compared

the delay of streaming compared to DTT

by

This World Cup has involved a meeting in the field with friends in every match in Spaina fairly typical scene that shows that, when there is football (and even more so when La Roja plays), everything comes to a standstill. We take the TV out on the porch, grab some chairs, have some snacks and dinner, and what more could you ask for. Well yes, one thing is: don’t let the neighbor spoil the surprise of the goals. Since we did not have a coaxial cable antenna at hand, we streamed through the app Movistar Plus+. The thing about streaming is that, generally, the retransmission it’s more late than the signal that is emitted from DTT. It is not particularly annoying as long as there are no cuts, but an event like a World Cup, where each goal is shouted out loud, can become quite a nuisance. And even more so when the signal is more than a minute late, as was the case with us. So I couldn’t think of anything other than to explain the reasons why this happens and its possible solutions. The traditional antenna is faster than it looks Traditional television, which is received via antenna, also has its own delay. It has never been a one hundred percent instantaneous broadcast, since the networks They usually apply a small margin between five and ten seconds, precisely to be able to cut off in time if something inappropriate happens live. This cushion has existed for decades and is the same for all viewers who watch the signal on the antenna. The difference is that this delay is short, stable and homogeneous. Everyone who watches the game on DTT sees it, more or less, at the same time. However, in streaming things change. The (much longer) journey of a signal over the Internet To understand why streaming always arrives later, we have to follow the path that the image takes from the stadium to our devices. And this journey goes through several stages: first with the capture of the image, then with encoding, transcoding, distribution and, finally, decoding on the viewer’s device. Each of those steps adds timeand none are instantaneous. Image generated by AI with Gemini The key is how that video is distributed over the internet. The vast majority of streaming platformswhether large general services or sports applications, use protocols such as HLS or its equivalent DASH. Both work in a very specific way, since the server does not send a continuous stream of video, but rather cuts it into small fragments of between two and ten seconds in length, which the player downloads one after the other. So that the playback is not cut off or stuck if the connection fails for a moment, the player does not limit itself to downloading the fragment that is to be seen at that moment, but also also save several fragments aheadsomething we call “buffer“. This mechanism prioritizes making the video look fluid over seeing it at the exact moment it happens, and that is precisely the price you pay in seconds of delay. To this we must add the distribution through the so-called CDNs (content distribution networks), which are the infrastructures that allow millions of people to watch the same game at the same time without the original servers collapsing. The CDN77 company calculate that, adding network latency, transcoding time (about five seconds on average) and the player’s own buffer, common HTTP protocols generatea total delay of between 25 and 40 secondsfrom the moment the play occurs until it reaches the viewer’s screen. Amazon Web Services, which provides technical support to numerous streaming platforms, matches in that the player’s safety margin is a decision made by each application, and the greater the margin, the more protected the playback is against cuts, but also the later the image reaches the viewer. There are extreme cases. FEED technical magazine remember that, during the last Euro Cup, many viewers received the notification of the goal on their mobile phone before even seeing it on the screen streaming, and also cites the case of boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul broadcast by Netflix, which had significant loading and lag problems. And there is no solution? It’s not that the platforms don’t want to reduce the delay, it’s that they want to do it without sacrificing image quality or connection stability It is complicated and expensive. In current streaming, each application distributes the content through its own distribution networks, which causes the delay to vary from one service to another, something that does not normally happen with classic television, where all viewers usually share the same delay. This is precisely why “low latency” versions of common protocols, known as LL-HLS and LL-DASH, have begun to appear. These variants allow the player to start downloading and to show a video fragment even before that fragment has completely finished recording, instead of waiting until it is completely closed. It is a technical change that can cut the delay from the usual 15-30 seconds to just two or five, depending on collect the Dacast platform. Some chains have already begun to apply it in practice. From FEED they count that Sky Sports launched a low latency version of its main channel this year that has managed to reduce the lag by 20 seconds compared to the previous version, and that the BBC has done its first tests of low latency streaming on its iPlayer platform to measure how this technology behaves on a large scale with the current internet infrastructure. What can you do While waiting for these technologies to become widespread, something that in an event with the global audience of a World Cup is neither easy nor cheap to implement, the most practical recommendation is still to turn on the antenna whenever you can, if you don’t want your goal spoiled, and flee from WhatsApp and social networks at that time. Cover image | Wemax Projectors (Unsplash) and RTVE In … Read more

