Month: November 2025

Your IP address can allow them to locate or impersonate you. You can protect it with a VPN for less than 2 euros per month

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Nothing has to happen to us by regularly using the Internet, but we are never exempt from all risk. There is a factor that we do not usually give much importance to in terms of security and that is actually quite relevant: the IP address. How can you protect yourself? The simplest and most comfortable way to do it is, without a doubt, with a VPN. It is undeniable that there are free ones. These work and can be a specific resource if we need it, but in the long run they are not worth it. Nobody gives anything for free, so the normal thing is that they are full of advertising or something much worse: that they are not as safe as they say they are. We have an economical and quality alternative with Surfshark: Black Friday gives us its VPN for only 1.99 euros per month. Surfshark Starter Subscription – monthly The price could vary. We earn commission from these links A quality VPN for less than the cost of a coffee As we say, keeping our IP address safe is important. Through this, the web pages we browse or even cybercriminals They can get to know our approximate location. Not only that, but it is also the door to our identity being impersonated on the Internet, so they can carry out attacks or illegal activities impersonating us. With a VPN activated, these risks disappear. This Black Friday also makes it easier for us to have to make a smaller investment. Right now and until next December 2, we can get the Surfshark Starter plan for 1.99 euros per month in its two-year modality. This, in addition to VPN, comes with an extra tool called Alternative ID. All without forgetting that with a subscription we can use the VPN on all the devices we want. If we are looking for a greater dose of security and we don’t mind spending a little more, perhaps the Surfshark One subscription is better for us. This includes everything that the Starter plan has, but goes further with a lot of extra tools. Its price is not much higher: goes out to 2.19 euros per month. This is all it brings: VPN. Antivirus. Real-time alerts on email breaches, credit card and ID data theft. Private search tools. Personal data security reports. Webcam protection. Anti-spyware and malware protection. Surfshark One Subscription – monthly The price could vary. We earn commission from these links We have an extra alternative called Surfshark One+. This subscription, as its name suggests, is a superior version of the previous one. The biggest difference, besides its price (which costs only 4.19 euros per month), is that it comes with a tool that is used to delete our data from databases. We cannot forget a detail that affects the three subscriptions that Surfshark has. All of them have these prices in their two-year modality, but right now include three extra months. One more reason to opt for one of them if we are looking for more security on the Internet. Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | surfshark In Xataka | Public WiFis: why they are dangerous and tips to connect safely In Xataka | The best solutions to protect your data and your company’s IT equipment

A family wanted to live with only solar panels, well water and a garden. Until Italy took away her children

