Month: November 2025

Young people have become more spiritual than the average in Spain. The problem for the Church is that no more Catholics

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Religion is the great terrain of certainties, but if what we are talking about is religion and youth ‘certainty’ is precisely what is in short supply. With the country talking about Rosalía dressed as a nun and the resurgence of the Catholicism among Generation Z, a new study prepared by a foundation linked to the State provides an alternative perspective: indeed, young Spaniards are more spiritual than the country average, but no more Catholics. In fact, the percentage of those who define themselves as such is much lower than the average for society as a whole. More religious, perhaps; but… The religion that Rome is looking for? What has happened? that the Pluralism and Coexistence Foundationan organization linked to the Ministry of the Presidency, has prepared a study on religion that leaves a few interesting conclusions. The main one (perhaps) is the one that suggests that to talk about religiosity and youth we increasingly need to resort more to nuances and less to pure colors. From black and white, we move to gray. At the moment the foundation has not published the full report, prepared after conducting 4,712 online interviews, but we can get an idea of ​​its content thanks to a progress published exclusively this weekend by The Country. What does the study say? To understand it, it is good to review a few figures. The first, the percentage of Spaniards who define themselves as religious believers. If we talk about the general population, this figure stands at 49%. In 46%, if we focus only on the Catholic faith. Things change when we examine the population by age and look especially at the youngest cohorts. Between 25 and 34 years old, only 31% of the population declares themselves Catholic and in the 18 to 24 year old segment the figure is even lower, 29%. What’s more, in the younger sector the mark of atheism, agnosticism or indifference towards religion stands out. Also the few people who pray or attend religious services. Do young people believe less? Depends. In fact, that is where the nuances that complicate the photo begin. The study shows that the percentage of young people aged 18 to 24 who define themselves as Catholic is lower than that of the population as a whole (29% compared to 46%), but that does not mean that they have turned their backs on religiosity. On the contrary. The report suggests that they have a strong spiritual streak, although one that is likely to raise eyebrows at Spanish Episcopal Confederation (CEE) or to any defender of traditional Catholic dogma. Why is that? Perhaps they are the least frequently defined as Catholic, but according to the information advanced by The Country Young people are the ones who most believe in the existence of “some kind of spiritual reality or life force.” Those between 18 and 24 years old are in fact the age group most convinced of the existence of a soul (59%), the one who most believes in life after death (40%), astrology (29%), clairvoyance (23%) or the “energies” that operate in our world (45%). Young people are also those who show the most interest in tarots (23%). They do it so much that their percentage exceeds that of young people who read the Bible. Spain, a religious country? Tapping the religiosity of a country is not an easy task. Not at least in Spain. A Google search arrives to find different studies that emphasize one detail or another. The study of the Pluralism and Coexistence Foundation (FPC) contrasts in fact with another published a few months ago by the CIS, which pointed out that the percentage of Spaniards who declare themselves Catholic around 52.8% (17.3% practicing and 35.5% non-practicing). Within the survey itself advanced by The Country There are apparent contradictions, such as that in Spain there are fewer monotheists (37%) than Catholics (46%). Does context matter? A lot. The study is interesting for what it says, but also for when it says it. It comes in the midst of a debate on the resurgence of faith among Generation Z and “green shoots” of religiosity, with Rosalía (and other artists) throwing winks at Catholicism, Hakuna moving crowds and the Church boasting of gathering together more than 20,000 young people at the Jubilee in Rome. And the truth is that there are signs that speak of change. Although if we analyze the data from recent decades we can see a secularization of Spanish society, in recent years the percentage of young people who declare themselves practicing Catholics has grown several points. In the 18 to 24 year old cohort, the proportion of believers who acknowledge never or almost never attending religious services, even has gone down. There are those who warn, however, that behind these figures there could be a “paradox”: “There are fewer people who believe, but among those who believe, more explicit forms of practices increase.” reflect Víctor Albert-Blanco, sociologist. Other authors even believe that winks like Rosalía’s are the result of the “deregulation of religious symbology” in a more secularized country. Does the study say anything else? Yes. And its conclusions are unflattering for those who want a return to Catholicism. For its report, the FPC asked those interviewed “what gives a lot or a lot of meaning to your life?”, focusing on eight different aspects. The most popular response was family (90%), followed by friendships (79%), personal growth (78%) and nature (71%). At the opposite end of the list is “religion or spirituality”, with only 31%. In fact, the percentage is lower than that of those who pointed out pets (47%) or social activism (36%). The picture is (even) clearer if we talk about the youngest population cohort, those between 18 and 24 years old. In that case, only 15% point to religion as a source of inspiration, almost four times less than those who claim that pets are what give meaning to their lives. Images | Vick Bufano (Unsplash) and British Province of Carmelites … Read more

