sound

my tapes sound better than they did in the 80s

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If you are interested inphysical formats out of commercial circulation (I was going to give examples, but I just realized – in the first of the many psychological blows around my age that I am going to receive with this article – that any physical format is outdated by definition), you will often run into the same problem. The problem is not so much finding material to enjoy, but rather keeping the technology that allows us to enjoy it ready and in good condition. Said in terms we all know: the problem is both software and hardware. The classic example is retro video games. Not only do you have to track down, obtain and keep the NES cartridges in good condition, but you also have to keep the NES ready. In the case of the consoles of the eighties, which we all know will survive in perfect working order the seemingly imminent collapse of civilization, there are no major problems, but try keeping an Xbox 360 or PS3 ready. Bigger words. Well, so with everything. If you are interested in audiovisuals, the problem is not so much finding VHS tapes of that elusive Michael Dudikoff masterpiece that you need to complete the ‘American Ninja’ saga. The problem is rather to make sure that the VHS player and, above all, the very fragile tube TVs continue to allow you to watch those movies that are neither nor expected to be on Prime Video. The same with audio: finding tapes of Calatrava Brothers jokes is relatively easy, finding where to play them is another song (or scream). And I confess it. I think I have bought more cassette players in general in recent years and boomboxes in particular (the name generally given to portable audio players that include AM/FM radio and cassettes, often with double decks, with CDs in the latest models, popularized in the 1970s and 1980s) than when tapes were the dominant format. The reason is logical: you are buying second-hand devices, which already have their corresponding trot and that they are on the verge of collapse, when they are not already collapsing directly. An invention like Medion’s, therefore, is especially attractive to me: good sound quality, extras that could not be dreamed of in the eighties (miniSD and USB inputs, Dab+, now we will see everything), extremely affordable price for what it offers. Let’s quickly review what this interesting thing offers and then I’ll give you my impressions as target absolute of this type of inventions. A good hulk Let’s start with the obvious. He boombox Medion is voluminous: 670 mm wide by 271 mm high and 171 mm deepyou have it in the image above with a double deck from the time, which is not one of the largest, but not a dead fly either. The reason for the size of this monster is the speakers, with a larger diameter than usual, an upper area with a pair of small extra speakers, plus the bass and treble controls, the frequency tuner and the volume, crowned by a small LCD screen and the radio dial. They could be smaller, but they also serve an aesthetic function, because frankly, who wants a volume dial that you can’t grab with your full hands. At the top, the device has a really useful folding handle, in addition to the irreplaceable folding antenna to receive the radio. With its 6.1 kilos of weight we are not facing a boombox especially portable or manageable, but frankly, although it has space for four Type D batteries (lucky to give them another type of use unless you are also a flashlight collector), it is not a device to take out for a walk. Even so, without having to move it from your house, it is interesting that it is comfortable to move it from one room to another thanks to its handle. Our impression is that you will end up finding a dedicated space for it, due to its volume and its relatively poor handling. It is not a problem at all, but if you have a corner reserved for CDs and cassettes, clear out the micro TV with built-in DVD or the Trivial and Pictionary boxes. What can you do Basically, we are faced with a boombox which includes a radio and a cassette and CD player (single, but who wants a double deck today). In all cases the operation is impeccable, although we will see how having the CD vertically feels in the medium term. The best: the possibility of injecting good bass with the dedicated dial or with the extra boost of the X-bass, with a dedicated button, thus avoiding the dreaded “can sound”. The speakers have enough quality to be heard well (and loudly) even if we are not placed in front of the device, but we must be prepared to touch lows and highs with everything we play, especially if we alternate CDs and cassettes. If you ask me, that’s part of the fun. We have forced the machine with recorded cassettes, many listenings (and loans) in tow and his good thirty years of ageand the result is as good as it can be in artifacts like this, to the point of surprising in many cases. I haven’t listened to some of these cassettes with this quality since the days when I used a huge music system, with some great stereo speakers of the time. After all, listening to a CD with good sound quality is still within our reach; you can do it on a computer with a good set of speakers and a disk drive. A recorded cassette with decades of work behind it is more difficult to listen to with quality that does it justice. Once again, I would like to highlight the wonderful job that very powerful basses do in giving body and presence to music that, often, I have not kept on the best medium (cassettes recorded and re-recorded dozens of times of… erm… First … Read more

