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how they differ and why they don’t let you sleep

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It is often said that any time in the past was better. Normally this phrase is the fruit of our tendency to idealize what has already happened. However, with The heat and hot nights are beginning to be an indisputable reality.. If we think of our past summer nights, we remember the tropical nights, in which the temperature does not drop below 20ºCas something specific. In the case of Spain, at least, they were isolated nights in which sleeping was a challenge. Now, however, they have not only become a norm that makes us live hugging the fanbut we have unlocked two other types of nights: equatorial and infernal. The name of the latter gives what it promises. Because of global warmingour nights have become hell; which, unfortunately for us, has only just begun. This affects our rest and, as a consequence, our performance during the day and our long-term health. It is no small feat, so it is worth looking for methods to sleep despite the high nighttime temperatures. Of course, before seeing what those methods may be, it is important to start at the beginning and learn what each type of night consists of. The night thermometer: difference between tropical, equatorial and infernal night As we have seen, when we talk about hot nights, there are three different types. Tropical night: It is what we were more or less used to, although not with the frequency of today. It occurs when temperatures do not drop below 20ºC throughout the night. Equatorial (or torrid) night: In this case, the mercury does not drop below 25ºC. It may not seem like much, but 5ºC is very noticeable. Normally these high night temperatures are reached by heating the sea water, heat island effect in cities or hot, dry winds. hellish night: The name delivers what it promises. Temperatures do not drop below 30ºC between dusk and dawn, so rest is much more complicated and the effects of heat even more dangerous than during the day in some cases. Why is it physically impossible to sleep in these temperatures? Our dream is governed by circadian cycles. These are 24-hour cycles with which many of our physiological functions are regulated. In the case of sleep, we sleep once a day, usually during the night. Therefore, when our brain detects that it has gotten dark, it begins to release melatonin, the hormone that helps us fall asleep. On the other hand, as daylight sets in, the release of this hormone is inhibited. But melatonin doesn’t tell us to close our eyes and put our brains in rest mode until the next day. This sleep stimulation takes place on many levels. For example, in order for us to sleep, our body temperature must drop a little. It is something that occurs naturally, thanks precisely to that release of melatonin. But of course, if the ambient temperature is very high, it is too complicated to maintain that ideal temperature for rest. This is why we have such a hard time sleeping on hot nights. The entire process is affected, although the most susceptible is REM sleepessential for a good rest. What happens to your body when you try to sleep at more than 25ºC? We have seen that the brain detects when it is day and night, but how does it do it? There are actually several factors. The most intuitive is the entry of light through the retina. If there is light, it is interpreted as daytime and when it decreases it is associated with night. This is the reason why having rooms that are too lit at night, especially with blue light, makes it difficult for us to fall asleep. However, light is not the only indicator of day and night. The brain is also guided by temperatureswhich normally rise during the day and descend at night. It is not usual for the temperature to be above 25ºC at night. That’s why, circadian rhythms get out of whack and cannot fall asleep properly. If melatonin were released in adequate quantities, it would lower the temperature even further, but when it is very hot not enough is released, so everything becomes a vicious circle. In addition, the hypothalamus, which is our first center for regulating body temperature, continues to work at full capacity. It must continue working so that our body does not get too hot, so remains overactivated and we cannot rest. As you see, everything leads to the same thing. With the high night temperatures we cannot rest. The ideal temperature to fall asleep according to science With everything we have seen above, it is clear that there is an ideal temperature to fall asleep. If it is too high, circadian cycles become unbalanced, while excessive cold does not help us sleep either. That’s why, the sleep foundations recommendation is maintain the temperature of the rooms in which we sleep between 15.6ºC and 20ºC. The open window on hot nights does not help, since even tropical nights, the least severe, rise above that range. The map of sleepless nights in Spain: the most affected areas The areas most affected by hot nights are mainly the Mediterranean regions, the Guadalquivir basin, the community of Madrid and Extremadura. Also are becoming increasingly common in the Canary Islandswhere an increase in hellish nights is even beginning to be detected. The Mediterranean and the Guadalquivir Valley: the “hot spots” of summer In the Mediterranean highlights the case of the hellish nights in the province of Almeríawhere in June 2026 there have been four consecutive nights with temperatures above 30ºC. In the Guadalquivir Valley and regions close to its basin they are not far behind. Although there they are standing out more due to the maximum temperatures than the minimum ones, so far this summer tropical nights have already been recorded in places like Écija, belonging to the province of Seville. In any case, its particular hell occurs during the day, with maximum temperatures well above 40ºC. … Read more

If you don’t have glasses for the solar eclipse, this homemade box made with cardboard and aluminum foil works just as well.

