Month: February 2023

Netflix is in a very complex moment. It had already been in the doldrums for months after the decline in the quality of its series and its multiple cancellations, but the coup de grâce has been given by its new policy whereby users can no longer share accounts in many countries.

After applying this measure, the company’s shares have fallen and many people have boycotted the platform by unsubscribing and applying the hashtag #AdiósNetflix. But the company has counterattacked by lowering its subscription prices in many countries.

One of the biggest criticisms of Netflix was its excessive price compared to other platforms. At Softonic we did a quick calculation and discovered that, with the price of Netflix Premium (the version that has all the advantages of the other VOD services) you could afford HBO Max, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video.

Thus, as announced by The Wall Street Journal, the company has decided to take measures to lower this view and to halt its decline in users. Therefore, it has begun to lower prices in many countries. A week ago it did so in Latin American countries such as Cuba, Paraguay, Bolivia, Venezuela and Nicaragua. But the list has been extended to many more.

These are all the countries where Netflix will be cheaper:

• Afghanistan
• Albania
• Algeria
• Angola
• Bangladesh
• Belize
• Benin
• Bhutan
• Bolivia
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Botswana
• British Indian Ocean Territory
• Bulgaria
• Burkina Faso
• Burundi
• Cambodia
• Cameroon
• Cape Verde
• Central African Republic
• Chad
• Christmas Island
• Comoros
• Congo
• Kinshasa
• Côte d’Ivoire
• Croatia
• Cuba
• Djibouti
• Dominica
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• Egypt
• El Salvador
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Ethiopia
• Fiji
• Gabon
• Gambia
• Ghana
• Grenada
• Guatemala
• Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Guyana
• Haiti
• Honduras
• Indonesia
• Iraq
• Jamaica
• Jordan
• Kenya
• Kiribati
• Laos
• Lebanon
• Lesotho
• Liberia
• Libya
• Macedonia
• Madagascar
• Malawi
• Malaysia
• Mauritania
• Mauritius
• Mongolia
• Montenegro
• Morocco
• Mozambique
• Burma
• Namibia
• Nepal
• Nicaragua
• Niger
• Palestinian Territories
• Panama
• Papua New Guinea
• Paraguay
• Philippines
• Pitcairn Islands
• Romania
• Rwanda
• Samoa
• São Tomé and Príncipe
• Pitcairn
• Romania
• Rwanda
• Samoa
• São Tomé and Príncipe
• Pitcairn
• Senegal
• Serbia
• Seychelles
• Sierra Leone
• Slovenia
• Solomon Island
• Somalia
• South Sudan
• St. Barthélemy
• St. Barthélemy
• St. Helena
• St. Lucia
• St. Martin
• St. Vincent & Grenadines
• Sudan
• Suriname
• Swaziland
• Tanzania
• Thailand
• Timor-Leste
• Togo
• Tanga
• Tunisia
• Tuvalu
• Uganda
• Vanuatu
• Venezuela
• Vietnam
• Wallis & Futuna
• Yemen
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

In each country, the rebates are different depending on the rates they already had. However, they are very significant in some places. In Kenya, for example, the price of the basic pack has fallen by up to 57%. In Morocco and Indonesia, by 46%. And in Egypt by 42%. These are undoubtedly real and competitive discounts, not just mere niceties for subscribers.

What about Spain?

Spain is one of the countries in which the law has been enforced whereby password sharing is no longer allowed. Moreover, the issue has been extremely sensitive here, since up to 61% of all Spanish users were using shared accounts.

However, there is no trace of discounts on subscriptions. Right now, to share account legally you have to pay one of the two most expensive subscriptions and six euros more for an extra profile (Premium allows up to two more). But this is far from being a cheap plan, since any other platform is much cheaper.

In fact, one platform that can make a difference is SkyShowtime. The VOD service lands in Spain at the end of the month and will do so for a ridiculous price of only 2.99€. Therefore, it seems to be a matter of time before Netflix has to revise its prices here as well.

Warner Bros. Discovery will release new Lord of the Rings movies in the coming years. Although we thought that after the series of The Rings of Power, which launched Amazon Prime Video last year, we had enough about the world devised by Tolkien, Warner has attacked announcing that hobbits, orcs and elves will return to the big screen.

The announcement has come after revealing that David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, has reached an agreement with the holders of the official film rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit: Embracer Group.

Far from announcing a single production in the world of Middle-earth, Warner has thrown the house out the window and announced that the agreement has come to carry out “multiple” films. However, it has not revealed the exact number of films, so it could be either a new trilogy or a kind of new extended universe as with Marvel or Star Wars.