I have compared the prices and I will tell you if it is worth buying them or not

by

Several hundred euros or even more than 1,000 euros: that is what a smartphone can cost us today. Obviously, a model launched this same year It will still have a high price. For this reason, if what you prioritize above all things is your pocket, Opting for a model from last year or the previous year is a good idea. Depending on the manufacturer, it will take more or less work to find one of these devices in stores. But, And what happens with refurbished cell phones? Do you really save a lot by buying one of these phones? We have taken a look at the main stores where we can find reconditioned very popular mobile phones and we will tell you what the result has been. Spoiler: You can save a pretty penny, but only if you look closely. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links The results of the different stores, at a glance As you can see from the table, the price of refurbished phones is almost always lower than that of new devices. Now, the price will depend on several different factors, such as the condition of the device or the seller. Also from the moment in which we search, since their prices fluctuate frequently. The cheapest reconditioned can also be the best quality What we would expect to see in the comparison: A device with more signs of wear or use is cheaper. This is almost always the case, but that’s the key: not always. The table leaves us surprises: if we look at the Galaxy S25 from Samsung, we can see how in ‘very good’ condition it is cheaper than ‘premium’. However, this is not the general trend and we can find mobile phones in the best of conditions at a lower price than ‘pre-owned’ or only ‘functional’. What conclusion do we draw? If we are determined to buy a refurbished device, the best thing we can do is look at various stores. Although they do not vary much, there are cases where we can easily save a good amount. Furthermore, it is possible to find a phone in ‘excellent’ condition in store A cheaper than one that is simply ‘pre-owned’ in store B. Learning from this comparison For the table above we have compared, in several stores, several different refurbished mobile phones. We have focused on some of the best-selling brands such as Apple, Samsung or Xiaomi, always looking at phones that are from high-end or mid-range of past generations. From the specific figures we can extract some clear points: Reconditioned products represent savings (almost) always: It will depend on the device in question, but there can be a very big price difference. Especially on mobile phones with high prices. The condition of the reconditioned is a differentiating factor, but it does not always guarantee the best price. The differences between stores can be big. By comparing reconditioned ones from different stores, we can easily save more than 50 or 100 euros. On mid-range phones, the savings are not that big. It will depend on the mobile phone, but the savings will almost always be greater on more expensive phones. You must also take into account the state of the battery to know if it compensates or not, although we will talk about that below. The condition of the battery can be decisive When we talk or think about refurbished phones, we usually focus a lot on its physical appearance, in case it has scratches or bumps. That is important (it should be more), although we do not have to lose sight of the health of the battery. In this case, it will depend on the store in question: Back Market: minimum 85%. PcComponents: minimum 80%. MediaMarkt Outlet: here we do not find specific information about each device, so we would have to contact the store to find out. It should be noted here that in some stores, such as Back Market, you can request a completely new battery paying a little more. In practice, a capacity of 80% is not too much. It will depend on how we use the phone, but it is obvious that we are going to have to charge the phone more often. Besides, the battery capacity will decrease as they happen charging cycles. And of course, if we add a new battery to the equation, we will be losing part of the savings along the way. My advice? It will depend a lot on the type of user you are.. If you use your phone intensively or intend for it to last for many years, then it is worth considering the option of a new battery. By adding up the cost of the phone and the battery, you can easily see if a refurbished phone is worth it or a new one is better. Now, if you don’t use your phone too much, then a battery that has 80 or 85% health is enough. It is worth checking the store’s warranty and return policy Although you always have the option of searching for second-hand phones in apps like Wallapop, a store with reconditioned phones has the advantage of greater protection and guarantee. As with battery health, it depends on each store: Back Market: It has a 24-month warranty and a 30-day free trial period on all its devices. PcComponents: The warranty depends on the condition of the device. It goes from three years for those that are ‘like new’ to a single year for those that are ‘functional’. The return period is 30 days. MediaMarkt Outlet: The mobile phones have a legal guarantee and there are also 30 days to return it. What to look for when buying refurbished products? With all this information in hand, I am going to summarize the most important things when looking at a refurbished mobile phone in five different points: The offer, the more clear information it has, the betterr– Make sure specific details such as battery … Read more

Using the WiFi on the train in Spain is the worst. The question is why there is so much difference compared to the rest of Europe

