing: admire Spielberg’s hand and eye. Also be didactic and that those who are learning from cinema can do it with one of the best. In this link that leads to your blog We can see the full film in this format, and it is surprising that, beyond that you know it or not, only with the framing, the rhythm of the assembly and the movement of the camera, the argument can be followed so well. You can ride the dialogues in your head: the movie simply works. And be careful, it is not the only film that made an alternative montage. There is also ‘2001: Odyssey in space’but unfortunately that entrance was erased from his blog. The truth is that, in this case, Kubrick sure would not have made him a hint of grace. And it is also true that there are films that these changes feel better than others. ‘Logan‘It has a black and white version and I think it would also work if we take away the sound and focus on what we see. But – by saying another that hallucinates me – something like ‘Matrix‘, For example, I would not work at all with such a change, at least in my opinion. The color is tremendously important in the Wachowski tape. I will be delighted to read in comments what this version of ‘Indiana Jones’ “remastered” by Soderbergh. (And what amounted to me most is that you can see free being Disney’s rights). In Xataka | The director of ‘The substance’ debuted 30 years ago with a homemade tribute to Star Wars that you can now see for free

Why keep doing sports in adulthood can save us a scare with hypertension

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As we become older, having an eye on our blood pressure is becoming more and more important. We know that regular exercise is important in order to reduce the risks associated with high blood pressure; But how, when and how much of the sport is still a mystery. One that we are solving little by little. Save strength. An example of this is a study led by researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, focused on how the different levels of exercise that we reach throughout our life lead to greater or lesser blood pressure in later stages. The conclusion of the study was that maintaining high levels of activity as we approach the middle age is An important key facing a healthier future. “Teenagers and early twenties can be physically active, but those patterns change with age. Our study suggests that maintaining physical activity during our adulthood-coun (at higher levels of what was recommended) could be especially important, ” explained in a press release Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, co-author of the study. The risks of hypertension. High blood pressure, or hypertensionit implies that the blood exerts high pressure on the ducts that transport it. Symptoms may include headaches, lack of air, or nasal bleeding, inter alia. The problem arises in the long term, however, since hypertension is linked to a series of cardiovascular risks, some of them potentially lethal, such as heart attacks. 5,115 participants. The study was conducted with 5,115 agent participants between 18 and 30 years old to whom a follow -up was carried out for three decades. The participants were chosen in the context of the cardia study (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) in urban nuclei from different areas of the United States. In its study, the team defined hypertension based on the limits established in 2017 by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Associationthat is, a pressure of 130 over 80 mmHg. The details of the study were published In an article In the magazine American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Activity mirror. As explained by the team responsible for the study, the increase in hypertension levels was a reflection of change in physical activity levels. The results supported what was observed in previous studies, that is, that exercise makes our blood pressure remain low. Check the recommendations. As the team explains, its results indicate that increasing exercise levels up to five hours per week could give positive results when reducing the risk that hypertension makes an appearance in the middle age. This is double that the two and a half hours recommended today in the guides considered by the team itself. In your study, They observed that 17.9% of the sample reached five hours of moderate exercise a week during its stage as young adults. These activity levels were related to a reduction in the subsequent risk of 18%hypertension. The reduction, they point out, was even greater in the case of those participants who maintained these activity levels up to 60 years. Different contexts, various results. The study was conducted in a sample of participants that covered different ethnic backgrounds. They observed differences between the Afro -descendant group and the white group, both between men and among women. Differences not only in the levels of hypertension, but also in how the levels of physical activity evolved as age progressed in the different groups studied. In Xataka | Magnesium is increasingly useful: the last is to lower our blood pressure. The question is whether it really serves something Image | Kampus Production

