alternative

What is Eustella, prices and what you can do with the new European alternative to Claude, Gemini or ChatGPT but with agents

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Let’s tell you What is Eustella and how does it work? this European alternative to OpenClaw. It is an artificial intelligence assistant for Android and iOS, which is promoted with privacy as its flag by having all the data hosted on servers in the United States. We are going to start the article by explaining what this AI is and who is behind it. Then we will tell you all the things you can do with Eustellaand we will finish by telling you what the prices of their payment plans are. What is Eustella and who is behind it? Eustella is an artificial intelligence personal assistant created by a European company. Created in Europe for Europeans, says the Vienna-based company newsrooms.ai, which is responsible for this project. In essence, it is an AI assistant with agent capabilitiesso it offers several possibilities. This means that you can do two things with this AI. First of all, you can ask him any type of questions as you would with Claude, ChatGPT either Gemini. But secondly you can also ask him to perform tasks for you on your mobile device. Its big argument is that you maintain full control over your information, and that no profiles are built or AIs are trained with it. In addition to having been developed by an Austrian company, the data is hosted entirely in servers located in Europewhich are managed by the German company IONOS CLOUD. Of course, not even IONOS has access to user data, since the information is stored encrypted. Under the hood, we are going to find several artificial intelligence models. On the one hand we have European Mistral modelsbut also other open weight models such as Qwen 3.5/3.7 from Alibaba, Gemma 4 from Google, gpt-oss-120b from OpenAI and Flux from Black Forest Labs. Non-European models use them because they are open source and can be hosted in Europeno matter where they were trained. With this, Eustella does not depend on the closed APIs of the United States, and in fact explicitly avoids the use of proprietary APIs. In addition, developers intend to continue maintaining flexibility by integrating new open weight models as soon as they offer better results. How it works and what it can do You can use Eustella both in the browser and on the mobile. You can register and access the website eustella.com or access your app for Android. An iOS app will also be released soon. Therefore, even for its functions of AI agentusing it is as easy as installing an app. This AI seeks ease of use above all else. You will not have to install anything additional, you do not have to select or configure models or servers. You simply write and the bot will respond. As for its capabilities, the first thing is that Eustella works as an artificial intelligence chatbot. You can ask him any question and he will answer you by searching for information in the knowledge of his models or on the Internet. Furthermore, it also has deep investigation featuresadvanced search or answer specific questions about Eustella itself. Another of its functions is multimedia creation. Can generate images from scratch or modify existing ones. For that, it also has a vision mode, allowing you upload images to analyze them or extract text from them. It also has office functionsbeing able to create, read and edit Word, PowerPoint or Excel documents. It offers professional writing or even file analysis, being able to read and extract content from PDF files or other text documents. Eustella also allows you schedule remindersmanage notes and create projects to centralize queries on the same topic there. You can also manage your memories, or even create a companiona kind of virtual pet with its own personality to interact with and ask for things. Another of the great strengths is that you have several AI agents that you can use. Each of them perform specific automations, such as helping you plan a trip, having a morning news summary, finding music, conducting research, helping you learn, etc. EUstella also allows you to create your own agents, group chat and more. Additionally, it also has integrations in place, such as displaying real-time cryptocurrency prices with Bitpanda or a price comparator from Geizhals. In the coming months there will be new integrations focused on maps, travel, navigation, shopping, education and lifestyle. Price of Eustella subscriptions You can use Eustella for free, although You also have three payment plans. They are the following, and with the following characteristics: Comet (€5.99/month): Gives you more tokens and more Eustella usage. You can do more projects and advanced search, document creation, image generation and European data sovereignty features are added. Star (€17.99/month): Everything Comet offers but with usage limits 3 times higher. It also allows you to create more projects, more image generation and you can schedule agents at specific times. Cosmos (€89.99/month): Everything Star offers, but with 15 times the usage limit. You can also create more AI agents, have unlimited projects, and European priority for support. In Xataka Basics | Artificial intelligence on your PC: the best free tools to install AI models like DeepSeek, Llama, Mistral, Gemma and more

This European alternative to Google Drive has up to 5TB of storage at a 90% discount

