label

The cheap mobile was seriously injured in Europe. The energy label can advise the coup de grace

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Today, June 20, 2025, it is a before and after for those phones that are sold in Spain. From this date, every manufacturer who wants to distribute their new products in Europe will have to add The energy label in its box. It is an effort at European level to guarantee compliance with Regulation on Ecological Designaffecting mobile phones, wireless landlines and tablets. In addition to forcing manufacturers to introduce this label, changes relating to the support years arrive They will have to give to every new mobile. These changes in the design, software and product life of the product paint well. But the question is who is going to pay the duck. What changes. From now on, manufacturers have to introduce the new energy labeling in every mobile that they want to put on sale. In it, they are collected data related to the energy efficiency of the samereliability in free fall, autonomy measured per cycle, supported battery cycles, Water and dust resistance protocols and repair index. In addition to informing about ecological design, manufacturers will be obliged to make draft changes throughout the chain process: from how they manufacture the phone to What happens to him with the guarantee time. The updates. Smartphones manufacturers will have to guarantee five years of updates (dry updates, not mandatory version jump) for each and every one of their phones. It is something that great manufacturers such as Samsung, Google, Honor, Xiaomi and Motorola They were already doing with some of their most recent mobiles. The key is precisely in that “some.” Each system update, however small, entails: A team of active software engineers dedicated to the project Quality control processes (internal tests, Google certifications to meet the requirements of each update) Operator certifications in the event that the phone is distributed through a third party Keep the ota infrastructure alive Costs that, in the case of low and medium -end devices, disappeared after the two years that used to be updated. Duplication support will entail an additional expense to companies on devices that leave tight margins: a device of less than 100 euros updating for five years does not seem the best business. And this is just a part of the cake. The new manufacturing standard. The EU focuses on the manufacture of the device. Manufacturers will be obliged to be more resistant to falls, scratches, splashes resistance, and batteries that promise a minimum of the 80% of its total capacity after 800 load cycles. Similarly, spare parts must be guaranteed for at least seven years since the product stops selling. Each and every one of the necessary components to repair the phone must be available to surrender within five to ten days. In summary. Consumers are going to win in two pillars. We will have better phones in the market. We will be able to inform ourselves in a single view of the quality in the ecological design of each of them. The problem is precisely what. Manufacturers will have to support five years. Manufacture, distribute and guarantee spare parts for seven. Introduce better batteries. Create phones more resistant to falls and scratches. Ensure compliance with splash resistance protocols Who pays it. In Europe we are buying increasingly expensive mobiles. So much so that there are more users buying phones of more than 800 euros than users buying mobiles of less than 200 euros. In fact, one of the main reasons why shipments in Europe fell into the first quarter of 2025 has to do precisely The fall in the input range mobile demand. The lowest volume in this segment in the last decade. This segment is precisely one of the most affected will be seen by the normative change: mid -range devices (strip between 399 and 799 euros, according to consultants) and superiors already met a good part of the demands of the European Union. The big question is whether manufacturers will try to absorb these additional costs through the margin in more profitable ranges, or if economic ranges will face slight increases to continue fighting for positive yields. Image | Xataka In Xataka | Apple puts the longevity to repairs. And he has justified it with a 24 -page document

In the middle of the chaos because of the environmental badges, the DGT has shown the red label to Spain. It’s excellent news

