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.
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49% of consumers are willing to favor brands that explain data usage in AI interactions
17/04/2024Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a fundamental tool for companies striving to provide personalized and efficient customer interactions. However, a new report reveals that the lack of transparency in data usage by brands is affecting consumer trust. According to Twilio's fifth 'State of Consumer Engagement Report', based on a global survey including over 4,750 B2C executives and 6,300 consumers across 18 countries, 49% of consumers would trust a brand more if it disclosed how it uses data from AI-driven interactions. The report also highlights that, although 91% of brands claim to be transparent with their customers about AI usage, only 48% of consumers agree. In this context, data protection emerges as a priority for consumers, with six out of ten indicating it's the best way for brands to earn their trust. This data security concern is shared by, the 40% businesses globally that considerate important to find a balance between security and customer experience as one of their most pressing challenges. AI-driven customer experience for brands AI-driven personalization is a key strategy to enhance customer relations. The report points out that companies adopting personalization experience a significant increase in consumer spending, averaging 54% more compared to those that don't. AI not only helps bridge the customer experience gap but also provides additional benefits, such as better data-driven decision-making and increased customer satisfaction. However, the report highlights that many companies face difficulties in activating customer data. Globally, only 16% of brands fully agree that they have the necessary data to understand their customers.
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Talking about Google is almost like talking about a relative. It sounds strange, but it is a reality that its presence in our daily lives is impressive, well, shocking, if we think about it. Google is considered one of the Big Five companies in the American IT industry, along with Amazon, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft. Although its scope is immense, roughly speaking we can say that it specializes in Internet-related services and products, which include online advertising technologies, a search engine, cloud computing, software, and hardware. Founded in 1998 in the United States, Google is today a multinational company. It was created to organize information and make it accessible to everyone. And, as we already know, it did just that.
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Roku warns of unauthorized access to hundreds of its customers' accounts
19/03/2024A Roku investigation, the company that manufactures media streaming devices running Roku software to access all kinds of streaming content, has revealed unauthorized access to hundreds of its users' accounts, "likely due to compromised login credentials obtained from third-party sources unrelated to Roku," they said. According to the company itself, these credentials were used to access Roku accounts, where changes were made, including attempts to purchase streaming subscriptions. However, in an official statement, Roku said that any sensitive personal data such as full payment account numbers could not be accessed. The affected accounts were secured and required password resets, as well as the cancellation of unauthorized subscriptions. Roku has announced that it will refund its users for all unauthorized charges. "What can I do if I can't access Roku? Roku has reset all passwords for accounts affected by these unauthorized accesses, so if we are holders of one of them, we may not be able to access it in the usual way. To regain access, we should go to my.roku.com and use the "Forgot your password?" option. Additionally, the company recommends reviewing subscriptions and devices linked to the Roku account from the Roku account Dashboard."
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HP
HPAnyone who is still immersed in the world of PCs today is undoubtedly familiar with the HP brand. Hewlett-Packard, founded in 1939 in the United States, is one of the pioneering brands in computer software and IT services. As a curious fact, in 1972, the company launched its first mini-computer, the HP 3000, a product line that is still in use today in many companies. That same year they launched the world's first scientific pocket calculator at an affordable price.
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Meta warns about the vulnerability in password recovery linked to the recycling of phone numbers
22/02/2024Meta, a leader in social media, has announced that it will not assume responsibility for personal account theft on Instagram and Facebook related to password recovery through the use of recycled phone numbers. The company argues that it lacks control over telecommunications providers and users involved in this practice. Phone number recycling: an overlooked risk in a recent statement Meta revealed its inability to manage personal account thefts that occur when phone numbers are recycled by telecommunications carriers. This common practice among mobile phone companies involves reassigning discarded numbers to new customers, making them owners of a number previously used by another user. In countries like Spain, carriers wait for a period of 30 days before reassigning a number, but the risk persists if users do not unlink the number from digital services or associated platforms, such as social networks and emails. The danger of not unlinking phone numbers from digital accounts When users deactivate a phone number, whether due to a change of carrier or any other reason, carriers must wait before reassigning the number. However, failure to unlink this number from digital services can result in unauthorized access to personal accounts. In many services, linking the phone number is allowed for actions such as resetting passwords. Users, upon receiving a verification code on their number, can complete the login without the need for email validation or a password. This process, though accepted, can lead to unintentional unauthorized access. Meta warns users about the importance of unlinking phone numbers from digital accounts when deactivating them, insisting on the need to update associated information to prevent account theft.
