alternative

“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

There have been three times that PS5 has increased in price. These reconditioned ones with a 24-month warranty are the best alternative to spend less

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We told you a few weeks ago: PlayStation 5 has increased in price (again). The cheapest version of the console now starts at 599.99 euros, a price that is high and even more so if we take into account that it came out at 399.99 euros back in 2020. In what scenario does that leave those of us who want to renew the console? Well, in a complicated one, but in which there are alternatives to renew console for less money. We have an example in Back Market: we can get a PS5 Digital from 480 euros. PlayStation 5 Slim Digital The price could vary. We earn commission from these links A PlayStation 5 at a good price and with a 24-month warranty PlayStation 5 arrived almost 6 years ago in two different versions: without reader for 399.99 euros and with reader for 499.99 euros. If it had happened like in other generations of consoles, the normal thing at this point is that we could buy a PS5 in stores at a much lower price. However, paradigm shift: Now the same console costs 200 euros more. In a year where we will have great releases like ‘Marvel’s Wolverine‘or the more than expected’Grand Theft Auto 6‘, There are many people looking for a PlayStation 5. It is true that offers come out from time to time, but with the new prices that these consoles have, it will be difficult to see a good deal. That’s where these Back Market consoles come in. This store has expertly refurbished devices at very tempting prices. That is the case of the PlayStation 5 Digital, available right now for 480 euros. What do you want with a reader? You also have it available for 515 euros. The best thing is that, in addition, they are devices that They have a 24-month warranty and 30 days free trial. Other refurbished consoles that may interest you We have focused on these two models, but Back Market also has a section dedicated only to consoles. As a summary, we leave you some below: 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 | Alexandre Schrammel on UnsplashPlayStation In Xataka | PlayStation 5 Pro vs PlayStation 5: these are all the differences between the two Sony consoles In Xataka | Two years ago I bought a PS5. I wish someone had told me I needed these plugins too.

Amazon had been building its alternative to Starlink for some time. Now the company behind the iPhone SOS has been bought

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If we think about satellite internet, the first thing that comes to mind is usually Starlink. It is logical: SpaceX has managed to occupy a large part of the conversation in this area. But, while that was happening, what we have seen is that Amazon had been building its own bet on low orbit with Leoa project with which he wants to gain relevance in an increasingly disputed market. Now that plan has taken a much more serious step. The company founded by Jeff Bezos has announced an agreement to acquire globalstarthe company that until now supports several Apple satellite functions on compatible iPhones and on the Apple Watch Ultra 3among them Emergency OSS via satellite. At the same time, both companies have communicated an agreement to continue these services and collaborate on future satellite functions supported by Leo. In other words, not only does it buy a strategic piece of the sector, it also fully enters into an already established relationship with Apple. Here the value of Globalstar goes well beyond its name or its relationship with Apple. What Amazon is buying is a combination of satellite fleet, infrastructure, spectrum and operational knowledge accumulated over years in mobile satellite communications. There is also a particularly relevant point: the acquisition gives it immediate access to radio spectrum rights, a piece that can accelerate its plans to offer services on mobile phones and other devices in the future. Furthermore, this operation does not appear in a vacuum. Leo had been trying to gain traction with his own deployment for some time: he already has more than 200 satellites in orbit, although he is still far behind SpaceX. At the same time, the firm has been teaching the product and clients: A few days ago it presented its aviation antenna and already has agreements with JetBlue and Delta to offer inflight connectivity starting in 2027 and 2028, respectively. There is another detail that helps measure the magnitude of the movement without losing sight of caution. The information published by the Financial Times places the agreement in 11.6 billion dollars and places it among the largest purchases in the company’s history, below Whole Foods but above MGMalthough on paper there are still pending steps before considering it resolved. The announcement itself specifies that closure is planned for 2027, provided regulatory approvals arrive and certain technical commitments linked to Globalstar’s satellite program are met. Viewed as a whole, this step helps to better understand where Leo wants to go in the coming years. We are not just facing a large acquisition, but rather an attempt to gain time, capabilities and position in a race in which Starlink continues to set the benchmark. The operation, if it ends up closing as planned, can change the starting point of the American giant quite a bit. Images | Amazon | Apple | globalstar In Xataka | Samsung faces a very serious problem to surpass TSMC with its 2nm chips: the 60% curse

Europe seeks to become independent from Microsoft Office. Your alternative is already here, but not without controversy

