Month: August 2025

In 2015 Scotland launched a route to revitalize highlands through tourism. Ten years later they have a problem

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The story dates back to 2015. Those who know the details that with the support of the then Prince Carlos already through the North Highland Initiativean ambitious project was launched to economically reactivate remote highlands from northern Scotland. To that route the They called North Coast 500but they did not measure the impact it was going to have an “old acquaintance”. The birth of myth. He project A very clear lines had a decade ago. On the basis of existing roads, a circular route of 830 kilometers with start and end in Inverness, conceived as a Scottish version of the mythical American Route 66 Route. The promise It was double: To energize the economy of small forgotten locations and offer the traveler an unforgettable experience between castles, abrupt coasts and virgin landscapes. In their early years, the numbers confirmed success: a 26% increase in visits to tourist information centers and up to 30% in local attractions. In 2018, a study calculated that the route generated more than 22 million pounds per year For the region. That comes tourism … mass. Success, however, brought consequences unwanted. The massive arrival of caravans, motorhomes, sports cars and motorcycles overflowed precarious roads and little prepared peoples, turning them into a sound hell. What was initially presented as an economic impulse ended up being perceived by many residents such as An invasion: Prairies razed by barbecues, paths turned into improvised toilets and fragile ecosystems, such as the habitats of Atlantic Frailecillos, disturbed by reckless tourists. The route Untenable. The lack of basic infrastructure (parking lots, toilets, wastewater discharge points) derived from garbage spills and human waste in private properties and in constant interference in those fragile habitats such as those of the frailecillos. The accidents increasedaggravated by visitors little accustomed to a single lane roads or to the fact of driving on the left. In fact, the official data They show a rebound of serious collisions caused by American tourists. Meanwhile, the mythical port of Bealach Mountain Na Bàwith its curves closed to more than 600 meters high, it became a dangerous funny for Motorhomes oversized. The massive tourism paradox. The prosperity provided by the NC500 is unquestionable: thousands of Linked jobs to tourism and the rescue of rural business that would otherwise have disappeared. Accommodation owners recognize that without the route their companies would not have survived, especially after the pandemic. But that economic bonanza lives with the perception of an authentic “Seasonal invader” that alters the rhythm of life of the communities. Daily coexistence with caravans parked in the windows of the houses, rallies at high speed or campists carving trees to make fire has fed an increasing discomfort, channeled in Facebook groups such as NC500 The Dirty Truth. For many, the brand has become Hostage of large companies that explode it without responsible for cultural and environmental damages. Local and future responses. The situation has led to the NC500 already appears on the blacklist of Fodor’s Travel destinations, which He advises it for “unsustainable popularity.” Given this, authorities and promoters try to recover balance with campaigns Like Press Pausewhich seeks that the communities themselves decide how to promote their territory, and with the hiring of rangers that patrol and educate tourists. The company NC500 LTD. has introduced In addition a “traveler commitment” on its website, with More than 4,000 signaturesto promote environmental and social respect. However, the background It is complex: How to make the appeal of a route that has placed north of Scotland on the world map with the need to preserve its identity, its nature and the daily life of its inhabitants? The Highlands dilemma. If you want too, The NC500 Encarna a global dilemma which we have spoken a lot: the tension between the economic benefit of mass tourism and the erosion of what makes it desirable. In this case, the risk is that the “last wild border” of Scotland becomes a saturated showcase, unable to support either its visitors or its communities. For some stores, the answer goes through Limit the flow of tourists and reinforce infrastructure. For others, for accepting that the Highlands culture It will inevitably change under the weight of international tourism. Between the enthusiasm of the business and the frustration of the residents, the NC500 remains an uncomfortable mirror: a dream of rural development that threatens to destroy what made it possible, the majestic serenity of some lands that everyone now wants to travel. Yeah William Wallace looked up would not give credit. Image | Fabian to Scherschel, Lauren Friedman, ThincatNC500 The Dirty Truth In Xataka | After expanding throughout the planet, touristification has reached Antarctica. And it is already taking its toll In Xataka | Decades ago the cities of Europe joined to capture tourists. Today they allied to the opposite: throw them out

Ryanair is abandoning small airports in France. There is an unexpected beneficiary: a Spanish airline