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If you plan to see the solar eclipse on August 12, you will surely have already been researching methods to see it safely. To look directly at the Sun, x-rays, photographic negatives or any of the tricks that were recommended in the past are not useful. We can hurt our eyes a lot. Only approved glasses are valid. However, if you do not have or do not want to buy them, you can always resort to indirect methods, such as pinhole camera. It is an ideal method to use with children, since you can see the solar eclipse without risk And, what’s more, they have a good time making the box. Of course, it is a perfect plan to do as a family. We tell you everything you need to do it. Materials The materials to make the pinhole camera are very simple. First of all, you need a cardboard box. It may be worth an empty cereal container or shoe box. You also need a white piece of paper, a piece of aluminum foil, tape, a pencil, scissors and a thumbtack. How is the pinhole camera made? To make the pinhole camera, first we need to draw one of the shortest sides of the cardboard box on the sheet of paper. For example, the base of the cereal box. We place it on the sheet of paper, draw the outline and then cut it out. We must glue the resulting piece of paper inside, on the bottom of the box. Next, at the opposite end of the box, two square-shaped holes should be made. If we have a cereal box, which has that side open, we would have to glue a piece of cardboard in the middle, so that the two square openings on the sides can be seen. In this NASA publication there is a video that shows how it should look.. Then, cover one of the openings with aluminum foil secured with adhesive tape. Also, make a small hole in the center of the aluminum foil with a thumbtack. With this the pinhole camera would be ready. How to use it to view the solar eclipse? To use the pinhole camera we must position ourselves with our backs to the sun and look through the hole that doesn’t have aluminum foil. The sun’s rays enter through the small hole in the aluminum foil, which acts as if it were the lens of a camera, so that the image behind it is projected on the blank paper that we place at the bottom of the box. It should be noted that, logically, this device only works during partial solar eclipse. When totality is reached and the Moon completely covers the Sun, there is hardly any light that can enter through the hole, so there will be no projections to look at. The good thing is that, only during that totality, you can look at the sun directly, without glasses. Of course, you have to be very clear when the totality begins and when it ends, since with very little light we can damage our retinas. In short, this is a good way to indirectly see the partial solar eclipse without the need for approved glasses. If you are in one of the places within the band of totality, once it begins, you can look at the Sun directly, but be careful not to go too far. Unless you are in a town like Lerín, where The bells will ring to warn when totality begins and endsget away from the slightest ray that appears. Image | POT In Xataka | The trio of eclipses that await Spain on the horizon: an unprecedented and historic chain between 2026 and 2028

Fed up with AI, a programmer created a chat where 16,000 people pretend to be ChatGPT so they don’t have to use it