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We live in a time where having a lot of subscriptions at the same time has become the most normal thing in the world. Streaming platforms, Spotify or even VPN may be some of those you have in your portfolio. What’s more, it is very possible that, if you like football, You have already subscribed to DAZN to watch the World Cup which starts in a few days. For this reason, when it comes to adding one more subscription to the ones we already have, it costs. If you are looking for cloud storage, there are options that you can pay once and forget about monthly subscriptions or price increases. One of the most interesting right now is Internxt, which is on sale: Using the code ‘XATAKA’ you get a 90% discount. So, you can have 1 TB of storage for life per 190 euros. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Lifetime cloud storage that includes even a VPN This company of Spanish origin is a European alternative to US clouds like Google Drive or iCloud. This plan with 1 TB, called Essential, is the most basic that Internxt has (we will talk about the other two a little further down). In this way, you pay only once and you ensure service for life without having to pay every month. Beyond the price and being a European cloud, Internxt is an option that has several interesting assets. The first thing is that it is a secure option that has end-to-end encryption, as well as zero-knowledge encryption. This means that both the company and any third party will not be able to access or intercept your data, so it meets a high level of privacy. Internxt is also open source and transparent. That cloud storage meets this characteristic is important, because it means that anyone can audit and review it. This prevents possible back doors through which our data ends up in the hands of third parties. In addition, the interface and application that Internxt has are quite simple and intuitive to use. Not only can you do well to store photos or videos to free up your phone’s storage, but also to make a backup from your teams directly. In addition, any of the plans that Internxt has comes with VPN and antivirus, so if you have a subscription to either of these two services, you can save money. This Internxt Essential plan includes, as we say above, 1 TB of cloud storage. If you want or need more, then perhaps one of the other plans that this company has available will suit you better. We detail them below, although remember that the code ‘XATAKA‘ also allows you to get them with a 90% discount: Premium Plan: 3 TB of storage, VPN, antivirus, cleaner and other additional features per 290 euros lifelong. Ultimate Plan: 5 TB of storage, VPN, antivirus, cleaner, meet and other additional features per 390 euros lifelong. 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 | Internxt In Xataka | Google Drive alternatives: the best cloud storage services for your files In Xataka | 61 European alternatives to Google, X, Gmail, Chrome, Maps, DropBox, Google Drive, WhatsApp and other popular services

What it is, what it includes and how much the European alternative to Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace will cost

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Let’s explain to you what is Office EUa new office and productivity suite in the cloud that is presented as a European alternative to Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. Its proposal is simple: give you everything that Google and Microsoft offer, but keeping your data in Europe protected by strict European privacy laws. This service has been operating for a few months in the invitation access phase, and you have to request to join the waiting list. But it has already been given enough shape to be able to know what it is and what its offer is, in addition to what we can expect from its prices. What is Office EU Office EU is a cloud productivity suite created by the Dutch company EUfforic Europe BVbased in The Hague. It is one of the many European companies that have set out to create European alternatives to large American services. Another of its premises, beyond offering you a European alternative, is that both Microsoft and Google are American companies subject to the CLOUD Act. This is a law that allows American authorities to access data stored by these companies, even if their servers are physically in Europe. Office EU is built on Nextcloud Hub, a well-established open source cloud collaboration solution in the European business environment. And for document editing integrates Collaborate Onlinean editor based on LibreOffice which allows you to work with .docx, .xlsx and .pptx files directly in the browser. What Office EU includes Office EU is a complete suite where you are offered all the tools so that you don’t miss any of the ones you are used to using. This is the list of included tools in this service: EU Drive: a cloud storage service where you can save all your files, and with options to share them. EU Docs: A document editor with functions such as real-time collaboration, and that is shareable with the main formats, such as Word’s .docx. EU Spreadsheet: A spreadsheet application that also supports Excel’s .xlsx format. EU Presentation: The PowerPoint alternative of this suite, compatible with .pptx, and which includes templates and animations for your presentations. EU Calendar: A calendar application, where you will be able to keep your agenda, and create reminders and invitations. EUTalk: A video calling service like Google Meet, with screen sharing and recording option. EU Email: An ad-free, encrypted email client. Office EU also ensures that facilitates migration from Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. To do this, it allows you to import emails, calendars and files, in addition to being able to use both platforms in parallel until you are convinced and ready to make the definitive change. How much will it cost Those responsible for Office EU They have not yet announced their official price. At the moment we only know that they will be “comparable to those of Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace”, but they have not yet given specific figures. It will be necessary to see if the price is attractive enough to encourage users, companies and SMEs to make the jump to it. Furthermore, as we have told you, this service still on waiting list and access by invitation, without a specific date announced for its opening to the general public. In any case, taking into account that the price of Microsoft 365 Personal is around 10 euros per month, and that of Google Workspace Starter is around 6 euros per user per month, we should expect similar prices from this European alternative. In Xataka Basics | 61 European alternatives to Google, X, Gmail, Chrome, Maps, DropBox, Google Drive, WhatsApp and other popular services