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France is the queen of world tourism. Spain is close, but the neighboring country moved In 2024 almost 90 million visitors. A good part of them depend on the plane to arrive, and the problem is that they will soon pay more money to leave. The reason? A “solidarity tax”. And Ryanair has not been funny. So little that will leave some routes in winter. On the other side of the door, ready to collect the witness, was a Spanish airline. Volotea. Taxes. The trigger is the TSBA. This is the abbreviation of ‘Taxe de Solidarité Sur Les Billets d’Avion’, a tax applied in France to the tickets. It is the French authorities that set the amount of tax with the aim of financing international aid programs or to promote ecological measures. A few months ago, that tax experienced an increase of 180% and, although It depends on the flightdistance and plane, in a Economic flight Within France or Europe, the rate went from 2.66 euros to 9.5 euros. Other countries have other rates and in Spain, for example, there is one that applies to the use of infrastructure, security, shipping and other services that will rise about 68 cents per passenger as of March 1, 2026. It is a 6.5%rise, much lower than French. But well, as we say, Italy, Germany or Netherlands also have their rates. Leave. Ryanair comes into play here. The airline, the largest in Europe by fleet, considers that they are excessive and threatened to state that the increase will make many routes unfeasible. In a nutshell: trips to regional airports to small and medium -sized cities will not be so profitable by reducing the margins of these Airlines ‘Low Cost’ and, therefore, it would cease to make sense to keep them. And so it has been. As we read in Radar TravelRyanair will completely retire from Strasbourg, Brive-La-Gaillarde and Bergerac airports from this winter. In total, it will cut 25 routes and 750,000 seats on those dates, reducing its operations in France by 13%. Proper names. The consequences are devastating for the affected cities: Brive loses routes such as London-Stansted. Strasbourg loses links with Porto and Agadir. Bergerac will lose 33% of the activity, which can even touch the airport. They are the most affected, but other larger airports such as those of Toulouse, Marseille or Beauvais in Paris will also have activity cuts. “Unless the government eliminates this unfair air tax, Ryanair’s capacity and investment in France will inevitably redirect to more competitive European markets such as Sweden, Hungary or part of Italy, where governments are eliminating air taxes to stimulate traffic, tourism, employment and economic recovery,” Comment The CCO of Ryanair, Jason McGuinness. Volotea. This decision has resonated at the Volotea offices, a low -cost Spanish airline that bases its business on connecting small and medium -sized cities in Europe. They are those that do not usually cover the big companies, with 420 Routes in 2025reaching up to 100 cities in 18 European countries. Two names that we have already commented and that covers volotea are those of Marseille and Toulouse. And, how we read in Hosteltur And that Volotea itself collects in its press section, the withdrawal of Ryanair leaves room for the Spanish to stay with the connections of Strasbourg with Agadir (Morocco) and Porto, with the intention of creating 70 jobs to operate. “I don’t want money”. Thus, from this new pulse of Ryanair to the authorities of a country, the Spanish company benefits. And it is a sum and continues in a particular battle that Ryanair undertakes when the margins are at stake, such as when the controversial CEO of the company, Michael O’Learyconfirmed that aspires that passengers fly without suitcaseseven when of the 13,400 million euros that entered 2024, 4,299 million come from Extras how to fly with a cabin suitcase or choose a seat. Images | CJP24 In Xataka | The great secret of Ryanair’s success is that he does not earn money to fly: he does so squeezing you in everything else

