Good Friday

 

Good Friday, or Good Friday in Spanish, is a religious day observed primarily by Christians to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. It is part of Holy Week, which includes Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and culminates with the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday, also known as Easter.

Good Friday is a day of reflection, penance and worship for many Christians. Many churches hold special services that include Bible readings, prayers, and reflections on the spiritual meaning of Jesus Christ's death on the cross. Additionally, some traditions observe abstinence from certain recreational or entertainment activities as a sign of respect and devotion.

The date of Good Friday varies each year, as it is based on the lunar calendar and falls on the Friday before Easter Sunday. It is an important holiday in the Christian liturgical calendar and is celebrated by millions of people around the world.

clemson basketball

 

The Clemson University basketball team, known as the Clemson Tigers, competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Here's more information about the Clemson basketball program:

History: The Clemson basketball team has a history dating back to the early 20th century. Over the years, it has had periods of success interspersed with seasons of lower performance.

Notable Achievements: Although the team has not won an NCAA championship, it has had some successful seasons in which it has reached the NCAA tournaments and advanced in later rounds. He has also had success in the ACC tournament.

Stadium: The Tigers play their home games at Littlejohn Coliseum, located on Clemson's campus in Clemson, South Carolina. The stadium has been the team's home since 1968 and has undergone several renovations over the years.

Rivalries: As a member of the ACC, Clemson has several conference rivalries, including games against teams such as Duke, North Carolina, and NC State. These games are usually very intense and attract a lot of attention.

Notable Coaches and Players: Throughout the history of the program, there have been notable coaches and players who have left their mark on college basketball. Some of these include coaches like Cliff Ellis and players like Dale Davis and Horace Grant.

In short, the Clemson University basketball program has had moments of success and continues to be an important part of the college sports landscape in the ACC and the NCAA as a whole.

texas rangers

 

The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team based in Arlington, Texas. They are part of the Western Division of the American League in Major League Baseball (MLB). The team was founded in 1961 as the Washington Senators, and moved to Arlington in 1972, changing its name to the Texas Rangers.

Throughout their history, the Rangers have had several notable moments, including participating in two World Series (in 2010 and 2011), although they have failed to win the championship. They have produced many star players over the years and have been a competitive team in the league.

The team plays its home games at Globe Life Field, a stadium opened in 2020 that replaced the former Globe Life Park. The team's colors are blue, red and white, and their mascot is a horse named "Rangers Captain."

The Texas Rangers have a passionate fan base and continue to be an important part of the Texas sports landscape and MLB as a whole.

History: The Rangers were founded in 1961 as the Washington Senators. They moved to Arlington, Texas, in 1972 and changed their name to the Texas Rangers. The name "Rangers" refers to the Texas state police force, the Texas Rangers.

Notable Achievements: Over the years, the Rangers have had several successes. They have won multiple division titles and have reached the World Series twice, in 2010 and 2011, although they failed to win the championship.

Stadium: The Texas Rangers play their home games at Globe Life Field. Opened in 2020, Globe Life Field is a state-of-the-art stadium located in Arlington, Texas. It has the capacity to accommodate more than 40,000 fans and features advanced technology and modern amenities for spectators.

Colors and mascot: The team's traditional colors are blue, red and white. The team's mascot is "Rangers Captain", a horse that represents the spirit of the state of Texas and its cowboy tradition.

Notable Players: Over the years, the Rangers have had many star players on their roster, including Nolan Ryan, Ivan Rodriguez, Adrian Beltre, Juan Gonzalez and many more.

Rivalries: The Texas Rangers have several rivalries in the league, including the rivalry with the Houston Astros, known as the "Lone Star Series", and the rivalry with the Oakland Athletics.

The Texas Rangers are an important part of the sports culture in Texas and continue to be a competitive team in the MLB.

Humanizing AI: the cell phones of 2024 cannot escape this trend

 Teams are destined to become intelligent companions that use AI for a wide range of everyday tasks and applications.

For years, the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) on mobile devices represented an innovation that, although present, went largely unnoticed by the average consumer. It operated in the background, performing tasks such as optimizing battery life or data processing.

However, with the passage of time, this phenomenon underwent a radical change. The humanization of AI became an undeniable trend, driven by technology companies that focused on democratizing and making new technologies accessible to ordinary users.

Meanwhile, cutting-edge cell phones are designed to integrate AI into various daily applications and functionalities; not only in the construction at the hardware level, which is less noticeable for the owner of the mobile.

The technology consultancy Accenture confirmed this in its Technology Vision 2024 report: "a more human generation of technology is emerging: a technology that is more intuitive by design and by nature, that thinks more like people and that integrates seamlessly into everyone." areas of our lives," the experts wrote.

AI-based cell phones: the most recent examples:

In advance of the Mobile World Congress 2024 technological meeting, which was held from February 26 to 29, the presentation of the new Honor Magic6 Pro smartphone gave a good idea of the future of the most modern cell phones in terms of their link with artificial intelligence.

The Chinese company developed a "human-centered AI" that is integrated into the new MagicOS 8.0 operating system based on Android, for the premium model of the Honor Magic series. Thus, the Magic6 Pro cell phone incorporates AI in various aspects of its design and operation.

For its photography system, the premium equipment features an advanced AI capture algorithm that effortlessly predicts and takes photos at decisive moments, in high definition. Thus, Honor advances its objective of making a strong foothold in sports photography; a sector in which no other brand paid so much interest

In addition, the Chinese company claims that the Magic6 Pro has the first intention-based user interface in the sector; that is, it includes features like Magic Capsule and Magic Portal to provide a seamless and personalized user experience.

Magic Capsule, for example, is a smart pop-up window that offers quick access to contextual information and actions related to the application or notification being used; and Magic Portal relies on AI to understand the content of messages and notifications, and thus deploy automated actions for a more efficient workflow.

But Honor is far from the only firm that puts AI high on the agenda for upcoming technological developments. In fact, at the beginning of February Samsung presented the Galaxy S24 series, made up of the Galaxy S24 Ultra, Galaxy S24+ and Galaxy S24 models, all of them equipped with new AI tools.

From improving communication with intelligent text and call translations to optimizing creativity with Galaxy's ProVisual Engine, Samsung's latest devices empower virtually every experience by integrating new technologies.

"With the rise of artificial intelligence, better and smarter experiences will redefine the way we live," said Han. "Samsung's broad portfolio of powerful devices, along with its pursuit of open collaboration, will help bring AI and hyperconnectivity to everyone".

Like these teams, hopefully we will see many more in the near future. New technologies will no longer be limited to being tested and admired by experts, but will progressively expand until they transform homes and the way in which humans carry out day-to-day tasks.

