brand

An Aragonese company used the brand ‘La Mafia’ for its restaurants. Italy has managed to have it annulled in Spain

by

The restaurant chain ‘The Mafia sits at the table’ it’s news. And not because of the new features of its Italian-inspired menu or because of the opening of new stores. What has made it hit the headlines (much to its chagrin) is its brand, a business card that the Republic of Italy considers offensive and takes years starring in a complicated judicial soap opera. Now Roma has achieved a key victory that puts the brand in serious danger in Spain. The key: Can the word ‘mafia’ be used happily? What has happened? The news has advanced it the diary Expansion. The Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (OEPM) has resolved that the name of ‘The Mafia sits at the table’a popular restaurant chain founded more than 20 years ago in Zaragozais “contrary to public order and good customs”, which is why it has endorsed the request for annulment made by the Government of Italy. The OEPM resolution is recent (February 26) and leaves little room for interpretation. In the opinion of its techniciansthe brand alludes to a real organization with activities “contrary to the ethical and moral principles” of the EU. Hence, I agree with Italy that it is questionable whether it can be registered and exploited on a commercial level. “It would offend the victims and their families,” he warns. Is it something new? Yes. And no. Italy has been maneuvering for years to force the Aragonese restaurant chain to abandon a name that it considers offensive. And nothing has gone wrong in his efforts. In 2015, he filed a complaint that led to the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) refusing to register the trademark at the community level. Years later (2018) it was marked equally important when the General Court of the EU (TGUE) endorsed the decision of the EUIPO and prevented the company from shielding its commercial name. What does that mean? That was more than a simple judicial victory. The decision The TGEU prevented the company from registering its trademark at the community level, which in practice left it unprotected. However, the TGUE’s decision had its limitations. For example, it did not prevent the Zaragoza chain from continuing to use its name in the dozens of restaurants it has throughout Spain. What changes now? The OEPM opinion goes one step (and several) further. The brand is no longer only annulled at the community level, but it is also doing so in Spain, a fundamental decision since ‘La Mafia sits at the table’ (remember) is a chain born 26 years ago right here, in Zaragoza. The Spanish organization has aligned itself with European justice and has come to the conclusion that the name is “contrary to public order” and “good customs”, which is why it has endorsed the request for annulment presented by Italy. Not only that. The transalpine country has already gone to the commercial courts of Barcelona to prevent the Aragonese company from continuing to use its name. What will happen now? “The resolution could be issued in less than a year and, if favorable, would force them to cease using the trademark,” explains to Expansion Josep Carbonell, partner of Fieldfisherthe office that has advised Italy in the procedure. Of course, the company also has margin (one month) to appeal the OEPM’s decision. In any case, its resolution of February 26 represents a setback for the future of the brand in its large market. What is the problem? The underlying question is very simple: can the word ‘mafia’ be used happily or not? Should its commercial use be banned? The company claims that it was inspired by a recipe book and appeals to the right to freedom of expression, remembering in passing that it is not unusual to find books, movies and series focused on the same topic. years ago in fact already clarified that its objective is not to offend anyone, but to generate an atmosphere similar to that of the ‘Godfather’ saga. For the authorities, however, the reading is somewhat different. In its resolution, the TGUE recalled that (at least in this case) using the term “banalizes organized crime” and even warned of the risk of “romanticizing” it. In a similar vein, the OEPM recalls that Spain is no stranger to this criminal organization and its activities, “contrary to the ethical principles” and “fundamental moral values ​​of the EU.” In the background there is a more complex issue, such as remember Carbonell: Is using the word ‘mafia’ in an artistic work the same as elevating it to the category of a business’ trademark? Is it an isolated case? Not at all. The Italian authorities have not only focused on the Zaragoza company. In 2024, fed up with his town being associated with organized crime, the mayor of Agrigento (Sicily) issued a municipal order to prohibit the sale of tourist souvenirs related to the mafia. The underlying reason was similar: to prevent people from doing business with (and romanticizing) an organization that, beyond the veneer that Hollywood has given it, has been causing headaches for the Italian authorities for years. Images | The Mafia 1 and 2 Via | Expansion In Xataka | Sushi was a sleeping giant of the fast food industry: in the US it has already begun to eat hamburgers

SPC was the mobile brand for seniors. Now it has a system that learns when your grandfather stops behaving as usual

