move

Europe has been warning for years that firing in Spain is a bargain. Now Congress is making a move with the “restorative dismissal”

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Unfair dismissal in Spain is a bargain for companies. At least that is what the European Committee of Social Rights (CEDS), dependent on the Council of Europe, has been telling Spain for years. Throughout this time, the Government has turned a deaf ear to the recommendations from Brussels. However, an unexpected turn caused by the mistake of a representative of the Popular Party During a vote in Congress, a Non-Law Proposal (PNL) by Sumar was allowed to prosper, which urges the Government to present a bill to reform the laws that prevent the application of the restorative dismissal that Europe has actively and passively requested. Europe has been warning since 2021. When Spain ratified in 2021 the European Social Charterassumed the commitment to harmonize its labor legislation with its principles. Since then, the European Committee of Social Rights (CEDS), an advisory body of the Council of Europe, has reiterated that the Spanish system, based on a fixed calculation of 33 days per year worked and a maximum of 24 months, does not meet the criteria of said commitment. The problem is that the European Social Charter is a set of guidelines, but it is not binding, and the CEDS is a consultative body, so it cannot demand legislative modifications from Spain. Its resolutions are recommendations, valuable from a legal and political point of view, but without executive force. This lack of obligation has allowed Spain to postpone reforms that would change the way compensation is calculated for employees for unfair dismissal. The cornerstone: article 24. The point of greatest friction to undertake the reforms is found in article 24 of the European Social Charter. It requires “the right of workers dismissed without valid reason (unfair dismissal) to adequate compensation or other appropriate relief.” This means ensuring that compensations to employees for unfair dismissal must be “appropriate and dissuasive”. Something that, as a general rule, does not occur in the system of fixed compensation that is currently applied in all judicial processes for unfair dismissal. This time the request has not come from Europe. Despite having dictated different resolutions and requestsnothing has changed in Europe’s position, nor has it gained power to force Spain to implement the legislative changes. However, what has changed is internal politics. In September, a Non-Law Proposition promoted by Sumar managed to get ahead thanks to the voting error of a PP deputy, repeating the scene that in 2022 allowed approve the labor reform. This NLP does not modify the law itself, but it does urge the Government to begin the legislative process to adapt the regulations to the European framework. This implies the opening of a social dialogue table with unions and employers and, subsequently, the preparation of a bill that must return to Congress to be voted on. The reform of the regulations to legislate unfair dismissals, therefore, is still a long way off, but for the first time the Executive is obliged to put it on the table. “Restorative dismissal” is not a type of dismissal. Among all the CEDS recommendations, none has generated as much debate as the so-called restorative dismissal. The name can lead to confusion: it is not a new category of dismissal as the disciplinarynull or inadmissible, but refers to a proposal to transform How compensation is calculated when a dismissal is declared unfair. Europe considers that the current Spanish system is too predictable and, in many cases, insufficient. The result is that companies can treat unfair dismissal as a more or less easy cost to assume and choose which employees or how many to dismiss based on the cost of the operation. Restorative dismissal causes this calculation to vary from one employee to another and is under the sole discretion of a judge, which would prevent companies from calculating in advance the final cost of the dismissal. What is restorative dismissal?. As its name indicates, restorative dismissal is a model that seeks to individualize the severance payment to the specific damage it causes to the dismissed employee, instead of an automatic calculation based in days per year worked. Judges could assess specific factors in each case, taking into account factors such as the age and social situation of the worker, the real probability of re-entering the labor market, the economic and personal impact of the dismissal, or the size, solvency, or economic capacity of the dismissing company. Based on these factors, for example, a 60-year-old worker with children and a 24-year-old single worker who were fired by the same company in similar positions would obtain different compensation because, statistically, the older one would have less likely to return to the labor market than the young person. Europe understands that this flexibility is essential to repair the real damage of dismissal and to act as a preventive mechanism. Deterrence, protection and less business calculation. The objective of restorative dismissal is not only to better compensate the worker based on the impact caused, but also to discourage the appeal of unfair dismissal and that, if companies really have economic problems that justify dismissals, they do so through dismissals for objective reasons. If the cost is no longer predictable, the company loses the ability to make profitability calculations. This protection measure especially affects precarious groups who, due to their low salary or short seniority, are very cheap to fire: young people, women and precarious workers. Furthermore, Europe insists that the reinstatement after dismissal inadmissible should no longer be optional for the company as it is currently, and should become a real possibility imposed by the court when it is appropriate. Restoration, in this sense, is not only economic, but also labor-related. Justice has its hands tied. Despite Europe’s insistence, the Spanish courts have rejected impose compensation higher than the current scale included in the article 56 of the Workers’ Statute. The reason was not a lack of judicial will, but the absence of a legal framework that would allow additional compensation to be established without generating legal uncertainty. In Xataka | … Read more