In case there weren’t enough AI companies. Jeff Bezos has just returned from the shadows to raise another one, according to the NYT

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After leading Amazon for almost three decadesJeff Bezos left four years ago the highest position in the company that he created to focus on other projects. Personally, His wedding to Lauren Sánchez made headlines; professionally, His involvement with Blue Origin has been constantat a time when the space company rivals SpaceX like never before. At 61 years old and in a comfortable stage of his life, few would have imagined that Bezos would return to the CEO chair of a new company. But in Silicon Valley, where withdrawal is rarely final, nothing can ever be closed. The case of Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, is a good reminder: At the age of 70 he assumed the presidency and executive direction of Relativity Space. And now, according to The New York TimesBezos is back. Bezos returns to an operational position with a powerful bet The tycoon, who as of this writing appears as the third richest person on the planetaccording to Forbeshas set his sights on a new project. We talk about Project Prometheusa company that emerges with financing of 6.2 billion dollars, much of it contributed by Bezos himself. And, of course, it is a bet on artificial intelligence. The company appears at a time when artificial intelligence is experiencing accelerated expansion. It is no secret that the environment is dominated by names like Google, Meta and Microsoft, along with references such as OpenAI and Anthropic. Added to this dynamic is a growing number of startups seeking to differentiate themselves with more specialized proposals. That Bezos adopts an operational role in this context reinforces the relevance of the project and positions it from the beginning within the competition for the most ambitious advances in the sector. As detailed by the American newspaper, the first steps of Project Prometheus have not been particularly visible and there is still no confirmed date for the start of its operations. However, the type of technology that is being developed is known, focused on applying AI to engineering and manufacturing challenges in areas such as computing, aerospace and automotive. It is an approach that requires teams with high scientific specialization. For now, the location of the company has not been made public either, a fact that remains unclear. The company is focused on applying AI to engineering and manufacturing challenges in areas such as computing, aerospace and automotive. The sources consulted point out a relevant detail: Bezos returns to direct management by becoming co-CEO of Project Prometheus, a role that he had not held since leaving Amazon. Share that responsibility with Vik Bajajphysicist and chemist with extensive experience in applied research. We are talking about a profile that worked alongside Sergey Brin at Google X and later participated in the launch of Verily, Alphabet’s laboratory dedicated to life sciences. Project Prometheus is part of a broader trend within the sector. A growing number of companies are applying artificial intelligence to tasks linked to the physical world, from robotics to drug design or scientific research. This year, several researchers from companies such as Meta, OpenAI or Google DeepMind have abandoned consolidated projects to found new initiatives, such as Periodic Labsfocused on accelerating discoveries in physics and chemistry. It is in that environment where Prometheus begins to place itself. The interest in applying artificial intelligence to the physical world also responds to an important technical difference. Large language models learn from huge amounts of digital text, from articles to technical documentation. According to The New York Times, the new approach goes one step further: systems that can also learn from real experiments, run by robots in automated laboratories. Initiatives like AlphaFold have already demonstrated advances in areas such as drug design. It’s on that frontier, where software meets physical experimentation, where Prometheus wants to compete. The implementation of the project is also reflected in your team. Project Prometheus, sources say, has incorporated nearly a hundred employees, including researchers from companies such as OpenAI, Google DeepMind and Meta. This movement confirms the technical ambition of the company and the intention to advance quickly in a field where talent is decisive. Bezos’ decision to return to an operational role also comes at a particularly competitive time for the industry, adding even more attention to the company’s next steps. Images | Jeff Bezos | Igor Omilaev In Xataka | Apple steps on the accelerator towards the most important change of the decade: the succession of Tim Cook