Health-Circuit becomes a new Solution Partner of InterSystems

The spin-off startup of the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, Health-Circuit, has become a new Solution PartnerHealth-Circuit of InterSystems Iberia, which will become a Solution Partner of the InterSystems ecosystem, for the commercialization of the Surgifit solution that the company presented at Caelestinus.

As an InterSystems Solution Partner, Health-Circuit will market the solution worldwide and facilitate its access and implementation in public and private healthcare organizations. To do this, it will have the support of InterSystems in Spain and Portugal to develop its activity. Based in Spain, Health-Circuit is a spin-off startup of the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, where its Surgifit solution is being used in a pilot phase, in the Surgical Prehabilitation Program of the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, since last August.

Surgifit in Caelestinus

Caelestinus is a hybrid FHIR and digital health interoperability incubator based in Prague. In its recent program, promoted by InterSystems and supported by IKEM, the largest transplant center in Europe, Health-Circuit developed an adaptive management platform with an integrated care approach, aimed at pre-surgical processes.

Surgift is the only platform that digitizes all the processes required by patients and healthcare professionals to perform surgical prehabilitation at scale. According to a study by The Lancet, post-surgical complications represent 30% of the global burden of morbidity and are the third cause of global mortality. The application of a program like Surgifit would substantially reduce these figures. It has been developed on the InterSystems IRIS for Health platform and has included the FHIR Accelerator Service, HealthShare Message Transformation Services and InterSystems Health Connect Cloud technologies, which the organization made available to all members of the Caelestinus project.

According to James Greham, Country Sales Manager of InterSystems in Iberia, “promoting startups capable of improving the quality of life of patients and healthcare professionals is a very important objective for us. Our collaboration with Health-Circuit is another step in transforming healthcare into a positive and exceptional experience.”

For Isaac Cano, BSc, MSd, PhD and CEO of Health-Circuit, “in the area of perioperative care there is room for innovation, as is the case of surgical prehabilitation. For years we have collaborated with the Clínic-IDIBAPS, a great innovator. Acting now as an InterSystems Solution Partner reinforces our goal of digitally transforming healthcare, for the benefit of patients and professionals.”

Compared to the rest of the solutions on the market, Surgifit™ facilitates collaborative work between health professionals and patient adherence to a prehabilitation program plan that combines supervised training and promotion of physical activity, nutritional balance and psychological support.

The program enables surgical prehabilitation teams to create personalized, evidence-based care plans and monitor them to ensure compliance by patients in the preoperative phase.

In this way, healthcare professionals adapt and personalize patient care, generating a connected experience for both, through their surgical prehabilitation programs, with the aim of improving perioperative results, postoperative complications, and the duration of hospital admission. and the use of health resources, in just 30 days.

Patients can follow their prehabilitation plan with the Surgifit application from their home, nearby gyms or in combination with a supervised training program at the hospital. The patient, in this phase, also has access to the details of their personalized plan, contact with specialists and monitoring of their activity and compliance.

Recently, Surgifit's surgical prehabilitation program has been recognized by the OECD as a good practice to be extended internationally.

Pilot program

Currently, the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona has the Surgical Prehabilitation Program in place, led by the Anesthesiology Service and launched in 2017, and uses Surgifit, in a pilot phase, for its management. A few years ago, through its studies, the Clínic-IDIBAPS concluded that the preoperative preparation of patients through physical training programs, before major surgeries and, especially, in the most fragile patients, reduced the incidence of complications. postoperative by up to 50%.

These programs, today known as Prehabilitation, are led by a multidisciplinary team that is in charge of patient preparation “like an athlete prepares for a competition,” in the words of one of those responsible. The prehabilitation team coordinates with the rest of the center's professionals and the patient themselves.

The future of Artificial Intelligence in work teams

 According to data from the National Observatory of Technology and Society (ONTSI), in the study 'Use of artificial intelligence and big data in Spanish companies', 46.2% of companies with more than ten employees that use AI automate tasks , so that human capital can express its talent in what it knows how to do best.

Artificial Intelligence is the future of technology. In fact, it is expected that in 2028 the number of devices known as “AI PCs” will represent 80% of the total personal computer market, according to Intel's projection. And this technology is increasingly present in our lives, with tools and devices developed to facilitate our daily tasks and offer us a wide range of options to explore.

For this reason, Acer has initiated and incubated multiple solutions based on artificial intelligence and has promoted them in different sectors, such as smart cities and healthcare, in addition to its extensive portfolio of computers.

In the field of medicine, the company cooperates with medical centers in research related to biomedicine, to promote and deepen its development in the field of intelligent medicine. Thanks to this commitment to the sector, they will continue to develop new AI biotechnologies and closely observe emerging trends to adapt to them.

AI in computing equipment

The flagship of Acer's commitment to AI continues to be its computing equipment. Its laptops with Intel's latest processor (including Intel's first integrated NPU) were first introduced in the United States in 2023, and Intel officially announced the new processor on December 14. From there, they have incorporated more generative AI capabilities, from a comprehensive perspective, including software, information security and hardware. An example of this is the TravelMate series computers, which combine the power of AI and innovative features in elegant, thin and light devices that incorporate AI solutions from Acer, such as Acer PurifiedVoice™, Acer PurfiedView™ and the new function Acer LiveArt photo editing software.

Intelligent AI Companion with Copilot can also be accessed on Windows with just one click of the “Copilot” key, harnessing the power of AI to optimize your time working, creating, or playing. By combining Windows 11 Pro features that improve collaboration, productivity, security, and more, we offer users a simple, refined collection of high-performance laptops that adapt flexibly and excel in this new era of AI.

Advantages of having AI in computers

Today, AI in computer equipment helps us make our lives easier by saving time and effort in executing certain tasks. With the automation of processes, it allows us to automate and streamline tasks that, otherwise, would take us a long time to perform. As well as making certain decisions, being able to analyze large amounts of data in much less time than a person would do.

In addition to this, this new technology will classify images, detect faces, perform automatic translation or process natural language, among many other tasks and functions. From Acer, they are optimistic about the benefits that PCs with AI will bring to the computing industry in the future.

Samsung launches a map of your devices at home based on artificial intelligence

 Samsung on Thursday announced the launch of the 3D Map View feature, which was first introduced at the US CES in January and is now available in all countries with access to the SmartThings app.

Map View streamlines home management by converting real plans into virtual images in SmartThings. Users can view their devices and adjust lighting, temperature, air quality and power consumption anytime, anywhere.

Map View addresses the challenge of managing the growing number of connected devices in homes and makes smart home management easier by eliminating the need to find each device separately before using it. It shows users their entire home at a glance and updates in real time as more devices connect.