The projects that played to be God during the twentieth century

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On August 6, 1945, Two atomic bombs They razed the cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima and, practically, put the end to World War II. It was a tragedy And, at the same time, a demonstration of strength. Demonstration of who would carry the baton in the new world order that had been created but, also, a demonstration of what was capable of doing nuclear energy. Aware of the military advantage that the atomic bomb, the armies of the most leading powers, They launched their developmentwith United States and the USSR at the head. The general atmosphere worldwide was fear and respect for technology that could cause a disaster never known until then. But, of course, it also served to give wings to the techno-optimists. Tecno-optimism is a current of thought that, In generaldefends that technological development and continuous improvement of current products will improve our life in the future, make it easier and increase our happiness. As I say, we talk about the master lines because This current of thought has different visions And, of course, detractors indicating that any development of a product or new invention can be used for malicious purposes. Noah Smith, journalist and extrabajador of Bloomberg, He puts as an example The use of drones as a gun to illustrate this last point of view. That techno-optimism lived a huge boom in the 50s and 60s. The cold war led humanity to an accelerated development that led people to spacethe First commercial opportunity of computersof Internet Oa to think of cars moved by nuclear energy. Why not? Nuclear energy for infinity car If any technology gained adherents among the techno-optimists of the 50s, nuclear energy was. In a document rescued by the International Atomic Energy Agency (OIEA) entitled 10 years of energy of nuclear origin It stands out that: “There was a period in which the fears that raised such a shortage became so deep that this was given to the commercial nucleotic energy its first great impulse. It was inevitable that the minds would turn to the new source of energy that had taken advantage of for war, as a means to compensate for the insufficiency of energy resources. When for the first time the nucleum energy became Easy about that means of obtaining cheap energy and in practically unlimited quantities, and among the fears that were sheltered on a shortage of energy of traditional origin and the hopes encrypted in an abundance of energy of nuclear origin, the latter prevailed, with an excess of optimism, until the end of 1957 “ As we said, despite the World War II Experiencenuclear energy won adepts rapidly and organizations such as the OIEA that defended its use for civil purposes, as a means of production of an electrical energy that was increasingly demanded. That idea that the nuclear led us to a “cheap energy and in practically unlimited amounts” promoted what we know as Atomic Ageor the era of atomic energy, born in the 40s. “The fact that we can release atomic energy inaugurates a new era in the understanding of the forces of nature by man. In the future, atomic energy can complement what comes from coal, oil and water, but that at the moment it cannot occur so that it can compete commercially with those sources. Before that happens, a long period of intense research must occur. It has never been the custom of the scientists of this country To the world scientific knowledge. The above words are from Harry S. TrumanPresident of the United States that gave the order to use the atomic bomb. The investigations showed that atomic energy could be used as a source of energy and, above all, as coal alternative and fossil fuelswhich were already seen as a finite source of energy and whose impact on people’s health was found first hand in the London of the 50s. At the point that nuclear energy could be a huge source of energy began to think applications for day to day. How to miniaturize technology to have, for example, appliances that will work with a nuclear battery that would last the entire product life cycle. Ford Nucleon model And, of course, the idea of ​​the car moved by nuclear energy came. The best known proposal is that of the Ford Nucleona prototype thought in 1958 that, of course, did not go from the model. The system was as simple as it was crazy: setting up a small nuclear reactor in the car. As? The rear, extraordinarily elongated would allow to shelter a small nuclear reactor. Inside, A uranium capsule It would work as a radioactive nucleus. As in any thermonuclear reactor, the uranium fission would cause a large amount of water vapor that would serve to move two turbines. One of them would start the wheels and the second would make all the electrical systems of the vehicle operate. Ford Seattle-ite XXI For some reason we do not know, Ford seemed that his plans could have some future and in 1962 they returned to the load. Then they presented the Ford Seattle-ite XXIa car that increased further the concept of nuclear car, to the point of having six wheels and body and interchangeable engines to pass from 60 hp to 400 hp. One option for day to day and another for long trips. The crazy concept was presented at the Century 21 exhibitionin Seattle, as an improved evolution of Nucleon. For example, it had been devised with six wheels because a double axis would serve to endure the weight of the small nuclear reactor in the rear. They even saved their backs pointing out that if one of the four wheels of the double axis were punctured the car would be able to continue with the rest. Guaranteed security and dynamism. Interestingly, the concept of this new car did have other inventions that we see in our current vehicles, such as a continuous tracking of the vehicle through GPS. Studebaker Packard … Read more

We have been trying to reinvent the wheel for years. It turns out that it was as simple as replacing it with pilates balls

