Month: December 2025

While Madrid becomes the “European Miami”, a group has grown to historic numbers: Venezuelans

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In the streets of Madrid every time it’s easier hear Latin American accents, but there is one in particular that stands out above the rest: Venezuelan. The number of Nicolás Maduro’s compatriots has skyrocketed in recent years in the community. So much so that the latest data from the INE show that they have already overcome the barrier of 200,000 peoplewell above the 120,400 of just five years ago. In fact, there are those who already refer to part of the capital as the “Little Caracas” or see one in Madrid “European Miami” which attracts immigrants of all kinds, including rich people who want to buy. The data shows that they are not wrong. The “Latin American” Madrid. That the Latin American population and specifically the Venezuelan has been growing for years in Madrid, it is nothing new. A year ago The Country revealed that the region had for the first time surpassed the symbolic figure of one million immigrants arriving from Hispanic America, a milestone achieved largely due to the increase in Venezuelans. Now the latest data from the INE They confirm that, far from reversing, the trend continues. And clearly. Community of Madrid Venezuelans Romanians Moroccans 2025 210,408 111,309 100,939 2024 184,387 115,911 98,360 2023 158,422 117,274 94,631 2022 130,779 123,834 92,563 2021 120,434 128,793 92,279 One figure: 210,408. The figures They speak for themselves. In 2021, the INE counted 120,434 people born in Venezuela in the Community of Madrid, the following year there were 130,779, in 2023 there were 158,422, in 2024 there were 184,387 and this year the figure has taken another rise until reaching 210,408. In short, a growth of almost 75% in a matter of five years. If we look back a little further and go to the last decade, the growth is even clearer. In 2020, 115,289 people born in Venezuela resided in the community, in 2019 there were 90,254 and in 2018 the indicator marked 66,421. A collective at the head. Beyond the percentages, there are two other approaches that demonstrate the extent to which the Venezuelan population has grown in the region in recent years. The first is that right now it is the most abundant foreign group in Madrid, significantly above the other most populous groups: Colombians (199,760), Peruvians (164,786), Ecuadorians (140,794), Romanians (111,309) and Moroccans (100,939). What’s more, The Confidential remember that Venezuelans in the region now exceed the sum of Romanians and Moroccans. The other clue is obtained by looking beyond Madrid and analyzing the Venezuelan diaspora in Spain as a whole. According to the INEIn our country there are 692,316 people born in Venezuela, of which 210,408 (almost a third) live in the Community of Madrid. The capital’s figure far exceeds that of any other region. In fact, the other two with the largest volume of population from Venezuela are the Canary Islands and Catalonia and in none of them do Venezuelans even reach 90,000 people. In Andalusia, there are barely more than 47,000. Year Population born in Venezuela registered in Spain 2025 692,316 2024 599,769 2023 518,918 2022 440,953 2021 411,996 One question: Why? At this point the big question is: Why? What is the reason for this migratory flow to Madrid? There are several factors at play. One (crucial) is the Venezuelan diasporathe volume of people who have left the country in search of better opportunities or as exiles. UNHCR estimates that 7.9 million of people have left Venezuela in search of protection or a better life. In 2024, Nicolás Maduro himself assured that between 2013 and 2023 2.5 million Venezuelans They emigrated from the country, although at that time he maintained that half (1.2) had returned between 2020 and 2023. The Trump factor. Beyond the dance of figures, the undeniable thing is that Spain has long been one of the main destinations of Venezuelans who choose to pack their bags as immigrants, refugees or asylum seekers. Years ago many of them headed to the US, but with Trump’s return to the White House “the American dream became a nightmare” for a large part of that diaspora refugee in the US, such as recognized in May Saray Díaz The Country. He knows well what he’s talking about. She is Venezuelan, she had resided in the US since 2024 thanks to a humanitarian permit and basically dedicated herself to cleaning houses. After Trump activated his policy anti-immigration Saray received an email from Department of Homeland Security inviting him to “leave” the US. A few days later he was on a flight to Barajas. It is not a unique case. During the first trimester 23,724 Venezuelans They requested asylum in Spain, a record. But… Why Madrid? That so many Venezuelans choose to settle in Spain and more specifically in Madrid is not a coincidence. Influences the open arms policy applied for yearsthe presence of relatives who have already migrated to Spain (this is, for example, the case of Saray, who had relatives here) to help them upon their arrival and of course the cultural ties with the country. Like other cities in the country, Madrid has also welcomed protests of critics of the Maduro regime and in defense of the opposition María Corina Machado. “There are several ingredients to take into account. The political and economic crisis in Venezuela is worsening. Trump’s immigration policies, together with a possible military intervention, with this situation of insecurity, also have an impact. And we must take into account that in other Latin American countries the entry of Venezuelans is being rejected,” comment to The Confidential Elisa Brey, expert in international migrations and professor at the Complutense University. “In Madrid there are already many Venezuelans and more arrive through contact and support networks.” Beyond the statistics. The influx of Latin Americans and specifically Venezuelans is felt beyond the statistics, in society, the economy and even in the residential market, as explained in 2024 the BBC network, which reminded that not only people in difficulties come to the capital. In fact, … Read more