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I don’t need to tell you that the old internet is long dead: first, centralized in social networks and their respective algorithms. Then, with artificial intelligence: There is already more content generated by artificial intelligence than by humans. In fact, even the omnipresent Google search engine gives you the answer in its AI mode whenever it can. What times were those when the best of human wisdom was condensed in a forum thread in a disinterested way and how authentic content created by humans is missing in an internet increasingly dominated by material made by machines but, yesIf you can’t beat him, join himso if the AI ​​is stealing your work, why not become a ChatGPT with legs and steal it from it? This ChatGPT is very human. Is called “Your AI Slop Bores Me” (your AI garbage bores me) and it is a real call to quality, intention and human effort: a chat interface in Comic Sans, a box where you can ask your question or draw for the AI ​​and a “model” behind it that has the mission of answering you in less than 60 seconds. Except for one small detail: behind it there is a person who has decided to adopt that role because this is a parody of the many chatbots with AI that exist and we often use. Although hey, since you part with a couple of credits to ask and they run out quickly, sooner rather than later you will have to turn the tables and become a fast, responsive AI (Larp mode). Be careful, the answers receive evaluation. It’s a kind of reverse Touring test. This web game created by Mihir Maroju became a phenomenon: it was launched in March of this year and in its first week there were already 16,000 concurrent users in real time, like pick up Fast Company. In fact, its dev explains that the success was such that he had to update servers. The only thing missing is that you need your own data center. Your AI Slope Bores me interface Why is it important. Because if the internet brought us the word spam, AI has done the same with “slop”: that filth vomited without care. And boy do we complain: according to an analysis by TRG Datacentersmentions of the term ‘AI slop’ on networks grew to reach 2.4 million this year. The Merriam-Webster he chose it Word of the Year 2025. But this experiment is proof that the old internet is still alive: people who don’t gain followers, likes, or money for helping and still continue to respond. It is, in a way, a way to recover the dynamics of internet forums before the attention economy of networks: places where help was not measured by engagement. Context. The game has more to it than it seems because it gamifies a real problem on today’s internet. At the beginning of the year, Neal Mohan, CEO of YouTube, declared that reducing slop and detecting deepfakes were absolute priorities for the platform. And it is no wonder: a recent investigation by New York Times has uncovered that after watching popular children’s content on YouTube, 40% of the videos recommended below were AI slop. Low-quality content generated by artificial intelligence is already a reality that floods everything and not even the academic world is spared. Now, in AI mode. Your AI Slope Bores Me In detail. The tutorial on how to play It is a veiled criticism of AI and its ways of writing. Thus, he recommends starting the texts with the now mythical “As an AI language model”, the use of excessively polite phrases or directly hallucinating. The game turns the systemic flaws of LLMs into playable mechanics. The design of the website is deliberately minimalist and tacky, it does not require a download, it works on any browser and device and works in real time and multiplayer. But there is a phenomenon under this game that was unexpected and yet it is happening: that chat format and anonymity, because there is no need to create an account and there is no history, encourages people to ask more personal questions and on the other side there are people willing to answer just because, altruistically. Yes, but. The game has certain limitations: that credit mechanic creates some friction and imbalance, because if there are too many people running in AI mode and not enough people sending questions, you can be left fallow for a long time. On the other hand, and although it is done with humor, today it is increasingly difficult to distinguish what an AI has written and what not: looking for the tickling of the models is increasingly complicated due to their training and debugging. Finally, the experience is somewhat marred by ads. In Xataka | Sam Altman laments that the internet is full of AI and bots: the irony is that he is one of the most responsible In Xataka | 20 years later, if you want to find something on the Internet you search for it on Reddit Cover | Your AI Slop Bores me with Gemini

an ideal ergonomic chair if you don’t like those that are rigid like the Markus from Ikea

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This Prime Day we are seeing very good offers on all types of devices, such as mobile phones either fans and air conditioners. But what if you need a new chair? If you are looking an office chairthen it may suit you Sihoo Doro C300 Pro V2a chair that has only been available for a few weeks and that we have on sale on Amazon until 449.99 euros. If you’d rather save a little more, it’s available in the Sihoo store for 429.99 euros. Now, using the code ‘SihooXa6’, its price remains at 404.19 euros. Keep in mind that the promo will be available only until next July 1. SIHOO Doro C300V2 Ergonomic Office Chair, Mesh Desk Chair with 8D Armrest, Lumbar Support, Computer Chair with 3D Headrest, Tilt for Home Office The price could vary. We earn commission from these links The best price for a chair that ‘follows’ you so you are well supported The RRP of this chair is 519.99 euros, so we have a quite interesting discount on this office chair. What it proposes is different from other very popular chairs, such as the Markus from Ikea. Share with her some points in common, but it’s not as static as this. We say this because this chair (and others of this type), when you move a little, you are no longer supported correctly. Its structure has four coordinated zones that are always in contact with your body. These are: head, back, lumbar and arms. This system, called DynaCore, is maintained even when we recline the back of the chair if we want to adopt a more comfortable position during a moment of rest, for example. It reclines, specifically, up to 135 degrees. Another point that characterizes this chair is that it adjusts to you, but automatically. It has a lever to raise the height or inclination of the backrest, like most chairs. However, the backrest slides to match the shape of the back and adjusts to it. This way, if several people use the same chair at home, you won’t have to configure this aspect all the time. The headrest is quite large and flexible, so it is not difficult for us to have this part of the body well supported. His seat, furthermore, can be adjusted in depthsomething we don’t usually see in office chairs like the Markus from Ikea. That’s key for people with very long or short legs. The Sihoo Doro C300 Pro V2 has very configurable armrests that the brand calls ‘8D armrests’. These move backwards, forwards, up and down. Most armrests already do this, but those of the Sihoo can also be configured a little more depending on the position we are going to take. For example: if we recline and have a book in our hand, we can adjust the armrest to support both the elbow and the forearm. Finally, mention the fabric of the chair. With how hot it is right now, it is important that our chair has a breathable fabric that does not stick to your skin. This Sihoo has breathable mesh, so we will not have any type of problem in that regard. Finally, it is a chair that has breathable mesh as the main fabric. It is not that it is the only chair on the market to use this, but it is what ideal in hot environments and now that it’s starting to get hot everywhere. In addition, we cannot forget that Sihoo offers a 30-day free trial and a three-year warranty. All this, added to the fact that the chair has a 30-day trial and three-year warranty, makes it a very interesting office chair for those looking for something different from other more popular options. And more, now that it has a discount. Other Sihoo chairs that may interest you SIHOO M57 Ergonomic Office Chair with 3D Armrests, Lumbar Support and Adjustable Headrest, Synchronized Tilt Function and High Backrest – Light Gray The price could vary. We earn commission from these links SIHOO Doro S300 Ergonomic Office Chair, Gaming Chair with Dual Dynamic Lumbar Support, 6D Coordinated Armrests, Adjustable Swivel Chair White(Ships in Two Separate Packages) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Sihoo In Xataka | Buying guide on how to make your home workplace ergonomic In Xataka | How to set up your home office: buying guide for stands, monitors and other peripherals, cables, headphones and more

