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In any escape away from home, the VPN always comes with me. I don’t connect to any wifi that I don’t know without it

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Take a few days off and take advantage of them to make a trip or an escape is fantastic. If we go to a hotel or an accommodation, most likely we have available a Wi -Fi network to connect and continue sailing, either to look for things on the Internet or to kill dead time watching some movies. The problem is that These unknown networks can become dangerous. These or the public wifi networks that we are in shopping centers can have behind scammers or criminals willing to intercept traffic. With this, it is not difficult to steal passwords or personal data. The best way to protect ourselves goes through Get us with a good VPN And, among all the payment options, one of the cheapest has surfshark: it goes out for 2.19 euros a month. Surfshark Starter Subscription – Monthly * Some price may have changed from the last review Use a VPN to protect yourself when you leave home If we search on the Internet, it is not difficult find free VPN. These are fine to get out of trouble, although they offer a limited service and, in most cases, slow. An investment in a payment VPN is very worth it if we usually connect in unknown or out of home, especially when it comes to an investment as surfshark. This VPN is also very useful, if we usually use several devices connected to the Internet. Surfshark admits all the devices we want with a single accountwhich is ideal to carry it installed everywhere. Thus, we can protect ourselves in an unknown network, whether we are going to make a purchase with the laptop and if we are going to use our bank’s app on the mobile. Surfshark includes its VPN in its most economical subscription, called Starter. This also includes another tool called ALTERNATIVE ID. Thanks to this, we can create a series of fictitious data to be able to use them on web pages in which we do not want to enter personal information. The Starter Plan comes out of 2.19 euros A month, so two full years of the service would come out for only 55.56 euros. If we take into account that the normal price of this subscription for two years is 439 euros, the truth is that it is a real discount. Eye, because we will also receive 3 months as a giftwhich will have a total of 27 months of the service. Some of the links of this article are affiliated and can report a benefit to Xataka. In case of non -availability, offers may vary. Image | Surfshark In Xataka | Why it is dangerous to connect to public wifis and what you should do to protect yourself In Xataka | The best solutions to protect your data and your company’s computer equipment

In Peru, a company has had an idea to take wind energy directly to your home: turbines as a lay way

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Lego pieces have accompanied generations as a way to create without limits: blocks that are stacked on each other to form houses, cities, rockets, whatever the imagination allows. Over time, the designs became more sophisticated, with complex structures and realistic themes. But in essence, everything is still based on a simple idea: build, piece by piece. Now this idea must be extrapolated to another context as important as the generation of energy. In a world where taking advantage of every centimeter of space is vital – especially in cities – thinking of installing a wind turbine at home may seem crazy, but it is not so far from reality. A new design. A Peruvian startup, Eolic wall, has developed A new way of understanding wind energy, moving away from the traditional model of huge blades anchored in the landscape. Instead, they have created a system of modular, compact and stackable wind cells, with a square shape. Innovation. This technology has an aerodynamic design that allows speeding of the wind that crosses them, which allows to generate more electricity even with moderate breezes. Unlike traditional turbines, Eolic Wall rotor It is sustained by a peripheral ring that improves wind capture and allows a more compact design. Also, thanks to its modular design It can be stacked vertical or horizontally as construction pieces, adapting to the environment and energy demand. You can add more units over time. Willn’t there be such stuck problems from another? A common question is: “Willn’t several be saved from each other?” In traditional wind farms, turbulence between turbines reduce their performance if they are too together. However, Eolic Wall has solved this problem with an internal aerodynamic chamber, which protects the flow of the wind inside each cell. Thus interference is avoided and can be installed in places where it was unthinkable to put a turbine, such as buildings or urban courtyards. A unique peculiarity. The use of permanent strategically located magnets reduces almost zero the friction of the system. This not only improves performance, but also reduces wear and extends the life of the cells. In addition, by eliminating almost all friction thanks to its magnetic system, common maintenance and mechanical wear problems affect conventional wind turbines are faced. When will they be available? Although there is not yet an official mass launch date, Eolic Wall already It has been recognized by Forbes magazine as one of the best startups in Peru in 2024. It is currently developing pilots and Looking for alliances Strategic to climb your technology. Other systems. Eolic Wall is not alone in this tendency towards miniaturization and urbanization of wind energy. There are other interesting proposals, such as LTO TURBINA ARCHIMEDES (LIAM F1)which is committed to a helical design inspired by the Archimedes spiral to capture the wind from any direction. For its part, The turbines flowerknown for its aesthetic design in the form of a flower and its ability to function in proximity without losing efficiency. Self -consumption is no longer just solar. The future of energy self -consumption no longer depends solely on Fill the roofs of solar panels. Wind energy is gaining land in the urban environment, and proposals such as Eolic Wall are marking the way. Because maybe shortly, you can see Small stacked turbines as if they were Lego pieces. And we will not say it figuratively. Image | EOLIC WALL and Mathijs Dubbeldam Attribution-Nancommercial 2.0 Xataka | The University of Oxford has found reservations of an energy source for 170,000 years. And he has the recipe to exploit them