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High in a forest in Abruzzo, Italy, a stone house now stands silent. Until just a few weeks ago, that place was the self-sufficient refuge of Nathan Trevallion, Catherine Birmingham and their three children. But a few days ago, a judge decided to remove them of family custody for living disconnected from the grid, without schooling and in an environment that he considered unhealthy. The resolution started a fire political and social in Italy. What for the family was a self-sufficient life project—solar panels, well water, compostable toilet, garden—has become a court case with enormous international repercussions. The story, however, goes beyond an Italian court order. It is the symptom of something bigger: a growing movement in Europe—and also in Spain—of families and communities seeking to get out of the urban grind, disconnect from the electrical grid and live self-sufficiently. How far does the freedom to choose that lifestyle go? And where does the State’s intervention begin, especially when minors are involved? The case that divided Italy. The family, of Australian and British origin, had been living in a forest in Palmoli since 2021. The house was precarious but, according to themenough: electricity with solar panels, well water and an outdoor composting area as a toilet. In autumn 2024, all were hospitalized due to accidental mushroom poisoning. That episode set off alarm bells for social services. According to Corriere della Seraa technical report described the home as “ruin” and “without adequate conditions for minors.” That’s when social services intervened. The lack of schooling of the minors, the absence of pediatric follow-up and the almost total isolation in which the family lived set off all the alarms. Following these reports, a court in L’Aquila ordered in November the withdrawal of parental authority and the transfer of the children to a center, where the mother could stay next to them. The decision has caused a real political earthquakewhere political leaders and several judicial associations denounced pressure from the Government. At the same time, more than 150,000 people signed online petitions demanding that minors return to their parents. Off-grid: from bucolic dream to global phenomenon. To understand the background, just open Instagram. As Ethic magazine explainsit is enough for the algorithm to detect a certain interest in self-sufficiency to fill the feed of videos of families drying their own food, women showing their renovated campers or couples who live half a year off what they grow and collect. life off-grid or “self-sufficient” has become an aesthetic, philosophy and even aspiration for emotional disconnection. But it is also political. The same medium reminds that a small part of the movement arises from groups “sovereign citizen“who reject the authority of the State. They are a minority, but they exist. The majority, on the other hand, opts for the off-grid for reasons of sustainability, teleworking, search for autonomy or reaction to the climate crisis. Also out of fear: there are communities —like the ecovillage of Tamera, in Portugal— that are preparing for a possible collapse of the current model. In Sweden and Finland, the governments have released official guides to prepare for extreme scenarios. Spain is not far behind. The movement off-grid It has also taken root. It is no longer a thing of hippie ecovillages of the 90s: today it is embraced by engineers, teleworkers, urban families suffocated by the cost of living and foreigners from northern Europe who seek autonomy and nature. In the Karrantza valley (Bizkaia), for example, a family left town to produce their own energy and grow their food, a model that is repeated in the Basque Country, Cantabria or the interior of Spain, where many opt for hybrid solutions—solar panels, wood stoves and water recovery—combined with public school and community life. At the same time, ecovillages such as Matavenero, Lakabe or Arterra Bizimodu, according to elDiario.esconsolidate rural repopulation based on sustainability and self-management. And adding to this trend is the arrival of new off-griders foreigners. As Euroweekly points outmore and more British, German or Dutch families buy farmhouses in Catalonia, the Alpujarra or Castellón to disconnect from the grid. Some stories border on the epic: an English couple built their life from scratch with yurts, dry toilets and rain catchers. What they are looking for – a lower cost of living, teleworking, autonomy or simply another way of living – comes with a price: living with wild boars, storms and no less bureaucracy. But legally how is the matter? The contrast with Italy becomes evident when Spanish regulations are analyzed. In energy matters, the framework is clear: Royal Decree 244/2019 It allows self-consumption and does not require contracting electricity supply. Living with isolated solar panels, batteries or small generators is perfectly legal as long as the installation meets safety standards and is carried out by a licensed professional. Legalization is not strictly mandatory, but it is advisable to access public aid, obtain certificates or take out specific insurance. Something similar happens with water. The Water Law establishes that groundwater is public domainso any well—with few exceptions—must have authorization from the corresponding Hydrographic Confederation. Drilling without a permit or extracting water from a protected aquifer can lead to significant penalties. In other words, you can live with your own well, but the collection must be regularized. The point that makes the difference. When it comes to housing, living in a remote area is not illegal as long as the construction has the necessary documentation: license, occupancy certificate and minimum health and safety conditions. But if minors live in that environment and the house presents risks to their well-being, authorities can intervene. However, the determining point is in education as in Italy. Unlike other European countries, Spain required by law that all minors between 6 and 16 years old are educated in recognized centers. He homeschooling is not regulated and, in practice, it is considered illegal. A family that decided to educate their children exclusively at home would face truancy proceedings, visits from social services and even judicial measures in serious … Read more

A US company sees reasons to try it in 2026

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The nuclear industry has been looking for years for the moment of SMRs, smaller, cheaper and more versatile fission reactors. A Californian startup called Deep Fission believes it has the key to getting them off the ground: bury them. 160 free atmospheres. Most of the world’s commercial reactors run on pressurized water. To do this, the water that cools the core must remain liquid at more than 300ºC, which requires an immense pressure, around 150 to 160 atmospheres. On the surface, this translates into steel vessels of enormous thickness and cost. The Deep Fission proposal harness the brute force of gravity to eliminate that problem. Placing the reactor a mile underground, inside a well filled with water, the column of liquid itself exerts a natural hydrostatic pressure of 160 atmospheres. There is no need for a complex pressure vessel: the reactor water is kept in a liquid state without wasting energy or exotic materials. There is another advantage. The second key point is the mineral environment. Instead of building reinforced concrete domes to contain radiation in the event of an accident, Deep Fission takes advantage of the environment. The solid rock at that depth acts as a natural and inexhaustible retaining wall. Petroleum engineering. What Deep Fission proposes is to use standard fuel (low-enriched uranium), but with fracking and oil drilling techniques, extracting heat as if it were geothermal. Its Gravity reactor is a 15 MW module narrow enough to fit into a drill hole about 76 centimeters in diameter. But the economic promise is immense: a cost of 50-70 dollars per MWh and an 80% reduction in civil works, which would be completed in months. There is a but. Although Deep Fission has already announced a portfolio of potential clients in Texas and Kansas, its design has an Achilles heel. At the same time that burying the reactor protects it from tornadoes, plane crashes or terrorism, it creates a logistical nightmare for its maintenance. In a normal plant, if a valve fails or a sensor breaks, technicians can access auxiliary areas by taking precautions. Here, everything would be 1.6 km deep. To refuel or repair a breakdown, the entire module would have to be hoisted to the surface using cables, as if it were a miniature submarine. Today there is no regulatory framework for “deep well reactors” anywhere in the world. Still, Deep Fission promises to have a pilot ready by July 2026.