There was a lot of money at stake

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A few years ago we talked about the “Fasters“, that group of people who did not conceive of their favorite series to less than 1.5x. The same with the podcasts or the audiobooks. At that time, they were the exception, and when asked about social networks, people would be surprised and horrified at the possibility of enjoying the culture in that way. Today things have changed, and being “faster” becomes quite common: according to a survey of The Economist and Yougov31% of Americans between 18 and 29 years listen to audios for more than 1x. The greats of the Internet have made it very easy to accelerate everything. YouTube, Spotify or Netflix are Internet giants that They only do not compete against their direct competitorscompete against everything And all looking for one thing: Our sustained attention. They want us to spend more and more time on the platform, not only to prevent us from going to the competition, but because they loyalty more and generate more advertising income per user. In the case of Spotify, for example, earn more money when we reproduce podcasts (and it is common to accelerate them) that when we listen to music, because they save rights to pay the recordings. On YouTube the logic is similar: if we accelerate reproduction, we can consume more content at the same time. Thus the part is understood the success of rapid consumption of content: these companies and others not only implemented the speed of accelerating reproduction where before it was not so common (outside the audio), but they put the function almost at the level of relevance of pausar or advance reproduction. Thus, YouTube offers to tricks such as leaving the video clustered on mobile or on the web so that reproduction goes from 1x to 2x automatically. Life at 1x becomes slow. WhatsApp and Telegram know it, and in 2021 they implemented the possibility of Accelerate audios Of our contacts, something that a server values greatly. The feeling with the audios, as one of Your hateorsthere is “there is a lot of detour, pauses, unnecessary repetitions”, and accelerate them to 1.5x offers, in many cases, a more normal cadence of conversation. As in person, with fewer distractions. Personally, all audios are already reproducing them at that speed, and I feel that I do not lose attention, context or data of what my friends and family explain to me. The audios of some slow -speaking people are compatible with climbing 2x, but it is usually not comfortable. Accelerating everything so much has consequences: when listening again at normal speed, there is some feeling that people are “drunk.” This effect is extreme if instead of accelerating we slowly slow down. Fomo as a factor of a huge “savings” of time. To understand the effects of accelerating reproduction in different services it is very useful to remember its official figures. According to YouTube in 2022, its users They saved 900 years of video per day Seeing them faster of their original speed. For Linda Stone, researcher at the Digital Revolution, accelerate everything has to do with the phomothe fear of losing things, not to get to everything. TV, redoubt of respect for creative intention. Of the big platforms (Disney+, Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max and Apple TV+), Netflix is the only one that allows us to accelerate its contents from the official mobile application. The rest, neither in mobiles nor on other platforms, perhaps following The reasons that Netflix alleged Not to offer the function on larger screens: “We have been sensitive to the concerns of the creators and we have avoided including larger screens, especially televisions.” Five years after releasing the mobile adjustment, Netflix still does not allow reproduction on the smart TV. YouTube does not take it that way, and among its adjustments the possibility of Vary the reproduction of 0.25x to 2x for 15 years. Do not destroy my work. The rhythm and assembly are key elements of series and films. That they are slow or fast is not a failure, they are a decision with which they reflect an intention. So the filmmakers consider that accelerating reproduction is something devastating for work. In the face of the joy of the “fasters” for being able to accelerate Netflix and “unnecessarily stretched” series, Peyton Reed (Ant-man) and Peter Ramsey (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Ambverse) were clearly against implementing functionality, to which Aaron Paul joined, despite having worked with them in ‘The way‘. The effects. The Economist includes the position of different experts and studies regarding the phenomenon. The conclusion of researchers from the University of Waterloo in Canada was that consuming content up to 1.5x does not add cognitive differences with respect to doing so at the original speed. Yes, but. However, when we approach or overcome the 2x speed, the thing changes: the responses to the evaluation of students who had seen evidence at this speed were of much worse quality. Taking this into account, the striking thing is that YouTube is already offering the option to reproduce its videos to 4x speed to premium subscription users. The experience of a fan. My partner and editor of Xataka José García acknowledged in a talk among colleagues to have seen ‘One Piece‘At 1.5x speed, “in those scenes that I knew they were important, but in which they also did not contribute to me 10 seconds of intense looks”, while “what I knew was mythical (coffee for coffee growers: episodes 483, chapter 1,000 and 1,076, for example) left it to 1x”. And he did not have the feeling of missing anything with this concrete anime, because “the dialogues are relatively slow and total, I do not understand much Japanese, so with being able to read the subtitles it is worth.” He also points out that something like this was possible at 1.5x, while “A 2x was already another story.” Unlike what can happen to WhatsApp the audios, returning to 1x was satisfactory: “It was weird. He was accustomed to … Read more

Casio knows that his calculators have the lost battle in the West. So you have designed a B: Africa