Every time a megaship arrives at a port, the electrical grid collapses. The alternative already exists and does not need cables to the city

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Ports around the world face an urgent and unavoidable mandate: decarbonize. The requirement is to turn off the huge diesel engines of commercial and cruise ships once they dock, connecting them to the local electrical grid. However, in practice, port cities have hit a concrete wall: there is not enough capacity in the land network to plug in these giants of the sea. Faced with this bottleneck, the engineering response has been to take the problem off the ground. A consortium backed by the United Kingdom and led by the firm ELIRE Maritime has been successfully validated what they define as “the world’s first floating, grid-independent hydrogen energy center.” The end of endless port works? To understand the impact of this development, you have to look at the current logistical ordeal. As emphasized Enlitinstall traditional shore power supply systems (known in the industry as shore power) is a real nightmare. The process can take between three and seven years, as it requires massive reinforcements of the network, improvements in substations, complex civil works and permitting deadlines that paralyze any progress. All this consuming land space that most ports lack. By placing the energy infrastructure directly in the water, this obstacle is overcome in one fell swoop. Furthermore, since ELIRE Maritime highlight a crucial financial advantage– The system avoids the risk of creating “stranded assets”. Unlike a concrete substation that cannot be moved if shipping routes change, this floating mega plant can be relocated as market demand dictates, giving port authorities complete independence from the network. Technological radiography. Far from being a mere concept on paper, the technology has just passed a rigorous six-month validation program. The physical design, echoed by all the media, consists of three interconnected hexagonal floating platforms that occupy about 1,200 square meters. But how does it supply power without collapsing? The system does not use huge generators to inject shock energy into the ship, but rather works on the premise of a “giant floating battery.” Through continuously operating 1.3 MW modular fuel cells (supported by up to 146 kW of onboard solar panels), the system slowly charges a massive 45 MWh battery bank throughout the week. When a ship docks, this battery releases energy quickly, delivering 5 MW of clean, continuous power without flinching. To fuel this process, the system consumes between 7,500 and 8,000 kilos of hydrogen per week. It has seven tanks on board integrated into low-pressure containers, which require refueling a couple of times a week. This allows ports to gradually adopt hydrogen without having to undertake extensive work to build pipelines or permanent storage facilities on land. The real impact. To ensure its real-world viability, the platform has undergone stability and wave testing in tanks at the University of Strathclyde, while industry giants such as Schneider Electric and Ricardo UK have successfully validated its entire complex electrical architecture. The environmental lights: According to the feasibility analyzes of the Ricardo consulting firm, the system can reduce emissions from docked ships by 77% compared to traditional diesel generation. In tangible figures, this represents a saving of about 47 tons of CO₂ per ship each week (almost 2,450 tons annually), in addition to completely eradicating emissions of toxic particles, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur (SOx) that poison the air in coastal cities. The shadow of cost: Today, this solution is more expensive than plugging into the conventional network. The estimated energy cost of this hydrogen hub is between £0.25 and £0.50 per kWh, compared to £0.15 – £0.25 for the traditional ground system. However, the consortium argues that this initial extra cost is offset by the astonishing speed of deployment and they anticipate that standardization and the future drop in the price of hydrogen will equalize the trade balance. The potential is immense. The consortium estimates a global market of 62 TWh annually for grid-independent maritime solutions, with the potential to avoid the emission of 500,000 tons of CO₂ in the next decade. Next stops. As detailed ELIRE Maritimethe consortium is already in commercial talks to start the first real deployments in first-tier ports such as London, Singapore, Hamburg, Brisbane and Riga. The future of maritime decarbonization seems to have found a shortcut. It is not about inventing exotic technologies from scratch, but about integrating what we already know works (hydrogen, batteries and electrical power systems) in a much smarter way. If the mainland does not have enough electricity to power the giants of the oceans, the solution, ironically, has always been to go back into the sea. Image | ELIRE Maritime Xataka | The great challenge of drones was to transport loads for kilometers. A Chinese company has solved it with hydrogen

“Any alternative to a smartwatch that is more discreet, thinner, and without a screen?”

