usatoday24

If you have half a million euros left over, you can buy it

May 12, 2026 by usatoday24

The Chinese company Unitree Robotics just presented the GD01, a manned robot that combines bipedal locomotion with movement on four limbs. Wow, a mecha that seems straight out of the movies but already has a price and production date. It already exists and can be purchased. According to Unitree, the GD01 is a high-strength alloy machine that weighs about 500 kilos with a pilot on board. To control it, simply place yourself in the cabin that incorporates the torso. Its starting price is 3.9 million yuan (about 538,000 euros at the current exchange rate). The company defines it as the world’s first mass-produced transformable mecha. What it can do. In the video published The company shows the GD01 walking upright on two legs and knocking down a brick wall with one hand. Next, the robot reconfigures its chassis and begins to move supported by four limbs, literally like a Transformers. China and robotics. The GD01 comes at a time when Chinese robotics companies are gaining ground notably compared to its American competitors, driven by lower production costs and greater manufacturing speed. According to consulting firm Omdia, Chinese companies accounted for almost 90% of global sales of humanoid robots in 2025. Unitree alone shipped more than 5,500 units last year, according to share SCMP, compared to the approximately 150 units shipped by each of the large American firms such as Tesla, Figure AI or Agility Robotics. The price gap. Unitree’s humanoid entry robot, the R1it costs around 5,500 euros to change. Its Chinese rival AgiBot has a simplified model for about 12,800 euros. And on the other hand, Elon Musk has estimated that the Tesla Optimus It could cost between $20,000 and $30,000 in the future. The GD01 is a different bet from the rest, especially to provide maneuverability in industrial environments. Unitree is in full expansion. The company already sells its R1 and G1 humanoid robots, as well as the Go2 robot dog, in international markets such as North America, Europe and Japan through AliExpress. Their robots have begun to appear in all kinds of environments and events (in fact we brought one in the last Xataka Awards). In March, Unitree also requested to go public in the Chinese market, with a financing plan of about 4.2 billion yuan, of which 85% would go to research and development. The question that remains in the air. The GD01 is, for now, a demonstration of technological capacity and a declaration of intent. It is also a really eye-catching product, which is precisely what the company is looking for: notoriety. It is certainly achieving it, although it is still up in the air whether its technological capabilities exceed those currently found in the industrial environments for which it is intended. Now, what’s cool is cool. In Xataka | We had already assumed that AI and robots were superior to humans at chess. Now they are also good at ping-pong

TikTok now has an answer for those who don’t want to see ads: check out

May 12, 2026 by usatoday24

Consuming social networks for free and without any type of advertisement is something that has been disappearing for years. Bombarding with advertising to later launch a payment model is something that applications like Instagram learned very well, and now TikTok is beginning to follow in its footsteps. TikTok Ad-Free. TikTok began testing a payment model back in 2023 in the United Statesan idea that did not spread beyond American territory. The company now makes official TikTok Ad-Free in UKopening the ban to expand it to the rest of the regions. How it works. The company has announced that, “in the coming months”, users over 18 years of age will be able to gradually subscribe to the new advertising-free option, TikTok Ad-Free. Those who continue using the free version will see no changes, and will see personalized ads. The price is £3.99 per month, in exchange for not seeing a single ad on TikTok and our data not being used for advertising purposes. It’s something that sounds familiar to us. Instagram Vibes. In 2024, Meta gave his ultimatum: either it was checked out or our information would be used for advertising purposes to show us the relevant advertisements. On Instagram they went a step further, since paying users not only got rid of ads: they got a verification badge and got more “love” from Instagram in terms of the visibility of their own account if they were a content creator. Why is it important. TikTok is in the crosshairs of the European Commissionas you consider your ad library to be non-compliant the Digital Services Law. The social network will have to be especially careful when implementing measures related to ads and data collection, even more so if billing is involved. In the same way, the fact that TikTok has given free rein to its subscription monetization model (although its application is not immediate), closes a circle of services that we use on a daily basis and that, whether we like it or not, force us to checkout if we do not want to see ads. And if not, Tell them to the paid version of WhatsApp. The big question. If you’re wondering when TikTok Ad-Free will arrive in Europe, the answer is that we don’t know yet. What seems inevitable is that this ends up happening, after the test in the United States and its progressive implementation in the United Kingdom. In Xataka | TikTok’s infinite scroll has just entered the EU’s crosshairs: Brussels marks it as “addictive design” and demands change