A man found a wallet with more than 800 euros and took it to the police. Now they are yours thanks to a law from 1889

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Tea you find a wallet lying in a train car and there is no one around who could have fallen. Inside, more than 800 euros in cash. This is what happened to Carmen, a resident of Pamplona, ​​two years ago. In an act of honesty, the woman took the wallet to the National Police. Two years later, he can say that being honest has a reward. At least if you wait long enough. what has happened. They tell it in the Navarra Newspaper. In November 2023, Carmen took a train and in one of the cars she found a wallet full of tickets. It belonged to a Turkish citizen and, in addition to the documentation and credit cards, it contained 817.96 euros in cash. He handed over the wallet and all its contents to a National Police station, the same one where two years later they gave him all the money because no one had claimed it. ANDs law. The Civil Code, published in 1889, regulates what should be done with lost objects. Specifically, article 615 It is what indicates how to proceed when an object is found. The first thing is to return it to its owner and, if the owner is not known, it must be handed over to the authorities, who must try to locate the owner and guard the object. If two years pass since the discovery and no one has claimed it, the object will be given to whoever found it. Foresighted. When she handed the wallet to the Police, Carmen was informed of this legislation and decided that, in addition to being honest, she was also going to be farsighted. An alarm was set on his cell phone so that he would not forget and, two years later, he returned to the police station, where they handed him the 817.96 euros that no one had claimed. It is not the first case in which honesty ends up being rewarded. In 2024, two residents of Almassora received 600 euros that they had found lying in the middle of the street. Misappropriation. Many people would probably have kept the money and returned only the wallet. In this case, it would be a crime of misappropriation which, depending on the value, may be subject to a fine of three to six months. In the event that the object found had “artistic, historical, scientific or cultural value” it could result in a prison sentence of six months to two years. Image | Catalin Cardei, Pexels In Xataka | The “son in distress” scam had been wreaking havoc throughout Spain for years. The police are finally breaking it up

This is how Moscow wants to stop Ukrainian drone incursions

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Losing your mobile connection when entering Russia has become, in recent days, a very real possibility for those traveling to the country. It is not a blackout zone or an operator error, but a measure that is part of the new approach with which Moscow is monitoring its networks amid the conflict with Ukraine. On November 10 began to be applied in Russia a mechanism that allows you to temporarily restrict the use of certain SIM cards when they reconnect to the country’s network. According to the Ministry of Digital Developmentit is a system aimed at verifying that the line belongs to a real user and not to a device used for other purposes. The idea fits with what Minister Maksut Shadayev advanced in August, when he explained that his department was studying blocking SIMs from abroad for a few hours when crossing the border. When the SIM reappears. In the case of Russian cards, the authorities have established a mechanism that is activated when the line reconnects to the national network after having been inactive for 72 hours or after a period of roaming. During this interval, access to mobile data and the use of SMS is suspended. It is not presented as a technical failure, but rather as a preliminary check that the network executes before allowing normal use of the service. For SIM cards that arrive from abroad, the system works more directly. When the line connects to the Russian network, the same temporary blocking that we have already talked about is applied, but with a clear procedure to remove it. The user receives an SMS from the operator that explains the restriction and includes a link to complete a captcha that proves that the card is in the hands of a person. If you prefer, you can do this by phone, where the operator confirms your details before reactivating services. The drone war is also going through mobile networks. The official explanation maintains that some SIM cards with data access can be found inside enemy drones and serve as a navigation or control channel. It is not an isolated idea. In Operation Spider’s Web, described by CSISUkraine used drones equipped with 4G/LTE-based systems and autonomous flight software. Even without stating that they all work the same, this precedent shows that mobile networks have become one more element of a conflict where each communication channel counts. One more measure in a much larger mosaic. Determining the real impact of these limitations on drone raids is not easy, among other things because there is no single operating model. The CSIS analysis reflects that even in systems that rely on mobile networks, autonomy plays a key role and that the weight of connectivity can vary depending on the mission. In this context, the restrictions applied by Russia fit as another tool, the exact scope of which depends on factors that are not public and that vary from one operation to another. For users, these measures mean living with a system that introduces an additional pause every time the SIM card changes context. The impact is especially visible in border areas, where mobile phones can automatically connect to networks in other countries and activate unwanted restrictions. Authorities have recommended configuring network selection manually to avoid this. Recovering the service involves following the steps we have mentioned. Images | Xataka with Gemini 2.5 In Xataka | In Ukraine the difficult thing is not to replace a drone but its pilot. So Russia has started the hunt with something unprecedented: Rubikon