The Government is already debating whether or not to extend fuel aid. If you don’t do it we will pay 15 euros more to fill the tank

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Next Monday, June 29, the Council of Ministers will debate whether to extend the fuel tax reduction beyond June 30, which was the established deadline. If you don’t do it, filling the tank in the middle of a vacation trip is going to hurt us a lot more than it does now. Fuel aid. In March, the Government approved a package of urgent measures to stop the rise in energy prices caused by the war between the United States and Iran. The most visible for the driver was the reduction in VAT on fuel from 21% to 10%, accompanied by a reduction in the special tax on hydrocarbons. These measures expire on June 30 and the Government has to decide now what to do with them. What is being studied. According to share From ABC, the Ministry of Economy is considering maintaining VAT at 10% for at least three more months, that is, until September. A gradual withdrawal of aid is also being studied to avoid the so-called rocket effectthat is, a sudden increase in prices from one day to the next in the middle of the high travel season. What happens if it is not extended. According to the calculations of the Spanish Confederation of Service Station Employers (CEEES), the elimination of all aid would mean an increase in the price of 29 cents per liter for gasoline and 22 cents for diesel. With current prices (around 1.46 euros per liter for gasoline and 1.53 for diesel) both fuels would rise to 1.74 euros per liter. In this way, filling a 55-liter tank would go from costing around 70 euros to close to 90. And the blow would come right in the middle of the summer operation. The diesel thing is delicate. The Iran crisis has caused a liter of diesel to cost more than gasoline, something quite unusual taking into account the lower taxation of diesel in comparison. Although the price has fallen for four consecutive weeks, it still remains 5% above what it cost before the start of the conflict, according to collect ABC. If the reduction in the special tax on hydrocarbons is withdrawn, diesel has a good chance of once again overcoming the psychological barrier of 2 euros. Why it is not so easy to extend it. The Government cannot extend these measures on its own because it needs the support of Congress. That means negotiating with the investiture parties, including Junts and the PNV, something that already generated tension in March when the first decree was approved. On the other hand, there is also external pressure, since the Bank of Spain pointed out Just a few days ago, Spain has been the country in the European Union that has mobilized the most public resources in response to this crisis (0.25% of GDP), criticizing that 75% of the measures are not focused on the most affected, but are of a general nature, as is precisely the case with the VAT reduction. The European Commission and the Treasury technicians (GESTHA) also have recommended withdrawing these subsidies considering them contrary to the energy transition. What does the transportation sector ask for? The Spanish Confederation of Freight Transport (CETM) already has asked that any extension explicitly includes the transport of goods by road. In a statement, the organization warns that “leaving transportation outside of these measures would mean ignoring the sector on which a good part of the country’s economic activity is based.” In addition, the CETM demands that the commitment to pay 20 cents per liter of fuel promised to the sector be made effective. What does the president say? Pedro Sanchez has advanced that the new decree will be “to protect the productive fabric and also the citizens”, although without specifying the exact scope of the measures. The Government warns that, even with a peace agreement between the United States and Iran, the economic effects of the conflict will continue to pressure prices for weeks or months. Cover image | Roberto Rodríguez and engin akyurt In Xataka | In February, historic rains broke the roads. Málaga has just received the go-ahead to repair the A-7 and A-45