The previous version of Map View was a 2D model that only worked on homes where the floor plan was provided. However, this new updated version of Map View 3D takes advantage of the spatial artificial intelligence (AI) of Samsung devices - such as the Bespoke Jet Bot - using on-device LiDAR sensors to accurately measure and map the layout of a home. Now, users can more easily understand the shape and spatial conditions of their homes on 3D maps.

It has also improved the filter function to allow more efficient monitoring and control of the necessary devices. Its goal is to offer a more personalized and easy-to-use smart service by the end of the year through the use of AI characters, which were also presented at the 2024 edition of CES.

Map View is available through the SmartThings app on Android and IOS mobile devices, as well as televisions. Controls for this feature will also be available through additional hubs, such as Family Hub refrigerators, during the first half of the year.

The map can be seen on Samsung televisions.

Samsung's map will arrive in offices

Map View launched in South Korea and the United States last year. But now, it can be used in all countries with access to the SmartThings app. Samsung is collaborating with construction companies to expand Map View beyond homes to apartments and office spaces.

The company's goal is to help create intelligent environments for customers around the world by adding features. These include a user experience optimized for large screens that helps B2B operators with signage, and Quick Control, which allows users to easily access the most important functions.

Google reveals surprise Android update that beats iPhone

 Android and iPhone have never been so close, with little difference between the operating systems and their terminals. Overall, Google seems to be following rather than leading, but it just beat Apple at its own game, with a surprising new feature that's coming to Android first and could be just around the corner.

Google is on a mission to make Android more like iPhone, as the world's two major smartphone ecosystems fight for users. We recently saw Google improve Android security, include WhatsApp calls in its dialer, and even add Apple Passes to its wallet.

Now, this latest update not only matches an existing feature on the iPhone, but goes much further, surprisingly beating Apple at its own game.

I already reported on Google's push to include satellite emergency service as a new feature, which will see Android finally match the satellite SOS functionality that Apple had on its iPhone for a few years now. Google's offer even seems to include a ready-made Garmin rescue service in its plan. This is, without a doubt, a great step forward for the security of its large user base.

The problem with Apple's emergency SOS is that it only works for emergencies. For those of us who don't climb mountains or sail oceans, it puts an SOS tag on the screen when we're out of range, but it's something we never use.

Now, with the latest Android 15 developer preview, it looks like Google is bridging the gap, opening the door for users to expand their mobile accounts to include a satellite add-on, and allowing major messaging apps to use that satellite network. No more mobile phone black spots that leave users in a connectivity black hole.

According to Mishaal Rahman, "Android 15 DP2 adds some UI elements to ensure a 'consistent user experience' on devices that support satellite connectivity. The update also expands the platform's support for satellite connectivity by adding a "New API that apps can use to detect when a device is connected to a satellite. Android 15 also allows SMS/MMS/RCS apps to use satellite connectivity to send and receive messages."

That last part is the real news, and we know that some networks have plans to add LEO satellite connectivity as an account option. This is an improvement from what we first thought was coming, when Google (prematurely) updated the Pixel phones with a "Satellite SOS" feature slotted between Car Crash Detection and Emergency SOS.

Apple's satellite connectivity remains more limited. "With iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15, or iPhone 15 Pro," it says, "you can connect your iPhone to a satellite to text emergency services, request roadside assistance, and share your location with friends and family. , all while you're off the grid with no mobile coverage or Wi-Fi."

We expected Android to go further, as previous beta code suggested a satellite messaging option in collaboration with T-Mobile. The potential of what this could mean made headlines when Elon Musk announced that SpaceX had achieved download speeds of 17 mbps with an unmodified Galaxy S21 Ultra.

As SamMobile reported following that Samsung test, the device "wouldn't need any special hardware to connect to a satellite." Thus, even when there is no conventional cellular network coverage nearby, a smartphone could make/receive calls and messages by connecting directly to a satellite. "Starlink has been testing this service and it looks like we will be able to use it in the coming months."

This points to a future where direct-to-phone satellite connectivity is more normal and usable, but in the meantime messaging integration is a great start.

That this is coming to Android 15 already seems confirmed, in the absence of a major change. And as Android and the iPhone get closer and closer, this seems to be an example of Google leading with (one hopes) Apple following. Hot on the heels of news that Gemini could be coming to the iPhone and Apple claiming the Justice Department lawsuit would turn the iPhone into Android, this was an interesting week.

Dragon's Dogma 2 angers fans and debuts with negative reviews on Steam

 The original installment of Dragon's Dogma arrived in 2012, while the Dark Arisen expansion debuted in 2013. After a long wait of more than 10 years, the sequel is finally available for all platforms. What should have been a moment of euphoria and happiness turned into a great controversy.

Dragon's Dogma 2 officially debuted on March 21, 2024. Although the number of units sold is unknown, we already know that it broke records for simultaneous players on Steam. On launch day, it gathered 200,175 concurrent users, meaning it surpassed the peaks of Resident Evil 4 Remake, Street Fighter 6, and more Capcom games.

The RPG title currently boasts an average rating of 87 points on Metacritic, meaning that the press gave it a thumbs up; However, it was not until the official debut that the first major controversy arose.

Due to micropayments and technical problems, Dragon's Dogma 2 debuts with negative reviews on Steam

Upon launch, the community discovered that there are 21 items that can be purchased for real money and that offer very useful benefits, such as changing the appearance of the avatar or reviving the dead. While most of these items can also be obtained in-game, players argue that they should be easier to find and cheaper.

One of the most problematic items sold for real money are Crystal Holders, which allow players to teleport to a selected destination. Let us remember that director Hideaki Itsuno said in an interview that fast travel is for boring games, so he draws attention that this function does exist, but it is only available to those who resort to microtransactions.

In parallel, players reported that there are performance problems, errors with textures, frame drops and other technical problems that reduce the user experience. Consequently, the game debuted on Steam to mostly negative reviews.

Right now, only 39% of the 14,032 ratings available on Valve's platform are positive. Following the controversy, Capcom issued a statement on Steam apologizing and addressing complaints from Dragons Dogma 2 fans.

“We would like to update you on the status of the following items, on which we have received numerous comments from the community. To all those who were looking forward to the game, we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience,” the company said.

In the text, Capcom listed the items that can be obtained for free in the game and for real money in the store. When it comes to technical problems, he promised that he is already investigating the errors and promised that he is already working on solutions. He also confirmed that he is looking into the possibility of adding a feature on Steam that allows players to restart their game.

Intel launches the most powerful processors with artificial intelligence on the market in Latin America

 

The giant Intel officially launched its new Intel Core Ultra processors, equipped with artificial intelligence, and redoubled its commitment to the development of the AI PC era in Latin America.

At the event "Discovering the era of AI PC in Latam" in which iProUP was present, the company confirmed that the processors are already available in Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Peru, and will gradually reach Argentina and other countries in the region. region such as, for example, Costa Rica.