Barajas airport has become the “home” of 500 people. If you want to solve it, it has a close example: the Prat

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There are 421 people, most live in terminal 4 of the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport. More than half are registered in Madrid and almost four out of ten say they have a job. This is the radiography of the Syntch that inhabit the largest airport in Spain. The data exposes them The country who has had access to an internal document of AENA in which the situation in which the hundreds of people who night night after night In their facilities and that have attracted the focus of today in recent days and weeks but also, unintentionally, they have become a policy throwing weapon between administrations. The ASAE union data (Aena Enaire union alternative) raised the figure to half a thousand people in February. According to your calculations, 500 people were exceeded Those who spent the night at the airport. For days, local, regional and state administrations indicate on the contrary as the cause of the situation in which hundreds of homeless who are calculated that they live in the airport. Some and others They are pointed out as guilty of not finding a solution to the problem. And on the debate of the Madrid airport floats the shadow of what was lived in Barcelona. El Prat airport has been found in the same situation for years and gradually the homeless number living in these facilities has been reduced although always taking into account that specific rebounds occur. This is how administrations have worked. Coordination to reduce the problem Although Madrid and Barcelona They are not the only airports Where this situation occurs, the Catalan airport is known for having launched various performances over the years to try to alleviate the problem. In one of the last counts 108 people were counted living in him El Prat Airport. As in Madrid, some of them spend the day at the facilities while others leave during the day and return at night to shelter from the cold. The situation, however, seems to have improved in recent years although measures have been taken for more than a decade. In Europa Press They point out that the first time it was acted to reduce the non -roof number at the airport was in 2011 when the “then Department of Social Welfare and families constituted a working group with the Barcelona City Council that initiated the social intervention and accompaniment at the El Prat airport.” The situation remained stable but in 2022 the problems returned and the game of competencies and administrations began. The avant -garde He explained in a report that a non -counted number of people lived in one of the airport parking lots, which was being renovated. The voices that expressed themselves in the report made it clear that the administrations had turned their backs. And that year, in 2022, the Generalitat stopped financing these assistance teams and in 2023 the Barcelona City Council did. Then it was alleged that the Consistory of the city of Condal did not have the Competencies To act at the airport. In 2024 no administration did his job at the AENA facilities. That neglect, they point out in Europa Press It caused a rebound in the people who did life. At the end of 2023, 177 homeless people were counted. It has not been until 2025 when the administrations have launched an operation to reduce the without roof number at the airport facilities and have tried to redirect them to the Social Services circuit. That social services circuit depends on the municipalities. Lluís Torrens, who was Secretary of Social Affairs and Families of the Generalitathe has assured The country that the competitions are very clear and that giving support to homeless people is the responsibility of the municipalities. In the Prat, the City Council of Barcelona and that of El Prat had to coordinate to give a way out to these people since the emergency services of El Prat could not support due to lack of means. There, Aena and the municipalities managed to clarify the powers with the intervention of the Generalitat. Torrens, responsible for the actions, defends that it is the consistors who have to put the means but that if necessary the Regional Administrations They are the ones that have to intervene to coordinate the efforts and even provide economic resources to the municipalities if they do not have the necessary means or facilities to absorb people who leave the airport. As for Aena, in February a first drill was launched to try to accompany the homeless people to the social services circuit and try to shelter them outside the airport. It was AENA’s security employees who, together with the police, asked the homeless to leave the facilities. In a joint work, they were explained that they would have to leave the facilities to clean the environment. In Diari ara The march of these people was narrated. In the eviction no confrontation was detected but these people were explained that they could not re -enter the facilities if it was not with a boarding card to take a plane. The device remained a few days and since then groups of social teams are maintained to serve these people. Since then, the without roof number spent at the airport has been reduced to about 50 individuals. At the moment, in Madrid Aena has made the same decision to ask for the boarding card to those who try to access the airport but are only being carried out in the lower intensity time. That is, at night. The Madrid City Council has described this decision as A “patch”. Manuela Bergerot, spokesman for more Madrid in the opposition, points out the measure as “an arbitrary prohibition to people who do not have a boarding card to be able to pass to the airport or who do not seem companions. It is the entrance door to institutional racism.” From the Community of Madrid they point out as main guilty To Aena and the central government. “The … Read more