There are those who think that the housing crisis can be solved by building. At the Polytechnic University of Catalonia they believe they are wrong

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Spain has a problem with housing. That is an (almost) objective fact. The CIS says so, which places it as the great concern of the Spanish, but a quick review of the newspaper archive arrives to confirm it. During the last months few topics have generated more political debate or have taken out so many people on the street such as difficulties in accessing a home. What is no longer so clear is how to solve this “crisis” residential area recognized by the Government itself. Should we build more houses? Does Spain suffer from a housing deficit? Do we need more land to build? Usually the answer to those three questions is a strong ‘yes’. Now a new study signed by two professors of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) and published in a magazine linked to the Ministry of Housing points out that perhaps we were wrong. What has happened? That two professors from the Higher Technical School of Architecture of Barcelona (ETSAB), Blanca Arellano-Ramos and Josep Roca-Cladera, have published a study about the problems that Spain is facing in terms of housing. The report in question is titled ‘Five theses about housing policy in Spain’ and is included in a monograph of CyTETa magazine published by the Ministry of Housing. So far nothing exceptional. The curious thing is that the text questions many of the ideas rooted in the real estate sector, such as that our country suffers from a housing deficit or needs more land to build. While the Bank of Spain (BE) estimates 700,000 homes the mismatch between supply and demand, the study questions whether there really is a ‘hole’ in the market or that prices will go down if we build more. Is there a housing deficit? As already indicated in its title, the article is structured around five theses. And the first addresses precisely that point: Does Spain suffer from a housing deficit? The question is interesting because it is one of the most deeply rooted ideas in the sector. The Bank of Spain itself has calculated that it would be necessary 700,000 houses to meet residential demand. For Arellano-Ramos and Roca-Cladera the reality is quite different. In his opinion, one cannot talk about a deficit without first taking into account the excess of housing accumulated between 2011 and 2021 and the stock of vacant properties. The researchers remember that between 2011 and 2021 the housing stock exceeded the growth in the number of homes by 959,554 units, generating a considerable pocket. In fact, they assure that in 2021 the “accumulated excess” was close to 8.1 million properties, a “‘cushion’ more than enough to absorb temporary housing deficits such as the one produced during the 2021-2024 period,” recalls the UPC in the statement in which he reports the study. What does that mean? That for researchers it is not so obvious that Spain suffers from a shortage of new housing. In their analysis they also remember that a good part of the excess of houses and apartments corresponds to second homes and empty homes. The INE itself estimates that at least in 2021 there were 3.84 million of uninhabited properties, 14.4% of the real estate stock. That percentage far exceeds what most experts consider “desirable” (5%), but at least in the statement The UPC does not address another fundamental aspect: the distribution of these wasted properties, if they are located in stressed markets, such as Madrid, Barcelona or Malaga, or in centers where demand is minimal or even non-existent, in the case of emptied Spain. What if we build more? That is the second question the researchers address. What if we build more homes? Would prices be reduced? Their response is once again skeptical to say the least: increasing buildings will not lead to greater social equity nor will it serve to soften prices. “On the contrary”, slide the UPC note. “According to the authors of the study, the solution is not to build more new homes so that the laws of the market balance prices. In addition to having serious environmental effects, what favors is the real estate bubble like the one that occurred around 2000.” What happens in other neighboring countries? Among other arguments, Arellano-Ramos and Roca-Cladera recall that the rise in prices is not a problem exclusive to the Spanish market, but rather something widespread on the continent. So the question is obvious: if the increase in prices is due to the imbalance between supply and demand, do the majority of EU countries share that same problem? “Is there simultaneously a restriction of supply in relation to demand occurring throughout Europe in relation to demand that explains the increase in residential prices? It does not seem that this is plausible. Therefore it is not reasonable, prima facieturn to the scarce construction of new housing as the main cause of the price of housing”, they reflect the authors before remembering that Spain has invested a higher percentage of GDP in construction than the European average. Do we need more land? The researchers also question whether in Spain the problem of lack of accessibility to housing can be explained by the scarcity of land. And to prove it, they go to the newspaper archive: between the late 90s and the early 2000s, buildable land was made available in the country, which allowed for “massive construction” of residential housing. This boom was not accompanied, however, by a reduction in the price of the square meter. Quite the opposite: residential prices increased, as in other parts of Europe. If Spain saw housing prices rise between 1996 and 2008, it was not because there was no land on which to build or build new homes. “Spain became more urbanized than ever and the result did not represent a reduction in prices, on the contrary,” underlines the UPC in your statementwhich recalls that between 2000 and 2012 Spain was the European country with the greatest “consumption” of land: more than 2,400 square kilometers (km2), almost as … Read more