teach AI to sound human

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In recent months, many of us have spoken to an artificial intelligence without thinking too much about it. We have asked him questions, we have asked him for advice or we have simply tested how far his ability to keep a natural conversationl. Tools like voice modes ChatGPT either Gemini They have brought that experience closer to something that, not so long ago, seemed reserved for science fiction, with inevitable echoes of ‘Her’. But there’s one question we rarely ask ourselves while talking to them: how have these machines learned to sound less and less like a system and more like a person. To understand it, it is convenient to separate what we see from what we do not see. On the one hand there are the applications that we use daily, those assistants that respond with an increasingly natural voice. On the other hand, the systems that support them, models trained with large volumes of data that they need to learn not only what to say, but also how to say it. We do not know which specific products end up using this type of recording, but we do know that they are part of the ecosystem with which increasingly fluid and credible voice systems are trained. The human hand behind an artificial voice When we get down to the details, what these workers do is not very similar to the classic idea of ​​“training an AI.” In many cases, it involves having conversations with strangers about seemingly trivial topics, from everyday tastes to open questions that require you to develop an answer. In others, the assignment is more demanding: playing a role, following a script without seeming like it or enter emotional terrain. Bloomberg accountFor example, the case of a worker who recounted painful memories of her life while speaking with a man who introduced himself as a pastor and who, within the exercise, played the role of therapist. All that recorded material serves a very specific purpose: capturing nuances. We are not just talking about words, but about pauses, breaths, changes in tone, hesitations or emotional reactions that make a conversation sound human. There are also labeling tasks, in which workers have to distinguish whether an audio contains a sob, a laugh, or someone talking between laughs. The underlying logic is simple: if a machine wants to stop sounding robotic, it first needs to be exposed to how we really speak. After passing an initial voice test, they can qualify for tasks that start at about $17 per recorded hour. From there, the question is inevitable: how do you access this type of job and how much do you really earn? Platforms like Babel Audio They function as intermediaries that connect these workers with specific projects. After passing an initial voice test, they can opt for tasks that start at around $17 per recorded hour, although the final income depends on the evaluation received and the volume of orders available. Income also varies greatly: a worker cited by the aforementioned media claims to earn about 600 dollars a week. This is what the BabelAudio website looks like As we progress, the work begins to show a less visible side. Beyond the rates and the promise of flexibility, the testimonies point to an environment marked by uncertainty and constant control. Platforms can limit access to tasks, interrupt projects or suspend accounts without detailed explanations, leaving many workers in a fragile position. In addition, each conversation is subject to real-time metrics that assess whether someone speaks too much or too little, expressiveness, language proficiency, depth of exchange and even the length of pauses. When we broaden the focus, the debate stops being solely work-related and also becomes personal. Part of the value of these recordings lies precisely in the fact that they capture how we speak and how we relate, which implies that workers are providing more than just a mechanical task. The terms generally allow those recordings to be used in voice assistants, speech synthesis, and “other audio-related products and services.” When we connect all the pieces, what we see is an industry that works thanks to a complex production chain. The Pulitzer Center describes This ecosystem is like a fragmented work network in which workers are usually subject to confidentiality agreements, operate with very little transparency and, in many cases, do not even know what system they are training or what company their work ends up going to. In this context, the conversations that feed voice systems are only one part of a larger machine, where each task contributes to building increasingly sophisticated technologies. Images | Xataka with Nano Banana 2 | Screenshot In Xataka | Congratulations, you already program without knowing how to program. Now prepare to wait six weeks for Apple to listen to you