In 1973 a German dreamed of exploiting Lanzarote. 50 years later no one has been able to move the ruins of his monster

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Of all the ghost architectures and abandoned to their fate in Spain, few like the shadow that rises in a unique place in the Canary Islands. Its history begins in the early seventies, at a time when Lanzarote was opening up to international tourism in the heat of expansive urban planning, laws favorable to foreign investment and a climate of economic optimism that seemed to have no limits. And then a “visionary” arrived. A hyperbolic dream. In that context, the German businessman Erick Becker imagined a gigantic tourist complexmade up of five hotels, an aparthotel, more than twelve hundred bungalows and a capacity for four thousand people. The emblematic piece, the Náutico hotel (renamed over the years as Atlante del Sol), was to be the gateway to an urbanization in German capital that saw Lanzarote as an ideal territory to attract European visitors. The legislation of the time, headed by the Strauss Law of 1968encouraged German investment in developing countries and helped direct a flood of capital towards the Canary Islands that found an apparently perfect opportunity on the island. However, the choice of location would prove to be a major mistake. Tourism against the landscape. The Rubicon coast It had virulent waves, constant winds and rugged geography without a beach or adequate access. In those decades, Lanzarote’s infrastructure was fragile, and the area even lacked a road that connected the place with the inhabited centers. Despite this, the project moved forward in fits and startsraising the main structure of the hotel before the oil crisis of 1973 paralyzed the European economy and brought with it a promotion that would never open its doors. Since then, the unfinished mass was abandonedconverted into an unused concrete skeleton that began to hint at the ghostly silhouette that would mark its future. Abandonment, illegality and law. After the abandonment of the project, the Atlante del Sol was suspended in a legal limbo that the subsequent evolution of Canarian urban planning ended up resolving against it. The Island Management Plan of Lanzarote from 1991a pioneer in the protection of the island territory, reclassified the area as rustic land for natural ecological protection, nullifying the urban character it may have had under the regulations of the 1950s and 1960s. With the passage of time, the area was also incorporated into the Natura 2000 Network as a Special Bird Protection Area, reinforcing its ecological value and further shielding its non-urbanizable nature. In parallel, Spanish and regional legislation chained new land laws in 1976, 1990, 1998 and 2007, which consolidated environmental regulations. much more demanding than existed when the original license was granted in 1972. Final blow. The Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands made it clear in 2016 that this old license was invalid operational, because an unfinished work loses any right protected by obsolete regulations when subsequent laws come into force. In essence, what may have been legal in the 1970s ceased to be legal decades ago. Added to this was a determining fact: the property it was never finished nor to be used, and its current state (absolute ruin, no services, no access and no technical possibility of becoming operational equipment) prevented it from being considered a heritage work. The court concluded that reviving a license from 1972 was as inappropriate as pretending that the island had not changed in fifty years. That ruling legally sealed the fate of the hotel: either remain abandoned or be demolished. The ghost and watchman hotel. With the passage of time, the Atlantean of the Sun It went from being a frustrated project to becoming a strange element embedded in one of the natural spaces most beautiful and unique of Lanzarote: the natural pools from Los Charcones. There, between the wind, the volcanic rock and the crystalline puddles, the abandoned hotel took on a disturbing, almost sculptural presence. For tourists who discover the area, the semi-ruined structure has become part of the landscapean example of beauty in decay that contrasts with the serenity of natural pools. For others, it is an open wound, a reminder of the speculation of the seventies and the urbanism that was promoted without paying attention to the physical reality of the territory. Chaos tourism. His inaccessibility (the absence of roads continues to be one of the main limitations today) has kept it outside the conventional tourist circuit and has contributed to its degradation. The wind, saltpeter and abandonment have turned the building into a dangerous shell, used occasionally as an improvised shelter by campers since the seventies, especially at Easter, when entire families came to occupy the windowless rooms applying minimum standards of coexistence. The picture is as unusual as it is revealing: a hotel that never opened turned into a sporadic camp for those seeking a unique experience in an isolated place. Between memory, business and protection. Over the decades, different owners tried to recover the building’s destiny, either by giving it tourist use or transforming it into healthcare facilities. Among them, the company Hipercan Don Jersey SL tried to reclassify the land to convert the hotel into a social and health center, claiming that the 1972 license was still valid and that the reform would allow the municipality to be provided with a new public service. But the administrations maintained a firm position: Yaiza already had sufficient equipment, the property was in ruins and the land belonged to a protected natural space whose ecological value should prevail about any intervention. The courts confirmed this position repeatedly. Neither the heritage argument, nor the intention to reconvert the building, nor the appeal to old investments managed to reverse a situation that had been legally closed for decades. Even if there was a will to rebuild, the cost of rehabilitation would be exorbitant. And if demolition were chosen, the operation (valued at more than one million euros) would require facing considerable technical and environmental obstacles. Uncertain future. In recent years, the discussion about the future of the Atlantean Sun has regained … Read more

Some say Mercury retrograde ruins their life, but the planet didn’t even move from its spot.

