life

It was the best investment of his life

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That Tom Hanks is one of the actors highest paid in Hollywood It’s not a surprise to anyone. However, there was a film in which, due to the high production cost, both the director and the main actor had to reduce their initially agreed salary. Hanks didn’t just take a pay cut. He completely renounced the fixed salary initially agreed with Paramount in order to continue filming a film that would not only consolidate his career, but would ultimately make him much richer: Forrest Gump. Who wants a salary when they have a box office. Filming Forrest Gump was a challenge from the beginning. Paramount was suspicious of a story about a man with an intellectual disability that was intertwined with events and symbolic places that had been transcendental in recent decades. As and as they pointed out in IndieWirethe production budget skyrocketed to 55 million of dollars, a huge figure for a drama that left its entire plot in the hands of the protagonists. No superheroes neither film sagas in between. To alleviate these increased costs, Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis agreed to defer much of their agreed-upon fixed salary. In exchange, they asked for a percentage of gross revenue from the first dollar raised. A percentage of revenue, not box office. The condition demanded by Hanks and Zemeckis marks an important nuance. If it had claimed a percentage of the box office, the studio would collect all the income, deduct its production costs and deliver the agreed percentage on the rest, which is a much smaller amount. With the requirement of the percentage of gross income, Hanks and Zemeckis were on equal terms with the studio and would be paid long before Paramount began to deduct expenses. If the film failed, Paramount lost money, but the actor and director would have given away their work. The popular Forrest Gump race scene that Tom Hanks paid for Forrest Gump’s career was paid for by Hanks. one of The most remembered scenes of the movie are the ones where Gump starts running across the country for no apparent reason, and people start joining him. That scene was almost not filmed due to lack of budget. Paramount saw it as too expensive and wanted to cut it. Zemeckis wasn’t about to lose her and went to talk to Hanks. In an interview To Hanks on Graham Bensinger’s podcast, the actor recalled the talk he had with the director: “He said, ‘Well, this production is going to cost X amount of dollars.’ And it wasn’t cheap. And I said, ‘Okay.’” The plan was simple. They put up the money and Paramount returned the favor with a higher percentage of the profits. The studio was delighted to accept because if the film was a failure what they lost was not their money. Maximum commitment to the film. Financing the popular scene of the bearded Gump running from coast to coast was not the only time Hanks had to dig deep during filming. The budget was so tight that during filming, the weather prevented them from obtaining insurance coverage for certain days, and Paramount refused to assume this new additional expense. Hanks and Zemeckis once again put money out of their own pockets to pay the insurance and not stop filming. In the same interviewHanks recalled that, given the financial obstacles that the studio was placing on him, Zemeckis asked him “to be my collaborator, not just my employee.” “It’s a good deal. Let’s do it,” the actor responded. In this way, both became partners who would cover the gaps that the studio did not cover, with the condition of recovering their investment with increasing percentages of box office revenues. The bet paid for itself.. Forrest Gump was released in July 1994 and, from the first weekend, it swept the box office. It grossed more than $677 million worldwide, with more than $330 million in the United States alone according to Fox Business data. It also won six Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Hanks. Thanks to his percentage of gross income agreement, Hanks earned an estimated figure in 65 million of dollars. Almost ten times more than the salary he signed when he accepted the project. According to the holderl Celebrity Net Worththe actor’s current fortune is estimated at about $400 million. Not bad for a gamble that started with a scene that the studio refused to pay for. In Xataka | “The best movie ever made” according to Tom Hanks is this classic that, curiously, never appears on the lists Image | Paramount Pictures

“In inheritances it is a mistake not to ask for the deceased’s life insurance certificates”