There is a secret outpost in a desert in Iraq to bomb Tehran

May 12, 2026 by usatoday24

During the Gulf Warseveral Bedouins in western Iraq began to see helicopters and military convoys appear and disappear in remote areas of the desert where there was apparently nothing. Years later it was learned that many of those areas had been used as secret outposts and makeshift runways for Western special operations far from any official map. An outpost in the middle of nowhere. He told it in an exclusive the wall street journal. The war between Israel and Iran has left images of missiles, bombers and attacks thousands of kilometers away, but one of the most surprising stories of the conflict has occurred far from the cameras, in the middle of the Iraqi desert. According to several sources cited by the mediaIsrael secretly set up a forward base inside Iraq to support part of its air campaign against Tehran. Apparently, the place served as a logistics center, a support point for special forces and a rescue platform for downed pilots, all just a few steps away. hundreds of kilometers from Iran and hidden in one of the emptiest and most difficult to control areas of the Middle East. The idea seems straight out of a military espionage movie: a clandestine enclave installed silently inside another country, protected from the air and prepared to intervene in a regional war without official recognition. The strategic importance of Iraq. The detail reveals to what extent the distance was one of the big problems Israeli operatives during the campaign against Iran. Bombing Iranian targets from Israeli territory involves traveling enormous distances, maintaining long flight routes and assuming constant risks for pilots and aircraft. Having an outpost in Iraq changed part of that equation. It allowed rescue teams to be brought closer, special forces to be deployed and an intermediate point from which to react quickly in emergencies. The presence of Israeli air force commandos trained to operate in enemy territory further suggests that the enclave was not simply a makeshift base, but an infrastructure designed to sustain complex operations behind the lines of conflict. The pastor who almost discovered it all. The story took on an even more surreal tone when the base was nearly exposed by something as simple as a local shepherd. According to the published informationa local man alerted Iraqi authorities after observing strange movements and helicopter flights in the desert. The Iraqi Army sent several units to investigate and there began one of the most delicate episodes of the entire operation. The soldiers advanced in Humvees towards the area at dawn and ended up under intense fire supported from the air. In fact, a Iraqi soldier died and others were injured. The extraordinary thing is that for weeks no one understood exactly what had happened there: Iraq denounced an unauthorized foreign operation, some media initially pointed the finger at Washington, and rumors began to circulate about special forces operating clandestinely in the desert. Only later did the possibility begin to emerge that Israel was defending a secret facility directly linked to the war against Iran. Invisible war within another war. Plus: the episode shows the extent to which modern conflicts are full of invisible layers that rarely appear in official statements. While the world’s attention was focused in ballistic missilesdrones and attacks on Iranian facilities, in parallel clandestine operations were carried out in third countries to sustain all this military machinery. I remembered the Journal that the western Iraqi desert had been used for decades these types of activities by American forces, from the wars against Saddam Hussein to operations against the Islamic State. The reason is simple: the region is huge, isolated, and sparsely populated, making it a perfect place to deploy hard-to-detect temporary outposts. The difference is that now the scenario was not a US invasion or an anti-terrorist campaign, but a regional air war in which Israel needed to operate at an enormous distance from its territory. The long shadow of the United States. Although sources assure that Washington knew of the existence of the Israeli base, the United States I would have avoided participating directly in the clashes that occurred around the enclave. Even so, the whole story once again shows the extent to which the US military infrastructure in the Middle East continues to condition any regional conflict. The bases, air corridors, intelligence and experience networks accumulated over decades of operations in Iraq have created an ecosystem that allows for this type of rapid and discreet deployments. In fact, his own rescue of an F-15 American aircraft shot down near Isfahan during the war demonstrates that both countries were operating simultaneously in an extremely complex theater, one where commandos, helicopters and rescue teams could move across several countries while officially many of those operations They didn’t even exist. Image | NARA In Xataka | While everyone was looking at Hormuz, Russia has found a much more important route to supply drones to Iran In Xataka | We sensed that Iran’s attacks on the US had been important. In reality, they were devastating