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Spain has just taken the most important step to date in relation to the legal framework for the circulation of automated vehicles. The DGT has announced the Safety and Technology Evaluation Framework Program of Automated Vehicles (ES-AV Program), The new regulatory framework under which all those operations related to Automated vehicles On traffic open. The red label. In the next few days, it is more than likely to start listening to the new “red label.” It is one that has nothing to do with the system of DGT environmental labelsready of suffering modifications by the government. Soon you will begin to see on the windshield of all that automated vehicle that wants to perform open road tests. It will be the way we will have to recognize that a vehicle, be it prototype, in pre-homologation phase or driven remotely It is moving autonomously. In the face of cameras and agents of the authority, it is the legal proof that said vehicle has the necessary authorization to circulate without physical supervision. The new legal framework. The ES-AV program is a national code that regulates how, where and under what conditions you can test with autonomous cars in Spain, without the need for human supervision on board. In it, vehicles with levels of autonomy are reflected SAE 2 A SAE 5as well as those driven remotely. There will be a total of three access and authorization systems, under the umbrella of the General Sub -Directorate of Mobility Management of the DGT itself. EEE Recognition System: Recognition of tests already authorized in other countries of the European Economic Space. Special system: independent evaluation in Spain. External evaluation system: Exceptional tests for vehicles have already obtained authorization in countries external to the EU. The test phases. The DGT establishes three test phases in its program, depending on technological maturity and the range of open road operations. Each of these phases establishes what will be the minimum requirements to be met, and it will be those responsible for the autonomous vehicles that will have to inform about which phase they want to participate. Phase 1, controlled: operational environment of up to three vehicles, not admitted vehicles with level 2 SAE of automation, mandatory that there is always a safety operator on board, restricted circulation space. Phase 2, extensive: simultaneous operation of up to 10 vehicles, operator always aboard, without restricting space. Phase 3, pre-despleger: simultaneous operation of more than 10 vehicles, optional on board, remote operator, exceptionally, it can be circulated with definitive plates from the EU. Sae 2 vehicles admitted. Transparency in data. Since the entry into force of this new legislative framework, the DGT will reflect on its website the data with the ongoing tests. In the same way, it establishes the obligation to the testers to deliver periodic reports of the operations carried out, not having detailed on the website the data that it will require in them. On the DGT website, we can observe some of the tests already carried out in Spain, as well as some that are currently underway at the hands of ALSA and the Ctag (Galicia Automotive Technology Center). A pioneer regulation. Spain has been one of the first EU countries, together with Germany and Francein creating a clear legal framework for the circulation of autonomous vehicles in test phases. However, it is important to point out that the regulatory framework supervises pre-commercial phase operations, does not authorize the use of completely autonomous vehicles. In Spain, the autonomous circulation of levels 3 and 4 is not yet regulated, and in Europe it is taking its first steps in authorized trials and restricted areas. Outside Europe there is no clear consensus. In fact, Waymo has just announced his arrival from his taxis to New York … Operated with human supervisionsince state law still does not allow the operation open to traffic of a vehicle in a 100% autonomous way. Other cities, such as California, They allow robotaxis to be operated to which we have come to. Countries like China They have advanced to the United States in this race, with Baidu announcing that their service Apollo Go has completed 11 million tripsin front of the 10 million reported by Waymo. At the moment, the step taken by Spain is not a victory, but one of the most important advances to date in this area. Image | Xataka In Xataka | While European manufacturers think about what the car of the future will be like, Huawei is already thinking about the post-coche era

What animal shows its label

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Making good wine is not easy. Identify it in the supermarket or the liquor shop either. There are those who look at the bottle includes a seal of Denomination of originin its price, the variety and the vintage, the reviews, if the winery presumes an important prize … and then there are those who pay attention to an a priori detail much more mundane: if the label has animals and if so. Maybe it sounds strange, but that a trout, an eagle, a lizard, a rabbit or a rampant lion appear in the bottle, it can be the key to hitting the choice. In fact (and although it is not an infallible method) it is an important clue. Wines with animals? Yes. And it’s nothing new. After checking the increasingly widespread fashion of labeling bottles with fish drawings, lions and other wild fauna (or even mythological), Peter Renton launched in 2016 a question Curious in Wine In Provence: “Why do people buy came with animals on the label?” It is not a minor issue. The issue has already been touched on several academic studiesincluding one cited in 2008 by Science Daily in which it was pointed out that almost one in five tables of table wine released during the previous three years included an animal in its bottle. Commercial and “Perceptual fluidity” On the sidelines, the animal-life relationship leaves a question for consumers: can these animals help us to identify good offers? Click on the image to go to Tweet. What animals tell us. Recently journalists Fox Meyer and Jan Diehm They did An interesting experiment For The Pudding: They turned to AI to find out if the presence of animals in the bottles can give some clients about which wines are ‘better’. Its purpose was not so much identifying the good wines or those with the best price as those most interesting, understanding as such broths with notes higher than the average sold at medium or lower prices. That is, better positioned than normal at more affordable prices. Another of its objectives was to detect “overvalued”, expensive and bad. To get this Meyer and Diehm handed two valuable resources: I livea specialized platform that includes prices and a qualifications system, and Chatgpt Vision. The first allowed him to collect bottles data and the second helped him categorize them based on animals included in the labels. And what did you find out? They identified almost a thousand and a half wines (1,488) that had some type of fauna on their label. Then they classified them into 16 groups based on the “category” of the animal, leaving out the minority. The list includes amphibians and reptiles, bears, birds, insects, canids, felines, cattle, deer, fish, horses … and thus more than a dozen and a half of creatures, among which are included, for example, pachyderms or fantastic and mythological beings. His next task was to calculate the average price of each of those groups. Espóiler: The most expensive wines were those that had amphibians and reptiles (average cost of $ 39.97), bears (31,55), mythological creatures (34,99) and felines (38,43). In general, wines with animals were however slightly cheaper than the average: the bottle cost 26.99, compared to almost 30 of the global average. Price issue … and quality. Calculating prices was only the first part of the exercise. The other, just as relevant, was to estimate its classification. In that case the reptiles and amphibians “click”. They obtained a note of 3.95, below the general average of 4. The best positioned, all with 4.1 (in Vivino it is used A five -star ranking), were the bottles with bears, felines and mythological beings. Beyond what concrete creatures appear on the labels, the investigation of Meyer and Diehm left an interesting first conclusion: from entry the bottles with animals are an interesting option for cost and quality. Its average price is slightly lower (three dollars) than wines that are not labeled with animals, although they have the same qualification on average. “This means that, above all things, it is better to buy any animal than not buying any,” the two authors collect in The study. But … What animals choose? The million dollar question. After all, between some animals and others there are considerable differences. Meyer and Diehm were fixed, for example, the bottles with farm and livestock animals had lower prices and valuations, quite the opposite that animals that can usually be found in heraldic shields, the most expensive and best valued. The question is therefore … What wine is the one with the best value for money? To answer that issue Meyer and Diehm were fixed in the bottles of less than $ 150. And his conclusion was clear: the fish. 24.2% of the bottles with that labeling were in the group of “magical offers”, those with good price and good valuations if the stockings are taken into account. Its average cost is $ 24.99 and the rating of 3.9, although much of the analyzed bottles reached a four -star or even higher note. Eye to fish. “Fish is the best option. One third costs less than 20 dçolar and almost half has a four -star rating or more,” concludes the report, which slides a key of why these wines are well positioned: a good part of their offer are white, a broth that is suggested to pair with seafood and that in general show a medium lower price than the red wine. And the rest of the animals? Among reptiles the percentage of “good offers” (quality-quality) is 5.3%, among the bears of 13%, birds show 16.5%, insects 21.4%, 10% canids, 9.6% felines, 13% cattle, 6% deer, 13.9% horses, 18.2% invertebrate sailors, 15.4% The pachyderms, 10.7% of pigs, 12% the rabbits and 19.3% the sheep. Images | Terra Fossil (Flickr) and Eugene Kim (Flickr) In Xataka | We already knew that Spanish wine was on its way to collapse. What we didn’t know was that drought was going to accelerate it … Read more

