control

Apple maintains strong control even on third -party stores. The test is the elimination of Ititorrent in Altstore Pal

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IPhone and iPad users in the European Union can do something unpublished in the rest of the world: Install alternative application stores and download apps directly from the developer website. This opening was not born from a change of philosophy in Apple, but of the obligation to fulfill the Digital Markets Law. The company has always defended its closed ecosystem and has warned that opening the door to external applications compromises security of users. However, it should not be confused: even in this new scenario, Apple maintains strong control about everything that is installed on its devices. The recent disappearance of Iitorrent in ALTSTORE PAL It is the clearest proof. Ititorrent is a Bittorrent customer for iOS who had found a distribution channel out of the App Store. Everything changed when his developer communicated in Github that Apple had removed the ability to distribute the application through that route. From one day to another, Iitorrent ceased to be available for new facilities and users began to point out that they could no longer download it. What happened was not a simple technical failure: Apple had revoked the authorization that allows developers to take their apps to alternative stores, a reminder that the company still has the last word even when it is not about its own store. This is how Apple decides which applications are still alive in iOS That same system of Notarizationwhich is presented as a security review, is also the tool with which Apple retains control. If an application stops fulfilling its criteria or if the company classifies it as malicious software, can prevent it from being installed and even block its execution in the devices where it was already. The same goes for third -party stores: they depend on specific permits that Apple grants and can revoke at any time, which would mean leaving all its users without catalog. In practice, although the installation is done from an alternative marketplace or from the web, each step is still subject to the final validation of Apple, as indicated on its website. Notarization for iOS and Ipados apps is a basic review that applies to all apps, regardless of their distribution channel, and focuses on the security and privacy policies of the platform, as well as maintaining the integrity of the device. As we pointed out, first the developer spoke. He reported that Apple had withdrawn from his account the ability to distribute alternative, which left Iitorrent out of Altstore Pal. He said he resorted to the official support without obtaining clear answers. Then came the official Apple position. In statements sent to 9to5MacThe company said: “The certification of this application was eliminated to comply with the rules on government sanctions in various jurisdictions. We have informed the developed.” The contrast is evident: on the one hand, a surprised developer; On the other, a company that insists that its obligation is to stop apps that can be risk. What happened with Ititorrent is not an isolated fact. Some projects that aspired to reach alternative stores found themselves before with the rejection of notarization. For example, Mini Vmac was rejected and never arrived at Altstore Pal. What is clear is that the company retains the ability to remove apps from the circulation beyond its own store. For some users, the practice reflects an excess of control; For others, it is the way to keep your devices safe. In any case, the European opening does not in any case eliminate the central role of Apple in the process. The first question that many are asked is evident: Can Apple withdraw an application even when installed from an alternative store? The answer is yes. All apps in iOS depend on the notarization and permits managed by the company itself, so that if it revokes that authorization, the application ceases to be installed automatically. The question also arises from what happens to those who already had it downloaded. In principle they can continue using it, unless Apple catalogs it as harmful, in which case the system will not let it open. It is no coincidence: in the App Store torrents have been vetoed for years, and the company has never had a simple relationship with them. Images | ALTSTORE PAL In Xataka | Few digital gardens have the walls as high as Apple’s. Chatgpt has managed to sneak into it

Word accustomed us to press control + s to save files. The automatic save comes willing to impose its own rule