In addition, the films will be developed under the New Line Cinema label, the Warner studio that already carried out the original trilogy and is behind productions such as The Conjuring, Black Adam, It or Creed. Undoubtedly, this is a big bet by the company, which wants to return to the times when Peter Jackson had the saga under control.

“Twenty years ago, New Line took an unprecedented leap of faith and brought the incredible stories, characters and world of The Lord of the Rings to the big screen. The result was a landmark film saga that has been embraced by generations of fans,” explained Michael de Luca and Pamela Abdy, heads of Warner Bros. Films, in justifying their decision.

It is expected that the films will arrive on HBO Max shortly after they are released, as is the case with Warner’s productions of this style. This could generate a new great rivalry between Amazon Prime Video, which already has its own Middle-earth rights that have led it to make its own series, and HBO Max, which would have its own productions.

There are still no further details on what path Warner Bros. Discovery will take to develop this series of films. It seems clear that Peter Jackson will not be behind them, after the veiled disaster that was The Hobbit trilogy. Even so, they could make the decision to turn him into a sort of Kevin Feige of his universe, which at the same time could have great filmmakers on board.

It is also not known if they will want to remake the original story (which seems very hasty, considering that the films are relatively recent) or if, as it seems, they will expand Tolkien’s universe. In any case, many doubts arise about its necessity.

Is it a good time for new Middle-earth movies?

The biggest intrigue that has plagued everyone after this announcement is whether it is a good idea to expand, at this very moment, the universe created by J.R.R. Tolkien. Although it was one of the most followed series of 2022, The Rings of Power series has not achieved even a tenth of the prestige of the original trilogy, and the reviews were rather negative.

This is due, on the one hand, to the fact that the quality of the series has not turned out to be as high as one would expect. Although at the level of production design there is no doubt that every euro is well invested, the story has left a lot to be desired for the fans. Thus, even its second season is in doubt as to its success.

Thus, it does not seem like the best time to release new Lord of the Rings films. It may be that audiences, after The Hobbit and this series, feel that the formula has been exhausted. However, in a world where movies are already franchise-driven, it seems that the trajectory of the majors is not going to change any time soon.

There are more and more blackouts all over the world, which leave families without electricity for a long time and are causing situations in which one must be prepared for survival. Cuba is the country that is suffering the most in recent months, but it is something that can be extrapolated to the whole world.

So that we do not have problems when it comes to survive in case of power outages, we present some applications that can serve perfectly if we are lucky enough to have battery in the cell phone.

Power outage survival applications

1. Tiny Flashlight

An indispensable function for blackouts is to turn your phone into a flashlight. Although every cell phone usually already has a built-in flashlight function, we recommend Tiny Flashlight, a perfect application that optimizes this function and provides the sufficient light that is needed in these cases.

2. First Aid – American Red Cross

This application has been created by the International Red Cross, and is therefore an official app. It is a kind of instruction manual in which there are guides on what to do in case of accidents, illnesses and other problems. In addition, you can connect with emergency services directly through the app.

3. Red Panic Button

Something very useful also in the event of a blackout is a panic button in case something serious happens. With this app you can immediately connect with previously established contacts through a help message.

4. Offline Survival Manual

Thanks to this app you can have in your hand everything you need to survive in case of a blackout. It is a manual that does not require an internet connection and is full of tips to help you get by if you are in trouble.

Why are there so many blackouts?

Cuba has suffered three major power outages in the last month of February, which has generated concern among residents and authorities in the country. The first blackout occurred on February 4, affecting a large part of the island for several hours. The second took place on February 15, and the third on February 21.

These outages have left many Cubans without power and without access to basic services such as water and electricity. The Cuban government has attributed the outages to a combination of factors, including high demand for electricity during the summer months, limited fuel supplies and aging infrastructure. The government has also cited the effects of the U.S. trade embargo, which has made it difficult to import equipment and supplies needed to maintain the country’s power grid.

The blackouts have had a significant impact on daily life in Cuba, with some residents reporting difficulties accessing food and other basic necessities due to the lack of electricity. Concerns have also been raised about the safety of the country’s medical facilities, which rely heavily on electricity to power life-saving equipment.

The Cuban government has responded to the crisis by implementing emergency measures to address the blackouts. These measures include the deployment of additional generators and the reduction of electricity consumption in government buildings and public spaces. The government has also called on the population to conserve electricity by reducing the use of air conditioning and other high energy appliances.

