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Vodafone makes peace with Telefónica to use its fiber network

The British teleco will be able to immediately access the Spanish company's network

   Telefónica and Vodafone have reached a commercial agreement for wholesale access to Telefonica's fiber optic network. Thanks to this signature, Vodafone "will be able to immediately access Telefonica's fiber not only in certain municipalities subject to the regulation, but also in others in which the Spanish company was freed from wholesale obligations of access to fiber" , the companies point out in a joint statement.

   Thanks to this agreement, Vodafone manages to 'de facto' reach 17 million households 'connected' by Telefónica's fiber optic network. With this agreement, the British teleco will be able to improve and extend its convergent packages and increase its market to offer ultra-fast broadband services and television services, the British company said in a joint statement with Telefónica.

The agreement, with a duration of five years, "highlights the synergies generated by Vodafone's access to Telefónica's network, which increases its degree of use, and therefore, the efficiency of deployment and optimization of investment. for both companies, "the companies explain.

The latest wholesale regulation of the broadband markets approved by the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC) allows, among other aspects, the access of other operators to Telefónica's fiber optic network in those areas where it does not There is enough competition in this type of networks.

The new regulation requires Telefónica to have a wholesale offer of virtual access to its fiber optic network (local NEBA) for those areas declared as non-competitive, representing 65% of the population.

On the contrary, in the 66 Spanish municipalities that declared themselves as competitive, equivalent to 35% of the population, the CNMC considered that there was a sufficient level of competition, since in them there are at least three operators that simultaneously deploy networks of new generation (NGA).

"This agreement will also benefit consumers, who will have access to improved coverage and alternatives in new generation networks at the national level and, consequently, greater availability of services associated with the digital economy," explain.

Facebook, Twitter and Google+ will change to better protect the consumer against scams

The main social platforms have committed themselves with the governments to make modifications to tackle fraud problems

  Social platforms Facebook, Twitter and Google+ have committed to European governments and the European Commission to make several substantial changes to address the problems of fraud or fraud, as well as abusive practices in social networks.

They have also committed to ensuring compliance with EU consumer protection rules in the face of the growing number of complaints in this regard from European consumers and will present concrete proposals within a month.

   The companies have agreed to make changes to clarify the conditions of use of social media platforms and to suppress abusive conditions, which, among others, will require that they will not be able to deprive consumers of their right to go to the courts of their Member State of residence and may not require them to renounce their rights, for example, to cancel a purchase on the network.

"It is not acceptable that EU consumers can only resort to a California court to resolve a dispute, nor can we accept that users are deprived of their right to cancel an online purchase," said the Commissioner of Justice, Vera Jourová.

In addition, the companies may not "unilaterally" modify the clauses and conditions, without clearly informing the consumers and without giving them the possibility of rescinding the contract respecting an adequate notice period nor may they grant "unlimited and discretionary" powers to the operators of Social media to suppress content. In addition, the termination of contracts by social media operators must be governed by clear rules and can not be decided "unilaterally" and "without cause".

Likewise, they will not be able to hide the sponsored content, which must be clearly identified as such and the responsibility of the social networks regarding the provision of the service under the conditions of use can not be totally limited or excluded. "The social media companies must also assume a greater responsibility when it comes to dealing with the scams and frauds that are committed on their platforms," ​​justified the Commissioner of Justice.

The platforms are committed to remove from their websites, as soon as they become aware, frauds and scams that could harm consumers, for example, scams that affect payments made by consumers, underwriting traps, the commercialization of counterfeit products or fictitious promotions like the one that has proliferated in social networks to win a smart phone "for one euro" when in reality it implied a "long term" subscription, with a cost of several hundred euros a year.

The national consumer protection authorities should have a direct and standardized communication channel to point out such irregularities to the operators of social media and ensure that such content is deleted, as well as obtain information regarding the operators responsible for the infringements.

The three companies have agreed to finalize "detailed measures" to comply with European standards of consumer protection within a month, which will be examined by the European Commission and the national authorities of the Twenty-eight of consumer protection to determine if they are " satisfactory. " If they are not, they can resort to "coercive measures" in the last resort, as the community executive has warned.

The companies advanced possible "solutions" to comply with European regulations in a meeting with the national authorities and the community executive on March 16 after receiving a letter from them in November to address the problems in light of the growing number of complaints of consumers, victims of fraud or fraud when using websites of social media or abusive conditions of use.

The commissioner warned that companies "has a month to propose solutions" to comply with European regulations and has insisted that the growing importance of social networks must "ensure that the strict EU rules" to protect the consumer against to abusive practices "are also met in this sector".

Free applications that can be expensive

The cost of the download is zero, but misuse can cause uncontrolled access to the user's personal data

  All programs that are installed on mobile devices have a section of terms and conditions that must be accepted to begin using them. The problem is that most users accept them, but do not read them. Another very common gesture is to accept all the permissions for the applications that are downloaded from the virtual stores.

The security firms warn: "The best thing that users can do before installing an application is to carefully observe what data the app in question wants to access," says Panda Security. Access to images, record sound and even read text messages. These are some of the permissions that are granted to free applications and "that you have to read carefully", explain the experts of the security firm.