The surprise is not that in 2025 Renfe will offer a real-time map of commuter trains. The surprise is that it does not seem to be made by Renfe

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Renfe has just launched a website that allows users to consult in real time the situation of Cercanías and Rodalies trains in the towns where this service is available. And despite what one might think, that website works surprisingly well. Suburbs in real time. On the web real-time.renfe.com It is possible to first select the urban center in which we want to carry out the query so that at that moment the interface zooms in on that location and its Cercanías train network is displayed. The map shows the network lines clearly, but it also shows the position of the trains on that network, which is also updated automatically. The new interactive Renfe Cercanías map works really well. When does that train arrive at that stop? Not only can we see the general situation, but we can also click on any of the train icons shown on the map so that a popup window appears in the browser. It contains information related to that train, which stop it is coming from, which stop it is going to, or its expected arrival. Are you late? Another interesting element of this website is that it offers extra information about the punctuality of each train. Above and to the right of each train icon appears a dot that can be of various colors. Green indicates that it is on time or less than three minutes late. Orange indicates a delay of between three and five minutes, and red reveals a delay of more than five minutes. Extra information. On the left side of the website it is also possible to select one of the network lines of each municipality, and even a station, which will make the website zoom in on that specific station. If we select a line we can also consult the available services, and specifically we can know which stations on that line have accessible trains and stations, and where we can find bike racks. The colored dots that appear at the top right of each train’s icons reveal how punctual they are being. A promising service. This website also allows third parties such as Google Maps to offer this service through their own platforms, and becomes a way to mitigate uncertainty about the network situation. Pablo Fernández Pastor, Director of Innovation and Digital Transformation of Renfe Viajeros, explains how “the trip as such does not begin at the station, it begins from the moment you are beginning to plan it.” Long distance services coming soon. Those responsible for the service have also indicated that starting in the first half of 2026, real-time information on medium and long distance services will be incorporated into this website. If this experience maintains what is currently being offered, we will certainly have a very useful real-time information service for users. a pleasant surprise. The launch of this service is surprising, especially because in recent years we have seen how the Renfe website was criticized for its usability, its erratic behavior and how it has worked during periods of high demand. This service represents an important step in the right direction for Renfe, without a doubt. Image | Renfe In Xataka | There are no more 20 euro tickets: the trains between Madrid and Barcelona have become very expensive again for a reason

Mercadona has grown so much in Spain that for the US it is no longer just a supermarket chain: it is a “cultural phenomenon”