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Smart watches are already part of the lives of many of us. We wear them on our wrist but not only to check the time, but also to check notifications and monitor our health. But what if you just want to monitor your health without needing a whole watch? Are there screen-free alternatives that are more discreet, thinner and more unnoticed? This is one of the questions that a xatakero asked us in our Discord who decided to take advantage The Officeone of the advantages of Xataka Xtraour subscription to access exclusive newsletters, raffles, promotions and other exclusive advantages. In this case, what we offer is a direct line with us to resolve questions like this. The xatakero who consulted us told us that he had switched to analog watches, but that he still wanted some discreet accessory to monitor his health. This is what our colleague Iván Linares, specialist in smartphones and mobile accessories, answered. The question For a long time I have felt the need to do without a smartwatch (in fact I have already put it away and taken out my watch collection and right now I am wearing my Casio ga2100). However, I still need to monitor my health. Currently I have seen the Amazfit Helio Strap (or Ring) and some brands, but I can’t find much else to put on the other wrist without it being another screen. Any more discreet or subtle suggestions that go unnoticed? Our response Bracelets without screen and other more discreet devices that simply measure your health continue to grow, but they still have to take steps forward in the market. But there are already some very interesting alternatives, and this was our recommendation If you want a watch without a screen, the best known is Whoopalthough it has a drawback: you have to pay a subscription. Other options that I would look at first: you have the Helium Strap what you mention and the Polar Loopboth without extra payments. If I had to choose one, I think the Amazfit one offers the best value for money, although it seems to be discontinued. You can also opt for a hybrid smartwatch: classic dial and activity tracker, the best of both worlds. I have always found the Withings ones to be an excellent option, although they are also more expensive. They have the advantage that they offer a classic watch design and very good quality of finishes. In terms of health tracking, Withings is also doing very well (I’ve been using their platform since I bought their first scale and I’m happy). If you want a band without a screen, I would go for the Helio Strap. I’m not a big fan of the rings: apart from the fact that you have to carry them more often, they get in the way when doing strength exercises with weights. Shortly after giving this answer, the Fitbit Air which, without a doubt, would be another of our main recommendations for those looking for a bracelet without a screen. Do you have more questions like this? The subscribers of Xataka Xtra You can send us your questions and our team will respond personally. And if you are already a subscriber, remember this advantage and that you can ask us whenever you want.

This European alternative to Google Drive is a three-in-one that is now discounted

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There are few things I hate more than wanting to take a photo. and the cell phone tells me that I have no free space. I admit that it is my fault, because I have photos on my phone from more years ago than I would like to admit. I don’t know if the same thing will happen to you, but the alternative that is presented to me is to go to cloud storage and there, as a general rule, we usually go to the clouds of companies like Google, Apple or Microsoft. But we have quality European alternatives. What’s happening? That we may not want a subscription anymore if it has a high price. One of these European alternatives is Internxt, which right now has a promo active that could be great for just that: we can try a month from 1.57 euros if we use the code ‘XATAKA’. Internxt – One month trial The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Cloud storage that includes VPN It is a good alternative if we are looking for that extra storage in a European cloud (in fact, Internxt is a company of Spanish origin). This promo gives us the first month of your annual subscription at a super attractive price, then costs the full price, which is 9.99 euros per month. We also have another alternative, which is to choose your ‘lifetime’ subscription, in which we will pay only once and that’s it. The price of this one, with the code ‘XATAKA’, is 298.87 euros. But what does Internxt stand out for? The prices that we highlight a little above correspond to the cheapest subscription that this company has (we will talk about the other two a little further down). The first thing, of course, is your cloud storage: offers 1TB. Their service also has end-to-end encryption. That means, in short, that not even Internxt itself can access them. It also has two-factor authentication. Another point of Internxt that is worth highlighting and that not all clouds comply with is that It is open source and transparent. This is made public through GitHub and can be reviewed and verified by anyone interested. It is a way to ensure that you do not have any type of back door through which our files or data end up in the hands of third parties. But, beyond cloud storage, it also stands out because it includes an encrypted VPN and an antivirus within the subscription. If at any time we have thought about getting one of these two tools (or both), Internxt is a good option that would save us from having more subscriptions. Finally, as we mentioned before, there are two more Internxt plans. Both include more cloud storageas well as other tools. As with the one above, using the code ‘XATAKA’ we can benefit from a month with a fairly large discount. We leave you, as an outline, what both include and their price: Premium Plan: 3 TB of storage, VPN, antivirus, cleaner and other additional features per 3.15 euros the first month and 19.99 euros per month for the rest of the year (or 456.17 euros if we choose the ‘lifetime’ plan). Ultimate Plan: 5 TB of storage, VPN, antivirus, cleaner, meet and other additional features per 4.72 euros the first month and 29.99 euros per month for the rest of the year (or 613.47 euros if we choose the ‘lifetime’ plan). 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 | Internxt In Xataka | 61 European alternatives to Google, X, Gmail, Chrome, Maps, DropBox, Google Drive, WhatsApp and other popular services In Xataka | Google Drive alternatives: the best cloud storage services for your files