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For a few months now, and seeing how the situation is, in Europe a feeling of change has awakened about the technology we consume. Movements have appeared among users to abandon software and hardware from American companiesbut that is something that is also impacting governments and among own European companies. And something that seems minor, but is not at all, is the European software A-Team that has come together to create Euro-Office, the alternative to Microsoft Office. And it hasn’t started off on the best foot. Euro-Office. The name couldn’t be more apt, but something must be said: it doesn’t come out of nowhere. This is an initiative that was born as a fork direct from OnlyOffice. Android users Do you know what a fork is? and, basically, it is taking another software… copying it. The desired changes are made and it is launched independently. Since it is usually free or open source software, there are no problems creating a new version. The software will not be a standalone thing, but rather a package consisting of a text editor, spreadsheet, PDF editor and a presentation tool. Support includes formats such as DOCX, XLSX, PPTX and ODF versions. Come on, it wants to be an alternative to Office, but also to Docs and any other suite. Where does it come from?. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the project is that it is not an initiative of a university, a startup or a specific country. The project was made public a few days ago and has nsuch powerful ombres behind such as IONOS, Nextcloud, Eurostack, XWiki, BTactic, Soverin and OpenProject, among others. In fact, it seems that Proton is also out there (which apart from its own suite, has cloud storage systems, email and VPNbeing one of the strongest alternatives to the Google suite). And the common narrative is that it is a European ‘front’ to reduce dependence on American suites in sensitive environments. Because yes, when a Government, for example, saves documents in the cloud of Google or any other foreign company, who is to say that there is no access. This is what the text editor looks like Digital sovereignty. As I said at the beginning of the article, Europe seeks sovereignty in different areas. In technology, they want to become a power in chip manufacturing (they already have part of the way done by having ASMLthe company more cutting-edge when it comes to creating machines that allow advanced chips to be manufactured). They also want to stop depending on NASA or SpaceX for space exploration, so we have gotten into that race. And in the digital sovereignty becomes independent from American and Russian services. For this reason, Euro-Office is considered from the beginning as a service integrated into the GDPR that is not subject to external jurisdictions such as the US CLOUD Act and that is integrated into public administration, education, government-regulated companies, critical infrastructure, health or education. For everyone. And since changing so much is complicated, the intention is to make the transition as simple as possible for users. This is where maximum compatibility with Microsoft formats comes into play, but also a familiar interface so as not to generate friction. And, above all, it was born with the desire to focus that independence on software. Because until now we had LibreOffice and OnlyOffice, but what is sought is to stop waging war on their own and for all European organizations to go in unison The controversy. Here may be the question, and also the controversy. If there was already something, why spend time developing something else and not use that already existing alternative as the “official” one? Well, according to the promoters of Euro-Office, because collaboration with OnlyOffice was not viable. They quote the Russian roots of the project (although the headquarters are in Latvia) and decisions such as the withdrawal of functions in the mobile app as some of the reasons why the fork was the last, but necessary, resort. From OnlyOffice hold that Euro-Office violates certain terms of its license, citing intellectual property theft and copyright infringement. And it has not stopped at “well I’m angry”, but something more: OnlyOffice has accused Nextcloud of trying to sign its staff to take them to the EuroOffice project. Next steps. The commotion goes further because it has been pointed out that, if it is a fork of an app of Russian origin, they do not know to what extent Euro-Office can introduce yourself as something “purely European.” But, in any case, it is evident that there is a growing interest in becoming independent from non-European technology and this suite has a version 1.0 planned for this summer. The preliminary version It’s already on Github. The most complicated thing remains: moving the very heavy transatlantic that is the public organizations of the different European countries that want to join this. Also see how they convince those who already use European suites such as those from The Document Foundation -LibreOffice- or the British Collabora to switch back to Euro-Office. In Xataka | Schrödinger’s Office: at this point it is impossible to know if Microsoft keeps it alive or if everything is AI and Copilot

in China they explore an alternative inspired by nature

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For years we have associated drones with a very specific image: unmanned devices with several propellers rotating at full speed, capable of recording, monitoring or even form figures in the sky at mass events. It is the reference that we have internalized and the one that usually comes to mind when we think about these devices. However, it is not the only possible way to understand a drone. While this model has been consolidated, proposals have emerged that seek to replicate the flight of living beings instead of depending on rotors, opening a path that until recently seemed closer to fiction than to real engineering. Drones with wings. According to 163.coma team from Beijing University of Science and Technology has developed several flapping-wing drones inspired by animals such as eagles, pigeons, butterflies and beetles. Among them, the model based on an eagle has attracted special attention for one specific fact: it has reached 256 minutes of continuous flight, a figure that marks a record within this category. The chain itself also recalled that in 2023 a bionic airplane developed by researchers at the Northwest Polytechnic University of China recorded 185 minutes and 30 seconds, then a Guinness record in this area. Another way to fly. If these prototypes are attracting attention, it is not only because of their appearance, but because of the technical principle on which they are based. Global Times defines them as bionic unmanned aerial vehicles capable of imitating the flight of living beings by flapping their wings. According to the same medium, it is the type of drone that most closely approximates the flight of flying organisms in nature. Added to this base, in the model inspired by an eagle, is a visual system designed to recognize, locate and follow vehicles, people, buildings or license plates, as explained by researcher Wu Xiaoyang. What we do know. It is advisable to separate what is confirmed from what has been interpreted from these images. Information disseminated by Chinese state media describes these drones as an advance in research into bionic unmanned systems, with progress in flight time and detection capabilities. However, it does not offer details about its operational deployment or specific use in real scenarios. In fact, researchers point out that challenges related to flight autonomy and system intelligence still need to be resolved before talking about broader implementation. There are obstacles. If we look beyond the current results, the experts themselves point out that the road ahead remains demanding. According to Wang Zhijie, from the Beijing Institute of Technology, one of the main challenges is developing batteries with greater energy density that allow this type of flight to be sustained for longer. Added to this are high-precision, small-sized beating mechanisms, as well as materials capable of adaptive deformation, imitating how bird wings change in response to aerodynamics to maintain efficiency. In that context, what we have is a technology that points in several directions, but is still being defined. Global Times possible uses in environmental monitoring, rescue and other specialized missions, although without specifying how or when they will materialize. Beyond that, research remains focused on making these systems more autonomous and efficient. If this evolution is confirmed, we would be facing a different path in the development of drones, one that seeks to get closer to biological flight instead of continuing to perfect the more conventional scheme. Images | CCTV In Xataka | The United States has found how to protect its most vulnerable ships on the high seas: with escort drones

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