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I have always seemed curious the saying “We are not going to reinvent the wheel.” It is used when trying to develop a solution from scratch instead of taking advantage of an already proven and works well. And I say it seems curious because We have reinvented the wheel On many occasions, and we continue to do so. Two examples are wheels without air And, above all, the solutions for vehicles operating on land like Mars. Although circulars, its technology and design have nothing to do with the wheels we use daily. And, okay, I accept that, being circular, we are really changing the materials, not reinventing the object. But what if instead of making circular wheels … we made them spherical? Because that is precisely what the engineer and youtuber James Bruton has built: some omnidirectional wheels that solve current problems They have motorcycles and that would also be very interesting if they apply to vehicles such as cars and trucks. Let’s welcome the wheel II To reinvent the wheel, the system should not be just an improved version of the original. As I commented, the Antipinhazos wheels They are not a completely reinvention, but a technological improvement. What Bruton has achieved could be described as a reinvention (although he has side more than one attempt). The reason? In its motorcycle prototype of the future, we not only have the two balls that make contact with the ground, but a system of three rotary mechanisms for each wheel that are really applying the necessary force to move the balls and, therefore, the vehicle. More than the spheres, the key to the peculiar movement of this vehicle are systems that rotate in opposite directions and all the time balance each other to achieve movement. Each of these mechanisms is driven by an electric motor that transfers the power, but also introduced a self -evaluated system similar to that of a Segway. In this way, it is not necessary to rely on the floor with the legs when the vehicle stops, and it is not necessary to maintain the balance in a “manual” way. Its advantages? You can go back without boosting with your legs. It has lateral displacement. You can make diagonals and turn on your axis. For a parking lot, this is great. In the video it is very interesting to see that the noise it makes is minimal, that it reaches some speed and that the mechanisms that rotate the balls are working all the time to give speed to the vehicle and to maintain balance. Imperfect, but with potential Now, it is not perfect. In the video we can see that the youtuber has trouble going straight and There seems to be a quite pronounced difficulty curve both to go forward and to take a curve. In a road situation, it would be something really dangerous because, in addition, we do not have a conventional handlebar, but a bar that remains fixed and controls rotating the handle. There is also a time when it accelerates more of the account and the balls are shot. Wow, something like that would need your own driver’s license if applied to the real world, but if the problems were solved, it is a very interesting system for motorcycles due to automatic balance. For cars and trucks it would not be a bad idea either, since they could park much more simplely. Seeing this invention, the Audi of the movie ‘I, robot’ that has similar wheels and It was a real prototype. Also the Byd video parking in parallel Thanks to nailing the front wheels and making the rear turn slowly to “skid” until the car is aligned in the parking lot. Will we adopt wheel one day like these? Whatever happens, the truth is that it is interesting how we continue to find new ways to improve something that has implanted so many years. Images | James Bruton In Xataka | Bridgestone has set out to literally reinvent the wheel (and is already testing it in electric cars)