“We don’t want to reinvent space travel. What we have to do is make it profitable”

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Although AI gurus, former prime ministers of Italy and the United Kingdom and CEOs of giant companies are passing through the Vivatech stages, the figure that has attracted the most attention is Jeff Bezos. The main theater of the event was packed as has not happened with any other speaker. Even Yann LeCun, the so-called ‘godfather of AI‘, he had to speak to some empty seats. On that stage, alongside Bezos were David Limp, CEO of Blue Origin, and Mike Massiminoformer NASA astronaut and the one who asked the questions. The first was obvious: the feeling behind the explosion of the brand new New Glenn rocket of Bezos. The answer was not so obvious, with the tycoon pointing out that the team ‘celebrated’ it in a rather curious way. And the conversation soon focused on the main point of the talk: build the roads to go to space. Because Blue Origin is in the same race as SpaceXbut also in the same competition as Chinathe race to find a way to reduce launch costs so much that it is viable to constantly put things into orbit. And, apart from infinite money, you only need one thing that Rajoy already said at the time, finding a way to make more of those machines that make the machines that make rockets. And this is where Prometheus, Bezos’s new AI company, has to do. so much controversy is awakening. The Moon as a space gas station “People underestimate (whatever)” was a phrase that was repeated up to three times during the talk. Because Bezos and Limp came to Paris to make it clear that what they are doing is very difficult, but that it is a great leap for humanity. After talking about the New Glenn explosion, Massimino said “everyone wants to go to the Moon”, and there Bezos expanded because the phrase touches on one of the three key points of Blue Origin’s objective in space exploration (and the rest of the countries and companies that are on the same path). “We will go to Mars and do other things, but the Moon is the first step, the first base“he commented. There are several reasons. The first, according to the businessman, is that “it is close and we can go in three and a half days and also return in three and a half days. We do not have to wait for it to align with the Earth as happens with Mars. And the reason why we would want to go (and to stay, no less) is because, although he did not say it explicitly, it was printed in the message: the Moon is a space gas station. We have already said on several occasions that our satellite has a lot of resources that we can use, and the most recent missions have focused, in part, on collecting and studying samples of lunar soil to see what can be done with that material called regolith. “Now that we are going to go to the Moon to stay, not just to visit it, we need to build fuel with materials that are on the Moon. With electrolysis we can create liquid hydrogen and that is the goal: to create fuel from raw materials on the Moon“, commented Bezos. Because that is the first step to, from there, launch missions further away, such as to Mars. The reason is that it is ‘cheaper’ to launch rockets from the Moon than from the Earth due to gravity. The rocket does not need as much fuel to take off or as much force, so it is much easier and costs are greatly reduced. The problem is that loading the tanks with liquid hydrogen to go to Mars has the disadvantage that it is a fuel that takes up a lot of space and it is not feasible to leave so loaded from Earth. “If we want to explore space and make colonies on Mars, the Moon is the first step” That’s where the Moon comes into play again. Because that’s what this is all about: “We don’t want to reinvent space travel. These trips were surpassed 60 years ago. What we want to do is make them profitable. That’s what Blue Origin is focusing on.” Extracting the materials also comes into play. “The Moon’s gravity is much lower, so you can extract those materials using 28 times less energy per kilo than you would need on Earth.” What keeps a billionaire who wants to play with rockets up at night But we must not lose sight of something: this is a business, and Bezos points out that there are many players who want to go to space, but not all of them can make rockets. And there are companies like yours or Musk’s. “Neoconstellations of satellites, resources on the Moon and in low orbit – solar panels, space data centers -, missions on the Moon to stay… there is a lot of demand. I think people greatly underestimate the demand for space travel,” he said. Beyond the Moon and that Martian objective, he is right in pointing out that low orbit is looking like an electric station during Easter. United States and China are launching military and communication satellites, but Europe does not want to be left behind and Russia, India and Japan are in the same competition. The law of “who comes first, gets the spot” prevails here, and everyone wants to get there first. “We are in the golden age to achieve the objective. It already happened years ago with the US getting ahead of the Soviets. Now it is going to happen again” The point is that, as Bezos comments, “if the launches are very expensive, the satellites must have a very long life and remain behind technologically, but if we make upload is cheaperwe can speed up times. Limp went on to say that reusable rockets are the way to create these mega satellite constellations, but beyond the problem of fuel, … Read more

