Welcome to DigameXtra !
The Most Popular English Language Daily Newsletter In Andalucia
Content in this newsletter blog site comes from its subscribers, followers & Editor. Submissions are subject to editing and posting at the Editor’s discretion. Content from other sources is credited. The Editor is Naythan, aka DoctorLaptop.
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DigameXtra Featured Sponsor
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What’s On
Tell them you saw it on DigameXtra!
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Phoenix Club:
The Phoenix Social Club is open to all nationalities but the lingua franca is English.
We offer an opportunity to make friends, help each other & share information but primarily to have fun in a friendly and inclusive association. You do not have to be a member to join us on our trips.
Our handmade greetings cards are for sale weekly with all proceeds to the Red Cross.
We meet every Thursday between 12 and 2 pm at Chines in Caleta, just off the coast road to/from Algarrobo and next door to the Eclipse Restaurant.
***Trips & Events***
All our trips include a drivers gratuity.
June
– 28th – Trip to the Alpujarras. Visiting a Jamon Factory and then to the pretty village of Pampaneria. €23 pp includes Jamon tasting @ €2.75 pp
July
– 2nd – Trip to Gib €22 and includes €1 for the driver. Pick up at Lidi Algarrobo Costa at 08.30 – Please note change of date and day.
– 13th – Antequera Light Festival, evening trip €20pp
– 19th – Victoria Brewery and shopping/lunch with a visit to the Larios Centre – €22pp does not include lunch
– 30th – Fuengirola Tuesday Market and lunch in the port area, a quick dash around Iceland and home at 5pm €18pp
August
– 15th – Almunecar Fireworks €15 pp. Pick ups Torre del Mar Bus Station, Caleta Aldi, Algarrobo Lidl, BP Garage just off the motorway and Maro
For further information please contact Gail on 951067723 / 626370695 (Whatsapp) or email phoenixsocialclub@yahoo.co.uk or check out our FB page
We are DigameXtra sponsors and our contact info can be found everyday in the Sponsor’s Section.
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Brotherhood of the Virgin of Carmen of El Morche displays its calendar of events for July 2024:
See poster with better contrast online where the yellow text is more readable:
https://www.axarquiaplus.es/la-hermandad-de-la-virgen-del-carmen-de-el-morche-despliega-su-calendario-de-actos-para-julio-de-2024/
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Paul McCartney announces two concerts in Madrid in December:
At the Wizink Center on December 9 and 10. Tickets, on sale starting next Wednesday 19/6, from 45 euros (plus fees) to 165 euros (plus fees).
McCartney is accompanied on stage by Paul “Wix” Wickens (keyboards), Brian Ray (bass/guitar), Rusty Anderson (guitar) and Abe Laboriel Jr (drums), state-of-the-art audiovisual technology and the Hot City Horns, formed by Mike Davis (trumpet), Kemji Fenton (saxes) and Paul Burton (trombone).
Ref: https://www.nme.com/news/music/paul-mccartney-announces-2024-uk-and-european-got-back-tour-buy-tickets-3766052
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Weather Forecast from https://weather.com/
Click or tap the image to open an updated report in a new tab
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NOTICE!
Submissions for posting in sections below
must be signed like this or they will be returned !!!
Sender's First Name / Nearest Town
NOTE: YOU MAY ADDITIONALLY INCLUDE A LOCATION TO MEET OR PICKUP, BUT YOUR LOCATION IS REQUIRED IN ANY CASE. Including only the statement "for collection from..." is NOT sufficient!
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Services Wanted/Offered
Check the DigameXtra Sponsor’s list whenever you need a service. By using these services you are helping support DigameXtra.
Landlords, tell your renters about DigameXtra, where they can get overnight answers to questions about local stuff without having to call you!
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Archgrove Services: A family run light haulage/transport company with bases in Archez, Spain and Cambridgeshire.
We are part of the ADH Storage and Transportation company and as such have storage available in Competa and Puente Don Manuel. Very reasonable rates.
We provide a one stop service for all your transport needs and pride ourselves on reliability, flexibility, good communication and a very much ‘can do’ approach. No job is too small and there is always a solution.