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Mercury retrograde season returns. From November 9 to 20, 2025, many people around the world – and especially on social networks– They will blame this curious planetary phenomenon for the argument they have had with their partner, the breakage of their refrigerator or the failure in an exam. But the question we must ask ourselves is if there is something behind this phenomenon that seems astronomical. What is ‘Mercury retrograde’. Despite its magical name, “Mercury retrograde” is described according to NASA as an optical effect: from Earth, Mercury (the planet closest to the Sun) appears to move backwards in its orbit for a few weeks. Astronomically, that “recoil” It is an illusion created by the difference in speed and position between Earth and Mercurybut nothing in the cosmos really changes, only our point of view. This is a phenomenon that occurs several times a year and has no physical effect on the Earth, our communications, travel or emotions. This is why astronomical science is clear: it is pure visual effect, not causality. Another interpretation. In the case of astrology the interpretation is very different. For this branch, Mercury is attributed powers over the communication, thought and movement. In this way, when it is ‘retrograde’, astrologers advise avoid signing contracts, taking trips or having difficult conversations. But this is something that has no scientific support behind it. A real meme. The interesting thing, according to experts in digital cultureis how Mercury retrograde has become a lifeline to cast our blame away. It is the perfect meme to explain everyday chaos: when WhatsApp crashes or the AI ​​responds strangely, the fault is not ours, but Mercury’s. In this way, everything stops being our fault, and for psychology it is something that we use as a strategy to attribute the disorder to external factors that reduce anxiety and connect us with the community. In countries like Spain, each Mercury retrograde cycle activates dozens of interactions on TikTok, Instagram and X, full of jokes, astrological advice and memes. This narrative allows us to find order (or at least, poetic meaning) in digital unpredictability. There is no relationship. Whether the computer or the refrigerator stops working or you have had a fight with your boyfriend or girlfriend has nothing to do with the position of Mercury. However, the myth and the joke will live on. Perhaps it is therapeutic to look to the sky for an answer when reality surpasses logic, even if we know that looking at the sky will not change whether our router breaks or not. Images | Wikipedia Afif Ramdhasuma In Xataka Basics | 19 apps and tools to see and have more information about stars and constellations

More and more countries want to prohibit minors from using social networks. Denmark makes a move

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Should minors have social networks? The debate is raging and more and more voices are advocating a total ban. Australia has a law on the table that will prevent minors under 16 years of age from using social networks and our french neighbors They have also shown their inclination to follow this path. Now it is Denmark that makes its move. what has happened. The Danish government has reached an agreement to ban social media for those under 15 years of age. In statements to the Associated PressDanish Prime Minister Caroline Stage has assured that 94% of Danish children under 13 and more than half of those under 10 have profiles on social networks. “The time they spend connected to the Internet, the amount of violence and self-harm to which they are exposed online, poses too great a risk for our children,” he stated. The measure contemplates that parents who wish may authorize their children to access social networks from the age of 13. Why is it important. Denmark becomes the first European country to agree to such a ban. The ban could take months to take effect because they want to tie everything together. According to Stage, “We must ensure that the regulations are adequate and that there are no loopholes that technology giants can exploit.” The European position. This summer several countries, including Spain, approached the European Commission to request a ban at the European level. The commission’s response was clear: The ban must be carried out by each country, there will be no common prohibition. However, the EU is developing the European Digital Identityan app to identify ourselves when carrying out procedures and that will also work as an age verifier. How will they do it. The plan is to use Denmark’s electronic ID system, although they have not given many details on how it will work. The Prime Minister talks about forcing technology companies to “carry out appropriate age verification, and if they do not do so we will be able to enforce the regulations through the European Commission and ensure that they are fined up to 6% of their global income.” Pajaport. In parallel to the debate about access to social networks there is also that of porn. Spain announced the Beta Digital Wallet, known as ‘pajaporte’ to limit access to porn by minors. At the moment it is not in force, but there are other countries that have similar initiatives that are already underway, such as France, where its implementation caused the closure of Pornhub in the country. The United Kingdom is another of the countries where you have to identify yourself to watch porn. The traffic of Pornhub plummeted 77%, so it seems that the measure had an effect. However, the huge growth of VPN tools It suggests that many users could be masking their location to bypass the ban. Doors to the field. Using a VPN is a way to bypass restrictions, and in the case of access to social networks by minors it could also be an option to bypass the restriction. There are still many doubts about how it will be executed on a technical level, but with easy access to the screens and the ability of some children to avoid limitationsdoes not seem like an easy task. Images | Pexels 1, 2 In Xataka | Neither TikTok nor Instagram until the age of 16: Spain will raise the minimum age to register on social networks in two years