   The last example in jumping to the media has been the Chinese app 'Meitu', both for its success - it has achieved more than a billion downloads - and for its excessive registration of data from its users. The popular Asian application offers a free photo retouch of selfis, an innovative tool that delights social network users like Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook.

However, security analysts have sounded the alarm in the collection of 'Meitu' data after downloading it from the App Store or Google Play. When installing and accepting the conditions and permissions, the owner of the app accesses the IMEI number of the mobile device.

Wifi open, the privacy gap
Did you know...?

Sometimes the search for open wifi can lead to important security problems in the devices. We have compiled the five most common risks when connecting to this type of public Wi-Fi networks:

1. Theft of sent data: the experts recommend not using connections to networks without a password because "the transmitted data can be read by anyone, both the administrator and other users connected to the network". You have to make sure that the system asks for a password and a lock appears.

2. Theft of stored data: Being part of a public network in which other connected users exist, our device is visible to the other users present in it.

3. Infection of the device: it is important to keep the operating system of our "smartphone" updated with the latest developments to avoid any virus.

4. Disable synchronization: many "smartphone" tasks are performed in the background, such as news and email updates. They can be routes of virus entry.

5. The innocent 'hacker': feeling the temptation to connect to a foreign network open or protected using Wi-Fi hacking tools can cause legal problems.

Location and IP

In the case of Android devices, it requires up to the granting of 23 permissions -some necessary for the proper functioning of the application- as access to the photo reel. But its collection goes further: telephone operator data, exact location, local IP and ability to change mobile settings.

"The risks that the user runs when accepting these permissions in a systematic way are several: On the one hand, he is making available to the developers data about their location and their habits on the Internet, although it can be much more serious if the guts of the application they have a security breach that allows the access of cybercriminals to the functions of your smartphone through those permissions, "say Panda Security analysts.

The mobile IMEI number is the license plate that identifies each device, a private number that, if it falls into the hands of a criminal, can clone the smartphone. In addition, experts claim that the application includes the java code MTAnalyticsAdLogEntity, investigated for allegedly sending to Chinese servers all that information required while using the application to take advantage of permissions on Android.

The document of Terms and Conditions of 'Meitu' states that the information required is for protection purposes and to comply with Chinese laws, although information could also be used as a spy method.

However, Panda Security warns that "security breaches and cybercriminals are not the only risks that a user can face when approving the requested permits". The most important thing is to know the destination and final objective of the collected data, that "the user risks giving up their data and that the developers of apps end up sending sensitive private information to analysis companies or advertising companies", sentence.

The conclusion for the Pew Research Center, after analyzing a large number of applications and reports, is clear: "The applications collect too much information from users from a variety of permits too broad."

The Spanish conquest of space

The PLD Space startup, based in Elche, works on a rocket to send small satellites to low Earth orbit and has been chosen by ESA to test the technology of reuse of launchers

   In classical mythology, Arion was a winged horse with black hooves, highly valued by the gods and heroes of antiquity. Now, in the XXI century and transformed into a rocket will fly higher to allow the conquest of space to the Spanish company PLD Space. This startup based in Elche aims to break into the growing market of nanosatellites.


  But their dreams go further as demonstrated by the recent agreement with the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop the technology of recovery of launchers, a technique that seems to be the key to the aerospace industry of the future.

   "All the means of transport of humanity, from a horse to an airplane, are reusable, but not a rocket," says Raúl Torres, CEO of PLD Space and co-founder of the company together with Raúl Verdú in 2011. This engineer explains the interest that exists in space agencies around the world to achieve an effective rocket recovery system. A technology that would lower the cost of current releases and, therefore, make space more accessible. "It does not make much sense that every time you have to launch a rocket you have to throw it away," says Torres.

A portfolio of orders of 50 million euros

The business of small satellites is booming thanks to the miniaturization of technology. "Almost 70% of all satellites that are shipped in the world weigh less than 150 kg", explains Raúl Torres. However, most rockets are designed to launch large satellites. That's why PLD Space wants to be in that market with the Arion 2, which precisely has a 150 kg load capacity in low orbit. But it will also have the capacity to place up to 5 kilos in lunar orbit. Therefore, the smaller dimensions of this rocket fits perfectly to the needs of this thriving market.

"This makes it easier to simplify and access the space," says Torres. At the moment the idea has already seduced several companies and institutions. In fact, PLD Space has a portfolio of orders worth 50 million euros. If all goes well in three or four years the winged horses of PLD Space will sail the skies up to the space loaded with "cubesat" (satellites of just 1.5 kg) to make scientific experiments of all kinds and better understand the Cosmos.

The idea is advancing strongly in the US, where private companies such as SpaceX, of billionaire Elon Musk, or Blue Origin of the tycoon Jeff Bezos, have shown that this technology is possible by performing several successful tests. That is why Europe does not want to be left behind and they have placed part of their hopes in the LPSR (Liquid Propulsion Stage Recovery) program that amounts to 750,000 euros and of which PLD Space now forms a main part with its launchers. The objective is to be able to do the first test with a suborbital Arion 1 rocket at the end of 2018. The launcher will take off from the Huelva base of El Arenosillo and after 110 seconds the engine will shut down. After reaching 220 kilometers, it will reenter the atmosphere to fall in the Atlantic Ocean.