by

SPC has been digesting for a year the change that Teresa Acha-Orbea, its general director, described us at MWC 2025: going from a telephone manufacturer for seniors to a comprehensive technological services company. Again in Barcelona and again at the MWC, the company from Alava has presented the first product that materializes this transformation. It’s called Zeus Halo, and it’s a predictive telecare platform built around a hub domestic 5G with a 12-inch screen, four microphones and IoT connectivity to integrate sensors, activity bracelets and other home devices. It appears on the right in the image that heads these lines. The proposal is based on a demographic premise that defines our country today: Spain ages. According to INE projections, In 2030 almost a third of the population will be over 60 years oldand a growing portion of that group lives alone. Current telecare systems work reactively, waiting for something to happen before acting. Zeus Halo points in the opposite direction: the system learns the user’s behavior patterns. What time do you get up, how many times do you go to the bathroom, when do you leave the house… When these habits change abruptly, the device generates a preventive alert that reaches the smartphone of family members or caregivers, or directly to third-party telecare platforms. “If this person usually goes to the bathroom several times a day and suddenly they are only in the living room, something is happening,” explains Acha-Orbea in the stand of SPC in the Spanish Pavilion. It can also detect falls through the activity bracelet, monitor heart rate or temperature, and send alerts if the person leaves and does not return. The hardware does not require a router, or even that there is a WiFi network in the house, because the hub It carries a 5G SIM and covers all the sensors in the home, which eliminates a common installation barrier for this user profile. Compatible sensors include presence, door opening and smoke detectors, in addition to wearables. Cameras are technically possible, but SPC has decided not to incorporate them by default: “We all want to maintain our privacy, at least visually,” says Acha-Orbea. The second leg of Zeus Halo is the conversational agent. The platform includes a voice assistant that learns the user’s tastes and interests and maintains conversations adapted to them, with reminders for medication, medical appointments or birthdays that are delivered as voice calls instead of text messages, because “SMS are not usually read”, something that was already explained to us a year ago. The system can also organize secure video calls with family members through its own application, suggest activities inside and outside the home or connect Zeus Halo users with common interests. The unwanted loneliness of older people has been on the public agenda for years, The product will be launched before the end of the year in two modalities: ORa version for retail intended for families who want to install it in their parents’ or grandparents’ home And another institutional version for councils, municipal social services, residences, telecare and insurance companies that need to monitor their users proactively. SPC has clients such as CaixaBank or the Generalitat of Asturias in its portfolio, which gives it direct access to the type of organization it targets with the B2B version. The launch of Zeus Halo is accompanied by a brand repositioning. SPC launches logo, website (now in onspc.com) and a new definition of itself: “technology consultancy” that combines manufacturing, systems integration and consulting under the umbrella ‘human by design. The company, founded at the end of the eighties taking advantage of the liberalization of telecommunications, which for decades lived by selling landlines and mobile phones adapted for the elderly, today has 78 employees and headquarters in Vitoria, Lisbon and Shenzhen. It sells about 400,000 units per year of basic phones for seniors and about 30,000 adapted smartphones. It is, according to its own figures, the first Spanish brand in that niche with 50% of the national market. The transition that Zeus Halo embodies has not come for free. SPC has had to recruit software engineers and is setting up its own engineering in China to work directly with software manufacturers. chipsets. He 2G blackoutwhich forced the company to redesign its catalog a few years ago, turned out to be the lever that turned “dumb” devices into platforms capable of exchanging data. Zeus Halo is the next step in that same logic: a little hardware gadget that becomes the connected brain of the home. In Xataka | There is a good thing about having your grandchildren put in a hat: science suggests that it is a great shield against cognitive decline Featured image | Xataka

I am a paddle tennis player and finally a smart watch brand has remembered me

by

I have carried a paddle tennis racket in my hand since I was little. I am worse than hunger, I am not hiding, but I like this sport and I must admit that I look with envy at the fans of, for example, golf or the running. As a lover of smart watches, I have always seen from afar manufacturers launch specific models and functions for runners and golf players with cool metrics, interesting analyzes and specific functions: yes, 3D courses, yes, footfall analysis, yes, that niche data that only the pros care about… And meanwhile, the padel players we were still thereusing the “tennis” mode that tells us little or nothing or, if available, the “paddle” mode that also does not give information about performance in the match. That’s why, walking through the halls of the Mobile World Congress, I couldn’t help but stop at the Mibro stand. Because? Because their watches have a paddle mode, but a useful one with relevant information for players of this sport. Yes, we really exist. Padel mode in the Mibro GS Explorer S-Ti | Image: Xataka My what? Mibro, “your brother in sport”, as one of the company’s workers at the stand tells me with a laugh. Mibro is a company of Zhenshi Information Technology, a Chinese company founded in 2015 with financing from Xiaomi and Nokia. The company specializes in sports wearables and has found a way to increase its presence in the European market in paddle tennis. In fact, they openly recognize it: it is not that padel is gaining traction in China, it is that they know that it is important in Europe and they believe they have a way to differentiate themselves there. And what do they offer? The company has a catalog of watches with a rather high-mid-range price. The most expensive model is the Mibro GS Explorer Swhich costs 349.99 euros and is made of titanium (it is the one in the photos and I must admit that it feels scary, although I would change the strap, which looks very good, for a silicone one for sports). However, it has cheaper models, such as the GS Active2which remains below 100 euros. The operating system is Mibro Galaxy OS 2.0, a very fancy to call an RTOS system that is very reminiscent of Huawei’s HarmonyOS. An example of the metrics associated with paddle tennis | Image: Xataka But let’s talk about padel. The key to these watches, and the reason why they have caught my attention, is because of their paddle tennis analysis. For the uninitiated, in paddle tennis there are different shots: forehand, backhand, volleys, spikes, layups, lobs, drop shots, etc. Understanding well which shots you are doing the most and why can help you understand a match and discover your areas for improvement. For example: if you have lost a match in which you have made many layups (cut, high and deep shot to keep the net), you may have to work on the volley and the force you apply when hitting, because they have been constantly knocking you out of the net with lobs (high and deep balls). If you have made many lobs and few volleys, layups or shots, it is probably because they have managed to keep you down and have not let you go up to the net to attack. Analysis of forehands and backhands | Image: Xataka And that’s where Mibro comes in.. As they have shown us at the stand, the watch is capable of detecting the number and percentage of each of the shots we make in a match. The watch allows us to know how many backhands, drives, layups, spikes, forehand and backhand lobs and forehand and backhand drop shots we have made and, for example, manually cross-check them with our heart rate to see which points have put us in trouble. Example of analysis of blows | Image: Xataka Speed ​​of blows | Image: Xataka It also counts calories and, even more importantly, the speed of the strokes. Although it is easy to associate paddle tennis with strong and very loud hits, the truth is that playing slowly is usually much more effective against players… nervous, let’s say. A weak ball to the side wall will probably do more damage than a strong shot or volley, in the same way that a layup does not necessarily have to be very fast. Knowing that information that, until now, we could not know, can be useful to focus training or take action. To recognize hits, the device is based on a six-axis accelerometer and intelligent algorithms, as is already done in many other watches and many other sports. How does it work? Unfortunately, and although we always want a padel, we have not had the opportunity to pick up the racket and throw some balls in the halls of the MWC, but the fact that it exists is already progress. Counting layups and shots | Image: Xataka An ideal world. At the expense of testing the watch in a real match situation, a function that would make a lot of sense (even via AI) is to be able to cross-reference the heart rate with the shot you have made or with the duration of the points, as well as the number of shots. That would allow us to see at what level of intensity we start to make mistakes, what shots we make when we are tired (perhaps we abuse the shot or miss more layups). The higher the intensity, the more the technique is distorted, and that causes errors. That type of information, well interpreted, is valuable if you are looking to train and improve. Images | Xataka In Xataka | I have been playing paddle tennis for years and I think Playtomic is an absolutely brilliant invention