by

If you have to work from the train and need WiFi, good luck. In some areas, even mobile data is useless, making the experience a real torture. It is no wonder, and Spain has one of the worst railway WiFi network infrastructures in all of Europe. According to an Ookla studiothe median download speed on Spanish trains reaches just 1.45 Mbps, compared to 64.58 Mbps in Sweden, which tops the list. At least we are above the United Kingdom or the Netherlands. A multi-layered problem. It’s not just a bad WiFi connection inside the carriage. The main failure, according to the study from Ookla, is in the “backhaul”, that is, in how the train connects to public mobile networks from the roof. Most European countries, including Spain, depend on “incidental” mobile coverage: the antennas installed by operators are designed to serve population centers, not specifically trains. The result is dead zones, constant signal drops and insufficient bandwidth when the train runs between cities. Average unloading speed on European trains. Image: Ookla Outdated technology on board. Inside the car, the panorama doesn’t help either. Although the study does not detail specific data for Spain, countries with similar performance such as the United Kingdom still maintain more than 50% of their connections on WiFi 4, a 2009 standard, and 38% use the 2.4 GHz bandmore prone to interference and congestion. This combination of outdated technology limits the experience even when the outside connection is decent. Sweden solves the puzzle with politics. In Sweden, the case is interesting because it dismantles the complicated terrain argument. Until the beginning of 2024, its trains offered speeds of just 2 Mbps. In the second quarter of that year there was a structural leap: the PTS regulator allocated public funds for neutral infrastructure in tunnels, imposed rail coverage obligations in the 2023 spectrum auctions and identified 45 tunnels and 630 kilometers of track with poor coverage. In just one year the speeds multiplied by more than 30. Average upload speed on European trains. Image: Ookla In Switzerland the model is different, but effective. This country, which is positioned in second place according to the Ookla ranking, has a different structure. And instead of universal WiFi on board, its operator SBB offers “FreeSurf”, a system that allows passengers with a Swiss SIM to use mobile data without consuming their rate while traveling. Bluetooth beacons in the carriages detect the device and the railway operator assumes the cost with the telcos. This avoids the bottleneck of shared WiFi and allows investment to be concentrated on improving the mobile network layer in the corridors. The problem is that it only works for residents with a local SIM. France invests in dedicated network. France built a specific network for railways on routes such as Paris-Lyon, with base stations every 2-3 kilometers, antennas facing the track and special systems in tunnels for trains that travel at 300 km/h and change cells every 15 seconds. Although the study places France In an intermediate position (19.12 Mbps), it continues to be well above Spain. Median latency of European countries compared to Taiwan. Image: Ookla Modern trains are Faraday cages. Part of the problem is structural. And how mention study, current railcars incorporate low-E glass with metallized coatings that block mobile signals more than a layer of concrete, according to tests carried out by the British Department of Transport. Germany has invested 50 million euros in laser treating 70,000 windows of 3,300 carriages to make them permeable to radio frequencies. Belgium abandoned a 173 million euro on-board WiFi plan and preferred to invest 40 million in modifying the windows of its trains. Asia prioritizes mobile over WiFi. In Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, the approach is different, as they invest in dedicated mobile data coverage on roads and tunnels, and treat WiFi as a secondary service. According to the study, Taiwan leads in latency (13 ms) and already deploys WiFi 6 on 20% of its rail connections. Its download speeds (8.1 Mbps) far exceed those of Spain, although they are far from the European leaders. The Japanese government, for example, has subsidized since 2020 the installation of cellular systems in all tunnels in the Shinkansen. satellite internet. Just like mention the study, operators such as ScotRail, SNCF, Trenitalia or PKP Intercity are testing terminals starlink and OneWeb on rural or coastal routes where ground coverage is insufficient. The strategy is not to replace mobile coverage, but to join both connections through onboard SD-WAN gateways. There are still limitations, as certified rail terminals are still in short supply, they do not operate in tunnels and the operational cost remains high if data is used intensively. In Xataka | How to share the data connection of your Android mobile or iPhone with an Internet access point

OpenAi already enters 1,000 million dollars per month. They are crumbs compared to what you need to be profitable

by

The launch of GPT-5 It has been rather disappointing for users at street level and has arrived accompanied by some problemssomething that has recognized the Sam AltmanCEO of OpenAi. However, it is sweeping a key sector: Companiesfor the quality of its reasoning models and its price. Not being a company that quotes in the stock market, the doubt is how much success translates into large income, and Sarah Friar, Financial Director of OpenAi has given a key fact: OpenAi has entered 1,000 million dollars in a month (July) for the first time in its history. Results as good as insufficient. Openai’s reality is that it is still early to celebrate a figure like that announced by Friar, especially when the executive recognized that artificial intelligence “right now is voracious in GPU and in a computational power.” In that sense, he affirmed that the biggest problem they face is “being constantly under computational capacity.” That is, the demand for the use of GPUs of its models is greater than the resources they have to cover it. The plan to cover your needs is clear, and Friar recalled it: “That is why we launch Stargate”, in reference to that Historical project In which partners such as Microsoft, Oracle, Nvidia and ARM participate, and in which they expect to spend 500,000 million. They expect, because There is still no single contract signedand find more sources of financing It is a huge challenge. With this financial context, the 1,000 million dollars that OpenAi already enters a month are totally insufficient. They look for solutions, but more complications arise along the way. The reality of artificial intelligence according to Sam Altman is that his demand will continue to grow, their training needs will continue to grow and spend “probably more aggressively than any company has done in something for progress.” Given this need, OpenAi seeks solutions, such as selling 6,000 million in shares with an assessment of 500,000 million dollars, after raise 40,000 million in a financing round at the end of Marchwith an assessment of 300,000 million. 18,000 million were going to dedicate themselves to the Stargate projector. The problem is that to get the last 30,000 million of that round, Openai had to become a “For-Profit” company, a path that He has recently abandoned. A problem structure of expenses. As much as Openai continues to have the confidence of large investors such as Softbank or Microsoft, the problem is that the company’s expenses are huge. Not being a quoted company we cannot know official figures, but estimates point to 8,000 million operating expenses per year (They do not count investments, infrastructure or other financial obligations). Even if it continues to enter the current rhythm (1 billion per month), in 2025 it would not go from 12,000 (the estimate they handled for this year, According to The Information). That is, only their operating expenses “eat” 66% of the operating expenses, which do not contemplate their higher volume investments. The cost scheme is very complicated, and Sam Altman came to affirm that They lost money even with chatgpt prothe subscription of 229 euros per month. And the profitability for when. According to An internal studyOpenai will lose 44,000 million dollars between 2023 and 2028, and 14,000 million only in 2026, the triple of those estimated by 2024. It will have to wait four more years, until 2029, so that the company exceeds the Break Even And I achieve The long -awaited profitability. It is something they estimate that they would get 100,000 million dollars annually. Right now, viral moments such as the generation of chatgpt ys imagesor explosion of images of Ghibli either help: “Derritate” servers with a huge cost. The good news is that Sarah Friar confirmed that they have seen acceleration in the adoption of payment subscriptions. But much remains to stop losing money. Image | Dima Solomin In Unspash, Village Global In Xataka | Google has finally revealed how much electricity and water consumes its AI. Estimates could not be more wrong