30 years later he leaves without making a sound and that is the worst of all

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The alarms went off when the model could not be chosen in the configurator on their website, but it now seems that there is no turning back: Audi has closed orders for the A8 in Germany. Which means that the manufacturer is going to stop marketing them, at least for the moment. It is the end of an era for its flagship. More than 30 years giving the call. Since 1994 it has been Audi’s reference in the large luxury sedan segment, competing directly with the Mercedes S-Class and the BMW 7 Series. The fact that it is going to disappear from the market has its reason, but above all it responds to a trend that we have been experiencing for years: people are moving from sedans in the premium segment: they want an SUV. What exactly happened. On February 18, Audi stopped accepting configurations of the A8 in its German domestic market. The brand’s website now redirects interested parties to second-hand alternatives. Motor1, which was the media that confirmed the news, received a response The manufacturer is vague about its availability: “it depends on inventory levels and other factors,” said a spokesperson for the brand. The A8 is currently still active in the UK and US configurators, where it starts at $95,100, but everything indicates that once stock runs out in each market, the Audi A8 will say goodbye. The D5 generation I was on my way to 10 years. The current model arrived in 2017 and received a facelift in 2021, falling short of standing up to its rivals. While Mercedes has renewed the S-Class with around 50% new or redesigned components, according to they count from Autoblog, they already point to the next big leap planned for 2029; and more of the same for BMW, which is already preparing new features for the 7 Series. In this context, the A8 has aged without being able to catch up. On the other hand, according to they counted in October from the German media Automobilwoche, the Euro 7 regulations would make a new restyling of the D5 unfeasible without a prohibitive cost. A segment in retreat. The A8 does not fall alone. Lexus said goodbye to the LS after 37 years, and brands such as Jaguar, Maserati, Cadillac, Lincoln and Infiniti have already abandoned or drastically reduced their presence in this segment. And the numbers of the A8 itself throughout its history say it all: the first three generations sold between 150,000 and 200,000 units each worldwide. The current D5 generation, presented in 2017, has not reached 50,000 units in its entire life cycle, according to they count from Motor News. The door is not completely closed. Audi spokesman Marcel Bestle dropped to Motor1 that the brand “will communicate more details about a possible successor at a later date.” Maybe we’re not going to say a definitive goodbye, but it seems that Audi is going to have to rethink things a lot to go back to betting on the A8. Maybe make the jump to pure electric? In this context, they still have to give it some time, but being left without a representative sedan for longer than necessary can end up damaging the brand’s image. Meanwhile, it seems that Mercedes and BMW have free rein to continue accumulating more market share in this segment. Cover image | Audi In Xataka | If you have a 1991 car and you are registered in Madrid, the City Council has a message for you: do not throw it away

Spain is letting the lisp die in Andalusia without knowing that the /θ/ sound is a global rarity that we are losing

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In recent days, the University of Granada has presented a macroatlas with almost half a million audios that shows how the way of speaking of Andalusians has changed. The research is very interesting for many reasons, but today I want to focus on something specific: the slow, but inexorable agony of lisp. What is lisp. While the distinction between ‘s”https://www.xataka.com/”z’ and seseo gains ground in the south, lisping is losing speakers in the only place where lisping is used. It is a sociological question, yes: researchers are clear that stigma is the main force against this phonetic subsystem. But there is something else Because, in reality, what we are seeing is not just the death of the lisp, it is the end of the sound (θ) itself: one of the most unknown oddities of the Spanish language. A Spanish oddity? Although it is not something that is often explained much, the ‘c’ sound (/θ/) is relatively rare in the world — only in 43 of 566 languages ​​(7.6%) in the world. WALS sampling appears and only in 4% of the counts in typological databases (UPSID: 3.99%; PHOIBLE: ~4%). That is, very few living languages ​​have that sound among their phonetic repertoires. To give us an idea, the phoneme of the ñ (ɲ), quintessence of Spanish, appears in 35% of the world’s languages. But… what about the ‘c’? The usual explanation Why (θ)/(ð) are less frequent and why they are disappearing is simple: they are “soft” fricatives; That is, they are less strident sounds than (s)/(z) and, therefore, have less perceptual salience. This is what makes them tend to be lost or transformed easily over time. That does not mean that the Spaniard of the future is going to be sesante; but there is a high probability that it is sesante. The heritage of a language in the trash. It is clear that it cannot be argued from a philological point of view that the disappearance of (θ) is a bad thing. The Earth turns, languages ​​change. But it is striking that in a society in which historical heritage continues to be “valued”, the progressive loss of a sound does not set off alarm bells. And that it does so because we are not capable of accepting the diversity of our own language, normalizing it and defending it in the public sphere, is perhaps worse. Image | Wiebrig Krakau (Modified) In Xataka | “The most serious attack since there is memory”: Pérez-Reverte has started a crusade against the RAE from within the RAE