If ads made with AI seem horrible to you and position you against the brand, you are not alone: ​​science supports you

by

“The most profitable ad in Pepsi history.” The most voted comment in YouTube of the ad generated with AI by Coca-cola for Christmas 2025 suggests something: a popular rejection of advertising made with AI. Is this true? A new study from the University of Zaragoza on the effect of artificial intelligence on advertising points in that direction. The researchers’ conclusion is that customers avoid services advertised with AI-generated images, especially in companies that offer pleasurable experiences—such as hotel vacations—or that force high-involvement decisions. The reason? Artificially generated images are interpreted as unreliable. Its four authors explain to Xataka that “consumers value real images more because they show a faithful image of the product or service and they distrust companies that use images created with AI because they seem less professional or hide reality.” However, recent studies show that images created with AI can be equally effectiveand easier for companies to obtain, especially when consumers do not know that they are not real, they clarify. What AI gives you, AI takes away Using AI in an advertisement conveys a feeling that “the brand makes little effort, especially in luxury and beauty brands,” explains Lucía Caro Castaño, professor at the Department of Marketing and Communication at the University of Cádiz. After the Christmas controversy, Coca-Cola was forced to share how did you make the announcement to show “all the effort and investment it had required in terms of people.” Caro points to savings in personnel as one of the reasons why content made with AI generates disgust. Coca-Cola has recognized The Wall Street Journal that producing your typical Christmas advertisement has gone from needing a year to a month, recognizing savings in costs and time. However, the creation of spot forced to enormous human work to fine-tune AI-generated images. Coca-Cola is not the only company that has discovered the advertising limitations of AI. Dell share your experience: “We’re very focused on getting the most out of a device’s AI capabilities, but what we’ve learned this year, especially from a consumer perspective, is that they don’t buy based on AI. In fact, I think AI probably confuses them more than it helps them understand a specific outcome,” argued a few months ago Kevin Terwilliger, Chief Product Officer at Dell. There are several reasons for this rejection of advertising AI: the feeling of “already seen”, which penalizes the lack of originality and creative effort; and the perception of “dehumanization” transmitted by excessively robotic content, explains Patricia Coll, doctor in Communication and professor at EAE Business School. Diana Gavilán, professor of Marketing at the Complutense University of Madrid, highlights the benefits of AI in automatable tasks in advertising and digital marketing: “The problematic thing is when it replaces a human. If a robot serves me but you want to convince me that it is like a human, there is a drop in confidence.” According to researchers at the University of Zaragoza, their study shows that real images are particularly effective when it comes to a product or service with high involvementthat is, the consumer wants faithful images when the decision they make is important. Real images are also better than those generated with AI to publicize hedonistic products or services because they allow “a better assessment of what the personal experience will be like.” On the other hand, when the products are utilitarian and low-involvement, images generated with AI are effective. In some sectors it is advisable to use commercial images made with AI, such as schools and social entities to avoid showing real children to protect their privacy, scientists highlight. The professor of Marketing at the University of Alicante, Ana Belén Casado, adds that not all consumers or all brands reject AI: “It depends a lot on the type of product, good, service or idea that is being marketed and the differential value proposition of each brand.” For Gavilán, AI is like the Thermomix: a tool with which you don’t do everything in the kitchen, “but you can use it and it is at your disposal, depending on how you use it, it will be better or worse.” In his opinion, the Coca-Cola ad was “a strategic mistake” for wanting to make the same old ad with AI instead of making a different story with that technology. Brands taking a step back with AI? Before Coca-Cola, the clothing brand H&M had already launched a campaign with real models and “digital twins” generated with AI. Although all images generated by AI are labeled so as not to confuse them with real ones and the models have image rights Regarding his digital copy, Caro highlights that “we do not know exactly what this contract has been like in terms of the rights to his own image that exceed those models, nor will it affect photographers and the rest of the workers who make these campaigns possible.” This innovative campaign was quite small, around a line of denim clothing, and the head of AI at the Swedish multinational, Linda Leopoldleft the company shortly after the campaign. “We don’t know where H&M will continue next, especially with all the controversy generated,” says Caro. Gavilán’s vision is that AI will continue to be implemented and that it will be applied more in areas “where it is very relevant.” Despite his water and energy consumptionthe environmental NGO WWF in Denmark launched a campaign titled “The hidden cost” in April 2025 to denounce the environmental impact of eleven different products. It was made entirely with AI. In Spain the first advertising agency focused on AI, AI::gencyhas worked with brands such as Nissan, Seat, Cushla and Ebro. Other brands have chosen publicly reject the AI. In his campaignWhy don’t we get on the AI ​​bandwagon?” in February 2024, the browser Vivaldi announced that it would not be incorporating AI “for the time being.” The reasons given by the company were copyright and privacy violations, as well as “plausible-sounding lies” generated by AI. At the advertising level, doveUnilever’s personal care brand, has … Read more