The 2020 chips crisis will be a joke compared to that with a high probability will come in 2035

by

The crisis of the chips that started in 2020 and lasted until well into 2023 was The result of a perfect storm. The Covid-19 pandemia triggered the demand for electronic devices, and, at the same time, at the same time, degraded production capacity of many companies. In addition, the commercial war between the US and China, the severe climatic events and several fires in critical facilities The global distribution chain of integrated circuits overflowed almost combined. Now, in full 2025, we are in a very different situation. The scarcity of semiconductors has been left behind, but According to a report Prepared by the consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) is maturing a new crisis with the ability to achieve its peak in 2035. A crisis that can presumably end with a third of the global chips supply in a decade. There are ten years left, it is true, but probably its first effects will be presented much earlier. Serious droughts are already committing copper mining The PWC report holds something very important: if the weather continues to evolve as it has done during the last decade and the droughts are aggravated by the manufacture of integrated circuits will resent drastically. And it will do so because copper mining depends inevitably on available water resources. According to the CSIRO organization (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization), The National Science Agency of Australia, to obtain 19 kg of copper it is necessary to use about 1,600 liters of water. These figures clearly illustrate the deep dependence of water copper mining. According to the International Copper Association Currently almost 28 million tons of this chemical element are consumed annually, and presumably this figure will increase a lot over the next few years. As we can intuit, to process this amount of copper it is necessary to use a lot of water, and this resource is increasingly scarce due to The effects of climate change. In fact, PWC estimates that semiconductor production will reduce 58% in 2050 If the weather continues to evolve as it is doing now. The production of semiconductors will reduce 58% in 2050 if the weather continues to evolve as it is doing now This forecast does not invite us at all to be optimistic, especially in a context in which chips are increasingly important and their demand does not cease to increase. Copper is used for many other things, but its role in the integrated circuit industry is essential. And it is because its physicochemical and electrical properties make it ideal to participate in the manufacture of interconnections within the integrated circuits, as well as in the production of all types of wiring and printed circuit plates (PCB). Its most appreciated properties are its high electrical conductivity, its outstanding thermal conductivity, its ductility and its corrosion resistance. For several decades, aluminum occupied the place in the chips industry in which copper now resides, but this last metal finally managed to impose itself, although it was not easy. His problem was that he could leak in silicon. This process is known as Dissemination of copper in siliconand it is similar to the electromigration of which We talk to you in this other article To explain why this last phenomenon represents a threat to our electronic devices. In any case, during the diffusion the copper atoms move and infiltrate the crystalline structure of the silicon, degrading it and conditioning its physicochemical properties. Fortunately, IBM found the solution to this problem in 1998. His researchers realized that it was possible to put a lining for copper interconnections capable of acting as a barrier, and, therefore, of preventing copper atoms from infiltrating the silicon. This strategy was so effective that the semiconductor industry adopted it and has maintained it so far. Image | TSMC More information | SCMP In Xataka | The two most important chip companies in China have a problem: the 5 Nm have been choked

Modern tunneladoras are authentic monsters compared to those of 1950. The paradoxical is that they are equally slow