However, these emergency measures may not be enough to prevent future blackouts, as Cuba’s power grid remains vulnerable to a number of factors, including natural disasters, equipment failures, and fuel shortages. To address these problems, the Cuban government will need to invest in improving its power grid infrastructure, including the development of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. In addition, the government will need to address the effects of the U.S. trade embargo, which has limited Cuba’s ability to import supplies and equipment needed to maintain its electrical grid.

On February 1, Samsung presented its new line of top-of-the-line phones, the Samsung Galaxy S23. The South Korean company has accustomed us to big changes in each generation, but in this one they have decided to follow a much more continuist line, both outside and inside. However, it seems that the new rival of the iPhone 14 Pro (check our full review here) is not at the height of the latter (at least in terms of raw power).

Samsung’s Burden: Exynos

This year is special for the Galaxy S23 as Samsung has finally left Exynos behind, and it’s a fact: they are not up to the task. Exynos chips were manufactured and designed by Samsung and have populated the company’s phones since 2010. For all these years, Samsung has mounted both Exynos and Snapdragon among its phones. Despite the efforts of the South Koreans, the reality is that Qualcomm’s chips were a thousand times better than those of Samsung.

Now, all Galaxy S23 integrate the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the processor intended for the high end of Android. Still, it seems that it is not enough to be able to beat Apple‘s latest SoC, the A16 Bionic.

Does Apple have the world’s fastest processor?

Although the newly announced Samsung Galaxy S23s have yet to be released, Geekbench 5 tests suggest that the Ultra version would be 21.02% slower than the iPhone 14 Pro.

CompareDial was the website that conducted the tests and from what we can see, the Galaxy S23 Ultra scored 1480 in the single-core tests. On the other hand, the iPhone 14 Pro proves to be more powerful and records a score of 1874. However, in the multi-core tests there is not that much difference: the S23 Ultra reaches 4584 points while the iPhone 14 Pro scores 5384.

Samsung has always had trouble keeping up with Apple in terms of processor power, and the gap has grown wider over the years. Already last year we saw how the iPhone 13 easily outperformed the Samsung Galaxy S22, whether it had the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip or the Exynos 2200.

It is difficult to beat Apple in this regard, especially if we take into account that both the SoC and the software used in the iPhones are optimized to the millimeter to work as well as possible. Even so, the performance differences between the two terminals is negligible and both the S23 Ultra and the iPhone 14 Pro will more than cover your day-to-day needs.

TikTok is in serious danger, and not just in the United States anymore. This afternoon, the European Commission issued a directive requesting all employees to uninstall TikTok from their corporate devices. The ban also affects employees’ personal devices as long as they are used for work purposes.

The European Commission says in a statement issued today that the ban has been carried out for security reasons, and also mentions competing social networks, which would also be on its radar.

“This measure aims to protect the Commission against cybersecurity actions and threats that could be exploited by third parties to carry out cyber-attacks against the Commission’s corporate environment. Security developments on other social networking platforms will also be kept under constant review,” the European Commission says in its statement.

The European Commission is the first public body to ban the use of TikTok on official devices after the U.S. House of Representatives did the same late last year, strictly prohibiting its use on any of its staff’s devices.

What motivates all these prohibitions? Fear. Regulatory agencies in different parts of the world fear that TikTok is somehow spying on its users, and then sending the data of its users to the Chinese government (without any evidence so far to corroborate it). A fear that is magnified if we take into account several isolated cases that raised alarm bells, such as the spying of some employees of ByteDance (TikTok’s parent company) on American journalists.

At the moment, there are no signs that the social network will be banned at the national level in the United States or in any European country, but today’s warning from the European Commission, in which it also mentions other social networks, is more than enough to suggest that social networks are in the crosshairs of regulators, and that any misstep could mean, in the long term, further regulation or even suspension by the state.

In 2014, Apple Revolutionized Its Flagship Phones with the iPhone 6 – Introducing Two Distinct Models for the First Time Ever: iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus

After several years following this unwritten rule, Apple has been introducing small changes in its line, although not always accurately. The Mini range that we found in the iPhone has been replaced this year by the Plus version, due to the commercial failure of the previous models (iPhone 12 and 13 Mini).

If we take this development into account, we see that Apple now sells 4 different models of iPhone 14 : the standard, the Plus, the Pro and the Pro Max. With so much variety before us, it is normal to wonder one thing: what exactly are the differences between them?

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Screen size

The screen is one of the most visible differences between the handsets. Within the iPhone 14 generation, we find two different screen sizes: 6.1 and 6.7 inches. This is one of the most important aspects to take into account, as it will impact the way we use the terminal.