The only photo you need to understand the scale of what Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ company, has just done

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In the absence of bananas, there is nothing like having five human operators in the photo to understand the scale of the New Glenn rocket, whose first stage is 57 meters high and seven meters in diameter. landed successfully on a barge in the Atlantic. SpaceX has company. So far, the club of companies capable of landing their orbital-class rockets so they can be reused had only one partner: SpaceX. For a decade now, Elon Musk’s company has single-handedly dominated the reuse game, landing and taking off again up to 500 times with the Falcon 9 thanks to a reliability that is now more than routine. What you see in this photo is the breaking of that monopoly. The first successful landing of the enormous New Glenn rocket, achieved on only its second flight, demonstrates that orbital reuse is no longer a matter of a single company. Although Blue Origin, founded in 2000 by Jeff Bezos, is far behind SpaceX, it has just taken a giant leap that Bezos summarized with a Latin expression: Gradatim Ferociter (“step by step, fiercely”). As large as graceful. Unlike the Falcon 9, which measures 70 meters and can put about 22 tons of cargo into low orbit, the New Glenn stands out with 98 meters in height and a planned capacity of 45 tons. If we had not seen SpaceX catch the Super Heavy (the first stage of Starship) three times with the arms of the launch tower, it would seem more unlikely to us that a rocket like the New Glenn would be able to land gracefully in the center of a barge in the Atlantic Ocean. And without getting covered in soot. There is another fundamental detail in the photo: the rocket fuselage is clean. Unlike the Falcon 9 boosters, which return covered in the characteristic black soot caused by kerosene combustion, the New Glenn appears almost pristine. The reason is that its seven powerful BE-4 engines use methane and liquid oxygen (a combination of cryogenic propellants known as methalox). This fuel is not only more efficient and cheaper, but it burns much cleaner, facilitating inspection and reconditioning tasks for the next flight. With this landing, the New Glenn has become the first methalox rocket to successfully recover a first stage from an orbital flight, ahead of the Zhuque 3 from the Chinese company Landspace (and with permission from Starship, which also uses methalox, but has never reached orbit). Things are coming. Blue Origin’s sweet moment begins now. In an interview with Ars Technicathe company’s CEO, Dave Limp, has confirmed that the aggressive 2026 goal is to complete between 12 and 24 missions. The company has announced a launch price of about $70 million, a figure almost identical to what SpaceX charges for a Falcon 9. But the New Glenn not only competes with the Falcon 9, but also threatens to burst the market by competing directly in the league of the Falcon Heavy, but with the advantage of a unique and fully reusable first stage. As for the rocket that has landed, its next payload will not be a probe or a satellite, but the Blue Moon Mark 1 lunar module, which the company plans to launch in the first quarter of 2026 to demonstrate to NASA They are ready for the moon race. Image | Jeff BezosBlue Origin In Xataka | Blue Origin now has a golden opportunity to overtake SpaceX on trips to the Moon. And he is taking advantage of it