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Private Internet Access
Private Internet AccessThey call it PIA, which is the same as Private Internet Access but shortened. At PIA, it's all about online privacy. As a good VPN provider, it strives to give users online privacy, security, and freedom. To do so, they abide by strict and reliable open-source VPN protocols and a clear no-logging policy. Based in the United States, PIA has more than 10 years of experience leading the VPN industry, and they are considered true experts when it comes to providing online security and anonymity.
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Google Integrates Gemini AI into Google Ads
29/01/2024Google has commenced the integration of Gemini's Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the conversational experience of its Google Ads service. This integration aims to assist marketing professionals in creating more effective advertising campaigns through the generation of specific content. Conversational Experience Empowered by Gemini Initially available for English-speaking advertisers in the United States and the United Kingdom in beta, this expansion will roll out globally in the coming weeks, with plans to include other languages in the near future. By providing the website's URL, the AI generates relevant advertising content, including creative pieces and keywords, facilitating the creation of optimized campaigns. Suggestions for Tailored Images in Captivating Visual Campaigns In an upcoming development, Google Ads' conversational experience will also include the ability to suggest images tailored to the campaign through the use of generative AI and materials from the advertiser's landing page. This feature, scheduled for implementation in the coming months, will provide advertisers with a comprehensive solution for creating visually appealing campaigns. Google has emphasized that all images generated by AI in Google Ads will be clearly identified, thanks to the SynthID technology that places an invisible watermark accompanied by open standard metadata.
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Skechers
SkechersThe Skechers brand, was created in 1992 in California, and is probably best known by the name under which it was created, L.A. Gear. It was dedicated to sports and casual equipment, as well as backpacks and other practical accessories aimed at the world of sports. Despite its transformation, Skechers is still very popular today, because in its company philosophy it tries to combine the mission of making the American Way of Life accessible to the world of footwear and other sports accessories, and to rely on effective advertising with well-known people, especially in the American market. Headquartered in Manhattan Beach, it is currently the third largest athletic and casual footwear brand in the United States.
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Woxter
WoxterWith a successful track record of more than 18 years in the consumer electronics and computing market, the Spanish company, Woxter has been committed to offering state-of-the-art technology products, with high performance, at competitive prices. Aware of the digital environment both for home and professional use, they strive to develop computer products that provide innovative solutions and value-added features, without skyrocketing prices.
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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
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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.
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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.
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Europe will have its own satellites constellation to guarantee secure communications
13/12/2022With the sights set on 2027, the EU has closed a provisional agreement about the regulation of secure connectivity throughout its territory, which will include the deployment of a constellation of satellites that will ensure communications, especially in the event of cyberattacks or natural disasters that affect critical infrastructure. The plan, linked with the 'Global Gateway' strategy from the UE, that will allow the provision of affordable Internet access throughout Europe, will provide, also, secure connectivity in geographical areas of strategic interest, such the Arctic region and Africa, and services to protect the critical infrastructures of the Member states, too. The objective, according to the EU, is to ensure improvements in people's daily lives, identifying reliable and secure communications as the cornerstone of the EU's strategic autonomy.
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Google presents its new augmented reality search experiences
21/11/2022Google presents its new augmented reality search experiences From this week, Google users in London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, San Francisco and Tokyo will be able to enjoy the new Live function on their Android and iOS terminals, View Live, an immersive augmented reality (AR) experience that offers to explore the environment that surrounds us from our mobile. With Live View, Google has explained, users will be able to use their mobile phones to discover the shops and other establishments that they have around, from which they we will receive information about their open hours, type of sale, etc. To do this, it is necessary to install the application, which will soon be available in more cities than those included in this first launch, and focus the mobile camera on the buildings and stores that we have in view. Then, the information available for each one will appear. Google has also announced the global launch of a functionality that is currently only operational in Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, which reports on accessibility to shops and other establishments and premises for people with reduced mobility. The accessible places are marked with a wheelchair icon and the users can access to relevant information is displayed, such if that place have adapted bathrooms, if interior mobility in a wheelchair is possible, or if they have accessible parking spaces. The third novelty announced by Google is a new tool for electric vehicle drivers, with real-time information on the nearest charging stations.
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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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Netflix offers a new cheaper plan with tv advertisements
19/10/2022From November 10 th, in Spain and practically simultaneously in eleven other countries in Europe, Asia and America, the new Netflix subscription plan will be launched. The price will be, 5.49 euros per month and will give access to movies and series of Netflix catalog in exchange for showing ads. As it has been explained by Netflix, the average will be 4-5 minutes of ads per hour and this advertisements may appear both at the beginning of movies and series and during their playback.Within the framework of this new service, Netflix will offer to advertisers a new control tools to verify the level of display of their advertising and the validity of the traffic, with the aim that the ads that are displayed "are relevant to the consumers". At the moment, the new plan with ads from Netflix does not include the entire catalog of series and movies on the streaming platform, due to a license restriction issue, although the company has already announced that they are working to solve these impediments. In addition to Spain, the rest of countries where this new plan will be offered are: Germany, Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Korea, the United States, France, Italy, Japan, Mexico and the United Kingdom.