Drivers born in 1956 will be able to renew their driving license for free in 2026. And it is possible because nothing has changed

May 12, 2026 by usatoday24

Drivers over 70 years of age will be able to renew their driving license for free. This year those born in 1956 or in previous years will be able to. But those born in 1955 were also able to do so last year. And, although you have read that the regulations have changed, the truth is that everything remains the same. And that’s an advantage for elderly drivers. From 1956. If we look back at the calendar, it is the line that marks who can renew their driving license for free and who cannot. And traffic regulations state that drivers aged 70 or older will renew their license completely free of charge. This rule, although you may have read the opposite in some media, is the same one that has been applied for years. And it is that on social networks and in the media we have read that “from 2026” drivers over 70 years of age will renew their driving license for free and that from the age of 65 onwards they will have to do so every five years (instead of the usual 10). It is a rule that has not undergone any change and that, as already The DGT itself told us last year When this information went viral again, it is something that has been applied for a long time. At the moment, the price of renewal of the driving license is 24.58 euros to which the cost of the medical examination must be added. What does the norm say?. When we want to renew the license to drive a car, three large groups are established according to the General Driver Regulations (Art.12.2): From 18 to 65 years old: the driving license is renewed every 10 years From 65 years of age and older: the driving license is renewed every five years From 70 years of age and older: the driving license is renewed every five years but the renewal is free Of course, it must be taken into account that a doctor can decide some restrictions. For example, it can shorten driver’s license renewal times and require a person over 70 years of age (or any other driver) to re-pass the medical exam, in which their driving abilities are evaluated. earlier than what would be required by general regulations. Yes, but. Indeed, those over 70 years of age can renew their driving license for free but, as a general rule, they have to do so more frequently than the rest of the groups described above. But they are also the age group on which the most restrictions are imposed. According to Mapfre, 61% of drivers People over 65 years of age have some type of limitation when driving and the DGT raises these figures to 81% of the elderly. A driver may be limited in the range in which he or she can drive, prohibited from driving at night or at maximum speed. Traffic officers know this because on our driver’s license Each of these limitations would be reflected with a code. Too long? If an 18-year-old driver renews his or her driving license every decade, he or she will have to pay the renewal fee up to five times. The last one would reach the age of 68 and from then on, if the deadlines are met every five years, the license would be renewed for free on another five occasions until the age of 93. The big question is whether driver’s license renewals extend too long in time. The director of the DGT himself already pointed out in November 2021 that it seemed excessive “that a 90-year-old person can have their driving license for five years without renewing it.” Despite this and despite the fact that a decade without passing a medical exam before renewing the license can also be too long even if we are under 65 years old, nothing has changed. Contradictory. One of the ideas that has been floating in the air for a long time is whether a person should lose their driving license after reaching an age. The European Union has been adamant about this idea: no. And from Brussels they consider that It would be a discriminatory rule and that it is the medical examinations that must continue to set the limits. María José Aparicio, deputy director of the DGT, I was aiming for 2021 that “in Spain, 28% of those killed in traffic accidents were over 65 years of age (data from 2019). These figures are going to worsen, if we do nothing, due to the aging of the population.” But this is probably due to the physical condition of these people, who are more likely to have more serious consequences in minor accidents. And these people over 70 years old are only immersed in the 12% of accidents and they crash four times less than the youngest, according to data from Mapfre. In addition, another problem is added. A good part of them They keep older and unsafe carseither because they have a tighter economy or because they do not want to make the investment. And it is also the group that adapts worst to the mandatory ADAS systemsdriving aids that They also cause confusion among younger people. Photo | Daniel Silva and DGT In Xataka | The DGT insists: there are drivers who are too old. But that’s not the main problem