toothpaste and snow

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If a few weeks ago Sun Liang I would not have put a dentifric tube in the backpack before embarking on a trip between the Ao and Tai mountains may be dead today. Or at least he would remember his adventure for the icy riscos of northwest China as a more traumatic experience. After all, if Liang managed to survive in the middle of the mountain after getting lost, wandering between beasts and treacherous paths, it was because he endured how little he had at hand: the water he took from the river and snow and his toothpaste. Dental hygiene where appropriate served him for anything more than having healthy gums and a strong and shiny teeth. Mountain excursion. Sun Liang’s story have told her Jimu News and South China Morning Postbut it is so extraordinary, so rocambolesca, that it is not difficult to understand what is giving the return to the world And they have made echo of her media such as the Russian agency Tass. Logical. Not every day the story of a young adventurer who is lost track in a mountain in China is read and reappears after ten days, stating that he has basically survived swallowing toothpaste, snow and the water he took out of a river. Click on the image to go to Tweet. But … who is Sun Liang? A young Chinese mountaineer. And the young man is more than justified: he is only 18 years old. Despite his age and that he ensures that he developed his passion for hiking throughout the last year, in early February Liang decided to assume a draft challenge: he will travel alone 80 kilometers from the AO-TAI line, a route of around 170 km that connects the AO mountains and Taibaiin Shaanxi, northwest of the country. For two weeks he planned the expedition and invested Thousands of yuan In equipment. His adventure started on February 8. Alone, with no one to serve as a guide or support, the young man entered the mountain range Qinlinglocated in the province of Shaanxi, with an average altitude of around 2,500 meters. The trip soon twisted. Some versions They say that after two days he ran out of batteries (which among other things prevented him from communicating with his family), fell several times and fractured an arm. Othersthat on the fifth day of walking it rushed from a high height and in the fall lost the team with which it was oriented and its food. The accident left him unconscious one night and a doll broke. In desperate situations … Desperate measures, which is exactly what Liang sought. Only and incommunicado, the young man decided to walk down the river following a stream, took refuge after a large rock and an impromptu bed with what he had at hand was manufactured: dry grass and leaf litter. Another problem was how to feed in the middle of icy mountains, a challenge that Liang also threw a good dose of ingenuity. Especially since he did not want to risk eating moss or wild fungi that could poison him. Jimu News He recounts How to run out of food the young man survived with water from the river, melted snow and toothpaste. The first, the snow and the stream, allowed him to hydrate. The second, toothpaste, served as a sugar source, duck Straits Times. In any case it was not a pleasant experience. The dentifrum is not intended to serve as an appetizer and swallowed it nausea. A scare with a happy ending. The adventure ended well for Liang. More than a week after starting his adventure, while preparing a fire, he seemed to smell smoke and started screaming for help. Smell earned him as much as his obsession with dental hygiene. His voices alerted the rescue team that had come out in his search for the mountains. It was already February 17. And for the tranquility of Liang and his family the young man was finally able to return home. That the story will not end the worst forms does not mean that it had no consequences. The South China Morning Post remember That more than 30 people participated in the rescue operation and carried a cost of 80,000 yuan, around $ 11,000, for the young man’s family. That without having the implications that Liang’s recklessness could have. The Hongkonese newspaper recalls that since 2018 local authorities prohibit travelers from entering that area under the threat of sanctions. Why’s that? The area in which Liang decided to enter is especially dangerous. In fact, the AO-TAI line is one of the routes more demanding of the country for its changing climate, something that confirms a fact collected by the local press: over the last two decades more than 50 hikers have disappeared or deceased on the path by which Liang ended up wandering. “I felt terrified after the accident,” The young man confessed After the rescue, already safe at home. And in case someone wants to follow their steps, warns: “This area is not suitable for hiking. The wind was so strong that I could bare Remember Liang. “Moveing ​​the route is extremely difficult. In addition there are no good views and time changes abruptly.” Images | @Sofiadonnecke (Flickr) and The Humble Co. (UNSPLASH) In Xataka | In China there is a new upward and well -listed profession: the “Pei Pa”, colleagues to climb mountains

It is so demanding that there have never been films that opt ​​for it

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If you think that the Oscar They have too many categories, you don’t even know half: there are even more than we see. What happens is that one of them presents such high demands so that the films are nominated that it has always remained deserted. This year, in fact, some main film could opt for it, but one more year will be empty. And behind its existence there is a long history related to Music in cinema. Recycled musicals. The problem of this strange category dates back to the thirties, when the usual custom for the soundtracks of the films was the use not of exclusive original bands, but of previous musical compositions. We have all seen films of the thirties in which ‘The Lake of the Swans’ or other pieces of classical music, and Hollywood sounded realized that it was a problem when in 1938 ‘crazy for music’, a film without original compositions and whose credits did not even appear a composer, received an Oscar for the best soundtrack. Therefore, since 1939 the best original soundtrack was also rewarded, which won the mythical ‘Robin de los Forests’. The musical devastates. The situation changed again with new categories in 1942, when musicals became common currency in cinemas. Frank Churchill and Oliver Wallace won the best musical soundtrack for ‘Dumbo’, beating nine opponents. This category faced the best drama soundtrack, who won the great Bernard Herrmann for ‘The man who sold his soul’. For decades, soundtracks were rewarded according to these two distinctions, and suffering multiple variants (sometimes comedies and dramas were grouped in front of musicals, for example). Adaptations are over. Regardless of this distinction between musical and drama / comedy, in 1963 and until 1985 it went to a distinction between the best original soundtrack and the best adapted soundtrack, to reward the original compositions as it had been done in the thirties. In 1985, the adapted award was definitively dispensed with, and there was only one category, the best original soundtrack. The problem? Disney, always Disney. The Disney monster. Since 1989, with the premiere of ‘La Sernita’, Disney began razing, year after year, in the category of best soundtrack. Between 1989 and 1994, they won four times (in addition to that, ‘The Beauty and the Beast’, ‘Aladdin’ and ‘The Lion King’) and lost only two. To avoid Disney’s domination, in 1995 the category was divided into two: Best drama soundtrack and best comedy or musical soundtrack. The same was not missing: after change, Disney only won once again, with ‘Pocahontas’. The musicals, alone. Then, in 2000 a new distinction arrives: the academy decides that there are still two awards for original sound bands, but now we will have a better soundtrack and better original musical, an own category. To be part of that category, the film must include five original songs, and these must be “substantially reproduced, clearly audible and intelligible, and must contribute to the film’s argument. An arbitrary group of songs that are not essential for the argument will not be admitted.” Many films since 2000 have followed those requirements, but then … Why has the category remained unpublished? The durations, the quantities. To begin with, because the norms require a minimum minute for those soundtracks. For example, two musicals of 1999, ‘Tarzán’ and ‘South Park: larger, longer and without cuts’ had 45 -minute sound bands, insufficient according to the rules. And second and most important: at least ten films must be presented to the category so that it is open. An absolutely excessive amount for the moment that musicals currently live in the cinema. There are not enough musicals. And this is what has maintained the hidden category, despite successes (even within the Oscars) that show that gender lives good times, such as’LA LA LAND‘. We have had films like ‘Chicago’ (which would not have entered the category for proceeding with a theater musical) and this year, ‘WICKED‘. However, ten are too many: ‘The purple color‘,’Charm‘,’The great showman‘,’Vaiana‘… Great musical films, but you should add all of a decade to find enough tickets for one year in the category. According to They affirmed in Next Best Picturethe last time that amount was added was in 1963. Why follow. If the history of the Oscars is also the story of an endless list of dead categories (best dance direction, best black and white photograph …), Why is it officially active? Possibly because Hollywood does not want to miss the opportunity to reward a genre that is pure history of cinema. Maybe we would have to open something hand, allow type musicals to participate Jukebox as ‘Joker: Folie A Deux‘, Broadway adaptations such as’ Wicked’ or ‘Chicago’ or, finally, lower the minimum necessary nominated. The musicals deserve it. In Xataka | ‘The Brutalist’ is so long that it includes an intermediate of 15 minutes. And to the surprise of the director himself, people are delighted

