European companies are facing million-euro losses due to connectivity issues
12/06/2023A study by Cradlepoint reveals that European businesses could be losing milions of euros every week as a result of connectivity problems. According to the State of Connectivity in Europe report, conducted in collaboration with Censuswide, 74% of companies experience at least 2 hours of connectivity loss each week. One hour of downtime can be valued at 332,600 euros, according to Statista. These connectivity issues have also generated additional operating costs for 47% of the surveyed companies, and 33% have missed out on business opportunities due to these problems. Furthermore, the education sector is affected, as 80% of respondents state that poor connectivity hinders the development of skills necessary to thrive in a modern economy. The study also highlights that 21% of European companies have lost talent due to connectivity issues. The findings also conclude that improving connectivity is considered crucial for 90.5% of the surveyed companies, as it would help them better manage potential economic, social, and political challenges and increase their resilience to future disruptions.
[ ... ]
The European Commission spends €400,000 on its own metaverse and only attracts six people to the inauguration
05/12/2022Absolute failure. The inagurated of the new metaverse from the European Commission that was presented a few days ago with a virtual party, only attract six persons. According to the specialized journalist Vicen Chadwick from Devex, the European Commission has invested €387,000 in the project to develop a virtual world, designed to attract the attention of young people and create a shared space on the Internet in which they can become aware of those thinghs that EU does on the world stage, and reflect on the problems that affect a globalized world. Also, this metaverse is designed to promote actions of the European Union related to health, education, climate and other topics of interest for youngest, such the Erasmus scholarships. The inauguration of the space, however, went completely unnoticed by the target audience and the few persons who entered the party, such as the journalists from Gizmodo, assure that the metaverse of the European Commission has many shortcomings.
[ ... ]
The Spanish, the European citizens who know more about metaverse and virtual reality
27/06/2022The Spanish are the European citizens who most claim to know what the metaverse, virtual reality and augmented reality are. In fact, the results of the report presented by Ipsos in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, ensure that this knowledge would be not only above the European average, also the worldwide. Thus, 63% of Spaniards say they know the metaverse, compared to 52% of the world population, 30% of germans or 28% of France citizens. At the other extreme we find Turkey (86%), India (80%), China (73%) and South Korea (71%), which are presented as the countries with the largest population knowledgeable about the metaverse. "The results of this research work give a very optimistic view of the potential of the metaverse and show that many people are open to the technological change that is taking place," says Jame Ferrand-Gutiérrez, head of Data Intelligence at Ipsos in Spain. The director, however, points out that “we cannot ignore that the metaverse is still a concept that has not been fully realized […] Although it is planned as a parallel reality where everything has a place, in reality it is not. Well, at least at present. We will see in the future where it evolves". About the augmented and virtual reality, 77% of Spaniards say they know the first one well, and 85% the second, being, once again, Turkey, the country in the world where the percentages of familiarity with these technologies are more high, 94%. According to the report 'How the world sees the metaverse and extended reality', which collects data from 29 countries, obtained between April and May through the Ipsos Global Advisor platform, citizens expect that applications that use the metaverse will have a growing impact on their lives over the next decade and, according to the document, in Spain the greatest impact is expected in the field of virtual education and training (63%), entertainment (61%), video games (57%), work meetings (55%) and way of socializing and resources related to health (both with 54%).
[ ... ]
The European Commission is committed to manufacturing chips in Europe to be less dependent on Asia
15/10/2021With the chip crisis still on the table, the European Commission is defining a new law to developing the semiconductor industry in Europe, so the local manufacturers can be less dependent on international supply chains. “We currently depend on chips made mostly by Asia. It's not a question of competitiveness: it's a question of technological sovereignty ”, said Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. The document revealed by Euractiv, conclude that this new legislation demonstrates “the need to strategically reduce dependencies on third parties” and that its objective is to improve “security of supply”. The initiative would be part of the new European Commission’s digital policy that would also include, a cyber-resilience law, and also initiatives to promote digital skills among citizens. At the moment the implementation calendar of these new digital policies of the European Commission has not transcended, but it seams would not be until the third quarter of 2022, when it could be launched.
[ ... ]
Where can I watch the Spanish Soccer League, on TV or via Streaming?