Both the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro are sold in the 6.1-inch size. On the other hand, 6.7 is reserved for the iPhone 14 Plus and iPhone 14 Pro Max. While they all feature OLED technology, there is one important difference: the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max feature a 120 Hz refresh rate, as they use ProMotion technology. This is not present in the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, which stay at 6o Hz. Another big addition in the Pro and Pro Max models is the inclusion of Dynamic Island. In the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus we will have to settle for the classic “notch” (which will no longer exist in the future iPhone 15).

Camera

In the photographic section is where we will also find many differences. First of all, the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus have two lenses, while the Pro and Pro Max have three, as it also includes a telephoto lens. The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max are capable of shooting 48-megapixel photos, while the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus stay at 12 megapixels. While the entire iPhone 14 range is capable of taking spectacular shots, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max take photography to another level.

Processor

This is one of the most controversial points among this year’s iPhones. For the first time in Apple’s history, the iPhone repeats the same processor as last year, the A15 Bionic. However, this only occurs in the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. The new A16 Bionic chip is reserved for the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, although its differences with respect to the A15 Bionic are not too many, as you can see in these benchmarks.

Battery

The battery is another of the most important sections, but not only in the iPhone, but in any self-respecting device. The best batteries are found in the iPhones with the largest screens, the iPhone 14 Plus (26 hours of video) and the iPhone 14 Pro Max (29 hours of video). The worst battery is the standard iPhone 14 (20 hours of video), but that doesn’t mean it’s bad either: it all depends on how you use your device.

Price

Perhaps the most decisive aspect when purchasing a terminal, as the saying goes: there is no such thing as a bad product, but a bad price. This year, the iPhone 14 has gone up from 1,009 euros (price of the iPhone 14 128 GB). Then follows the iPhone 14 Plus (1,159 euros), the iPhone 14 Pro (1,319 euros) and finally, the iPhone 14 Pro Max (1,469 euros). Moreover, these prices correspond to their most basic versions, those of 128 GB. If you decide to increase the storage, the cost will also increase.

Now that you know the main differences, which of these models will you finally choose?

Shakira is back in the ring with a new rebound song. After calling it quits with Gerard Piqué after discovering that he cheated on her with Clara Chia, the Colombian singer has decided to monetize the breakup with several songs that are becoming instant hits. And the last one has been released with Karol G, who has her own story of heartbreak.

TQG (Te Quedó Grande) is the song released by the two singers. In it they reflect on heartbreak, betrayal and jealousy. In the accompanying video clip inspired by The Truman Show they have dozens of references to their own stories, but even more evident are the lyrics, which, although not as direct as Bizarrap’s Session, have made several comments to both Gerard Piqué, Shakira’s ex, and Anuel AA, Karol G’s ex.

Full lyrics of Te Quedó Grande TQG

We leave you with the full lyrics of the song, which has no waste and adds another new goal of Shak to its history of songs dedicated to their partners or ex-partners:

La que te dijo que un vacío se llenó
(The one who told you that a void is filled)

con otra persona te miente.
(with another person is lying to you)

Es como tapar una herida con maquillaje
(It’s like covering a wound with makeup)

no se ve pero se siente
(you can’t see it, but you feel it)

Te fuiste diciendo que me superaste
(You left saying you got over me)

y te conseguiste nueva novia
(and you got yourself a new girlfriend)

lo que ella no sabe es que tú todavía
(what she doesn’t know is that you’re still)

me estás viendo toda’ las historias
(you are still watching me throughout the story)

Bebé ¿qué fue?
(Baby what was it?)

No pues que muy tragadito (tragadito)
(Isn’t that very swallowed?) (swallowed)

Qué haces buscándome melao
(What are you doing looking for my side?)

Si sabes que yo errores no repito (Papi)
(If you know that I don’t repeat mistakes) (Daddy)

Dile a tu nueva bebé
(Tell your new baby )

que por hombre no compito
(that I don’t compete for men)

que deje de estar tirando,
(That he stop pulling),

que al menos yo te tenía bonito
(that at least I had you pretty)

Verte con la nueva me dolió
(Seeing you with the new one hurt me)

pero yo estoy puesta pa’ lo mío
(But I’m already set for mine)

Lo que vivimos se me olvidó
(What we lived I forgot)

y eso es lo que te tiene ofendido
(And that is what has offended you)