move 400,000 people a day without a driver

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Line 6 of the Madrid metro is about to become the first line in the network to operate with fully automatic trains. There will be no driver, but more frequency, more capacity and less electricity consumption are expected. The project, valued at 300 million euros, will end in 2027 and has the objective of transforming the most used Madrid suburban line into one of the most advanced in Europe. A technical achievement. The Circular transports daily about 400,000 peoplemaking it the busiest line on the entire network. Automating it entails both a technical and logistical challenge, since they must maintain the service while the electrical infrastructure is renovated and security systems, such as platform doors, are installed. Madrid Metro describe as “a new technical achievement in the history of the suburban”, and no wonder. It will be the largest renovation since 2008 and will affect more than 11% of the current fleet. In detail. Automation requires profound changes to the infrastructure. The most important one is increasing catenary tensionfrom 600 to 1,500 volts, a jump necessary to power the new trains and reduce electrical consumption by up to 30% on L6. Across the entire network, the savings will be 3.6%, according to inform the organism. The works include the comprehensive renovation of seven electrical substations and the installation of automatic doors on the platforms. The Community of Madrid has invested more than 450 million euros in the purchase of 40 new convoys manufactured by CAF, designed to coincide with the openings of the current carriages and facilitate the transition. How it affects the user. The new trains promise a passing frequency of two minutes33% more speed and 17% more capacity by eliminating the driver’s cabins. All this translates into less waiting time and more space for travelers. But the process has not been easy. The works, which began in May 2024 and will last until the end of the year, have forced complete sections of the line to close. The buses replaced the service, although it was insufficient given the demand, forming collapses in stations like Moncloa. A first step. Madrid is betting on automation not only to improve its service, but as its particular strategy to aspire to sustainability. Reducing electricity consumption and increasing energy efficiency fit with European decarbonisation targets of public transportation. Furthermore, the project places Madrid in the select group of cities with fully automatic metro lines. We can see examples of these in Copenhagen or Lille, among others. Now it remains to be seen if the L6 project will be replicated on the rest of the lines. And now what. The works will continue until the end of the yearand it is expected that starting January 1 all stations will be open to the public during their usual hours. However, full automation of the network will not come until 2027, when the new trains enter service. Until then, the Madrid metro will continue to be a testing ground. The good thing is that if it works, the L6 will be the perfect showcase for what awaits the future of public transportation in the city. Cover image | Madrid Metro In Xataka | In 2018 it was a countryside on the outskirts of Chongqing. In 2025 it will be the largest train station in the world

To build an “artificial sun” we need to be able to move the weight of ten elephants with millimeter precision. This is what China has just done

