Month: August 2025

If the question is which of the great technology is winning the AI career, the answer is: None

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Who is winning the AI race? At this point we should have it more or less clear. We had it when Microsoft and Intel were profiled as the dominators of the PC world or when Apple and Google triumphed with their smartphones. But with AI something curious happens: Things are very even. Of, done, too much. Of course, in the field of Openai popularity, it is the most prominent with chatgpt. Recently the company presumed to be touching The 700 million active weekly users, a really remarkable figure that leaves its competitors behind. However, that metric is not definitive, especially when we have a great unknown to elucidate: what is the best AI model? It is impossible to know today what is the best model of AI No one can give a clear answer to that question. Neither the companies, which continuously breastfeed with their new versions, nor the benchmarks, which They have become a useful but imperfect tool when evaluating the quality of these models. In Polymarket people believed that the best AI model at the end of August was going to be OpenAi. After leaving GPT-5, the perception changed. That the answer to that question is difficult Polymarket demonstrates itthis unique prediction platform in which users bet on a result and also pay it by voting for one or another conclusion. To the question of “What company does the best model of AI have at the end of August? Everything seemed to smile at Openai, but after the launch of GPT-5, the Batacazo: now the clear favorite is Gemini, the Google model, with OpenAI collapsed to 16% of the votes and even more behind Grok (XAI) with 6.3% of votes and Claude (Anthropic) with a very low (in my opinion) 1.5%. It is not that Polymarket is an especially reliable indicator of this (or anything), but it makes it clear that The public perception of these models can be very different of their real behavior in things like their number of users-here OpenAi tombs their competitors-or their performance performance such as Arc-Agi 2 (where Grok 4 wins everyone, including GPT-5). In the Benchmark of abstract thought ARC-AGI 2, Grok 4 is well above its competitors. Included GPT-5, which exceeds Claude Opus 4. Source: ARC-AGI. And that makes us even clearer what are the two great reasons why it is a real problem to know which model of AI is winning this career. The first, that these tests are often very specific and concrete, and focus on evaluating aspects such as the ability to program or solve mathematical problems of these models. And the second, that The models do not stop improving and to overcome what his rivals had achieved a few days, weeks or months before. We do not stop seeing how new versions of the models are (logically) something better programming, generating text or images or solving certain types of problems, but there is no consensual or definitive form of saying “this model is better.” As we have seen, each user also has their own personal perception (Hello, Polymarket) when using them. Some prefer Claude to program, other chatgpt for generic questions, other Gemini to talk about diverse topics and to learn, for example. And none seems to be the final model “for everything.” In a recent scientific study, researcher Steve Hsu concluded that the path followed by the current generative models will not lead to AGI. Neither now, nor ever. That leads us to a reflection: that this general artificial intelligence (AGI) is far from arriving. These systems, which are supposed to be overcome in all areas, are not even remotely close to doing so, and They continue to make mistakes even when for example GPT-5 seems to have significantly mitigate the problem of hallucinations. Analysts like Gary Marcus They reminded us These days that have been saying the same thing about 30 years: that with this type of climbing techniques We are not going to get to an AGI And that the road has to be another. And that leaves us some interesting ideas. David Sacks – Paypal Cocfounder, founder of Yammer, investor— analyzed The situation of this segment and raised striking conclusions. The five main companies that develop foundational models —Openai, Google, Meta, Anthropic or XAI – still do not master the market, but that is (or it can be) good news. And it is because there is neither a monopoly nor a duopoly of AI. What there is is a fierce competition not only among these five North American companies, but between them and all their Chinese competitors, to which a lot of startups are added that have no resources to work on foundational models – careful – and instead they try to solve another great question: what is the Killer app of the AI. That’s where there are great opportunities for these startups, which can solve success cases in which AI can really be a disruption for an industry. It is for example what emerging companies have done such as cursor or Windsurf, which have opted for the vibe coding boom and are capturing a lot of interest among the developer segment. In fact, every time we see how even the greats of AI presume that their new models program especially well or perhaps are more oriented than ever to solve mathematical problems. GPT-5 precisely use those two arguments to declare themselves better than the competition, and although some benchmarks prove them right, the perception of the users will determine whether they meet expectations or not. But there is also that great debate between the proprietary models (such as GPT-5) and the Open Source models. As Sacks says, the fact that Open Source models They can offer 80-90% of the capacity with a cost of 10-20% of foundational models is sensational for certain users. Specifically, for those who prioritize customization, control and cost savings on the use of foundational models. China goes for all with that philosophy, although curiously it was … Read more

