thought

has 128 more than we thought

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Saturn did not need more moons to be a photogenic planet, but I had them. The latest observations have raised the official count of Saturn’s satellites to 274: almost double that all other combined planets. Jupiter has been left behind. In early 2023, Saturn snatched Jupiter The title of “Planet with more moons” when the discovery of 62 new Saturnian satellites for a total of 145. Astronomers have already suspected that they were still satellites faint satellites orbiting Saturn. There were indications in the observations of the ringed planet that were made with the Canada-France-Hawaii (CFHT) telescope between 2019 and 2021. The challenge: Carefully link each point of light (the potential moons) with different shots to confirm that it was the same object with a stable orbit. 128 new moons. Throughout 2023, a team led by the Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics of the Sinica Academy, in Taiwan, continued the work of monitoring and analysis of those signals with additional observations. The team gathered sufficient evidence to Design 128 new moonsthat the International Astronomical Union has officially recognized this week, increasing the total of Saturnian satellites to 274. Irregular moons. The 128 newly discovered satellites They are classified as irregular moons: Potato -shaped moons of just a few kilometers in diameter that have retrograde orbits (they revolve around Saturn in the opposite direction to their rotation). They differ from regular moons (such as titan or encumbered) in which they orbit much larger distances, following very inclined or elliptical trajectories, so that the majority were “captured” gravitationally by Saturn instead of having formed on the original protoplanetary disc. The challenge of name. At the moment, the 128 new moons are identified with provisional denominations of letters and numbers (S/2020 S1, S/2019 S14, etc.). Like all Saturn’s moons, They will receive names that come from gallic, Nordic or Inuit mythology. In general, they will be classified according to their orbital characteristics and their possible common origin. The NORSE group has several subgroups: Phoebe (close to the moon pHOEBE, so they could have emerged from clashes capable of fragmenting it), Mundilfari (from recent collisions) or Kari (from multiple catches or fractures). And so, successively. How many have to discover? Despite the advances in telescopes and image analysis techniques, it seems that we have reached the limit of what we can detect in the vicinity of Saturn, at least systematically with current technology. There is evidence that there could be even smaller objects, but the instrumental limitations added to the light dispersed by the planet, the earth’s atmosphere and the sensitivity of the telescopes make it difficult to see much further. Image | Cassini (Nasa, that, like this) In Xataka | After years of research and mystery, we finally know how Saturn’s great rings formed

We thought we had seen everything about the futuristic city of Neom. A document has revealed what Saudi Arabia hidden: its cost