both in a blackout and if you are away from home without plug

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We are going to give you a series of tips for extend your mobile battery when there is no electricity. We have already told you How to load your mobile battery if there is no electricitybut in the event that this is not an option, today’s advice will help you spend as much as possible. Although I am aware that it will not always be possible for you to do everything we advise you, it never hurts to know these methods. Thus, when the time is necessary, you will know what things you can do to lengthen the device’s battery, and you can decide which of them you can use. We have oriented these tips such as that of a blackout in your home, although they will also serve when you are out and do not have a plug close. And remember, if you think we have left something you can say it in the comments so that all readers can benefit from the knowledge of our xatakers. Activate energy saving mode Almost all mobiles, both Android and iPhone, have A mode of energy saving or low consumption. These modes temporarily reduce the activity in the background, and will help you spend less battery and it can last longer. Among the processes that the mobile is going to limit are email checks, the frequency of screen update, some visual effects or automatic downloads. However, the idea is that the mobile does less background without you know, and thus save battery. Screen brightness and dark mode The brightness of the screen is one of the things that spend the most battery on your mobile, and that is why limiting it is vital for your battery to last longer. Therefore, although you activate the energy savings mode, it is Reduce your screen shineit is advisable that you also try to reduce it a little more by hand. Just to see. At least there are, less battery you will spend when using it. It is also highly recommended activate dark mode as long as you can and in all the applications you can. Thus, the interface of your mobile and your apps will use dark tones instead of lights, emitting less luminosity and saving battery. Disable unnecessary connections You should also try to deactivate unnecessary connections. This means turn off the wifi, bluetooth, NFC and even mobile GPSsince they are elements that are constantly update and that makes battery spend. Bluetooth and NFC are the easy part, unless you have linked a clock to the mobile by the first. The data is better than the wifi, and the GPS is sending your position all the time, that is, when you deactivate it you will save a lot of battery. Keep these elements deactivated during the time you want to extend your autonomy to the fullest. If there is no coverage: plane mode If your mobile has no coverage, the effort to be looking for it continuously will make an extra battery expense. Therefore, in those cases the best is activate airplane mode When you don’t have data. That will make your battery keep up without that extra consumption. If you want, you can remove the airplane mode from time to time to see if it has come to you, but if not, put it again. And of course, When you want an extreme mode to save batteryyou can also activate it even if you have coverage, and deactivate it only when you are going to use the mobile. Deactivates automatic synchronizations Whenever you can, deactivate the automatic synchronizations of your mobile applications. For example, applications of email, photos or your cloud storage They will be doing online checks all the time to extract new data and synchronize them, something that will spend drums. Removing these synchronizations, you will lose things like you automatically reach emails or that your photos are uploaded to the cloud without clicking on the option to do so. But in return, you can win a small extra on the battery of your device. Use maps without connection In Xataka Basics we have explained you How to have the maps of your area on your Android or iPhone. This will allow you to have the maps down to the mobile and use them without connection. Therefore, and although we have recommended you to deactivate the GPS, If you need to use your map appit is advisable that you have lowered the data in your area. Doing this, instead of spending battery with both GPS and Internet data, you will no longer need to use the data. Everything will be lowered to the mobile and you can use Google Maps or Apple Maps without Internet connection. Use the Mobile Lantern If the blackout comes when it is night, you will be dark. That means that you may have to use your mobile as a flashlight. This is done with the flash of the camera, and you will have a very good lighting, although at the expense of spending a lot of battery. But although the blackout forces you to do it, try Use the flashlight as much as possibleand only in specific moments. Come on, it is best to use it for a few seconds when you need to locate things, but then turn it off again instead of leaving it on. Close apps in the background Normally it is not recommended to go to the screen of the apps that you have open in the background and close them, because when you open them you will end up spending more battery than if you have them open. In addition, the operating system of your mobile will manage them if problems do not spend too much. However, In extreme cases you may choose to close the apps in the backgroundor at least those that you are not going to use. Of course, remember that it is important not to open them again, because if you will not end up spending … Read more

Returning home is not the same for a woman as a man. We know where each one looks