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One of the most entrenched habits among whom we use Word is to ensure save the document as soon asand not only that: also that it is in an easy to remember location to recover it later. For many that translates into clicking control + s (or control + g) or clicking on the mythical 3½ -inch floppy icon, that the new generations are barely identified. But things are changing in the most famous text processor. Tell the Automatic Guardian Microsoft wants Word to definitely hug automatic saving in the cloud. In practice, this means that the next time we believe a document, It will be generated automatically in OneDrive or in any other service that we have configured as default. Instead of using the first fragment of the text as a name, as is the case now, Word will apply a format of the “Document + Date” type. For example, if we create one today, it will be called “Document 28-08-2025”. Of course, the user can change that name at any time or even discard the document completely. When closing it, Word will show a Emerging window asking if we want to rename it, keep it or eliminate it. The experience is quite similar to that already offered by Google Docs or the own Word online: Documents that are created and automatically stored in Google Drive or OneDrive, without the need to do anything else. And it is no accident. Microsoft’s commitment to functions such as this not only seeks to improve the experience, also tries to maintain the relevance of Word and the Office ecosystem in an increasingly competitive environment. How a statista analysis points out, Google Workspace has managed to consolidate as a powerful alternativeboth for private users and for educational and business environments. Although Word and Office continue to lead the world office of office suites, with more than 45% share, Google products have won a solid position. The change, however, has not been well received throughout the world. On the advertisement page, Some users have left comments of the style: “I do not understand the logic of this function“Or” You have no idea how your customers use Word. “ Although the function will reach all users in the future, for now it is only available for members of the Insider program. And it will not be mandatory. Microsoft will allow you to return to the traditional system. As detailed by the company, the new Word settings will allow you to choose the cloud storage supplier by defaultNot only OneDrive. You can also deactivate automatic save and save documents directly at home. From Redmond they argue that this novelty responds to a matter of security and comfort. Avoid file loss and facilitate access from any device thanks to the cloud. Beyond the concrete changes, what is at stake is somewhat greater. Word has been among us for more than 40 years and has been part of Office’s hard nucleus since its inception. But today competes in a scenario where he is no longer the only reference. There are more options, with different use philosophies, and many of them advance quickly. Images | Microsoft In Xataka | Microsoft has put co -pilot in Excel. And you have also notified that you do not use it if you need the results to be correct

One of the greatest consultants has brought the war against teleworking to the extreme: a “traffic light” to control

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PricewaterhouseCoopers multinational consultant (PWC) decided A little less than a year ago than The 100% Teleworking Era had ended. He joined the decisions that had adopted competitive companies such as EY. The striking of the movement were its conditions: it would geolocate their teleworkors to control that they were going to the office 60% of the day, the minimum amount that it now demanded (after having requested 40% until that moment). Now, thanks to Financial Times We know how they are carrying out control in their offices in the United Kingdom. Traffic lights. PWC measures have not only fallen into broken bag, but have intensified. Since April, the company is registering in a control panel the assistance and if the three days they demand at the week are passed in the office. To control compliance more visually, the company has established an indicator based on traffic light colors. Those employees who meet have a “green” in their state. The profile of those that drops from 60% has an amber, and those that fall from 40% have a red. In addition to the workers themselves, supervisors, heads of business units and directors have access to this traffic light. Thorough control. To verify that the employees go to the offices (OA meetings with customers, outside them), the company is carrying out a monitoring of the location of the wifi connections of the laptops. The data that is collected following this control is intended with the assistance or absence indicated in Workday, the software used for human resources issues, and in the personnel control sheets. In addition to the WiFi, PWC also has control of when employees pass their cards as an signing to enter and leave the offices. Policies against the old trick. The verification of assistance based on the entry and exit signings is something that many companies have carried out. Those employees who wanted to try to skip that control did something simple, according to a study: 58% of the workers employed under a hybrid work system went to the office, signed and then they left. Amazon already ended this picaresque establishing a minimum time to go to the office. Hey also reinforced Its access policies with lathes Checking that 50% of some teams breached the demands for assistance to their facilities. The control based on Wi -Fi connections is the brooch to these policies. Consequences. The question is what happens to employees who have a red or amber in their traffic light. And the internal guide for employees to which the Financial Times has accessed is clear: they face formal sanctions and a reduction of their performance in evaluations, where extra bonuses are played to their base salary. That same guide includes special exceptions or permits for family or disease reasons. Employee reactions. PWC workers are complaining so much about this scrutiny that a high -rank worker has told the Financial Times that he has lost his account of how many complaints he received. Employees are restless about tracking methods, and seek more transparency since the pressure to be fulfilled rose. It goes in the line of the best qualified employees in companies of the S&P 500: Rotation triggered by imposing face -to -face. According to a study by McKinsey, return to the office It is not enough to improve productivity. A company spokesman said that the control panel “guarantees that our people have easy access to their assistance data, so that they can manage and plan their time in a way that works for them, our equipment and our clients.” The paradox. The ‘Big Four’ have been serious with the return to the office, but they have always been in the spotlight of the management of extra hours, and Work fined them in Spain for having lacked time registration (mandatory by law since 2019) and for excess of day. The macro -inspection ended, at least 1.4 million euros that had to pay for different circumstances for social security fees. Image | Flickr (Raul Muñoz) and Carlos Alberto Gómez Iñiguez in Unspash In Xataka | The companies bet on the return to the office. Public administration keeps an ace in the sleeve: Teleworking

