Monday 27 March 2017

Vodafone offers its customers unlimited data for WhatsApp

Vodafone introduced its new tariff package 10 days ago. And in it there was a novelty that until now had never been seen in Spain in a great operator (FreedomPop already offers it for months), Chat Zero . This is the trade name of an option that allows your customers to use messaging applications at zero cost. Yes, all are usually free, but they consume data, something for which you always have to pay.

But from April 28, 2017 (when the promotion is activated), WhatsApp, Telegram or Line will not consume a single mega when using some of these applications. Not even when they call, when they send pictures or videos or of course, when they chat. And according to Vodafone, the list of free pricing apps will grow in the future to cover any messaging (except Facebook Messenger, by decision of Vodafone).



Vodafone offers its customers unlimited data for WhatsApp, thus skipping net neutrality

Yahoo Finance Néstor Parrondo | Technology and networksYahoo FinanceMarch 13, 2017

Vodafone introduced its new tariff package 10 days ago. And in it there was a novelty that until now had never been seen in Spain in a great operator (FreedomPop already offers it for months), Chat Zero . This is the trade name of an option that allows your customers to use messaging applications at zero cost. Yes, all are usually free, but they consume data, something for which you always have to pay.

But from April 28, 2017 (when the promotion is activated), WhatsApp, Telegram or Line will not consume a single mega when using some of these applications. Not even when they call, when they send pictures or videos or of course, when they chat. And according to Vodafone, the list of free pricing apps will grow in the future to cover any messaging (except Facebook Messenger, by decision of Vodafone).

This option is especially attractive in Telegram, since this platform allows the sending of heavy messages - up to 1,5 Gb - which would send an entire movie from one user to another through a 4G network without any type of cost. And who says one, says 1,000, because in theory there is no limit. According to the small print of Vodafone , the only thing that does not enter this offer are VoIP calls, nor video calls.

But what looks like great news is actually a bad news for net neutrality and for free competition. Favoring this type of application penalizes directly to its rivals. Without going any further, Facebook Messenger will be harmed because Telegram will not generate any type of expense and yet its users will see how they spend megas and megas sending messages that could be saved if they use the competition.

This is a direct blow to net neutrality, a principle according to which every provider or government should treat equally the traffic of data that travels through the Internet. Vodafone in this case would be favoring messaging apps by allowing them to consume at zero cost, compared to other services.

There is no doubt that the offer is very attractive to users at this time. But, what if they do not want to use this type of messaging applications? And if in the future Vodafone decides to only support HBO with a similar measure and leave behind Netflix? Not to mention a bomb-type stop counting data for iPhone users and not for those of Android . Such decisions would undermine the freedom of decision of consumers and compromise companies that provide services or content, which would be forced to sign such agreements with operators to survive.

What would happen, for example, if an airport decided to give its best schedules and not charge fees to certain airlines? At first, the passengers would only want to fly with that benefited airline. Little by little, the other companies would stop flying to that destination because they could not compete with the favorite, who could then put the prices he wanted and only offer the destinations that best fit him, thus making travelers - and the inhabitants of that City - in their hostages: they would have to pay what the company wanted to be able to fly, since they would not have another option.

As the saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions : those of Vodafone with Chat Zero may be the best, but they feel a dangerous precedent that can end up affecting very negatively the ecosystem of the Net, and therefore the consumers.

Statue of "Girl without Fear" will remain on Wall Street for another year



The statue of "Fearless Girl" defying the famous Wall Street bull "encapsulates the ideas and feelings of many and has crystallized a moment in history", so it will remain in Exhibition one more year, announced today the mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio.

"Sometimes a work of art comes at a historic moment," explained the mayor, referring to the presidential elections won by Republican Donald Trump and which, in his view, have provided "difficult times", "frustration" and " Anger "for women, the city and the country.

"After this, this miraculous girl appears and creates a powerful sensation because it reflects that moment, the sense that women are not going to live in fear," the mayor told reporters next to the statue of the girl.

Set on March 7, the eve of Women's Day, the bronze statue is the work of the Uruguayan-American sculptor Kristen Visbal and at her feet a plaque says: "Know the power of women in leadership." She makes a difference " .

Its installation, which occurred without warning at dawn, was accompanied by an initiative by State Street Global Advisors to alert about the gender gap in the business world.

The so-called "Girl without Fear" had its days counted on Wall Street until its withdrawal on April 2, after the mayor decided to extend his stay, which was initially a week.

However, the sculpture was well received by the public, which flooded social networks with photos and even signed petitions to extend their stay.

With the decision to extend her stay in the Big Apple until March 8, 2018, in principle, the "symbolism" of the sculpture, which offers "a message of empowerment to women and girls", will remain there for a year, it announced Mayor.

Manhattan district president Gale Brewer said the statue tells Wall Street that "diversification in corporate boards" is needed.

The "Girl without fear" will be able to "show women that it is possible to be in those councils, to confront the bull, to do it in a confrontational but also inspiring way," added the president.

The euro rises against a dollar sunk by the failure of Trump

The euro reached its highest levels in nearly four months on Monday as a dollar sunk by the failure of US President Donald Trump in his bid to rally the Republican majority for his reform of Obamacare.

At 16:10 GMT, the euro was worth $ 1,0872, reaching its highest level since mid-November ($ 1,0906), compared to $ 1,0798 on Friday.

The European single currency was stabilizing against the Japanese currency and stood at 120.16 yen the euro, against 120.22 yen on Friday.

The dollar fell against the Japanese currency at 110.53 yen after hitting 110.11 on 12.10 GMT, its lowest level since late November, up from 111.34 yen on Friday.

The gold ounce was worth $ 1,257.55 in afternoon trading, rising to $ 1,261.28, its highest level since late February, compared to $ 1,247.50 on Friday night.

Young people who spend hours on the couch may have bone problems

How much time do your children spend on the couch, whether resting, watching TV, using electronic gadgets or video games? To say from a recent study, this could have a negative impact on your bone health.

Bone resistance, research indicates, is influenced by bone geometry, bone density and microarchitecture, which adapt during growth. Therefore, physical activity is essential for optimal accumulation of bone strength .

The study was published by the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research , which featured Professor Heather McKay of the University of British Columbia.

In the research, it was noted that about 36% of the adult skeleton develops during adolescence . Hence the importance of physical activity.

The study worked with 300 minors: girls between the ages of 10 and 14, and children between 12 and 16. With each, a follow-up of their bone development and physical activity was monitored.

In the results, it was found that only 43% of the children and 9% of the girls fulfilled the daily recommendation of 60 minutes of physical activity .

Children who were less active had less bone strength. According to the researcher, this would increase their risk of fractures throughout their lives, and osteoporosis when they become older adults.

"Preventing the risk of fractures begins with the development of bone health in childhood and adolescence. In older adults, even small fractures can be life-limiting for a person by hampering their mobility, McKay said in an interview retaken by the newspaper Metro .

The findings, he said, have been released in the hope that they will encourage physical activity in children and young people. "Our bones respond to everything we do from the moment we were born. It's absolutely worrying what we're going to face as this generation ages. "

How about? Did you know the risks to bone health during adolescence? How do you think that exercise could be encouraged among young people? Send us your comments.