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The eyes are the mirror of the soul. Or at least this is stated by the old Adagio. That is why when a time ago a group of scientists from the Brigham Young University (Byu) He wanted to find out how people feel when he walks back home at night, and especially to what extent he influences that feeling that they are men or women, he noticed precisely in that: his eyes. What caught their attention. With the help of heat maps, the researchers found out what areas of the road the women look at and which men focus on. The results are eloquent. Where do you look? For your study the researchers of Brigham Young They did a relatively simple test: they interviewed almost 600 students (56% were women and 44% men) who showed 16 images taken at the UTAH Valley University, Wesminster, Utah University and Byu itself. Then they were asked to imagine walking alone for each of those areas and mark the areas that attract their attention the most. To facilitate their work, the researchers used a heat map tool of QUALTRICS and different types of photos. Some of the images showed daytime environments, with natural light. Others had taken out at night. The selection also included several scenarios with more or less ‘oppressive’ environments. What did you discover? That the answers varied depending on whether the interviewee was a woman or a man. The former focused significantly on the periphery of the image, where they could arise “Possible security risks”. The men look forward, basically at focal points or their destination. They attended to the points of light, the trails, garbage cubes … their visual pattern was clearly different and rather reflected “a scan of the perimeter”, pending the edges of the road, dark areas or shrubs. But … what did they see? To better understand the differences between men and women, the most useful is to observe the heat maps that the Byu team incorporated into Your studypublished in 2024 in Violence and Gender and that we reproduce in this article. The material is interesting because not all photos without equal. There are images with little light in “high entrapment” environments. Others taken by day, with light, and in spaces where the options to escape are limited. And others of “low entrapment” both in night and daytime stages. Among them there are notable differences, but usually the graphics show that women pay more attention to the edges of the photos than men, whose look focuses on what they have in front of them, the point they are going to. What does it mean? The study has its own biases. As Remember Lee Chambersof Male Allies UK, the investigation was carried out in the US, is based on the responses provided by the interviewees and it is not unreasonable that the result is conditioned by cultural reasons. “I can say as a man that there is an element of social conditioning to look forward, since it transmits trust and not fear,” he explains. However, the study is revealing. Technicalities and details apart, For byu What he shows us is basically that walking home at night “is not the same” for men and women. “The study provides clear visual evidence of the constant exploration of the environment that women do when they walk in the dark, a security consideration that, according to the study, is exclusive to their experience,” concludes the university. Why is it important? In words De Robbie Chaney, a public health professor at the Byu and one of the authors of the research, maps only visual “what people think, feel or do when they move through these spaces.” “Before starting the study we expected to see differences, but not in such a contrasted way.” Hence, for Ayssa Baer, ​​another of the study authors, the work offers “a starting point to generate awareness.” “I hope that, having concrete data, we can initiate conversations that lead to significant actions,” The researcher abounds. His study may be theoretical and move in the academic sphere, but the authors advocate to serve those responsible for designing university environments to take into account “the different experiences, perceptions and security” of men and women. Images | Byu and Florian Marette (Unspash) In Xataka | I work simulating that I am a woman on a false dating website. Men believe I am real and pay for talking to me

Without light at home, many Spaniards turned to another “shelter” for hot dinner or load the mobile: their car

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Spain collapsed. In five seconds, The Government tells us60% of the electricity consumed at that time was lost and all kinds of electronic devices went black. Then we understood to what extent we depend on electrical energy. Without the possibility of plugging into the network, the batteries began to quote and, above all, they showed us the importance of having a Small electric survival kit. Because how can we load the mobile when we don’t have electricity? The question also resonated at a server’s house. First came the disappointment with the already known answer to the question “Didn’t you have some PowerBanks?” Then, a light bulb was lit: “We always have the car.” A shelter Luckily, we did not have to go down to the garage but use the car like a gigantic external battery would not have been a bad idea. In fact, it is not necessary to have an electric car although this technology allows us to even be more flexible. The USB shots From cars with combustion engines they generally serve us to plug small electrical devices and can get us out of trouble. Simply start the car and connect to one of its ports or take the lighter. In this case, the most basic and obvious option a situation like the one that We have lived in Spain on April 28, 2025 It is to load the mobile phone or an external battery that already helps us keep the electrical devices alive. Generally, cars’s USB shots are not especially powerful, so we will need to spend more time load the mobile phone that at home and surely we will have to forget the fast charge. As we will see, there are some exceptions to this. If your car is already a few years old, The normal thing is that you use a USB 1.0 or 2.0. This limits the load to 500 mA. With current phones, the load will be extremely slow or, simply, it will slow down your download if we are using the mobile phone at that time. If the car is more modern, it is easy for USB-C shots to deliver 5W of power onwards, which is more than enough to load a current mobile phone. Another solution if, as we said, the car is a few years on it is to use an adapter for the tambo. In this case, It has a voltage of 12 volts In direct current and its amperage is 10 A. The maximum power in this case usually reaches 120W so the maximum power to which we can load the car will depend on the adapter used. In stores like Amazon It is easy to find products for little money with up to 30W So we can load a relatively fast mobile phone or, if necessary, to a laptop if necessary. That is, it is not a bad idea to carry an adapter of these in the car. Not only is it a matter that in the case of a blackout we can load the phone, it is also interesting if, for example, we have suffered a breakdown and we have to wait for hours until we get an assistance. The possibilities multiply with an electric car. Currently, most of those sold in the market arrive with V2L (Vehicle to Load) technology, a standard of Bidirectional load that allows to load most of the electronic devices we have at home because, simply, it makes our car a domestic plug. Click on the image to go to the original tweet Click on the image to go to the original tweet To get an idea, the car becomes a huge battery with wheels that can provide us with electricity to 3.4 kW. That is, we can easily plug a microwave and, for example, dinner hot despite being in the middle of a blackout. Again, it is an interesting solution if we want to spend an night away from home and we want to make a timely use of a high consumption device like this. Keep in mind that a device such as A microwave can easily overcome 1 kW of power to function. Therefore, we could not start it without this type of V2L technology. Again, it is an interesting option without the need to face a blackout. If we want to spend an afternoon in the field and enjoy coffee after eating, A capsules coffee maker can be the solution. And more useful, we can Take advantage to have an inflatable mattress Wherever we go. The two previous cases are not isolated. Talking to other colleagues who have an electric car, some of them have confirmed that they took advantage of the car batteries to serve various home tools and, in fact, they regretted that in Spain the V2H technology (Vehicle to Home) or V2G (Vehicle To Grid) is not allowed. With the V2H technology You can pour the battery from an electric car to a house. Although in most cases the car itself reserves a minimum percentage that is usually at 20%, this bidirectional load could supply tens of kWh to a house, which can be used to maintain a house for several days. V2G technology allows even launching electricity accumulated in the car to the general electricity network and, therefore, electric cars could act as electric power stores that can be used in emergency cases. Photo | Hyundai In Xataka | Spanish Electric Electric