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In Chinese mythology, Kuafu was a giant who challenged the gods when trying to catch the sun to give light and heat to their people. Centuries later, China re -pursues that same ambition, but now with avant -garde science: to create a “Artificial sun” that provides clean and unlimited energy. And in that way, the engineers have just presented a new protagonist worthy of legend: a colossal robot. The arm for fusion. The Asian giant has developed a remote manipulation platform for future fusion reactors. It is a system with three robotic arms, whose main manipulator can raise up to 60 tons – the weight of ten African elephants – with a millimeter accuracy, According to South China Morning Post. Meanwhile, the two secondary arms stand out for even more extreme precision: ± 0.01 millimeters, which makes it the most advanced remote management system in the field of fusion. Closer to the “artificial sun.” The objective of this whole project is to achieve stable nuclear fusion, that almost inexhaustible energy that mimics the process that occurs in the sun’s core. In fact, China has been breaking records for years in its East experimental reactor, which this year has achieved Maintain a confined plasma for 1,066 seconds, a world record that exceeds 403 seconds Realized in 2023. But for this energy to become commercial, it is necessary to resolve a major challenge: maintenance. The internal components of a reactor, such as coating or the diving, are constantly damaged by heat, radiation and magnetic fields. And this is where this new robot comes into play: no human being could work in these extreme conditions. The in -depth project. The robot is part of the craft (Comprehensive Research Facity for Fusion Technology), an installation in Hefei, Anhui, nicknamed “Kuafu” in honor of the mythical giant. More than 300 scientists and engineers participate in this project, According to SCMPunder the supervision of the Institute of Plasma Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. “We have developed a machine capable of meeting extremely demanding requirements by overcoming obstacles in materials, sensors and control,” explained Pan HongtaoInstitute researcher. The idea is to use craft as a test bank to develop and validate key fusion technologies, including those that will be applied in the future Chinese experimental fusion reactor (CFETR) and in the International Iter project In France. Ready to go into action? For now, we are not talking about an operational robot in a reactor, but of an experimental platform. According to China Dailythe system has already exceeded the evaluation of experts and will serve as an engineering verification platform to ensure that, when reactors enter into operation, remote maintenance is safe and precise. Craft, where it is housed, plans to be completed in the late 2025. Beyond fusion. Although the immediate objective is to maintain fusion reactors, technology is not limited to that field. According to CGTNthe advances achieved in this robot could also be applied in inspection of nuclear plants, aerospace industry, operations with heavy machinery or even emergency rescues. A global career for the artificial sun. The Kuafu robot does not arise in a vacuum. Other countries also develop remote maintenance systems, although with much lower capabilities. The most advanced arm of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Japan) supports only 2 tons. In contrast, the Chinese robot can manipulate 30 times higher loads. At the international level, the Iter project in France – in which 35 countries participate – will have a system Able to handle up to 45 tons. The new Chinese system already exceeds it in load capacity, although both remain development platforms rather than operating systems. The road map is clear but slow: Chinese experts They calculate that they are still 30 to 50 years to see commercial fusion reactors. And the European Union, with its Eurofusion projectdoes not expect to start testing with plasma until the end of this year. Forecasts The Chinese commitment to nuclear fusion advances with firm steps. The development of a robot capable of lifting 60 tons with surgical precision is not a simple engineering achievement: it is an essential piece for someday fusion reactors to maintain and function stable. Humanity He has been trying to replicate the energy of the sun on earth. With advances like this, China shows that it is determined to be the protagonist in that race. Decades may be missing to see fusion plants in operation, but every step we bring us a little more to that utopia to capture the sun. Image | Freepik Xataka | The largest nuclear fusion project on the planet has survived the setbacks. This is the date on which Iter should be ready

It seemed that the pocket notebook was irreplaceable. remarkable paper pro move begins to demonstrate that it is not

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We all have that moment: an idea appears in the middle of a meeting and, when taking out the mobile to point it, it vanishes between notifications. The lifelong notebook always had an advantage: it kept you focused. Now, a new generation of digital notebooks wants to bring that feeling back. Remarkable Paper Pro Move It is presented as An electronic sheet with paper touch, pocket size and tools that do not interrupt your concentration. Of course, the experience has a price: its bet is high, as the cost of accessing it. The objective of this device is not to replace the laptop or compete with a tablet: you can concentrate on what matters. Its size always takes it on top and remove the Stylus in seconds to write ideas at any time. The long -term battery and integrated reading light make it useful both in journeys and in meetings. It is a digital notebook that seeks to return fluency to daily work, avoiding the noise generated by messaging or mail applications. It is an attractive, but also limited proposal, designed for a very specific audience that will take advantage of it. The essentials of Paper Pro Move With dimensions of 195.6 x 107.8 x 6.5 mm and just 230 grams of weight, Paper Pro Move feels more like a notebook than as an electronic device. Your cYou have anodized aluminum And textured glass reinforces that sense of care and robust object, while integrated sensors allow the screen to turn on or off when opening and closing its case. It is designed to accompany without occupying space and to write about it is as natural as opening a notebook. The device incorporates a 7.3 -inch color electronic ink screen, with a resolution of 264 pixels per inch. Its Canvas color panel, based on and Ink Gallery 3, seeks to replicate the texture and contrast of physical paper. Adjustable lighting allows you to read and write in any environment, with a system that reduces visual fatigue and avoids blue light. In addition, Palma’s rejection allows you to support the hand to write without errors, reinforcing the feeling of using a traditional notebook, even outdoors. Its Canvas Color Panel, based on and Ink Gallery 3, seeks to replicate the texture and contrast of physical paper Among its functions include the conversion of writing to text, the possibility of selecting and reorganizing content, and the use of layers to manage different versions of the same work. Has templates adapted to different usesfrom task lists to monthly planners, in addition to tools to draw perfect lines and figures. Documents can be recorded directly and export in formats such as PDF, PNG or SVG. These capabilities make Paper Pro Move a notebook that is not exhausted, where the content is always editable and available for reuse. Beyond the device, remarkable offers a system designed to centralize ideas. Its official applications give access to notes and files from computer or telephone, and Connect expands these capacities with cloud storage without limits and new tools. Among them include the function of sharing screen in real time, direct shipping of notes to Slack and methods to plan projects. Compatibility with services such as Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox completes an ecosystem that aims to maintain all ordered and accessible information, without resorting to external solutions. The combination of autonomy and fast charge is key in this device. It can be kept active up to two weeks with normal use and reaches 90% load in less than 45 minutes, allowing it to resume it quickly. The processor Cortex-A55 of double core and the 2 GB of RAM They are enough to move the system and manage files without problems. Its 64 GB of internal storage avoid always depending on the cloud, while the USB-C port and the Dual Wi-Fi connectivity extend their integration possibilities. The security section includes encryption on the device and in the cloud, multifactor authentication, safe start and blockade after periods of inactivity. It is also possible to establish an access code to protect information. The use of recycled materials and energetically cleaner processes reinforces its sustainability approach, seeking that these types of devices can be kept operational for years without generating more waste. Paper Pro Move is accompanied by a Stylus who marks much of his identity. The Marker, available in standard version or Plus, is magnetically adheres to the device and allows the screen to be turned on instantly. Your stroke seeks to emulate that of a penwith spare tips that provide paper sensation to textured glass. The package includes the device, six points, the pencil and a USB-C cable, while the official covers Book Folio complete the set. The experience focuses on offering precision and naturalness without adding complexity to daily use. And it is time to talk about numbers. The Paper Pro move part of the 479 euroswith the Stylus included in the package, something important to point out because it does not always happen on other devices. To put it in context, tablets such as iPad A16 wave Galaxy Tab S10 Lite They are 399 euros and offer a completely different approach: applications, games, social networks and entertainment. Remarkable’s bet is on another way. Its price reflects a specialized device, designed to write, read and organize ideas without distractions, although that implies giving up the versatility of a conventional tablet. Images | Remarkable In Xataka | I have used the remarkable Paper Pro for two weeks. It is incredibly limited … and that is its greatest success