In his obsession to control every corner of the car, Apple has crashed into the wall. The new carplay has it raw

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In his wwdc 2022, Apple announced to Bombo and Shaw the New carplay generation. One that left aside the simple concept of moving the iPhone system to a small central screen, to bet on a complete solution in which control of practically every element related to the electronics of the car was taken. What is Carplay Ultra. Until now, Apple Carplay It worked exactly like Android Auto: you connected the iPhone to the car and access a simplified version of iOS, a kind of application pitcher adapted to the car. Allowed to use apps like Apple Maps, Google MapsTelephone, messages or spotify projected on the vehicle screen, but without intervening in the car system itself. With Carplay Ultra, The approach changes radically. We no longer talk about a simple execution of apps: the iPhone takes total control of the car interface. From the instrument frame to air conditioning, native navigation, vehicle levels or battery status. Everything is integrated into a unified visual environment and completely designed by Apple. It is, in practice, an Apple software layer that replaces the manufacturer’s interface. The delays. To Apple It has cost three years to materialize carplay ultraand soon you will understand why. Announced in 2022, and after years of silence, Apple Carplay Ultra was officially announced on May 16, 2025 in the most discreet way possible, With a press release. For 1%. Exclusivity remains one of Apple’s main values, but orient the launch of Carplay Ultra to a brand that represents less than 1% of the official market began to make the eyebrow archeish. Carplay Ultra was first integrated into Aston Martin, with the promise that he would later reach brands such as Hyundai, Kia and Genesis, three manufacturers that belong to the same business group. Interestingly, there was no trace of the manufacturers mentioned in 2022. Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Ford, Lincoln, Audi, Jaguar, Acura, Volvo, Honda, Renault, Infinity and Polestar. Just Porsche has confirmed that he will adopt Apple’s software in some of his cars, Without drawing a specific roadmap. The wall. Many of the manufacturers that Apple mentioned in their presentation have shown their refusal to implement Apple Carplay Ultra, as they collect Financial Times sources. Mercedes, Audi, Volvo, Polestar and Renault are some of the manufacturers that have opposed the Apple system. It is something that we advanced in 2022, Apple Carplay Ultra is a Trojan horse. This was Apple’s goal with Carplay. At the moment it is only in Aston Martin, which did not even appear on the list. (Almost) nothing to do against manufacturers and google. That an operating system takes control of the infotainment system of a car is no drama. Android Automotive He has been doing it for almost a decade. The approach problem is that Apple Carplay Ultra is conceived since its birth as an intruder, not as a native system. In Android Automotive, Google and the manufacturer close a pact: Google puts the car software and the manufacturer is forgotten. There is no need for the user to connect the mobile, the software is native. With Carplay Ultra, the manufacturer has to continue developing its software platform. But by connecting the iPhone, the control to Apple is completely yielded. Carplay Ultra is a stranger, a system that is accessed by connecting the iPhone and replaces the efforts that the manufacturer previously made to develop its own platform. The future. The three years of delays and integration in Aston Martin make it clear that the adoption of Carplay Ultra is far from massive. Here the key will be in the agreements, some who have not transcended and in which the position against manufacturers willing to give full control to Apple does not seem favorable for the American company. Meanwhile, Android Automotive continues with its expansion, having even reached the world of two wheels by Ktm or Japanese like Honda. Groups like Stellantis too They have set aside former partners like Amazon to bet on Google and integrate Android into their fleets. Image | Apple In Xataka | This car was a pioneer with Android Automotive, but its users shouted and Red Auto. His wish has been granted