I don’t have an aspiring robot at home, but I want one. These are the ones I have on the radar

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Keeping the house clean is a complicated task, especially if we live with young children or pets. Any help we can have for it is key, especially if we don’t have too much time to clean. There are undoubtedly the aspiring robotsdevices capable of Keep the soil clean autonomously without having to worry too much about it. Choosing a model among all those that are not easy, either by budget or because we simply cannot decide among many there are. To me, with three pets at home, it is the best investment that occurs to me right now so as not to have to be with the vacuum all day, something that I am obliged to do right now. Among all, These are the ones I have in the radar right now: DREame X40 Ultra Completewith 12,000 PA of suction power, by 899 euros. Irobot Roomba Combo 10 Max with Autowashwith highway and great navigation, by 699 euros. Philips Homerun 2000 Seriesa more economical option, by 360.99 euros. Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20 Maxwith great autonomy and very good performance when it comes to scrub, for 649.99 euros. Roborock S7 Max Ultrawith good guided system and a base with three pillars, by 626 euros. DREame X40 Ultra Complete The first option of this selection is the X40 Ultra Complete de Dreame, an aspiring robot that stands out for offering A great suction power: 12,000 Pa. Its side brushes extend 10 mm to reach areas that normally remain out of reach of this type of robots, which facilitates that there are no areas that are left without aspirating. It is a great option that we have reduced to the 899 euros. DREAME X40 ULTRA COMPLETE ROBOT ASPIRATOR AND FREGESUELOS, 12000PA SUCTION, ROBOT ASPIRATOR WITH REMOBLE AND ELEVABLE MOPA, 70 ℃ SELF -DEVIABLE MOP, SIDE AND EXTENSIBLE BRUSH, DIRTATION DUCK * Some price may have changed from the last review Irobot Roomba Combo 10 Max with Autowash We now go to an Irobot option: your Roomba Combo 10 Max with Autowash. As is usually the case with Irobot devices, this Roomba stands out for offering a large navigation system, Able to overcome obstacles of all kinds. It has a four -phase cleaning system that is also perfect to eliminate dirt from the most complicated areas, in addition to having technology to leave clean carpets without damaging them. It comes out by 699 euros. IROBOT ROOM COMBO 10 MAX + AUTOWASH BASE, ASPIRATOR ROBOT AND FRIEASUELOS, SELF -COUPLE MULTIFUNCTIONAL, FILL THE WATER, WATER WATER, MOBS, HAZENCY, RETRACT MOPE, AVOID OBSTACLES, APP * Some price may have changed from the last review Philips Homerun 2000 Series If we are looking for a cheaper option, but that offers a great result, we may be interested in this homerun 2000 Philips series. ANDThis would be the model that I would choose for a small flooralthough their autonomy and their suction power are going well for any type of housing. Its price also makes it perfect for the most tight budgets: right now it costs 360.99 euros. Philips Homerun Series 2000: Robot vacuum cleaner and friegasuelos 2 in 1 with 2700 pa for suction & 130 min of autonomy, laser navigation, automatic emptying station, app controlled by app, blue (xu2100/10) * Some price may have changed from the last review Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20 Max We continue with an Xiaomi option, the Robot Vacuum X20 Max. Unlike the previous one, this model would be a great option if we have a large home, thanks especially to its great autonomy that gives for Up to 100 minutes running. It has a very complete mobile application, good suction power and right now we can buy it for 649.99 euros. Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20 Max – Robot vacuum cleaner and pierces with smart laser navigation system (LDS), 8000 PA suction, cleaning routes in Zigzag, black (ES version) * Some price may have changed from the last review Roborock S7 Max Ultra We close this selection of vacuum robots with the S7 Max Ultra. It is a model that has a filling and automatic washing system for the mopa (as well as autosecado). It has 5,500 PA of suction power and highlights its base with three very different pillars. Its mop, which automatically lifts to avoid surfaces such as carpets, stands out for having a great performance. Costs 626 euros. Roborock S7 Max Ultra Robot Aspirator with Avitation Active Obstacles 5500 Pa Robot vacuum and automatic emptying/Automatic automatic washing/drying/automatic filling * Some price may have changed from the last review Some of the links of this article are affiliated and can report a benefit to Xataka. In case of non -availability, offers may vary. Images | DREame, Irobot, Xiaomi, Philips, Roborock In Xataka | Best vacuum robots in quality price. Which to buy depending on the use and five recommended models In Xataka | These are the seven best cleaning devices to keep dirt at bay, on video