assault in sound quality and for being the most comfortable headphones

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Now that Samsung has finally announced the new generation of its headphones, what better way to explore what they offer than to compare them with models from other brands. Are they better than Apple’s? To do this, in this article we are going to put the Samsung Galaxy Buds4 with AirPods Pro 3. The differences between the Samsung Galaxy Buds4 and the AirPods Pro 3 The design, which one do you prefer? It is evident that one of the most important points when using headphones is the design. The Samsung Galaxy Buds4 they have a open, padless design while the AirPods Pro 3 They come with a set of five pads. And this may interest you a lot when buying headphones or others. Each person is different and headphones may be good for one person, but not for you. The good thing about AirPods is that with the pads you can customize the headphones so they fit better in your ears. Samsung does not allow this as it has an open design and no pads, so in the worst case you could feel some discomfort if they are too big for you or they simply fall off when walking, running or exercising. Best for lossless audio The AirPods Pro 3 may be the perfect headphones for an Apple user, but not everything is pretty: the headphones support the AAC codec (256 kbps), so if you use platforms that offer ‘Lossless’ sound quality you will not be able to have the best possible experience. Things change with the Samsung Galaxy Buds4 that support the codec SSC-UHQ (24-bit / 96 kHz). In this case you can take advantage of the ‘Lossless’ quality offered by many platforms such as Tidal or Spotify. If you are looking for the best possible sound quality, these are the ones that may interest you the most. Samsung wins in autonomy, but with nuances Both the Samsung Galaxy Buds4 and the AirPods Pro 3 offer good autonomy, up to 30 hours for the former and up to 24 hours for the latter. But if we remove the charging case from each one, things change. If you have active noise cancellation on, the Samsung headphones will last you just under five hours, while with the Apple headphones almost you will be able to last almost an entire day of eight hours of work. This is not to say that Samsung headphones are worse. Simply you have to take into account when you are going to use them: If it is for training or listening to music for a few hours, Samsung headphones may suit you well. If you listen to music for many hours to work, Apple headphones win here. What happens if my headphones get wet? Although it is always better to avoid water to ensure proper functionality of the headphones, both the Galaxy Buds4 and the AirPods Pro 3 are water resistant, although not in the same way. Resistances are usually measured by the degree of IP certificationand in this case the headphones come with: IP54 certification on the Samsung Galaxy Buds4: protection against water jets. IP57 certification on AirPods Pro 3: protection against complete immersion in water at a depth of 1 meter for 30 minutes. In any case, both headphones are durable enough to function properly when used while exercising or in the rain. In the event that, for example, they fall into a puddle of water or into the bathtub, the AirPods Pro 3 are protected for these situations. A little extra that can change your choice Although it is something that we can find in other devices such as smartwatches, it is worth mentioning that the AirPods Pro 3 have a sensor that we do not see in Samsung headphones: the heart rate sensor. It is not a simple addition that we are going to avoid because we already have a watch, since there is a good reason why Apple has decided to introduce it in headphones. Beyond the reliability provided by sensors in devices such as smartwatches, it is medically more reliable for a device to take vital signs from the ear than from the wrist. If you exercise and are looking for greater control over the measurements, this AirPods sensor may interest you. In summary: which Bluetooth headphones to choose according to your tastes and needs Why choose the Samsung Galaxy Buds4 The Samsung Galaxy Buds4 arrive in style, offering a very competitive price. Where they stand out the most is in: Your SSC-UHQ codec. If you are going to use them to listen to music on platforms that offer ‘Lossless’ quality, these are the ones we recommend. If you listen to music sporadically. The headphones alone have less autonomy than Apple’s, but with the charging case they get a higher figure. If you use them for sessions of no more than four and a half hours, these are the ones that may interest you. If you want the cheapest. It is inevitable to compare prices on these headphones, so if you want to spend as little as possible, the difference of 70 euros is quite attractive. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Why choose AirPods Pro 3 The AirPods Pro 3 were launched a few months ago and continue to be one of the best purchase options in their price range. Where they stand out the most is in: The design. That it includes five pads is something very interesting if you don’t know very well how they are going to fit in your ears. With them, you can adapt the headphones so that they do not move, something especially interesting when walking, running or exercising. Your autonomy. The autonomy of the headphones (without charging case) reaches eight hours, so if you listen to music while you work, these are the ones that may interest you the most. Better water resistance. It’s not every day that we drop our headphones into a puddle or pool, … Read more

Amazon is discounting high-end mobile phones, sound bars and more with discounts of more than 40%: the best deals today

