DIGITAL LIFE

Seniors are reaping brain benefits from using technology, study says

For years, we've heard that screens and gadgets could harm our mental health. But new research suggests just the opposite: among older people, technology can help keep the brain active and reduce the risk of dementia.

When she was 16, Wanda Woods enrolled in a typing course because her father said it would help her find a job. Sure enough, she was soon hired by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Decades later, Wanda—now 67—continues to use technology not only at work but also to organize family trips with the help of AI chatbots. For her, staying connected also means staying mentally active.

Researchers analyzed 57 studies with more than 411,000 older adults and found that those who use computers, cell phones, and the internet regularly have a lower risk of developing cognitive impairment or dementia.

"It's like hearing from a nutritionist that bacon is good for you," jokes Michael Scullin, a neuroscientist at Baylor University.

According to him, the simple act of facing the challenges of new technologies—updates, passwords, bugs, different systems—is already a powerful mental exercise.

The results, published in the journal Nature Human Behavior, show that almost 90% of the studies analyzed indicated a positive effect of technology on the brains of older adults.

This is because:

-Solving technical problems stimulates memory and reasoning;

-Reminder apps compensate for memory lapses;

-Social media and messaging strengthen social connections, known to slow cognitive decline.

Furthermore, the decline in dementia rates in countries like the US and the UK may be linked, among other factors, to higher education levels, better health care—and also to the increasing use of technology by older adults.

However, not everything is rosy. Online scams still affect millions of older adults, often with much greater financial losses than those of younger adults. Excessive screen time can also lead to social isolation. "If you binge-watch Netflix for 10 hours, there's no benefit whatsoever," warns psychiatrist Murali Doraiswamy of Duke University.

Of course, digital technologies present risks, too. Online fraud and scams often target older adults, and while they are less apt to report fraud losses than younger people, the amounts they lose are much higher, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Disinformation poses its own hazards. And as with users of any age, more is not necessarily better. “If you’re bingeing Netflix 10 hours a day, you may lose social connections,” Doraiswamy pointed out. Technology, he noted, cannot “substitute for other brain-healthy activities” like exercising and eating sensibly. 

An unanswered question: Will this supposed benefit extend to subsequent generations, digital natives more comfortable with the technology their grandparents often labored over? “The technology is not static — it still changes,” Boot said. “So maybe it’s not a one-time effect.” Still, the change tech has wrought “follows a pattern,” he added. “A new technology gets introduced, and there’s a kind of panic.” From television and video games to the latest and perhaps scariest development, artificial intelligence, “a lot of it is an overblown initial reaction,” he said. 

“Then, over time, we see it’s not so bad and may actually have benefits.” Like most people her age, Woods grew up in an analog world of paper checks and paper maps. But as she moved from one employer to another through the ’80s and ’90s, she progressed to IBM desktops and mastered Lotus 1-2-3 and Windows 3.1.

The experts' recommendation is clear: technology can help, but it's no substitute for physical activity, good nutrition, and an active social life.

Along the way, her personal life turned digital, too: a home desktop when her sons needed one for school, a cellphone after she and her husband couldn’t summon help for a roadside flat, a smartwatch to track her steps. 

These days, Woods pays bills and shops online, uses a digital calendar, and group-texts her relatives. And she seems unafraid of AI, the most earthshaking new tech. Last year, Woods turned to AI chatbots like Google Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT to plan an RV excursion to South Carolina. Now, she’s using them to arrange a family cruise celebrating her 50th wedding anniversary.

And what about future generations?...The big question is whether the same positive effect will be replicated among digital natives, who grew up surrounded by technology. Researchers say there's still no definitive answer—but historical patterns show that initial panic with new technologies tends to be exaggerated.

From TV to video games, and now with artificial intelligence, the cycle seems to repeat itself: first fear, then adaptation, and finally recognition of the benefits.

mundophone

 

TECH

'FIFA' successor 'FC 26' polishes the beautiful game

The latest edition of the "FC" series of football video games set for release on Friday will seek to keep fans onside with polished moves as it faces new competition from rivals.