The most obsessively competitive gamers have found a trick to win their rivals: Give Electric Downloads

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Today video game developers are really strict in terms of cheating in their creations, with different systems Anti -che that They even affect kernel From our computer as is the case in ‘Valorant‘. But a new generation of Modders It is demonstrating that traps can be done without touching a single line of game code: with electrical discharges. If I can’t hack the game, I’m looking for alternatives. For some people, it is good for it is the same as Apply different tricks to games that they use daily to be able to cross walls, be immortal or have an automatic point when talking about Shooters. But this is something that leaves the rest of the players of a game. Having the player himself. Two Youtubers They have put the solution on the table to skip the barriers that are applied at the hardware level. One of them is ‘Basically Homeless’ that has led the concept of ‘player improvement’ to a new level. And instead of installing software that points for it in Counter-Strike 2, has created a system that electrocutes your arm to react at a superhuman speed. The mechanism is fascinating. An external software analyzes the screen in search of enemies. As soon as one detects one, it sends a signal to a Raspberry Piwhich in turn activates muscle stimulation diodes placed strategically in its forearm and hand. These little cramps force their muscles to get contracting, moving the mouse towards the target and clicking. Surprisingly, it is something that works. The results are very good. The own Youtuber He managed to reduce his reaction time of about 200 milliseconds approximately at only 100 milliseconds. According to its calculations, using an Ethernet cable connection instead of Wi -Fi to communicate the PC with the Raspberry Pi, it could lower this figure to 40 ms, a practically unbeatable speed for a human being. It does not consider it a trap. For this creator this is not something that threatens ethics when playing against other people. It is only a help, or as he calls it, ‘neuromuscular aim assistance’, since it is technically his own body who performs the action, although induced by a machine. Although it remains to be seen what large companies would say if this is popularized. Robotic carpets that point for you. In a similar line, the Modder Kamal Carter has presented another solution of hardware to dominate in Valorant. In his case, the protagonist is not his arm, but a robotic platform located under the mouse mat. And the system is similar. A screen reader identifies the enemy bots in the game’s shooting field in the first place. Next, a program that emulates the techniques of aimed at professional players sends instructions to the platform. This moves with a millimeter accuracy, displacing the mouse to achieve perfect shots. After adding a system that automates the click, Carter achieved almost perfect scores in practical mode. The most advanced anti-cheat systems are weak. “Made the law, made the trap,” says the saying. And in this case it is fulfilled. Large companies no longer know what to do to avoid tricks in their games, coming to ‘invade’ the kernel of our computer with maximum Windows privileges. Something that is designed to detect the use of unauthorized software. And there are many consequences that are being presented by cheating. Valve managed to block 40,000 cheats In ‘Dota 2’ or in ‘Deadlock’ They transformed into frogs to the most cheats to become aware that they should not do that. But also in Warzone they bet on Block the opening of the parachutes with the aim of crashing directly with the ground. But now these new tricks can be more difficult to detect and apply a punishment. In Xataka | Nintendo Switch 2: 17 tricks and tips to squeeze the portable console to the maximum

The countries with the greatest natural gas reserves, gathered in this graphic developer