the x-ray of taxes and tolls in Spain

May 12, 2026 by usatoday24

Although it sounds like science fiction that the Spanish electricity market has come to pay for consuming energy, marking a historical record of -10 euros per megawatt hour (MWh) On a Sunday at three in the afternoon, the reality that reaches the mailboxes is very different. Spain today boasts of having the cheapest wholesale electricity in Europe, surpassing powers such as Germany or France, but, paradoxically, households end up assuming a bill that is above the European Union average. The great paradox that frustrates citizens is evident: how is it possible to generate almost free electricity and end up paying for it at European luxury prices? The silent revolution. To understand the miracle of the wholesale market, you have to look at the data in depth. As analyst Jan Rosenow details in his recent reportSpain has not just added solar panels and windmills on a fossil fuel base, but has replaced them. The turning point was the year 2022, when the sum of wind and solar energy generated more electricity than all fossil sources combined. The secret of this price collapse lies in how the European electricity market works, where the latest technology that enters to cover demand (normally the most expensive) is the one that sets the price for all the others. During the last decade, that role was played by gas. However, renewables have pushed gas out of the equation: in 2022, gas marked the price 55% of the hours, while in the first four months of 2026, that figure has plummeted to a mere 9%. The result is devastating: at the start of 2026, the average wholesale price in Spain was just €44/MWh. In that same period, Italy paid €127, Germany €96 and the United Kingdom €103. The big question: Why don’t we notice it more? The short answer is that the price of energy is just one ingredient in the cake. According to Rosenow,the wholesale cost of energy represents only 41% of a typical Spanish domestic bill. The rest is a sum of network tolls (23%), VAT (17%), system charges (10%), electricity taxes and commercial margins. Cheaper wholesale energy is a necessary condition for lower bills, but it is not sufficient. Added to this tax cocktail is a consumer behavior problem. According to expert Joaquín Coronado In a recent publication in LinkedInnational demand is practically “inelastic.” Analyzing a time period where electricity cost a paltry €0.51/MWh, Coronado observed that there was no additional Spanish demand willing to take advantage of that bargain. Consumers are price-takers passives. And here comes the twist: since we do not consume that excess of cheap energy, French and Portuguese agents end up buying it to export it, which paradoxically drags our market upwards through European coupling. The unequal impact. This market dynamic does not affect everyone equally, leaving a transition to the next idea much clearer: there are obvious winners and households in tension. On the one hand, the great Spanish electro-intensive industry is experiencing a sweet moment. According to data from the AEGE associationby paying for electricity at €66.50/MWh compared to almost €68/MWh for the powerful German industry, they have achieved a surprise vital competitive. For families, the Government maintains an active “fiscal shield” (with VAT reduced to 10% and the electricity tax to 0.5%) that covers up the impact of tolls. But there are regulatory clouds. The European Commission has targeted the Spanish regulated tariff (the PVPC)to which almost 30% of households are covered. Brussels demands that it be progressively dismantled to push consumers into the free market, arguing that the intervened rates discourage savings and competition. The Spanish Government, for its part, resists eliminating it, defending that it is an indispensable security cushion and the main requirement to access the social bonus that protects the most vulnerable. The mirage of summer. Experts agree that we should not trust ourselves. The current spring bargain has an expiration date. When summer arrives, high temperatures will reduce the efficiency of solar panels, air conditioners will increase demand and, in all likelihood, expensive gas will have to be turned back on to avoid blackouts, driving prices up again. Furthermore, the green revolution has a “shadow bill.” Rosenow emphasizes that, Although energy is cheaper, keeping the system stable now costs more. Spain has to pay more for balancing services, voltage support and new transmission infrastructure to take solar and wind energy from where it is generated to where it is consumed. And those costs, inevitably, end up being passed on to the consumer through system charges. The solution to this bottleneck Joaquín Coronado himself points it out: The system cries out for new loads designed to arbitrage price. We are talking about batteries, industrial thermal storage and new hydraulic pumps. That is, each megawatt that we manage to store when electricity is at zero euros will be a renewable megawatt that we will not throw away, thus stabilizing the price for everyone. Incomplete success. Spain has achieved an indisputable structural feat. We have become a European pioneer, largely decoupling our prices from international gas volatility and gaining invaluable energy independence now measured in euros per megawatt hour. However, it must be taken into account that the energy transition does not end with solar panels. As long as the structure of tolls, networks and taxes continues to weigh almost 60% on families’ final bills, the European dream of zero-cost electricity will continue to be, for the average consumer, a spectacular figure that only exists on the screens of the financial markets. We generate almost free, but the labyrinth to the plug still costs us at European prices. Image | Unsplash Xataka | While Europe panics about the price of electricity, in Spain the opposite is happening