Amazon is beginning to be the gateway for your used cars in the US

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Imagine buying a car on Amazon It still sounds strange: choosing model, color, configuration and even financing from the same page where you buy books or a mobile charger. In Spain it is not possible to do so and there was only a specific experiment years agowhen Opel offered a limited series of the Grandland That attempt was not continued and today the platform is focused on accessories and maintenance products for the car. However, in the United States the idea is beginning to take shape. In the North American country, Amazon has shaped its own space for the automotive industry with Amazon Carsa section that brings together inventory from multiple dealerships and brands. The current screenshot shows a wide catalog in which vehicles from different manufacturers coexist, offered by different dealers and specialized sellers. This structure fits with Amazon’s strategy to reinforce its presence in the sector, a line that it already opened with the agreement signed with Hyundai in 2023 to facilitate the online purchase of new cars. A window to understand where the automotive industry is moving The way the agreement works is simple: Amazon becomes the point where the search begins and the dealer remains the place where the operation ends. The user can review inventory, compare certifications and move forward with financing. And if the question arises as to what happens next, nothing essentially changes. The signing of the contract, delivery and subsequent service remain in the hands of the dealer. Amazon only orders the previous steps and allows you to solve them from home, with the intention of making the process easier for the buyer. Here the buyer gains access to a broader showcase than is usually available to them. Instead of limiting yourself to the usual dealership, you have access to a much broader offer without having to travel. This promises to make the search a more agile process, with more organized information and the possibility of advancing procedures that previously required in-person visits. Amazon acts as that point where everything is organized before closing the operation. But there is another component: the support of Ford certifications. Each car, they say, has gone through a defined inspection and has specific guarantees and roadside assistance, which introduces a higher level of security. compared to a conventional used. The financing is part of the same flow and is linked to selected entities such as Ford Credit. For the buyer, the sum is simple: more inventory, less friction in the procedures and a framework of guarantees that reduces common doubts in the used market. What happens at Amazon Autos cannot be separated from the internal transformation that Ford is experiencing. In its latest strategic moves, Ford starts from the idea thatengines no longer define carsa position that marks its attempt to compete with Chinese manufacturers that are advancing rapidly in price and technology. Added to this challenge is the lack of qualified mechanics, which has forced Ford to propose salaries of up to $120,000 in a context in which Western industry has a deficit of specialized labor. With this panorama, opening a digital channel that organizes acquisition and expands presence where buyers already are seems a coherent decision. From Spain, where Amazon has not sold cars since that specific attempt by Opel, it is striking to see how in other markets the process is advancing rapidly. Ford’s initiative does not guarantee that this model will arrive in Europe in the same way, but it does reflect a progressive change: manufacturers They seek to be where the buyers are and simplify the less visible part of the purchase. Over time, these types of experiences can influence how we understand the role of the dealer and how we begin searching for our next car. Images | Caleb White | Robin Mathlener In Xataka | Temu and AliExpress are selling the cheapest V-16 beacons on the market. And it’s very easy to know if it’s a scam.

Temu and AliExpress are selling the cheapest V-16 beacons on the market. And it’s very easy to know if it’s a scam.