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The US Government has noticed a growing “cultural phenomenon” in Spain, one especially interesting for its exporting companies and which comes accompanied by millionaire turnover figures. What phenomenon is that? Mercadona. Literally. In your report Retail Foods Annualthe US Department of Agriculture dedicates special attention to Juan Roig’s company and slips that its weight in the retail It already transcends the limits of the retail sector. He even theorizes about the formula for his success. Under the spotlight of Donald Trump. It is not strange that Mercadona makes headlines. After all, it has become a crucial piece of the retail Spanish. Your market share in the sector around 30% (in some regions already exceeds that percentage), far above other competitors such as Carrefour, IFA or Lidl, and has been expanding for the country. What is much less common is for the Valencian retail chain to make headlines because it has caught the attention of US officials, which is exactly what has just happened. Table extracted from the report of the US Department of Agriculture. Attention, USA exporters. Mercadona is cited at least seven times in a report 10 pages published a few days ago by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), a document designed primarily for exporters from the country interested in the Spanish market. In it, the Washington technicians review the billing figures of Juan Roig’s firm, highlight its high weight in the sector (well above competitors such as Carrefour, Lidl, DIA or Eroski) and reflect on the keys to its commercial success. To be more precise, USDA recalls that last year Mercadona recorded sales worth an estimated $34.5 billion. The figure does not exactly match the disclosed by the company, but it is more than double that of Grupo Carrefour (12,000) and well above other well-established chains in the country, such as Lidl (7,500), DIA (6,150), Eroski (5,800) or Alcampo (5,500). “Mercadona occupies first place in the food retail sector in Spain, with sales almost three times higher than those of its second closest competitor,” check the reportwhich theorizes about the bet that has given the chain a market share of almost 30%. The formula for success. USDA highlights two features of the Valencian company. First, its Spanish food offering. Second, its strategic commitment to retail brands, especially Hacendado. “Private labels are very popular in Spain, driven by consumer attention to prices and quality. According to a study by the Aldi chain, Spanish households allocate 44% of their purchasing budget to private label products,” collect the reportwhich goes so far as to refer to the company as a “cultural phenomenon.” Is it something new? No. Washington is not the first to focus on the Valencian chain’s commitment to its own brands. A report from Kandar presented in 2024 by Promarca already pointed out the clear increase in distributor brands in Spanish supermarkets, a general trend that was accentuated in the case of Mercadona. Its external brand offering was cut by 45% between 2018 and 2023, while the value share of white label products reached 74.5%. Other sector reports have highlighted the same idea in recent months: Mercadona’s growing commitment to its brands. Added to this strategy are others deployed by the firm, such as the interest for foods already cooked and ready to eat. Roig himself has recognized openly that he is convinced that mid century Kitchens will disappear from Spanish homes, so people will eat prepared dishes. It is so sure of this that Mercadona has been betting on its section for years. “Ready to eat”. X-raying the sector. Beyond Mercadona, the report from USDA reveals some reflections on the food distribution sector in Spain. Its technicians are struck by, for example, the pace of opening of new stores (244 only between January and April of this year), the promotion of self-service stores and regional super chains (key piece of the national sector) or “the growing popularity” of healthy and convenience products. “Consumers are combining physical and online channels, favoring digital platforms for larger purchases and in-person purchases of fresh products. Retail strategies focus on efficiency, AI technologies, personalization and healthy products,” he comments. the USDA studywhich draws attention to the high “fragmentation” of retail trade and the concentration of the food sector, with Mercadona leading the way. Images | Mercadona, Gage Skidmore (Flickr) and USDA In Xataka | The shadow companies that are making gold with Mercadona: the silent success of Familia Martínez or Profand

