buttons

The Government already has a plan to return to physical buttons

by

Many of us miss the presence of physical buttons inside the vehicles that land on the market today, that is a fact. However, from various points of the globe there is already a certain movement in reversing and require a certain balance. In this sense, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China (MIIT) has proposed a new regulation which will force manufacturers to install physical buttons and controls for essential vehicle functions. The ‘all screen’ has dominated the automobile industry in China in recent years, but everything indicates that there is now an intention to stop this trend for safety reasons. The underlying problem. The obsession with minimalist interiors with huge touch screens has led many Chinese manufacturers to eliminate virtually all physical buttons from the cabin. A trend largely started by Tesla and that brands like BYD, Xiaomi or Geely have adopted it massively. As if navigating our phone’s interface wasn’t enough, now we also have to spend some time on the central screen of our car, and in several vehicles we have to go through this screen for functions as basic as the turn signals or emergency lights. Which functions will have mandatory physical controls. The regulations specify a clear list of items which must have physical buttons or controls with a minimum size of 10×10 millimeters: turn signals, emergency lights, horn, gear selection (P/R/N/D), windshield wipers, defroster, electric windows, switch to activate driving assistance systems and emergency lights. Technical requirements. Under the proposal, physical controls would need to be in fixed positions, allow use without looking, and provide tactile or auditory feedback. Additionally, basic functions must remain available even when the vehicle system fails or loses power. In this way, the regulatory body intends for the driver to be able to operate these controls without taking their eyes off the road or depending on the screen to respond correctly. It is not an isolated case. China has begun a regulatory crusade for security in recent months. A few days ago we were talking about the ban on hidden handles retractable after several fatal accidents in the country. There is also an intention to eliminate yoke-type (U-shaped) steering wheels, arguing that their design is not suitable for the 10-specific point impact tests on the steering wheel required by new safety regulations, which will come into force in January 2027. Stricter regulation for autonomous driving. The new rules also tighten the requirements for autonomous driving systems levels 3 and 4. Manufacturers will have to demonstrate that their systems can drive as well as “a competent and attentive human driver”, presenting case studies to support this. According to the regulations, if the system fails or the driver does not respond, the vehicle must reach what regulators call a “minimum risk condition” – that is, stop safely on its own. Implementation schedule. The draft is open to public consultation until April 13. According to ChinaEVHomethe regulations on physical controls would come into force on July 1, 2027, with a transition period of approximately six months. New models seeking approval must comply with all of this immediately, while existing models will have 13 months to adapt, according to they count from CarScoops. In Xataka | Two centuries ago the tires on cars and motorcycles were white. It had nothing to do with the design.

Mercedes has filled its screens cars. Now your software boss says that the lifelong buttons are better