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When a family member dies, the pain of loss is joined by an avalanche of legal and administrative procedures that must be fulfilled in a certain order. Therefore, between the mourning and the paperwork, there is a document that runs a serious risk of not being processed: the application for life insurance certificates. This certificate indicates whether the deceased had contracted any type of life insurance. This, which at first glance may seem obvious, can be a procedure that involves the loss of thousands of euros. for the heirs for not claiming compensation from the insurers. The failure that, surprisingly, is very common. As Manuel Hernández García, lawyer and director of Vilches Abogados, said, in a video from his YouTube channel, not requesting this life insurance certificate is one of the most common mistakes in inheritances. “On many occasions, families do not request life insurance certificates,” recalls the lawyer. The curious fact is that “insurance companies have an obligation to transmit this information about the deceased’s life insurance to state agencies.” That is, insurers are obliged to communicate in which insurance policies a specific person appears as a beneficiary, but they are not obliged to notify the heirs directly. A simple procedure but not for the impatient. The file in which all life insurance beneficiaries are collected is called the Registry of Death Coverage Insurance Contracts. It was created by Law 20/2005 and today it is managed by the Ministry of Justice. Anyone interested can request the insurance certificate and it includes the name and surname and what policies the deceased had in force. However, and this is one of the reasons why this certificate is often left behind in the inheritance process, it cannot be requested until after fifteen business days since death. Any attempt to apply earlier will result in your automatic denial. The procedure is done through the form 790 and can be processed online, by mail or in person, with the death certificate at hand. The registry responds within a maximum of seven business days. Some death insurance policies include administrative coverage in which they are responsible for requesting this certificate. Five years, not one more. We come to one of the most delicate parts of the process since insurance companies are obliged to indicate in that certificate what insurance each deceased has, but not to notify the heirs who are beneficiaries of it. As indicated by the insurer Aegonhe article 23 of the Insurance Contract Law establishes that heirs have a maximum period of five years from death to claim life insurance. After that time, the money simply remains in the hands of the insurer. Sure, how sure? The key is that much of that “forgotten” money does not come from life insurance policies themselves, but from “invisible” policies included in third-party services. Credit cards, banking and financial loan services, home insurance, vehicle insurance, which in addition to offering the main coverage, also allocate part of the coverage to insuring the service provider. According to the last Social Insurance Report, In Spain, 22 million people have taken out risk life insurance and many people are unaware that they have this coverage. Notaries as a last resort. The Registry creation life insurance also imposed an additional obligation for notaries, who must include the certificate from the Insurance Registry of the deceased before the award of the inheritance and must warn the heirs if there is any policy that covers said death so that it is recorded. In Xataka | Lawyers and notaries agree: “When making a will it is wise to leave specific assets to each child and the home to only one” Image | Vilches lawyersUnsplash (Romain Dancre)

A New Jersey neighbor kept the remains of a meteorite in glass jars. This gesture has given us new clues about the origin of life on Earth