All these technology bargains are still available

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Yes, he Black Friday It’s about to end. They have been a very intense few days with offers everywhere, especially when it comes to technology. Many of them have already flown, but we still have one last chance at The English Court, which will close this particular promotion on December 30. This store has very good discounts available on technology, no matter if we are looking for a new TV or a mobile phone, for example. There is a lot to choose from right now, although we have a very interesting selection of offers that we leave you right below. QNED LG TV by 649 eurosa great option if we are looking for a new television and want one with MiniLED technology. nintendo switch 2 by 449.90 eurosgood price for the new Nintendo console along with ‘Mario Kart World’. LG Gram laptop by 998.99 eurosa device with a very good screen and plenty of power to last for many years. Samsung Galaxy Watch7 by 145 eurosquality-price, one of the best watches we can buy right now. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra by 1,088 eurosthe best phone of the year in its 512 GB version. QNED LG TV We have a very good option with this LG television if we are looking for good image quality and 65 inches without having to spend a real fortune. It uses MiniLED technology, so we will have a very high brightness level and vivid colors. It is compatible with Dolby Vision and also has a refresh rate of 144 Hz, which makes it ideal as a gaming cutting option. We have it available for 649 euros. TV QNED evo MiniLED AI 164cm (65″) LG 65QNED86A6A, 4K Smart TV The price could vary. We earn commission from these links nintendo switch 2 One of the stars of this Black Friday is, without a doubt, nintendo switch 2. The new console from the Japanese company offers a significant leap in power and graphic quality compared to the first Switch, in addition to a fantastic catalog of video games. All without forgetting its hybrid possibilities, ideal for playing wherever we go. It is reduced to 449.90 euros and includes ‘Mario Kart World’. Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World The price could vary. We earn commission from these links LG Gram laptop What if we need a new laptop? This one from LG can fit us very well if we want something powerful, with very good autonomy and, above all, manageable: it weighs just over 1 kg. It has a 14-inch screen, Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD. Plus, it comes with Windows 11 installed as standard, which is always a plus. We have it reduced to 998.99 euros. LG gram 14Z90S-G.AD78B laptop, Intel Core Ultra 7-155H, 32GB, 1TB SSD, 14″, W11 The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Samsung Galaxy Watch7 If we are looking for any device, a very interesting way to save as much as possible is to go for a previous generation. That’s what happens with the Galaxy Watch7a device that hit stores last year, but is still a top option in the smartwatch market. It stands out for its screen with good brightness and protected with sapphire glass and for its outstanding performance thanks to its Exynos W1000. It is available for 145 euros. Samsung Galaxy Watch7 40mm Cream Bluetooth Smartwatch The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra We close this selection of offers with the winner of the prize for best super high end phone this year: Galaxy S25 Ultra. It is a great phone that comes with one of the best processors on the market, a great camera system and a lot of AI from Google and Samsung itself. In addition, it has seven years of updates, which guarantees that we can count on it for a long time. It is available for 1,088 euros in its 512 GB version. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 12 GB + 512 GB free mobile The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Purchase addiction, LG, Nintendo, Samsung In Xataka | The best mobile phones, we have tested them and here are their analyzes In Xataka | Best televisions in quality price. Which one to buy and seven recommended 4K smart TVs

how to produce real bacon without having to kill it

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Imagine biting into a piece of golden, juicy bacon with that unmistakable pork flavor, only no pig has had to die for you to enjoy it. And no, I’m not talking about tofu, seitan or another plant replica: it’s real bacon, made from pig cells that still belong to a living animal. A concept as disconcerting as it is unique that is already served in a small restaurant in California. The first cultured pork fat. The startup Mission Barns has become the first company approved to market cultured animal fat and the third to receive regulatory approval for a cell-based food in the United States. In March obtained FDA validation and, shortly after, the support of the Department of Agriculture (USDA)which allowed him to start selling his product on a limited basis. As TechCrunch detailsit is the first cultured pork fat in the world authorized for human consumption. Until now, only UPSIDE Foods and GOOD Meat They had obtained similar approvals, but only for chicken. With this decision, Mission Barns inaugurates a new category: real pork fat without slaughtering it and capable of being converted into bacon, sausages, meatballs or salami. Real meat without slaughter. Cultured meat—also called in vitro meat or clean meat— is not a plant imitation, but biologically real meat obtained without resorting to animal breeding and slaughter. In this case, the animal has its own name: Dawn, a Yorkshire sow who lives in a sanctuary in northern New York. According to Futurismthe sample is taken painlessly and does not alter your daily life. Its fat cells are grown in a bioreactor with plant nutrients and adhere to a porous structure designed to mimic natural pig tissue. After two weeks, the culture generates real pork fat, which is mixed with vegetable proteins – pea, wheat or bean – to replicate the texture of bacon, sausage or meatball. As explained in Gristthe tastings carried out by the company demonstrate by its flavor and texture that it is meat in biological terms, but without animal sacrifice. So, Is it a vegetarian option? The arrival of this technology reopens a great ethical debate. Different studies indicate that pigs They are “very social” animals.capable of feeling fear, stress and complex emotions, and They are considered the fifth animal smartest in the world. Being able to obtain meat without sacrificing them represents, for many, a moral change of enormous scope. That is precisely the reason why, according to The Guardiansome vegetarians have begun to try cultured meat: by eliminating the violence of the process, the ethical barrier that justified not eating meat disappears. Others, however, are hesitant and wonder if consuming “suffering-free meat” fits with their reasons for abandoning animal products in the first place. A global phenomenon: from California to San Sebastián. The race for cultured meat is global. It is not something from the United States, also in Japan either Netherlands They are already developing lines of cultured beef, chicken or fish. And in Spain, BioTech Foods leads the push from the Basque Country, where it is building the largest cultured meat plant in southern Europe in San Sebastián, with plans to operate in 2032. The immediate obstacle is regulatory, since the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has not yet approved its commercialization. Forecasts. Meanwhile, Dawn—the pig that gave rise to this bacon—continues in her sanctuary, oblivious to everything, seeking the sun and letting her belly be scratched. That fat can come out of it for thousands of servings without your life changing poses an unprecedented image in the history of food. The question is whether society is prepared to take it on. cultured meat promise reduce emissions, suffering and costs; his detractors they talk about an industry still expensive and difficult to climb. Between both visions, the final decision will fall to consumers: whether they accept that the meat of the future can grow in a bioreactor. Image | Unsplash Xataka | Far from the cities, a battle is being fought for the future of the country: that of the pigs against the reservoirs