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Meta uses AI for a new system that generates videos from text descriptions
03/10/2022Meta has presented "Make-A-Video" a new application that, based on Artificial Intelligence, is capable to generate a short video from a text description. The AI system used is based on imaging technology that learns from paired text and image data and videos without context. From them, the new system is able to create a high-quality video, converting the provided text into a short clip. According to the statement issued from Mark Zuckerberg's company, "Make-A-Video" represents an important advance with respect to "Make-A-Scene", the similar system presented by Meta last summer, that generates precise images from descriptions of text and sketches.
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Google Maps introduces new search opcions of ecological routes
21/09/2022Google will incorporate in Google Maps , new ecological routes that will be able to guarantee a lower impact from vehicles on the environment and, also, minimize fuel consumption.This new functionality of more sustainable itineraries will be implemented in Europe during next weeks, after having been successfully tested in the United States and Canada, where, according to Google in a statement sent to Europa Press, they have contributed to avoiding more than half a million tons of carbon emissions, in only one year.To suggest the best ecological route, Google Maps will ask the user about the type of engine of the vehicle that is going to use and then will show the driver all his available itinerary options and an accurate estimate of the consumption efficiency of the vehicle.Additionally, the package of new Google Maps features also incorporates the option to activate the display of charging points for electric vehicles; new bike routes, and Live View option, to supervise streets in real time.
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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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Menorca launches 5G connection in the 700MHz band while fiber optics continues not reach in some areas of Ibiza
13/05/2022After the relevant procedures to verify the absence of interference with DTT or other incidents, Movistar has received the green light to turn on 5G in the 700MHz band in Menorca and at this time the municipalities of Es Mercadal and Sant Lluís are already under this coverage. The new 5G in the 700MHz band has better range and better capacity to go through obstacles, thus offering better indoor coverage and universalizing some of the characteristics of 5G communications, such as low latency. The switching on of 5G in the rest of the island will be gradual. And while this is happening in Menorca, in Ibiza, the mayor of Sant Josep, has transferred to Telefónica the need that the operator deploy its optic network to cover all the municipality, because, explains the mayor, there are still areas such as Es Cubells, Cala d'Hort or points in Sant Agustí where the fiber network does not reach. The desire of the Ibiza Town Hall is, furthermore, to turn the capital of the island into one of the first destinations reached by 5G technological leap outside the large cities of the State. “It is a great opportunity for our citizens and the development of new economic sectors. We are also sure that 5G will soon be among the demands of tourists. The 5G availability will allow us to offer an exponential increase in added services to further improve their stay”, explained the Deputy Mayor for Finance and Modernization of Sant Josep, Vicent Roselló.
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How to know if Pegasus has infected our mobile
05/05/2022The news of recent weeks, in which it is claimed that the Pegasus espionage program has been used to enter the mobile devices of Spanish politicians, has put a lot of people on alert. Pegasus is a malicious software that, once introduced on a device, has the ability to collect information and transmit it to an external entity without the consent or knowledge of the owner of the device, be it a mobile phone, a computer or a tablet. Pegasus also erases its trail after it is installed. Among its main features, it also stands out that Pegasus is capable of detecting who the owner of the device has been with. Pegasus also, can send and recive messages autonomously and recording conversations by manipulating the attacked mobile, computer or tablet. The two ways that this spy program uses to enter on a devices is through an SMS or a fraudulent link and, according to experts, despite the fact that it is a very difficult spyware to detect, there are some signs that can make us suspect that we have been infected. Overheating or slowdown of the system are two of the main ones, but also the fact that the battery life is decreasing or that there is excessive data consumption when we are not using the device. How to make it difficult for Pegasus To try to avoid being infected by Pegaus or by any other malware, the director of Systems Engineering at Fortinet from Spain and Portugal, José Luis Laguna, in statements collected by Europa Press, recommends taking extreme precautions and a make a double-checking when personal and confidential information is provided. In addition, the Fortinet expert explains that instead of clicking on the link that we have received, to verify that it is legitimate, it is recommended to write the address of the site in the web browser, even though this means taking an additional step and not accessing directly to this service. Using protection 'software' based on behavior - EndPoint Detection and Response (EDR) -, keeping the system updated, avoiding public Wi-Fi connections and checking the permissions granted to applications, are other precautions that are also recommended.