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At the beginning of March Neom He was news again. Satellite images through Google showed that the expansion of its port had experienced a significant transformation as Part of oxagonthe “Pata” futuristic “leg” of Neom. Once again, the hyperbole flooded a project that was born exaggerated and that, perhaps, dies exactly the same. Dreams and chaos. We have treated countless times the project in Saudi Arabia. Neom is An ambitious project destined to transform the country into a global center of technology and businesses, which faces serious problems that have questioned their viability. As we will see below, despite the 50,000 million dollars already invested, uncontrolled costs, mass delays and a management model full of illusions and financial concealment have turned this megaproject into A monumental challenge For the heir prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS). A start to trompicones. The spectacular Inauguration event On October on the island of Sindalah, with the presence of celebrities such as Will Smith, Tom Brady and Alicia Keys, today it is seen from another perspective. The reason? One was hidden less glamorous reality: The constructions They were incompletethe budgets had been tripled and the heir prince himself was unexpectedly absent, a gesture interpreted by many as a sign of disapproval. Not just that. Weeks later, the CEO of Neom It ended up being replacedand a new executive team took control in a desperate attempt to straighten the project. Futuristic promises vs reality. No doubt, Neom was conceived as a city of the future with science fiction elements, including in equation A The Linethat pair of skyscrapers 170 km long and 500 meters high (then trimmed in the budget); Trojenathe skiing station in the desert; Oxagona kind of floating business and industrial district; either Sindalaha spectacular luxury resort in the Red Sea. However, reality It has been very different. Delays of more than three years in Sindalah, which still does not open its hotels or golf course, while Neom has to face A cut of your first phasewhich puts at risk attract the necessary population to justify the investment. To this we must add overflowing costs: It is estimated that Neom It will cost 8.8 billion dollars By 2080, more than 25 times the annual budget of the country. Plus: obvious logistics challenges, since construction in the desert lacks the necessary basic infrastructure (labor, roads, ports and electricity). The mega projected port for oxagon The financial disaster is uncovered. And so we arrive at the news of this week that has made the viability of the project jump through the air. An internal report of more than 100 pages, Reviewed by The Wall Street Journalhas revealed that the executives of Neom, with the support of the consultant McKinsey & Co., have been altering financial estimates to justify the increase in costs. In other words: the report found “evidence of deliberate manipulation” of figures to hide the real expense. In trojena, for example, when the cost is shot at 10 billion Of dollars, instead of reducing expenses, income expectations were inflated, artificially raising hotels and luxury camps rates. There are more. For example, the projected rate of a boutique hotel It went from $ 489 to $ 1,866 by night. And luxury “glamping” rose from $ 216 to $ 704 per night. McKinsey, who has charged More than 130 million dollars A year in fees for Neom, he validated these projections after another advisor refused to do so, according to the audit. The role of the prince. We already counted a few weeks ago that the project has started A monumental palace For the man behind the pharaonic project. The heir prince has been directly involved in each key decision, supervising architectural designs and promoting ideas Inspired by video games and science fiction movies. Some of its proposals include a “zero gravity” architecturethat challenges physical laws; or “El Candelabro”, a 30 -story skyscrapers suspended face down from a bridge; either Floating theaters between skyscrapers and a amusement park 300 meters high. When engineers have tried to reduce The Line height to save costs, Bin Salman He rejected the ideainsisting that the 500 meters high should be maintained. In another case, when The Line’s original architect, Thom Mayne, wanted to express concerns about excessive costs, Neom’s executives simply They blocked their access to the prince. Cuts and crisis. It has been the consequence. With the out of control costs, the Saudi government has begun to modify the deadlines and expectations. The initial construction of The Line was reduced from 10 km Just 1.5 km. A 30 km tunnel For trains it was canceled by excessive uprights. Finally, the goal of having the first functional section by 2030 has Delayed at 2034. That said, and despite the measures adopted, the prince and the Saudi Sovereign Fund They are still betting on the projectalthough they have begun to describe it as “a generational investment”, instead of an immediate growth source for Vision 2030. Time, of course, will issue a sentence, but today is approaching an example of quite unrealistic planninguncontrolled expense and lack of financial supervision. The futuristic city of the desert, conceived as the “civilizational revolution” of Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, seems to be trapped in a clash between fantasy and reality, already despite the billions of inverted millions, its success remains, at least, highly uncertain. Image | Google In Xataka | How much money Elon Musk has: how the fortune of the man who plans the colonization of Mars from a social network is distributed In Xataka | Who are the largest millionaires in Spain: the list of the ten richest people in the country