The network did not collapse due to lack of energy, but for lack of control. Renewable continues to be connected as if they were passive

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Almost two months after the blackout that disconnected Spain and Portugal, the government has made public a technical report that focuses on a very specific problem: the lack of tension control at critical moments, especially in renewable parks. Is it possible? As the engineer and energy expert Xavier Cugat has pointed out in networks, the debate on voltage control in renewable facilities is not only a technician: There are technologies that already allow it. One of them is SMA’s ‘Q at Night’ system, which allows solar plants to provide reactive energy even during the night. The idea is clear: if a solar plant can continue to support the network even without sun, part of the stability problem can be mitigated. This does not directly solve the lack of inertia, but complements the voltage support and improves the resilience of the system. Reactive energy The principle is simple but effective. SMA photovoltaic investors, equipped with the Q at night function, They remain connected to the network even when they are not generating active energy (that is, when there is no sun). This allows them to inject or absorb reactive energy as needed, contributing to maintain tension within acceptable margins. In case of high penetration. This type of energy is key to avoiding tension instabilities. In this particular case, it is for a network with low presence of conventional plants. Although it does not contribute inertia, it allows plants to support tension balance and remain connected to critical events instead of disconnecting preventively. So the issue of inertia? This is where it is necessary to clarify. The Government report has made it clear that collapse was not a consequence of a frequency fall, but of a cascado of over -overdations. Even in a scenario of greater inertia, over -overdrafts would have also produced, according to the report. Therefore, the lack of inertia was not the direct cause of collapse; The collapse was the one that caused the fall in frequency. During the blackout, different plants were disconnected preventively when detecting overtheions. The problem is that, according to the report, several of these disconnections occurred before even the maximum limits allowed by the regulations were reached. In other words: they did not respond properly to the network conditions. A system not adapted to its own transition The problem seems structural: the electricity grid has not evolved at the same rate as the massive renewable deployment. With 82% clean generation and the least amount of operational synchronous plants throughout the year, the system faced an explosive cocktail: a lot of distributed generation, little centralized control and little response capacity against critical events. In just 12 seconds, the entire Iberian system of the rest of Europe was disconnected. A transition without security network. The blackout was a symptom, not an anomaly. Spain leads the renewable transition, but without a prepared network, each advance becomes vulnerability. The voltage control, the response to incidents and the ability to maintain stability without large machines spinning are the great challenge of the new energy paradigm. Image | Pexels Xataka | 49 days after the blackout, the government has published the official report. Against all prognosis, he points to a culprit

22% of renewable plants did not meet the basic tension control criteria during the blackout. And the regulations already demanded it

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Almost two months after the blackout that disconnected Spain and Portugal, the government has released the technical report That analyzes what happened. The document, prepared after checking hundreds of data gigabytes, discards any external attack and points to a chain of technical errors. The decisive factor, according to the document: A network without sufficient capacity To control tension at critical moments, especially in renewable parks. A critical fact. During the blackout, different plants were disconnected preventively when detecting overtheions. The problem is that, According to the reportseveral of these disconnections occurred before even the maximum voltage thresholds allowed by the regulations will be reached. In other words, they did not respond properly to the network conditions. As has pointed out The energy expert, Javier Blas, 22% of the renewable plants did not comply with the criteria required by current regulations. I already demanded it. This is not a case of legal lagoon or regulatory vacuum. The report itself He has made clear that the technical demands for response to surge were already in force. European regulations –Regulation (EU) 2016/631also known as “requirements for generators” (RFG) – establishes behavior requirements for generating plants connected to the network. By the Electric Red Operation Proceduresespecially PO 12.3 (on technical requirements of generation facilities) and PO 9 (on supply quality and safety), already included the obligation to maintain the connection against voltage variations within defined margins. Not adapted to your own transition. The report too He has pointed out to a structural problem: the electricity grid has not evolved at the same pace than the massive renewable deployment. At the time of the blackout, 82% of the generation in operation was renewable. However, the number of synchronous centrals – fundamental to stabilize the network – was the lowest of the year. In this way, the network faced an explosive cocktail: a lot of distributed generation, little centralized control and little response capacity against critical events. A domino effect that, in just 12 seconds, led to the total disconnection of the Iberian system of the rest of Europe. The solutions on the table. The document proposes a package of ambitious measures. Among which we find to strengthen supervision to ensure normative compliance, immediately implement a specific technical service so that renewables actively participate in the voltage control and Increase electrical interconnection with France. Purifying responsibilities. The Government has pointed out both Electric and Electric Companies and possible responsible. From RedeiaBeatriz Corredor has responded ensures that they have not provided all the necessary information, and that the received did not have the desirable quality to clarify what happened. In addition, Corridor recalled that Red Electrica does not manage private networks or distributed control centers, and that its role is limited to guaranteeing the physical compatibility of the system with the programs that result from the electricity market. Image | Pexels Xataka | 49 days after the blackout, the government has published the official report. Against all prognosis, he points to a culprit