The Swiss invention that wants to revolutionize how you consume caffeine

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Preparing that daily coffee has become a ritual for many. The choice of a good coffee, prepare it in the Coffee maker that we like the most and with accessories that we have been buying Little by little they are part of a process that goes beyond the pragmatism of “making coffee.” However, we do not always have the time or the possibility of doing so, and that is where canned coffee comes into play. Tube coffee, to be more exact. Travel coffee. For those who cannot spend a day without a couple of coffees, traveling is a headache. You do not know if you will find a good cafeteria and, if you load with the equipment, as you can carry something like an aeropress or a Portable coffee makera coffee bag already ground (which is losing properties) and you will need hot water to perform the process. And that’s where the Swiss company ‘non -normal’ has seen a hole to do business: sell coffee in paste. Not normal. The idea It was the work of two passionate about coffee and adventure that “reject mediocre coffee” and that, due to their excursions, needed to find a way of having instant coffee, good taste and easy access. They occurred to them to create a coffee paste that is stored in a tube, such as toothpaste. It is a coffee extract that, according to them, can be prepared directly next to water or hot or cold milk. Depending on the amount of liquid used, we will have a more or less long coffee, but we must bear in mind that the roasting of the grains is strong, which moves it away from many palates. The color of the pasta itself or coffee is ready is a fairly clear indicator. Coffee to chew. Not being a dust, this coffee can give game to experimentation, and those responsible have put some examples that have made me lift my eyebrow: spreading it in a toast (in the comments someone has tried this, as we will see later), combining it with banana or chocolate … and mixing it with yogurt and oatmeal. There is also a photo on its website on which it consumes it directly from the tube, as if it were an energy gel. By the way, these are your ingredients: 46% of Arabica coffee from Colombia. 15% of Colombia’s Arabica ground coffee. Swiss beet sugar, water and thickening. Specialty price. They affirm That it is tastier than most instant coffee because it is concentrated coffee, retains the flavors of newly prepared coffee and have selected roasted grains so that the product is the best possible. As for the price, there is only one option right now: the strong tums. Each tube costs 17.95 euros (more than 10 euros of shipping to Spain) and gives for 20 cups if we apply five grams services each time. There are options such as three pipes for 53.85 euros or six for 86.16 tubes, these two free shipping options. Caffeine. The tubes have a useful life of up to 12 months if it closes correctly and does not need a refrigerator for its conservation. And, at this point, something you can ask yourself is how much caffeine has a “coffee concentrate” like this. Caffeine is still A concern For many people, although there is evidence that it is needed take a huge amount So that we notice any consideration, and each service of five grams has about 47 mg of caffeine. On the web, They clarify that a conventional espresso have about 63 mg of caffeine and that the teaspoon of its pasta has more … or less. In the end, it is something that depends on both conventional espresso and the coffee variety or, if we talk about the non -normal coffee, the amount of pasta we use. What seems, at least much of the advertising that accompanies this coffee so, is that the target user is athlete and mountaineer, who is the one who has most complicated would have access to caffeine a hot coffee during their activities. Flavor? That is the big question. The commercial video makes me funny for the face that one of those responsible for the coffee puts after trying it, but it is obviously impossible to judge something like that until it is proven. I am not one of those who trust the assessments of the users within the websites of the owners of a product, but it is curious to see the difference in criteria when assessing its flavor. Most of the Scores They are very positive -logical-, but beyond that detail, it is interesting to see that there are several comments that claim that it is a bit sweet for their standards … and others comment that too strong. There are those who say that it has too much sugar and others that have very little. They also emphasize that “she knows horrible” smeared in a toast (I have to try that) and there are those who comment that it is a good idea, but that he would like to see a model with an average gang. As I say, it is funny to see the difference in opinions due to the variety of palates and the sensations before the same product, but what stands out is something that, regardless of the flavor that may have, seems evident: its practicality. Images | Not normal In Xataka | The first step to improve coffee you drink is to grind it yourself. Science has the explanation