While shedding its "FIFA" moniker in 2024 when its publisher parted ways with the global footballing body, "EA Sports FC 26" builds upon its three-decade lineage that aims to faithfully portray on-pitch action with real-world male and female stars.

Electronic Arts (EA) is returning to its roots with its new soccer game, "EA Sports FC 26." The company's developers have opted to improve the series' core foundations rather than add new features in an attempt to resonate with the fan base. The decision comes after the previous title, "FC 25," received strong criticism from the gaming community.

The series, known for nearly 30 years as "FIFA," aims to more accurately represent the action on the field with this new title, for both men's and women's soccer. Available starting September 26th for PC and consoles, "FC 26" faces the challenge of regaining player trust and improving gameplay.

Gameplay improvements and AI...In direct response to criticism, the game's development team focused its communication for the new edition on player frustrations, including opening an online channel to receive complaints. "There are very involved players who can be very expressive," acknowledged Bogdan Banasiewicz, one of the developers, but assured that the team "understands" the frustrations.

The main focus of "FC 26" is to make the gameplay more dynamic. Sam Rivera, head of development, explained that the goal is to "improve the fundamentals" to achieve "more authenticity, more variety, more depth." To achieve this, the programmers reduced the reaction time between the player's command and the on-screen action. Furthermore, artificial intelligence (AI) is now applied to goalkeeper positioning, indicating when they should come out or stay on their line to cover the best part of the goal.

"FC 26" launches in a more competitive landscape. EA's flagship series now faces new rivals, such as the French game "Rematch," which attracted more than five million players in one month, and "FIFA Rivals," a mobile title that marks the return of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to the gaming world.

Players on PCs and consoles can jump into anything from fast-paced online pick-up games to solo experiences closer to a real-life match or managing a team over a season.

When early access for PCs and consoles opens on Friday, "FC 26" has a lot to prove.

Last year's edition became the best-selling game in 17 European countries last year, according to German market research firm GfK.

But it got middling reviews from critics and fans, according to review aggregator Metacritic.

Keeping the "FC" series fresh is all the more urgent as it has faced new competition this year from French-made "Rematch," which notched up five million players in a single month, and "FIFA Rivals," a mobile game bearing the imprimatur of the federation.

"We never stop listening" to the public conversation, associate producer Bogdan Banasiewicz told AFP at August's Gamescom trade show.

A new official feedback portal allows fans to send in gripes directly, while developers have also canvassed high-profile gaming streamers.

"There are some very engaged players that can be very vocal," Banasiewicz acknowledged diplomatically.

"That's absolutely fine, we're playing the game as well, we understand" their frustrations, he added.

Where last year's "FC 25" introduced the quickfire five-a-side "Rush" gameplay mode, "the most encouraging aspect of 'FC 26' is the glaring lack of a big gimmick," news site Gamesradar's sports editor Ben Wilson wrote.

'More responsive' play...With "FC26," "we want to improve the fundamentals... to make sure there's more authenticity, more variety, more depth," senior gameplay producer Sam Rivera told AFP.

Developers have reworked everything from the speed at which players' bodies are animated to the communication between players' machines at home and the distant servers hosting online games, or even how consoles interface with their controller handsets, he said.

"If the game is not responsive it's not fun," Rivera said.

"You need to be in control of your players all the time, and they need to execute what you have in mind immediately."

Banasiewicz says the difference is clear from new dribbling, with trimmed or updated animations for ball control from jog to sprint.

"The game really listens to the player's input," he insisted, with passing upgraded in a "very similar" way.

"FC 26" also used artificial intelligence techniques to train its computer-controlled goalkeepers' positioning in response to the action upfield.

"We've been using machine learning for years, but this year it's about position...when to rush, when to stay, how to cover near post versus far post," Rivera said.

The team "want to explore" how to use the tools for further tasks like improving positioning for the rest of the virtual squad, he added.