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Natural gas has become a bridge fuel on the road to decarbonization. Emits less dioxide that coal or oil when used to generate electricity, and in a world that is hitting the Volantazo to renewable energiesgas has established itself as a vital element. Reason? Is being used to feed the voracious data centers And, in addition, it is A geopolitical element. And there, countries with the largest natural gas reserves have a lot to say. And that mixture between natural and geopolitical resources can be seen perfectly in this graph elaborated by Visual Capitalist: The powers. Russia, Iran and Qatar are the indisputable powers when we talk about natural gas reserves. The United States stays close, but the first three, according to these data from the US Energy Information AdministrationThey represent 51% of those world reserves. And the first ten countries, which are represented in the graphic, accumulate 83% of the total natural gas. Russia is the clear clear, with twice more than Qatar and almost tripling the reserves of the United States. The closest is Iran, Another oil power. Protagonist role. And who controls gas, controls a large percentage of the world energy cake. It is estimated that, currently, natural gas represents 23% of the global energy mix. This depends on the country, of course, but one of the largest whales is the United States and there represents 40% of the electricity generation. The reasons are the amount of and efficiency, being your Great advantage which is the most ‘dispatchable’ energy source. It can be activated and deactivated easily and, in a matter of minutes, operates with a capacity greater than 80% to satisfy demand peaks. In addition, what we have already commented: its emissions Co₂ are approximately 50% lower than coal and 30% lower than oil. Trend. The graph represents the status of reservations in 2023, but with more recent data, we see that it is still an essential fuel: Natural gas meant 33% of the increase in world energy supply. The demand for natural gas in 2024 increased 2.5%. Electric generation from natural gas also grew by 2.5%. Natural gas production increased 1.2%. And world trade by gas pipeline and LNG increased by 3.3%, being the first time it grows from 2021. Geopolitics. And that only a few countries have such an essential fuel for the rest, it implies that it is a source of economic, diplomatic power and, in times of crisis, also a weapon. In Europe we have witnessed this from two different fronts. Before 2022, near the 40% of European natural gas was Russian. The invasion of Ukraine caused a series of cuts in the supply and Russia He used it as a weapon in the contest‘drying’ the countries of the European Union that supported Ukraine. This has led the EU to rethink your energy safetydiversifying energy sources and investing in infrastructure such as those of the Green Hydrogen Corridor. And, in this situation, the US has gained weight becoming the largest gas exporter to Europe, using this resource in the Tariff trade war. Artificial intelligence. Beyond politics, this ability to satisfy demand peaks is something that is erecting natural gas as the most important fuel today. Data centers require something called “operational reliability”, or what is the same: they cannot stop working and They cannot depend on renewable energieswhich may have intermittent periods of activity, be their only energy source. In addition, at certain times of computational demand peaks, They need a huge amount of immediate energyand that is where natural gas can meet that demand. The energy need for these is such Data macrocentros that there are companies that are choosing to take over nuclear energy plants to meet your needs. Gas for a while. The natural gas is a complex scenario because, although we want to get rid of it in favor of renewable energies, factors such as its energy advantage and strategic pacts favor that it is rope for a while. The projections indicate That the energy demand of data centers only in the United States will grow from 180-290 twh from 2024 to 515-720 TWH in 2030. In the rest of the world, It will pass of the 415 TWH to 945 TWH in 2030. Globally, other analysis They point to an increase in that 50% demand by 2027 and up to 165% by 2030. Beyond the needs of the data centers, it is wait An increase of 32% in the world demand for natural gas by 2050, being Africa and Asia the main driving regions of this growing demand due to electrification and industrialization needs. These estimates can go to the fret if a Unexpected increase in renewables Thanks to new technologies or more efficient solutionss, or if the panorama of the data centers changes, but what is evident is that the Camino to decarbonization You will have to live with natural gas. In Xataka | If Europe is beating solar energy records this summer, why has the price of light shot?