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Amazon has become one of these online stores that we first turn to when we want to buy something. If you are looking for deals on technological devices, these are the best technology deals on Amazon that we found today, February 24. WiFi 6 system Cudy ZX3000 2 by 122.19 euros: Allows you to connect up to more than 200 devices. smart plug Tenda Beli SP3 by 5.99 euros– Compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant. sound bar Ultimea Poseidon D60 by 171.47 euros: with a power of 410 W and Dolby Atmos. Wireless headphones Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 by 149 euros: with noise cancellation and up to 30 hours of autonomy. smartphone Huawei Pura 80 Pro: 6.8 inches and with telephoto lens. Cudy ZX3000 2 WiFi 6 System Nowadays, having a good Internet connection at home is essential since we have a multitude of devices connected (mobilestablets, computers, smart TVs and even some appliances). To receive the best signal, a good WiFi 6 system is a solution. Now, on Amazon you can get this one on sale cudy ZX3000. It has gone from costing 229.90 euros to 122.19 euros. Its 2.5 Gbps multi-gigabit WAN port offers Ethernet speeds, ideal for Internet connections faster than 1 Gbps. Allows connect more than 200 devices And if there is something it stands out for, it is its easy configuration. CUDY AX3000 2.5G Wi-Fi 6 Mesh System, 3-Pack The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Tenda Beli SP3 smart plug If you want to control any device in your home remotely, even if you are away from home, this smart plug from Tenda is one of the essential bargains on Amazon today. Normally it costs around 10 euros, but now it has a 40% discountbeing able to buy it for 5.99 euros. To control it, you can use the app available for smartphones. Thanks to this smart plug you can schedule schedules and timers and it has an away from home mode that will be very useful when you are on vacation, for example. Likewise, it stands out for being compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant. Tenda Beli SP3 Wi-Fi Smart Plug The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Ultimea Poseidon D60 Soundbar Do you want to set up your own home theater and are looking for a sound bar good, pretty and cheap? This Ultimea one is now a bargain on Amazon, thanks to the 43% discount that has been applied. Now you can get it for 171.47 euros. This is best selling sound bar on Amazon and it is a 5.1 channel model. It offers an RMS power of 410 W and has Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity. It is compatible with Dolby Atmos and also incorporates HDMI eARC. ULTIMEA Poseidon D60 5.1 Sound Bar with Dolby Atmos The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 wireless headphones Google’s Pixels have become one of the most successful smartphone models lately. The brand also has wireless headphones and they are now very well priced. On Amazon, you can get these Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 with 100 euros discountsince they have gone from costing 249 euros to 149 euros in these moments. These wireless headphones from Google have noise cancellation and are small, light and comfortable. Your brain is Tensor A1 chipwhich has Artificial Intelligence. They also incorporate conversation detection and their battery offers up to 30 hours of autonomy. Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 – Wireless Earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Huawei Pura 80 Pro smartphone If you are looking for a mobile high-end, this Huawei Pura 80 Pro It is a terminal that you can now get discounted on Amazon. It has gone from costing 1,099 euros to 899 euros in these moments. The Huawei Pura 80 Pro stands out for its ultra-illuminated camera with telephoto lensmaking it a perfect mobile phone to take good photos. Its screen is 6.8 inches and its design is very elegant. Regarding its battery, it supports fast charging SuperCharge 100W wired and 80W wireless. HUAWEI Pura 80 Pro Mobile Smartphone, 12GB+512GB 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 | Javier Penalva (Xataka), Google, Huawei, Ultimea, Tenda and Cudy In Xataka | Home alone: ​​buying guide for smart devices to take care of your home when you go on vacation In Xataka | Best iPhones. Which one to buy and recommended models based on budget, tastes and quality-price

A group of Spanish pilots wait in front of Russia for an alarm that will sound 500 times in 2025. They only have 15 minutes to launch their fighters