16/06/2023This new season of LaLiga Santander will be again, at least for the time being, a competition marked by restrictions on access to stadiums and that is why more than ever, watching LaLiga on television will become the main option for many fans to follow soccer from home. If you are one of those who do not want to miss the LaLiga Santander matches live, then find out here where to watch the Spanish League on TV or via Streaming. How to watch LaLiga on TV? Once again this season, Gol TV repeats as free-to-air soccer and sports channel on DTT. This channel offers one free match per day, which can be watched by tuning in to the channel on television or through Gol's website. You can access this channel completely for free and although the teams that play each day's match always vary, there are no matches involving FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, or teams playing in European competitions. How to watch soccer on Movistar+? So if this deal doesn't suit our needs and what we are looking for is a channel where we can watch all the LaLiga matches (or almost all of them), Movistar+ offers 9 of the 10 matches of each day, always one involving Real Madrid or Barcelona. In order to watch LaLiga Santander matches live on Movistar+ we must be subscribed to a Movistar package containing "Movistar LaLiga": Fusión Selección with LaLiga, Fusión Selección Plus with Fútbol and Fusión Total Plus. Watching soccer on Movistar+ offers practical functionalities such as being able to activate the channel on any of our devices or use the live control to replay any play whenever we choose, return to the beginning of the match or return to the live broadcast whenever we want. What can I watch on Orange TV? Another network that offers LaLiga on television is Orange TV, which after reaching an agreement with Telefónica, owner in Spain of the television broadcasting rights of the main soccer competitions, invites its customers to enjoy every week of soccer, the 10 matches that are played every day, including all Real Madrid and FC Barcelona matches in 4K resolution. In this case, to watch LaLiga on Orange TV we must be subscribed to one of the three Orange packages that include soccer: Love Total, Love Total Plus, or Love Total Plus 4. How to watch LaLiga via streaming? If due to location, mobility, or any other reason we prefer to watch LaLiga via streaming instead of on TV, we also have several options at our disposal. As we said before, Movistar+ offers the possibility of watching soccer on your devices, wherever and whenever you want, even from abroad. To access the service, you only need to have a Fusión package that includes soccer, activate your user, and access Movistar+ with your passwords on any of the compatible devices connected to the Internet (former Yomvi service). Thus, as long as we are subscribed to a package that includes the match, we will be able to watch it on all our devices, including the Smart TV. And if we are away from home we will be able to do it on smartphones, computers, and tablets. Where to watch the Spanish League from the United States and Canada? All LaLiga matches in the United States are broadcast live on ESPN+, the subscription-based sports platform owned by Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International, which offers live streaming coverage and on-demand replays of LaLiga Santander matches. ESPN+ has broadcast rights to the Spanish league for eight seasons in the United States and also in Canada, where it offers full coverage of LaLiga matches to Canadian viewers through TSN.ca, RDS.ca, and the TSN and RDS apps. In addition, watching the Spanish Premier League in Latin America is possible through ESPN 2 in most countries and through some platforms such as Fox Sports Web or Now Net and Claro in Brazil. Browse the Internet safely and securely
[ ... ]
Lois
LoisLois was since the '60s a Spanish reference brand of denim jeans. Who has not had a Lois pair of jeans or remember any of their commercials? If you are very young, maybe it won't ring a bell, but for a while, Lois was the best-selling European jeans brand in the world. More recently and in the face of the great competition between creators and manufacturers of denim textile pieces, its brand is no longer so famous, but its creative and innovative drive is still intact.
[ ... ]
Where to watch the Champions League on TV or Streaming?