Our services include:
-Regular runs between UK and Spain
-Transport of personal property from full house moves to small single items
-Man & Van services
-Packing, including supply of packing materials
-UK Home shopping with UK delivery address
-Storage of property and vehicles in Spain
If we can be of service please contact Gail. We are on Facebook and always available to chat through your needs and provide a free no obligation quote if required.
UK: 0044 7846672013
Spain: 0034 951 066 093
Email: archgroveservices@gmail.com ; FB Link
Our contact info is also in the DigameXtra Sponsor’s Section everyday.
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SPW Construction Services: Professional high quality building service, fully qualified tradesmen to all trades.
Extensions, retaining walls, driveways, swimming pools, damp problems, roofs, blocked drains.
Replacement kitchens and bathrooms, Tiling and terraces. Plumbing, electrics and plastering, painting.
Architect service, building licence applications.
Handyman service now available for those smaller jobs.
Water Deposit Installations: Due to the ongoing drought and current water restrictions SPW Construction are currently offering the following service.
– Supply and installation of new above or below ground water deposits. 1000 litres up to 25000 litres. Delivered and installed, all relevant plumbing. All work warrantied.
– We can also advise you or help to organise water deliveries from local suppliers.
NEW SERVICE– Selling Your House? SPW Construction can offer you a bespoke package to prepare your house for sale.
Through our extensive relationships with Agents, buyers and sellers we understand what is required to present your home to potential purchasers.
Interior & Exterior decoration / Replacement bathrooms and Kitchens
Pool Reforms / Garden tidy
DAFO Compliance, septic tanks, solar installations, etc.
Roof checks / Damp proofing
For free consultation and estimate contact us on 622938440
or email: scottparkwilson AT yahoo DOT co DOT uk
Scott/Arenas. Home Page and FB-Link
Our contact info is also in the DigameXtra Sponsor’s Section everyday.
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Hanningtons Kitchens and Bathrooms: We have been installing kitchens and bathrooms here on the Costa for 13 years. We pride ourselves on our professionalism, highest standards of work and customer service.
Whether you are thinking of updating an existing kitchen or bathroom, or whether you wish to create the kitchen or bathroom you have always dreamed of, we are here for you, every step of the way.
With an unrivaled knowledge of the best local materials and suppliers we are able to work to all tastes and budgets.
Our full range of services includes:
– Installations and Refurbs
– Wall & Floor tiling
– Full range of Plumbing work including radiators and underfloor heating
– Solar Installation
– Design & planning ideas to get the look you are after
– Electrical works
– Alter / Install walls, dropped ceilings and hang doors
– Plastering, woodwork and floor levelling
Visit our FB page on the link below to be inspired
https://www.facebook.com/hanningtons.kitchens.and.bathrooms/
Call us : 669 665 156
Email us: hanningtons.bathrooms@gmail.com ; Our contact details can be found in the Sponsor’s Section at the bottom of every issue.
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Mandy’s Paintbox: Painter for 30 years. Painting work undertaken. Inside and outside large or small. Furniture painted or sprayed. Kitchens, cabinets, wardrobes doors any colour any surface. Check out the before and after photos, all the furniture was spray painted.
Call for advice WhatsApp 680739577
Email: josiahamanda@gmail.com
My contact details can be found in the Sponsor’s Section at the bottom of every issue. Here are “before” and “after” pics from my latest job.
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DoctorLaptop’s Computer Repairs & Sales- Torrox Costa (near the bus station): Computers only, Windows / Linux / Mac. No tablets or phones.
I don’t work on dinosaurs computers made before 2017 unless I have been servicing then annually.
Contact: doctorlaptop AT protonmail DOT com
or call 675 993 069 (no calls before 12noon, missed calls returned asap). More info on my website. All work by appointment only, no drop-ins please. Appointment are available 2pm-8pm, Sunday thru Thursday. Closed Fridays & Saturdays. Always include the make & model number of the device when requesting assistance. My contact details can be found everyday at the bottom of the Sponsor’s Section.
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Buy / Sell / Trade / Rent / Wanted
Click on pics to enlarge
How to post more photos than the rules allow – use collages. The limit is one pic per item/event. You can combine several of your photos into a
single collage photo by using this free online collage creation tool. It’s very easy to use, give it a try! https://www.photocollage.com/
Are you still dealing with scammers on Fakebook Marketplace?