by

Each person has His own Roman Empire. This is those five minutes a day that we dedicate to what we are passionate about, and topics such as Megaestructures either absurdly large tractors They can be that personal “Roman Empire.” Speaking of huge machinery, we have the tunneladoras. They are every time bigger and have more technologybut they are not advancing to the rhythm that, perhaps, we would need to Transform cities. Because after a few meteoric years, its speed seems to have stagnated. And … makes sense. Desperately slow beginning. The history Of the tunneladoras it is relatively recent, since it is a machinery that depended on the technological advances in machinery. Inspired by the cranial shell of Los Teredos, which are mollusks with jaws capable of drilling the wood of the ships, the French engineer Marc Isambard Brunel patented in 1818 the Tunnelador shield. It was a revolution and, literally, a shield: it was a cast iron structure that protected the miners while they chopped. As they progressed, the finished section was reinforced with bricks and advanced the shield by huge cats. It was still a manual work, but going protected with that shield and not “discovered” allowed to undertake works as complex as that of Támesis tunnel. And the problem is that this prototumer advanced to the rhythm of the work of the workers: one meter a day, more or less. Brunel’s shield. On the right side we see the operators picing and advance the shield from the rear while, from behind, another group is responsible for placing the supports Electricity does not improve things. In the development of the tunneladoras there were three key moments. The first was the idea of ​​the shield, the second the mechanization of the tool. Throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth, different engineers tried Improve the formula of Brunel adding cutting devices to the head of the shield. Several ideas such as drills and cutting discs were tested that were mounted in their arms or on a frontal rotating plate. This mechanization was achieved thanks to pneumatic systems, steamed and, subsequently, electricity. It was clear that they were safer for operators thanks to that automation, but the drilling rate, although it had bent with respect to the manual rhythm, remained slow. The cities were hungry for Tunnels for your rail networks and channels, but the advance of steam machines was one to two meters a day … and the electricity advanced between two and five meters a day. The height is that they had reliability problems and the operators had to hold the tunnel in a traditional way. Mid a century to all fuse. In addition to the technical problems, the tunneladoras continued to have problems with the hard rock. The operators needed to resort to blasting, which made everything slower and more dangerous, but in the 50s, the American James S. Robbins was occurred Something that revolutionized the panorama: a rotating head that mixed the previous advances. The tunnelador of the Oahe dam was the First modern tunnel and had a rotating head that equipped drag cutters and disc. The tandem allowed working on tougher land continuously and, in addition, supposed the culmination of Brunel’s idea: the head perforated and the shield protected the operators who were placing the tunnel lining as the set advanced. It was also safer for these operators and the advances gave way to maximum speeds of about 200 meters a week, according to the land. The head of the tunnelador of Oahe, the first modern tunnelador Stagnation. In half a century, the speed had multiplied by ten at best, but the advances of the 21st century were by other paths. The machines continued to evolve and perfect the idea of ​​that hybrid robbins ‘morro’. They also became larger, efficient, safe and with automated systems when placing reinforcements. But despite all improvements, speed did not multiply as in past decades. He folded, but there is a problem: this speed is the theoretical one, not the real one. Jaws from the front of a double -shaped tunnelador ‘or’ The Boring Company arrives. There it enters Elon Musk on stage with his The Boring Company (An interesting game, since Boring Machine is “Boring Machine”, but it is also how the tunneladoras are known). The businessman had the Hyperloop project, which made sense to have a tunnel company company, and the objective was to drastically increase the excavation speed. Your goal? Get over The speed of 140 meters daily of a snail, 980 a week. PRUFROCK It is its great bet with, a promised speed of more than 1,600 meters per week and an objective of 80,000 meters per week. It is an objective that seems utopian, but its idea is that machines work without stopping to maintain or to install the coating. Instead of installing the traditional transport rails of coating segments, the machine is more autonomous and that rail installation time is eliminated to transport the segments of the tunnel coating. The idea of ​​The Boring Machine is to release the tunnelador, to start excavating uninterruptedly and returns to the surface. It is good, but in urban land and unstable land, it is more utopian It is really not novel because there are other machines that do it, but on soft land, working without coating can be dangerous. In current projects, such as Line 2 of the Lima Metro, the speed round 15 meters a day and everything has to do because the land is complex and urban. There are many factors to consider when talking about the speed of these machines, go. The pruffrock What if the race is no longer the speed? Leaving aside the objectives of The Boring Company, the problem may want faster machines when progress are being made in a more important area: safety. Because, although machines are now more capable and their speed It has increased slightly, that apparent stagnation can respond to a change in objective. The speed of the … Read more

“Even in a nuclear apocalypse, the earth would be a paradise compared to Mars”