These launches will serve to obtain the necessary data for the Arion 2, which could become the first European reusable rocket. Its greater dimension will allow it to place up to 150 kg of payload in a 400-km orbit and will use retro-propulsion for its controlled descent-in addition to parachutes. Among the many challenges facing the project is to ensure that the rocket does not sink when it reaches the sea and avoid the corrosion generated by seawater. If everything goes well, they hope to be able to make the first flight at the end of 2020.

In order to achieve the PLD Space objective, they have obtained the help of the Spanish GMV, which has 30 years of experience in the space sector - it participates in the ExoMars mission of ESA and also in the successful Rosetta. He will contribute his knowledge in electronics and flight software and telecommunications. "It will be our cousin of Zumosol," jokes Torres.

Motor test

The next milestone in his meteoric race to space will be given at the end of this year with the first version of the launcher being tested statically in Teruel, where the company has its engine test bench. "That means that we will put something that looks like a rocket vertically to make it work during a mission time of 110 seconds," says Torres. To achieve this, the 18 PLD Space workers, who will become 25 during this year, work hard. "For us it is a marathon every day, and it can not be stopped in the next five or ten years", explains the CEO of the company.

They are aware that every step they take involves entering unknown territory in Spain and sometimes also in Europe. Although Torres laughs when they are called the "Spanish Elon Musk": "Unfortunately we do not have 100 million in the bank to invest in the rockets". However, PLD Space has counted from the beginning with the financial backing of the Center for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI) under the Ministry of Economy. "We went to the administration that has enough competence and criteria to be able to say if we were crazy or not," says Torres. Thanks to that, the Spanish conquest of space is closer.

The president of Uber resigns after six months in office

Jeff Jones had expressed dissatisfaction with the company's strategies

  The passenger transport giant Uber has suffered a new blow with the departure of its president, Jeff Jones, just six months after he took office, according to US media.

The departure of the company's number two occurs after a series of difficulties for Uber. According to the technological news portal Recode, Jones had expressed dissatisfaction with the company's strategies. "It is now clear, however, that the beliefs and approach to leadership that have guided my career are inconsistent with what I saw and experienced at Uber, and I can no longer continue as president of the travel-sharing business," Jones said. in a statement to Recode.

  Contacted by the Afp, the company has not confirmed the news, although the number one of Uber, Trevor Kalanick, had asked for the resignation of Jones.

The San Francisco-based company faces criticism for revelations about a sexist culture and the covert use of software to prevent vehicles from police checks. In addition, Kalanick had to abruptly resign from an advisory council of President Donald Trump after a consumer boycott campaign, worried that he was advising a ruler with divergent values.

Uber, which is not listed on the stock exchange, is valued at around 70,000 million dollars and operates in dozens of countries.

Spotify successes could only be for premium users

The agreement would involve companies such as Universal, Sony and Warner and would reduce the amount that the app should pay them

  Spotify is in talks with different record labels and could lead to an agreement whereby the musical successes of these companies would be offered exclusively in the catalog of premium users, thus restricting access to those who use the free service, as revealed in the Financial Times newspaper.

Spotify, which for the moment has not made any announcement or official statement on the matter, would still be in the process of negotiating with the major record companies. The agreement that is on the table would involve companies such as Universal, Sony and Warner and would reduce the amount that the application must pay them.

  In return, a part of the songs, predictably the most commercial and recent, would only be offered to premium accounts, which are precisely the ones that earn the most income.

This measure could be mainly due to economic reasons. Spotify would have given in to the pressures of important artists and labels for its premium business model, since it only gets 10% of the revenue through advertising to users of the free service. In one of the most famous cases, Taylor Swift withdrew her songs from the service in 2014.

Despite its growth in number of users, which reaches 100 million, half of them paid, the current Spotify balance is negative. Although the company recorded revenues of 1,950 million euros in 2015, it obtained a total loss of 173 million in that course.

Sony wants to share battery without cables

Your wireless charging system allows you to share power using Wifi

   Sony has patented a wireless charging system between phones that allows you to share power between one and another as if it were a Wi-Fi network. You can spend milliamps (mAh) from one phone to another in case a family member or friend does not have enough battery.

You can already share battery between mobiles through a cable if both are compatible. However, Sony wants to go a step further and that this is done without the need to be connected by cable. According to the patent, the phones would share energy as if it were NFC, provided they are located nearby, through a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna.

   In any case, this system would not be limited exclusively between two mobiles, since Sony contemplates the idea of ​​creating a transfer network between several devices, as can be seen in one of the drawings of the patent.

A transfer network would be created that would allow the phone with more battery to transmit to others as if they were steps, according to the Whatafuture website.

It is only a patent and it is not known if Sony will continue with the idea, making mobile phones that allow recharging each other, or if, on the contrary, it will remain only in an idea to develop in a future, in which to share mAh be as easy as sharing the data rate.