It turns out that it is older than we thought

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China is one of the greatest powers regarding megaconstructions. Their Bridges and skyscraper, Even abandonedthey are one of their hallmarks, and that fascination with monumental constructions is not new. Perhaps one of the most representative constructions of the country is the great wall, and although we thought that its more than 21,000 kilometers did not keep secrets, new studies They have shown that we were wrong. And it is not only older than we believed, but is protected by a ‘bioesk’. Rebobinando. The great wall rose to protect the northern border of the Chinese empire. For centuries, other civilizations sought to assault the empire, so the different dynasties were taking over adding sections on the wall. Until now, we thought that the works began at some point between 770 and 476 AC, but an investigation carried out between May and December 2024 by the Institute of Cultural Reliquias and Archeology of Shandong has advanced that date. He Institute He made an excavation that covered 1,100 m² in the town of Guangli that was fruits: they unearthed a section of the Great Wall that was 300 years older than the rest. Specifically, it would belong to the late Western Zhou dynasty, between 1046 and 771 AC Advanced Engineering. This new section, like so many others, was carried out in several phases: the early during the Zhou dynasty and the late, which would overlap with the stretch that we believed older so far. To date the discovery, the team took samples of soils, animals of animals, plant remains and discovered artifacts, carrying out the carbon-14 tests and optically stimulated luminescence test. And there was not only a wall: the civilization of the time was already thinking about large -scale fortification with trenches or pits. The best preserved part is the most recent of those discovered due to advances in construction techniques. During the first phases, used The land apison technique for the wall, but in the last one the compacted land was already used next to metal elements that improved its structure. On the width, it surprises that, while the current one has a width of about five meters, those sections were between 10 and 30 meters. Actually, the great wall is not a single wall, but numerous sections that each dynasty was building Changing the past. Beyond the particular discovery, which is older than we thought, has serious historical implications. As Comment Zhang his, leader of the research, the finding “marks a significant advance in the archeology of the great wall and is a milestone to clarify the origins and development of research for its construction.” The remains of the dynasty wall are not the same, 2,200 years ago … This is because, under this first part of the wall, archaeologists found foundations of two residences that also dated the Zhou dynasty. They estimate that these were semi -subject houses that could have been part of a small settlement linked to the defense of the nearby river. This river was vital for trade with other nearby areas and the decision to build the wall would have responded to the desire to shield the enclave. … that the remains of the most recent Ming wall Apart from the wall and residences, the Zhang team found an old nearby settlement: the city of Pinying that was mentioned in some historical texts. Uniting the points, the archaeologist considers that “his close relationship with Pinying indicates that the wall served not only as a defense mechanism, but as a strategic pillar in the control of the key transport routes” between that settlement, Pinying and other localities. Biocortex. Although discovering that the great wall is older than it was believed, it is the most interesting, it is not the only recent discovery about this megaconstruction. A study Published at the end of 2023, he revealed that several sections of the wall had a kind of shield, a ‘biocostra’ formed by tiny plants without roots and other microorganisms. This is not so weird in rocks and soils of dry areas, but as we read in CNNresearchers do not usually look for it in man -built structures. And, unlike plants whose roots can deteriorate monuments, this scab separates the rock from the air, water and wind, reducing the porosity of the structure and protecting it against elements and erosion. As if that were not enough, it also acts as ‘glue’, improving the resistance of the wall. Vegetation can damage the structure, but those yellowish spots are lichens that are part of biocoraza What is clear is that, the 641 kilometers of the section of the Great Wall of the Qin, a World Heritage for UNESCO, are no longer the oldest. But the most surprising thing is that the wall was building for a longer time than we believed: more than 1,000 years. They were the Ming who, in the mid -1600 AD, arrested their expansion after the annexation of Mongolia, which left the great wall without a defensive purpose. Images | Maximilian Dörrbecker, Mark Holmquist, Jakub Hałun, Bairuilong, Severin.stalder In Xataka | The unstoppable evolution of the Great Chinese Solar Wall: the largest photovoltaic project in the world, portrayed by NASA