'Eye-opening' disability feedback...With billions of people around the world now gaming across mobile devices, PCs and consoles, the profile of the average player that developers of mass-market games must address is broadening.

Feedback EA Sports received from fans while making "FC26" included comments from players with disabilities such as color blindness.

"It was actually really eye-opening, what type of challenges they had playing our game," Banasiewicz said.

In response, the studio included features like a high-contrast mode that clarifies the visual information on the pitch.

"You can literally just change the color, not only of the players, but the pitch, the referee," the producer added.

With still more gamers able to participate, the volume of feedback the developers will receive is likely to grow.

"I would recommend all players to use" the official portal to have the best chance of influencing future updates, Banasiewicz said.

© 2025 AFP

DIGITAL LIFE

NFC bracelets and keychains: the new trend against digital addiction

In recent years, digital addiction has become a growing challenge. Constant notifications, endless scrolling, and the habit of opening apps "for a few minutes" can consume hours of the day without us realizing it. Now, an innovative solution combines technology and design to help consciously reduce screen time.

It works simply but effectively. The user chooses the apps they want to limit—typically TikTok, Instagram, games, or streaming platforms—and sets a maximum usage time. Exceeding this limit automatically blocks the app.

To unlock it, it's not enough to simply change the phone's settings: it's necessary to bring the device close to a physical object, such as a bracelet, keychain, or tag with an NFC chip. This device acts like a real key, without which access to the app is locked.

The idea is to create "conscious friction": the need to reach for the accessory makes the user pause and consider whether it's really worth opening the app at that moment. Several products already explore this approach, each with its own style, but all follow the same principle of transferring part of the digital control to the physical:

Brick: combines an NFC tag with a usage management app.

Unpluq: designed like a traditional keychain, easy to carry.

Scrolly: shaped like a doll, it serves as a fun visual reminder.

Locked: an open-source alternative, compatible with any generic NFC tag.

These accessories demonstrate the extent to which the attention economy dominates daily life. Many users are willing to invest between $50 and $70 to limit their own cell phone access, indicating that physical barriers can be more effective than simple digital alerts.

The Digital Control Paradox...It's curious to realize that, to disconnect from technology, we use another technological device. However, these physical keys act as tangible reminders of digital dependence, helping to break automatic swiping habits.

While not a definitive solution, NFC blockers represent a practical strategy for reducing time spent on social media. By breaking the automatic routine, they give users back the power to decide when and how to interact with the digital world.

In a scenario where attention is increasingly competitive, NFC bracelets and keychains offer a concrete opportunity to reconnect with real life, balancing cell phone use without giving up technology.

mundophone

 

DIGITAL LIFE

Starlink buries the original spirit of Burning Man once and for all

Burning Man isn't what it used to be—and now it may have been nailed in the coffin. The arrival of Starlink, Elon Musk's satellite network, has brought fast internet to the heart of the Nevada desert, and it's leaving festival veterans in shock. After all, how can you "disconnect from the world" if everyone is... online?

According to the Wall Street Journal, photographer Kevin LeVezu, a Burning Man regular, took his Starlink antenna to the iForgot campground, where he set up a Wi-Fi hotspot. The connection is "free," but at an unusual price: attendees had to choose between a shot of whiskey or a tap to access the network. Apparently, many people accepted the offer.

The presence of Starlink has exposed a shift in behavior that has been underway for years. In 2018, SFGate published a report showing that the magic of "disconnecting" in the desert was already threatened by the arrival of cell phone reception in the region. It was common to see people making FaceTime calls during the final ceremony or even hunting Pokémon on Pokémon Go.

Now, with satellite internet and high-speed connections, the original concept of isolation seems to have been completely abandoned.

Burning Man began in the 1980s with principles of radical inclusion, self-sufficiency, and self-expression. But this essence began to fade when Silicon Valley moguls discovered the event and began transforming it into a luxury festival.

Today, attending Burning Man can cost thousands of dollars. Beyond the hefty ticket prices, there's a veritable economic microcosm involving VIP tent rentals, luxury RVs, private chef services, and even private security. The philosophy of "decommodification" has been practically buried under dollars and antennas.