There was a time in which the big oil companies raised “transition” to renewables. BP just kill the plan

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The British giant BP has announced a radical turn in its corporate strategy: from the green commitment to fossil fuels again. Short. A year after be appointed CEO of BPMurray Auchincloss has dismantled the plan to reduce the production of hydrocarbons that had promoted his predecessor, Bernard Looney. Auchincloss described his new strategy as a “fundamental restart” In the company’s plans: to cut the investment in renewable energy to increase the production of oil and natural gas. A turn in the middle of the investment pressure. The latest BP results did not excite their investors. During the fourth quarterthe net profit of the group fell to 1.2 billion dollars, less than half as in the same period of the previous year. With a collection of dividends of just eight cents per share, Elliott Investment Management, which accumulates a participation Of almost 5,000 million dollars in BP, it has intensified the pressure on the group to improve the return of its shareholders. Given this scenario, BP has decided not to get away from fossil fuels, but to enhance its production. When your neighbor’s beards see cut … Shell, Exxonmobil and Totalenergies, three of the main competitors of BP, They have been improving results Thanks to its commitment to the production of hydrocarbons, whose demand continues to increase slightly despite the energy transition. As the divergence in the performance of both strategies became more noticeable, BP shareholders, especially Elliott, have been demanding drastic improvements in the structure and strategy of the company. How this affects renewables. It is not encouraging news. BP plans to increase its investment in hydrocarbons to about 10,000 million dollars annually until 2027, with the aim of produce between 2.3 and 2.5 million barrels Petroleum and natural gas newspapers by 2030. To be able to do this while returning capital to shareholders, BP will substantially reduce spending on less profitable projects, such as renewable energies. The group will adjust its investments in these areas with a very selective approach, prioritizing transition projects that require a lower disbursement. Its Offshore wind division will become independent from the group. Even so… BP says to continue committed to its goal of achieve carbon neutrality by 2050a legal objective established by the United Kingdom government, which was one of the first to formalize and support with legislation the commitment to reduce net greenhouse gases to zero emissions. BP’s change of strategy can help her be more profitable in the near future, but only a transition. It will clearly be inevitable If climatic policies are maintained or become more aggressive. With the improvements in efficiency and safety of nuclear energy, advances in electrification and increasingly cheaper renewables, excuses are over to continue betting on fossil fuels. Image | BP In Xataka | European oil companies readjust their strategy: they leave aside the green transition before market pressures