The El Corte Inglés outlet is full of iPads, MacBooks and other Apple devices. All of these are new and brand new.

by

On many occasions, after a great offer campaign, a huge assortment of refurbished devices usually arrive in stores like El Corte Inglés. Many probably come from returns. Now, after Black Friday The El Corte Inglés outlet is loaded with Apple devices with fairly reasonable prices for what they offer. In this article we are going to review some that continue to receive software updates, but there is a huge list with Apple devices that are new and brand new. That is, they have not been used and, according to the store itself, they only have some damage to the box. iPad Pro M2 by 783.20 eurosa fairly powerful tablet that incorporates Apple’s M2 chip. MacBook Air M2 by 903.20 eurosa light computer that in this case incorporates a 15.3-inch screen. MacBook Pro M2 by 935.20 eurosa fairly complete computer in terms of features. iMac M1 by 1,159.20 eurosan ideal computer for those looking for an all-in-one. iPhone 15 Pro Max by 1,167.20 eurosa quite complete mobile in its 512 GB configuration. iPad Pro M2 If we talk about Apple tablets, one of the best prices on the reconditioned ones at El Corte Inglés is the iPad Pro M2. Incorporates a 12.9-inch screen with 120 Hz refresh rateits power is still very good despite not having the latest generation chip and the audio section is spectacular. Its price is 783.20 euros. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links MacBook Air M2 If what we are looking for is a good laptop that has a large screen, the MacBook Air M2 It is located in the El Corte Inglés outlet for a price of 903.20 euros. Assemble a panel 15.3 inches and comes with 256 GB of internal storage. Its chip is the Apple M2, the autonomy reaches up to 18 hours of video playback and it has a good audio section with the compatibility of Dolby Atmos. MacBook Air M2 (15.3-inch, 256GB) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links MacBook Pro M2 On the other hand, if we want a more compact computer, El Corte Inglés has the MacBook Pro M2 for a price of 913.76 euros. In this case, it comes with a 13.3 inch screenalso incorporates the M2 chip, has 256 GB of internal storage and weighs 1.4 kg. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links iMac M1 El Corte Inglés also has an Apple all-in-one computer in its outlet. It is about the iMac M1 that comes with screen, keyboard and mouse. All this for 1,159.20 euros. The Retina 4.5K screen is 24 inches and includes a webcam. Has 512 GB internal storagemounts Apple’s M1 chip and includes integrated speakers. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links iPhone 15 Pro Max Finally, at the El Corte Inglés outlet we can also find the iPhone 15 Pro Max. It will not be that of the current generation, but for 1,167.20 euros we talk about its configuration with 512 GB internal storage to save many photos, videos or files. It has good autonomy and Your software will be updated until 2030. iPhone 15 Pro Max (512GB) 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 | El Corte Inglés and Compradicción (header), Apple In Xataka | The best mobile phones (2025), we have tested them and here are their analyzes In Xataka | Best wireless headphones. Which one to buy and 21 models from 15 euros to 470 euros