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There are 44 days left until the connected V-16 beacon becomes mandatory in our country. There are, in fact, 43 days left if you are reading this on November 18, 2025. And I don’t want to burden anyone but there is obviously less room for maneuver with each passing day. We already know about the “evil of many…” but I will tell you a secret: if you are about to buy the beacon, you are by no means the only one in that position. Obviously, this has caused sales of the device to skyrocket. And with it have come the offers and, of course, the doubts about whether we are buying a valid product or not. Neither the DGT nor the consumer associations have helped with the doubts. And, on the market, there are V-16 beacons but not all of them are valid. Despite everything, you can find specific offers and bargains by finding this product, even below 10 euros. Therefore, we are going to explain how we can check whether or not we are facing a scam. Is it a scam? To understand why so much confusion must be taken into account that the approval of having to mount a V-16 beacon on the car It closed in 2021. Then the DGT decided that this device would replace the emergency lights and V-16 beacons began to arrive on the market. In 2022, however, it was confirmed that only V-16 beacons that could be used would be valid. contact DGT 3.0. They are called “V-16 connected beacons”, those that have a SIM card inside and that must guarantee connectivity for 12 years. That is, all V-16 beacons without connectivity (mainly sold before 2022) are not valid. This regulatory change is what has led consumer associations like the OCU to affirm that a connected V-16 beacon, the only valid one, “rarely goes below 40 euros.” But this is not entirely true. First, because it is very easy to find approved V-16 beacons for about 30 euros. Second, because there are real bargains that allow us to buy this device for less than even 10 euros. With that price it is logical to think that we could be facing a scam. Or, simply, that we are buying a V-16 beacon without realizing that they lack that connectivity that is essential for approval. The doubts multiply because Temu either AliExpress They offer beacons well below the 40 euros floor price recommended by the OCU. Pages specialized in discounts, such as Chollometer also offers aggressive discounts on some V-16 beacons. Do you want one for 9.99 euros? Yes. And it’s not a scam. Not, at least, in all cases. It’s all in the certificate number With a month and a half left before the new regulations come into force, there is not a day on pages like Aliexpress, Temu or Chollómetro in which a V-16 beacon is not offered at ridiculous prices. We give you some examples: V-16 beacon offered on Aliexpress V-16 beacon offered on Aliexpress The two previous beacons are sold on AliExpress at an almost absurd price. Of course, the fact that they can be purchased for just over two and four euros should make us suspicious. And indeed, none of the above options are valid. In fact, in the product rating of one of them, there is a comment specifying that they do not have connectivity. However, let’s look at another case. Beacon offer at 9.98 euros at Chollometro Redirection to Temu where it is shown that the beacon can be purchased for 9.99 euros The above case explains well how we can find a connected and completely valid V-16 beacon at a very low price. The connected V-16 beacon shown above is an offer that we have found on Chollometro, a website from which it is redirected to Temu where it is noted that the price of the beacon is 59.99 euros but that it is on sale for 29.98 euros. As if that were not enough, it is possible to buy it (red box) for 9.99 euros. The price should make us suspicious. But we go to the product description where it is mentioned that it has IP54 water resistance, it is promised that it is connected to DGT 3.0, which meets all the approvals… and its certificate is shown: IDIADA PC25060196. The latter is especially important because it is the data that certifies whether or not the connected V-16 beacon that we are purchasing is fake or meets the required requirements or not. To check it, let’s go to the DGT page. In this linkTraffic lists each and every one of the approved devices. We can filter the list by the date of approval, by the name of the manufacturer, the name of the product… and very importantly, the certificate number of all the products that we can even download is shown. In addition, it has a search engine, as we see in the following image. DGT list with all approved connected V-16 beacons It is enough to enter the certificate number, it is not even necessary to specify IDIADA or LCOE (the two laboratories that approve this product in Spain), to confirm that the V-16 beacon that we want to buy has all the technical requirements, including its manufacturer, the name of the exact model and when and where the approval was certified. In the case of the previous connected V-16 beacon, we are talking about a product certified, indeed, by IDIADA. It was homologated on June 30, 2025, the exact model name is V16 Beacon Light IoT CH-020L, sold under the Raykong brand and homologation requested by Limburg Technology Limited. Below we leave you the image in which this information is shown and the certificate that the DGT attaches with this data. Search for the beacon purchased in Temu Certificate of the connected V-16 beacon sold in Temu As we have seen, before purchasing the V-16 beacon it is easy to check whether we … Read more