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On July 19, 2026, a meteorite shook New York City: Ferrán Torres’ goal in the 106th minute, against the Argentina team. Well, okay, it wasn’t a meteorite, although for many, the emotional shock wave was comparable to the physical shock wave left in its wake by the meteorite that did shake the city of the Statue of Liberty two years earlier, on July 16, 2024. That asteroid fragment broke up 35 kilometers away, releasing a multitude of debris that fell unseen in various parts of the state of New Jersey. One of them, weighing almost 1 kg, went through the roof of a house in the town of Hillsborough. Two years later, an international team of scientists has published the analysis of the composition of the New York meteorite. It is a very rare type of meteorite, known as a CM ½ carbonaceous chondrite and is characterized, among other things, because it can provide a window into the history of the origin of life on Earth. A very rare type of meteorite. The meteorite is a carbonaceous chondrite. That is, a fragment of a primitive objectrich in carbon, which can be associated with different organic molecules. Generally, these meteorites are classified according to their degree of aqueous alteration. The lower the number, the more water has altered its structure in the original object from which it came. The carbonaceous chondrites that have fallen most abundantly on Earth in the form of meteorites are those of type CM 2. 20 have been documented. Of type CM 1, none are known. However, there is an iconocidal range such as CM ½, which is in the middle and had been previously found, in a meteorite that fell in 2020 in Indonesia. The Hillsborough meteorite, therefore, has been the second, but also the best preserved, thanks to the quick intervention of the owner of the house in which it fell. A hole in the roof and the smell of sulfur. The Hillsborough meteorite is actually one of many fragments left after a larger rock broke apart 35 kilometers up. He fell with such force that he managed to break through the ceiling, landing in the main bedroom of the house. Its owner stated that, upon entering his room, he saw a hole in the ceiling and he smelled a strong smell of sulfur. He then found his bed and carpet covered in debris and black dust. He decided to put on some gloves and store all the debris in glass jars with aluminum foil. Thanks to their quick and scrupulous action, the scientists were able to analyze the meteorite as intact as possible. Following the path of the Hillsborough meteorite. Before falling in Hillsborough, the meteorite crossed the skies of New York and other cities in the United States. 60 observersspread across the states of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania, reported seeing them to the American Meteor Society. Additionally, 16 others in New York and New Jersey said they felt the shock wave. Taking into account all these testimonies, plus the detections from astronomical observatories, it was possible to follow its trajectory to the lower asteroid belt. Ingredients for life. We have already seen that this was a CM ½ emteorite. However, a more detailed analysis of the meteorite allowed us to find some fragments of CM1 rich in salts inside. This indicates that it was formed in some area of ​​the surface of the parent asteroid where liquid water evaporated and salts were concentrated. It is known that the high concentration of salt in saline fluids can create molecules crucial for life on Earth. In fact, many studies suggest that, in the past, CM carbonaceous chondrites delivered to Earth some of the ingredients that gave rise to life. That’s why the Hillsborough meteorite is so interesting. At the moment, it has been seen to have 1.8% by weight of carbon and 0.07% of nitrogen, in addition to carbon and nitrogen isotopes typical of CM type meteorites. A more detailed analysis of the latter will help understand the extent to which these objects helped life proliferate on our planet. The owner of the house was not aware when he saw that hole in the roof that it not only had a huge leak. I was also looking at a window to the past. Image| SETI In Xataka | The ship that collected the Bennu samples is now flying towards Apophis, the asteroid that will pass just 38,000 km from Earth

My phone is almost five years old and the battery maintains its useful life at 85%. This is how I got it

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My smartphone, a iPhone 13 Pro Maxis almost five years old and its battery retains 85% of its original capacity. It is not coincidence or good luck. It is the result of understanding what happens to a battery of lithium ions every time we charge it and consciously apply a handful of habits that slow down its degradation. Most users assume that a mobile phone’s battery is condemned to degrade without remedy in two or three years. And to a certain extent it is true: every lithium-ion battery loses capacity over time. But the speed at which it does so depends largely on how we treat hernot just its internal chemistry. In this context, we are interested in understanding two specific physical phenomena, voltage stress and thermal degradation, because they are the ones that wear out battery cells the most. And we also need to know the guidelines I have followed for almost five years to minimize them. They are not magic tricks. They are direct consequences of the electrochemistry that occurs inside the battery. What happens to a battery every time we charge it A lithium-ion battery works by moving ions between the cathode and anode through an electrolyte. When we charge the phone up to 100% we force the cathode to reach its maximum voltage potential. This high voltage state oxidizes the electrolyte in contact with the cathode and favors the dissolution of transition metals from its crystalline structure. This phenomenon is known as voltage stress, and it is cumulative: the longer the battery spends in that state of maximum voltage, the faster it degrades. An increase of 10 degrees Celsius doubles the speed of certain degradation reactions in the electrolyte A quick note before moving forward: that layer that forms on the cathode is called CEI (cathode solid electrolyte interface or cathode electrolyte interphase), and is the first cousin of the SEI (solid electrolyte interface or solid electrolyte interface) that grows on the graphite anode. At sustained high voltages, the IEC thickens uncontrollably, irreversibly consumes active lithium and reduces the usable capacity of the cell with each cycle. For this reason, it is worth using the 80% loading automation offered by both iOS and Android. In fact, I don’t charge my phone at 100% unless I know I’m going to need full battery life that day. Keeping the battery in an intermediate voltage range (between 20% and 80%) dramatically reduces the time the cells spend at the extremes of voltage where molecular wear is most aggressive. The second big enemy is heat, and this is where thermal degradation comes into play. Parasitic chemical reactions do not depend on voltage alone; They also accelerate with temperature, and do so in a non-linear manner. As a guideline, an increase of about 10 degrees Celsius can reach double the speed of certain degradation reactions in the electrolyte, a behavior consistent with the Arrhenius equation that governs the kinetics of any chemical reaction. This is why I avoid ultra-fast chargers in summer, especially if my phone is exposed to the sun or inside a thick case. Charging at 45, 65 or more watts generates considerable internal heat, and if that heat is not dissipated well (and in environments at 35 or 40 degrees Celsius it is not dissipated well), the cell temperature can approach 40-45 degrees Celsius, a range beyond which electrolyte degradation and cathode dissolution accelerate noticeably. I definitely prefer slower charges at 15 or 20 watts, even if they take longer: the battery appreciates it in the long run. Images | Xataka In Xataka | How to know the health status of your Android battery and how it can lose capacity In Xataka | Europe changes the standards for mobile batteries in 2027. The striking thing is that no manufacturer has complained