Having solar panels at home sounds very good in case of national blackout. The problem is that they don’t work

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The national blackout that Spain has suffered It has been historicalbut has also sown the doubt. While the vast majority of citizens ran out of light, in the street there was “life” in some supermarkets or marques that made the use of other renewable alternatives. Surely also, today more than ever many will ask about the need to have a solar installation in their home, which leads us to another question: how does a network of domestic panels work before a national blackout? Installation in normal conditions. Before talking about the case of a blackout as the one that occurred in Spain, it is convenient to explain the most basic of A “standard” installation In a typical home. In most cases, solar panels capture the radiation of the sun and generate what we call DC (DC). This current passes through an investor that converts it in turn in alternating current (CA), and that is precisely what we use in homes. In Spain and in almost all countries, most solar facilities are connected to the electricity network (known systems as on-Grid). This allows, on the one hand, to consume solar energy directly in the house. On the other, pour the surplus to the network (which entitles economic compensation, such as the net balance or Simplified compensation). Finally, of course, it allows you to receive electricity from the network when there is not enough solar generation (for example, at night or on cloudy days). The problem occurs when there is a situation like that occurred yesterday. Installation in blackouts. When you have a photovoltaic installation in the house of only panels and there is a blackout, something contradictory but very important happens: even if you have solar panels working, the sky is sunny and the beginning of the day, your house is also It is left without electricity. As? Yes, this occurs by security regulations (for example, in Europe under the standard VDE 0126-1-1 and similar), all solar investors connected to the network must detect the loss of tension and turn off immediately, is what is called Anti-Isla protection. The reason? The reason for this “cut” is to protect network maintenance technicians: if there were thousands of houses by sending electricity to a supposedly “dead” network, it could be lethal for workers They are at that time repairing the failure. Therefore, if you have only solar panels connected to the network, you cannot use electricity during a blackout. Your solar panels are automatically disconnected. There is no more. The solution: batteries. If you also have batteries, the thing changes, although here the situation varies depending on the type of investor and configuration you have. If you have hybrid investors (solar + battery), there are modern investors that already allow to continue operating in what is called Island or back-up mode. This means that when they detect a blackout, they are physically disconnected from the network and come to feed only your house using solar energy and energy stored in your batteries. In addition, there are also systems for backup investors (The so-called back-up inverters), where a separate system is used that can feed a specific part of the house (for example, fridge, essential lights or internet). One More Thing. But even so, for this to work you need lithium or lead batteries properly sizeda hybrid investor compatible with operation in island mode or an inverter with backup function (Back-UP), a automatic cutting system that separates your home from the public network in case of blackout guaranteeing safety, and finally an electrical panel prepared to isolate non-essential loads (for example, it makes no sense to keep the electric oven or air conditioning on if the energy is limited). In any case and to place all this in perspective in the Spanish landscape, only 33% of facilities Current domestic lots in Spain include batteries. This means that most households with solar panels would continue to suffer electric cuts during a blackout like the one that occurred yesterday. The reasons are very varied, but the extra cost of investment of them after the solar installation (already large) is key. The promise of self -supply. All this leads to a final question: Is it possible to be self -sufficient (energetically) in Spain? The short response is no. The promise of solar self -supply on the peninsula is based on taking advantage of the high solar radiation (Spain receives on average between 1,600 and 2,000 kWh/m²/year) to generate clean energy and reduce dependence on the electricity grid, especially in single -family homes. Thanks to photovoltaic self -consumption and the Price drop Of the solar panels (more than 80% have fallen in the last decade), today it is technically possible to cover between 60% and 80% of the annual consumption of an average house in Spain only with solar energy, and in some cases, almost 100% If appropriate storage batteries are installed (although with the network hitch). The problem. However, self -supply has important limits: solar production is intermittent (there is no generation of night and lowers a lot in winter or cloudy days), the batteries remain expensive (between 4,000 and 9,000 euros a complete domestic installation) and its capacity only allows a few hours or days of autonomy without network. Plus: We already said it, the current legislation requires that the systems connected to the network be disconnected in blackouts if they are not equipped to function in Isla mode, which implies that, without a specific design (and of large disbursement), even with solar panels, you could run out of electricity in general cuts. Image | Pxhere In Xataka | What is the “energy zero” and why the supply can go suddenly but it takes hours to recover In Xataka | Spain is dark: a general blackout has left us all without light