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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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Video calling apps listen when the microphone is off, according to a study
25/04/2022A group of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (United States) has determined that video conferencing applications can continue accessing audio data even if the user has disabled the microphone. To demonstrate this, they have studied the most popular video conferencing applications and have analyzed the behavior of the mute button until they has determined that all the applications that they has tested whether the microphone was open or closed, occasionally collected raw data and delivered it to the servers of their services. In their research they have worked with binary analysis tools to see how the audio was transferred from the application to the audio drivers of the computers and then to the network. They aslo have created, through machine learning models ( 'machine learning'), a classifier of daily activities that, with 82% accuracy, has determined which activities users were doing while their microphones were, theoretically, silenced. In relation to this, the authors of this work recall that beyond muting the microphone, you can turn off the microphone of a device through the settings menu, a safer option to limit access to confidential information and sensitive data. All the conclusions of this study will be known next July in the Privacy Improvement Technologies Symposium.
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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.
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US Defense is working on an AI assistant to help pilots react in emergency situations
14/02/2022The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is working on a prototype of artificial intelligence (AI) assistant that will helps pilots solve unforeseen events during flights. This AI assistant would be integrated into an Augmented Reality viewer that would train the pilots in these situations. "This tool will help teach pilots new tasks, assist in error recognition, improve task completion time, and most importantly, help prevent catastrophic events," had said the manager statement senior of the program led by Northrop Grumman, Erin Cherry. As Cherry has explained, they have focused their work on the development of an intuitive context-adaptive reasoning assistant. With its help, pilots will be able to obtain precise information and orientation of the situation, place and the context through. For this they will have an interface with graphics in augmented reality capable, among of giving indications such as turning off the engine or resuming the march.
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Starlink Satellite Internet service multiplies their speed
11/02/2022Starlink, the Internet satellite network of SpaceX division, continues to bet on improving the download speed of their service and has just presented a new antenna that improves the performance of its basic kit. Its size is beat larger than the current antenna and Space X assure, it can offer a download speeds of 150 to 500 Mbps and a latency of 20 to 40 ms, compared to the speed of 50 Mb/s to 150 Mb/s of the initial kit . The official launch of the new antenna has been done in the United States, where users can already reserve it. It's expected that the antenna will arrive to Europe on the second quarter of the year.
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Fear of China spying on athletes' smartphones during the Beijing Olympics
21/01/2022A few weeks before the start of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, February 4 to 20, the media in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom have confirmed that the Olympic committees of their countries have asked their athletes not to take their Smartphones and computers with them. The reason, they said, is the fear of Chinese espionage. For these reason, both sports organizations will equip all their athletes and other support personnel with new devices so that they can be connected during their stay in China, without exposing their personal data at risk. The decision by the Netherlands Committee was known in an interview in the Volkskrant newspaper, which appeared earlier this week. Geert Slot, the spokesman for the Netherlands Olympic Committee, explained that "Cybersecurity has become a much bigger topic in recent years, and China is a very special case." In addition to the Netherlands and England, Australia is known to have made a similar recommendation to its athletes, and also the United States.
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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.
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Amazon's Fire TV, on wheels
12/01/2022Among the first novelties that Amazon will launch this year, the jump to Fire TV cars stands out. It will present a new integrated system that combines the interface of this entertainment center and the Alexa assistant. Fire TV for cars will allow the user to take their favorite content with him, including video games, music, programs and downloads to enjoy when there is no WiFi connectivity. In addition, it will be possible to follow in the car what we started watching at home, and in the screens for the rear seats, choose broadcast the content individually or in all the same. The new Fire TV for cars will be available in new vehicles throughout the year, first in the United States.
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Fisher-Price Phone Can Now Make Calls
22/10/2021Seeing is believing, but that's the way it is. Fisher-Price has unveiled a new, smart and fully functional version of the popular 'Funny Face Phone'. The new version maintains the original design and connected to the user's mobile data plan, can make calls in a conventional way. This new version also adds new functionalities such as hands-free with a speaker button. This new "Fisher-Price funny face" phone, with Bluetooth connectivity to pair with an Android or iOS phone, has autonomy for nine hours of conversation on a single charge. And it is "mobile" thanks to its wheels. The launch coincides with the 60th anniversary of this mythical children's phone. The new version is only abaible in the United States, specifically on “Best buy” shops, and its price is 60$.