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard removed all their songs from Spotify. Immediately afterwards some mysterious versions took their place

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You can leave Spotify, but you don’t leave it completely until Spotify allows you to. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard just found out the hard way: They left the platform in protest of the CEO’s investmentsbut there are still his songs inside. The terrifying thing about it: they are not the ones who composed or recorded them. We go, or not. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard left Spotify in July 2025: it was a protest against Daniel Ek’s investments in military technology. Weeks later, however, they discovered that several of the group’s songs were still available on the platform. But they were not the originals, but rather instrumental versions that imitated the original songs, with the same artist name, identical titles and official covers. According to Platformer accountthese songs managed to accumulate more than 10 million views before being detected. The trick. Spotify presented these tracks as authentic. As a fan of the band tells Platformer, when playing ‘Deadstick’ from the album ‘Phantom Island’, what sounded was a simplified version, almost a cell phone ringtone, a kind of low-quality version. But without knowing the original song (and especially taking into account how fond of jokes and experimentation this unclassifiable and prolific band is) any listener could have confused it with the real song. The same thing happened with other songs on the album such as ‘Aerodynamic’ and ‘Grow Wings and Fly’. The article sparked a wave of protests that led Spotify to remove the content, confirming that it violated its anti-phishing policy. There are currently no songs from the group on the platform. It is not an isolated case. According to data from the company itself published in September 2025Spotify has removed 75 million tracks classified as spam over the last year. The consulting firm Luminate estimates that about 99,000 songs are uploaded daily to streaming services, often through distributors that do not verify the identity of the artist. The situation is accentuated on other platforms, in what seems to be a widespread problem with a clear trigger: the ease with which songs can be generated using AI. Deezer, for example, counted this same month which receives more than 50,000 tracks completely generated by artificial intelligence every day, 34% of all the content that reaches its servers. 70% of AI-generated music plays, he says, are unauthorized songs or songs that replace real artists. The Ghost of The Velvet Sundown. In June 2025, a band called The Velvet Sundown reached more than one million monthly listeners on Spotify. Its promotional photos had that artificial appearance characteristic of images generated by AI, and its members did not exist on any social network, but the group started with 550,000 monthly listeners after being recommended by the platform’s algorithm. After weeks of denying the accusations, those responsible admitted it was an “artistic provocation” created with artificial intelligence. His songs are still available on Spotify. The dead artists. However, in terms of impersonated artists, the case of deceased artists is more disturbing: numerous songs generated by AI began to appear in official profiles of deceased musicians. The page of Blaze Foley, country singer-songwriter murdered in 1989, received new songs. It also happened with Guy Clark, a Grammy winner who died in 2016, Sophie, an electronic artist who died in 2021, and Uncle Tupelo, Jeff Tweedy’s former band from Wilco. All of these tracks were uploaded by distributors without any verification and remained active for weeks before being detected. A systemic problem. Although Spotify is the visible head of this chaos, there is a real mess at many points on the diffusion scale. For example, distributors like DistroKid allow massive topic uploads without verifying the real identity of the artist. In the aforementioned September communication, Spotify announced new anti-spoofing policies and an anti-spam filter, but at the moment its effectiveness has not been proven. For now, the King Gizzard case raises a devastating question: after abandoning a platform, you do not abandon it completely. Maybe you’ll never do it. Header | Paul Hudson