‘Stranger Things’ changed everything for Netflix. Your problem now is finding another brand just as powerful.

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The expectation is through the roof: Netflix has just taken the first steps of the final season of ‘Stranger Things’‘, which will run throughout December with several episodes, many of them feature-length. In fact, the desire of the fans is such that Netflix even saw its servers falter. A (very possibly) triumphant culmination that, however, leaves a few unknowns in the air. Netflix flashes. Netflix experienced a service outage that in some cases It lasted about twenty minutes. (although the thing did not exceed about five, according to the platform’s official statement) with the premiere of the fifth season of ‘Stranger Things’. The incident occurred despite the fact that the series co-creator, Ross Duffer, had shared that Netflix would increase its bandwidth by 30% to avoid precisely this type of incident. All in all, thousands of users reported NSEZ-403 errors that prevented them from accessing the content, or accessed it with problems, which worked as a perfect thermometer of the expectation generated by the series. ‘Stranger Things’ continues to be a phenomenon capable of collapsing digital infrastructures three years after its previous season. Devastating figures. The fourth season accumulated 140.7 million viewsestablishing itself as the third most watched series in English on the platform, only behind ‘Wednesday’ and ‘Adolescence’. Of course, it is the only series with all seasons in the Top 10an unprecedented milestone on the platform. The impact on subscribers is more difficult to quantify: the third season, for example, contributed to add 520,000 subscribers in the United States. The cultural impact. The impact that ‘Stranger Things’ has had on modern pop culture is enough for a book, but let’s stick with some figures that will give us a rough idea. First, the economy: Netflix, for example, closed agreements with approximately 75 brands to promote the third season. Coca-Cola relaunched New Coke, generating 1.2 billion dollars in media value; Similarly, Nike obtained $178 million in media coverage with their Hawkins High collection. But this goes far beyond benefits for some brands: Butts County in Georgia, where the series is set, reported a 12% increase in tourism during the years the series was broadcast. And the small city of Jackson, with barely five thousand inhabitants and a per capita income of less than $30,000, revitalized its economy thanks to thematic tours. And of course, there is the strong role that the series has had in the recovery of the aesthetics and fashions of the eighties. It is no longer just that they have been revitalized Stephen King’s books and John Carpenter’s films: platforms like LTK registered increases of 3,000% in searches for clothing similar to those worn by the characters. What can we expect? For now, Netflix has planned very well to divide this final season into three: 4 episodes on November 27, 3 on December 26 and a final one on January 1. That is, coinciding with Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve, and thus, contrary to what is usual on the platform, stretching the cultural conversation for two months. As for audience expectations, as expected, they are very high: analysts predict new viewing records given the three years of waiting until this end. Of course, the critics have spoken and they point to the signs of exhaustion that were already seen in previous seasons: 87% on Rotten Tomatoesthe lowest rating of the series so far, although the audience rises to 92%. It is not easy to maintain narrative quality after so many years, with obstacles such as the age of the protagonists. The future. The really interesting thing about the phenomenon is wondering what Netflix has ahead. Or to put it more awkwardly: can the platform replicate the phenomenon? It has certainly had successful series in its catalogue, such as ‘Wednesday‘, ‘The Squid Game’ or ‘The Bridgertons’, but except for the first, all of them have finished or are about to do so. It is true that Netflix has the ability to generate new hits like ‘Wednesday’, which also, although it came as a bit of a surprise to everyone, could be well exploited by the platform. Now, Netflix is ​​in a phase of prioritize quantity over qualitymercilessly canceling what does not interest you and attesting that we are in a different moment than the initial success of ‘Stranger Things’: the competition has multiplied and it is more difficult to get noticed among multiple offers. Netflix has all the space in the world before it to compete, but perhaps its main rival is its own legacy: how to make ‘Stranger Things’ forgotten. The series was perhaps, before the almost infinite atomization of the offer of the streamingthe medium’s latest great global success. And that is very difficult to overcome. In Xataka | Netflix loved movie theaters. Then he hated them. Now you have reached a very beneficial middle ground