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A few minutes from Russian airspace, a handful of Spanish pilots live in the most tense routine that exists in peacetime: be ready to take off at any moment from an icy base from the Balticone where the sky is watched as if each blip on the radar could be the start of something bigger. Fifteen minutes. At Šiauliai, a Lithuanian air base that functions as first line of surveillance over the Baltic, the routine can be broken at any second with a siren and a countdown. When the alert goes off (in 2025 alone it did so up to 500 times), the Spanish pilots of the 15th Wing They put on their equipment, get into the vans and run towards the hangars with a single objective: to be in the air in less than fifteen minutes. It is a millimetric mechanic, repeated so many times in training that becomes automaticbecause the mission does not wait for anyone and because in that area an unidentified plane, without a transponder or without communication, can be the beginning of a serious incident. The shadow of an enemy. The function of these quick exits, called “scrambles”is to intercept and escort suspicious aircraft until they leave Allied space or their intentions become clear, and in the Baltic they are almost an everyday language. The route is especially sensitive because it connects Russia with the militarized enclave of Kaliningradand there intersect fighters, surveillance planes and traffic that sometimes fly without a flight plan or without the expected signals. The result is constant tension: some days there are several outings and other weeks everything seems calm, but the feeling is always the same, that the next warning can come when you are resting or half asleep. 15th Wing Fighter Mission since 2004. NATO started this baltic air police in 2004 to protect the space of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and since then the countries have taken turns in rotation four months so that the umbrella is permanent. Over time, the deployment was expanded to other bases in the region, first after the first Russian invasion of Ukraine and later with further expansion, because the Eastern Front ceased to be a theoretical concept. In recent months, furthermore, the incursions became more disturbing due to a new detail: not only manned aircraft appeared, but also drones that crossed borders and forced us to react quickly. Spain and the fighters. The Spanish contingent arrived in December with more than 200 troops and eleven EF-18Ma modernized version of the Hornet that Spain operates and maintains ready to fly day or night. The planes are armed with air-to-air missiles and the pilots train with night vision goggles, because surveillance does not stop when the sun goes down. Behind each exit there is a system that monitors the sky relentlessly, control centers that detect traces on the radar and a decision chain that, when activated, turns the entire base into a fast, silent and perfectly rehearsed choreography. Drones change the script. The big twist is that now the problem is not only the classic military plane that approaches without identifying itself, but the emergence of cheap dronesslow, low and erratic, more difficult to classify and more complicated to stop with means designed for another era. It we have counted. In September last year, a wave of Russian drones penetrated Polish airspace during an attack on Ukraine, and then there were similar episodess that forced the activation of fighter jets in countries like Romania. In parallel, small unidentified drones began to be seen near airports, bases and sensitive facilities throughout Europe, fueling the feeling of vulnerability and suspect that someone is measuring response times and blind spots. Crow, the anti-drone. For this reason, in this deployment the 15th Wing arrived with a historical novelty for them: the Indra Crow systeman anti-drone defense that adds a different layer of protection to the base and its surroundings. Crow combines radars, cameras and sensors to detect small aircraft and, once located, attempts to take them down using signal jamming, that is, electronic warfare from fixed or mobile positions. Its range not only protects planes and runways, it also covers the nearby city, because the real goal is to shield critical infrastructure and reduce the risk of a cheap drone causing disproportionate damage. The cost dilemma. Behind this adaptation is a problem that NATO is being forced to solve at full speed: intercepting cheap drones with weapons designed to shoot down fighters is an unsustainable equation. Firing expensive missiles from a fighter jet to take down a small aircraft may work, but it turns every defense in a waste and opens the door to volume saturation. That is why procedures and tactics are being reviewed, looking for cheaper and more specific systems, and assuming that the fighter will no longer always be the best tool to put out the fire. The strategic signal. The arrival of fighters with anti-drone protection It reflects a Europe that begins to fortify the sky as if war were already knocking at the door, although it has not yet fully crossed. In the Baltic, each rotation is a political and military message: there is presence, there is a response and there is an intention to fill gaps that did not exist before. Thus, what was previously an almost routine escort and identification mission is becoming a comprehensive defense exercise against hybrid threatswhere the enemy can be a large plane, a tiny drone or a provocation designed solely to check if, when the alarm sounds, there is really someone capable of taking off in those fifteen minutes. Image | Pexels, Pavel Vanka In Xataka | There are “invisible” Russian submarines happily sailing through the Baltic and that has led Europe to unprecedented measures In Xataka | A Russian submarine has appeared off the coast of France. And Europe’s reaction has been surprising: have a laugh

LEGO was one of the last refuges of analog play. You have just opened the door to sensors, lights and sound in your bricks