Humanoid robots impress at first glance. Sony is clear what reality is: they still do not know how to move well

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Humanoid robots are generating a lot of expectation for their futuristic component. Right now, Boston Dynamics’s new totally electric atlas It moves in almost aliens, and The humanoids of figure They already learn to handle coffee makers and washing machines. The feeling is that the Robots revolution is just around the corner, but in its design they hide a problem that is slowing its true potential. And the solution does not go through adding more calculation power. The ‘silly’ body of robots. A recent study From Sony’s own robotics division, he points out that the root problem that limits his own machines is the “limited number of joints”, which creates a “disparity between their movements and those of the subjects they imitate.” That in this case are humans. As explained by the director of the Mechanical Intelligence Research Group at the London South Bank University, the current approach to the robotic industry is “the first brain.” Incredibly complex software is designed that has to centralized a body that is, in essence, a metal knead and engines connected by slightly flexible joints. An attempt to resemble the human that fails. If we move as we moveS In day to day, it is not for ‘magic’, but because we are an almost perfect machine that has about 360 joints, 206 bones and numerous ligaments. This makes the column flexible or the joints adapt to any movement. But humanoid robots are simple rigid structures that constantly fight against their own weight and inertia. In order not to fall, they need to perform millions of microcorrections per second, also consuming a lot of energy. According to the data, a Tesla Optimus robot to make a simple walk Consume about 500 wattswhile a human being for a more demanding walk Consume 310 watts. The clumsy that they are is increasingly evident. The famous Optimus video folding a shirt It is, in reality, a demonstration of its great physical weakness. A human can fold the shirt almost without looking, using the touch to feel the key and guide their movements. Optimus with his rigid hands depends on his powerful vision and his brain to meticulously plan every tiny movement. The same goes for Atlasthat although it makes spectacular acrobatics, I could not walk safely on a rock covered in moss because the feet cannot feel the surface to adapt to it. {“Videid”: “X83kba5”, “Autoplay”: True, “Title”: “Tesla Bot: This is the humanoid robot that is creating Elon Musk”, “Tag”: “”, “Duration”: “135”} The solution is already explored: mechanical intelligence. This It is a concept that nature perfected millions of years ago and that researchers around the world are beginning to apply in robotics. The idea is simple: design the physical structure of a machine to perform ‘calculations’ and passively adaptations without the need for a central brain or extra sensors. In nature there are many examples of this. For example, the tendons of a hare act as intelligent docks that absorb the impact by landing and release that energy to boost the next stride. The human hand is also able to passively adapt to any object and the yolks of our fingers conform to moisture to achieve the perfect friction level. The investigation is already demonstrating the value of this approach. For example, there are robots with legs inspired by the tendons of a cheey that can run with notable energy efficiency. In Xataka We do not need necessarily humanoid robots. We need machines that do what we can’t even imagine The efforts are put to increase their presence. Companies are clear that humanoid robots are the future. Some like figure They have already created a system to make large -scale robotsor even China is doing exhibition of your best models To make it clear that they have gone from theory to practice, and even They put them on sale. And such is the number of companies that have been launched towards this market, which It costs to differentiate each other. But they already do very common tasks such as Play football or participate in Kickboxing tournaments between robots. And even work for an hour remembering exactly what their hands ‘feel’. Images | Julien Tromeur In Xataka | “I can’t stop”: addiction to talk to AI is already here and there are even help groups to leave it (Function () {Window._js_modules = Window._js_modules || {}; var headelement = document.getelegsbytagname (‘head’) (0); if (_js_modules.instagram) {var instagramscript = Document.Createlement (‘script’); }}) (); – The news Humanoid robots impress at first glance. Sony is clear what reality is: they still do not know how to move well It was originally posted in Xataka by José A. Lizana .