I need a compact keyboard that fits in my backpack, but I don’t want a ‘toy’ one. This is the one I have in the cart

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When the heat and good weather arrive, I usually leave home even if I’m not on vacation yet. It’s time to continue working and, although I have a laptop, I usually connect it to a monitor and use a separate keyboard. Mine (a Logitech full format) It is big and it is not at all comfortable to carry it everywhere. I could buy one of these small or foldable travel ones, yes. But I don’t like them: I prefer something more conventional. Since I don’t want to spend more than 100 euros on a wireless one, the one I have in the cart is the Corsair K70 Core TKL: a keyboard that is currently out 82.63 euros on Amazon. Corsair K70 Core TKL RGB Tenkeyless Mechanical Gaming Keyboard – Pre-Lubricated Corsair MLX Red v2 Linear Switches – SOCD – Acoustic Dampening – ABS Caps – QWERTY ES – Black The price could vary. We earn commission from these links A compact keyboard that’s easy to carry everywhere If we go to a store like Amazon and look for a travel keyboard, we can find models like the Logitech K380s which is one of the most popular. This and others like it are good peripherals, I’m not saying otherwise. But this is more about sensations and I prefer a conventional keyboard more, especially when I know I’m going to spend a whole day writing. And there comes this one from Corsair. It’s a TKL format keyboard, which already represents a considerable reduction in size (I barely use the numeric keypad, so it’s not a big loss either). Besides, Its USB cable is removable and can be stored separatelywhich makes it even easier to take it outside the home. And, when the summer passes, it is a resistant keyboard that I will be able to continue using in my daily life. The switches it uses are pre-lubricated MLX Red V2 and have an acoustic damping system. This, translated into simple words, means that we will have ora very fast pulsation and with a very contained soundso it is a very interesting option to write and even to play a game. As I say, there are easier to carry options for trips. However, in search of something compact to carry with me on the go and then also use at home, This Corsair K70 Core TKL seems like a top option to me. Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Corsair In Xataka | Best keyboards for writing and working at value for money. Which one to buy based on use and seven recommended models In Xataka | Best mice in quality price. Which one to buy based on use and seven recommended models

You don’t need to buy ‘Flight Simulator’ to explore the world. Google Earth has just put it at our fingertips

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I have long been a fan of ‘Microsoft Flight Simulator‘. That is why I followed with special interest his arrival in PS5: I wanted to try it beyond the PC, not only because of the possibility of piloting an aircraft, but because of something that has always attracted me to the game: exploring landscapes, looking for frames and using the photo mode almost as a small tool to explore the world from the screen. And that fascination makes sense precisely because Microsoft has worked for years to make ‘Flight Simulator’ much more than an airplane game. The company speaks in ‘Flight Simulator 2024‘ of its most detailed recreation of planet Earth to date, with improved elevation maps, more than 500 cities recreated with 3D models based on irregular triangular networks and more than 100,000 square kilometers of rural photogrammetry. The novelty is that now there is a much lighter way to get closer to that experience without going through a full game or installing anything on your computer. Google Earth announced last Friday that his flight simulator It is now available for all users. Fly without installing anything, directly from the browser Google Earth is not trying to sell us a full-fledged flight simulator, and that works in its favor. On their help pageGoogle describes the feature as experimental, available only in Earth on the web, and geared toward a casual exploration experience. He also warns that the flight physics is simplified, so if what we are looking for is a simulation in its most demanding sense, this is certainly not it. But it may be interesting to try it, draw our own conclusions and discover another way of exploring the world in images. If you want to start trying it, the path is quite simple. You just have to open Google Earth on the webenter Explore the Earthdisplay the Tools menu and click on Flight Simulator. The option appears within the menu itself. In a matter of seconds you go from the traditional map to a flight view, with the interface ready to start moving over the terrain. Once inside, the management also focuses on the immediate. Google allows you to control the plane with the keyboard: Page up to accelerate, Page down to reduce thrust, the up and down arrows to change the altitude and the side arrows to tilt the aircraft. You can also turn mouse control on or off by clicking inside the simulation. And if things go wrong, which can go wrong pretty quickly at first, the option to start over after impact appears. The most attractive part is that Google Earth dynamically loads 3D buildings and high-resolution images while you fly. This allows us to turn a very simple function into a quite interesting visual experience, especially if we choose recognizable areas and we change the basemap to Satellite when necessary. However, Google also warns that flying at extreme speeds or with a slow connection can cause temporary delays in loading. There are, in addition, known problems in some areas of the field, so it is best to assume it for what it is: a light and still experimental function. Then there is the other option, of course: taking a real plane. In specific searches on services such as Skyscanner we have seen flights from Spain for less than 40 euros, always depending on route, date and availability. Looking at an image from the browser is not the same as looking out the window and seeing how the landscape changes under the clouds. But that is precisely why it makes sense to bring it here: we are talking about different experiences, different ways of moving, looking and playing with the idea of ​​traveling. The interesting thing about Google Earth is taking a tool that many of us have used for years to explore the planet and adding a simple playful layer to it, free and accessible from the browser. It doesn’t always take a complex simulation to spark that curiosity. Sometimes a small, well-placed function is enough to make us look at the map again and want to get lost for a while. Images | Screenshots In Xataka | After marathons and combats, humanoid robots already have their next challenge: climbing Everest