The connection between Silicon Valley and Burning Man has become explicit in recent years. Elon Musk himself has declared that "Burning Man is Silicon Valley." Billionaire Tyler Winklevoss described his experience at the event as "spiritual." Mark Zuckerberg, meanwhile, decided to go by helicopter—a detail that, in itself, completely contradicts the festival's spirit.

Irony of ironies: many of these billionaires, champions of "creative freedom" and "human connection," returned from the desert to run multi-billion-dollar companies that evict entire communities from their homes, exploit cheap labor, and degrade the environment.

Goodbye, Orgy Dome—and what was left of Burning Man...Even the festival's most eccentric icons are disappearing. The famous Orgy Dome, a legendary space for "sexual freedom" within Burning Man, was recently destroyed, and now what remained of the event's essence seems to have been lost forever.

The festival, which once symbolized breaking rules and creating an alternative community, has transformed into an Instagrammable event where the priority is keeping the feed updated—thanks, of course, to Starlink. 

The end of an era...With fast internet, expensive tickets, and billionaires monopolizing the scene, Burning Man is no longer that haven of freedom and disconnection. Now, it's just another sponsored spectacle, surrounded by antennas, cameras, and algorithms.

Perhaps the ultimate act of rebellion is...turning off the Wi-Fi.

mundophone

 

DIGITAL LIFE

The scientific leap that threatens to retire traditional fiber optics

For decades, fiber optics was considered irreplaceable as the foundation of global telecommunications. But that reign may be coming to an end. Scientists at the University of Southampton in the UK have developed "hollow" fibers, made with air-filled channels instead of a solid glass core. This seemingly simple change represents a giant leap: increased speed, reduced loss, and new possibilities for the next generation of the internet.

In conventional optical fibers, about half of the light intensity is lost every 15 to 20 kilometers, requiring the installation of expensive and bulky repeaters. With hollow fibers, this distance increases to up to 33 kilometers, reducing the need for intermediate equipment and making networks cheaper.

But what's most impressive is their power: these channels can carry up to a thousand times more energy than current fibers, in addition to supporting different wavelengths, including single-photon pulses. This is crucial for future quantum networks, which will require secure and ultra-fast transmission.

Another advantage lies in the very nature of light: in air, it travels almost 45% faster than in glass. This makes hollow fibers veritable digital "highways," capable of delivering greater speed and efficiency.

Although the idea of ​​hollow fibers is not new, until now, their large-scale production was unfeasible due to their high cost and technical complexity. The group led by Francesco Poletti spent more than ten years perfecting the design and manufacturing process.

The solution was to develop a precise structure, formed by several small cylinders within a larger cylinder, capable of confining light without losses. Instead of solid glass, the team uses a hollow preform, which is kept under pressure during stretching to preserve the internal channels.

This innovation made production more stable and viable, paving the way for commercialization at scale.

The project has already left the laboratory. The Southampton-based startup Lumenisity has taken on the mission of mass-producing these fibers. In 2022, the company was acquired by Microsoft, which is interested in applying the technology to accelerate its data centers and prepare for the arrival of quantum computing.

According to Poletti, the economic impact will be enormous: if it's possible to eliminate one in every two or three repeater buildings in networks, operating costs will drop dramatically.

Preparing for the quantum internet...In addition to making current connections cheaper and faster, this advancement has strategic implications. Compatibility with quantum technologies is seen as a decisive differentiator: these networks need to transport individual photons with extremely low loss, something that was previously financially prohibitive.

For Tracy Northup, an experimental physicist at the University of Innsbruck, the expectation is that mass production will reduce prices and enable the global dissemination of this infrastructure.

If predictions are confirmed, hollow fibers could progressively replace glass fibers, offering a faster, more powerful internet ready for the quantum digital age.

mundophone

DIGITAL LIFE

Your phone may hold the key to detecting signs of Parkinson's

A simple two-finger movement in front of the camera can reveal much more than it seems. Researchers have created artificial intelligence software capable of detecting early signs of Parkinson's with over 80% accuracy, paving the way for rapid, accessible, and at-home diagnoses.