living a happy and successful life comes down to three simple tips

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If only to survive the management of one of the largest technology companies in the worldBill Gates had to learn some productivity tricks to optimize your time as much as possible and prevent work from ruining your personal life. As Bill Gates himself has recognized on occasionhas been acquiring these habits to live a happier life throughout your career based on mistakes or receiving advice from your friends. With the publication of his latest autobiographical book ‘Source code: My beginnings’Gates has once again reflected on these same principles. The question is more important than the solution. One of the keys to problem solving is having the right answers, but much more important for Bill Gates is asking the right questions to find the right answers. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the millionaire published on his website some thoughts on how to find the solution. “Since I was a teenager, I’ve approached every big new problem the same way: starting with two questions. I used this technique at Microsoft and still use it today. I ask these questions literally every week about Covid-19.” According to Gates, two of the first questions we should ask ourselves are: Who has dealt with this problem well before? And what can we learn from them? Reinventing the wheel. In summary, what Bill Gates suggests is that it is not necessary to reinvent the wheel again and again, when someone has already found the solution to that problem. The best thing is to find a “wheel” that can adapt to your case and apply it. That approach does not require unlimited creativity, intelligence, or resources. It is simply about observe and learn in someone else’s head. Control time. Gates recognizes that time control, especially in the early years of Microsoft, was not his strong suit, and that is why he spent long working days programming and developing the brand’s first products. Until one day, his friend and investment magnate Warren Buffett: “The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.” In one intervention on the Charlie Ross showboth millionaires talked about the topic. Empty diaries. Bill Gates reflected on the veteran investor’s admirable command of time: “The fact that he is so careful with time, he has days when there is nothing on (his agenda)… sitting and thinking can be a priority much older. It is not an indicator of your seriousness that you have occupied every minute of your schedule.” This point is key since if you really want to achieve your goal, it is not enough to fill your work agenda. That will keep you so busy that it may prevent you from getting what you really want. So set priorities and say ‘no’ to the rest. Patience is the key to motivation. When Bill Gates founded Microsoft, he was barely a twenty-something with no knowledge about business or even notions of how to manage the company’s employees, so tended to be a somewhat toxic boss that with A look at the Microsoft office parking lot I could tell which employees were working and which had gone home. Over time, he realized that prioritizing results over always controlling what each employee did at all times was a better option both for his relationship with his staff and for his personal life. “Patience is a key element of success,” he said on one occasion. Learning lessons. Gates admits that this lesson was difficult to learn, but believes the key is to persistently work to put yourself in a good position and simply wait for the opportunity to arrive so you don’t miss it. This has also helped him improve his relationship with his employees. He discovered that by showing patience and trust towards them and their talent, improved their personal motivation and they wanted to do their best so as not to disappoint that person who had trusted them. In the end, both results and relationships benefited from the change in attitude. A version of this article was published in February 2025 Image | Lukasz Kobus In Xataka | “In five years they will have to pay taxes”: Bill Gates has pointed out the elephant in the room of AI and humanoids In Xataka | Bill Gates has been talking about AI for years. Now he thinks we are making the same mistake as with the arrival of computers