How to move from image to video using artificial intelligence: 14 essential free tools

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Let’s tell you How to create a video from a photoso that the image you choose is the reference and the starting point of the video. We are going to do it with a series of free applications of artificial intelligence That we are going to recommend, so you can try until we find the one that best suits you. A common denominator in this type of services that we will tell you on the list is that they are really paying, although they offer free versions so you can try them. These free versions usually have several limitations, from the number of videos that you can create to aspects such as resolutions or water marks. We will start with an explanation on how to create the videos with these websites, and then we will tell you the list of services. And as we always say in Xataka Basics, if you think we have left some important service We invite you to say it in the comments section so that all readers can benefit from the knowledge of our xatakers. Runway One of the great tools for Create Artificial Intelligence Video. You will only have to describe what you want with a Promptadding first an initial image that you can modify as you want. This will be the starting image to generate the rest of the video. Unfortunately Your free version is very limited. When you register for free, you are given 125 credits of a single use, and when you finish it, it is over. Therefore, although the quality of the tool is good, its free mode is a temporary demo. Artlist A website with which you can Create videos from images by AI. You have two options, first create an image from text and from there create the video, or upload a photo or image that is used as a reference to create the video from it. You will be able to choose the appearance ratio and define with a prompt what you want. The page It only allows you to generate a free videoin addition to five photographs. If you want more, then you will have to pay. As for the results, they are quite improvable, those of the creation of images too, and the quality of the video will depend on the starting image, and you cannot even download the video if you do not pay. Fotor This service will allow you Turn a photo into a video. You can upload a photo to use it as a reference and create the video from it and, if you want, also a photo like the end of the video. Then, you can choose a style like anime or cartoon so that the video has it. As is normal, the amount of tokens you have in the free account is quite limited, and they are also aspects such as video quality. But the results are fast and not bad. Akool A website with which you are going to Create animations from photographsbeing specialized especially in portraits or characters. You go up the photo and his AI will give him life with natural movements. This website is able to generate videos up to 4K qualities, although in its free version the maximum is 720p. Other limits you are going to find in your free plan is that The videos will have a water brandand that you have a cap of 1.5 minutes. File sizes can be, at most, 150 MB, and the processing is much slower and takes longer to generate the video than payment users. Hailuo This is one of the best services to Create videos with artificial intelligenceeither from a prompt or From a reference image. You will only have to upload the photo or image you want and describe what you want to happen. The great disadvantage is the great limitation that its free plan has. Not only for supporting only 6 second and 768p videos of resolutionbut also because the amount of tokens they give you is so low that you can barely create one or two videos. Adobe Firefly Adobe Firefly It has a payment function to create videos with artificial intelligence, although you can Create two free videos of test of about 5 seconds. It’s little, but it allows you to make a couple of short creations and thus prove your possibilities. Although most options are limited to the payment option, when creating video you will be able to choose the resolution and the appearance ratio, in addition to the frames per second and the duration. You can also upload a photo as a starting scene so that the video is generated through it. Deevid This is a specialized tool in create a video for AI from a photo. The amount of tokens that give you for free barely lets you create one or two, but it serves as proof and to see their results. You will be able to determine the engine to use, the duration of the video and the resolution. AI chicken A simple AI to be able to create videos from photos using artificial intelligence. It allows you some control, such as uploading your photo and describing in a prompt what you want it to happen. Its free version has limits in the tokens number, but you have a rewards system to get them for free. To give an example, make a video from an image in minimal quality are 2 tokens, and if you want to do it 720p they are 4. and thus, the more demanding it is more tokens cost. While, Every day you do check in on the web you will win 2 tokens Free, so by visiting it you can win enough to go by making videos. Monica ai An artificial intelligence tools suite with many possibilities, including the option of Encourage images with AI To turn them into video. It is designed to be easy to use, and you simply have to … Read more