Good news for China, not so much for the western technology industry

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The Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC) has established a measure that will affect cobalt exports. No more cobalt? The market regulation and control authority of strategic mineral substances (Arecoms) has announced that cobalt exports will be detained for at least four months. According to He explained Its president, Patrick Luabya, the decision seeks to control the supply of cobalt in an international market that is facing an overproduction of metal. The importance of cobalt. There is a common metal that both electric vehicles and mobile devices and other technologies share: cobalt. In this century, I know has promoted its demand. However, the production of cobalt in the RDC, which represents around 70% of the world supply, has fallen together with the lithium. This has caused other cobalt producers, such as Russia and Australia, to win more prominence. The reason for the oversupply has been the increase in production by From the Chinese company CMOCsince he has doubled his extraction in two large mines in the country. This situation has had an impact on supply and demand, causing a price drop. In fact, according to Fastmarkets data, cobalt reference prices They have dropped out of 10 dollars per pounda level that had not been seen in more than 20 years. The current impact on the global market. Despite this fall, the markets have entered into tension with the measure taken by RDC. But they have been able to breathe calm because the suspension of exports have not meant an immediate change in the price of cobalt. However, market experts consider that, in the short term, this action could generate a market stiffnesssince cobalt stocks will accumulate in the RDC instead of going to Chinese deposits, as is often the case. China. Although the suspension of exports has not yet affected prices, this can benefit the Asian country. Chinese companies, which They already control A significant part of the offer and cobalt production may be strengthened from this crisis. In fact, China It has access to other cobalt sources Like Australia, Russia and Indonesia. Particularly the latter has great cobalt reservations and has experienced significant growth in its production. In addition, the Congo decision has reinforced China’s domain, while the West faces greater difficulties in ensuring essential materials for technological and energy sectors. In this way, the Asian country has taken a dominance position in front “The war of tariffs” against Donald Trump. It should be added that the latter You will need many materials That has China. The western technology industry. The measure has directly affected the technological sector of Europe and the United States, since they depend on the cobalt to make batteries of electric vehicles and electronic devices. However, the Democratic Republic of the Congo seeks to redefine its role in the global market And he has asked Europe and the United States for help through an agreement. In this approach, the African country has established an agreement by which they offer strategic minerals in exchange for support for the stability and development of the country. This proposition starts from the RDC is facing internal tensions. In particular, the east of the Congo is being the scene of armed conflictssome with alleged relationship with Rwandawhich has intensified the violence in rubber and bukavu, both border cities with Rwanda are known for their mines rich in different elements. With this proposal, the RDC expects to attract Western investment and reduce its dependence on China in the mining sector. It remains to be seen if the United States and Europe will accept the agreement, which would allow them to ensure more stable access to these strategic resources. Copper. It should be noted that the cobalt is mainly extracted as an byproduct of copper in the Congo. The suspension of cobalt exports It will not affect Production or copper exports, another key mineral that Congo also produces in large quantities. This means that, although the export of cobalt is limited, copper exports will follow its normal course, without important changes. The suspension of exports will continue for three more months and will be revalued. During this period we will have to be attentive to future actions of the West and as China will redraw the energy map. Image | The International Institute for Environment and Development (IED) Xataka | The cobalt is what triggers the price of batteries. Japan has just found a much cheaper alternative

Alibaba has new Open Source to generate videos. The problem is that it is being used to generate pornographic deepfakes

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Last week Alibaba launched Wanx 2.1a new AI model for video generation that competes with others such as Sorafrom OpenAi, or I see 2from Google. The tool ended up becoming 24 hours later the person responsible for dozens of pornographic videos They will be published on the Internet. Wanx 2.1 is also an Open Source model whose code It is available in github. Very soon users fond of pornographic content and who also possessed the appropriate technical knowledge took advantage of that fair model for that: to generate porn videos. They told it in 404 averagewhere they indicated how in communities dedicated to producing and sharing pornographic deepfakes without the consent of the people represented, the users were “salivating” because of the advanced Alibaba model. Some of those videos were shared in Civitai, A platform in which users share images and videos generated with AI tools, but in which such images are also bought and sold. The statistics that we can find in the pages of the AI ​​models used to create those images and video show how These models have already been downloaded hundreds of times by users. There are already dozens of pornographic videos created with WAN 2.1, indicate in 404 average. In Civitai, users are allowed to share AI models, but unseeled pornographic content is not allowed. That does not prevent users from discharging the models and use them to produce these models themselves, they affirm in this medium. The problem is once again the use of tools that, of course, allow perfectly appropriate and spectacular videos, but can also be used for uses such as these. We already saw how this type of Deepfakes They can become very profitableand the advance of these tools makes it difficult to control this type of content. In Xataka | In South Korea, Deepfake Porn has become a nightmare. Your solution: three years in jail for those who see it

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