Artificial intelligence is transforming the way neurological diseases are detected. A study shows that common videos recorded with a cell phone can reveal signs of Parkinson's that are imperceptible to the human eye. This discovery brings early diagnosis closer to the realities of home life and could change the way we monitor at-risk patients.

Diagnosing Parkinson's in its early stages is one of the greatest challenges in modern neurology. Discreet motor changes often go unnoticed, even by specialists. Now, a breakthrough from the University of Florida shows that artificial intelligence can offer a simple, effective, and accessible resource: analyzing home videos to identify invisible movement patterns.

The team led by Diego L. Guarín has developed VisionMD, a machine learning-based software. The program was trained with hours of recordings of people performing a simple gesture: repeatedly tapping the index finger against the thumb.

The system assesses the speed, amplitude, and regularity of movements, creating an individual motor profile. Its strength lies precisely in capturing subtle details, imperceptible during clinical examination, using only videos recorded at home, without specialized equipment.

The experiment with volunteers...To validate the tool, scientists analyzed 66 participants, including healthy individuals, early-stage Parkinson's patients, and individuals with idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD), considered a strong risk indicator for neurodegenerative diseases.

Although all appeared healthy according to the traditional clinical scale (MDS-UPDRS), the algorithm was able to identify hidden changes, such as the so-called sequence effect—the progressive decrease in amplitude or speed when repeating the movement.

The study data revealed high accuracy:

81.5% for distinguishing Parkinson's from healthy individuals.

79.8% for separating iRBD from controls.

81.7% for differentiating iRBD from Parkinson's. These figures demonstrate that artificial intelligence can go beyond conventional clinical evaluation, offering unprecedented diagnostic sensitivity and anticipating signs that would otherwise remain hidden.

The technology's greatest advantage is its simplicity. With a standard cell phone or webcam, it's already possible to capture the necessary data. This means bringing early detection closer to populations far from medical centers, facilitating large-scale screening programs, and offering continuous monitoring to people at risk of developing Parkinson's.

Medicine in an everyday gesture...A movement as simple as the rhythmic tap of two fingers can become the key to saving years of quality of life. VisionMD doesn't replace the doctor, but rather expands their diagnostic capabilities.

By combining minimal gestures and sophisticated algorithms, a more intimate, earlier, and fairer medicine emerges, capable of transforming the care of neurological diseases.

mundophone

 

TECH

US electric grids under pressure from energy-hungry data centers are changing strategy

With the explosive growth of Big Tech's data centers threatening to overload U.S. electricity grids, policymakers are taking a hard look at a tough-love solution: bumping the energy-hungry data centers off grids during power emergencies.

Texas moved first, as state lawmakers try to protect residents in the data-center hotspot from another deadly blackout, like the winter storm in 2021 when dozens died.

Now the concept is emerging in the 13-state mid-Atlantic grid and elsewhere as massive data centers are coming online faster than power plants can be built and connected to grids. That has elicited pushback from data centers and Big Tech, for whom a steady power supply is vital.

Like many other states, Texas wants to attract data centers as an economic boon, but it faces the challenge of meeting the huge volumes of electricity the centers demand. Lawmakers there passed a bill in June that, among other things, orders up standards for power emergencies when utilities must disconnect big electric users.

That, in theory, would save enough electricity to avoid a broad blackout on the handful of days during the year when it is hottest or coldest and power consumption pushes grids to their limits or beyond.

Texas was first, but it won't be the last, analysts say, now that the late 2022 debut of OpenAI's ChatGPT ignited worldwide demand for chatbots and other generative AI products that typically require large amounts of computing power to train and operate.

"We're going to see that kind of thing pop up everywhere," said Michael Webber, a University of Texas engineering professor who specializes in energy. "Data center flexibility will be expected, required, encouraged, mandated, whatever it is."