The new Ryzen 7 5800X3D does not solve the hardware crisis, but it is a lifesaver to extend the life of many PCs without breaking the bank

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Updating a desktop PC or brand new practically any current device that integrates RAM or storage (that is, almost everything) is face a harsh reality: you have to pay much more for the same thing. The hardware crisis, derived from the high demand for these components to supply clients related to AI, which has been with us since the end of last year, it seems like it’s going to be long. So if we have no choice but to renew components or equipment in 2026 and we do not want to pay too much, You have to look carefully at which is the best possible purchase option.. AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D 10th Anniversary Edition The price could vary. We earn commission from these links In this context, AMD launched the market a few weeks ago Ryzen 7 5800X3D 10th Anniversary Edition. The reissue of a best-selling processor, compatible with AM4 platformswhich allows you to give a facelift to computers (especially gaming, as it is a CPU designed especially for gamers) from up to a decade ago without the need to renew the motherboard. And, above all, without having to make the leap to DDR5 RAM memories (which are through the roof). All this, in exchange for a very contained investment in 2026, such as the 360 euros that is around in the main stores. Probably the best price-quality purchase for a gaming PC in the last decade In ideal conditions and focusing on the most current, the most recommended purchase when configuring from scratch or updating a PC to play, today, in the middle of 2026, is recent motherboards, DDR5 RAM and NVMe PCIe Gen5 SSDs. But of course, this represents an exorbitant expense in many cases that not all users are willing to assume. Above all, considering that just a few months ago all of this cost much less. In this scenario, the reissue of this Ryzen 7 5800X3D It makes a lot of sense. With it we can give a facelift (and greatly increase performance) to our current AM4 platform PC, with DDR4 RAM, without having to touch much else. Above all, if we plan to play and we come from a processor that does not belong to AMD’s X3D family. With the change, The jump in video games is brutal: more frames per second, thanks to AMD’s 3D V-Cache technology. In essence, this Ryzen 7 5800X3D maintains the 8 cores and 16 threads, frequencies of up to 4.5 GHz, the TDP of 105 W and the same amount of L3 cache as the original 5800X3D launched in 2022. But as an added bonus, this 10th anniversary edition includes a thermal solution as an alternative to the classic thermal paste: the Carbice Ice Pad, which is a thermal pad that must be placed between the surface of the CPU and the heat sink to keep high temperatures at bay. ⚡ IN SUMMARY: Ryzen 7 5800X3D 10th Anniversary Edition ✅ THE BEST You do not need to change motherboard or RAM if you already had one with AM4 socket and DDR4 memories Outstanding gaming performance thanks to its exclusive technology that triggers the FPS ❌ THE WORST It is not the most current on the market (although it has just gone on sale) and if you prefer the latest of the latest there are more powerful (and expensive) options. 💡 BUY IT IF… You need to renew your desktop gaming hardware in the middle of the sector crisis ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… You plan to make the jump to AM5/DDR5 in the short term (even at these prices) Two pieces of hardware ideal to accompany this Ryzen ASUS TUF Gaming B550M-PLUS WiFi II po A and C, Aura Sync RGB), B550 II The price could vary. We earn commission from these links CORSAIR Vengeance LPX DDR4 RAM 32GB (2x16GB) 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 | amd, Timothy Dykes, Remy on Unsplash In Xataka | Best gaming mice: which one to buy and 8 recommended models In Xataka | Best gaming keyboards 2026. Which one to buy based on use and 8 recommended models

Generation Z was told that job success was having a good salary. Having more life has become your new luxury