Sell your items here, to locals, for cash, without the shenanigans.
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BluCee Real Estate: We are back from property exhibitions in Toronto and London. We have clients looking to buy properties inland and along the coast.
Our first client from Canada is in Spain at the end of June, and clients from London are here in one week’s time.
Contact us now to find out if your property is what our clients are searching for.
You can pass by our office for a no obligation chat, email or contact us by phone to see how listing with BluCee can benefit you.
Psssst! Don’t forget we will also be going to Birmingham in September for the next A Place in the Sun Live exhibition.
Our office is open:
Monday to Friday, 09:30 to 17:30
Office location is: Calle Timón 11b, Torre del Mar
Tel: 0034 951 553 890
Opposite the Taj Mahal restaurant and a few door along from the notary office.
For an appointment outside of our opening times or for one of us to view your property please contact us info@blucee.com or 0034 711042727
www.blucee.com
We cover the whole coast line and inland.
BluCee Real Estate are a DigameXtra sponsor so our contact details are shown here every day.
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For Sale: Car for parts or restoration
Mercedes Benz 320 CDI, Year 2001, 360tkm, ITV 06/24
Needs a new cylinder head gasket or another engine.
Plenty of new parts, like tyres, starter, generator, battery, etc. Car is possible to drive and see in Torrox Costa, near Camping.
Call Svend; 606423869, Price 1000€ ONO.
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For Sale, 2 items: Golf clubs.
Wilson ProStaff with graphite shafts.
– Ladies’ full set 4-9 PW SW 3 5 7 woods. Titanium driver. Fairway wood, Chipper and putter.
– Men’s full set. 3-9 PW SW 1 3 5 woods. Titanium Taylormade R580 driver. Fairway wood, Chipper and 2 putters. 2 bags, 2 trolleys, telescopic ball retriever. Tees and balls.
€125 each set or €200 for both sets.
David. La Herradura. 667805326
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For Sale, 2 Items: Prices Reduced!
– 2x IKEA Single Beds. “Espevaer” slatted wooden base beds with legs & “Malfors” mattresses, only used as guest beds. Size 90 x 200cms. The foam mattresses are 12cms thick, excellent condition. Grey Espevaer covers can fit over the wooden bases (see IKEA website), or use to cover mattresses. [https://www.ikea.com/nl/en/p/espevaer-slatted-mattress-base-with-legs-dark-grey-s59208084/]
Includes four IKEA “Rodtoppa” warm single duvets (7.5tog) – two per bed.
IKEA cost per bed + mattress + two duvets was €286, (€572 the pair); our price €125, or €240 for the pair.
– Bedside cabinet in pine effect wood, two drawers which “run” perfectly. Surprisingly heavy for its size. Excellent condition no scratches or dents. 55cms high h x 40 wide x 45 deep. €16
More photos on request. Items are from a smoke and pet-free home. Buyer collects.
Anne/Caleta de Velez +44 7970 841678 or WhatsApp. Email: anneconti1956@outlook.com
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Wanted: Bike. Does anybody have a bike with stabilisers for a 4 year girl that I can borrow for the next fortnight or buy? Thanks, Deborah, Torrox
Dssp@btinternet.com
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Wanted: Automobile. I wish to buy a small car, steering wheel on the left, max 3000€. Madeleine, Arenas. Call 0034 699757798 or
write to: mvaderlind@gmail.com
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Recommendations & Requests
When making a recommendation always include the phone number or website of the biz, service, etc., so readers can reach them.
Note: I can’t post third party email addresses.
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News & Articles
(Click the link to read the full article)
{ Translations by www.DeepL.com/Translator }
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SPAIN
The judge responds to Begoña Gómez that he will continue investigating her due to the appearance of “new documents”, says she has lost touch with reality: {Translation, summary}
– The judge investigating Pedro Sánchez’s wife, Begoña Gómez, for influence peddling and corruption in business has issued a ruling in which he argues that his investigating court will keep part of the case as “new documents provided by witnesses” have appeared. In this way, the judge denies that his investigation has been left without purpose, despite the fact that the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) is investigating the contracts in which EU funds are involved. Peinado maintains other lines of investigation, including the possible involvement of Begoña Gómez in the rescue of Globalia.