by

Automobiles are immersed in two revolutions. One seems to have a clear destination: the adoption of batteries for support decarbonization. The other is that of the buttons, and it is somewhat more diffuse. If a few years ago the main companies They launched into the arms of the screens Already the condemnation of the physical buttons, now there is a shy back. And, precisely, one of the cars that is returning to the buttons is the New Mercedes GLC. Yes, the one with a 39.1 -inch side screen. Mbux Hyperscreen. Presented during the Munich Auto Hall a few weeks ago, the new Mercedes GLC is a most curious electric. On the outside, it reminds us of more classic cars of the brand, but inside it is an absolute fantasy. It does not reach the end of Intel prototypes with screens everywherean idea that became ‘obscene’, but in the dashboard we have a huge screen of almost 40 inches from side to side. It’s about your Hyperscreena subway and a half screen that simulates three screens and that has the controls of the entire infotainment system, car information and, after the steering wheel, the digital velocimeter area and important details for driving. Reverse. When Mercedes designed it, he relegated absolutely all car controls to digital buttons on that touch screen. However, the industry is in a moment of change and there are brands that are rethinking those movements. Although shy, Mercedes has joined this with the aforementioned GLC, but also with the Cla Shooting Brake (Another electric). The German brand has redesigned the steering wheel to include elements that should not have disappeared from it as knobs, rollers and buttons to control important sections of the car and do not have to divert the view of the road to look at a screen. The British environment Coach He has been able to talk to Magnus Östberg, head of software in Mercedes (so he must be one of the most interested in integrating everything into the user interface of the screens), who has recognized that, perhaps, they went from futurists. The new steering wheel with buttons The buttons are better. In the interview, Östberg pointed out that wearing the buttons back to the wheel is “the easiest and most profitable way to add physical controls to cars” while maintaining cabins in which there is great importance to digital. To the surprise of few drivers, “having that balance between physical and tactile buttons is extremely important for us. We rely on the data and what is most used, and the data show us that the physical buttons are better. That is why we have put them again,” he says in a forceful way. The software chief commented that this will mark the Mercedes roadmap from now on and that, probably include more buttons. Now, it will not be in all models. Östberg points out that, while the flyers with buttons will mark the new path of the brand, those cars that will include more additional buttons, surely will be the SUV. “In the largest cars we have more freedom of space and, in addition, the buyers of these ranges care more about the buttons,” he says. This may depend on the market, since the manager suggested that there could be different flyers depending on the region. He pointed out that while Europeans want buttons, Asians prefer screens and voice controls. Climatizer controls will continue on screen Also in the industry. The truth is that Östberg’s statements do not catch us by surprise if we take into account what other companies are doing. One of those who made a big difference between the classic and new ‘cabins’ with screens everywhere is Volkswagen and, precisely, in the Munich Automobile Hall presented Your new design language for interiors of their cars: more buttons and, in addition, real buttons (Nothing of its controversial capacitive buttons). But it is not just that companies are realizing that the buttons are useful for security reasons: Euro NCAP announced a few months ago that cars will only get five stars (a very important marketing point for the user) If the basic functions continue to control with physical controls. Mazda and his “Submit me the cup”. But, while some of the companies that most bet on the buttons are collecting cable, even timidly, there are others that move in an opposite direction. I mean Mazda, the Japanese company that became resistance When betting on small screens and many buttons and that, with its last models, has given the flying to embrace the touch screens. He Mazda 6e It was a warning, but consolidation came with the Mazda CX-5 2025a car that relegated important controls to the large central touch screen. And, like Östberg, from Mazda United States, they said that drivers want … screens. But well, despite the words of the Mercedes manager, the screens will not disappear. In fact, in Autocar, the design chief of the German firm, Gordon Wagener, said that the interior of the GLC is a luxury and that they look at Apple so that the software is the differentiating point With competition. The point now is to find that average term in which the buttons and the screens of a meter and a half manage to live together. Images | Mercedes-Benz In Xataka | Volkswagen adds to an increasingly common trend: to pay a subscription so that your car runs more

Mazda was the last redoubt in cars with physical buttons. The new CX-5 has taken them ahead