This is how the “impossible” photo of the man falling into the Sun was made

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It seems like a montage, but it is so real that it has gone around the world just when AI was making surreal images stop impressing us. Andrew McCarthy’s “The Fall of Icarus” has shown that there are still ways to outdo the machine with technical precision and months of planning. Logistical madness. In the photo, a backlit silhouette appears to have launched itself in free fall over the Sun. It is the skydiver Gabriel C. Brown transiting in front of a particularly active solar disk. On the other side of the telescope, the famous astrophotographer Andrew McCarthywhich had begun planning the capture at the beginning of the year. It is, quite possibly, the first photo of this type, since the list of variables to control was insane. They needed the optimal sun angle, a safe height for Brown to launch from, and a perfectly calculated glide path between the sun and the camera. Three-way communication. It was 9 in the morning in the Arizona desert. McCarthy had his telescopes ready and was in constant communication with both Gabriel Brown, the skydiver, and Jim Hamberlin, the pilot of the paramotor from which he would launch. McCarthy followed the aircraft with his telescope and, once it was aligned with the Sun, gave the order. “Okay, I’ll see you,” he said over the radio. “Jump, jump, jump!” Brown jumped at about 1,070 meters above sea level with the engine idling to ensure a perfect angle. “I got it, man!” he heard him say on the radio. The sixth time was the charm. McCarthy told Live Science that the biggest challenge had been finding the paramotor in the sky. Although it was about 2.4 km from its position, the point of the shot was to capture in detail the Sun, which was 50 million times the same distance. It took the team six attempts to correctly align the aircraft with the photographer’s position on the ground. When push came to shove, they could only make one jump, as folding the parachute for a second attempt would have taken too long. Is it really not a setup? It is not, and the secret is in the telescope. As explained PetaPixelcarried a hydrogen-alpha filter to block all sunlight except for a very specific red wavelength that emits incandescent hydrogen. This is how those infernal images of the solar chromosphere are taken: the layer of active “fire” on the surface of the Sun, with its filaments and protuberances especially visible during times of greater solar activity. It is not very different from how other photos of rockets and space stations passing in front of the Sun are taken, but with extra planning and audacity so that the protagonist of the image is, for the first time, a tiny person. Images | Andrew McCarthy In Xataka | We are used to seeing the Perseids looking up. This is what they look like from space, looking down

Tim Cook’s succession

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We know that Tim Cook’s days at the helm of Apple are coming to an end. We have talked at length about his legacy and who are the possible successors. What we didn’t know is when the change would occur. Apple has not confirmed anything, but according to the Financial Timesthe company is finalizing preparations and could announce it in 2026. what has happened. Cook himself has made comments about his departure from Apple in the future and now there are clues that that future could be next year. Company sources have confirmed to the Financial Times that they are “intensifying preparations for Cook to hand over the reins.” Why is it important. It is the most important succession in the technology sector. Cook has been the architect of Apple’s best era; In his 14 years of leadership he has managed to turn it into the most valuable company in the world with a valuation that This year it reached 4 billion dollarsonly recently surpassed by NVIDIA. The change comes at a time of challenges for Apple in which a lot is being questioned your artificial intelligence strategy and its recent bet with the iPhone Air It wouldn’t have turned out as expected.. Despite everything, the latest results were excellent and its shares are in record numbers. The favorite. Tim Cook has already expressed his desire that his successor be someone from the company and from the beginning there is one name that has been heard more than the rest. He is John Ternus, Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering since 2013, although he joined the company in 2001. In Xataka we had the opportunity to interview him a few months ago about the launch of the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air. Ternus has deep technical knowledge and has been a key figure in the development of such important products as the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. Movements. This year there have been important changes in Apple’s leadership. This could be a sign that the time for succession is approaching. At the beginning of the year CFO Luca Maestri was relieved of his position and this summer, Jeff Williams, Cook’s chief operating officer and right-hand man, announced his retirement. As a consequence of this, there have been some responsibilities adjustments. Mainly with Eddy Cue taking over the health and fitness teams and Craig Federighi, head of software engineering, taking the reins of WatchOS. The moment. For now nothing is confirmed, but according to the Financial Times, the announcement could occur at the beginning of the year, although not before the next earnings event scheduled for the end of January. Announcing the new CEO in the first months of 2026 would give him room to establish himself in the new role before the company’s big events, WWDC in June and the launch of the next iPhone in September. Image | Wikipedia, Unsplash In Xataka | Tim Cook has admitted that Apple is “very open” to acquisitions in AI. These are our candidates

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