an underwater drone has made history

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Ukraine, that lwar laboratory of the present and future, was a pioneer in the use of drones and in the creation of an unprecedented industry around the use of these quadcopters as elements front key. This is how we saw mother drones sending drones to annihilate other drones. In Ukraine too, another unprecedented milestone has just taken place. With drones, but this time under the sea. A before and after. Ukraine claims to have carried out the first combat attack successful in history with an underwater drone against a warship, specifically a Russian submarine of the Improved Kilo class docked in the port of Novorossiysk, one of the current main refuges of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. According to the Ukrainian Security Servicethe attack was carried out with a known unmanned underwater vehicle as Sub Sea Babycapable of sailing underwater to a densely protected port and hitting a specific target without being detected, something that, if confirmed, would represent a qualitative leap in modern naval warfare. The images. He broadcast video by kyiv shows an explosion next to the submarine while it remains moored, which would indicate that the drone managed to penetrate the port’s defenses and reach one of the most valuable platforms of the Russian arsenal, valued at about 400 million dollars and equipped with launchers of Kalibr cruise missiles used recurrently against Ukrainian cities. Blow to the heart of Russian flora. The attacked submarine belongs to one of the most silent and difficult to detect of the Russian Navy when operating submerged and in battery mode, and is part of a small group of six units assigned to the Black Sea Fleet before the war. Sources close to the Russian military they point because the impact would have occurred near the stern, damaging rudders and propeller, critical components that, even without piercing the hull, could leave the submarine out of service for long periods. If the damage is as serious as kyiv claims, Russia would stay with only four Kilo submarines operational in the area, significantly reducing their ability to launch missile attacks from the sea and reinforcing the Ukrainian strategy of hitting launch platforms rather than intercepting individual projectiles. The forced withdrawal. This attack cannot be understood without the context of the Ukrainian naval campaign started in 2023based almost entirely on unmanned systems. The massive use of surface drones loaded with explosives allowed Ukraine to damage or neutralize approximately a third of the Russian Fleet of the Black Sea and forced Moscow to withdraw many of its ships from occupied Sevastopol to Novorossiysk, in Russian territory, until now considered a relatively safe haven. Submarines like Rostov-on-Don they had already been attacked in port on previous occasions, but the use of an underwater drone dramatically expands the range of threats, by making it possible to avoid networks, floating barriers and defenses specifically designed to stop surface attacks. The logic of asymmetric war. For kyiv, the commitment to naval drones, both surface and underwater, responds to a logic of cost and survival. While a Russian submarine costs hundreds of millions of dollars and years to build, a Ukrainian naval drone can be manufactured for between 250,000 and 300,000 dollars. This asymmetry allows Ukraine to compensate for its numerical and technological inferiority compared to Russia, forcing the Kremlin to invest huge resources defensive and live in a constant cycle of adaptation. Each new Ukrainian tactic generates Russian countermeasures, which in turn are neutralized by new developments in periods ranging from weeks to a few months, permanently altering the rules of naval combat in the Black Sea. A sign of what is to come. The operational use of underwater drones as offensive weapons opens a completely new scenario, not only for this conflict, but for global naval warfare. The United States, China and other powers have years developing UUV for reconnaissance missions, mine laying or long range attacksbut Ukraine could have been the first country in demonstrating its real effectiveness in combat. If Novorossiysk is no longer a safe sanctuary and submarines can be attacked even in port, the Russian defensive posture will have to change again, extending even more resources and protection. At the same time, the attack reinforces the idea that the war in Ukraine has become in a laboratory where theoretical concepts are tested on a large scale, anticipating a future in which ports, naval bases and large ships will no longer be able to rely on the depth of the sea as their last line of defense. Image | SBU SCREENCAP In Xataka | Now we know the price North Korea pays Russia for its nuclear submarine: the most dangerous job of the war in Ukraine In Xataka | The drone war in Ukraine is complete nonsense: the manuals that were useful two weeks ago are a death trap today

