Google Health will be use to study the impact of mobile phones on our mental health
01/06/2022Spaniards spend an average of 3 hours and 40 minutes a day connected to the mobile. This time multiplied from Monday to Sunday is the same as more than 25 hours a week, according to the Digital Consumer by Generation report. To analyze the impact of all this time of digital consumption on our mental health, a group of researchers from the University of Oregon (United States) has just announced that they will use the Google Health app to analyze how users use their smartphones and discuss how in the future, digitals products and devides can make people happier, without falling into dependency. In their work, they will measure factors such as sleep or physical activity, for which they will also use the data collected by Fitbit, the activity bracelets owned by Google. One of the researchers, Dr. Nicholas Allen, stressed that "some studies similar to the one that we are going to start, usually condem the technology based on their conviction that it must be bad for mental health and well-being." . For this reason, he believes that is not positive to focuses only on the potentially harmful effects of the use of the devices, and also is important to takes into account the benefits that they offer.
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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.
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Google will expand telepresence testing to other companies outside of its offices
21/10/2022Google continues with Starline 3D communication's project, based on telepresence and has announced that they will start testing it soon. This new communication solution works as a window in which you can make eye contact with another person, who appears in 3D and real size , allowing two participants to feel as if they were together, in the same space, despite the distance. To achieve this, Starline works with two structures in parallel, the first formed by a screen with cameras, speakers, lighting microphones and the computer where, they have explained, the other person is represented. The secod structure has a rear unit with infrared feedback, where the user is located. So far, Starlie prototypes have been tested in some Google offices in the United States and now, it has been announced that they will also begin testing in other technology partner companies such T-Mobile, Hackensack Meridian Health or Salesforce.
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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%).
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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
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5G will trigger data consumption that will multiply by three in five years
18/03/2022In 2025, 25% of global data connections will be 5G, compared to 8% at the end of 2021, according to GSMA forecasts, which also indicate that this greater implementation will have a greater impact, even in Europe, North America, China and some Asian countries, where the percentage of 5G penetration would be higher in that date. Among the main consequences of the 5G expansion, will be a greater consumption of data by users, has said GSMA and if, at the moment, the data traffic per smartphone in a month, is 11.4Gb on average, the forecasts by 2027 place it at 41Gb, three times more. And according to the organization that brings together the telecommunications industry and organizes the MWC in Barcelona, as the population has access to 5G, there will be a significant increase in streaming consumption, favored by a sudden drop in download times that will become negligible. The use of remote health services, ultra-high definition television (4K/8K) and 5G as home broadband are also expected to grow.
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