Almost all phones with optical zoom have the same problem. This Chinese brand believes it has solved it in a curious way

by

The greatest illusion trick in mobile photography is continuity between cameras. When we zoom from 1x to 5x on a telephoto smartphone, we are not moving lenses like on a camera; the mobile jumps between fixed sensors and fills the gaps with digital cropping and AI. The result is those sudden jumps in color and image in the viewfinder and a loss of quality in the “intermediate zooms” that we make when pinching the screen. Tecno, the star brand of the giant Transsion—the fifth largest manufacturer in the world hot on Xiaomi’s heels in some markets—has taken advantage of its annual event to present two technologies that attack precisely this problem: a zoom that does not “jump” and a periscope that shrinks. Optical continuous zoom. And from an increase, up to nine. The most ambitious proposal is the “Freeform Continuum Telephoto”. On paper, it promises to maintain optical sharpness throughout. It represents an important leap, although it is not the first: Sony tried it with the Xperia 1 IValthough its range was more limited. LG also showed similar concepts a few years ago, but no one had promised to cover the main angle lens to the long telephoto lens in a single module. To achieve this milestone without turning the mobile phone into a brick, the Chinese firm moves away from the traditional design of lenses that move longitudinally. Instead, they turn to physical principle of the “Alvarez Lenses”: a system that employs two lenses with free-form surfaces that move perpendicular to the optical axis. By sliding one over the other from the side, they change the optical power of the set and achieve that zoom effect. This technology is related to recent reports that Samsung was developing cameras with continuous zoom for Chinese manufacturers. A periscope that folds on itself. The second innovation presented by Tecno attacks the volume. We are obsessed with increasingly larger sensorsbut the space inside the mobile is finite. Periscopic telephoto cameras require a lot of space, but Tecno and its “Dual-Mirror Reflect Telephoto” promise to reduce the size of the module by 50% and its height by 10%. Instead of a simple prism that bends light 90 degrees, the system uses coaxial optics that bounce light multiple times inside the lens using reflective mirrors. It is what allows long focal lengths in a shorter physical distance. However, this design has a physical trace– When using a central obstruction, the bokeh is not circular, but rather takes on a donut shape. Tecno sells it as an artistic feature, the truth is that it is a consequence of mirror optics. Battle against the accused. The new thing from Tecno comes at a time when mobile photography It depends a lot on the processing what are you looking for the photo instagrammable above realism. Going for better optics instead of digital cropping and AI rescaling seems to be the right direction to achieve naturalness. However, we must maintain some caution. The challenge of this zoom is not only that it works, but that it is bright. Maintaining a decent aperture throughout that range is no easy task. If the system is too dark, the ISO will shoot up, generating noise that the software will have to remedy: back to processing. For the moment, we must wait to see if these concepts end up in a commercial mobile phone. Images | Techno In Xataka | I am an amateur photographer, and I will tell you which are the best phones to take almost professional photos without leaving you a fortune.

The POCO F8 Pro and F8 Ultra are a great change of direction for the brand. We spoke with POCO to find out what awaits us now

by

POCO launched two new devices a few days ago that mark a change of direction in its strategy: the F8 Pro and the F8Ultra. The latter represents the Chinese brand’s most ambitious commitment to enter the premium segment, just eight months after the launch of the F7 Ultra in March. As we shared a few days ago, we had the opportunity to analyze it in depth, but we were also able to have a chat with Kang Lou, head of product marketing and spokesperson for POCO Global, and Stanley Yeh, chief audio engineer, at a press conference during the launch event in Bali. Both managers gave us very interesting clues about the future of the brand, which is at its best, proof that its strategy continues to work. A change of strategy. For seven years, POCO has focused exclusively on delivering the best performance at the most competitive price possible. “When POCO was created seven years ago we always focused on one thing: performance,” Lou explained. But now things have changed. “Since the beginning of this year, with the F7 Ultra in March, we started testing the premium market. To do so, we tried to elevate the overall user experience, not just the performance. We want our users to experience good features regardless of whether we are talking about camera, battery or any other feature.” POCO F8 Pro Collaboration with Bose. One of the great novelties of the F8 Ultra is its 2.1 audio system developed in collaboration with Bose. “In the past we usually ignored the audio area. This time we collaborated with Bose because we want a mobile phone to come close to producing the real sound that humans actually hear. We worked with Bose to redesign the entire audio system, both in software and hardware,” said Yeh. Why Bose and not another brand? Asked why they specifically chose Bose out of all the audio brands available, Yeh said, “Bass is quite important for what humans actually hear. Bose has experience in those areas and they also have a lot of patents and technology for small speakers to produce big or deep bass.” In addition, he noted that “Bose has a lot of experience in psychoacoustics, about what good sound is and what kind of sound small speakers can produce.” Qaggressive tough. One of the most recurring questions in the room was how POCO can maintain such competitive prices. Lou responded by explaining that “that’s our biggest strength as a brand. We try to reduce our price as much as possible while maintaining low margins because we really do work on low margins.” LITTLE F8 Ultra Lou further added that “POCO saves a lot of costs because we only focus on online. We don’t have the retail costs, which are a large proportion when we talk about those prices.” Furthermore, regarding the Pro model, he clarified that “we can save costs because we are using the chipset that was launched a year ago. And fortunately, we are in a market where a chipset from a year ago is still very, very capable for common use and for any type of game or intensive use.” Jeans on the back. The F8 Ultra stands out for its rear finish that imitates the texture of jeans, a design decision that especially caught our attention, as did the rest of the attendees. “We wanted something really outstanding, something that when you see it for the first time you fall in love. You feel, ‘oh, there’s something different, something quite cool, something memorable,’” Lou explained. Although he clarified that “it’s not actually denim, it’s not jeans at all. It’s a completely different material made of silicone. We chose it because it’s very durable and at the same time very comfortable to the touch.” In recent years, POCO has been characterized, in part, by targeting a more youthful audience and by devices with yellow finishes. The absence of this color in the F8 Ultra has also been noted. Lou clarified that “we don’t actually stick to the iconic yellow for every phone we make. We just change the overall design language a little bit depending on the product positioning.” Although Lou assured that there are no established plans to make denim a permanent distinctive element. “If it’s something our users want in the future on other devices or accessories, we’ll try to make the effort.” The POCOs have less battery than the Redmi K90. The POCO F8 family is based on the Redmi K90which are sold in Asia. The K90 and K90 Pro Max have batteries greater than 7,000 mAh, but this battery capacity does not carry over to the POCO in Europe. Lou explained that this is “mainly for transportation reasons, but not only that. Many of our third-party partners have warehouses in local markets and those warehouses have to be certified to store batteries up to a certain capacity. In order for everyone to partner with us and get our devices, we have a limit in place.” The camera, that great pending task. Regarding possible collaborations in the future, especially in the photographic section, Lou clarified that “we have a strong cooperation with Bose and some other leading technologies in terms of camera. We are always trying to improve the camera experience compared to what we have today. If we can have more collaborations in terms of camera to strengthen the entire future experience, of course we will. But at the moment we do not have any collaboration in that sense.” The firm also does not have a large arsenal of accessories under its POCO brand, and perhaps this can be a very lucrative aspect for the brand. At the moment they do not have a roadmap in mind, so we will have to wait to find out more details in this regard. What’s coming now. POCO is at a critical moment. After seven years building a solid reputation under the “value for money” label, the brand is now trying to … Read more