The idea of ​​”a house for a lifetime” without fear of move

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In the Barcelona of the 21st century, the houses are no longer taken in which one is born, raised, pushes roots and even ends up founding a new family that takes over. Send the change. The horizons for a handful of years seen. That is one of the main conclusions of the report of the Economic and Social Consell of Barcelona (CESB) On the city’s residential park, its area and the Metropolitan Region. It reveals that more or less half Of the neighbors of the Catalan capital they have changed residence or will do so throughout the decade between 2018 and 2027. The big question is: why? Houses for life. The concept of “house for a lifetime” is falling in Barcelona. He last report On its residential park presented yesterday by CESB, it shows that the removals are the order of the day in the Catalan capital and many of its neighbors have changed their house or will do so over the next few years. “An important part of the population expects that it will change housing in the five years after the survey,” Clarify the report of CESB, which is based on a survey made in 2022. Although the survey was conducted several years ago their conclusions are interesting because they show an increase in moving plans among the Barcelona population. Specifically, it has detected an increase of 12.6% compared to the 2017 data. “The Condal city especially records a high change in housing,” They slide Its authors. And what does the report reveal? Thanks to the combination of several sources, the study of CESB provides an “radiography” of residential mobility in Barcelona, ​​the rest of the area and the whole of the Metropolitan Region, a wide territory by which they are distributed 2.2 million homes. The most interesting data is those of the Ciudad Ciudad, where 35.5%of the population provided for changing housing during the five years of the survey, conducted in 2022. In the rest of the Barcelona area they had move plans around a third (29%) of the neighbors and in the region 25.8%. That is the short -term forecast, between 2022 and 2027. The other great question that the report answers is … How many people have already changed residence in recent years? According to its calculations, during the five years prior to the survey, 30.4% of the population of the city. In the rest of the conurbation it was made by 23.1% and in the external crown that completes the Metropolitan Region 25.1%. And what is the general photo? “If changes are combined in the last five years and the forecast of the next five shows how about half of the population of each of the areas has changed housing or plans to do so during the 2018-2027 period,” collect the report Sector published yesterday by CESB. “The city is especially suffering from a high change, being the only area where more than half of the population (50.7%) is expected to change housing throughout that period.” Subscribers to the removals. That the specific case of Barcelona has caught the attention of the technicians is not explained so much for the number of people who have already moved or plan to do so as for those who fit both profiles. That is, Barcelona who have changed home in recent years and plan to do it again. In the Catalan capital They represent 14.9% of the population, compared to 9.1% of the conurbation and 8.5% of the rest of the region. “In conclusion, a high rate of housing is observed throughout the Metropolitan Region, with especially high figures in Barcelona, ​​where more than half of the people are expected during the period analyzed,” The report concludes. “Especially serious is the situation of that 15% of Barcelona who plan to change housing twice in just ten years, with the difficulties that this can behave when it comes to vital stability or roots in the territory.” Why do they move? CESB also answers that doubt. And its conclusion is striking: the main reason that leads the population to change home is “to improve housing or the environment.” That is the reason behind 34.7% of the removals counted in Barcelona and about 40% of those registered in the metropolitan area and the region. The second reason (28.2% in the Catalan capital) is the desire to form a home or other family reasons. Interestingly, the report itself indicates that in a significant part (and also growing) of homes reside only one or two people. And prices? The economic factor is also behind not a few moves, although it motivates less than the search for better locations or family motifs. The study indicates that almost a quarter (24.5%) of the changes registered in the city in recent years respond to “economic reasons” or “forced” reasons and alien to the will of those who reside in housing, such as a demolition, an expulsion or the end of a contract. That reason is far superior to that of moving for labor reasons, which explain between 5 and 10% of residences changes. “Regarding the forecasts for the next five years, about half of the people who plan to change floor plan to do so to improve their own home or environment,” They abound. The economic or force majeure reasons are maintained in third place in the ranking, behind the relatives, although they lose strength: it is estimated that they will go from 24.5% to 14.7%. What is the context? CESB has presented the study in a complex context, marked by The increase of housing (both in the lease market and in the sale) and The pressure exercised by holiday rental, which has even taken Barcelona to Declare war to tourist floors. Such is the situation that housing has become The main concern of its neighbors, tied with insecurity. The CESB report also provides other interesting data that help complete the radiography of the Barcelona Residential Park and its area, such as 15.9% of … Read more

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