"It is estimated that PCs with AI will represent 80% of the PC market by 2028 and will provide new tools to the way people work, learn and create," highlighted Vanessa García Fiol, director of Marketing for Latin America at Intel.

The company announced the arrival of Intel Core Ultra processors, which will be present in more than 230 models of the world's first AI PCs for laptops in the Latin American market, thus marking the beginning of a new era of AI in the region. .

"We are at an inflection point with the PC. The demands for what people expect their PC to do are growing and evolving. The arrival of Intel Core Ultra laptop processors in Latin America marks a significant milestone in the introduction of the Artificial Intelligence in personal computers in the region," highlighted García Fiol.

"This advancement represents the beginning of a new era in which AI is tangibly integrated into the everyday computing experience of Latin American users," she added.

New Intel Core Ultra processor enables acceleration of low-power UA tools, among other new features

Intel presented its Intel Core Ultra processor: its differentials

"Intel Core Ultra is the first processor developed with Intel 4 process technology and represents the company's largest architectural change in 40 years," highlighted Ricardo Chaparro, director of the Computing Business Unit for Intel in Latin America.

He added: "Whether you're working, collaborating, creating content or gaming, Intel Core Ultra processors offer three dedicated engines (CPU, GPU and NPU) to unleash the power of AI, create immersive graphics experiences and enable faster processing. high performance with low energy consumption.

The new processor family also features Intel AI Boost, an integrated AI engine that enables low-power AI acceleration and offloading of the CPU or GPU.

Additionally, the Intel Gaussian & Neural Accelerator feature processes AI voice and audio applications, while freeing up CPU resources to increase overall system performance and responsiveness.

From now on, thanks to AI tools and laptops with Intel Core Ultra processors, users will be able to:

Generate an image of what you have in mind with a short text

Mix your favorite song with just a few clicks and text input, or separate the vocals and create a quick karaoke hit

Make your photos more vibrant by amplifying every detail with smart lighting correction

Add more colorful skies or mysterious fogs to your photos to give them a special touch, all with extraordinary detail and realism

Translate languages in real time by using natural language processing algorithms and interpret spoken or written words in one language and present the corresponding translation in another language

Transcribe audio by processing speech algorithms to convert spoken words or audio recordings into written text

Perform automation inference by using machine learning algorithms to analyze large amounts of data and predict or make decisions based on data patterns and trends

Intel's vision on the emergence of AI in all areas

AI marks a generational shift, inaugurating a new era of global expansion in which computing becomes even more fundamental to forging a better future for all.

Ricardo Chaparro, director of the Computing Business Unit for Intel in Latin America

This progress depends crucially on the availability of advanced hardware, especially semiconductors, driving an era that Intel calls the "Siliconomics."

In this new era, the global industry is based on silicon, an essential material for the manufacture of semiconductors, and on software, elements that will trigger exponential growth in economies worldwide and emerging technologies such as IoT, online computing. the cloud and, above all, artificial intelligence.

In this scenario, as the volume of data increases, the demand for AI insights grows.

According to Boston Consulting Group, AI-enabled PCs will account for 80% of the PC market by 2028

and will bring new tools to the way people work, learn and create. This translates into multiple advantages for society and companies.

Additionally, according to reports from Intel, when surveying organizations that use generative AI, the benefits include:

better customer experience (27%)

higher efficiency (25%)

improved product capabilities (25%)

cost savings (22%)

Intel develops IT tools and solutions that enable PCs to seamlessly integrate and effectively run AI across their applications – in the cloud and, increasingly, locally on the PC and at the edge, where data is generated and used.

To that end, Intel introduced the AI PC Acceleration Program, under which the company seeks to enable AI in more than 100 million PCs by 2025.

Work with more than 100 "independent software vendor" ISVs will continue to include new partners, and more than 300 AI-accelerated resources are expected to enable new experiences on PC.

"Intel is the only company creating an ecosystem program like this to advance AI capabilities and usher in the era of AI PCs," Chaparro emphasizes.

He adds: "While others may talk about what's to come with AI, Intel's AI Acceleration Program will impact people's lives starting today with systems powered by Intel Core Ultra."

"For developers, this stage offers enormous social and business opportunities to create solutions to the world's greatest challenges and improve the lives of all people on the planet," Chaparro completes.

These are the apps and services that are consuming your mobile battery without you realizing it

  As our dependence on smartphones (which is already very high) continues to grow, an increasingly important aspect of these devices is the battery, since when it runs out we cannot use our phone.

Although manufacturers have put a lot of emphasis on this aspect in recent years and batteries are increasingly durable and charge in less time, the vast majority are consumed in a matter of 24 or 48 hours maximum. And while it is clear that the use we make of our phone affects this aspect, there are also things that we do not see that affect the longevity of our charge.

To get to the bottom of the matter, the DxOMark team has analyzed a combination of mid-range and high-end smartphones launched throughout 2023 to find out what was draining the battery of these phones.

To do this, they analyzed the consumption of the different apps, services and platforms that users had installed on their devices, to obtain an overview of the impact of energy consumption on a wide range of mobile phones and prices.

Apps, services and functions that consume the most battery

Among the apps that consume the most battery are those dedicated to messaging, such as WhatsApp or Telegram. This is because its constant Internet connection quickly drains our mobile battery by working in the background to receive messages and notifications.

The same happens with SMS that require a constant connection to the cellular network to send and receive messages. At the same time, both video streaming apps such as Netflix or HBO and music playback apps, such as Spotify or Apple Music, also consume a lot of battery due to the amount of data they require to transmit multimedia content.

On the other hand, when it comes to functions, the location service that we usually have activated to use in apps like Google Maps will drain your device's battery due to the constant use of GPS and the transmission of location data. While having push notifications activated increases this consumption by constantly turning on the screen and activating apps in the background.

Generative AI in the workplace begins a new era of productivity

 The digital workplace is increasingly faced with the analysis of greater volumes of data to respond to the challenges of an environment in constant transformation. Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) changes the business focus from tasks to objectives The next ASLAN2024 Congress&EXPO, organized by the @aslan Association on April 17 and 18 at the Ifema Conference Center, will address the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the innovation and digital transformation ecosystem. In this context, this year the space will have a place dedicated to the challenges that the application of generative AI to the workplace brings with it: Enhancing the Digital Workplace with AI.

The application of AI in Spanish companies is already a reality. According to a study by Amazon Web Services (AWS), its use has grown by 22% since 2022 and 36% of organizations are already taking advantage of its benefits. Between now and 2030, it is estimated that AI will move around 282 billion euros. Although it is true that this technology has been used for many years, Generative AI (AIGen) has marked a turning point that will change the way we work and generate content, raising the productivity levels. The potential that AIGen brings will allow companies to truly dedicate themselves to strategy, leaving routine or tedious tasks to the intelligent hyperautomation enabled by AI. In essence, we will move from a task orientation to one that is more focused on objectives.