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LEGO has flirted with electronics before, but its most stable promise was always something else: that the classic brick needed nothing to become anything. For decades, this principle maintained an almost intact refuge from the digitalization of children’s play, without screens or sensors, with imagination as the only driving force. That is why the step that the company has just taken is not minor. Introducing motion, light and sound detection into the brick itself strikes at the heart of the system. The announcement occurred at CES 2026, in Las Vegas, where LEGO officially presented its new SMART Play System. The company explained that it is a platform that introduces new electronic components into its construction system so that the creations react with lights and sounds in response to movement and interaction. It was not presented as a prototype, but as a product with a launch date and with a platform vocation. The system, by pieces. The SMART Play System is based on three elements that work together. The core is the so-called SMART Brick, a 2×4 brick that acts as a response center. Around it, the SMART Tags come into play, pieces that indicate to the brick what type of object or scenario it represents, and the SMART Minifigures, figures capable of activating different behaviors. LEGO insists that they are not independent accessories, but parts of the same system designed to fit with the rest of the traditional pieces. Sensors, lights and sound. Unlike previous approaches based on recognizable modules, here the electronics live within the brick itself. The SMART Brick integrates motion detection using an accelerometer, lights capable of reacting to the environment and a sound system that is activated according to physical interaction. There are no external screens or controls – it’s all down to how you turn, pan or tap the build. In its official description, LEGO also talks about a color recognition scanner and a game engine that generates reactions with lights and sounds. The CES demos show a birthday cake capable of recognizing when its candles go out and reacting with an audible celebration, as well as a helicopter that responds to movement with flight effects and changes behavior when turning or falling. In these cases, the interaction does not start from a button or a screen, but from a physical gesture. Release date. The commercial deployment of the system already has a first date set. The premiere will arrive in the United States in March, with a set based on Star Wars as the spearhead. The choice does not seem accidental: starting with such a recognizable license allows you to immediately show the possibilities of the system and see how it fits into real use before taking new steps. It’s not the first time. Although the SMART Play System introduces electronics to a place hitherto untouchable, LEGO has been exploring hybrid formulas for years. From robotics kits with sensors, like LEGO Mindstormsuntil augmented reality experiencesthe company has been testing how to combine physical construction and digital responses. The difference now is one of focus: the technology stops being a recognizable addition and becomes integrated into the language of the parts system itself. What some experts say. The announcement has not been received with unanimous enthusiasm. Josh Golin, CEO of Fairplay Group, warned the BBC that Smart Bricks “undermine what was once great about Legos” by shifting initiative from the child to the sensors. Along the same lines, Professor Andrew Manches, from the University of Edinburgh, recalled that the historical value of the brand has been in “the freedom to create, recreate and adapt simple blocks to create infinite stories.”, and warned that technology can condition how it is played if it is not designed carefully. Faced with these criticisms, LEGO defends that technology does not replace physical play, but rather expands it. Julia Goldin, head of product and marketing, explained to the British media that they do not see the digital world as a threat, but as an opportunity to “expand physical play and physical construction.” An important nuance. The SMART Play System does not mean that all LEGO sets will incorporate electronics from now on. For now, the company has presented a concrete proposal, with a first launch without announcing an immediate expansion to the rest of its catalog. What path this technology will have and in what lines it will end up appearing is something that is not yet defined. For now, this is a limited deployment that will serve to test how far this approach fits within the traditional game system. Images | LEGO In Xataka | What happened to Technicolor: evolution and death of the company that changed cinema and was overwhelmed by its ambition

Senna has given us back the passion for a Formula 1 that no longer exists. And its sound is key to understanding its success