by

Elon Musk wants to turn humanity into a multi -purpose species, with Mars as a second home and our “lifeboat”, in the event that a catastrophe occurs on earth. Musk’s vision is the engine after the Starship program, which mobilizes billions of dollars with the aim of building a rocket capable of taking us to the red planet. Adam Becker’s three scenarios Some scientists still do not see clear Elon Musk’s ambition to colonize Mars. And not because the Starship has exploded four times in a row. After all, it is an experimental rocket. “There are many reasons why it is a bad idea,” says astrophysicist Adam Becker. “I do not mean that ‘we will never have the technology to live on Mars’. What I say is that the earth will always be a better option, what happens to the earth.” In a blunt Interview with Rolling StoneBecker doubts some of the “messianic fantasies” of technological oligarchs, starting with Elon Musk’s Martian dream. His argument is as simple as devastating: no matter how bad things are put on our planet, the earth will always be a paradise compared to the icy hell that is Mars. In Becker’s words, Musk’s idea is “one of the most stupid things someone could say.” To illustrate his point, the astrophysicist raises three apocalyptic scenarios: 1) The impact of an asteroid the size of the dipes extinguished. 2) The detonation of all the nuclear weapons of the planet. And 3) the worst possible climate change scenario. “Even then,” he says, “the Earth would remain more habitable. A superficial examination of Mars makes it very clear.” Devastated land vs. Mars as it is Let’s put the data on the table to understand the abysmal difference between a devastated earth planet and the Mars we know today. In order for an environment to be “habitable” for humans without a perfect and autonomous life support technology, basic conditions that we often take for granted are needed. The atmosphere of the Earth would be contaminated, but it would remain dense, rich in nitrogen and oxygen, and with a pressure at the sea of ​​1 bar. On the current Mars, The atmosphere is extremely thin (0.6% that of the Earth) and is composed of 95% by carbon dioxide. It is disappointed and has a pressure on the surface of 0.006 bars, so that liquid water boils instantly (or rather it is sublimated, passing from solid to gas). The Earth’s magnetic field would continue intact, diverting most of the cosmic and solar radiation. The atmosphere, even contaminated, would offer an additional layer. Mars lacks a global magnetic field. Its surface is constantly bombarded with a dose of radiation that becomes lethal for a long -term human. On Mars, the average temperature is -63 ° C. All water is frozen in polar or underground caps. On earth, a nuclear winter or the impact of an asteroid would drastically cool the planet, but the oceans would act as a gigantic thermal regulator. The 1.4 billion cubic kilometers of water would continue here. Contaminated and partially frozen, but accessible and treatable, assuming we had access to some technology. The biosphere would be seriously damaged after a catastrophe, but the land of the earth would contain organic matter and the basic components for life. In addition, there would be geothermal and oceanic shelters, where microbial life would persist although other life forms would have disappeared. Martian soil is toxic. It contains high concentrations of perchlorates, dangerous chemical compounds for human health that complicate agriculture. Can Mars be terraft? Although Spacex renders show a gigantic pressurized base under the surface of Mars, Elon Musk has always fought his vision to the possibility of terrafting the red planet. So we already talk about transport millions of tons of load To build a city inhabited on Martian soil, but of a much more great project. There are many (and very diverse) Ideas to terraphormate Mars, but engineering to Megaescala that would mean any of them presents not a few obstacles. The first step would be to raise the temperature of Mars. The proposals van From nuclear bombs to install gigantic orbital mirrors that concentrate sunlight at the poles. By heating polar caps, water ice and carbon dioxide would sublimize, swelling the atmosphere. In theory, a densest atmosphere would catch more heat, which in turn would release more gas and soil gas. This positive feedback cycle would increase pressure and temperature until water could exist in a liquid state on the Martian surface. However, studies They doubt that Mars has sufficient CO2 To achieve this effect. Even if we could release the entire CO2 accessible in polar caps and trapped in surface minerals, the atmospheric pressure of Mars would only increase to 7% of the thickness of the Earth’s atmosphere. In this context, the affirmation of the astrophysicist Adam Becker charges even more strength. If transforming Mars into a habitable planet is practically impossible, living there would require a Total artificial habitat dependence incredibly complex and vulnerable. The logic dictates that any effort and resource would be better invested in preserving and, if necessary, repair the only life support system that we have and that works perfectly: the planet Earth. In spite of everything, and seeing how the world is going, perhaps a plan B would not be bad, even if it were only for the children of the children of whom they would voluntarily live on a worse planet could return. Images | Spacex In Xataka | An American physicist has found a shortcut to get to Mars in 90 days. It is key to surviving radiation In Xataka | China has just solved two problems for the conquest of Mars: you already know how to turn CO2 into electricity and batteries