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Generation Z is creating a new work scenario and we have several examples of this: they have a different concept of labor relations than previous generations had and their definition of commitment is now governed by rules that they demand reciprocity to companies. It’s not strange. This generation has seen how their parents have worked non-stop and end up just as drowning at the end of the month. Therefore, when young people talk about job success, they no longer think only about the payroll, they also think about power. leave on time and to be able to dedicate time to your personal life. The strike that marks the step. To understand this shift we must first look at the reality of this generation. According to data According to the INE, youth unemployment in Spain stood at 24.5% in the first quarter of 2026. It is almost double the average Eurostat for the European Union as a whole, slightly above 15%, but half of the 42.91% we had a decade ago. As pointed out by the ‘I Barometer Challenges and Learning. Youth positions on training and professional challenges’ prepared by the Reina Sofía Center of Fad Juventud and Banco Santander, this pressure is conditioning even decisions as important as choosing what to study. The urgency of the salary, even if it is precarious. According to data from this report, 64.7% of young people admit that they decide their future thinking about making money as soon as possible, not in the future. job you would like to do really. “I want to have a kind of stability. So I feel pressured by that, because I don’t want to live constantly as if on the edge, I want to have that stability,” said one of the young participants in the study. Six out of ten also believe that there are factors beyond their control that hinder progress in their career: precariousness, lack of opportunities and economic pressure They are among the most mentioned. And yet, 67% do not contemplate throwing in the towel despite the difficulties to prosper in their career, moving away from the stereotype of unmotivated youth. Success changes its definition. With that starting point, the young people of generation Z have changed the definition of what is considered succeed at work. Before, success consisted of moving up in rank and salary every few years. Now free time, mental health and a work environment come into the equation don’t burn. Conciliation stops being an extra and becomes be entry condition. The report Workmonitor Randstad marks a turning point: the balance between life and work already weigh more than salary when evaluating a job. More than half of those surveyed would leave their position if it prevented them from living outside the office. What they ask for: financial guidance and education. According to data from the Reina Sofía Center Barometer, generation Z does not ask for a miracle either, just a guide to develop your capabilities professionals. 75.7% want to better understand what interests them before deciding their career, while 74% demand more information about job opportunities of each training option. That is, not waste time studying a career that leaves them on a siding. And more than 73% lack basic financial training to manage their daily lives. The result of all this is that in the future we will have fewer young people willing to sacrifice time in their personal lives for a little more salaryand more companies that are going to have to offer both as an incentive if they want retain talent. In Xataka | The wealth of Spaniards under 35 years of age has plummeted by 75% in recent years. And we know the culprit Image | Unsplash (Vitaly Gariev)

the AirTag rival with up to 600 days of battery life and compatible with any Android

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The ecosystem of lost item trackers has a new member. If until recently Apple with its AirTag and Samsung with its SmartTag dominated the market with their own users, the rules of the game have changed thanks to the new network Google “Find my device”. Taking advantage of this giant deployment, Motorola has now made official the launch in Spain of the new Moto Tag 2 from Motorola (which was presented a few months ago), its new and promising smart locator that you can buy for 37.99 euros. Motorola Moto Tag 2 Locator The price could vary. We earn commission from these links The perfect companion for your keys, suitcases or backpack At the design level, the new Moto Tag 2 no different from the previous generation. Motorola bets on a spherical, minimalist and extremely compact aestheticdesigned to fit perfectly on conventional keychains or to hide without problems at the bottom of a suitcase. It has IP67 certificationwhich gives you complete dust resistance and the ability to withstand immersion accidental drops in water, something vital if you plan to wear it attached to your pet’s collar or on the outside of a backpack. Being natively integrated into Google’s global network, works with any Android smartphone of the market, breaking the compatibility walls of other brands. Furthermore, it is equipped with ultra-wideband (UWB) technologyso that you can use the millimeter precision that stands out so much in the Apple AirTag. It works with a CR2032 button battery standard that guarantees up to 600 days of life, a battery that you can also easily replace yourself when it runs out. Lastly, it is possible to highlight its integrated multifunction button which not only serves to receive alerts, but also works to find your phone or as a remote trigger for your phone’s camera. ⚡ IN SUMMARY: motorola moto tag 2 locator ✅ THE BEST Full opening: It doesn’t tie you to a specific brand of phone; If today you have a Pixel, tomorrow a Xiaomi or a Motorola, your locator will continue to work exactly the same. Selfie and alert button: Using the Tag itself as a remote control to capture photos from a distance gives it an extra utility that its rivals do not have. ❌ THE WORST Android exclusive… By completely depending on the Google ecosystem, iOS (iPhone) users will not be able to take advantage of it. Taking advantage of UWB… The high-precision guidance compass will only be activated if your Android phone has an ultra-wideband chip, something that is usually reserved for high-end devices. 💡 BUY IT IF… You are an Android user and you are looking for a reliable, durable tracker with the largest coverage network in the world to secure your suitcases on vacation. ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… You primarily use Apple devices, where AirTag continues to offer a more organic integration with iOS. 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 | Motorola In Xataka | It looks like a card, but it’s a tracker for iOS and Android so thin it can fit in your wallet or passport In Xataka | The best Airtag for Android. Which one to buy? Tips and recommendations