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In a world dominated by smartphones, where any mobile has a calculator application, it might seem that the days of pocket calculators are counted. However, Casio, the Japanese giant who has been in the business for almost 60 years, has a plan to stay as a relevant company: carry its scientific calculators to the classrooms of developing countries. In search of the ideal countries to continue expanding. Since its first scientific calculator in 1972 was launched, Casio has achieved great achievements such as a reference in the Spanish Meracdo. But now he focuses on eight countries in Asia and Africa, among which are Egypt, Thailand, Indonesia, Bangladés and the Philippines. The calculator as an infallible ‘antitrampas’ system. The program baptized as ‘Gakuhan’ is not limited to selling calculators only. Casio seeks to promote teaching methods that integrate these devices, pressing so that schools use them in classes and allow their use in exams. The reason is simple: the calculators They have a much less copy risk than smartphoneslacking Internet connection functions. In the case of Spain this is something that we see in the selectivity, for example, where one of the requirements is obviously not having any electronic device on top and Nor any calculator that can transmit information. Although always when you get to Baccalaureate, it is raised The question of which is the best calculator to study. And this is precisely what they sell to the professors of Asia and Africa with a sales manager who has become the official ambassador of this program. The objective of its task is clear: create educational material where the calculator is essential to develop the activity and offer competencies to students. A market in decline, but with a resilient niche. Despite the presence of smartphones, Casio has managed to maintain a stable business with calculators. Although the sales of this device have fallen two thirds from its peak in the last 20 years, the company sold more scientific calculators than basic last year. In fact, it has expanded its range of scientific calculators to 73 models, 40% more than seven years ago, to adapt to the subtle differences of each country. European countries have their ‘antitrampra’ versions. For example, in Germany and France Comas are used instead of points for decimals and the graphic calculators of the United Kingdom They have an “exam mode” that deactivates the functions not allowed. Although the educational technology business of Casio is not as large as that of watches, which generates 60% of total salesit does provide a constant income flow. The company expects Sell 23 million scientific calculators in 202510% more than the previous year. Other products have not had the same fate as calculators. Mobile phones have caused the disappearance of many products or even icons that we had normalized in our society, such as public phones, Pocket cameras or the music players like the walkman either The iPod. In this case they have failed to reinvent themselves to continue advancing with the new advances of society. Others, such as instantaneous cameras, They still have their niche Within lovers of Vintage, Like what happens with vinyl. But in this case the calculators in mobiles, tablets or computers do not seem to end the products dedicated to it. In institutes it remains a practically mandatory product and on which we depend on not making the calculations with a pen and paper such as a simple division. Images | Robert Schneider Aaron Lefler Doug Linstedt In Xataka | Better scientific calculators: which to buy for the institute and the university and eight recommended models from 10 euros

To the big question of whether you can lose weight, science has an answer. And it has everything to do with genetics

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There are multiple reasons to walk, to try to approach that figure (rather symbolic) of the 10,000 daily steps. For many, keeping weight under control is one of the main reasons. In this sense, genetics plays an important role, since some people have greater predisposition to accumulate body mass. We have only a couple of decades learning what are the (diverse) genetic variants that are associated with our ease to increase our weight. Know them, however, the door has opened us To be able to design strategies that bring us closer to our goals When maintaining or reducing our weight, thus minimizing the effort to achieve them. Because each individual is a world and not all bodies react in the same way to certain diets or exercise regimes. This is a breeding ground for failure, since what for a person is a “miraculous” strategy to another can take it to a dead end. A study Published this year made a compilation of the different genetic variants identified to date linked to this ease to lose weight through diets and exercises. The team found 30 genetic markers linked to our body’s response to diets and 24 associated with the exercise. Because LAGENTICS is not an isolated factor: it is not our genes in themselves that make us fat. These are nothing more than a part of a complex system in which they interact with our diet and other life habits. More steps To understand these interactions, A study performed by the American Heart Association analyzed the degree to which walk could reduce the impact of genetics and sedentary life About our body mass index. The analysis, published in 2012, observed that the act of walking could, indeed, counteract our predisposition genetics to gain weight, in front of sedentary habits How to watch television whose effect was the opposite. To carry out the study, the team compiled information on more than 12,000 participants, including information on genetic variants (32 in total) associated with high body mass indices. They estimated that walking at least one hour a day could reduce people’s body mass by about 0.06 kg/m². A more recent study I deepened the matter. The analysis, published this year in the magazine Jama Networkit was raised if people with certain genetic predispositions linked to overweight required specific levels of exercise if they wanted to avoid reaching the limits established in body mass index for obesity. The study It was done With 3,124 adult participants and it was observed that, indeed, people with this genetic predisposition required to walk more in terms of steps given a day than people with less risk associated with their genes. According to the data obtained, people in the high risk of risk should walk about 2,280 more steps That people in the average percentiles, a total of 11,020 steps per day, if they wanted to equate their risk of obesity. Although, as a general rule, controlling our diet is a better tool to lose weight, exercise can help us in our attempts. Exercise is, for example, an ideal tool to avoid recovering the weight we have gained. But exercising is, above all, a way to stay healthy. Active life has very diverse positive impacts on our healthespecially in the field of cardiovascular health. In Xataka | Make cardio or train strength: for science there is no debate about what is the ideal year from 50 Image | Tamar Willoughby *An earlier version of this article was published in August 2024