the best deals on Amazon today, May 12

May 12, 2026 by usatoday24

We are halfway through the week and almost reaching the middle of May. Amazon has surprised us today with a good batch of offers on technological devices (both its own and other brands). These are the best deals in technology that we have found today in the e-commerce giant. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select (latest generation) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Smart TV TCL 98Q6C by 1,489 euros: 98-inch QD-MiniLED with Google TV. Fire TV Stick 4K Select by 27.99 euros– with early access to Alexa+. Activity bracelet Google Fitbit Air by 99.99 euros– Compatible with iOS and Android. air fryer Ninja MAX Pro by 84.79 euros: 6.2 liters and with accessory and recipe book. smartphone Xiaomi 17 by 899.99 euros: 6.3 inches and with Leica cameras. Smart TV TCL 98Q6C If you want a gigantic TV for your living room, this one from the firm 98 inch TCL It’s a bargain now on Amazon. Now a 32% discount has been applied, so it has gone from costing 2,199 euros to 1,489 euros. The panel it mounts is type QD-MiniLED and has Halo Control. The processor it has is AiPQTM Pro and its speakers are made by Onkyo and are compatible with Dolby Atmos and the operating system under which it works is Google TV. TCL 98Q6C Television 98 Inch QD-Mini LED 4K Smart TV The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Fire TV Stick 4K Select It has only recently been possible to enjoy early access to Alexa+ and this Fire TV Stick 4K Select It is the cheapest device to enjoy Amazon’s improved voice assistant. Now, it’s reduced to 27.99 euros. Supports 4K streamingalthough one of the main negative points for many is that it prevents the download and installation of third-party, external apps and from unknown sources. Its remote has a direct access button for Alexa and supports WiFi 5 connectivity. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select (latest generation) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Google Fitbit Air activity bracelet If you like monitor your workouts through a device with a minimalist design, this bracelet Google Fitbit Air It’s perfect for you. Now, in addition, it has a discount of more than 30% and remains available for 99.99 euros. This wearables offers 24-hour cardiac monitoring. Is compatible with iOS and Android and its design is that of a comfortable high-performance strap, made with recycled materials and featuring a flexible fit. Google Fitbit Air – Screenless Activity Bracelet with physical activity monitoring The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Ninja MAX Pro Air Fryer Ninja has managed to revolutionize a sector that seemed stagnant, such as air fryers, thanks to its striking and different designs from the rest. Now, on Amazon you can get this airfryer Ninja Max Pro with a 43% discount, since it is available for 84.79 euros. This air fryer Ninja has a 6.2 liter capacity and a very elegant design in black and gold. It offers six cooking functions and in addition to the fryer, it comes with silicone tongs and a recipe guide. Ninja MAX PRO Air Fryer, 6.2L The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Xiaomi 17 Smartphone that he Xiaomi 17 It is one of the smartphones of the year is something indisputable. If you have been thinking about making the jump to the high-end for a while, now on Amazon you can do it while saving money. This mobile from the Chinese manufacturer has a 200 euro discount and you can buy it for 899.99 euros. This Xiaomi 17 mounts a 6.3 inch screen and its photographic system is signed by Leica, standing out above all for its Light Fusion 950 high dynamic sensor. Its brain is the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and its battery has a capacity of 6,330 mAh and supports fast charging of up to 100 W. XIAOMI 17 – 12+512GB Smartphone The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Xiaomi, TCL, Google, Ninja and Amazon In Xataka | Best televisions in quality price. Which one to buy and seven recommended 4K smart TVs In Xataka | Best sound bars in quality price. Which one to buy and seven recommended models from 140 euros

China is neither nor does it want to be in the 2nm war between TSMC, Intel and Samsung. Your plan to win is different