Sign up to Red Electrica for insufficient control

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On April 28 at 12:33:30, an energy zero disconnected the electrical systems of Spain and Portugal from the rest of Europe. It was not a cyber attack, but a waterfall of surge and an insufficient control system, according to the Spanish government. The analysis committee report. Minister Sara Aagesen has presented 49 days after the blackout (half of the term established by Brussels) the result of an analysis of more than 300 GB of information carried out by the Government Committee. He Complete document He concludes that there was no unique cause, but a waterfall of failures that pushed the system beyond its limit, and mainly indicates Red Electric, who will answer Wednesday by making his own report public. The Government points to Red Electrica. During the morning of the incident, the system already showed an “atypical volatility” in tensions, according to the analysis. The situation worsened between 12:00 and 12:30, when the network suffered two major oscillations. The first, at 12:03, was an anomalous phenomenon of 0.6 Hz originated within the Peninsula. The second, at 12:19, was a more common oscillation at European level of 0.2 Hz but of a three -time amplitude. To stabilize the system, Electric Red reduced energy exports and increased the network’s misery, actions that, ironically, raised more the general tension of the system. A domino effect in 12 seconds. From 12:32, with the already tension network, the trigger occurred: a sequence of disconnections of large blocks of renewable generation. The report identifies three key events that started the catastrophe. At 12:32:57 355 MW were disconnected In a substation of Granada. At 12:33:16, approximately 730 MW was lost in a collecting substation in Badajoz. At 12:33:17 another 550 MW fell into a substation in Seville. Each of these disconnections caused the system tension to rise a little more. The more the tension rose, the more generators they disconnected to protect themselves, which in turn raised the tension, causing new disconnections. In just 12 seconds, the massive generation loss caused a frequency drop, which was a consequence, not the cause. At 12:33:19, The Iberian system lost synchronism with Europe And it was completely disconnected. Why the system fell. The underlying problem was a “insufficiency of dynamic control capabilities of tensions”, inability to manage surge, according to the committee. The report indicates that some of the first disconnections in Granada, Badajoz and Seville “would have occurred before the voltage thresholds established by the regulations”, one of the critical points of the collapse. Another critical point was that the large thermal plants that should act as a brake of the voltage increases did not do it with the necessary force because the number of synchronous plants coupled for this function was the lowest of the year. To top it off, some of the centrals that were operating “did not respond properly.” Instead of absorbing reactive energy to lower the network pressure, they acted anomalously, even producing it, “the opposite of what is required, contributing to increase the problem.” In the words of Ministry for Ecological Transitioncontrol resources were missing, “but not because they were missing in the country; there was a generation park rather than enough to respond.” Again, the committee points to the network operator. The measures on the table. To prevent an event from these dimensions, the report proposes to strengthen supervision to guarantee compliance with the regulations, regulate the legal regime of evacuation infrastructure, implement in an “immediate and priority” way a new service that allows renewables to participate in voltage control, invest in new synchronous compensators and increase interconnection with France. On the other hand, a cybersecurity investigation that, according to the Government, was “the largest in the history of Spain” with more than 75 experts, concluded that there was no cyber attack. However, deficiencies were identified, so the Committee recommends streamlining the application of European regulations, strengthening access controls and segmenting networks. On the Electric Red Roof. After the tough coup of the government, it only remains that Red Eléctrica published on Wednesday its report as a system operator to have the other point of view. For now, the Committee will put its findings in the knowledge of the National Markets and Competition Commission to, in its case, open the corresponding administrative procedures, with all guarantees, and all its consequences. ” Technical research is over, now begins the search for responsibilities. Image | Victor Romero (CC BY-C-SA 2.0) In Xataka | A town of Granada of one thousand inhabitants with 700 MW of renewable energy: the place where the blackout began