Y hasta la vida me mejoró
(that even life improved me)

por acá uste’ ya no es bienvenido
(You are no longer welcome here)

lo que tu novia me tiró
(I saw what your girlfriend threw at me)

eso no da rabia yo me río (yo me río)
(That doesn’t even make me angry, I laugh) (I laugh)

No tengo tiempo pa’ lo que no aporte
(I don’t have time for what I don’t contribute)

ya cambié mi norte haciendo dinero como deporte
(I already changed my north making money as a sport)

llenando la cuenta los shows, el parking y el pasaporte
(Filling out the account, shows, parking and passport)

Estoy más dura dicen los reportes
(I’m tougher, the reports say’)

Ahora tú quieres volver se te nota (mmm sí)
(Now you want to go back, it shows) (mmm, yes)

Espérame ahí que yo soy idiota
(Stop me there, I’m an idiot)

Se te olvidó que yo estoy en otra
(You forgot that I’m in another)

que te quedó grande la Bichota
(And that La Bichota was too big for you)

Bebé que fue (fue)
(Baby what was it?) (was it?)

No pues que muy tragadito
(Isn’t that very swallowed?)

Qué haces buscándome melao
(What are you doing looking for my side?)

Si sabes que yo errores no repito
(If you know that I do not repeat mistakes)

Dile a tu nueva bebé
(Tell your new baby)

que por hombre no compito
(that I don’t compete for men)

que deje de estar tirando,
(That he stop pulling),

que al menos yo te tenía bonito
(that at least I had you pretty)

(Shakira Shakira)

Tú te fuiste y yo me puse triple M
(You left and I put on triple “M”)

más buena, más dura, más level
(Better, harder, lighter)

volver contigo never, tú eres la mala suerte
(Back with you never, you are bad luck)

porque ahora las bendiciones me llueven
(Because now the ‘blessing’ rains down on me)

Y quieres volver ya lo suponía
(And she wants to come back, I already supposed it)

dándole like a la foto mía
(Giving like to my photo)

tú buscando por fuera la comida
(You looking outside for food)

y yo pensando que era la monotonía
(me saying it was monotony)

Y quieres volver ya lo suponía
(And now you want to go back, I already supposed it)

dándole like a la foto mía
(Giving like to my photo)

Te ves feliz con tu nueva vida pero
(You look happy with your new life but)

si ella supiera que me buscas todavía
(if she knew that you were still looks for me)

Bebé ¿qué fue?
(Baby what was it?)

No pues que muy tragadito (tragadito)
(Isn’t that very swallowed?) (swallowed)

Qué haces buscándome melao
(What are you doing looking for my side?)

Si sabes que yo errores no repito (Papi)
(If you know that I don’t repeat mistakes) (Daddy)

Dile a tu nueva bebé
(Tell your new baby )

que por hombre no compito
(that I don’t compete for men)

que deje de estar tirando,
(That he stop pulling),

que al menos yo te tenía bonito
(that at least I had you pretty)

Mi amor es que usted se alejó mucho
(My love, it is that you moved away a lot)

y yo de lejos no veo bebé
(And I don’t see from afar anymore, baby)

Microsoft is moving ahead with the development of its AI-powered chatbot. Despite the various problems that the Bing chatbot has shown in its first weeks, which made Microsoft restrict its use for a few days, the company has a clear long-term plan that involves the insertion of advertising in conversations and, now, the arrival of AI to mobile apps and integration with another of its products: Skype.

The Bing chatbot is now available both in the mobile version of the Microsoft Edge browser and in a Bing app of its own, which can be tested by those who signed up for the waiting list and have been accepted.

“Available today on iOS and Android, the Bing mobile app offers a refreshed look and feel. Tapping the Bing icon at the bottom will open a chat session, where you can participate in the same way as from the desktop version. Ask simple or complex questions and receive answers and quotes. Choose how you want your answers to be displayed: bullets, text or simplified answers. Explore the Bing chat experience to refine your query or compose an email, poem or list,” Microsoft explains on its blog.

According to The Verge, who has already been able to test the chatbot on cell phones, the functionality of this conversational AI is the same as the web version, being somewhat “quieter” than in its beginnings, when it was a bit more rambunctious than usual. The other important aspect of the app, voice control, is acceptable, although the chatbot response is quite slow, and the female voice is unnatural and somewhat robotic.

In addition to launching Bing’s AI on mobile, Microsoft has also integrated it into another of its products where it will give a lot of play: Skype. As if it were just another contact on your list, in Skype you will be able to chat directly with Bing or even add it to conversations with other people, so you could be talking to your friends about a getaway next weekend and ask Bing for a recommendation.