13/06/2023Find out where you can watch the Champions League so as not to miss a minute of this excellent competition that this year again promises good soccer and maximum excitement. When does the Champions League 2021/2022 start? The UEFA Champions League Group Stage starts in mid-September. The first match day will be played on Tuesday, September 14, and will feature Sevilla, who will face RB Salzburg in the Andalusian capital; Villarreal, who will play at home against Atalanta; and FC Barcelona, who will face Bayern Munich, also at home. The following day, on September 15, the 2021/2022 Champions League will kick off for Atlético de Madrid, who will play against Porto at the Wanda Metropolitano, and also for Real Madrid, who will play their first match against Inter, in Milan. This first Group Stage will have six matchdays in which the 32 teams participating in this edition of the Champions League will face each other in home and away matches that you will be able to follow both on television and streaming. Group stage September 14/15, 2021: first matchday September 28/29, 2021: second matchday October 19/20, 2021: third matchday 2/3 November 2021: fourth matchday November 23/24, 2021: fifth matchday December 7/8, 2021: sixth matchday Once the six matchdays of the group stage have been completed, the competition will continue with the knockout phase, which will determine the two teams that will play in the UEFA Champions League final. Knockout Phase Round of 16: February 15/16/22/23 and March 8/9/15/16/16, 2022 Quarter-finals: 5/6 and 12/13 April 2022 Semifinals: May 26/27 and 3/4, 2022 Where to watch the Champions League on TV? As with LaLiga Santander and Liga SmartBank, Movistar has exclusive rights to the UEFA Champions League in Spain until 2024. However, following an agreement with Orange, Movistar has decided to share the rights with this operator, so that in Spain this season the Champions League can be watched on TV on Movistar and Orange TV. In both cases, the broadcasting of the UEFA Champions League group stage matches as well as those of the knockout phase and the Final will be included. How to watch the Champions League on Orange TV? Although Orange does not have direct rights to the Champions League in Spain, its agreement with Movistar allows its customers to watch live Champions League matches on Orange TV. These broadcasts are exclusively for the operator's customers who have the Orange Love Total package, which includes the UEFA Champions League, Liga Santander, and Liga SmartBank matches, in addition to the UEFA Champions League. How to watch the Champions League on Movistar? To watch the Champions League on Movistar we must be customers of this operator and have contracted the Fusión Selección Champions or Fusión Selección Plus con Fútbol package, which also includes the Liga Santander and Liga SmartBank matches. If our package is Fusión Selección con LaLiga, we will only have access to the Spanish football competition and we will not be able to watch the Champions League matches. The Movistar channel on which the Champions League can be watched is called " Movistar Liga de Campeones". "Movistar Liga de Campeones" is an exclusive TV channel for watching soccer and in addition to the UEFA Champions League, it also provides coverage of the Europa League.The schedules of all broadcasts can be consulted in the Sports section of the Movistar+ menu, for ADSL and Fiber TV customers. Where can I watch the Champions League live on the Internet? Both Movistar and Orange complete their Champions League soccer offer on TV through their online platforms. In both cases, to enjoy soccer on our mobile devices or computer, we must be subscribed to a package that includes the UEFA Champions League (in Movistar, Fusión Selección Champions or Fusión Selección Plus con Fútbol, and in Orange TV, Love Total). If you are a Movistar customer and have one of these packages, you must activate Movistar+ on your devices (formerly Yomvi) and you will have access to watch the Champions League online matches on Movistar as well as other online content and series, at no additional cost from anywhere and on any device. All broadcast schedules can be consulted in the Sports section of the Movistar+ menu on any device. To watch the Champions League online on Orange, you must log in to the Orange TV website to identify yourself as a Love Total member. Once we have logged in, we will be able to watch live matches of the UEFA Champions League, LaLiga Santander, LaLiga SmartBank, and also watch matches that have already taken place. Where can I watch the Champions League from outside Spain? If you are a Movistar or Orange customer, the best option to watch the Champions League from abroad is through Movistar+ on your devices or the online platform of Orange TV. If you have problems viewing the matches due to a geographical block, the best option, in this case, is to connect to a VPN with a Spanish IP beforehand. If your Internet access provider does not offer this service, here are the best VPN offers to surf safely (both from home and when traveling). In addition, and depending on the country you are in, various television stations and operators have the broadcasting rights to the UEFA Champions League: Europe Albania: Tring, RTSH Armenia: Vivaro Austria: ServusTV, Sky Austria Azerbaijan: CBC Sport, Saran Belarus: UEFA.tv Belgium: Proximus, RTL, VTM Bosnia and Herzegovina: Arena Sport Bulgaria: A1, bTV Croatia: HRT, Arena Sport Cyprus: CYTA