This is how rest days are calculated

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The workplace is regulated by a series of laws and regulations that put in black and white the bases of the employment relationship between companies and workers. He Workers Statute It is the place that answers many of the questions that, at one time or another arise to the workers. Knowing how many vacation days you are entitled to by law is one of the most common. He calculation of vacation days It varies from one company to another depending on the sector, whether there is a collective agreement that regulates it, the type of working day and even seniority in the company. To clear up any doubts, we will tell you how many days of work rest you are entitled to by law and how to calculate them. How many vacations correspond per month worked: what the law says He article 38 of the Workers’ Statute is in charge of drawing the master lines for the right to rest. This article establishes the right to a minimum period of 30 calendar days of paid annual leave, not replaceable by financial compensationexcept as provided in the agreement or end of the employment relationship. That is, all workers have the right to rest for a minimum of 30 calendar days included in their salary. These days, under no circumstances, can be compensated for additional remuneration and can only be compensated for other days of rest on a different date. This is the legal minimum per calendar year of work and each year generates its own paid holiday entitlement. The Workers’ Statute establishes that they must be enjoyed in an agreed manner within the corresponding annual period, except for agreed or justified exceptions. In addition to agree jointly between the company and employees, workers have the right to know the vacation dates that correspond to them, at least two months before the start date of the rest. This way the employee can plan your vacation. How vacation days are calculated The Workers’ Statute clearly establishes that workers They have 30 working days a year. But how are your vacation days calculated if you have only been working at that company for a few months? The most commonly used practical rule to obtain the proportional part when the entire year has not been worked is to start from 30 calendar days and prorate them by months worked. Don’t panic because they exist vacation day calculators. In any case, its calculation is not complicated. The usual thing in companies is to use the value of calendar days, so it is enough to divide the number of calendar days by the twelve months of the year and multiply it by the months worked. The result returns the number of calendar days of work rest. On the other hand, if they are specified as working days, the calculation must be made by replacing the 30 days indicated in the Workers’ Statute with 22 working days. Difference between business days and calendar days The difference between a working day or a calendar day is important for the calculation and choice of vacation days. Calendar days: all calendar days are taken into account, including Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. That is, when calculating vacation days, all days of the chosen period are taken into account. This makes it more favorable for the worker to start the vacation on a Monday and end it on a Friday, since in this way neither the previous nor the following weekend are counted as vacations. Working days: as their name indicates, they are those days on which you would usually work, these being usually Monday to Friday, excluding weekends (Saturday and Sunday) and national holidays. This makes it irrelevant whether the first day of vacation is a Monday or Wednesday, since any weekends or holidays in between will not be counted.Besides, at a legal levelthere is a subtle difference between business days and business days. In both cases, Sundays and holidays are excluded, but in some cases, Saturdays may be considered working days, but are not considered business days. Is it 22 or 23 business days? As we have pointed out, the Workers’ Statute only establishes a legal minimum of 30 calendar days of work rest, but does not specify its equivalent in working days. If the company uses the workdays metric instead of calendar days, the calculation of the number of vacation days per month will also change. The most common conversion is to 22 working days, that is, days in which you would usually have to work. But It is not a universal figure for all companiesbut an average that can change from one company to another. The collective bargaining of some industrial sectors or the collective agreements of each company can include improvements to these conditions by increasing the number of vacation days and increasing those 22 working days to 23 days or even more. Therefore, it will be necessary to consult with the company or review the collective agreement that applies to know if the scale of calendar or working days is used to calculate vacation days. A practical example Nothing better to understand How does the calculation of vacation days work? We have to see it with a practical example. Imagine that you have started working in a company on March 1 and you want to take a few days of vacation the first week of September. How many days of vacation would you get? In that case, and taking into account the formula that we have indicated before, the calendar days of vacation would be calculated as follows: 30 (calendar days by law) / 12 (months) = 2.5 days of vacation per month worked 2.5 calendar days of vacation generated per month x 6 months of work = 15 calendar days of vacation If we apply the metric of working days, and assuming that the agreement (or the company) establishes that there are 22 working days, we would have: 22 (working days) / 12 (months) = … Read more

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