– The judge has defended his investigation after receiving a request from Begoña Gómez’s lawyer Antonio Camacho, who asked him to clarify why she is still under investigation in Plaza de Castilla as now the EU has opened the same investigation. “Yours is a subjective interpretation, which draws a conclusion that is self-interested and not adjusted to reality,” the judge said in his response. Source, Spanish:
https://okdiario.com/espana/juez-begona-gomez-investigando-fondos-europeos-13003913
ANDALUCÍA
Jihadism in Algeciras! They dismantle a cell that planned to attack Real Madrid’s team & fans: {Translation}
– Last week, the Guardia Civil’s intelligence service, in collaboration with Europol and the US FBI, dismantled the self-styled I’lam Foundation, one of the largest propaganda networks linked to the Islamic State or Daesh, according to El Confidencial. This network operated with radio stations, news agencies, video production companies and profiles on social networks that disseminated radical content in various languages, including Spanish, according to sources close to the operation. The investigation was led by the Central Court of Instruction number 1 of the Audiencia Nacional and also involved the collaboration of the authorities of the Netherlands, Germany, France, Estonia, Romania and Iceland.
– As part of this operation, the Guardia Civil arrested nine people in Salt (Girona), Algeciras (Cádiz), Anta (Almería) and Tenerife. Two of the detainees have been sent to pre-trial detention. Among the actions dismantled was an order to the followers of the network to attack the bus of Real Madrid football players and fans of the white team. “My dear brother. Wait in a place near the arrival point of the players. Aim at them along with their supporters,” called for a seized poster showing a hooded man opening fire with a rifle and the aim of a telescopic sight on the Real Madrid bus. Another seized poster targeted the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium with instructions such as “break into crowds, distract security with improvised explosives and advance towards your main target with determination.”
– Islamic State had already prompted heightened security measures last April after posting messages calling for stadium hits during the first legs of the Champions League quarter-finals, including the Bernabeu itself and Atletico Madrid’s Metropolitano stadium. However, specific messages against the players or with advice on how to sneak into the stadium have not come to light until now.
– English-language flyers found last week also encouraged “attacks on the Men’s European Football Championship being held in Germany and the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris”. In the first case, a soldier is seen on his back holding a rifle, with the message “Where do you want?” suggesting targets such as Berlin, Munich and Dortmund, cities where European Championship matches will be played. “Score the last goal!” proclaimed the poster. Regarding the Paris Games, a montage has been located showing the Eiffel Tower and hands operating the controls of a drone, with the message “The Olympics of the lone wolves have begun, with the will of *****.”
(***** = see Editor’s note below. -Ed.)
– The Guardia Civil, Europol and the FBI have stressed that the operation has “damaged the Islamic State’s propaganda apparatus at a particularly critical time for Europe’s security.” Dozens of servers of the I’lam Foundation and satellite entities (known as Terrorist Operated Websites or TOW) have been neutralised to prevent the dissemination of jihadist material on the internet and the dark web. The I’lam Foundation’s success was linked to its speed in creating topical content in a multitude of languages, including Spanish. The investigation began in 2022, when the Guardia Civil intervened in another propaganda operation in perfect Spanish and began to trace its origin.
– One of the media operating under the umbrella of the I’lam Foundation was the portal Voz de Al-Andalus, which produced its own propaganda for Muslims living in Spain who did not speak Arabic well. It included images of Islamic State executions, that have become common on the internet. Investigators found that the I’lam Foundation’s managers also controlled other channels with thousands of users, such as Al Raud, a repository of videos, audios and official Islamic State publications, and Fahras, a popular aggregator of links to jihadist websites.
– Among the material found were self-education guides aimed at turning simple Muslims into lone wolves in record time. “Incitement to jihad is a duty and a divine command that ***** gave his prophet to urge the believers to fight, encourage them in it and promote its realisation,” one of these manuals stated in justification of Islamist terrorism. Other files defended the need to spread radical messages. “Jihadi media soldiers must recognise the great responsibility imposed on them in this field, for they are the messengers of jihad and its voice and image,” one document argued. “Just as the fighter does not lay down his arms in his battles, the one who incites jihad must have the means to help him in that endeavour.”