Along these same lines, furthermore, far from posing a threat to the employee, it will play an inclusive role, because as Mario Medina, general director of Ilunion IT Services, states, "this technology is going to eliminate many barriers, because from the start it will provide new knowledge and skills to people who lack them or who have a disability, assuming a new paradigm when it comes to facing the day-to-day work."

From public to hybrid cloud

Despite these benefits, Generative AI also involves risks that should not be neglected. One of those that comes to the fore is security, especially of the data that is, after all, the engine for AIGen. Given the high processing capabilities required by this technology, the cloud has played a crucial role in its development and consumption, but this circumstance has increased concerns about security.

Alejandro Pinto, the head of Business Development and Public Sector at AWS, states that "just because the data resides close to where you have business does not directly mean that you have greater protection." For this reason, in addition to the need for data proximity – largely due to a question of latency and resilience – there is also the need to have appropriate tools for both the public cloud and hybrid environments.

Given that many companies combine their public cloud with their private cloud, these tools increasingly look to the PC, which is beginning to play a leading role when executing services and solutions with AI. According to Patricia Núñez, product management and operations director at Lenovo, "many of this data processing is going to be done on the PC itself, so from now on there will be a lot of talk about chips with NPU (Neural Processing Unit) with a performance of more than 40 TOPS".

They are the computers developed specifically for these environments, the AI PCs. Currently, the PCs that are beginning to hit the market with this type of processors show a performance of between 10 and 15 TOPS (trillion operations per second), but the progression is accelerating.

The key, the data

Experts agree that the application of AI to the digital workplace will boost productivity. To achieve this, as Gartner states that it happens in 42% of companies, the biggest challenge is data, the volumes of which are generated are greater with the advancement of technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT).

Martín Trullas, Advanced Solutions Director of Ingram Micro, is convinced that such volumes will require "collaborative tools and artificial intelligence that are capable of interpreting them and by doing so, we will be much more efficient."

If 20 years ago Wi-Fi was a revolution for the workplace environment, now it is AI and its transversal application in hybrid environments, both at the hardware and software level, improving protection against threats, with much greater capacity. analytical and proactive and optimized functionality automation in all areas of the company.

OpenAI could launch its new GPT-5 AI chatbot in the middle of the year

Last November, the company announced GPT-4 Turbo and said this model was even more capable, with an “updated knowledge limit through April 2023” and that it can analyze the equivalent of 300 pages of text in a single question.

Technology company OpenAI, creator of the popular artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT, could launch GPT-5, its improved generative AI tool, by mid-year, according to Business Insider.

The newspaper noted this Wednesday that OpenAI is still training its GPT-5 chatbot, but that some enterprise clients of the company led by Sam Altman recently received demonstrations of the latest model.

“It's really good, significantly better,” a CEO who wanted to remain anonymous and who recently saw a version of GPT-5 told Business Insider.

Before releasing the new model to the public, the AI company will conduct an internal security test and form a “red team,” a process in which employees and a selection of external people will challenge the tool in different ways to find problems. before making it available to everyone.

Process in which, for example, its hyper-realistic video creation tool with Sora AI is now.

A year ago, OpenAI launched GPT-4, the most powerful version released by OpenAI technology and which powers the AI of its partner, Microsoft.

This version, capable of responding to both images and text, was presented almost four months after the company launched ChatGPT, a model powered by GPT-3.5 that had also achieved great popularity, as a more advanced and paid version of the which can be accessed by a ChatGPT Plus subscription for $20 per month.

Last November, the company announced GPT-4 Turbo and said this model was even more capable, with an “updated knowledge limit through April 2023” and that it can analyze the equivalent of 300 pages of text in a single question.

In March 2023, a group of businessmen from the technology sector, experts and politicians requested in an apocalyptic letter that experiments with very powerful artificial intelligence be suspended for six months because they consider that “they may pose profound risks for society and humanity.” ”.

“We call on all AI laboratories to immediately pause for at least six months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4,” said the statement, which called for governments to intervene to impose this moratorium. in the event that the parties involved refuse to temporarily suspend the investigations.

One of the biggest competitors to OpenAI chatbots now is Google and its Gemini generative AI.

For its part, Anthropic, the artificial intelligence company founded by several former OpenAI employees, said this Monday that the different versions of its new model, Claude 3, work as well or better than the GPT-4 and Gemini Ultra models, the from the market leaders, OpenAI and Google, respectively.

 

The ozone layer, vital for life

The ozone layer, that fragile and vital atmospheric layer, acts as a protective shield that absorbs ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, thus safeguarding life on Earth. However, since the 1970s, a significant threat to this layer has emerged in the form of fluorocarbons, chemical compounds used in a wide range of industrial and domestic applications. To understand how these chemicals impact ozone, it is crucial to first understand how an ozone molecule is formed and destroyed.

The ozone molecule (O3) is formed in the atmosphere through a photochemical reaction. High-energy UV radiation causes the dissociation of oxygen (O2) molecules, thus producing highly reactive oxygen atoms. These oxygen atoms then combine with other oxygen molecules to form ozone molecules. However, ozone destruction occurs mainly due to the presence of compounds such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons. When these compounds are released into the atmosphere, the chlorine and bromine atoms they contain can catalyze the decomposition of ozone into ordinary oxygen atoms, resulting in a decrease in ozone density in the stratosphere.

To address this global problem, significant measures have been implemented through the Montreal Protocol, an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production and use of ozone-depleting substances. As a result, new ozone-friendly gases have been developed and adopted, such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). These compounds have a much lower ozone depletion potential than CFCs and halons, making them safer and more sustainable alternatives in various industrial and consumer applications.

Fluorocarbons, particularly chlorofluorocarbons, have proven to be a significant threat to the ozone layer due to their ability to decompose stratospheric ozone. However, thanks to international efforts such as the Montreal Protocol, significant progress has been made in reducing the use of these compounds and promoting safer alternatives to preserve the integrity of the ozone layer. It is essential to continue promoting research and adoption of technologies and products that minimize environmental impact and protect our atmosphere for future generations.

 

Vitamin D could reduce the neurological symptoms of long-COVID

In the medical field, there are several names to define long-COVID: post-COVID-19 syndrome, chronic COVID-19, prolonged COVID-19, long-COVID-19 and persistent COVID-19 symptoms. This disease is characterized by having symptoms characterized by being cyclical, progressive or multiphasic in nature and that persist up to 2 or 4 months after the infection has started according to the World Health Organization. A primary definition for this disease was introduced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in which it is mentioned that long-COVID is characterized by symptoms that persist more than three months after infection. appearance of the first symptoms of COVID-19. In another study it was stipulated that the duration of symptoms should be greater than 6 months. However, a consensus is currently necessary to agree on the definition of persistent COVID-19 and the diagnostic process due to the variability in the occurrence and timing of persistent symptoms.