Marc Murtra and his 180º turn compared to Álvarez-Pallete

by

Telefónica’s price It has just reached 4.5 eurosits highest level in three years. Just when the new executive president, Marc Murtra, turns his first hundred days at the helm of the Teleco. Why is it important. From the appointment of Murtra in January, the revaluation of Telefónica exceeds 16%. A stock market resurrection that confirms market confidence in the strategic review designed by the former president of Indra to save a telecus whose value 57% had collapsed during Álvarez-Pallete’s mandate. The Catalan engineer has achieved in three months what Telefónica had been trying for years: to recover the favor of investors. And he has done so by executing a very different vision than his predecessor. The panoramic. Murtra has identified two existential problems for Telefónica: Latin American ruin and the ballast of being perceived as a traditional telecus in a technological world. In Latin America, the subsidiaries have weighed the results with millionaire losses: 1,327 million in Argentina, 872 million in Peru (which entered into the bankruptcy of creditors) and 437 million in Chile. The rhythm of divestment has accelerated brutally: Argentina sold for 1,190 million to the Clarín group, Colombia on sale to Millicom for 370 million, and Peru practically given away for 900,000 euros to Integra Tec. The turning point. While leaving the continent that became a financial bleeding for the company – Brazil on the margin -, Murtra has positioned Telefónica as the protagonist in the European consolidation of the sector, raising the debate from the business to the geopolitical. His Inaugural speech at the Mobile World Congress From Barcelona he went straight to the heart of Brussels: “It is time for large European telecommunications companies to consolidate and grow to create technological capacity.” Between the lines. The strategy has two pillars: End the Latin American expansion (except Brazil, which is still profitable) and focus efforts on European markets with greater profitability and legal certainty. Transform Telefónica from a traditional telecus to a technological company, taking advantage of the fact that almost half of its business income (43%) They already come from non -traditional services. With Emilio Gayo as CEO, the duo is creating a balance between operational execution (Gayo) and strategic vision (Murtra) that is working. It is no accident that Gayo has achieved Telefónica España growing in income, Ebitda and customers For the first time since 2018. And now what. Analysts expect Telefónica to reduce their investments in fiber infrastructure to focus more on technological aspects, freeing Indra from this mission so that focus on the defense and aerospace sector. Meanwhile, the market expects important operations, with Vodafone Spain and Digi as possible acquisition objectives to strengthen its position in Spain first … and in Europe later. The turn. The exceptional thing about this change is that Telefónica is about to give Sorpasso to herself: Become a technology services company above Teleco. This turning point where more than half of its business turnover will proceed with technological services, not voice or data, is close. His new narrative as a European tractor is being well received by a market that had been waiting for a pragmatic, clear and decisive turn. The times of the global expansion without control have been left behind. For retailers who have been seeing their heritage for years, this change of course is the arrival of spring. One that can reverde the laurels, even if it is a bit, of the old Matildes. In Xataka | The EU has spent years fiercely fighting monopolies. Teresa Ribera has other plans for telecos Outstanding image | Telefónica

Buying a mobile in China is a brutal savings compared to Spain. The question is whether it ends out expensive

by

Mobile prices They have shot themselves, a lot. The High Premium range Round the 1,500 euros, the high range of 1,000 and it is not strange to find mid -range for about 500 euros. This has fired a fever for reconditioned and used mobiles, but also opens an interesting door in a crucial market in Spain: that of Chinese phones. Xiaomi is absolute king in Spainand manufacturers such as Vivo, Oppo and Honor Copan the Top 10. In not a few cases, these phones arrive in our country with cut -out specifications with respect to the Chinese variants. We will try to dissipate that fog around the purchase of mobiles in its Chinese version, outside the traditional distributors that sell the European and global versions we know. Hardware of Chinese VS European Before delving into the purchase process, it is convenient to know what they differ (and why they do) Chinese mobiles with respect to Europeans, since it is not minor details that separate some proposals from others. The battery. If we attend to recent releases, such as the Xiaomi 15 Ultra or the Magic7 Pro Honorthere is a key difference in the Chinese variant: it has much more battery. In Europe we receive practically the same model, but with a quite lower battery capacity. Reason? One: the costs. In the specific case of batteries, the new generation of Silicon-carbon with capacities of 6,000 or more milliamps hour It is especially expensive. Chinese manufacturers sell at a price in their native country, but import telephones to Spain has numerous costs related to transport, fees and taxes. Xiaomi herself recognized us that, if they wanted to continue bringing mobiles without raising prices, They had to cut off somewhere. The software. This is not the only difference we find and, sometimes, the Software differences They are especially relevant. This is the case of Vivo, who sells its phones with A -Ecuchos in Europe and with origin in his native country. OnePlus does the same with Oxygenos In Europe and color in China (although, for practical purposes, they are exactly the same), and Huawei is the most extreme case of all. In Europe, Emui, in China its own operating system, Harmonyos. In addition to not having Google services in China, these software differences can generate important incompatibilities with mobile payment services through NFC, and even HDR content reproduction in Netflix, since there are certain Google certificates that are not available in Chinese variants. The camera. Although camera hardware is usually identical regardless of the mobile version we buy, the image process is usually quite different. Manufacturers adapt how to process the final photography depending on the market to which the phone is intended. Sometimes they succeed, sometimes not so much. This is the case of the living X200 Pro, whose Chinese version Take better photographs than the global Hardware equality. Connectivity. If you buy a mobile in its Chinese version, you may suffer some problems related to connectivity. Yes, all 5G Chinese mobiles can use 5G in Spain, but there is a fact to take into account: bands. In China the same 5G bands are not used, and you may end up buying a phone that lacks crucial bands. What are these bands for? Mainly, so that you have good coverage in complicated areas, such as rural or interior. Some of the most used bands in Spain are not used in China. Mobile payments. Paying with the mobile is a basic, and some mobile phones with Chinese rom have serious problems to get it in Spain. This is due to the lack of native Google services and certification problems such as Play Integrity API. How much we save buying the mobile in China If the question is how much it saves buying a mobile directly from China the question is … big money. Technically at this price we should add VAT and customs costs. The reality is that Chinese stores are responsible for adjusting the customs statement so that we do not have to pay (generally) nothing extra. Even if you have to pay an extra tax, it would continue to account. In some cases, buying the mobile from China costs almost half, a very point to take into account if we are willing to face the small inconveniences we have mentioned above. The questions to be asked when buying a mobile from China Well, we already know that a mobile purchased in China will arrive with Chinese Rom (yes, sellers usually pre -installed Google services so you can use all your apps without problem), which you may miss any band (something you can check in your list of Specs), which you will save a lot of money and may what you are buying is even better than the global model. Now it’s time to answer some extra questions. How long does a mobile take from China? This will depend completely on the store and its shipping method, but this has ceased to be a problem for years. If the store is solvent you can have the mobile at home in less than a week. In the worst case, the waiting time is usually two to three weeks. What guarantee does a telephone bought in China have? If you buy a mobile outside the European Union, the guarantee depends completely on the seller. In recent years, most stores have put the batteries, and offer repair guarantees between one and two years. Of course, we will pay the shipping costs, and sending to China is not especially cheap. What version am I buying? Depending on the version we buy, the phone will have hardware and software characteristics. For example, if we buy an Xiaomi with Global Rom from China, we will have a phone with the best of the European version at a much lower price. If we buy the version with Chinese ROM, we will have a phone with an English system and some problems. It should always be assured which exact … Read more