– The Guardia Civil and Europol have underlined the scope of this joint action, carried out in a coordinated manner in a dozen countries, to”cut the link between the Islamic State and dozens of potential terrorists.” Source, Spanish:
https://andaluciainformacion.es/andalucia/1689424/yihadismo-en-algeciras-desmantelan-una-celula-que-planeaba-atentar-contra-el-real-madrid/
{Editor’s Note: While researching this article, Brave Browser AI search results informed me of the following. Not sure I like being admonished by AI, but in this case the info was appropriate.
“According to Islamic tradition, non-believers should not print the name *****, as it is considered a sacred name and a symbol of the One God. In Islam, the name ***** is considered to be the most revered and sacred name, and its use is restricted to Muslims only. In practice, Muslims view the use of the name ***** in translation with varying perspectives. While some believe it should only be used by Muslims, and only in its original Arabic form, others accept its use and spelling in English translations as a way to convey the concept of God. Ultimately, the use of the name ***** in translation depends on the context, cultural significance, and personal beliefs of the individual Muslim.” -Ed.}
NERJA
Two men attack the owner of a bar in Nerja with a stick, tables and chairs: {Translation}
– The harsh video has spread like wildfire through social networks such as WhatsApp just minutes after being recorded on Friday 14 June in Nerja, reports Diario Sur. The video shows two middle-aged men, one of them with a large wooden stick in one hand, approaching the doors of a catering business located in the central Antonio Millón street in Nerja.
– Without saying a word, one of the men hit another burly man, who is the owner of the bar. The victim defends himself and, in the struggle, even manages to snatch the stick from his assailant. The two attackers then seem to flee, but they go to the tables and chairs of the establishment and take these objects. First there are two chairs, with which the two attack the businessman again. The businessman tries to defend himself with the stick he has snatched from them.
– After throwing chairs at him, one of them also picks up a table and throws it at the owner’s back, causing him to fall to the ground. It is at that moment, barely 40 seconds into the fight, that a witness runs towards the man who is badly injured on the pavement, after one of the two assailants had hit him again with the same table. It is then that both attackers flee.
– According to Diario Sur, the business owner has been taken to the health centre in Nerja to be treated for injuries sustained in the brawl, with the aim of lodging the corresponding complaint with the Guardia Civil in the easternmost coastal town of the province. Apparently, one of the attackers, a resident of Nerja, has a long history of theft and robbery with violence.
– In fact, a few days ago he robbed a business located in a street very close to this Friday’s fight, El Barrio, causing a 20 centimetre cut in one arm with a knife to the owner of the establishment. The alleged perpetrator, after being arrested, was released with charges by order of the Torrox court. Business owners in the central area of Nerja have reported an increase in robberies and thefts in recent weeks and are calling for more police presence from the authorities. Source & photo: https://www.axarquiaplus.es/dos-hombres-agreden-con-un-palo-mesas-y-sillas-al-propietario-de-un-bar-de-nerja/
ALICANTE
They find the burned torso of a person, without head or limbs, near Alicante: {Translation}
– The charred torso of a person, without head or upper or lower limbs, was found this Monday next to a path in the area of La Serreta de Fontcalent, in the municipality of Alicante. According to sources of the investigation, a man who was practising sport in the area discovered the mortal remains when it was still smoking next to a suitcase with clothes.
– The forensic and judicial police of the National Police Corps have activated a search for the rest of the body, but so far there have been no positive results. The torso has been sent to the Institute of Legal Medicine in Alicante to try to shed light on the identity and causes of death of the victim.
– It is suspected that the torso is that of a male, although due to the deterioration caused by the fire it is not ruled out that it could be that of a woman, in a case in which the main hypothesis is that it is a settling of scores. Source, Spanish: https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/5521859/0/sucesos-cadaver-hallan-torso-quemado-una-persona-sin-cabeza-ni-extremidades-cerca-alicante/
EUROPE
EU Approves Agenda 2030 Plans To Grab Land From Farmers- ministers approve contested Nature Restoration Law by narrow margin:
– Ministers of 20 EU member states, including Spain, voted in favor of the Nature Restoration law, giving it their final approval.