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March 1, 1981. Brands Hatch, United Kingdom. He had fought for two karting world championships but was still a complete unknown to the general public. Not even in England, where the passion for motorsport is several steps ahead of other European countries, were they aware of what they were seeing. Brazilian with curly hair. The face of a child on the body of a 21-year-old boy. The arrogant look of someone who knows he is superior. And it is superior. That day was fifth at the controls of his Van Diemen. Two weeks were enough for me to get his first victory. With the circuit flooded, Ayrton Senna da Silva asked his team to put as much pressure as possible in their tires. They say that no one on the team believed in that decision but as a pilot who paid to have a guaranteed seat, the mechanics followed orders. The rest is history. The Brazilian driver began to string victories. Six races held that year in the Formula Ford 1600 with four victories. 12 victories out of 19 rounds in which he took the exit. At the end of that same year, Ayrton Senna fulfilled his family commitment and promise to Lilian de Vasconcelos Souza, then girlfriend and then briefly wife of the man considered the most talented Formula 1 driver in history. Senna returned to his country to run the family business. But he had already experienced what it was like to win. He had already experienced what it was like to be the best. And he came back to win it all. They exist, they are somewhere More than 40 years after that Brands Hatch race, Netflix released Senna. “While we were still searching, we recorded a Formula Ford in Sweden, an FF 1600,” The speaker is Gabriel Gutiérrezsound designer of the six-episode series in which the pilot’s life is recreated working with, among other tools, Dolby Atmos. Senna talks about the human side of the driver, his private life and his path to becoming a triple world champion. But if something attracts an amateur, it is the montage of the images, the recreations aboard legendary single-seaters. Recreations that would be nothing without their sound. “I received a call from a post-production supervisor from Brazil, Gabriel Queiroz, who told me about a new project by Vicente Amorim, with whom I had already worked on Holy. From the beginning, we started looking for cars worldwide and how to get models from that era to go out and record them,” explains Gutiérrez about how Senna was built. “The filming was going to be done with replicas of the cars that were custom-built models, fantastic, with enormous precision, but their engines were not Formula 1 racing ones,” Gutiérrez clarifies. Ayrton Senna in the Formula Ford 1600 in 1981 And there begins the challenge: to be able to record the most iconic models driven and against which Ayrton Senna competed throughout the decade of the 80s and early 90s. “Many people told us that we were crazy, that we were never going to achieve it, that those cars were dismantled and that they do not exist.” But boy do they exist. Whoever has ever gone to see a Formula 1 race, there is something that they do not forget: the sound. The current V6 hybrids have nothing to do with the brutal howl of the V10s of the late 90s and early 2000s that Senna himself would not see. What he did have in his hands were cars from a time that will not return. Between his debut in Formula 1 in 1984 and the fateful May 1, 1994 when he lost his life in the Tamburello curve of the Imola circuit (San Marino), the turbo V8 and the naturally aspirated V10 and V12 paraded through Formula 1, the latter with a brutal sound, hoarser than the return of the V10 from 1995 onwards. Pure sounds, without a trace of electrification, that danced inside the cabin to the metallic tapping of the gearbox lever. From stomping on the clutch to downshift, playing with the accelerator to synchronize the revolutions of an engine that was going above 10,000, 11,000, 12,000 rpm. The engine backfired before taking the first chicane at Monza where the Ferraris of Berger and Alboreto watched in shock as Ayrton Senna abandoned the car after Jean-Louis Schlesser crashed and got the only victory they would scratch to the McLarens throughout 1988. The hit of the accelerator at the start and the howl with each gear change before reaching the Parabolica and heading down the finish line. The no less powerful cry of the typhosi in the stands when they saw that they were returning to the top of the podium in Monza when just three laps before they had seen it impossible. They were years of pure driving, of senses. By sight, smell, touch… and hearing. For the protagonists and those who admired them. For those who saw a Brazilian debutant swims between the rails in Monaco in 1984jeopardizing the victory of an already renowned Alain Prost who managed to stop the race before its end, distributing half of the points in a decision that would end up costing him the World Championship at the end of the year in favor of Niki Lauda. Ayrton Senna aboard the Lotus 97T “We were able to record Ayrton Senna’s original Toleman from 1984 and the original Lotus, the 97T model at the Lotus Classic Track in Oxford, which was a fantastic recording. The Toleman was positioned as the new leading car for us, the favorite,” explains Gutiérrez. By then, they had already obtained a good handful of the cars that marked an era. As? Moving through the mist. Senna’s sound designer explains that his first idea was to talk to Frank Cruz, who held that same position in Rush by Ron Howard, a film about the duel between Niki Lauda and James Hunt in the 1976 World Championship. The film … Read more

This 11-inch Samsung tablet comes with 256 GB and Dolby sound

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Tablets have become the favorite device for many when it comes to watching series and movies comfortably on the couch, in bed, or even while traveling. If you are thinking of buying one for yourself (or to give as a gift for Santa Claus or Three Wise Men), you now have this one on Amazon Samsung Galaxy Tab A11+ by 259 euros. Samsung Galaxy Tab A11+ 256GB The price could vary. We earn commission from these links A tablet with good features and a low price This Samsung A11+ is a tablet that offers great value for money. Its screen is 11 inches. If you buy it on Amazon, you will have a four-year warranty: the brand’s official three years plus an extended year from Amazon. It is modern, elegant and powerful, thanks to its Improved CPU and GPU. Integrates Gemini, Google’s Artificial Intelligence. To access it, you just have to press and hold the side button and you will receive help in real time. Its RAM is 8 GB and this discounted model comes with 256 GB internal storagewhich you can expand up to 2 TB using an SD card. Its battery supports fast charging at 25 W and, finally, its quad Dolby speakers can be highlighted that offer powerful and immersive sound. You may also be interested in these accessories CACOE Case Compatible with Samsung Galaxy Tab A11+ The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Xiaomi Redmi Buds 6 Active – Wireless headphones 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 | Samsung In Xataka | Best SD cards for smartphones: which one to buy and seven recommended models for your phone In Xataka | Fast chargers for your mobile phone or tablet: best models to buy for their power and safety

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