How to store data for 100 years

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Think for a moment: if you could send a file to the future for someone to open it within 100 years, how would you make it sure that it is still readable? That is the real challenge: the devices and formats that we have at our disposal were not designed to survive beyond A few years. Today’s technology tends to plan the immediate, without taking into account that physical supports degrade and that the formats evolve. For something to last a century, more than choose a storage support. Neither hard or SSD discs are prepared for long -term conservation. According to Backblazethe annualized failures (AFR) rate of 2024 was 1.57% and some models reached around 4.5% in short periods. These values, of course, are assumed for daily operation, not for a horizon of a century like we point to. In SSD, the ability to keep the data stored when it is not active or connected to energy falls with temperature and wear. He JEDEC standard Jesus218A can help us understand the scope: it demands at least 1 year at 30 ° C For conventional units and 3 months to 40 ° C in units oriented to business environments at the end of useful life. Once again, they are useful as operational copies, not as a centenary passive file. Far from being obsolete, The magnetic tape is still a large -scale file pillar. LTO offers estimated durability of decades in good condition and a cost per competitive terabyte for “cold” storage. Organizations such as CERN Document of tape libraries with planned migrations. The market accompanies: in 2024 176.5 EB of compressed capacity, 15.4% more interannual were sent, more interannual, According to the consortium. The counterpart is clear: it requires compatible hardware and constant supervision. Among the optical supports, Worm discs They still have room. The M-Disc paid well in accelerated aging testsbut the projections of centuries or millennia are Laboratory extrapolationsno independent consensus. In practice, we talk about decades and modest capabilities: useful as a legible copy with a compatible reader, little suitable for large volumes due to its slow writing. Sometimes, the most advanced is not digital. The permanent role regulated by ISO 9706 and the microfilm with Le-500 qualification in ISO 18901They are still in force for critical documents. Its advantage is clear: they are read with light, without depending on software or energy, and have defined regulatory frameworks and storage requirements. Different regulators demand Le-500 for certain uses, which maintains these means in the “mix” of preservation. They are not worth Petabytes, but they are still reliable for the essential. One of the great enemies is obsolescence. That is why many institutions plan format migrations before they are without compatible software or hardware. Many times, however, they must resort to techniques such as emulation To recreate old systems. It is not so different from what we see in the world of video games, when access to certain platforms is fading over time. Beyond the present, there are developing technologies with centuries. Project Silica, from Microsoft, records laser quartz glass data. The company speaks of “tens to hundreds of thousands of years” of potential life. And, as we saw a while ago, he did a test storing ‘Superman’ (1978) in a 75.6 GB glass piece. DNA storage is another of the options tested in research environments. They are promising lines, still far from the general use. Extending the life of the data does not depend only on support: budget, responsible and measurable objectives is needed. Governments and organizations already have plans to preserve long -term information, which implies well -defined strategies and periodic reviews. Today, when we talk about digital information, the great challenge is to save it in non -experimental supports that endure the passage of time without continuous supervision … and that can be read within a century. Images | Xataka with Gemini 2.5 Pro | Microsoft In Xataka | Online games have made their preservation complicated. The solution can be what this video game has done In Xataka | SSD, NAS, cold storage units: all physical and digital options to store teras and teras

I don’t know any photography. But since I discovered this free app, I feel that my photos with the mobile play in another league

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I am not a photographer. But I enjoy taking photos with the mobile. And, as with many people, my way of doing so is quite simple: When what I see on the screen convinces me, I shot. I do not usually touch adjustments such as exposure or format. Sometimes the portrait mode active, sometimes the night mode, adjust the focus if necessary … and little else. The photos I get with me iPhone 15 pro max They seem very good to me. More than enough for what I need. But even with an inexperienced look, it is easy to note that the images made with a traditional camera They have something very different. And deep down I took it for granted. Without entering the field of advanced photography, I thought I couldn’t get my mobile much more. Adobe Indigo, the application that made me change your mind The application that changed my mind is called Indigo Projectand it is an experimental adobe labs tool developed by two figures recognized in this area: Florian Kainz and Marc Levoythe latter known for his role in the development of the Computer photography that we saw in the first Google Pixel. Indigo – that appears installed – is designed to get the entire game to the iPhone with a pro sensor, from The 12 pro Until 15 pro max. What it proposes is a different way of understanding mobile photography, closer to what traditional cameras offer, thanks to a combination of AI algorithms and intelligent processing. How exactly does it work? Indigo does not take a single photo, but several, which later Combine automatically To reduce noise, improve dynamic range and offer a cleaner and more realistic image. All this happens after pressing the shot button. Nothing else. One of its virtues is that it adapts well both to those who only want to point and shoot and those who prefer to control each aspect of the process. The app allows you to configure manual approach, exposure time, ISO, exposure compensation and white balance, with tools such as a precision magnifying glass or the possibility of calibrating the color by playing a neutral gray object. Comparison: Photo captured with the iPhone camera (left) and with indigo (right) Comparison: Photo captured with the iPhone camera (left) and with indigo (right) In this article I show some comparisons. On the left, images taken with the iPhone camera app. On the right, the same scenes captured with indigo. At first glance, the difference is remarkable: less artificial overexposure, less noise, warmer and more natural colors, skies that resemble real ones. Comparison: Photo captured with the iPhone camera (left) and with indigo (right) Comparison with cuts: photo captured with the iPhone chamber (left) and with indigo (right) Of course, it should be taken into account a couple of details. The images take a few seconds to process and, during that time, the phone is heated. There is also an impact on battery consumption if many photos are taken in a row. It’s nothing serious, but it’s there. Since I started using Indigo, the usual chamber app has passed to the background. Not because I have become a photographer, but because I finally feel that the photos I take with my mobile They get closer to what he wanted to capture from the beginning. Images | Xataka In Xataka | Google photos was a place where we kept photos. Google wants it now a place where our photos are “invented”