by

From a few years to this part, the car industry has sought that The user perceives the car as a Gadget further. The huge touch screens have invaded the splashes of almost all brands and, at a very hard speed, to the simplest and most necessary actions (change the air conditioningfor example) have become a few touches on a screen. Mazda was one of the brands that resistance exercised Against this Invasion of screensmaintaining the useful and traditional buttons. But if we talk in the past it is for a reason: The CX-5 It shows that Mazda 6e It was no exception. And, according to Mazda, it is what we want. Look, without looking! At a point where practically all the competition was betting on screens, larger and more waiting for technology to be ready to turn the moon on a screenMazda was one of the last bastions in the industry that resisted that present. In the last generations, they continued to bet on the physical buttons and controls in the cabin. The decision was based on the Safety at the wheel (which, in the end, is the most important thing) and the user’s own experience. With the buttons, our muscle memory allows us to perform actions such as controlling music, GPS or air conditioning without playing a screen and diverting the road view. And, although the last Mazda had a small screen, it was out of reach, you had to press buttons and move dials. Mazda, you too… However, it seems that market pressure has ended up making a dent. We already saw it A few months ago with Mazda 6ethe 100% electric Berlina of the Japanese company that incorporated an extremely similar interior both to Tesla as a byd and other competitors. This is an diaphanous interior governed by a huge central screen. We could think that, okay, it was 100% electric and wanted to try a different philosophy. The problem is that it was not an experiment. Presented a few weeks ago, the new CX-5, eliminated the Mazda logo of the steering wheel (this hurts more than the disappearance of the buttons), but also incorporated a 15.6-inch screen in the center of the dashboard, with multimedia and air conditioning controls. Maintain certain buttons on the steering wheel, but to change basic things, the screen will have to be wearing. Goodbye, Mazda logo. Some buttons are maintained, such as the emergency or the moons. The rest, to the screen and behind the wheel What customers ask for. But it turns out that it is not only market pressure, but, apparently, what customers want. In an interview granted by Stefan Meisterfeld, vice president of operations to The Drivewith Google as an assistant in the car, many actions can be done through voice commands. In addition, they have designed the system to be “intuitive, easy to use and easy to drive at the same time.” Meisterfeld says that it has not been a whim of the brand, since “customer opinion has definitely been part of the decision -making process.” In addition, he has talked about the steering wheel: “It is a new design with physical buttons with which most of the critical functions can be controlled quite intuitively while driving, so you can keep your hands on the steering wheel and eyes on the road,” he says. Against. When the launch approaches, we will see what these “critical functions” are, but it seems clear that there is no back and that the new generations of the compact and rest of the range of SUV They will add to this new line of design and philosophy. And they will do it at a time when there is Users who show a ‘fedow’ for this type of tactile controls and most importantly: organisms such as Euro NCAP are against. It is the most relevant in Europe to evaluate vehicle safety and, after carrying out collision tests, From 2026 there will be a new exam. If you cannot select the flashing, activate the ‘Warning’ button, sound the horn, activate the windshield wiper or the Ecall emergency button From a button, the car will not have the five stars. Are they late? They are soft measures, but between those and user complaints, there are companies like Volkswagen that have reversed. Interestingly, one of the most enthusiastic with the screens, recently hit a flying with statements by his own design chief confirming that Cars “are not a phone”. In the end, fashions come and go, although some brands prepare the return of the buttons, seen in events such as the Shanghai Motor Show show us that Lso screens have come to stay, at least for a while. Is Mazda late to this new form of control? Seeing competition, it seems not. Now we will see what users think because Mazda 6E could be an experiment, but the rest of the majority ranges had buttons that made them models other than those of the competition, and the CX-5 has sought not to uncheck. Images | Mazda In Xataka | I have bought this car for a simple reason: I’m fed up with giant screens