Why half Spain still does not light at home, and will continue like this time

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From 12.33 this Monday, A massive blackout seriously affect Spain and Portugal. In his appearance, Pedro Sánchez explained that what Spanish Electric Electricity technicians communicate is that “15 gigawatts (GW) of generation have suddenly lost, in just five seconds.” Something that, he said, “had never happened.” It is equivalent, it has mentioned, 60% of the country’s demand at that time. Nevertheless, The Government still does not explain the causes behind the trigger of the blackout. In this sense, a Portuguese electric operator has indicated as the origin of the problem to an “induced atmospheric vibration”a strange phenomenon produced by extreme temperature variations inside the peninsula. In the absence of official confirmation, the possible consequence behind this would be A 0.15 Hz drop on the electrical frequencythat Normally on the European network it is fixed at 50 Hzas we can see in Grid radar. And, while in Spain Red Electrica estimated to recover the service “between 6 and 10 hours”, the Portuguese operator was more pessimistic, stating that “recovering normality could take up to a week.” At 22:30, 10 hours after the blackout, Red Electrica has announced that it has recovered 48.2% of the estimated demand for this time. Let’s see what is behind the “black start” or “autogenous start”, the process of restarting the electrical system, so complicated so that the deadlines can be extended so much. “It has to be done slowly” Click to go to the publication. As Red Electrica explained in one of the first communications, we are facing an “exceptional and extraordinary” event that had never happened. Something like this is not common in the world, like Simon Gallagher explainsEnglish electrical engineer with 20 years in the electrical networks sector: “I do not think that a re -energyization of such a large network with such a high penetration of solar energy (PV) has never been made before.” To this is the electrical analyst John Kemp, who He pointed out that: “No one has ever tried a black start in a network as dependent on renewables as Iberia. The limited number of thermal generators will make it difficult to restore speed and frequency control.” And there is an added difficulty. Although we should be prepared for what the weather events can bring, Gallagher points out that Most emergency plans are elaborated by raising situations where gas or coal plants are the protagonistsand without the relevance of renewables in our network. Gallagher commented in the context of acquaintances that they are writing surprised by how long it takes to return normality to electrical infrastructure. According to this engineer, The slow recovery makes all the meaningbecause there are many critical factors to handle in the resolution. First, you have to operate with great care, spending a lot of time identifying which parts of the system are as they should: which are turned off, which ones lit, what damaged equipment, etc. And it is a process that must be done manually. Islands. The second key is that You have to reactivate the system little by little, in stages. The re -energization process requires controlling that each part that adds to the system works correctly. And that, despite what can be thought of in full 2025, often requires that engineers physically move to the substations to do something as simple as closing or opening a switch manually. When starting, you have to gradually reactivate the different areas of the country as if they were “islands”, that is, small networks isolated from each other. In the case of Spain, Red Eléctrica has some of these islands are the axes Aragon-Cataluña, Galicia-León or Duero-France. If they connect a lot very fast, These islands can saturate the generators and fall. The process, Gallagher explains, is complicated coming from a general blackout, because the load for the generators will be huge by being turned off. For the islands to integrate with others, they must be synchronized with each other, establishing that they work at the same frequency and voltage. This, again, requires extreme care and is expensive in time. Related to this is the speed at which the energy must be introduced to the network, then If very fast, the electrical system can be destabilized again (A sudden variation in frequency is what would have produced the first fall) altering negatively the 50 Hz to which the network must operate normally. The Iberian case is peculiar. A problem that Gallagher points out of our system is that solar energy does not inertia, in the sense that it does not help stabilize the frequency, indispensable requirement, or to start nets that are disconnected. We must then resort to alternatives such as gas and coal centrals, which have to start without help from others, and that is a slow and expensive process in resources. Another added problem, and that lengthens recovery is that The batteries of the substations, which are doing their job from the blackout, begin to run out. That means that, as we said before, they cannot be energized remotely, and it is problematic even if physical displacements occur to them, because base energy is needed for protection systems to work. How is the “Black Start in Spain” From the beginning of the problem, Spain has worked to work with the authorities of France and Moroccowho have collaborated to help re -Energify the areas of the south and north of the Iberian Peninsula. According to Red Eléctrica, together with this foreign aid, Spain has had a group of hydroelectric plants with the ability to start autonomously, without help from others, as we explained before. In doing so, they have begun to be coupled to the network, growing the aforementioned islands. At this time, according to the company, and According to the worldthere are no islands left. “ Image | Alexandru Boicu In Unspash In Xataka |