It has been shown that SARS-CoV-2 is a virus that disrupts the blood-brain barrier, initiating an inflammatory process, the presence of oxidant stress, hypercoagulation, thrombosis and changes in the autoimmune response that are considered the main events that lead to neurological symptoms. These symptoms affect more than a third of patients and include fatigue, changes in the sense of smell and taste, brain fog (short-term memory loss and inability to concentrate), headache, cognitive disorders, sleep disorders, sensory deficits and neuropsychiatric manifestations such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress. On the other hand, some risk factors have been associated with the presence of long-COVID, such as advanced age (>65 years), being a woman, and the presence of several chronic diseases.

Vitamin D is a hormone that regulates calcium concentration, modulates inflammation and is known as an antioxidant. It has been observed that vitamin D deficiency in patients infected with COVID-19 is associated with damage to the immune and respiratory systems, causing greater severity of this disease. The beneficial effects of the use of vitamin D have been observed in patients infected with moderate or severe COVID-19, reducing mortality and severity of the disease, length of stay in intensive care, days of hospitalization and inflammation in the organism. Due to the above, vitamin D is an adjuvant to prevent the development of COVID-19 into a severe or prolonged illness, and it has been shown to reduce the presence of neurological sequelae. Because it is not an expensive dietary supplement, it could be incorporated into the daily diet.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

López-Sampalo A, et al. Persistent COVID-19 syndrome. A narrative review. Rev Clin Esp (Barc). 2022 Apr;222(4):241-250. doi: 10.1016/j.rceng.2021.10.001.

Duerlund et al. Positive Predictive Value of the ICD-10 Diagnosis Code for Long-COVID. Clin Epidemiol. 2022 Feb 9;14:141-148. doi:10.2147/CLEP.S344515

Cabrera Martimbianco AL, et al. Frequency, signs and symptoms, and criteria adopted for long COVID-19: A systematic review. Int J Clin Pract. 2021 Oct;75(10):e14357. doi: 10.1111/ijcp.14357.

Cárdenas-Rodríguez N, et al. Use of Antioxidants for the Neuro-Therapeutic Management of COVID-19. Antioxidants (Basel). 2021 Jun 17;10(6):971. doi:10.3390/antiox10060971.

Davis et al. Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2023 Mar;21(3):133-146. doi:10.1038/s41579-022-00846-2.

Gomaa AA, et al. Pharmacological evaluation of vitamin D in COVID-19 and long COVID-19: recent studies confirm clinical validation and highlight metformin to improve VDR sensitivity and efficacy. Inflammopharmacology. 2023 Nov 13. doi: 10.1007/s10787-023-01383-x.

Moukayed M. A Narrative Review on the Potential Role of Vitamin D3 in the Prevention, Protection, and Disease Mitigation of Acute and Long COVID-19. Curr Nutr Rep. 2023 Jun;12(2):215-223. doi:10.1007/s13668-023-00471-2.

Srikanth S, et alfigra vitamin D long covid. Identification and diagnosis of long COVID-19: A scoping review. Prog Biophys Mol Biol. 2023 Sep;182:1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2023.04.008. Epub 2023 May 12.

March Madness: what it is and how the great annual American basketball tournament works

 A tradition of eight decades, four regions, 68 teams before the first match: this is how the great university tournament is made up and played.

Like every year, March arrives and madness breaks out in American basketball: it's time for the university tournament, the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. March Madness: March Madness. One of the milestones of the sports calendar in the United States and a media explosion without comparison in basketball; Nothing, not even the NBA Finals, come close to what the college tournament generates, in every way. in the USA. Their great rivalries are in the very essence of their sport and in the lives of their citizens. Heroes, villains, comebacks, disasters, scripts more typical of Hollywood, bets that go through the air, stories that monopolize the media... there's a reason it's called March Madness.

The tournament chooses, each year, the university basketball champion and, after the season, 68 teams from the country's highest category, Division I of the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association), enter it. Its history, although its format and layout has evolved over the years, dates back to 1939 and is due to the idea of several coaches, most notably Harold Olsen of Ohio State. Their record is dominated by UCLA (11 titles), followed by Kentucky (8), North Carolina (6) and Duke and Indiana (5). But since it expanded to 64 teams in 1985, Duke has been the great dominator (its 5 have come in that stretch) ahead of North Carolina (4). Two historic rivals from Carolina, face to face. Since 2011, all matches can be seen live anywhere in the world, and since 1969 the tournament has been televised. Now the rights in the US belong to TNT, CBS, TBS and TruTv.

Four regions competing all or nothing

The tournament is organized by rounds and in direct elimination matches. The table (the famous bracket on which bets are made in the United States) is divided (with this nomenclature since 2007) into four regions: East, South, West and Midwest (East, South, West and Midwest). From each region, with the matches in preselected neutral venues, a regional champion emerges who advances to the Final Four, the final four: the semifinals and final from which the champion emerges and which is celebrated, as a grand culmination, the first finish week of April.

The structure of the tournament is as follows: a first round (First Four) that distributes the last four places to advance to the 64 of the final tournament and three weeks with five more rounds: first round (first), round of 32 (second ), sweet 16 (regional semifinals), elite 8 (regional finals) and the semifinals and final that make up the Final Four, on Saturday and Monday of the final weekend. All matches, we must insist because that is the true essence of the tournament, the fuel of madness, are direct elimination: whoever wins advances, whoever loses goes home.

The 68 spots are distributed as follows: 32 are for the champions of the 32 Division I Conferences. They automatically receive a spot in the tournament. The other 36 are given by invitation by an NCAA selection committee; who makes his announcement in a major televised event (Selection Sunday). The teams are divided by regions: in the final table after the first four matches, 16 in each of the four. In them, they are placed by ranking, from 1 to 16. And this is how they play: 1 against 16, 2 against 15... in such a way that the two best from each region can only face each other in the regional final, with a ticket to the Final Four at stake.

The NCAA selection committee prepares the ranking of the 68 teams, from 1 to 68, and from there the bracket is composed: the first four are distributed among the four regions as seeds of each of them, the four Next will be the four numbers two and so on. Once the table is established, the madness begins, the three weeks in which basketball takes over the United States and which ends with a university crowned as the great queen of the country.