Data centers are threatening grids...That's because grids can't keep up with the fast-growing number of data center projects unfolding in Texas and perhaps 20 other states as the U.S. competes in a race against China for artificial intelligence superiority.

Grid operators in Texas, the Great Plains states and the mid-Atlantic region have produced eye-popping projections showing that electricity demand in the coming years will spike, largely due to data centers.

A proposal similar to Texas' has emerged from the nation's biggest grid operator, PJM Interconnection, which runs the mid-Atlantic grid that serves 65 million people and data-center hotspots in Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

The CEO of the Southwest Power Pool, which operates the grid that serves 18 million people primarily in Kansas, Oklahoma and other Great Plains states, said it has no choice but to expand power-reduction programs—likely for the biggest power users—to meet growing demand.

The proposals are cropping up at a time when electricity bills nationally are rising fast—twice the rate of inflation, according to federal data—and growing evidence suggests that the bills of some regular Americans are rising to subsidize the gargantuan energy needs of Big Tech.

Analysts say power plant construction cannot keep up with the growth of data center demand, and that something must change.

"Data center load has the potential to overwhelm the grid, and I think it is on its way to doing that," said Joe Bowring, who heads Monitoring Analytics, the independent market watchdog in the mid-Atlantic grid.

Data centers might have to adjust...Big Tech is trying to make their data centers more energy efficient. They are also installing backup generators, typically fueled by diesel, to ensure an uninterrupted power supply if there's a power outage.

Data center operators, however, say they hadn't anticipated needing that backup power supply to help grid operators meet demand and are closely watching how utility regulators in Texas write the regulations.

The Data Center Coalition, which represents Big Tech companies and data center developers, wants the standards to be flexible, since some data centers may not be able to switch to backup power as easily or as quickly as others.

The grid operator also should balance that system with financial rewards for data centers that voluntarily shut down during emergencies, said Dan Diorio of the Data Center Coalition.

Nation's largest grid operator has a proposal...PJM's just-released proposal revolves around a concept in which proposed data centers may not be guaranteed to receive electricity during a power emergency. That's caused a stir among power plant owners and the tech industry.

Many questioned PJM's legal authority to enforce it or warned of destabilizing energy markets and states scaring off investors and developers with uncertainty and risk.

"This is particularly concerning given that states within PJM's footprint actively compete with other U.S. regions for data center and digital infrastructure investment," the Digital Power Network, a group of Bitcoin miners and data center developers, said in written comments to PJM.

The governors of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Illinois and Maryland said they worried that it's too unpredictable to provide a permanent solution and that it should at least be accompanied by incentives for data centers to build new power sources and voluntarily reduce electricity use.

Others, including consumer advocates, warned that it won't lower electric bills and that PJM should instead pursue a "bring your own generation" requirement for data centers to, in essence, build their own power source.

A deal is shrouded in secrecy...In Indiana, Google took a voluntary route. Last month, the electric utility, Indiana & Michigan Power, and the tech giant filed a power-supply contract with Indiana regulators for a proposed $2 billion data center planned in Fort Wayne in which Google agreed to reduce electricity use there when the grid is stressed. The data center would, it said, reduce electricity use by delaying non-urgent tasks to when the electric grid is under less stress.

However, important details are being kept from the public and Ben Inskeep of the Citizens Action Coalition, a consumer advocacy group, said that leaves it unclear how valuable the arrangement really is, if at all.

A new way of thinking about electricity...To an extent, bumping big users off the grid during high-demand periods presents a new approach to electricity. It could save money for regular ratepayers, since power is most expensive during peak usage periods. Abe Silverman, an energy researcher at Johns Hopkins University, said that data centers can and do use all the electricity they want on most days.

But taking data centers off the grid for those handful of hours during the most extreme heat or cold would mean not having to spend billions of dollars to build a bunch of power plants, he said.

"And the question is, is that worth it? Is it worth it for society to build those 10 new power plants just to serve the data centers for five hours a year?" Silverman said. "Or is there a better way to do it?"

© 2025 The Associated Press