The Tourbillon is already sold out until 2029

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Bugatti has achieved something very unusual even within the realm of limited edition supercars: sell the entire production of its new flagship model before it goes into mass production. The Bugatti Tourbillon, heir to the Chiron and the first major project of Mate Rimac’s Bugatti era, no longer accepts further orders until 2029, as published Motorpassion. It would not be surprising if it were not for the fact that each unit has a base price close to four million euros. A new Bugatti… that you can’t buy It doesn’t matter if you have the nearly four million euros that the base model costs, if you agree to pay that much more in customization or if you are willing to wait three years. As and as they point out from Engine1the brand has completely closed its production schedule until 2029. The problem is no longer the price, but access to one of its cars and the economy of scarcity. Bugatti is not talking about a conventional waiting list, in which a certain number of units will be delivered immediately and the rest will be delivered as they are manufactured, as usually happens with the most exclusive supercars. Simply no cars available to sell, not even to customers with money ready and waving it in the air like Fry in the famous meme from Futurama. The Tourbillon is the natural successor to the Chiron and one of the most profound changes in Bugatti’s modern history. The brand has confirmed a limited production of around 250 units for the coupé, all of them already assigned to customers, which leaves the assembly line compromised for the next few years. In fact, the new model will need a new space to be manufactured, which will imply an expansion of the workshops to a new building, according to what was published by CarBuzz. The base price of the Bugatti Tourbillon is around four million euros before taxes, but at Bugatti that number only serves as an initial reference. Just as it happens more and more brands deluxe, customization It is part of the product purchasing experience…and its price. “We have special programs that we carry out with our clients. Each car is really special and, on average, each client spends half a million euros to personalize their car,” explained Mate Rimac, CEO of Bugatti. in an interview for Top Gear. The catalog of options to customize the Tourbillon includes exclusive paints that exceed 300,000 euros, specific aesthetic packages, special wheels, interiors with custom-developed materials and artisan details that easily raise the bill. Some documented examples by Car and Driver It is the Équipe Pur Sang package, with aesthetic and aerodynamic changes that costs around 230,000 euros, the Sky View panoramic roof would cost around 69,000 euros and personalized interior finishes with unique colors or metal inserts can add several hundred thousand euros more to the bill. With an ambitious configuration, the final price of a Bugatti Tourbillon can approach or even exceed five million, without this guaranteeing priority if you were not already in the correct delivery list. A naturally aspirated V16 in the middle of the electric era Beyond what owning a car under the Bugatti emblem implies in itself, one of the main attractions of the Tourbillon is under the hood. Bugatti has abandoned the Chiron W16 to launch on this new platform a new proposal consisting of a new hybrid engine with an 8.3-liter naturally aspirated V16, developed together with Cosworth. By itself it is already a rarity in a 2025 dominated by electrical proposals. Three electric motors and a high-performance battery are added to this thermal engine, giving rise to a plug-in hybrid system with a combined power of around 1,800 HP. The figures that Bugatti manages in your technical sheet They are from another planet: acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in about 2 seconds, from 0 to 200 km/h in less than 5 seconds and a maximum speed that, with the appropriate configuration, easily exceeds 440 km/h. In addition, it can travel up to about 60 km in 100% electric mode, something almost anecdotal in this hypercar segment, but significant on a technical level since this 1,800 HP beast could get tag Zero in Spain. The case of the Bugatti Tourbillon summarizes well how the most extreme automotive luxury has evolved. At the top of the market, money is no longer the main barrier. The truly scarce is the access: be at the right time, with the right track record and within a very limited circle. Therefore, even if you have four million in your pocket (or even five, in case you get too carried away with the extras), the Tourbillon will remain unattainable for years. Not because you can’t pay it, but because you already there are no cars left to sell. In Xataka | China has discovered another front to elevate its electric car: competing face to face against Ferrari and Lamborghini Image | Bugatti

Six dissident countries want to keep the combustion car alive in Europe. And they have the opposition of Spain ahead of them