The EU is going to tighten the nuts to mobile manufacturers. You just needed a label

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As of June 20, new rules destined, according to the European Union, will be entered into force, to improve the energy efficiency and repair of smartphones and tablets. Specifically, the rules reflected in the Delegate Regulation (EU) 2023/1669Complementary to Regulation (EU) 2017/1369 and relative to the energy labeling of smartphones and tablets. Energy classification labels that you have been watching for years in appliances such as televisions, refrigerators or ovens will reach mobile phones and tablets. In what products. Mobile phone manufacturers (including Dumb Phones), fixed wireless phones and tablets between seven and 17.4 inches, marketed from June 20, 2025, will have to show in their packaging the EPREL sticker. The modifications in European regulations add up to this ecological design requirement to every mobile and tablet sold in the US, with the objective of “contributing to optimizing the use of fundamental raw materials and will facilitate their recycling.” The label. The commercial label It will sound you, since you have seen it previously in appliances. On a scale from A to G, where A is the maximum score and G the minimum, the energy efficiency of the product is reflected. In the case of smartphones, in addition, there are some more than interesting data. QR code with link provided by the manufacturer to product -related information. Commercial brand of the device. Concrete model identifier. Energy efficiency scale. A is the maximum possible score. G, the worst. Device efficiency level. Battery autonomy per cycle measured in hours and minutes per complete battery charge. Device reliability in free fall. Measure from A (better) to E (worse). On the same scale of A to E, score obtained in repairs. Load cycles supported by the phone until the battery reaches 80% of its maximum capacity. Classification of Water Resistance, Dust and Subsibility. The IP protocol is used. Regulation number. Aue is 2023/1669. What will be taken into account. To the question “how the EU knows if a mobile is repairable or if the battery lasts 1,000 cycles” the answer is “because the manufacturer says.” All suppliers are obliged to register their models on this EPREL platform, being responsible for providing reliable data. The regulation specifies procedures for the conformity evaluation of these data sent, specifically prohibiting devices designed to alter your performance under evidence. Europe is pressing nuts to manufacturers. 2025 will be a good year for mobile phones, and that is that the demands that are imposing manufacturers directly point to the consumer. The batteries must endure at least 800 loading and download cycles maintaining 80% of their capacity. Manufacturers will have to make available to consumers and third parties (repair workshops) the necessary parts for repairs. Operating system updates must be guaranteed for at least five years. Non -discriminatory access of professional reparators to any software or firmware necessary for repair. The big question is, and even more taking into account the Tariff war frameworkif these new obligations about increasing battery quality, fighting to have the most repairable phone and support for several years to any launched device will have a consequence that seems inevitable: Price increases. How it affects us. As consumers we will have access to a very valuable tool: we can consult the quality of the battery, duration, repair and resistance of a device in a single glance. It is something that, to date, we could only consult on the manufacturer’s own website or specialized portals. Beyond the informative level, energy labeling is a cry for smartphones manufacturers: if they want their phones to get a good score, they must take care of key aspects that, in some ranges, were more than neglected. Economic cutting devices have been leaving aspects such as water resistance, software support or battery quality in the background. The new standards are demanding and, if you want to obtain a good score, it is no longer enough to launch a mediocre product. Image | Xataka and European Commission In Xataka | The European Union considers ending the big Android problem: mandatory updates for five years