This is heavy machinery remote control technology

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Each morning Monica Kyrö starts her work as millions of people, in an office. In his position, yes, there is something strange. His own company shows it In an image of the employee. And it is not unusual only for the two huge curved monitors, but for the Two joysticks That Monica begins to handle quickly by getting to the homework. But it is that this employee of the Swedish company Lkab It has a very peculiar job. Monica is mining. But a different mining company. He works as a remote operator of heavy mining machines, but does not conduct them or operates in the conventional sense of the word. Instead, control these machines remotely since its advanced job. It is an example of an interesting transformation in several industries. Miners who do not need to go down to the mine These types of systems have gradually conquer some industrial scenarios, and Mining It is certainly very appropriate. This dangerous profession He has adapted to the new times, and “going down to the mine” is no longer rigorously true. With these machines remotely controlled by human operators, the work of these miners is not only more comfortable: it is infinitely safer. There are various companies specialized in this area. Immersive Technologiesone of them shows how his simulation solutions Avoid risks to workers in real scenarios – such as mining exploitations – in which the risks are high. But that does not prevent other problems from arising. By removing the operator from that seat on the heavy machine itself, there may be problems by not having the range of vision that one would have in that cabin and also not completely perceive its environment – for example that another employee that does not initially appear on video suddenly appears in that area – and the possible impact of using those machines at a point and in a certain way in each moment. The impact on the work is for now an inconite, but a priori it does not seem that the role of the traditional operator of these machines is in danger. In fact, what was precisely demand for new professionalswhich can now be more interested thanks to that change in the paradigm and much greater security and comfort in these jobs. Remote control trucks and robots Heavy machinery is gradually becoming autonomous and robotic heavy machinery, they explained On robotics. In Spain companies like Epiroc either Sandfire Matsa They have this type of solutions in the field of mining, but there are other areas in which heavy machinery remote control is a perfect option. It is for example the case of the control of machines in commercial ports such as Guangzhou, in China. Months ago a video appeared on social networks in which remote operators of this port worked from the offices controlling trucks and cranes to move those containers and moving them from one place to another. Everything without human personnel near those containers and large machines, something that once again avoids important risks and that allows these operators to do everything from a much more comfortable and safe environment. Certainly it seems that they were playing a simulation video game, but no. The video is hypnotic. These solutions have been in operation for years, although they do so in very specific environments due to the complexity of these works. Husqvarna, Swedish manufacturer of construction machines, was one of the firms that participated after the catastrophe of the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Over there your remote control robots They helped in the controlled demolition tasks of the central. Companies like the Norway Steer They are specialized in this type of solutions for dangerous scenarios such as underground operations, work with explosives, or scenarios in which there is a risk of radioactivity or others such as avalanches and detachments. To the remote control options that require a human operator, the new autonomous vehicles for industrial applications are added. Here is a clear example in the field of agriculture. Autonomous tractors are already a realityof course, but these types of vehicles are also being used more and more in other fields. Mining is another reference: Caterpillar – of the protagonist in these markets – has autonomous trucks that already operate in that industry and that make use of “see” their environment, as well as in some robotaxis Like the Waymo. These autonomous vehicles are notwithstanding challenges to overcome: as in the case of self -employed cars, technology remains difficult to perfectespecially before the diversity of scenarios in which these solutions try to apply. That joysticks is of the last generation, but it is not to play This heavy machinery remote control segment has also caused the creation of (at least) a small segment totally associated with these systems: there are companies such as Comtium either JR Merritt specialized in calls industrial joysticks. These models are applicable to all types of heavy machinery and offer different designs and buttons according to the field in which they are used. There are even models with controlled precision systems with the thumb and even Control chairs For operators with everything necessary for this type of applications. This type of specialized peripherals can resemble traditional video game joysticks, but in reality they are quite different. To begin with, they must meet some requirements for very high durabilityand resist vibrations, extreme temperatures, dust, moisture and especially intensive use. That causes stainless steel axes and other equally resistant elements to be used. In the case of precision components that are usually translated for example in Minijísticks for the thumbswhich can have different configurations and shapes to adjust to specific heavy machines. Some of them have the Hall Effect technology that lately it has become popular in keyboards and that is especially useful in these areas. This type of joysticks use magnetic sensors to determine the position of the lever without physical contact between mobile parts and sensors. This makes the possible effects of a wear of the … Read more