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Google tests parcel delivery drones from shop's roofs
18/10/2021Google is testing a new drone product delivery system in Australia, with launch platforms from the store's roofs. To carry out the test, Google have the collaboration of the Vicinity’s shopping centres. Their customers can buy their products online and a drone waiting on the store's roof will take the items to the delivery address. In addition, Google tests the same take-off system from the store itself and not from the distribution centres, in Logan, United States, where more than 2,500 deliveries have already been made successfully with this system. As a curiosity and according to these results, the most demanded products by this system are teas, shakes, sushi and food. In the next weeks the system will be also prepare to delivered medicines and beauty and personal hygiene products.
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Amazon allows you to send gifts without knowing the recipient's address
06/10/2021In the United States, Amazon is testing a new service that allows the costumers to send surprise gifts without knowing the recipient's address. To do it, the buyer, who must be an Amazon Prime user, just has to choose the product on the platform, check the option "Let the recipient provide their address" and provide an email or mobile phone number of the person to whom you want to send the surprise gift. Then Amazon contacts the recipient by either of these two ways and informs him or her that a gift has been sent. To accept the package, the person must have an Amazon account and provide the marketplace his or her postal address so the gift can be delivered. If the person accepts the gift, or its equivalent in a gift card to spend on Amazon, immediately the product will be charged to the buyer's account and a conventional shipping process will start. But, if the person who has received the message informing about the gift does not answert or rejects the shipment, the order will be cancelled, and the person who bought the product will not pay anything. Now, this service is only available in the United States and only works with purchases made via mobile phone.
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USB-C cables will be marketed with power rating logos
05/10/2021USB type C cables will be marketed with new logos according to their power, has announced USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF). USB-IF has explained that the new logos have been designed to solve cable confusion and to make it easier to decide which cables and chargers to purchase depending on the costumer needs. This type of cable has options from 60W to 240W. The consortium has also presented through the same statement, the logos for USB 4, based on Thunderbolt and with transfer rates of up to 40 Gbps.
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Starlink will finish its satellite Internet tests in October
21/09/2021Starlink's beta program, the high-speed Internet service for rural areas without broadband connection, will end its trial period next October. After a year of testing this system, more than 1.800 satellites in orbit and a stable coverage in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Spain, Space X is waiting for the approval of the rest of the countries where the company has already registered its trademark to operate - Austria, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, France, Chile, Colombia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines and South Africa – being their goal to offer global satellite internet service in a short time. To take advantage of Starlink in areas without terrestrial Internet coverage you will need a special installation kit, which includes a terminal station, a WiFi 'router' and an antenna to connect to the satellite network.
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Google launches its very own VPN service in Spain
30/08/2021Google has just introduced its very own VPN service in Spain. This VPN is available through the Google One app. It aims to increase the online security of its customers and it is only available for Google One members on 2 TB plans or higher. Google's VPN service hides your IP address so that your online activity can't be tracked and protects your device against hackers when you're on an unsecured network, such as a public Wi-Fi network. However, unlike other VPNs, this one only works in Google's "supported countries" (Spain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States). At present, Google's VPN service is only available on Android devices. Nevertheless, on the VPN's site, Google notes that it plans to expand the service to iOS, Windows, and Mac in the near future.
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Macro cyber-attack affects more than 350 companies worldwide
07/07/2021The number of companies that have suffered from the REvil macro cyberattack now exceeds 350 organizations worldwide from which the cybercriminals are demanding 70 million in bitcoins to provide them with a universal decryptor to restore their data. The attack was conducted through the update system of IT services software company Kaseya, which REvil exploited to spread and hide ransomware. The virus was leaked to TI Kaseya resellers and from there has reached all end customers using their software. The official data provided by TI Kaseya sets the number of affected companies at 350, although other sources such as the cybersecurity company ESET talk about more than 1,000, including some Spanish organizations, although no names have been disclosed. It has been made public that one of the companies most affected by the cyberattack has been the Swedish supermarket chain Coop, which has had to close its more than 800 points of sale for a few days due to the impossibility of using its cash registers or charging customers. Based on Sophos threat intelligence, REvil has been active in recent weeks and is currently the dominant ransomware gang involved in Sophos' defensively managed threat response cases. Prior to this latest attack, they were also responsible for the one suffered by meat company JBS, which forced the cancellation of all work shifts at the company's slaughterhouses in the US. JBS paid up to 11 million to restore normal operations. These macro cyber-attacks are in addition to other recent and highly significant ones, such as the one perpetrated by the hacker group DarkSide, which forced the preventive shutdown of the largest oil pipeline network in the United States, Colonial Pipeline, endangering the supply of fuel in a large part of the country, or the one suffered by the SEPE and the Ministry of Labor in Spain a few weeks ago.
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