It has become the Central Bank of the AI

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Nvidia has gone from manufacturing graphics cards for Gamers First and Crypto miners later to become the referee of the technological future. His mastery of the chips market for ia gives him a power that goes beyond the business: he decides who can compete and who not in the AI career. Regulating the flow of critical resources towards companies that need them to survive gives it that capacity, as a kind of Central Technological Bank. The money trail. Nvidia controls more than 80% of the gpus market for AI (some sources They attribute more than 90%), with gross profit margins that They exceed 70%. But true power is not in the numbers, but in the waiting lists. OpenAI, Google, Meta and virtually any company that aspires to compete in the depend on chips H100 and H200 of Nvidia. The waiting time can be one semester and a year. The difference between getting them or does not determine who launches the next revolutionary model and who is left behind. Between bambalins. Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, personally manages the most important chip assignments. A simple call of yours can accelerate an order or delay it indefinitely. It is a power that no technological executive had had before. Amazon and Microsoft have tried to develop their own chips to reduce dependence. The results so far are mediocre compared to Nvidia. AMD and Intel They try to gain ground, but they are still behind to train LLMS. China tries to create alternativesbut it’s back behind. Larry Ellison told that he, like Elon Musk and others, “begged” for accessing H100 at a dinner with Huang. Nvidia’s advantage is not just hardware, it is the software ecosystem (CUDA) that has been developing years. The big question. How long will this domain last? The history of technology tells us that no monopoly is eternal. But Nvidia has an advantage: every year that passes, its software ecosystem becomes more difficult to replace. The regulators They begin to pay attentionbut intervening in such a technical and strategic market is complex. And a geopolitical factor comes into play: slowing down Nvidia could mean giving advantage of China in the AI race. And now what. Nvidia continues to increase the distance with its competitors. Its new generation of Blackwell chips promises to be even more powerful. Meanwhile, companies that depend on their products have no choice but to accept their prices. And his times. It is a power comparable to that of a central bank: control the flow of the most valuable resource of the digital economy. The difference is that central banks have supervision and public mandates. Nvidia only responds to your shareholders In Xataka | Intel has a plan to recover his old glory. The problem is that carrying it will not be easy Outstanding image | Xataka