– Austria’s environment minister, Leonore Gewessler of the Greens, went against her conservative coalition partners by pledging to back the policy — giving it the last critical vote needed to pass. The Austrian minister who backed the vote faces legal action from her own party who say she acted unlawfully. On Monday, Austria’s center-right chancellor, Karl Nehammer, said it was “unlawful” of his climate minister to vote in favor of the nature restoration law. The party’s general secretary Christian Stocker said that a charge of abuse of office would be laid against Gewessler.
– Italy, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Finland and Sweden voted against. Belgium, which is responsible for chairing talks among member states, abstained.
– The law sets a target for the EU to restore at least 20% of the EU’s land and sea areas by 2030 and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. It aims to reverse the decline of Europe’s natural habitats, of which 81% are determined to be in poor health. The legislation also sets specific targets such as peatlands that can soak up CO2 emissions and help curb climate change. Other ecosystems explicitly covered by the law include forests, grasslands, and wetlands, as well as rivers, lakes, and coral beds.
– Member states must restore at least 30% of habitats specifically covered by the new law from a poor to a good condition by 2030. That target would increase to 60% by 2040, and 90% by 2050. Full article: https://www.dw.com/en/eu-ministers-approve-contested-nature-restoration-law/a-69382916
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)
How brands are harnessing AI to decipher our emotions:
– It is widely proven that emotions play a decisive role in purchasing decisions, especially when it comes to retail. In fact, the latest 2023 report by the consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers reveals that 32% of consumers would stop buying from a brand after a single bad experience, and increases to 59% after several bad experiences.
– One of the most effective methodologies to decipher all this data comes with sentiment analysis. An artificial intelligence technique based on NPL {Neuro Linguistic Programming is a pseudo-science often associated with brainwashing, subconscious manipulation and new-age magick, see ref. -Ed.}, ‘machine learning’ techniques (for supervised classification tasks), ‘deep learning’ (which provide this additional understanding of nuances and contexts in the analysis) and ‘text-to-speech’ (to analyse conversations in real time and audios through transcription) that allow the identification, extraction and analysis of data published in emails, comments on social networks, forums, reviews, conversations, etc. And they are used by companies to feed their business strategies as they build ever more detailed profiles of their targets.
– It is not just about identifying patterns or signals in the text that indicate the presence of emotions, attitudes and opinions. It is about “knowing the customer, their expectations {and vulnerabilities}, needs and how they feel during an interaction at any time of the customer journey and in any channel,” says Laia Mercadal, Director of Consulting and Digital Transformation at E-voluciona by Intelcia.
– “Until very recently, NLP algorithms were trained to recognise certain words in texts and compute them to give a simple ‘positive or negative’ rating, and this was already a considerable achievement,” says Bruno Gerlic, Chief Revenue Officer at PredictLand AI. Gradually, they went on to improve this binary classification to the point where they now combine sentiment with other types of valuable information in the same system, sometimes called ‘text mining’. In this sense, “they now provide much more valuable information, improving business decision-making with more granularity and less latency”. Source, Spanish: https://www.abc.es/economia/exprimen-marcas-ia-descifrar-emociones-20240616054055-nt.html
Additional NLP ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuro-linguistic_programming
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EU Internet Regulators Get This One Right Thanks To Irish Complaint- Meta Pauses AI Training on EU User Data Amid Privacy Concerns:
– Meta (Fakebook/WhatsApp/Instagram) on Friday said it’s delaying its efforts to train the company’s large language models (LLMs) using public content shared by adult users on Facebook and Instagram in the European Union following a request from the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC).
– The company expressed disappointment at having to put its AI plans on pause, stating it had taken into account feedback from regulators and data protection authorities in the region.
– At issue is Meta’s plan to use personal data to train its artificial intelligence (AI) models without seeking users’ explicit consent, instead relying on the legal basis of ‘Legitimate Interests’ for processing first and third-party data in the region.