“My urine spills everywhere.” How a viral phrase has changed the life of the man with the smallest penis in the world

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In 2014, a team of South African surgeons achieved the first penis transplant with history success. That intervention marked a before and after in the reconstructive medicine and recalled the extent to which problems related to this organ can affect much more than a patient’s sexual life. The viral that changed the conversation. “My urine spills everywhere.” That was the descriptive phrase with which Michael Phillips has ended up getting thousands of people to stop seeing his case as a simple Internet curiosity and begin to understand the medical problem behind a micropenis. In fact, what seemed like another statement destined to go viral hid a much deeper reality. less striking: that of the difficulties in doing something as everyday as urinating, a practically impossible sex life and a profound psychological impact. The challenge that went around the world. I counted the weekend Guardian that Phillips rose to fame after publicly challenge anyone to prove that he didn’t have “the smallest penis in the world.” That provocation quickly attracted the attention of media outlets around the world and generated an enormous debate on social networks. However, Phillips always insisted that his goal was not to gain notoriety, far from it, but to make visible an extremely rare medical condition and the consequences it has for those who suffer from it. Behind the size there was a medical problem. Because Phillips’ diagnosis does not respond to a subjective perception, but to a micropenis clinically diagnosed as such. As explainedeven when erect his member barely reaches 0.97 centimeters in length, very much below the medical threshold used to define this condition. That situation, accountaffects such basic aspects as going to the bathroom to urinate or having penetrative sexual relations, two problems that marked a good part of his adult life. The surprise. Be that as it may, the public exhibition has ended up causing an effect that not even he himself expected. After launching a financing campaign collectively to finance an intervention aimed at partially improving their quality of life, donations began to multiply. “I never thought anyone would care to help,” Phillips acknowledged.which ended up raising nearly $13,000 thanks to more than 250 people and confessed to feeling “really grateful and surprised” by the support received. Virality changing destiny. The impact was so great that even a well-known Beverly Hills plastic surgeon publicly offered to operate on him. for free. Finally, Phillips decided to undergo the intervention at a center closer to his home, where he hopes to increase the thickness of his penis to alleviate, at least in part, the functional problems derived from his condition. The procedure will not resolve all your limitations, but it does aim to improve everyday aspects that affect your quality of life. From stigma to vindication. The case has also brought to light the stigma surrounding to the micropenis. Phillips has acknowledged that his diagnosis practically ended his love life and that he even had to prove to a British television program that he really suffered from this condition before being interviewed. He has also endured ridicule and doubts about the veracity of his story, although he has turned that exhibition in a tool to demand that the micropenis stop being treated as a simple reason for jokes or ridicule. It started with morbidity, it ended with health. If you also want, the story of the American Michael Phillips went viral because it revolved around a striking figure and a diagnosis that was almost impossible to verify. However, the story itself ended up moving towards another terrain much more relevant. Curiously, the phrases that they generated more impact They were not those related to size, but those that described how a medical condition could turn such normal actions as going to the bathroom or having an intimate relationship into a daily problem. And it was precisely those confessions that ended up changing his life. Image | YouTube, Wikimedia In Xataka | Science has been measuring whether size matters for years. A study with 3D simulation has the most complete answer In Xataka | Millions of men wake up every morning with an erection. This is excellent news for them.