The maps that explain why Castilla y León have become the “zero zone” of forest fires

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The fires are a pressing problem every summer, but in the midst of the heat wave that shakes peninsular Spain, the problems derived from fire grow Without giving us breath. One of the areas most affected by fires is the northwest quadrant of the peninsula. Something that we can verify in a series of maps that show us the present and future risk of fire. Fire risk, from satellites. The Risk Management Service of Copernicus, the land observation system of the European Union, shows us on a map the Areas with greater risk of forest fires In the continent. The map shows the FWI fire meteorological risk index (Fire Weather Index), distinguishing areas with low, moderate, high, very high and very extreme risk. The map allows us to visualize the risk we face: a good part of the Northern Plateau, in addition to areas of the Cantabrian, Pyrenees, Galicia and other areas present in index greater than 2.5, which implies very extreme risk. Southern Europe, and beyond. The map covers not only peninsular and Balearic Islands, but also the rest of Europe and surrounding areas. In fact we can see in it that the very extreme risk situation extends not only to northern Portugal, also to most of the center and south of France. Other areas in this situation can be found in the Balkans, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Austria and Hungary. Important anomalies are also indicated in Nordic countries, such as Sweden, Norway and Finland. A problem that will go worse. The Copernicus map covers this week together, from day 11 to 17. However we can resort to other maps that allow us to see the evolution of risk during the next few days, Fire risk maps of the State Meteorology Agency (Aemet). What these maps show us is not an invitation to optimism. Aemet fire risk forecast evolution on August 14, 15 and 16. State Meteorology Agency. The stain extends. The extreme risk today focuses on Andalusia, Extremadura, the west of Castilla y León, and the Pyrenees, as well as areas located in Galicia, Basque Country, Murcia and other communities. However, tomorrow this area under extreme risk will expand both in the peninsular northwest and in Extremadura, the Basque Country and Murcia. On Friday and Saturday the “red spot” will continue to grow. On Saturday, only specific areas on the coast and in mountainous areas will be fought from the very high or extreme risk. The devastation of a fire. In addition to risk maps, Copernicus also allows us to visualize the ravages that active fires have already caused. Example of this It is the fire of El Arenal, in Ávila, which has already affected almost 1,800 hectares of surface. In Xataka | In the middle of the fire, there is something that Spanish firefighters are very aware: the 30-30 rule Image | Copernicus / Aemet

Morocco has started one of the most ambitious projects in the history of Africa

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Morocco has begun to build its stretch of the Nigeria-Charuecos gas pipeline (NMGP), a megaproject of 25,000 million dollars that stands out not only for its scale, but for its geopolitical implications. The energy map of Africa and its connections with Europe will change. A 6,000 km corridor. Moroccan Energy Transition Minister Leila Benali, announced the start of the works. The stretch of Morocco will cost about 6,000 million dollars, and will serve as the future dorsal spine of the Kingdom Gasist Network. This initial segment will connect the port of Nador, on the Mediterranean coast, with the city of Dajla, to the south of the country. The entire Transaphrican gas pipeline will be extended through the Atlantic coast to connect Nigeria’s vast gas reserves with Morocco. From there, it will be exported to the European market, confirming Rabat as a first level energy hub. A pharaonic project. The infrastructure is designed to transport up to 30,000 million cubic meters of natural gas per year and guarantee the supply of 13 African countries. The gas pipeline will leave from Nigeria, crossing the coasts of Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bisáu, Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania and Morocco. In addition to promoting industrial development and access to the energy of 400 million people, NMGP foresees Extend the supply to the European Gasist Network Already African countries without coast: Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali. Engineering studies They ended in 2024the environmental and social impact analysis of the southern section are missing. And the Algeria gas pipeline? The project directly rivals the Transaharan gas pipeline (TSGP), The initiative backed by Algeria to bring the same Nigerian gas to Europe through Niger. However, political instability in Sahel, especially after the coup d’etat in Niger, has put the viability of the Algerian corridor in serious trouble, granting a strategic advantage to the Atlantic route of Morocco. Where 25,000 million will come from. For Nigeria, the gas pipeline is the cornerstone of its “Gas Decade” initiativea strategy to monetize national reserves of six billion cubic meters of natural gas. For Morocco, the project is the spearhead of its “Atlantic Initiative”, which seeks to turn the country into a strategic corridor between Europe, Africa and the Atlantic. Ensuring 25,000 million dollars is the main obstacle. The project will make a final decision on the investment at the end of 2025 that will be the fire test, although it has already aroused the interest of entities such as the Islamic Development Bank and the European Investment Bank. How to protect thousands of kilometers of pipes that will cross 13 nations, some with unstable political environments and doubtful security, will be one of the great discussion points. The fact that investing in fossil fuel infrastructure In full green transition it is the elephant in the room. Image | NNPC In Xataka | The US has had an idea to feed its AI: build its data centers next to natural gas deposits