– The development comes as Austrian non-profit NOYB (none of your business) filed a complaint in 11 European countries alleging violation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the region by collecting users’ data to develop unspecified AI technologies and share it with any third-party. “Meta is basically saying that it can use ‘any data from any source for any purpose and make it available to anyone in the world,’ as long as it’s done via ‘AI technology,'” NOYB’s founder Max Schrems said. “This is clearly the opposite of GDPR compliance.” Full article: https://thehackernews.com/2024/06/meta-halts-ai-training-on-eu-user-data.html
SPORTS
Tennis News- Raonic hits record 47 aces in opening win at Queen’s Club:
– Milos Raonic {pic} sent down a record 47 aces and saved two match points while beating Cameron Norrie in the first round at Queen’s Club on Monday. Raonic’s 47 was an ATP record for a three-set match since the statistic was kept from 1991. The previous record was 45 aces in 2015 by Ivo Karlovic against Tomas Berdych in Halle. Raonic’s previous best was 38 in 2011.
– Former runner-up Norrie was beaten 6-7 (6), 6-3, 7-6 (9) after holding match points in the last tiebreak.
– Norrie had to endure a set of 225 kph (140 mph) missiles whizzing past him before pouncing in the tiebreak, saving a set point before edging ahead. When Raonic immediately broke the Norrie serve, the second set was decided. In the third-set tiebreak, Norrie couldn’t convert two match points and Raonic put one away with a forehand winner. Full article: https://apnews.com/article/queens-tennis-men-c1c57b5c61568a0cf117b32e9cf2670b
PETS
Cloning your dog or cat is possible, but expensive, and Marbella is the only place in Spain it can be done: {Translation, summary}
– Pet cloning has become a booming business in countries such as the United States, China and South Korea, most recently joined by Spain, where for around €55,000 a clinic in Marbella can create a genetic copy of your dog or cat using a reproductive technique that is legal but poses an ethical and moral dilemma.
– If cloning an horse, which costs around 75,000 euros, makes economic sense, in the case of dogs and cats the emotional aspect is more important. “According to statistics, 15% of pets in Spain are humanised, so there are people who love them as children, it is something affective,” explains embryologist Enrique Criado, founder and executive director of the OVO Group assisted reproduction centres.
– This clinic is the only one in Spain that clones dogs and cats, a process that is as complex as it is controversial, as there are experts who question both the purpose of the procedure and the welfare of the animals involved.
– Cloning means replicating a being with the same genetics as the original animal. To achieve this, a DNA sample is taken from the skin tissue of the animal, which can be done when the animal is alive or immediately after its death. From this biopsy, a series of cells called fibroblasts are generated, which have a nucleus with the genetic information. This nucleus is extracted and injected into an egg of the same species that has been previously enucleated. An embryo with 99.9% of the genetic material of the original animal develops and is implanted into a female for gestation.
– Creating a genetic twin does not imply, however, that two animals will be exactly the same, neither in behaviour nor in physical appearance, as the resulting pet will have a small part of the genome of the female that provided the egg: it is the mitochondrial DNA, which represents the remaining 0.1% of the genetics of the new being. In addition, Criado points out, epigenetics, which is the alteration of genes due to exposure to environmental factors such as climate, food, medication or chemical substances, plays a determining role.
– Enrique Criado stresses that what they clone is “potentiality”: “I leave a clone in your hands and you will see what you do with it, you have just modelled it yourself,” says the embryologist, who has so far cloned five dogs for Spanish clients, although his aim is to reach neighbouring countries such as France and Portugal.
– Gemma Marfany, professor of genetics at the University of Barcelona (UB), says that the problem here is “the expectation” that the person who decides to clone their pet has, as “they may think that they will have their dog or cat back, but that is not the case, they will have another dog or cat”.
– Cloning a dog currently costs around 55,000 euros in Spain, and cloning a cat costs around 50,000 euros. Given that it is an expensive process, the Marbella clinic offers another “more affordable” option: freezing the animal’s cell line, which costs around 3,000 euros and consists of cryopreserving its genetics for an unlimited period of time.
In this way, the owner of a pet has the possibility of cloning it in the future, says Criado, who points out that this process was considerably more expensive ten years ago and that the forecast is that prices will “fall much more” in the next decade, as demand grows. Photo: David Parker. Source, Spanish: https://andaluciainformacion.es/andalucia/1689371/clonar-a-tu-perro-o-tu-gato-es-posible-aunque-caro-andalucia-el-unico-lugar-en-espana/
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