Czech Republic: Nova, Voyo Denmark: NENT Group Estonia: Viaplay Finland: MTV France: Canal+, BeIN Georgia: Adjara, Silknet Germany, DAZN Greece: MEGA, COSMOTE TV Hungary: Sport1, MTVA Iceland: Viaplay, Syn Republic of Ireland: Livescore, Virgin Media, RTE Israel: The Sports Channel Italy: Amazon, Mediaset, Sky Italia Kazakhstan: QazSport, Q Sport League, Saran Kosovo: Arena Sport, Artmotion Kyrgyzstan: Saran, Q Sport Latvia: Viaplay Lithuania: Viaplay Luxembourg: RTL, Proximus Malta: Melita, PBS Moldova: Setanta, Prime Montenegro: Arena Sport Netherlands: RTL, Ziggo Sport North Macedonia: Makedonski Telekom, Arena Sport, MTV Norway: TV2 Norway Poland: Polsat Portugal:Eleven Romenia: Clever Media, Digisport, Telekom Romania Russia: Match TV Serbia: Arena Sport Slovakia: Markiza, Voyo Slovenia: Sportklub, Pro Plus Spain: Telefonica, Orange TV Sweden: Telia Switzerland: blue+, CH Media Tajikistan: Varzish TV, Saran Turkey: EXXEN Turkmenistan: Saran Ukraine: Megogo UK: BT Sport Uzbekistan: MTRK Africa and Middle East Nigeria: SuperSport South Africa: SuperSport Middle East and North Africa (Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen): beIN Sub-Saharian Africa: Canal+, SuperSport America Bolivia: Televideo Brazil: SBT, Turner Canada: DAZN Caribbean: Flow Sports, Sportsmax Central America: ESPN Costa Rica: Teletica Dominican Republic: Televideo Ecuador: Televideo El Salvador:Canal Dos Guatemala: Televideo Haití: Canal+ Honduras: Televicentro South America (except Brazil): ESPN Mexico: Turner Panama: TVN, Medcom Paraguay: Televideo Peru: Televideo United States: CBS, TUDN Deportes Venezuela: La Tele Tuya Asia and Pacífic Australia: STAN Brunei: beIn Cambodia: beIn China PR: PPTV, Tencent, iQIYI, Alibaba Hong Kong SAR: beIn India and Indian subcontinent: Sony Indonesia: SCTV Japan: Wowow Republic of Korea: SPO TV Laos: beIn Macau SAR: TDM Malaysia: beIn Mongolia: SPS Myanmar: TBA New Zealand: Spark Pacific Islands: Digicel Philipines: Tap TV Singapore: beIn Taiwan/Chines Taipei: Elta Thailand: beIn Vietnam: FPT Moreover, if you are one of those who can't miss a single live match, you should know that the Sport24 platform has the rights to broadcast Champions League matches on airplanes and cruise ships. Where to watch the final match of the Champions League 2021/2022? The 2021/2022 Champions League final will be held at the Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg, Russia, on May 28, 2022. Like the rest of the competition, you can watch the Champions League final on TV through Movistar-Movistar Liga de Campeones dial 50 and Orange TV. Where to watch the Champions League 2021/2022 final on the Internet? In addition to television, you can also watch the Champions League final online. In this case, you must also be a Movistar or Orange customer and connect to Movistar+ on devices (former Yomvi) in the first case or to the online platform of Orange TV, if you are an Orange customer to enjoy the match in which the best European soccer team 2021/2022 will be proclaimed. How can I watch LaLiga soccer matches from abroad? If you have already contracted a television service with the LaLiga package and due to a geographic blocking of your television provider and your connection you have problems viewing the matches, the best option, in this case, will be to use a VPN that assigns you an associated IP that is not blocked. If your Internet access provider does not offer this service, below are the best VPN offers to surf safely from anywhere.
[ ... ]
Goodbye to airplane mode
29/11/2022The European Union has announced that not far away it will be not longer be mandatory to activate airplane mode on mobile phones when we travel by plane. The reason is the installation of a new special device on the aircrafts that will enhance 5G coverage on board, making it totally safe to be connected to the internet on board an aircraft. When these new devices are installed, we will be able to transmit all kinds of streaming content in mid-flight and send and receive calls, messages, emails, play online... "The sky is no longer the limit when it comes to high-speed, high-capacity connections. The 5G connection offers innovative services for people and growth opportunities for European businesses," said Thierry Breton, Internal Market Commissioner for Europe. Confirmed, then, the arrival of 5G to airplanes, now the question is to know if the airlines will charge for the service.
[ ... ]
The United States accelerates the digital dollar
23/11/2022After US President Joe Biden ordered this past week to urgently evaluate the creation of the digital dollar, the Federal Reserve Bank and companies such US Bank, Citi, HSBC and Wells Fargo have announced a pilot prove to test the new currency. The digital Dollar will be issued centrally and its regulated liability network (RLN) will be tested for twelve weeks, during which the participating banks will operate in a simulated way, using tokens that will act as deposits from their clients that will be settled in a central reserve in a shared distributed ledger. This will be use to evaluate its security and operation in financial transactions and agreements. In parallel, China continues to promote the Digital Yuan and the European Central Bank (ECB) is also advancing in the creation of the digital euro, a project that the latest information indicates it cab be already viable in 2025. And while all this is happening, the information that ensures an imminent regulation for cryptocurrencies increases.