We don’t know if AI is going to take our jobs. The problem is that whoever is developing the AI ​​doesn’t know it either.

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The arrival of AI has sown the seed of uncertainty in many sectors putting on the table a question for which, today, no one has a clear answer: Is AI going to take our jobs or not? The most curious thing is that not even those who are developing those models that would replace millions of employees they have a clear answer. Sam Altman and Dario Amodei, heads of OpenAI and Anthropic, have been offering two completely opposite visions for the same issue. After predicting a almost apocalyptic scenarioAltman now says everything will be fine. Amodei, for his part, warns of a very hard blow to employment. The data also does not shed light on the future employment of those who now must choose a career professional. Altman says he was wrong (for the better). Sam Altman, the head of OpenAI, has greatly softened the defeatist speech he had been holding. A while ago I talked about entire job categories that were going to disappear. Now he says something else, although perhaps he does so more conditioned by the IPO of your company than for the certainty of a future with more jobs. According to collected ReutersAltman is “I’m glad I was wrong about this; I thought the elimination of entry-level administrative jobs would have already had a bigger impact than it actually has.” This is a pretty big script twist coming from someone who has been setting the pace for the sector for years. Amodei and Anthropic do not let up. At the other end of the narrative is Anthropic. Its co-founder, Chris Olah, repeated at a conference on ethics and AI in the vatican the same idea as his boss, Dario Amodei, has been defending for a long time. There is a real possibility that AI will replace human work on a large scale. It does not speak of a smooth change or an easy transition. Talk about a serious, and sudden, impact. However, although both talk about the same type of technology and with similar data on the table, their interpretations of what is to come are clearly opposite. Employees were an expense, but AI doesn’t come free. As leaders at major AI companies debate the future of the millions of employees they will replace with AI, companies are beginning to realize that AI It’s not going to be much cheaper either. than an employee. The companies that have opted the most for workforce cuts and increased use of AI are receiving your first billsand they scare. So they have put a stop to the so-called “tokenmaxxing“: pay without limit to use models without measuring the return well. According to collected Business InsiderUber’s chief operating officer said AI costs are increasingly difficult to justify, just after its chief technology officer burned the annual AI budget early. According what was published by The VergeMicrosoft, also began reducing Claude Code licenses among its employees, a cut that Fortune linked to the high cost of massive use of these models. More jobs for programmers and security teams. However, the implementation of AI in companies, far from eliminating jobs, is increasing the demand for certain profiles. According to data from the hiring platform Indeed collected by Axiosvacancies for software engineering positions have grown by 18% in the last year, while total employment falls by 4.3% in the same period. Why is this happening? More code written with AI means more code that someone has to check. Companies continue hiring security analystsauditors and people who validate what the models generate. Automation detects failures at high speed, but prioritizing and fixing them still depends on human judgment. For now, that criterion remains scarceand expensive. Generation Z is not trusting. Without a doubt, those most affected by all this uncertainty are the generation that has just entered the labor market. Without enough experience enough to face the new demands, but too advanced in their professional career to choose another career path. Given all this uncertainty and closed doorsGeneration Z no longer sees AI as an opportunity. He increasingly sees her as a direct threat to his first job, so he has chosen to fight it. A survey According to Gallup, enthusiasm for AI among young people fell 14 points in just one year, and anger towards the technology rose to 31%. And they don’t stop complaining. a survey of Writer together with Workplace Intelligence, pointed out that 44% of Generation Z employees admit to actively sabotaging their company’s AI implementation plans, compared to 29% of the entire workforce. With all this on the table, the only thing clear is that no one has the complete picture about the future of AI in the labor market. Neither those who sell the technology, nor those who use it, nor those who are about to look for their first job. Probably the answer is neither disaster nor total calm, but a little of each, distributed very unevenly depending on the sector and the country. In Xataka | Technology workers have better salaries and an important “but”: more than half fear being replaced by AI Image | Flickr (World Economic Forum/Pascal Bitz, Sandra Blaser), Unsplash (syful islam)