China has turned the train into its silent road to Europe. The last shipment marks a new milestone in its commercial strategy

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For years, a constant flow of trains starts from the same Chinese city, Xi’an, in the direction of Europe. The last one did it on Wednesday with 55 containers loaded with solar panels, destined for Baku. With him, the city has overcome the 30,000 trains outputs with European destination since 2013, According to Xinhua. The figure refers only to items from Xi’an, not counting the laps. The data impresses, but says even more if observed in context: China has been using the railroad as a strategic tool to approach the logistics heart of Europe. The image of a train loaded with merchandise based on northwestern China has been repeated thousands of times in just over a decade. This constant flow has made the aforementioned Asian city one of the great nodes of the China-Europe Railway Express. This logistics network exceeded in June the 110,000 accumulated services (round trip) as a whole, According to the Official Portal of the Chinese Government on June 10, 2025date on which the symbolic exit was held from Qingdao. Although it is not the only point of origin, it stands out for its regularity, the variety of routes that operates and the prominence it has won in the land transport strategy to Europe. An essential route. The train to Baku is part of the call Medium Corridor or Middle Corridora route that crosses Kazakhstan, borders the Caspian Sea and continues through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye before connecting with Europe. This alternative to the traditional railway axis via Russia He has won prominence in recent yearsespecially after geopolitical tensions in the region. Baku is not a final destination, but a strategic point of passage within this network: from there, many shipments continue by sea or rail to countries of the European Union. What moves with this transport. The train that departed this week from Xi’an transports 55 containers loaded with photovoltaic modules. It is not a rarity. In fact, products linked to solar energy are a usual part of the rail services that cross Eurasia by this route. China dominates the global market of solar panels, according to the International Energy Agency, with more than 80% of the manufacturing capacity at all stages. Although photovoltaic modules have become frequent, they are not the only thing that comes out of this Asian city. The rail services that start from Xi’an also transport electronic products, appliances, automotive parts, machinery, textiles, medical supplies and consumer goods. According to official data, China-Europe Railway Express moves more than 50,000 types of different products, organized in 53 categories. In March, for example, a convoy with European destination left from Xi’an loaded with cosmetics, automotive components and household needs. The advantages of the railroad. In front of maritime transport, the railroad offers clear advantages in certain sections. According to the EIASoffers less transit time, less port congestion and less exposure to geopolitical bottlenecks. The routes that cross Central Asia and the Caspian Sea allow to reduce in several days the journey between western China and Eastern Europe. In addition, this corridor has gained strategic weight since many companies are looking for alternatives to shipments via Russia. For Beijing, having a more flexible rail network is a way to shield its export capacity against changing scenarios. Images | Xinhua In Xataka | Huawei says that it has resolved a technological challenge that will trigger China’s competitiveness in the United States

The government emptied a reservoir in Cáceres to eradicate an invading fish. The remedy was worse than the disease