We have compared the effects of the Mediterranean diet with those of the so -called “planetary health diet”. There are surprises

by

Something everyday as eating can have a huge impact on our health, but you can also put a small grain of sand in environmental protection. The problem in these cases is that it is not always easy to demonstrate reliably the impacts of our diet on our health and the environment. Some scientists have tried. As beneficial as the Mediterranean diet. A group of researchers He has been studyingface to face, the health and environmental effects of two diets: the traditional and well -known Mediterranean diet, and the least known planetary health diet. According to this analysis, adhesion to both diets presents similar benefits for both our health and our environment. Planetary health diet. The planetary health diet, or PHD for its acronym in English is a diet Proposal in 2019 By a group of experts from the Eat-Lancet commission, associated with the medical magazine The Lancet. It is a diet that prepares the consumption of plant foods and limits the consumption of meats and dairy products (although it does not eliminate them as in vegetarian and vegan diets). “In 2019, the planetary health diet (PHD) was developed to optimize global dietary quality at the same time that the impacts of food production within sustainable borders were maintained,” indicated in a press release Mercedes Sotos Prieto, researcher at the Autonomous University of Madrid and co -author of the study. “However, evidence of how PHD is compared to the Mediterranean diet (…). We have evaluated the effects of both diets on mortality for any cause and the environmental impact on a large (sample) representative of the Spanish population.” 11,488 participants. The study was carried out from compiled data in the study of nutrition and cardiovascular risk in Spain (Enrica). The data of this cohort allowed to track 11,488 participants over 14.4 years. To analyze the adhesion to each of the diets two indexes were used, the PHD Index and Medas Score. These measured the consumption of certain foods associated with each of the diets, the planetary health diet and the Mediterranean diet, respectively. The environmental impact of these forms of food consumption was carried out through the Sharp-ID tool (Sharp-Indicors Database), which allows estimating greenhouse gas emissions based on land uses. Health impacts were measured through mortality, through the National Death Index. The analysis also included information about other variables to adjust the results. Less mortality. The study results They indicated a positive effect of both diets about health. In the case of the PHD, the study showed a decrease of approximately 22% in the risk of death during the period studied when comparing the group with greater adhesion to this diet with respect to the group with less adhesion. In the case of the Mediterranean diet, the comparison between the mortalities of the groups with the greatest and lesser adhesion was approximately 21%. A very similar positive effect, so much that the difference is statistically irrelevant. More than health. The second point of interest is that of the environmental impact of diets, calculated in this case based on emissions that are estimated to the different options. In the case of the PHD diet, the estimate calculates emissions equivalent to 4.15 kg of CO₂ a day, with a soil use estimated at 5.54 m² a day. The Mediterranean diet, on the other hand, is calculated emissions equivalent to 4.36 kg of CO₂ per day, with a land use estimated at 5.43 m² a day. Results, again, very similar. The details of the study have not yet been published in a scientific journal, but were presented at the beginning of the month at the Congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). An open debate. The PHD diet is a relatively recent formula, proposed less than a decade ago. In his presentation it was received with a certain degree of skepticismsomething logical if we take into account the difficulties facing science when analyzing something as complex as nutrition and the effects of food on our body and our health. That is why studies are required to test the Initial results. Experiments such as this incline the balance in favor of this type of diets but when addressing this type of issues all additional information can be useful. In Xataka | Coffee has no cholesterol but does raise its levels. And someone has discovered the perfect elaboration to limit it Image | Louis Hansel

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.