the alternative to OLED for large format screens

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One of the few TCL factories outside of China is located just 40 km from Warsaw, so it is not strange that the brand has chosen Poland to make the official presentation of its TV range for 2026. In that presentation, in addition to knowing first-hand all the Chinese brand catalogwe have been able to test some demos on the RM9L, the brand’s first television in which a system of MiniLED RGB backlight with TCL’s new WHVA 2.0 Ultra LCD panel. I can tell you that the sensations have been really good. TCL RM9L panel RGB MiniLED 4K, 144 Hz resolution 3,840 x 2,160 sizes available 115, 98 and 85 inches image processor TSR Processor (Pentonic 800) hdr Dolby Vision 2 Max, Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG sound 240 watts (RMS) Dolby Atmos, DTS wireless connectivity Wi-Fi 6E Bluetooth 5.3 operating system Google TV 14 price From 5,999 euros The place where the RGB MiniLED and a new LCD panel converge By placing this model in the brand’s catalog for 2026, would replace the C9K of 2025. That is, it is located within the sphere of TCL’s top range. This leadership is shared with the undisputed star of 2026: the X11L, which we could already try in China. For its part, the RM7L, with which it matches RGB MiniLED technology, is one step below as a mid-range in terms of image quality and performance. The RM9L is available in 115″, 98″ and 85″. The unit we have been able to test is the 85″ (although we had the 98″ right next to it). This diagonal has 8,736 local dimming zonesso the light control is so precise that it is increasingly difficult to distinguish its image from that of an OLED panel with the naked eye. Having such a high count of dimming zones gives these displays better control of blacks and dark areas, and better segregation of high brightness areas. There is barely any trace of a minimal halo in subtitles on a completely black background, and the representation of bright points (like a scene in space, for example) allows those bright points to be better displayed, something that OLED panels achieve very easily, but at MiniLED cost a little more…until now. Although the TCL RM9L and the X11L They mount different backlighting technologiesis the closest to TCL’s flagship, with which it shares the latest generation WHVA 2.0 Ultra LCD panel. This panel manages to reduce the distance between the rear lighting LEDs and the LCD panel, which also makes the television somewhat thinner than usual for a MiniLED. This panel also improves viewing angles, since the glass that redirects light has been redesigned, ensuring that no changes are seen in the contrast or brightness of the image when the screen is viewed from the sides. On the other hand, the change in the backlighting system means that when viewed from the right side, the colors on the screen acquire a slight reddish tint, while if viewed from the opposite side, the tint it acquires is slightly greenish. This color nuance is especially noticeable when gray patterns are displayed, but it is difficult to appreciate when watching series or other types of regular content. I was surprised by how well adjusted the FilmMaker mode, with which the full brightness potential of the panel is respected, maintaining very natural skin tones and an excellent color volume with which, using a colorimeter, we have seen that it covers 100% of the BT.2020 color space used in cinema. The mode movies Apply a slightly higher brightness setting and manage to lift more shadow detail, but at the cost of washing out those areas a little more. This behavior makes this mode adjusted by TCL suitable in situations where the television is in a bright room. The 4,000 nits peak brightness they record this. In these first tests we have also been able to change the motion interpolation setting. The preliminary results have represented a notable improvement in this adjustment, a point in which the Chinese brand televisions. However, we are not going to sing the alirón until we can analyze it with more calm and variety of content. Although the display unit we tested was using the high-end 2025 remote control, those responsible for the brand assured us that the versions for sale of this model They will come with a new controller which we already saw in our test of the Google TV 14: fluidity and ease of use The units that we were able to test in Warsaw were fresh off the TCL assembly line, so a message appeared on some of them announcing that a new firmware version existed. Still, the RM9L unit I tested came with Google TV in its version with Android 14 and the December 2025 security patch. The Pentonic 800 processor found in TCL’s high-end 2026 models moves the Google system very fluidly, responding immediately when starting new Netflix, Disney+ or Prime Video apps by pressing the shortcut button on the remote, as well as when navigating through the configuration menus. Since it is a display model, I was not able to test integration with Gemini which arrives in 2026, nor its response to voice commands. Therefore, we added it to our to-do list to see if it responds to the recognition of the content being watched like Alexa+ does on televisions with FireTV. Bang & Olufsen has tried, but you have to add a sound bar If we look at the specifications sheet, TCL indicates that the 85″ RM9L mounts a set of speakers that adds a power of 240 W. On paper everything indicated that sound was going to be a prominent aspect in this model. Reality does not always support the numbers. The Danish brand Bang & Olufsen, specialized in high-fidelity audio, is collaborating with TCL in tuning the sound system of its high-end televisions. While it is true that the audio system adjusted by the Danish company achieves a well-balanced … Read more