What you need to know about the 2024 eclipse in USA

 

The eclipse on April 8, 2024 will, in some ways, be better than the one in 2017. "It is long, with more than four minutes of totality. Because of the duration, it will be much darker than in 2017 during totality" says Bob Baer, a specialist in the School of Physics and Applied Physics at Southern Illinois University and co-chair of the 2017-2024 Southern Illinois Eclipse Steering Committee. "The sun is very active now and will probably produce a larger corona than we saw in 2017, when we were in a period of low solar activity."

As the moon blocks light from the sun, it casts a shadow, creating a trail as the Earth rotates. This shadow trail is called the path of totality. In the hours before and after the total eclipse, you can see a partial eclipse, in which the moon partially obscures the sun. To see a partial eclipse it is necessary to wear protective glasses. In places outside the narrow path of totality, only a partial eclipse will be seen.

On April 8, the total solar eclipse will occur in a swath of North America that includes parts of Mexico, the United States and Canada. The path of totality, which looks like a narrow arc on a map of North America, will enter Mexico along the Pacific coast near Mazatlán, "where the eclipse will begin at 10:51:22 [local time, 6:51 p.m. Spanish peninsula]. The total phase of the eclipse will begin at 12:07:24 and will end at 12:11:43, just when the Sun will be at the zenith, that is, at the highest point in the sky," according to the Autonomous University of Mexico.

On its way northeast towards the border with the United States, the eclipse will pass over Durango, Torreón and Monclova. The eclipse will reach US lands in Texas at 1:27 p.m. Central Daylight Time and will pass through parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. The eclipse then reaches Canada through southern Ontario and continues through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia. The eclipse leaves continental North America along the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada at 5:16 p.m. Newfoundland daylight time.

Where to see the eclipse

"Make sure you choose a location directly in the path of totality," says Ryan French, a solar physicist at the National Science Foundation's National Solar Observatory and author of The Sun: A Beginner's Guide to Our Home Star. "In general, the closer you are to the center of that trajectory, the longer you will experience totality."

Check the time

"The second thing to consider is timing," French says. "Pick a location along the track that is likely to be cloud-free in early April." Most scientists agree that Mexico and Texas are the places most likely to have the best weather. "The worst weather statistics along the path of totality are in Quebec, with less than a 15% chance of clear skies that day," says French.

A "partly cloudy sky is not a bad perspective for viewing the eclipse, but cloudy is not good at all," says Baer. "Clouds can add an interesting element during an eclipse, as long as you can still see the sun, which is achieved through thin clouds or between thicker clouds." At the eclipse event they are hosting in Carbondale, Illinois (which is on the path for the second time after also experiencing the 2017 eclipse), they will be showing live TV feeds from other destinations in case of bad weather in Carbondale.

Big city or small town?

The decision to view the eclipse in a big city versus a small town or rural area depends on your preferences. Although large cities have better infrastructure, more accommodation and are more accessible by car or plane, they will also have greater influx of public.

The best destination can depend on many factors. "Will there be a picturesque view? Will there be trees that project the shape of the crescent sun onto the ground? Will there be animals that react to the eclipse? Any combination of these things will enhance your unforgettable experience," says French.

"I encourage people to go to educational places to view eclipses, such as a college campus, science center, museum, or planetarium, and I especially recommend it to families," Baer says. "For those who like nature and want a more private experience, seeing it in a natural area is also great. In short, go ahead and enjoy it however you want."

Plan it in advance. Or not.

Once you have chosen your destination, book transportation, accommodation, and any festivals or events you want to attend as far in advance as possible. But if you are flexible and like to live a little on the Instead, says eclipse guide Paul D. Maley, "check the long-term weather about five days ahead and see where it's expected to be clear on April 8. If you can, get there by any means possible, but in "A car would be the most advantageous. That way, you will maximize your mobility, especially if the forecast changes at the last minute."

In any case, order your ISO-approved eclipse glasses in advance. Additionally, plan to arrive at your chosen destination at least one or more days before April 8, and expect traffic delays.

Safety and attention during the entire

To avoid eye damage during the partial phase of the eclipse, you should wear eclipse glasses before and after totality. "When you see the edge of the moon encroach on the last crescent of the sun, be prepared," advises French; "as soon as the sun disappears from your sunglasses, take them off and enjoy the view."

Maley recommends using binoculars during totality "to view the sun, which offers a closer view of the small reddish jets of hydrogen suspended at the edge of the solar disk." He also advises: "Don't spend 100% of your time trying to photograph the eclipse. Always let your eyes and brain take in as much magic as possible."

Making the most of the experience in the United States

More hotel beds: Texas

Texas has three of the largest cities in the path of totality: San Antonio (although only half are in the path), Dallas, and Austin. The enormous size of these cities means they are prepared for the influx of eclipse visitors, including having plenty of hotel rooms.

San Antonio has more than 50,000 hotel rooms and has named its celebrations the Fiesta del Sol. The city has many unique places to view the eclipse, from a brewery to an amusement park and caves. La Cantera Resort & Spa is a 222-hectare oasis located at one of the highest points in San Antonio. The resort has partnered with the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Texas at San Antonio to offer guests an educational experience.

Austin has more than 49,000 hotel rooms, including Hotel Viata, which offers an eclipse-themed spa package, guided meditation activities and sound baths, as well as an astronomer-led dinner on April 7.

Dallas has more than 35,000 hotel rooms, including the Marriott Dallas Downtown, which will host an exclusive rooftop party. Once you've decided where to stay, visit places like the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, the rooftop of Gilley's music venue, the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, and the Frontiers of Flight Museum.

Many small Texas towns are also in the path of totality, and Texas' generally sunny weather makes it an attractive option. French himself will view the eclipse from the town of Eagles Pass.

Best place to get married during the eclipse: Russellville, Arkansas

This moderately sized Arkansas city of 30,000 people (expected to exceed 90,000 during the eclipse) will experience more than four minutes of totality. It is one of the official NASA locations from which the organization will broadcast on April 8.

Downtown Russellville will host Moon Over Main, a free live music and arts festival; hot air balloon rides; and a chance for the lovebirds to make their love official with a wedding ceremony under the eclipse during totality.

Best place to camp: Booneville and Paris, Arkansas

The eclipse will make its way over the Ozark Mountains in northwest Arkansas, which offers several camping sites. The small town of Booneville and its surrounding areas offer numerous camping opportunities. The center of town is the scene of a festival on April 8 with live music.

In the Arkansas River Valley, the small town of Paris, at the base of Mount Magazine State Park (the highest point in the state), has several RV and tent campgrounds.

The best city to approach NASA experts: Indianapolis, Indiana

NASA will broadcast from the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway (home of the Indy 500), taking over the iconic location for a day-long celebration featuring live broadcasts, NASA astronauts and STEM activities. You can camp on the premises. The city, which asks all homes and businesses to turn off their lights during the eclipse to avoid light pollution, is also home to the world's largest children's museum, which will host an Eclipse Extravaganza. Newfields, the campus of the Indianapolis Museum of Art, will host Total Eclipse of the Art.