apps that don’t sell anything

by

There are few guilty pleasures as satisfying as online shopping: that exciting moment of searching until you find what suits you best and then put it in the cart. You’ll enjoy it later, when it reaches your hands. Or not, because in reality the process itself is almost more enjoyable than the product in question. Not to mention something obvious: to buy you need to have money in your account and not need it for other purposes, such as paying rent or eating. If you can’t afford the real experience, South Korea’s youth has found a way of tricking the brain into releasing that dopamine from shopping: apps that sell nothing. Fake it until you make it. What is happening. He Korean Times collects the phenomenon of dopamine sites and its operation in two types of apps: those for food delivery and those for smoking breaks, in which you have a virtual cigarette with other people with that banal conversation typical of the occasion. Thus, you can consult menus, select items to add to the cart and know delivery times or restaurant ratings without closing the transaction. And you can also say, if you prefer, something like “Tuesday, you’re sick of shit” in a virtual room. Kim Heon-sik, a professor at Jungwon University, connects these apps that do not sell anything with the culture of Muk Bangin which people watch other people eating tremendous amounts of food. Curiosity, voyeurism and satisfying the gluttony of whoever is on the other side of the screen without having to put anything in their mouth. The vicarious satisfaction at its finest. Tap to go to the post Why is it important. On the one hand, these dopamine sites function as a snitch on the mental health of a generation: in South Korea, digital exhaustion and smartphone dependence are already public health problems. documented with a star risk factor: anxiety. On the other hand, they reveal a disconnection between two worlds: the economic and the neurological. Delivery and ecommerce apps have been refining their interfaces and experience for years to enhance the impulse to buy: infinite scrolls, exclusive offers for a limited time (spoiler: they never end), incessant dripping of notifications… the “technology of persuasion” that coined Tristan Harrisformer Google designer. The result is that according to neurosciencedopamine is released in anticipation, not upon receiving the order. Dopamine sites do exactly the same thing, but at zero cost, something ideal for a generation that cannot afford that expense. Context. That deliberate design of apps and the release of dopamine can lead to a shopping addiction… if you have the money. The point is that Korean youth do not have it: a recent report from Bank of Korea portrays their dangerous situation. Every year that a young person spends without work reduces their future salary by 6.7%, their debt has increased and the proportion of them living in precarious housing went from 5.6% in 2010 to 11.5% in 2023. OECD confirms that the Korean youth employment rate is below average and that they practically wait in line to access large companies or the public sector. This structural problem already has a name: Sampo generationwhich refers to the three renunciations of this youth, love, marriage and being a father or mother, caused by unstable jobs and high educational debts. In detail. The psychological mechanism behind those apps that sell nothing It is well documented: The brain does not distinguish well between the process of asking for food and the simulation of asking for it, so dopamine acts mainly in that search and anticipation phase, not when receiving the reward. That’s why the fake app works: it gives the reward system what activates the process without having to swipe the card. Regarding smoking break apps, more of the same: this study on loneliness in Korean adults found that those young people most exposed to the digital environment reported significantly higher levels of loneliness than previous generations. Seeing that there are more people online at the same time, even if they are complete strangers and you don’t talk to them, activates the feeling of social presence, which reduces anxiety. Yes, but. The Korean Times report echoes few testimonies about this phenomenon, but there is no data on how many people use these apps or how frequently. Even if it were a trend, the million-dollar question is what effect these apps that sell nothing have: it is true that they have no impact on the wallets of those who use them and that they occasionally provide relief, but also that they do not help solve the problem behind: anxiety, loneliness and dependency linked to a precariousness of their life expectations. In Xataka | A Ferrari ‘on the go’: the trick of Generation Z in Japan to have a supercar In Xataka | The new fashion trend among Gen Z comes from South Korea and is called “Acubi”: a subversive minimalism Cover | Fish Huang and Gemini

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