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Just eight months ago, Alcollarín dressed in gala. This small town of Cáceres, with just over 300 neighbors, was presented at the International Tourism Fair of Madrid as a privileged corner to observe birds, throw the cane or walk next to its reservoir, blue mirror in the middle of the pasture. Today, the postcard has completely changed. Where the water was shone before, now a lodazal splashed from dead fish is extended. The air, loaded with a sour smell, reaches the streets of the town. The neighbors speak of “ecological disaster” and look unbelieved towards the dam, while from the Guadiana Hydrographic Confederation defend that the operation was “of vital importance” to protect the future of the basin. The operation that changed everything. The Ministry for Ecological Transition, through the CHG, He started a plan To eradicate the invasive species Pseudorasbora Parva —An known as Chinese fish or Gobio de Boca Túpe -, present at the reservoir and in the Alcollarín River since 2010. Included in the Spanish catalog of invading exotic species and in the European regulation of worrying species for the EU, its control is a legal obligation to prevent its propagation. The plan included months of bearsques with specialized ships and, as a final phase, a “controlled” emptying of the dam to facilitate the capture of specimens. As reported by the CHGthe reservoir was 100 % of its capacity – 50 cubic hectometers, equivalent to 50,000 million liters – before starting the operation. The problem, like They have denounced neighbors and associations to the newspaper Extremadurais that the emptying caused the downstream release of thousands of copies, expanding the species towards the Ruecas and Guadiana rivers. The enemy in the waters of Alcollarín. The Pseudorasbora Parva He arrived in Europe around 1960 and has expanded to more than 30 countries, mainly by introductions linked to aquaculture. In Spain, it was first detected in the Ebro basin in 2002 and, since then, it has colonized sections of Catalonia, Andalusia, Madrid and Extremadura. In the case of Alcollarín, the species was detected in 2010 and, According to the mitecoits density in the reservoir had reached levels that made its complete eradication technically. Even so, the CHG He defended that it was urgent Reduce its population to avoid dispersion towards new channels, especially before the connection planned with the Orellana Canal, and ensure that the reservoir could be used for irrigation and recreational activities “in accordance with current legislation.” Of the catastrophe control. The contract, awarded in June 2024 to the engineering company and technical designs SAU for 787,861.99 euros (without taxes), included several phases of analysis of the pisco fauna, installation of metal containment barriers to avoid leaks, extraction of native species and elimination of invasors, and the controlled emptying of the reservoir. However, According to neighbors and groups such as the Fund for the Defense of Natural and Cultural Heritage of Extremadura (Fondenex)the procedure did not come out as planned. The Captured downstreams overflowed in the critical and “hundreds of thousands” phases of invading specimens escaped towards the wheel and the Guadiana. The drastic drop of the water level, added to the high temperatures, also caused the death of numerous native species, including the barbo, cataloged as vulnerable. The shores were filled with decomposition fish, aquatic birds abandoned the area and the local economy lost, suddenly, a key resource for nature tourism. Crossing accusations. The CHG argues that the operation was planned and executed under the supervision of a “multidisciplinary team of biologists, ambientologists and highly qualified engineers”, As the newspaper has detailedand recognize only a “punctual mortality of Barbos.” He affirms that most native specimens were rescued during previous beings. On the other hand, Fondenex has described in the same medium the action of “ecological nonsense” and accuses the CHG of “manifest negligence” for emptying the reservoir in the middle of summer, without providing urgent uses of water, such as fire extinguishing, and without assessing the impact on protected birds in the Zepa Llanos de Zorita. The group has requested environmental reports and does not rule out file a complaint with the courts. In addition, the neighbors have denounced that “the only positive aspects that a reservoir” have been charged and question the use of “massive and non -selective” methods prohibited by the Nature Conservation Law. Forecasts Once the presence of Pseudorasbora Parvathe CHG plans to reintroduce native species with the collaboration of the Board of Extremadura and maintain barriers and controls in future unwins. However, environmental groups warn that the ecological and tourist recovery of the reservoir will take years, and that the invading fish is already present in sections of the wheels and the Guadiana where it had not arrived before. An open question. In Alcollarín, official versions and citizen perceptions diverge radically: for administration, it is a necessary technical operation; For many neighbors, of an “environmental catastrophe” that has multiplied the problem. Beyond the specific case, the episode raises a dilemma that transcends Extremadura: what environmental and social cost are we willing to assume to stop a biological invasion when total eradication is practically impossible? Image | Chgguadiana and B. Schoenmakers Xataka | Water restrictions return in the northwest. It is the logical conclusion of a trend that comes from afar

The hidden reason why Elon Musk Lanza Satellites of Archienemigos like Jeff Bezos: The radio spectrum