The fault is of tradition and acrylamides

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If we turn around the hallway breakfast Of any supermarket, we see multitude of coffee varieties. It is the second most consumed drink in the world and many do for health reasonsbut sUS properties vary depending on whether we drink natural coffee or the enemy of lovers of the Specialty coffee: he Torrefacto. It is the typical coffee of the Spanish bar, but curiously in Europe is vetoed by its low quality, the null historical roots and the most serious: health motifs. It is not Spanish thing. Although this is the “Spanish coffee”, really the first record of something similar to torrefact comes from Cuba. The miners roasted coffee with sugar to extend its conservation during the long periods of underground work. The current torrefact we owe it to an Extremadura named José Gómez Tejedor, founder of The star cafes that, on a trip at the end of the 19th century through the Caribbean, He learned technique and patented In 1901. Until 1921, only coffees the star could exploit the technique of the roasting. And it is a process that consists of toasting coffee and, during the process, add sucrose or glucose syrup –Sugar, ultimately– With a proportion of up to 15 kg of sugar per 100 of coffee. It is a barbarity (and being so bitter, you have to add more sugar to take it, curiously). But very Spanish. This method was consolidated in Spain thanks to the fact that coffee was maintained in better conditions for a longer time. Consumption at the beginning of the 20th century would not be as massive as it is today and the sugar film allowed longer conservation. In Portugal it also gained popularity, but the explosion, and that consideration of the roasting as “Spanish coffee” occurred in the Civil war. During and after the conflict, due to the shortage of coffee, the need to keep it and maintain its economic performance, that toasted with sugar became The default form of toasting coffee in the Iberian Peninsula. That is, due to precariousness, the torrefact was consolidated, but when things could change due to better economic conditions and more efficient conservation methods, it was so rooted in the market that remained. Acrylamide. The problem is no longer so much taste (which, he hears, for tastes, colors), but the consequences of doing so. In the title process, it is generated A chemical compound called acrylamide Due to Maillard’s reaction between sugars and amino acids when they undergo high temperatures. Torrefacto, due to that greater amount of sugar, can contain more acrylamide, surpassing the Natural chopped coffees. Agencies such as IARC or EFSA have cataloged the compound as “probable human carcinogen” and a European reference limit at acrylamide levels of about 400 μg/kg for roasted coffee and 850 μg/kg for snapshot. The problem is that it is estimated that, while the Natural Tugue Café has about 180 μg/kg, the torrefact goes to 800 μg/kg. European counterpart. There are no solid epidemiological studies that demonstrate an oncological risk in humans due to coffee consumption with high doses of acrylamide, but yes There is evidence In animal experiments. The European Regulation EU 2017/2158 It forces producers to minimize acrylamide by controlling the gut parameters, but really that in Europe it is not consummated by torrefact is not because it is prohibited or because it is toxic, but because it is not a coffee that has any roots in countries outside Portugal or Spain. Torrefacto is seen as something of lower quality, has been marginalized by industry and, although there are Exceptions As a type of Belgian coffee to which 3% of sugar is added, it is still an amount lower than that of the Spanish royal. And beyond acrylamide, the real problem of torrefact for someone who consumes a lot of coffee is the amount of sugar. Green grains up to the left and different degrees of turse And in Italy? If you have ever traveled to Italy or if you have bought Italian coffee in grain and you have appreciated that Its color is so dark Like the one we can find in the torrefacto cafes or mixture of Spain, it does not mean that they also consume Torrefacto. In the labeling you read something like ‘Torrefazione’, but it would be a false friend, since it is a word that simply means “tums.” Sugar is not used in its title process, but a natural tabs are performed. And that dark color is due to the fact that, traditionally, the Italian tums is very intense, so the grains are darker than those we find in other European countries, but the sugar we find in those grains is naturally present in Café itself. Mix Blend. And how do I see this in the super? Easily, most supermarket coffee and large surfaces (in addition to what they serve in bars and restaurants, is roosted. When we are going to buy it, we can see terms such as 100% Arabica (which marks only the Variety of coffee), but be royal. Also the term mixing, which is basically a mixture between natural giant and torrefact coffee in usual percentages 50/50, 70/30 or 80/20. Mix, in Spain, is a mixture of both. Then we have the term ‘mixture’ applied in a specialty coffee context, where ‘blend’ is also used. The big difference is that in these ‘blend’, the mixture is made between coffees of different origins, but all of natural gut. Drink what you like. I have not bought torrefact coffee years, but it is something that usually consumes in some cafes and restaurants because they continue to put. And, although I notice it very much (I can not drink a torrefact alone, unlike a natural coffee, for example), the conclusion of all this is that, as long as they do not expressly prohibit it, it will remain something important in the Spanish tradition, despite the boom of specialty coffee shops. The real taste of coffee is being masked and it is … Read more