This European alternative gives you 1 TB of storage for 15 euros per year

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I say it a lot lately: the 256 GB of storage on my phone is no longer enough. If it happens to you like it did to me, it is very likely because you have it full of photos and videos. There, cloud storage can be a good relief, but, which one to choose? For anyone looking an alternative to the main US cloudsInternxt presents itself as a great option: it is a European cloud that now, with its 87% discountleaves us 1 TB of storage per 15 euros per year. Of course, you only have a few days left to take advantage of this promo. 1 TB of cloud storage (annual subscription) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Good capacity, security and even includes a VPN Without the current offer, this Internxt plan has a price of 120 euros per year. That’s a huge discount for secure cloud storage that also comes with VPN and antivirus. The ‘Lifetime’ option also has the same discount, that is, that you pay only once and forget. This is great because it eliminates a monthly subscription and avoids possible future price increases. It has a price of 247 euros. Internxt is a company of Spanish origin that offers, as we say, a good European alternative to services like Google Drive or Dropbox. This cloud has a very high level of security and uses, in addition to end-to-end encryption, what is known as ‘Zero-Knowledge’. That implies two things: that your data is encrypted before uploading (which prevents anyone from intercepting them along the way) and that not even Internxt itself can access them. Another highlight of the Internxt cloud is that it is open source. This means that any person or entity can audit it and verify that there is no type of security hole or way for our files to be extracted. It should be noted that this cloud has a two-factor authentication service, which increases its security even further. Are you short on 1TB of storage? Internxt also has its other two plans with the same 87% discount. Below we leave you what they include and their price, both in its annual and ‘Lifetime’ modality: Premium Plan: 3 TB of storage, VPN, antivirus and cleaner per 31 euros per year (or 377 euros lifelong). Ultimate Plan: 5 TB of storage, VPN, antivirus, cleaner and meet per 46 euros per year (or 507 euros lifelong). 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 | Internxt In Xataka | 61 European alternatives to Google, X, Gmail, Chrome, Maps, DropBox, Google Drive, WhatsApp and other popular services In Xataka | Google Drive alternatives: the best cloud storage services for your files