How to turn an old Android into an electronic peephole for your home

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Let’s tell you How to turn your old Android into an electronic peepholeso you can give him a second life. If you have a mobile with a camera that still works, You can give this new function To be able to see who is on the other side of the door remotely, and even record. We are going to start the article to start talking about the advantages and disadvantages of being able to do all this. Then we will tell you how to turn your mobile into a peephole, and we will end up talking about the legal aspects to be taken into account when doing so. Advantages and disadvantages Electronic peephoes are very specific electronic devices, which have a fairly high cost and that serves to know who is on the other side of the door. You will be able to look at any time who is calling you, and even record when there is someone on the other side. The positive part of doing this with an old mobile is that you will be able to see and record what happens outside the house without having a specific peephole. This will allow you to know if who calls you is someone you expect without approaching the peephole, you can look at it from another mobile or computer. The negative part is that has much less functions than other peepholes, and it is more complicated to keep the device loaded. What you are going to use is a remote desktop app, that is, you cannot detect when they call you or use other specific functions of the devices that have been manufactured for this mission. How to turn your mobile into a peephole The first thing you have to do is Anchor your mobile at the door of the housein the inside, and so that the device’s camera is in front of the peephole. You can use the photo app of your mobile to check that the mobile allows you to see what is behind the door. It is important that the anchor is fixed, as with a vertical support with double -sided tape as they have done In Xataka Android. After doing this, Connect this mobile to your house’s wifi. You have to make sure the connection is good and stable. My advice is that uninstal all applications of the old mobile. Let it be half silly, not to have social networks or apps that are consuming battery. You just need the camera and the one we will install later. This will help the battery last much more. Now, you have to Install an application that allows you to control the mobile remotely. Here, do not look for specific applications for this function. One of the best is A remote desktop app call Rustdeskand that is completely safe and open source. Once the application application is installed and your personal desk or mobile desk, follow the steps opening the app on the phone, copying the code they give you and hitting it on your personal mobile or desk. In doing so, You can see the camera of your mobile at the door from the staff remotely. The way to work is simple. From your personal mobile you connect to the old mobile through Rustdesk and Open the camera remotely so that it is seen through the peephole. Come on, from the new mobile or the computer you connect to the old man, and you control it remotely to open the camera application when someone calls. To make this work properly, make sure Configure RustDesk with a fixed passwordso that you always use it to connect to the old mobile. When you access him remotely, in addition to being able to see who is on the other side through the peephole You can also record. Remember the legality of the peats You must also remember the legality by having a digital peephole at home door. These are the aspects that you should take into account when installing a peephole, even if it is the old mobile: Have permission from the neighborhood community: The law establishes that you must have permission of at least 3/5 parts of the neighborhood community, 60% of those who can vote in it. Permission from the neighboring neighbor: The ideal is also that if the peephole comes to record what happens at the door of a neighbor’s house, then you also have the explicit permission of that neighbor to install it. This is not mandatory, but it is what you should do. Avoid capturing common areas or neighborhood doors: It is important to take care of the location and viewing angle so that the peephole does not record common areas or the neighbor’s door without your permission. They should not be focusing or being able to focus on a site that invades the privacy of third parties. Do not use them as a video surveillance system: The captures that record the peephole cannot be prolonged. Come on, you cannot make the peephole be recording all the time or for many minutes so that it does not become a video surveillance system. The best thing is that they are activated only by pressing the bell. Care when storing videos: All the data that the peephole records must be saved in a safe way. In addition, they can only be conserved for a limited period. Do not spread images: If you have a digital peephole, the images you record are only for the owner of the house, for you. If you publish or share the images you record on social networks or by any other means you will be breaking the law and you can fine you. In Xataka | Do you want to install a camera in your car? This is what the law about them says

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