‘Stranger Things’ changed everything for Netflix. Your problem now is finding another brand just as powerful.

by

The expectation is through the roof: Netflix has just taken the first steps of the final season of ‘Stranger Things’‘, which will run throughout December with several episodes, many of them feature-length. In fact, the desire of the fans is such that Netflix even saw its servers falter. A (very possibly) triumphant culmination that, however, leaves a few unknowns in the air. Netflix flashes. Netflix experienced a service outage that in some cases It lasted about twenty minutes. (although the thing did not exceed about five, according to the platform’s official statement) with the premiere of the fifth season of ‘Stranger Things’. The incident occurred despite the fact that the series co-creator, Ross Duffer, had shared that Netflix would increase its bandwidth by 30% to avoid precisely this type of incident. All in all, thousands of users reported NSEZ-403 errors that prevented them from accessing the content, or accessed it with problems, which worked as a perfect thermometer of the expectation generated by the series. ‘Stranger Things’ continues to be a phenomenon capable of collapsing digital infrastructures three years after its previous season. Devastating figures. The fourth season accumulated 140.7 million viewsestablishing itself as the third most watched series in English on the platform, only behind ‘Wednesday’ and ‘Adolescence’. Of course, it is the only series with all seasons in the Top 10an unprecedented milestone on the platform. The impact on subscribers is more difficult to quantify: the third season, for example, contributed to add 520,000 subscribers in the United States. The cultural impact. The impact that ‘Stranger Things’ has had on modern pop culture is enough for a book, but let’s stick with some figures that will give us a rough idea. First, the economy: Netflix, for example, closed agreements with approximately 75 brands to promote the third season. Coca-Cola relaunched New Coke, generating 1.2 billion dollars in media value; Similarly, Nike obtained $178 million in media coverage with their Hawkins High collection. But this goes far beyond benefits for some brands: Butts County in Georgia, where the series is set, reported a 12% increase in tourism during the years the series was broadcast. And the small city of Jackson, with barely five thousand inhabitants and a per capita income of less than $30,000, revitalized its economy thanks to thematic tours. And of course, there is the strong role that the series has had in the recovery of the aesthetics and fashions of the eighties. It is no longer just that they have been revitalized Stephen King’s books and John Carpenter’s films: platforms like LTK registered increases of 3,000% in searches for clothing similar to those worn by the characters. What can we expect? For now, Netflix has planned very well to divide this final season into three: 4 episodes on November 27, 3 on December 26 and a final one on January 1. That is, coinciding with Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve, and thus, contrary to what is usual on the platform, stretching the cultural conversation for two months. As for audience expectations, as expected, they are very high: analysts predict new viewing records given the three years of waiting until this end. Of course, the critics have spoken and they point to the signs of exhaustion that were already seen in previous seasons: 87% on Rotten Tomatoesthe lowest rating of the series so far, although the audience rises to 92%. It is not easy to maintain narrative quality after so many years, with obstacles such as the age of the protagonists. The future. The really interesting thing about the phenomenon is wondering what Netflix has ahead. Or to put it more awkwardly: can the platform replicate the phenomenon? It has certainly had successful series in its catalogue, such as ‘Wednesday‘, ‘The Squid Game’ or ‘The Bridgertons’, but except for the first, all of them have finished or are about to do so. It is true that Netflix has the ability to generate new hits like ‘Wednesday’, which also, although it came as a bit of a surprise to everyone, could be well exploited by the platform. Now, Netflix is ​​in a phase of prioritize quantity over qualitymercilessly canceling what does not interest you and attesting that we are in a different moment than the initial success of ‘Stranger Things’: the competition has multiplied and it is more difficult to get noticed among multiple offers. Netflix has all the space in the world before it to compete, but perhaps its main rival is its own legacy: how to make ‘Stranger Things’ forgotten. The series was perhaps, before the almost infinite atomization of the offer of the streamingthe medium’s latest great global success. And that is very difficult to overcome. In Xataka | Netflix loved movie theaters. Then he hated them. Now you have reached a very beneficial middle ground