The key was a divorce at the right time

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When you think about Steve Jobs as a billionairethe most logical thing is to link that wealth with Apple. However, what really catapulted that category of Milmillonario It wasn’t the iPhonethe Mac or the iPod. It was a small animation company called Pixar. And, curiously, Pixar only existed as an independent company because George Lucas divorced his wife. The flutter of a butterfly, in animation version. George Lucas and his divorce In the late 70s, George Lucas was already one of Hollywood’s most successful directors. In full Star Wars ProductionLucas had founded Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), the study of special effects that marked a trend for innovations in special effects and animation that applied in the productions of the Lucas saga. In 1980, Lucas hired two computer experts: Ed Catmull and Alvy Ray Smith. Together they founded the computer graphics division within ILM, and from that department they began to develop Pioneer tools on CGI (Computer-Genered Imagery). Later John Lasseter would join, a young animator expelled from Disney for betting too soon for digital animation. Among the three engineers laid the foundations of what would later be Pixar. But, at that time, they were only a small technical division within the study. In parallel, George Lucas’s personal life staggered. His marriage to Mountain Marcia Lucas – who won an Oscar For your work at Star Wars– He collapsed, and ended up divorcing in 1983. The divorce process was complex and Lucas had to pay his ex -wife 50 million dollars. And that forced Lucas to Sell assets To deal with payments. To avoid getting rid of the entire production study, it fractioned it by departments and, one of those departments was precisely the division of computer graphics in which Catmull, Smith and Lasseter worked. Steve Jobs enters the scene In 1985, Steve Jobs had been fired from Apple, the company he founded, and was looking for new projects to invest. When he learned that George Lucas wanted to part with his computer division, he saw an opportunity. Lucas requested 30 million dollars for that department. But Jobs negotiated until you reduce the purchase to about 5 million. Lucas rejected the offer for being too low. Disney also made an offer, but it was even lower. Finally, Steve Jobs made an offer again for the CGI division of Lucasfilm, although this time it would be for an investment of 10 million dollars: 5 million to take the technology they had developed and another 5 million to capitalize on the new company. Thus Pixar was bornwith an initial team of 40 people, including Catmull, Smith and Lasseter. Toy Story changed the game For almost a decade, Pixar did not produce films. Sold hardware and software specialized in graphics and computer -generated effects, such as the Pixar Image Computeraimed at very niche markets in the medical and graphic industry. That specialization made Pixar was not profitable And Jobs was about to close The company several times. Salvation came in the form of an alliance with Disney. Pixar agreed to produce three animated films generated entirely by computer. The first one was Toy Story (1995), which revolutionized the industry and was a criticism and box office raising 360 million dollars worldwide. To take advantage of the moment, Pixar went over the same month of the premiere. On their first day, the shares shot up to $ 39. And that made Steve Jobs a billionaire in the spot. It was his first great business victory after his departure from Apple. Thanks to Pixar’s success, Jobs recovered his reputation as a technological visionary. That gave him confidence and merits to return to his charge as CEO of Apple in 1997. But his adventure with Pixar had not finished. For years, Pixar continued to operate as an independent study, although His films They were distributed under the umbrella and Marketing of Disney chaining successes as looking for Nemo or Cars. In 2006, the Mickey Mouse company bought Pixar for 7,400 million dollars in shares. Pixar’s purchase operation provided Jobs 138 million shares, which meant 7% of Disney’s shares, becoming the main private shareholder of Disney and allowed him to occupy a seat on his board of directors. That percentage of shares would currently be valued at about 15,577 million dollars. Not bad to have been an investment of 10 million. In Xataka | How rich would be Steve Jobs today with the actions he had when he died Image | Flickr (David Geller), Wikimedia Commons (Achanhk, Coolcaesar)

Five models to study Apple, Samsung and other brands

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There is nothing left for the school, so if instead of a laptop, or as a complement, you are looking for a good tablet, in this article we have gathered five models that can be very practical for the study. Of course, we have made a selection of models that, at least, offer good performance. iPad Air M3 by 649 eurosa very versatile Apple tablet thanks to its powerful chip that we even find in laptops. Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Fe by 449.10 euros By adding it to the cart, a good purchase option that includes a S Pen. Xiaomi Pad 7 by 329 eurosa screen tablet that offers a 3.2K resolution. iPad Mini (A17 Pro) by 569 eurosa perfect tablet if what you are looking for is comfort when carrying it in a backpack. Huawei Matepad 11.5 s by 269 eurosa tablet with 256 GB of storage. iPad Air M3 If what you are looking for is a tablet that has excellent performance, the iPad Air M3 It is one of the best options in the list. Its price is 649 euros And where the most stands out is in its M3 chip We also see in some Apple computers, which ensures good power and excellent performance, in addition to compatibility with Apple Intelligence. It has one 11 -inchweighs 460 grams and is compatible with many Apple accessories and other brands. * Some price may have changed from the last review Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Fe On the other hand, if what you are looking for is a tablet with Android operating system, here Samsung has a lot to say with his tablet Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Fewhich is located in Mediamarkt of offer by 449.10 euros By adding it to the cart. This 11 -inch tablet has a weight of 497 grams and its battery supports fast charge of 45w. Includes slot for MicroSD cards up to 2 TB and its processor is the exynos 1580. Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Fe (128 GB) * Some price may have changed from the last review Xiaomi Pad 7 If we talk about good quality-price, the Xiaomi Pad 7 It is a most interesting model. Right now he is on offer in many stores, and for 329 euros You have it in Mediamarkt. Mount a 11.2 -inch screen with 3.2K resolution and compatibility with Dolby Visionits processor is the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3weighs 500 grams and its battery supports fast charge of 45W. In addition, it incorporates speakers that are compatible with Dolby Atmosa plus especially to see multimedia content. * Some price may have changed from the last review iPad Mini (A17 Pro) But if what you prioritize is weight and size, iPad Mini (A17 Pro) You may be interested, since 569 euros We talk about a tablet that incorporates a 8.3 -inch screen And that has a 293 grams weight. In addition, it comes with the A17 Pro chip, which also offers good performance, it is also compatible with Apple Intelligence and various Apple accessories and other brands. iPad Mini (A17 Pro, 128 GB) * Some price may have changed from the last review Huawei Matepad 11.5 s Although the Huawei Matepad 11.5 s It does not have Google’s services, since its operating system is Harmonyos, it is a good choice for everything it offers: by 269 euroswe talk about a tablet with 11.5 -inch IPS screen which has 256 GB of storage, it is quite thin (6.2 mm), its weight is 510 grams and its panel offers both a 2,8k resolution as a soda rate of up to 144 Hz. Huawei Matepad 11.5 s (256 GB) * Some price may have changed from the last review Some of the links of this article are affiliated and can report a benefit to Xataka. In case of non -availability, offers may vary. Images | Pedro Aznar In Applesfera, Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei In Xataka | Best Ultrabooks: Which buy and 13 Light Portables Recommended from 300 to 2500 euros In Xataka | Best gaming laptops. Which buy and eight computers recommended from 770 to 3,000 euros