We thought that innovating was the way but we were very wrong

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Recently reflected on the future iPhone 17 Air. Something hides this phone that I do not understand, since trying to sell an iPhone simply thinner as the main novelty of 2025 does not finish quadrar. Nor does the Galaxy S25 Edgean ultradelgated S25 future that, according to the photos, will have a hardware even lower than that of its brothers. The point is that, a few years ago, we imagined that mobiles would not have ports and would be very futuristic. None of this has happened. We have the same as in those years we dreamed, but with Less Bevel and Best hardware. I am not sure where the mobiles will go in the coming years, but I am quite clear where they will not go. Ports and buttons elimination. If something is making clear the industry is that this future iPhone “without buttons or ports” (We talked about him in 2018agüita) cannot be further from reality. In fact, 2024 was the year that showed us that we love the buttons, moving the industry to add a camera control that does not work well on any phone, but that provides that extra button. Something similar happens with the ports. We have been dreaming of a phone without ports for years, and we cannot be further from this reality. A mobile without ports is not so easy to introduce the public. In fact, Xiaomi already tried with him Mix Alphaa conceptual mobile that was presented in 2021 and which we did not know anything again. Your fast charging system would be chaos (It is already with cables CDifferent loads C, fast -owned fast charging protocols, etc.), the connection to the car would only be possible in cases of having an auto/wireless carplay Android, and the PowerBanks industry would have to fully migrate to MAGSAFE type loaders. Biometry to the face ID. There was a time when manufacturers obsessed with biometry. In fact, Samsung was the first company to introduce Iris reading on a phone. Years later, we have 90% of the phones taking a 2D photo with the camera and using this photo as a biometry system. Google also tried, for only one year, with the facial reader of the 4 xl pixel. It took a single generation to back down, forget about facial biometry for a while, and recover it years later with 2D camera. The rest, we leave it to Apple and Honor, the only companies that bet on full 3D facial recognition and much safer. Implement these systems requires extra cameras and Tof sensors. They are not especially expensive technologies, but it has important commitments for the terminal design. Innovative screens no, thanks. A few years ago, mobiles with 3D screen wanted to consider as the future. In fact, there are manufacturers like Nubia who still try on tablets such as Nubia Pad 3D. Beyond experiments of this type the market has left something clear: it wants “normal” screens without this technology. Something similar happens with folding mobiles. Although we see them as something new, they have been in the market from 2019and no brand is getting them to be mainstream. There was also talk that, little by little, this technology would be cheaper. The reality is that no and that, to equal price against traditional phones, Users continue to prefer the latter. Here you have an extensive and detailed list of technological trends that were anticipated as “the future of mobile phones” but that, until 2025, have not managed to consolidate or have been forgotten, based on analysis of experts and documented cases. Surprises in design, either. We usually complain that manufacturers repeat design and do not innovate. The reality is that, every time there is a breaker project in design, it fails. LG was the one who ventured the most a few years ago, with a LG G5 Modular that failed to take off in sales. Nor did the LG Wingwith its rotating screen. ARA also failedGoogle’s project to create a modular mobile that didn’t even see the light. The one of Google killing things It is not something new, but in 2016 they seemed clear that a mobile has to look like a mobile if you want to sell. In short, no matter how much we weigh (and bored), the near future of the telephone will continue to go through hardware improvements, increasingly deep integration of AI and few surprises. At least, until someone manages to punch on the table to tear down the pillars that have been holding this industry for years. Image | Xiaomi In Xataka | Mobile phones are stagnant in terms of innovation. There is an explanation

We thought the tablets were falling into oblivion. We were wrong

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2023 was a simply terrible year For the tablets market. They sold one 20% less of tablets that in 2022, and is a segment in which the AI ​​is not expected to work as a sales incentive, unlike the mobile phones. No one was saved, not even Apple, with a year -on -year drop of 19.8%. Given the numbers, it was easy for 2024 to be a more positive year (when everything goes wrong, you can only go better). And indeed, This has been according to Canals. World shipments grew 9% year -on -year. Recovery signs. The tablets market remains far from 2020, the year in which it reached one of its historical peaks. The subsequent years were falling, and 2024 has been the first year since 2020 in which growth is experienced. According to Canals, we are entering the product renewal cycle, as well as in some recovery in the demand of tablets. According to Canalys sources, 2025 is expected to be a fairly solid year, with sustained growth throughout the different quarters. Offers and subsidies. Countries like China, with important subsidies for electronic productswill extend their programs by 2025. In others, as in Japan, government initiatives focused on the educational field are expected to help boost the sale of tablets. On the manufacturers side, some as honor have introduced strong sales packages (telephone + tablet, thus telling the tablet as sale, even if you only pay the phone) in countries such as the United Kingdom, and the rest of the Chinese brands are expected to expand Its presence in emerging countries. Cake distribution. There are not too many novelties in regards to who sells more tablets worldwide. The answer for years is clear. Apple Apple: Market share of the 38.6%annual growth of 5.3%. Samsung: Market share of the 18.8%annual growth of 8.2%. Lenovo: Market share of the 7.3%annual growth of 29.3%. Huawei: Market share of the 7.1%annual growth of 12.0%. Xiaomi: Market share of the 6.2%annual growth of 73.1%. Image | Xataka In Xataka | BEST TABLETS IN QUALITY PRICE. Which to buy based on use and recommended models

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