We prepare to say goodbye to Windows 10, but part of the US Air Control still works with disks and Windows 95

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It is likely that in recent months you have seen some news about the End of Windows 10 support. And if you have a computer with that system, you are probably already valuing when to make the leap to Windows 11 or look for an alternative. The idea of ​​keeping an operating system No technical support It is usually interpreted as imprudence. And rightly: it implies losing security patches, compatibility with new applications and threat protection. However, not everyone seems so worried about staying updated. And the most unexpected example comes from such an important as delicate sector: air traffic control in the United States. There, part of the control towers still depend on technologies that seem taken out of another era. Literally, from the last century. The data confirmed this week Chris Rocheau, interim administrator of the FAA (the Federal Aviation Administration), in an appearance before the Assignments Committee of the House of Representatives. His intervention was clear: there are towers that still use paper and flopy strips To manage flight coordination. Technologies introduced in the seventies and that today remain operational in some airports in the country. The public chain NPR has added more firewood to fire: says that computers also work with Windows 95 (yes, Sweden trains They are not the only ones with this system). Although more modern than the floppy disks, it is a system whose extended support ended more than two decades ago. Microsoft stopped updating it December 31, 2001and today does not offer any kind of guarantee or security support for that environment. Obsolete technology, although functional Why are they still in use? Because they work. Because they have worked for decades. Air traffic control systems (known ATC) must be kept operational 24 hours a dayseven days a week, and that historical reliability has been precisely the reason why nobody has apparently wanted to take the risk of changing them completely. But that margin is running out. The new Secretary of Transportation, Sean DuffyHe pointed out that modernizing the system is now a national priority. In his words“It is the most important infrastructure project that the country has had in decades.” An affirmation that coincides with the growing concern within the sector: from controlling unions to industrial groups such as Modern Skies have begun to demand deep reforms. The Government’s Responsibility Office (GAO) published in March 2025 A report with forceful conclusions: of the 138 systems that make up the FAA infrastructure, 51 were classified as unsustainable and 54 as potentially unsustainable. Many of them have been in service for more than 30 years. Some, more than 60. The report warns that these platforms are not only vulnerable to technical failures: they are also increasingly difficult to maintain. There are no longer spare parts, the technicians specialized in these architectures are retiring and provisional solutions, such as virtualization, cannot always be applied in such critical environments. Given this scenario, the Department of Transportation has launched a call Open for private companies to present proposals with new generation technologies. Meanwhile, the system is still underway, but it does so on an increasingly fragile basis. Time will say if this time the leap to a modern infrastructure finally becomes a reality. Images | Rohde Schwarz | Microsoft | Ashim d’ilva In Xataka | Otto wants to break molds with the Phantom 3500: Goodbye to the windows for passengers, hello to the immersive screens

Waymo Robotaxis have become a weapon for police control. And in Los Angeles they are burning them