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On Monday morning, Spacex completed its 100th launch so far this year. But aboard the Falcon 9 rocket there were no new Starlink satellites, but a lot of 24 competition satellites. How have we reached a point where Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, rivals on so many fronts, collaborate in space? A little context. Starlink has been growing without opposition for six years. At this time, Spacex has deployed More than 8,000 satellitesconsolidating an almost absolute domain of the satellite broadband Internet market. Now, a competitor with a comparable financial muscle has entered the scene: the Amazon Kuiper Project. The company founded by Jeff Bezos has begun to display its own megaconstellation to offer high -speed connections worldwide and compete directly with the Elon Musk service. Time against. The main challenge for Kuiper is time. The license granted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the United States requires him to have half of his constellation in orbit (that is, 1,618 satellites of a total of 3,232) before July 2026. Unlike Spacex, which has a complete vertical integration, Amazon does not manufacture its own rockets. To fulfill the deadline, the technological giant made in 2022 the “greater commercial acquisition of history of history”, signing contracts with ULA to use its atlas V and Vulcan rockets, with Arianespace to use the European rocket Ariane 6, and with Blue Origin, the aerospace company of Jeff Bezos himself, to use the gigantic new Glenn rocket. The problem is that most of these pitchers are new and have suffered important delays. They are just business. Although Bezos tried to prevent Amazon from using Spacex services, the most honest option with shareholders was to hire several Falcon 9 rockets, which thanks to their unique reuse capacity usually offer the lower price per kilogram Put in orbit. Spacex has already shown that he is willing to launch satellites of his competitors. Between 2022 and 2024 he launched four lots of satellites for Eutelsat Oneweb, his European rival, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine took the Soyuz and proton rolling from the market. For Spacex, this is a round business because the money of its competitors is pocketed, which can reinvest in its own satellite constellation. But there is another reason. A strategic issue that goes beyond the launch business. The coin of covert change is the increasingly saturated radio spectrum. According to one Wall Street Journal ResearchSpacex has used its dominant position in the release market to press its rivals and obtain a crucial advantage for Starlink: spectrum rights. The radio spectrum is the electromagnetic wave set that are used for wireless communications. It is a resource finite, invisible and absolutely essential so that satellite constellations can send and receive data without interference. Governments around the world, through organizations such as FCC in the United States, are responsible for assigning rights to use it. Spacex needs more spectrum. And he needs it desperately to be able to serve the More than four million Starlink users As it continues to expand. According to the Journal, Musk’s company would have asked companies such as Oneweb and Kepler Communications to give him part of his spectrum rights as a condition for launching his satellites. Although Spacex denies it, the report details how Oneweb, after running out of the Russian rockets, reached an agreement with Spacex that included “spectrum concessions” to ensure the releases it needed. Elon Musk’s web. This strategy places Spacex competitors in an incredibly difficult situation. It is a dilemma that the analyst Tim Farrar Describe as “Carefully choose”. Companies such as Echostar or GlobalStar have had to decide between going through the Spacex ring, giving competitive advantages, or paying more for slower access to space with other rocket companies. If there are. Ast Spacemobile, who had opted for the New Glenn rocket of Blue Origin, found that Bezos’s rocket would not be ready on time And their satellites, much heavier than expected, will have to wait. Apple’s case. In 2022, Musk I had offered Apple exclusive access to Spacex For 5,000 million dollars, an offer that Apple rejected. Apple ended up closing an agreement with GlobalStar for its satellite emergency service, but later, the delay in the launch of GlobalStar’s satellites by Spacex seems to have benefited Starlink. The explanation of the delay and renegotiation of the launch contract seem to have to do with that Apple will end up reaching an agreement To offer Starlink Direct-to-Cell on the iPhone 13, a model that is not compatible with the GlobalStar service. This gave Starlink an advantage in the race for the cell connection at a time when Apple already debated internally if he could compete with the rhythm of Spacex. The giant Starlink. In the end, each launch of a competition or agreement satellite by the spectrum becomes a tactical victory for Elon Musk. Not only does it charge for the service, reinforcing the finances of a company whose income They are about to overcome NASA’s budgetbut it uses its domain to ensure the most vital resource for the future of global communications. Image | Spacex In Xataka | The Ukraine Army has an almost important problem as Russia: Starlink belongs to Elon Musk

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