May 12, 2026 by usatoday24

“Many people believe that competition in the semiconductor industry comes down to the advanced nodes and that we will only achieve success when we reach 2 or 3 nm. This is a misunderstanding“. This statement was made by Richard Chang Rujing, the founder of SMIC (Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp), the largest Chinese semiconductor manufacturer with a global market share of about 5%. Rujing has spoken these words with a very clear intention: he wants China to strengthen its supply chain and its position in the global integrated circuit market by developing its manufacturing capacity for mature chips. Currently the most advanced integration technology that SMIC has in production is 7nm photolithography due to their inability to access equipment extreme ultraviolet lithography (VVE) of ASML. And there is no doubt that it and other Chinese chip manufacturers would benefit greatly from having the capacity to produce 5, 3 and 2 nm semiconductors. In this way they could compete on equal terms with TSMC, Intel and Samsung. However, there is something very important that we should not overlook: advanced nodes represent less than 20% of the world market of integrated circuits by product volume, while more than 80% of demand It comes from the segments of mature nodes and specialized processes. Rujing wants SMIC and the other Chinese chipmakers to invest more in their mature nodes, and it makes sense. After all, this is the strategy that is allowing China resist US pressure. Mature chips are the medicine the Chinese industry needs During the first two months of 2026, China exported integrated circuits worth $43.3 billionwhich represents an increase of 72.6% compared to the same period in 2025. This information comes directly from Chinese customs records, so it is presumably reliable. However, the most astonishing thing is that this country’s exports as a whole have grown by 21.8% during January and February, so it is evident that the semiconductor industry has been stimulated with much more intensity than other sectors. More than 80% of demand comes from the mature nodes and specialized processes segments Domestic demand has stimulated the growth of the Chinese chip industry in recent years, but the figures I have collected in the previous paragraph show that external demand is also very strong. In this context it is reasonable for us to ask what type are integrated circuits that Chinese manufacturers are mass producing. And the answer is very revealing: these are chips derived from mature integration technologiesusually 28 nm or less advanced. After all, the semiconductors that we mostly find in electronic devices, household appliances or cars, among other products, have been produced using them. Many Chinese chip manufacturers, such as Hua Hong Semiconductor, China Resources Microelectronics or Guangzhou ZenSemi, are manufacturing 28 nm integrated circuits or with even more mature technologies. And the Beijing Yandong Microelectronics (YDME) company is going to build a 4.6 billion dollar plant expressly to produce 28nm semiconductors on 300mm wafers. It is evident that these companies would not focus on the manufacturing of mature chips in this way if it were not a profitable strategy, and, above all, necessary to sustain the Chinese integrated circuit industry at a time as critical as the current one. Image | TSMC More information | SCMP In Xataka | China is preparing for the worst scenario: it fears that the US will prevent TSMC from delivering chips for cars and smartphones