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What started as a protest against raids Anti -immigration in the United States resulted in bell battles in the streets of Los Angeles and the mobilization of 2,000 national guard and 700 Marines. This morning. Donald Trump has confirmed that he will double the forces of this first body and, before the doubts about your legality, has confirmed that 4,000 troops will be deployed of the National Guard. For four days, the tension has increased to the point of confronting against the police, attacking various shops and burn cars. And in the middle of this whole fight, there is a clear affected by protests: Waymo. Click on the image to go to the original tweet Waymo, objective of protests No t -shirt, with the face covered and waving a flag of Mexico uploaded to the roof of a completely vandalized Waymo car. It is undoubtedly one of the most representative images of the protests that are being carried out in the United States. “Sometimes an image says everything to say”, Aldo Butazzoni points out in its publicationconservative journalist who is following the disturbances in the street. Getting to the Waymo vehicle roof is no accident. The company that has active a robotaxis service in the city is being one of the companies that are receiving more attacks, seeing how protesters completely destroy their cars. Last June 8, A photograph went viral. He showed at least three vehicles on fire. The company raised the figure to five cars and confirmed that it temporarily paused the service before the protests. In Los Angeles Times They assured that the protesters came to launch shared scooters of the Lime company against vehicles to access the interior. In his photographs a person is also seen trying to break one of the front windows with a skate table. But why this virulent attack on the company? Beyond the obvious damage to urban furniture with the burning of these cars and the intention of making difficulties to the police work, everything indicates that the company is being hard attacked by the protesters for deeper reasons. Since Waymo launched, attacks on the company have been multiple. In July last year, a person was accused of clicking the wheels to 17 Waymo vehicles. But it has not been the only vandalism, the previous months caught fire and destroyed the company’s cars in Los Angeles and San Franciscowhere they also operate. “Waymo lacks humanity. It is expensive and politicians, who have encouraged it, use it as an excuse to stop financing public transport. I hope Waymo collapses. With these words, Elise Joshi, well -known climatic activist, his position against Waymo attacks these days in these days explained in these days A publication in X. The Waymo service has always been surrounded by controversy. Although they are already approaching the 800,000 monthly travelersthe company has had to deal with the opposition of those who see in the service an attack against public transport, one more tool of the great technology of earning money without using people and a problem in day -to -day mobility. In recent years we have seen, for example, how Erobotaxis services caused various mobility problems. Some of little importance, such as almost 600 fines that accumulated Waymo cars for parking where they should not in a single year. But also more serious, like Cruise’s car than parked on top of a woman hit or the vehicles that complicated the work of firefighters. Those derived from the impact of these robotaxis companies are very wide. To the point that there are those who have questioned If they are the cause of more housing problems in cities like San Francisco. Constant surveillance There is another great derivative of why Waymo cars are constantly attacked. Beyond the social or political positioning before the service, when someone vandates a Waymo car ensures that it cannot be used by the police. They point out in Time that police forces are using Waymo cameras recurrently in their research. Each Waymo I-Pace Jaguar has 29 cameras to control everything that occurs around. That makes them a powerful asset for the police. In 404 average They published last April that the Los Angeles Police Department This video uploaded to YouTube To ask for citizen collaboration when locating the driver of a vehicle that would have hit a person in an accident that had nothing to do with the performance of the Robotaxi. In that article, Waymo said that he studied in detail all the requests of the police and that he did not deliver images indiscriminately but in Bloomberg They already pointed out in 2023 that the procedure for helping these vehicles was increasingly common. In fact, the media indicated that not only Waymo has been appealed by the police when collecting information for an alleged crime. Order forces too They would have asked for images To Tesla, according to the economic environment, since their cameras are recording at all times what happens around them. In fact, Elon Musk’s company has been accused of record their own owners in their homes without them knowing it. “We have known for a long time that they are essentially wheel surveillance cameras,” said Chris Gilliard, a merit member of the Carnegie Council for ethics in international affairs to Bloomberg. “We are supposed to be able to make our daily lives without being persecuted unless we are suspected of a crime, and every bit of this technology eliminates that capacity,” he concluded. Photo | Paul Goyette and Waymo In Xataka | I have tried a totally autonomous taxi. This is traveling without driver

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