The largest steel producers in the world, exposed in this graphic that shows two totally different leagues

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On our way to decarbonization, Steel is a problem. For each ton we produce, They emit two of co₂ to the atmosphere, but although We are studying alternatives further sustainableremains indispensable in a world where there are countries wrapped in a Loca Carrera for Megaconstructions. Someone must produce all that steel we need, and as is the case with the Aluminum industrythat of steel has an indisputable own name: China. And it is something that can be seen perfectly in this graph elaborated by Visual Capitalist: The Chinese monster. The data comes from the World Steel Association and reflect an overwhelming reality. If the world produced about 1,884.6 million tons of steel in 2024, more than half were the work of China. The rest of the countries are very, far away and, removing India with the giant Tata Steel Group that benefited from an increase in infrastructure investment in recent months, the rest of the producers are quite aligned. That China leads this sector is not a coincidence. After the Foundation of the Popular Republic in 1949, the State considered that the production of steel was something crucial For industrialization. Domestic demand is gigantic due to the boom of both manufacturing and infrastructure and construction in general and,, although they exportown consumption is very important. USA wants to recover land. That domain is a problem for the rest of the countries. That China produces more steel than the rest of the world together makes us depend on its product (as with the solar panels wave Rare Earth Production). The United States, another historical steel producer, does not want to lose so much land and in recent months it has started movements to recover control of its industry. Us Steel is one of the historic steel producers who was about to be bought by the Japanese giant Nippon Steel. Joe Biden, in one of the last movements of his mandate, decided to block the purchase claiming national security motifs. This decision sent a message, but also fed ghosts from the pasttensing relationships with Japan. Europe out of the photo. In Europe, the bastion of steel is Germany. Its production is among the highest in the world, but we will have to see for how long. As we read in The New York Times, the Airías have experienced a fall of 11.6% during the first half of 2025. In addition, despite the high technology of factories such as Tata Steel in the Netherlands, environmental regulations, the Chinese dumping and tariff hostility are pushing Europe to a situation in which he paints less and less in the photo of the steel worldwide. HE esteem that Spain produced 11.9 million tons in 2024, assuming a 3.7% increase compared to the yearterior, but although some countries have experienced a Alcista trend in its production, demand remains high, the need to reduce emissions and imports from the EU – especially asian steel – increases pressure on internal production. Without limit. And it’s a problem. Now, another interesting element of all this is that, although there is a steel hunger, the main producers produce … too much. According to the OECD, the excess world capacity will reach the 721 million tons in 2027. China herself is Taking measures to stop the blind expansion of your industry. For example, a production control, asking companies to only produce under a firm order or suspend the expansion of steel production capacity, decision made in August last year. They are measures to limit overcapacity and that Your industry does not die of success Due to the low price that steel could reach worldwide, but although it seems a very local measure, taking into account its enormous production, any movement in this sense is something that has an impact on the rest of the world. In Xataka | Before the lack of steel, the ships of World War II began to be built with an unusual material: concrete

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