This is how strength training protects your heart, your brain and your life expectancy

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We have known for a long time that strength exercise It’s not just for having more muscles. and a more defined body. Today we understand that, to take care of our health, it is important to combine both strength and aerobic exercise. However, it is always good to have more evidence and more reasons to remind us of the importance of lifting weight. That’s why it’s so important a study recently published by scientists at Harvard Universityin which 150,000 people are followed for 30 years. This monitoring has allowed its authors to conclude that, indeed, those who practiced strength exercise regularly were more likely to continue to live older, since this practice protected them from numerous diseases, especially neurological and cardiovascular diseases. The reasons are clear, as is the fact that, in reality, the ideal is to combine this with aerobic exercise. Three studies, 30 years. In reality, this latest study is a review of 3 studies, all of them conducted in the United States. For 30 years, the health status of its participants was followed, while their sports habits were monitored. In those three decades, there were 36,000 participants who died from various causes. It wasn’t always due to not having exercised. After all, there are many factors that influence health. However, it was found that those who did between 90 and 120 minutes of strength exercise per week had a 13% lower risk of dying from any cause than those who did not. The types of diseases most prevented. Although the percentage was calculated with respect to deaths from any cause, neurological and cardiovascular protection stands out in this study. In fact, this practice of strength exercise reduced the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 19% and the risk from neurological disorders, especially dementia, by 27%. For all this, the study concludes that strength exercise has a positive effect on longevity. More is not always better. Another curious fact from this study is that those who did more than 120 minutes of strength exercise per week did not experience extra benefits. Therefore, if there is more time available, you can take advantage of it to do aerobic exercise, since, in reality, the ideal is to combine both types of training. The ideal combination. According to this same study, 150 minutes of weekly aerobic exercise reduces the risk of death from any cause by between 26% and 43%. But if this is also combined with the strength exercise mentioned above, the risk decreases by 45%. The ideal is to combine the two types of exercise to buy all possible longevity tickets. Two hours a week of strength exercise can be divided into two workouts in the gym. Training can be done full body both days, to train all muscle groups twice, but increasing the density of the upper part one day and the lower part another. As for 150 minutes of weekly aerobic exercise, it is very achievable. only with go walking to work or to run errands we would already have a good part accomplished. However, it is advisable to add several sessions of a somewhat more vigorous cardio, such as going for a run, swimming or cycling. Cardio, best distributed in several weekly sessions The causes. This is an observational study. That means a correlation has been seen, but not necessarily a causality. Those who strength exercise live longer, but their blood has not been analyzed, for example, for markers that indicate that quality of life. Even so, the authors of the research have their own hypotheses, also described in The Conversation by University of East London Professor John McNamara. To begin with, the muscle is a kind of sponge that, by order of insulin, absorbs a good part of the glucose that accumulates in the blood after eating. Thus, glucose acts as a source of energy for the muscle and does not increase in spikes or accumulate as fat. With all this, metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes or obesity. Clearly, yes there is more musclethe sponge is larger, which is why strength exercise is so important. Furthermore, with respect to cardiovascular diseases, myokines play an essential role. They are proteins that are released when the muscle contracts and that have a positive effect on the blood, reducing chronic inflammation. It is very beneficial against heart diseases; but also, again, for metabolic diseases and even against some types of cancer. On the other hand, it should be noted that this chemical cascade enhanced by strength exercise helps increase blood flow in organs such as the brain or liver and also reduces blood pressure and increases the flexibility of blood vessels. The key to longevity. A fall may be minor in a young person, but in the elderly it can lead to more broken bones, with a slower or incomplete recovery. The person’s health can greatly deteriorate. Therefore, one of the keys to longevity is to strengthen the bones. The musculoskeletal system is very well combined. Strong muscles also often translate into stronger bones. That’s why people live longer when they do strength exercise. Limitations to take into account. People who exercise, whether strength training or aerobic, often maintain other healthy habits as well. Furthermore, the study participants were health workers, so it is expected that they were clear about the measures to take care of their health. Therefore, it would be ideal to have done another similar study, with a greater variety of participants, and taking into account other habits to see the influence they have on the final result. Even so, everything points to a very beneficial routine for anyone. Image | Magnificent In Xataka | The trap of walking for the sake of walking: “Japanese walks” are much more effective than your daily hour-long walk

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