[ ... ]
Europe proposes a very strict regulation that requires increasing the factory security of any device designed to be connected to the Internet
16/09/2022Some details from the new rules of the European Commission against cybercrime, 'Cyber Resilience Act', are beginning to be known. Among what has transpired is that the new regulation will force all manufacturers of potentially insecure products to increase it substantially and to provide more information to buyers about the level of protection of the devices they buy. This regulation will be of general application, and will affect all types of devices and systems, from the most basic such as a watch to the most sophisticated such as the software of any computer designed to be connected to Internet. All must comply with the provisions of the 'Cyber Resilience Act' to receive its approval and be able to be sold on the European market, and also, to avoid being subject to investigations and significant fines. In this sense, the proposed sanctions that are considered in the draft of the regulations could reach 15 million euros or 2.5% of the global annual income of the fined company. According to the European Commission in the presentation of the consultation carried out for the elaboration of the 'Cyber Resilience Act', "the new regulation aims to respond to the needs of the market and protect consumers from unsafe products by introducing standards common cybersecurity standards for manufacturers and sellers of tangible and intangible digital products and ancillary services.
[ ... ]
The EU wants to make USB-C the charging standard for all electronic equipment
27/04/2022The Commission for the Internal Market and Consumer Protection of the European Union has endorsed the proposal to make the USB type C charger the charging standard for all electronic equipment. With this decision, the objective is be able to reduce electronic waste and the environmental footprint linked to its production. In addition, the unification of standards in a single model eliminates the need for consumers to have a new charger every time we buy a new smartphone or other electronic devices, such as computers, peripherals, digital cameras and game consoles. The statement issued by the European Parliament indicates that the only equipment that will be left oyt of the implementation of the new standard will be the one that is too small to use it, such as smart watches or health trackers. The next steps related to this approval is reach an agreement with the EU governments on the final form of the legislation that will regulate the obligation to convert USB-C into a standard charging port for all electronic equipment. The EU is committed to making USB-C_the charging standard for all electronic equipment The introduction of the same charger for all devices aims to reduce electronic waste
[ ... ]
Google Maps will use AI to update store hours
14/04/2022Google Maps will update the hours of more than 20 million businesses around the world in the next six months. To do this, they will use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and a self-developed machine learning model, which identifies shop hours that are not updated. Through this system, the AI will update the hours according to itsel predictions based on parameters such the last update of the shop's profile, the hours of nearby stores and the busiest hours in that location. In addition, the algorithm will take datas from Google Business, information from the store's website, if it has one, and images from Street View. In some countries, Google will also use Google Duplex conversational AI technology to make calls with the quality of a human voice to the stores and confirm their opening hours. In this list of countries, France will be the only European country where the telephone verification will be carried out. The rest of the countries are Argentina, Australia, Chile, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru and the United States.
[ ... ]
Common front against advertising based on user surveillance
19/01/2022Facing the forthcoming vote on the EU Digital Services Law, a group of 17 civil organizations and 14 digital companies have demanded the European Parliament prohibit invasive and hostile practices with privacy that take place in digital advertising such as user tracking. According to his complaint, companies that specialize in monitoring the behavior of Internet users, integrate data from all websites, something that entails a violation of EU data protection regulations. In addition, they remember, these advertising practices make use of "inferred data that reveals vulnerabilities of the users" and, in general, they insist, this data are obtained without the knowledge of the user and beyond their control. The signatories, including the privacy-focused search engine companies DuckDuckGo and Ecosia, denounce also that these types of practices only favor a few “dominant players” based in the United States, and they specifically cite, among others, Facebook and Google. As an alternative to these advertising systems, they propose to follow initiatives such the Dutch television channels NPO and Norwegian TV2, which opted for contextual advertising and increased their income from ads.
[ ... ]
Facebook announces 10,000 new jobs in Europe to develop its metaverse
19/10/2021Facebook has announced 10,000 new jobs in the European Union to develop a new virtual environment. This environment is going to be design to interconnected virtual experiences using different technologies as virtual and augmented reality. This new environment baptized as a metaverse will increase the feeling to be presence in the virtual environment and the interaction between all those who are there. The goal, explains Vice President of Global Affairs, Nick Clegg, Vice President of Core Products, Javier Olivan is create a greater sense of 'virtual presence', to unlock access to new creative, social and economic opportunities. Facebook will shortly begin recruiting candidates for the 10,000 jobs. Their first priority will be highly specialized engineers.
[ ... ]