Álvaro Moreno and his Catholic clothing brand is just the tip of the iceberg: the fever for "chic christianity"

by

During the inauguration of one of its stores in Zaragoza, the Álvaro Moreno brand repeated his usual ritual: A priest toured the facilities blessing the premises and the employees, while the motto “May it be for the glory of God” was read on a large screen. The gesture summarizes the philosophy of the Sevillian businessman who has made his Catholic faith part of his business model. Showing faith. “When I open a store I say let it be for the glory of God, because if it is not for his glory, why are we here?” he said in an interview with El Español. He was 21 years old when he opened his first store in Osuna; Today, his brand employs 700 people and has an annual profit of almost 11 million. In the midst of the pandemic, after attending mass one morning, he says he found something more than comfort: a new way of understanding the company. Your company seeks to integrate “social and solidarity projects” through initiatives such as Tiendas con Alma, which collaborates with NGOs such as Down España, ELA Andalucía, Tu Casa Azul or the Daughters of Charity of Pumarejo. “Doing a company with soul” is not marketing, he insists. But the truth is that his way of mixing religion and business fits perfectly with a broader cultural trend: the return of Catholicism as an aesthetic, story and, in some cases, as a brand strategy. In Xataka Rosalía has entered her Catholic phase: she is only the latest in a long list of Spanish artists and filmmakers A new spiritual language? Álvaro Moreno’s public devotion does not come from nowhere. It is part of a broader movement, where religion once again appears among pop songs, fashion shows or company slogans. Catholicism, previously relegated to silence or modesty, now becomes a visible sign, even a form of style. The singer Rosalía has been the most visible face of that trend. Their new album, Lux, is crossed by religious symbols and songs. On the cover she appears dressed in a white habit and in the presentation video you can hear Gregorian choirs and verses about God in fourteen languages. This gesture is located within a broader artistic movementwhere religiosity is no longer taboo for the new generations. Spirituality has become, in other words, a new cultural language. From Rosalía’s habit to Catholic festivals like Hakuna, which brought together 85,000 young people At a massive concert in April, faith is leaving the sacristies and entering the timelines. From TikTok to the pulpit. The phenomenon is not limited to Spain. In the United States, a report from the Wall Street Journal describes how Christian music contemporary “is on fire again for God. Artists like Forrest Frank, former member of the pop duo Surfaces, have brought their faith to TikTok with songs like God’s Got My Back, accumulating more than 15 million streams on Spotify and millions of views on social networks. According to the same medium, Christian artists accumulated more than 1.2 billion views in the US this year. And not just artists: even convents have learned to move in the digital age. Nuns like Sister Marta, Sister Verónica or the Argentine Josefina Cattaneo They accumulate hundreds of thousands of followers showing their daily life in the convents: from how a habit is prepared to how a birthday is celebrated in community. The formula works because it humanizes the religious vocation and makes it accessible to young people who perhaps would never approach a church. What was previously communicated from the pulpit is now shared from the algorithm. From modesty to believing pride. In Spain, the data confirm a generational change. According to the CIS36.4% of young people between 18 and 24 years old declare themselves Catholic, compared to 28% in 2021. 10.5% are practicing. It is the only age group in which religiosity grows. “There is a rise in identity-based Catholicism and a visibility of religious identity among part of the youth,” explains anthropologist Mónica Cornejo in El Correo. “They wear crosses and claim their faith without shame. They say: ‘I’m a Christian, so what?’” For Cornejo, it is a Catholicism that is “more cultural, less dogmatic. They are not as interested in read religion as in lived religion.” In a country where religion seemed a thing of the past, faith is once again a flag—aesthetic, emotional or political. And he does it, curiously, from Instagram, from the reels or from a walkway. {“videoId”:”x8ldfb3″,”autoplay”:false,”title”:”HOW ELON MUSK MAKES MONEY if MANY of his companies ARE NOT PROFITABLE”, “tag”:”Webedia-prod”, “duration”:”797″} Towards chic Catholicism. But there is a question underlying all of this: is it devotion, strategy or both? As Noemí López Trujillo warns in Newtralthe religious aesthetic that Rosalía has embraced “does not seem to renounce or contradict itself, but rather deliberately embrace the idea that what is conservative is subversive.” In the case of Álvaro Moreno, the phrase “Let it be for the glory of God” resonates with authenticity, yes, but also with a precision of branding: store, ritual, history of improvement, visible values. And in a market where consumers seek purpose as much as they seek product, that narrative works. The question is whether something essential is not diluted along the way. Deep spirituality becomes consumer aesthetics, and faith—like almost everything—into a market value. Because believing in something offers comfort; But commodifying belief offers a story that sells. And at that border—between conviction and strategy—we may have to look beyond the blessed display cases. Image | TikTok Xataka |Shein has opened its first store in Europe in Paris. Paris has reacted as always: staging a revolt (function() { window._JS_MODULES = window._JS_MODULES || {}; var headElement = document.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)(0); if (_JS_MODULES.instagram) { var instagramScript = document.createElement(‘script’); instagramScript.src=”https://platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js”; instagramScript.async = true; instagramScript.defer = true; headElement.appendChild(instagramScript); – The news Álvaro Moreno and his Catholic clothing brand is just the tip of the iceberg: the fever for “chic Christianity” was originally published in Xataka by Alba Otero .