The country has no real alternative to Telcel

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The sale of Movistar Mexico to the Melisa Acquisition consortium (450 million dollars for an operator with approximately 15% of the market) closes a chapter of more than two decades in which the Spanish operator has invested more than 3,600 million euros to end up competing, in permanent structural inferiority, against a monopoly that has never ceased to be a monopoly. Why is it important. Anyone might think that the departure of Telefónica changes the Mexican telecommunications market, but the reality is that it does not change it much. On the contrary: it confirms it. Mexico has one of the most concentrated mobile markets in the developed world, with Telcel, owned by Carlos Slim, controlling almost 60% of users. No competitor has managed to gain share in a sustained manner so far this century. The strange thing is that Telefónica has taken so long to leave the country, because it has only done so in the context of a total withdrawal in Latin America after years of losses. The backdrop. Telcel inherited the commercial muscle, infrastructure and customer base of Telmex, the former state monopoly privatized in 1990. Since then, Mexican regulators have not been able to balance the market, or have not been willing enough to do so. AT&T has been trying for years with its own network and remains below 16%. In fact is also looking for a way out. Telefónica, which In 2019 it had to return its spectrum and relying on AT&T’s infrastructure to survive, it already operated in practice as a kind of “premium MVNO”: with its own brand, but without its own network and without room to grow. Between the lines. The buyer says a lot. Melisa Acquisition is not a typical telecommunications operator: it is the sum of Oxio (technological platform for virtual operators with barely 350,000 clients) and an investment fund. They are not there to build network infrastructure or to dispute Telcel’s quota. They simply arrive to manage what is there: an inherited customer base, an asset-light model, and the hope that Oxio’s technology will allow some more margin to be squeezed out of an operation that Telefónica no longer wanted to maintain. In figures. The ARPU (average income per user) tells in numbers the trap in which Telefónica operated in Mexico: 64.7 pesos per month per customer, less than half that of AT&T (141.1) and less than a third that Telcel (176). It is no longer that Movistar had few clients, it is that each client was worth little in terms of billing and profitability. A model like this does not allow for investment in the network, in spectrum or in the future. The sale is not an elegant strategic retreat: it is the logical conclusion of years competing in the cheapest segment of an already cheap market. Yes, but. The sale will generate heavy accounting losses for Telefónica, something inevitable given the historical outlay, but it fits perfectly into its strategy. In less than a year and a half, the telecom chaired by Marc Murtra has undone practically all of its positions in Latin America: Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Ecuador, Colombia… and now Mexico. Only Brazil remains, the only market in the region where Telefónica has enough scale to truly compete and which has become one of its growth enginesif not the main one. Main loser? The Mexican user. With Telefónica jibarized, the Mexican market is even more unprotected in the face of Telcel. Effective competition in price, coverage and quality of service now depends almost exclusively on AT&T, which has also not demonstrated the ability to challenge Slim’s dominance and, as we have already said, look for a way out for a long time. Mexico doesn’t just lose one operator: it loses one of the few that at least had incentives to try. In Xataka | Mexico has an ambitious plan to be the tenth economy in the world and that involves technology: semiconductors Featured image | david carballar

This European alternative to Google Drive is 87% off

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There are many users who seek to depend less on large US companies. A few years ago it was more complicated, but today we have European alternatives that are safe, of quality and even with quite attractive prices. Looking for cloud storage? That’s where Internxt fits in, a company of Spanish origin that currently has 87% discount on all plans: 1 TB of storage comes out 16 euros per year. 1 TB of cloud storage (annual subscription) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Cloud storage, yes. With VPN and antivirus, too Let’s do the math quickly. Internxt’s cheapest plan, which is called Essential and includes 1 TB of cloud storage, It normally has a price of 120 euros per year. It is a real discount, but, beyond the cloud, it even includes VPN and antivirus. This discount also extends to the lifetime plan, which costs 247 euros. Beyond the savings (which it has), the best thing is that you pay once and forget about price increases. Why choose Internxt? Beyond being a European alternative to Google Drive or iCloud, this cloud service uses what is known as ‘Zero-Knowledge’ and end-to-end encryption. This, simply explained, means that your files are encrypted before being uploaded to the cloud, so no one can access them (not even Internxt itself). Both when they are already stored and when they are being uploaded. Two more details to take into account. Internxt is from open sourcemeaning your service is transparent because anyone can audit your code. In addition, it has a 30-day money back guarantee, so if you are not convinced by what it offers, you can request a refund without problems within that period of time. As we said above, all Internxt plans are 87% off right now. We leave you below, as a summary, what they offer and the price they have right now: Premium Plan: 3 TB of storage, VPN, antivirus and cleaner per 31 euros per year (or 377 euros lifelong). Ultimate Plan: 5 TB of storage, VPN, antivirus, cleaner and meet per 47 euros per year (or 507 euros lifelong). 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 | Internxt In Xataka | Best VPNs 2025: guide with the 17 best services to protect your online privacy In Xataka | Google Drive alternatives: the best cloud storage services for your files

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