It also serves to set up a mobile karaoke

May 12, 2026 by usatoday24

One of the things that the world of social media, vertical video, and content creation has taught me is that average image quality can be supported by almost anyone, but bad sound cannot. That a TikTok or Reel looks bad is passable, but if it doesn’t sound good, the rejection is immediate. We have the greatest proof of this when we open TikTok: the mobile is the default camerabut the audio capture device is usually a wireless microphone. There are several options on the market and today we must add a very interesting proposal from a brand that knows a lot about audio: JBL. The firm has just announced the new JBL EasySing Mic Mini. And yes, they come with a twist: you can set up the world’s largest duffel bag wherever you want. JBL EasySing Mic Mini | Image: JBL Why an external microphone? Because the microphone (“microphones”, really, it is normal that there are several) of mobile phones is not designed for content creation. Not at least in a professional or semi-professional way. Mobile phones use very small, omnidirectional MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems) microphone systems. They have a very high noise floor, they distort if we bring them very close to the sound source and they are omnidirectional, so they capture all the sound around them. They are useful for making calls, for everyday video recording, and for guerrilla content like a quick story. Now, from 20-30 centimeters away its performance drops greatly, even more so if we record outdoors. While mobile video has evolved at breakneck speed, audio remains a pending task. That’s why a dedicated microphone is still a good investment when creating content at a higher level. JBL EasySing Mic Mini | Image: JBL JBL EasySing Mic Mini. That is the name given to JBL’s new proposal. This new microphone has a more compact format than the EasySing Mics available so far, which are more reminiscent of a normal microphone. The new Mic Mini comes in a more compact case that we can carry in our pocket or backpack, and includes two devices: the dongle (which we will connect to the speaker or mobile phone) and the microphone, which we can hold in our hand, attach to an accessory or clip it to our t-shirt using the magnetic clip. A dongle… The dongle has a USB type C, AUX and Bluetooth connection, so it can be connected to practically any device, be it a mobile phone, laptop or speaker. The connection to the microphone is via 2.4 GHz and the effective range is about 20 meters. At the expense of testing it, it is to be expected that the sound quality will be much better than what we can achieve by recording with the mobile microphone. JBL EasySing Mic Mini | Image: JBL …a little bit of AI… One of the keys to the microphone is the built-in AI system, which works de facto on the device itself. The device is capable of reducing noise, separating the voice from any song and improving our voice to reach high tones. And why would we want the microphone to separate the voice from a song? …and karaoke. Because one of the curiosities of this microphone is that it allows us to set up karaoke anywhere. Simply connect the dongle to a compatible JBL speaker and play music. The dongle itself will be in charge of analyzing the song and eliminating, if we want, the background voice so that only ours can be heard. We can leave 25% of the original voice to use as a guide, use it as a 50% accompaniment, or eliminate it completely. If we connect the microphone to the JBL One app we can also access voice effects and additional settings, such as an equalizer. JBL EasySing Mic Mini | Image: JBL Versions and price. The JBL EasySing Mic Mini will be available for 149.99 euros from June 2026. Of course, it has not arrived alone. In addition to this new microphone, which is the most different proposal in the catalogue, JBL has renewed its product range with the following products. JBL Live 780NC | Image: JBL JBL Live 780NC and 680NC: supra-aural headband headphones that mount 40 mm drivers, incorporate active noise cancellation and offer 80 hours of autonomy. The difference between the two is that the 780NC uses six microphones for noise cancellation, while the 680NC uses four. Both are compatible with Smart TX. JBL Live 4 | Image: JBL JBL Live 4: TWS headphones in stick in ear (Live Beam 4), in ear (Live Buds 4) and semi-open stick (Live Flex 4) formats with smart casing. The main novelty is Perfect Call 2.0, a six-microphone system to improve call quality; and the new smart case with a screen and more functions, such as checking notifications. JBL PartyBox 330 | Image: JBL JBL PartyBox 330 and JBL PartyBox 130: your new speakers to mount the backpack anywhere. They have up to 280W of power, lights and, of course, microphone compatibility. Images | JBL In Xataka | The best song to test the performance of your headphones, according to a sound researcher who has been using it for 35 years

Science explains why your brain prefers paper to keyboard to learn

May 12, 2026 by usatoday24

In an era dominated by mechanical keyboards, touch screens and cutting-edge tablets, the ancestral gesture of slide a pen over the paper seems like an anachronism reserved for people who haven’t updated. And this is a reality in areas of study such as, for example, universities, where it is rare to see someone studying by hand. But the reality is that, to be much more productive while studying, it may be best to put the laptop aside and start writing. The ‘magic’ of the pen. Here science, in its different disciplines, has concluded that taking notes by hand significantly improves retention and comprehension compared to actively using digital devices. And it’s not a question of romanticism, it’s a question of neural processing. A transcription effect. One of the pillars of this evidence is in a study published in 2014 which pointed out that students who use laptops to take notes become authentic transcribers of what the teacher says. And we have reached the point where many people can write faster than teachers speak and become “transcription machines” without processing the information. and stay with what is most important. I have even seen that even jokes end up being copied. On the contrary, who writes by hand You can’t write it all down. This requires you to engage in active cognitive processing: you must listen, digest, synthesize, and rephrase the idea in your own words. This “desirable difficulty” generates a much deeper encoding in memory that lasts even a week after the study. Better paper. Beyond the transcription effect, neuroscience has confirmed that the benefit is not only strategic, but also physical. Here, a study from 2021 published by the University of Tokyo demonstrated using electroencephalograms that handwriting activates brain areas critical for memory, language and fine movement. This is why, when using a pen, it has been seen that the hippocampus is significantly activated, which is essential for memory and spatial coding of information. But it does not stop there, since up to 25% more neuronal connectivity has been detected in complex tasks when the analog method is used. This explains why students in highly demanding careers tend to perform better cognitively when they opt for neural methods such as engineering. Less distractions. Beyond neurons, paper offers a competitive advantage in the study environment, since it is a closed system. This is very important because a tablet or laptop It is also a tool with open doors to notificationssocial networks and messaging apps that can be a temptation when it comes to interrupting the study quite easily. In addition, it facilitates word recognition and visual memorization, something vital for competitive exams or high-level exams such as a competition. And while well-designed digital notes may be superior for quickly remembering a single fact, paper wins by a landslide in conceptual understanding. Images | yanalya in Magnific In Xataka | The 2-7-30 method has become one of the fashionable systems to study faster. Science has doubts