Realme seeks to make the mobile phone the best street camera. And it has joined the street camera brand par excellence

by

Shenzhen and Beijing have two things in common: they are endless and both have been the perfect setting for two mobile presentations that have photography in the spotlight. He Vivo X300 Pro hit first, betting on a very long zoom to capture every last detail of the highest roof. The Realme GT8 Pro arrived later with a contrary argument: “Take me out on the street and start taking photos.”. Realme’s new high-end has been an open secret for weeks and I’ve already had it in my hands for a few days. But with one condition: I can’t talk about the phone, only its main camera. The reason? They have not presented the mobilebut an agreement with a striking camera brand: RICOH. And below I’ll tell you my first impressions of the Realme GT8 Pro camera. Technical specifications of the Realme GT8 Pro? Maybe they are the strangest first impressions I have ever made because… I can’t tell you about the cell phone. In fact, any detail is extremely generic: screen that occupies the entire front, an imitation of the Dynamic Island of the iPhone that Realme has been implementing for some time in its models and a design with flat sides. Photo: Xataka There was a rule: you cannot remove the case, you cannot remove the sticker that covers the camera module. Because I can’t, I can’t even tell you what hardware it has because the characteristics in ‘Settings’ are falsified. What I can tell you is that it has a periscopic telephoto, a wide angle and a main camera. And I’m going to get into it now because it is the jewel in the crown (beyond a power and battery that, if they follow in the wake of the Realme GT7 Prowill be rubbing shoulders with the best mobile phones of 2025). Realme GT8 Pro: a mobile phone made for the street “The collaboration with RICOH to create the Realme GT8 Pro goes beyond a union of brands.” Also about specifications: RICOH has overseen all aspects of the camera’s hardware and software. In the presentation of the agreement (because the mobile phone has not yet been officially presented), the Chinese company made it clear that the differentiating point of the new terminal is the main camera. Photo: Xataka It has a wide angle, it has a telephoto, it will surely mount the latest from Qualcomm, but the protagonist is the result of a very close collaboration between the Chinese and Japanese brands. Megapixels? Why do you want to know that (it’s not official). Focal? 23mm. Opening? 1.8. Does that matter? Not the slightest. Let me explain. Entering the Realme GT8 Pro camera app is like doing so in any mobile camera app: a carousel of options that are overwhelming in some cases and processing that feels excessive in some aspects. However, the secret is if we slide our finger down on the shutter button: this way we access the RICOH GR mode very, very quickly. Photo: Xataka To give some context, RICOH is a company that makes very compact cameras, ideal for street photography. They have specialized in fast focus cameras, silent shooting and ‘stealth’ modes to go unnoticed in the urban jungle. Also by 28 mm or 40 mm fixed focal lengths, depending on the model. Entering that GR mode directly activates the 28mmbut it is not a real focal length: it is a small cutout of the sensor to go from the native 23 mm to that RICOH-type focal length. It is not the only one: we also have a 40 mm (which would be a 1.8x crop of the sensor) and if we tap on the 28 mm and 40 mm icons, two more distances are added. That is, in practice the main camera is: 23mm in normal mode 28mm in GR mode 35mm in GR mode 40mm in GR mode 50mm, or 2x, in GR mode I imagine at least the 50mm or 2x will also be available in the regular camera app, but it wasn’t available on my test unit. As soon as you enter GR mode, the shutter changes to mimic that of a RICOH and the 28mm and 40mm crops are activated. Photo: Xataka The use is very intuitive and there are other things that change a lot in this GR mode. To start, the colors. We have several filters typical RICOH tonal variations. As in its day with Apple ringtones, It’s not about filters. In fact, from Realme they commented that “People are tired of filters that make all photos look the same”. What they have done is work with RICOH to apply their color science to photo processing. Auto mode. The defendant wants everything to look “good” in the photo. Photo: Xataka GR mode. More (coughs and fixes his bow tie) cinematic. Photo: Xataka Thus, there are tones that vary slightly, opting for a more bluish tone in elements such as shadows, but in addition the processing does not enhance the shadows to the extreme nor does it apply aggressive HDR (in normal mode, yes). And we have five default color profiles that are based on the technical characteristics that RICOH has set. GR mode profiles. Photo: Xataka Within each “color recipe”, we can create our own, modifying parameters such as tone, contrast, exposure or black level to create a unique profile that adapts to what we like. And they stay stored, something that I loved. Apart from the color profiles and focal lengths, the GR mode allows you to save in the usual JPG, JPG+RAW and RAW, but something else: modify the focus point to leave it fixed. Within each profile, we can customize parameters. Photo: Xataka We have several options here and, basically, it is about making the mobile even faster in its point & shoot function. A practical example: if I am shooting at everything in front of me, be it close-ups or panoramic shots, I can leave the focus on auto so that the phone … Read more

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

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

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

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