What is really known (and what is not) about what will happen to cars with B label in Spain, the ZBE and their restrictions

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All municipalities of more than 50,000 inhabitants in Spain should already have a low broadcast area. We say that “they should” because it is what is established in the Law 7/2021, of May 20, on Climate Change and Energy Transitiona rule that is overlooking in many cases. So much so that the Ministry for Energy Transition and Demographic Challenge It has a map where it collects all the cities that have a Active Zbe At the moment. According to the data collected in it, just a third of the cities that in 2023 should already have an active space of low emissions, currently apply some type of restriction. In total, 151 cities in Spain They should have launched some type of standard to improve air quality and reduce the volume of traffic but two years after it was mandatory to apply the standard, Only 51 cities have some restriction active of this type. These restrictions, however, do not have to be the same in each city, so it is interesting to go to the map if you plan to go by car to a city that applies a zbe in its city or part of it. This is the current situation and how it affects cars with stickers B. Restrictions that do not apply in the same way When the new standard was written, it was noted that cities of more than 50,000 inhabitants would have to implement a low emissions zone to improve air quality. But at no time was a homogenized protocol for Spain. This was something that cities complained. The government’s proposal is that Each city had to take action to improve air quality in one way or another and, in fact, published a document where it was explained what kind of measures could be taken and why each city could decide which path to undertake. In that document it was explained that a low emissions area could cover a complete city (Barcelonafor example), apply radial restrictions from less hard inside (Madrid) or, simply, impose low emissions areas in very specific places with the aim of preserving some especially interesting areas such as schools, hospitals or parks (Seville). In the drafting of the norm, possible sanctions were not established if the obligation was breached and not put on clear objectives of improvement in air quality. You simply talk about that, improve current data. This has led to the consistories rarely want to wet their hands, aware of the image damage that can cause hundreds, thousands or tens of thousands of cars of circulation. Hence, cities like Seville barely apply their low emissions zone in very specific spaces (In this case the island of La Cartuja) or in a few streets in the city center (Saragossa). Or what Madrid will back their own rules Just a few days before starting to fine. In other cities, such as Fuenlabradarestrictions are especially lax. For example, here a vehicle without distinctive cannot use the area of ​​low emissions (of a few streets) as a crossing but can access its interior to buy or do any other message. It is only required that the vehicle be at least eight and a half minutes inside so as not to be fined. And we have the case of Segovia that only applies the restrictions to its historic center (the walled enclosure) but, nevertheless, it will punish cars with DGT label, a especially particular case. Is there anything new with the DGT sticatin B? We could say no. It’s a “Run Run” that has been playing since 2023 And he has returned. In recent days, articles and mentions of social networks have been generalized in which cars with Environmental Bad B of the DGT (Gasoline after 2000 and prior to 2006 and diesel after 2006 and prior to 2014) will be expelled from the cities or will suffer severe restrictions. At the moment, the only city that is fine for the use of a car with sticatin B in a space of low emissions zone is Segovia. He does, as we said, in his old town, in what is known as Walled enclosure. This space cannot enter cars without an environmental distinctive of the DGT or those with stickers B. For the rest, there is nothing active right now and great changes are not expected in the coming years. For example, in Madrid there are active restrictions on the B sticker but it only forces to park the car in an underground parking in the known as low -protection center emissions area, which was known as Central Madrid. The rest are projects that should begin to be applied in the coming years. The most ambitious is that of Catalonia. The Generalitat approved its summer its Air Quality Plan Horizon 2027. It establishes that, from January 1, 2028cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants in Catalonia must impose circulatory restrictions on vehicles with a environmental label B of the DGT. That is, in Barcelona and the rest of the cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants, they should impose some type of restriction on these cars (there is no talk of prohibition, yes, so they can be temporary restrictions such as those that now applies the Barcelona Metropolitan Area to cars without DGT label). In addition, exceptions are established for socio -economic reasons and two entries per month to the restricted area for non -residents and up to 52 days a year for residents. It is also specified that these standards will be applied to all the municipalities of More than 20,000 inhabitants As of January 1, 2030. The other big city that has a similar project is Bilbao. The low broadcast area is at this time very small, just two square kilometers, and only applies from Monday to Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. whenever it is working day. Two types of restrictions have been established: Residents who had the car with stickers B of the registered DGT before June 15, 2024 in the city, … Read more

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