a window that goes from the Castro era to the Middle Ages

May 12, 2026 by usatoday24

The Cies Islands They are a natural gem. We have known that for a long time. It was first confirmed by Congress, which in 2002 declared them a National Park (along with other islands in the Rías Baixas), and later the British newspaper Guardianwhose reporters concluded almost two decades ago that the Galician archipelago hides the best beach on the planet. Which we just discovered Thanks to the archaeologists, the islands that appear in the Vigo estuary are something more: a site that tells us a story which extends from before the arrival of the Romans to the Middle Ages. Now the experts want to go one step further. What has happened? that archaeologists have rescued secrets that have been hidden for centuries on a hillside in the Cíes, the Vigo estuary archipelago that has been declared a Natural Park since 1980 and has been integrated into the Atlantic Islands National Park for almost a quarter of a century. Between April and the beginning of May, a group of researchers from the University of Vigo carried out a series of surveys on the islands that have allowed them to shed more light on their past. To be more precise, it has expanded what we know about life in the archipelago along a wide range from the castro culture to the Middle Ages. What exactly have they done? Focus on two points. The first basically expands the work done last yearwhen archaeologists identified a series of walls and what looked like part of a floor. The second survey was carried out in an area where the researchers noticed a change in elevation in the terrain, which led them to think that a wall could be hidden beneath the ground. The experts were not blindsided. The campaign focused on what is known as Hortas fortcataloged from the 90s and which stands out as one of the most emblematic Iron Age sites in Galicia. Unlike others castro settlements spread throughout the community, it is located at the southern end of the island of O Faro, a steep area that its inhabitants perhaps chose because of the control it offered them over the maritime routes. What did they discover? They have basically expanded what we know about the history of the archipelago. After clearing the area, at the first point the researchers discovered new structures and identified “two levels of occupancy” well differentiated. One dates from the late ancient period, between the 5th and 6th centuries AD). The other corresponds to the end of the Early Middle Ages, more specifically between the 9th and 10th centuries. This wide range reveals that the area probably had a more or less stable human presence for centuries. “This campaign allows us to affirm that the hillside of the fort was occupied from the fortress period until the Middle Ages, as well as its potential as a heritage element to deepen the knowledge of the ways of life on the islands during antiquity and up to the present day,” the researchers highlight. a statement from the University of Vigo. Did you find out anything else? Yes. The above is what they discovered in their first survey. The second, focused on the area in which they noticed a change in the terrain, revealed another piece of information just as curious: under the earth it was hidden a “cuncheiro“an area where the ancient inhabitants of the island accumulated the waste from their banquets. “From the beginning it was clear that it was an area for emptying food remains of the castro inhabitants of the area of the island, with the appearance of a cuncheiro that almost reached three meters deep,” they explain. There is another important fact. These remains appeared outside a “great house” from the Castro era, the first of its kind identified in all of the Cíes Islands. It may seem like an anecdote or a minor detail, but for Galician archaeologists it is key information. “It is sure proof of the presence of an important human settlement prior to the arrival of the Romans,” clarify from the university, which remembers that the surveys are part of a larger initiative, Sentinel Projectwhich will continue until July. And now what? The information collected during the two surveys could still tell us more things about the ancient inhabitants of the islands. The reason? Archaeologists have not limited themselves to identifying the deposit of food remains. They have also recovered “several fauna samples” that now They will be in charge of analyzing specialists from the University of León in search of a key piece of information: what eating patterns the inhabitants of the Hortas fort followed in the Iron Age. The campaign also revealed a considerable amount of ceramics that will be studied in Ourense. Images | University of Vigo and Xunta de Galicia In Xataka | In the 20th century, lobster was an icon of the Rías Baixas, coveted in the kitchens of Spain. Today she is missing

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