David Reber Jr., CSO of Nvidia, on the remote off buttons in AI chips

by

What if an artificial intelligence chip could not come on if it is in the wrong place? That is the idea that begins to circulate strongly in Washington: demand that last generation GPUs include mechanisms that prevent its initialization If they have been diverted from their authorized destiny. The logic behind this proposal is simple – at least on paper -: If a chip cannot start, it cannot be used. But the involvement is much deeper. It is no secret that the United States wants to avoid at all costs that this technology ends up promoting Chinese arms development, and some legislators believe that control must be integrated directly into hardware. In that context, Nvidia, one of the main global manufacturers, has raised the voice. “They don’t have it. They won’t have it”: Nvidia’s official position The answer was swift. David reber Jr., Security Director of Nvidia, published a blunt message: “Our GPU does not have safety switches. And they should not have them. ”Reber defends that integrating such mechanisms into the hardware would be a strategic error, a risk of self -security and a direct threat to global confidence in American technology. “Permanently integrating a ‘Kill Switch’ into a chip is something completely different: a structural failure outside the user control and an invitation open to disaster. It is like buying a car and that the concessionaire is left with the remote control of the hand brake, in case one day you decide that you should not drive. That is not a sensible policy. It is an overreaction that would irreversibly damage the national interests and national security of the United States. It is not an improvised position. For Nvidia, opening the door to remote control functions is equivalent to creating permanent vulnerability, a weak point that could be exploited by hostile actors. The context is key to understanding the movement of Nvidia. During the last fiscal year, China represented 13% of company’s income, about 17,000 million dollars. However, those numbers are at stake. The successive US administrations have hardening chips export restrictions such as H100 either A100alleging national security motifs. Even so, Those chips continue to arrive in Chinamany times through unauthorized channels. And before that scenario, there are those who believe that the only way to cut the root problem is to introduce control at the silicon level. One of the proper names behind the most radical proposal is Bill FosterDemocratic congressman by Illinois and former particle. He is not a newcomer to the hardware world: he designed chips during his scientific stage and now leads a legislative proposal that I am looking formpon new technical requirements for manufacturers. Last May 6, Foster declared that his intention was Require US regulators the implementation of systems that allow tracking chips and avoiding their implementation if they do not have the corresponding export license. The bill was formally presented on May 15. Although remote deactivation does not explicitly mention, it raises the “implementation of chips safety mechanisms” as a way to detect cases of smuggling or improper use of advanced circuits. A law that does not say everything, but it hints almost everything THE PROJECT TEXT It does not come into technical details about how each mechanism should work, but it does mark a clear direction. It states that the chips covered by law – that is, those subject to export licenses— They must include “security mechanisms” able to help detect cases of smuggling or improper use. In addition, it requires that these systems cannot be deactivated or easily altered. The ambiguity of the text opens margin for interpretations, but makes clear an intention: that the control stops depending only on customs and begins to be integrated into the silicon itself. In any case, Nvidia’s position is not simple. On the one hand, it must comply with the restrictions imposed by the United States. On the other, he knows that losing the Chinese market would be a huge blow. Recently, H20 export was approved as part of a commercial agreement. However, its arrival to the Chinese market It has not materialized as expected: There are delays associated with obtaining licenses and the bureaucratic authorization process. While in the US it is discussed how to control the fate of the chips, China continues to advance in the opposite direction: develop their own. The objective is clear and not new: reduce the technological dependence of the West, especially in critical components such as GPUs. But one thing is the long -term strategy and another the current reality. And the reality is that China, for the moment, continues to need Nvidia chips, especially in full global career for artificial intelligence. Images | Nvidia (1, 2, 3) | Xataka with Gemini 2.5 Flash In Xataka | Ten Chinese companies in Chips and IA have allied with a common goal: to put an end to the domain of Nvidia

Mediamarkt has an ereader for almost the same thing that costs an official case of the Kindle. It is compact and includes physical buttons

by

Although Rakute and Amazon are the most popular Ereader brands, the truth is that there are many others that have models with excellent value for money. For example, the Woxter Scriba 195 S We usually find it at a very good price, especially today in Mediamarkt. In the store offers section we have it for only 39 euros; That is, almost the same as it costs an official case of the Kindle, since its price is 34.99 euros. * Some price may have changed from the last review A cheap, compact and very light ereader The Woxter Scriba 195 S is a simple and compact ereader, but which is also ideal for devouring digital books. Differs from other better known models – such as some Kindle O Kobo— For his 4.7 -inch screen which offers a resolution of 960 x 540 pixels. It is worth mentioning that we should not confuse this model with the Scriba 195, since the version “S” does not include touch screen. To pass the pages, access digital books or navigate the ereader menu physical buttons that we find on the sides of the front (to pass pages) and at the bottom front (to access the books and the menu). Among other things, the Woxter Scriba 195 S stands out for its compact format, but also because it is light: Weigh only 100 grams. It also comes with 4 GB of internal storage to save many books and is compatible with multiple formats. In addition, a very interesting function that we do not usually see in all ereader is that Allows you to read books (and not only PDF) both horizontally and vertically. You may also be interested in these other alternatives Kobo Clara Color | Electronic color reader | E-Ink Kaleido ™ 3-color screen without 6-inch reflections | Dark way option | Water resistant | Audiobros | 16 GB of storage * Some price may have changed from the last review Pocketbook see electronic book 6 “8GB Blue Blue * Some price may have changed from the last review Some of the links of this article are affiliated and can report a benefit to Xataka. In case of non -availability, offers may vary. Images | Woxter In Xataka | Best electronic books. Which to buy and nine recommended models In Xataka | These are the 20 best books edited in 2024

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.