Best Family Destination: Ohio

Ohio has two large cities along the way, each ideal for families: Wapakoneta and Cleveland. Wapakoneta (pop. 9,957) is the hometown of Neil Armstrong. During eclipse weekend, families can tour the Lunar Menu Trail at local restaurants and visit the Armstrong Air and Space Museum. There will also be a four-day festival at the Auglaize County Fairgrounds; guided bus tours of Wapakoneta As Neil Armstrong Knew It; and space-themed art exhibits and eclipse photography at the Riverside Arts Center.

Cleveland will host the three-day Total Eclipse Fest 2024 downtown on the lakefront, along with NASA's Glenn Visitor Center and the Great Lakes Science Center. There will be hands-on science activities, a free concert by the Cleveland Orchestra, food booths and NASA experts. NASA TV, NASA's live streaming service, will do a live broadcast.

Most scenic: Niagara Falls, New York

Imagine watching the eclipse with one of the most iconic waterfalls in the world thundering in the background. Niagara Falls State Park has several viewpoints ideal for viewing the natural phenomenon, and interpretation staff will offer educational programs to mark the event.

Best Museums: Rochester, New York

The city of Rochester, in upstate New York, is an ideal medium-sized, easily accessible city, with some world-class museums to complete your eclipse visit. A four-day festival has been scheduled, in addition to many other events. The Rochester Museum & Science Center will host a three-day Roc the Eclipse Festival, packed with hands-on activities, speakers, music, food and more.

If you have children, be sure to visit the Strong National Museum of Play, which will celebrate the eclipse for three days around playing with light. Genesee Country Village & Museum, the third-largest living history museum in the U.S., will offer special programs and opportunities to view the eclipse, such as on the museum's Great Meadow or the Old Baseball Field.

The path of the 2024 Total Eclipse across North America

This is where you'll want to be on eclipse day! Where will you see the totality?

Early April 2024

People from all over the world begin to converge on North America. Except for people returning home, visiting family, or doing business at the exact moment in history, these will be people who will take a trip to go wherever the Moon's shadow touches the earth and will position themselves in a carefully chosen location, sometimes years in advance, to ensure they will see the eclipse.

These people will make contingency travel plans in case clouds arrive at the last minute. These people will fill hotel rooms, sometimes inadvertently displacing locals from their homes as space becomes harder to find. These people will travel through miles of desert or forest or a frozen desert, facing the most adverse conditions... to catch a glimpse of the eclipsed Sun.

These people come to North America to see one of nature's greatest spectacles: a total solar eclipse! For those of us who already live here, but have never seen the entirety, this is the opportunity of a lifetime: to see the most beautiful thing on the planet and maybe not even have to take a plane to get to it!

April 5, 2024

Almost everyone who plans to view the eclipse will be in position. Visitors from abroad will be finishing their sightseeing tours, and will be arriving at their pre-selected viewing areas to ensure that there are no technical problems in their trip that could deprive them of their true objective. Cities along the route that have decided to create official eclipse viewing areas will focus on logistics, to ensure the comfort, enjoyment and safety of their guests. People who have converged on those sites to view the eclipse will begin the countdown to eclipse day as final preparations are made to ensure photography equipment, filters, chairs, tables, telescopes, TV monitors, equipment of webcasting, hats, sunscreen and eclipse glasses Eclipse Glasses will be ready for the big day!

Breaking weather forecasts check out and anyone with the slightest fear of clouds on eclipse day will invoke their travel contingencies. Weather monitoring will take place throughout the day, with live updates broadcast every hour to better prepare eclipse seekers who will need to move at any moment. Nothing will get in your way of viewing the eclipse!

April 6-7, 2024

Last-minute arrivals will arrive, along with those who have had to battle their own travel problems, and made alternative arrangements to get here. Some will have missed their visits before the eclipse, but that's okay, as long as they are on the trail on Sunday night, everything will be fine. The focus can be the team, mental preparation and the weather.

 The scientists and amateur photographers who will film the event review their preparations one last time. Sequences of events and actions that have been planned years in advance and practiced countless times to ensure mastery, will be practiced one last time. All batteries will be replaced with new ones. All film, equipment, lenses, filters and memory cards will be double and triple checked. Everything will be laid out, taped, sealed against dew, and packed up one last time. Tomorrow is the big day, and nothing can go wrong.

April 8, 2024

The day of the Eclipse!

No human action can interrupt the ceaseless dance of the cosmos, and the shadow of the Moon will not wait for you if you are not ready. Like a mindless giant, he makes his way through space toward a collision course with Earth. And, as astronomers predicted decades in advance, the shadow arrives with perfect precision and lands in the South Pacific Ocean at 16:38:44UT, at local sunrise. This point is located north of Penrhyn Atoll in the Cook Islands, where residents of the villages of Omoka and Te Tautua will witness a beautiful sunrise! The eclipse on the Atoll will have more than 98% coverage of the Sun's disk, but unfortunately, it will not be total!

One minute after it hits land, the entire shadow (the "threshold cone") will have reached land, for example by falling ocean, and will be racing over the water surface at supersonic speed. Except for people on boats at sea, and the occasional ocean-dwelling creature that dares to venture too close to the surface, nothing sentient will notice the passing of the umbra as it glides over the water. The total.

ity first touches the equator at 16:53:14UT, but the first landing is still almost an hour away.

And that first land is Socorro Island (which receives more than 3m of totality just after 17:51UT), almost 650 km off the coast of Mexico. However, if you want to try to see from there, you may have difficulty. There is no public airport, but you can get here by long-range dive boat!

While Socorro Island continues to enjoy totality, the shadow overtakes its sister island, San Benedicto Island. This island is much smaller, still covered in the remains of a large volcanic eruption in 1952, and is uninhabited. You can also take a dive boat there and share the entirety with the island's friendly manta rays! But here, you'll be closer to the edge of the path, so totality here only lasts about 2 minutes.

The last offshore islands that are on the route are San Juanito, María Madre and María Magdalena. The first two islands are entirely in the path, while only the western third of Mary Magdalene will experience totality. There is a fourth island in this small chain, called Maria Cleofas - but it is completely out of the way, and sees only 99.5% coverage. The largest island in this "Maria" chain is María Madre, and it is the only populated island of the four. Its largest settlement of Puerto Balleto will experience around 2m 45s of totality, a little before 18:05UT.

The National Park on Isabel Island is outside the route. Too bad seeing the entirety of this earthly paradise would have been an incredible sight! The continent is next!.