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The European Commission will speak and everything indicates that it will back down on its decision to ban the sale of cars with combustion engines from 2035. To what extent remains to be known and has yet to be revealed. What is certain is that Europe is divided between those who want to go back and those who prefer to move forward. These are the six dissident countries. The six of combustion. “We can and must pursue our climate goal effectively, without killing our competitiveness.” These are some of the words of the letter that six countries have sent to Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, according to Bloomberg. Why does an electric car have less autonomy than advertised? The letter, which is reported by the media but has also been ratified by Automotive News either Reutersis led by Italy and signed by six countries in total that disagree with the decision that is still in force right now and that points to the impossibility of selling combustion engines that generate carbon emissions from 2035. These countries are: Italy, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Poland. They are not doing the work. In the statements they have been making these days (reported in media such as Diariomotor) its leaders there is a common axis around which everything revolves: competitiveness. These countries believe that the ban on combustion engines makes it difficult for traditional European manufacturers to exist. These leaders consider that Europeans have a lot to lose if they jump to electric cars as the only solution and that Chinese manufacturers benefit the most. This position, held for months by countries such as Italy or Poland including your express support for tariffs to the Chinese electric car, has even made some Chinese manufacturers stop your investments in these dissident countries. It is believed that by orders of the Chinese State itself. And Germany? Its absence is almost surprising considering that it is the company that has championed the fight against the 2035 ban. Not signing this letter shows that the German country is advancing on its own and that it seems to have other objectives, although with subtle differences, in mind. Friedrich Merz, German chancellor, has long been lobbying for combustion engines to remain in force. In fact, he confronted Italy until he achieved the door was opened to synthetic fuels. The big question is how far they want to stretch their position. Small nuances. Manfred Weber, president of the European People’s Party and German politician, leaked a few days ago that the intention of the European Commission was to allow the sale of cars with combustion engines as long as the average CO2 emissions were reduced by 90%, taking the 2021 objectives as a reference. The change is important because achieving that goal is only possible if the bulk of the cars sold by a brand are electric cars. Even with current approvals for plug-in hybrids it would be impossible to achieve consumption that falls within the regulations. That is, Germany is looking for a huge fleet of electric cars on the streets with certain wide sleeve for luxury manufacturers of putting cars with combustion engines on the street at very high prices. Spain and the pro-electric front. Faced with the six dissident countries and Germany, Spain seems to have confronted France so that the current ban is maintained under the terms that had already been agreed. That is, it is prohibited to sell combustion engines that produce carbon emissions. Both countries are interested in the future of the vehicle fleet going through the electric car. French manufacturers have made enormous efforts to jump to the electric car, with renault and Peugeot as champions of these investments. Multi-energy platforms Stellantis STLA and STLA Small They are good examples. And precisely part of the future of the Spanish industry starts from the latter. Our country assembles the Stellantis small electric cars and that is why now it has on the horizon a battery factory next to CATL. Martorell, from Seat, is being renovated to give way to the small electric cars from the Volkswagen Group and the investment in Sagunto for the battery factory is part of the plan. These are just some of the projects already active as Spain continues to position itself to host more of the electric car industry in the coming years, including investments already approved for the conversion of factories. Photo | Rafael Garcin and mercedes In Xataka | In 2035 only 10% of combustion cars will comply with Euro 7. So the industry is pushing to skip it

discounts of more than 50%

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If you haven’t bought Christmas gifts yet, amazon It is one of those online stores where you can still get technological devices with good discounts and that arrive in time to give as a gift. These are some of the best deals in technology that we have found today in the e-commerce giant. Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro If you are looking for an all-round smartwatch, this Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro is it. Now, in addition, you can take it with a 33% discount on Amazon. It has gone from costing 399.90 euros to 266.94 euros in these moments. The Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro is a smartwatch with a 1.5-inch AMOLED screen and is water resistant to 10 ATM and has military certification. Its battery offers a autonomy of up to 27 days and is compatible with voice assistants. Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro Outdoor Smart Watch 48 mm The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Google Pixel 10 Pro XL One of the top mobile phones that you can find at the moment is the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL. Now, in its 512 GB version you can get it at a discount on Amazon. It has a discount of more than 330 euroyes and you can buy it for 1,098.35 euros. This top Google mobile has a 6.8 inch OLED screen with a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz. Its brain is the Google Tensor G5 processor and guarantees updates to the Android operating system for seven years. It comes with a triple rear camera and its battery lasts more than 24 hours. Google Pixel 10 Pro XL 512GB The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Crucial X9 SSD Hard Drive If you have storage problems on your devices (such as the console or laptop), having an external SSD hard drive can be a good solution. This Crucial X9 It is now discounted on Amazon and you can buy it for 127.99 euros. This SSD hard drive offers a capacity of 2 TB and vspeeds up to 1,050 MB/s. It has USB-C 3.2 connectivity and is Plug & Play type, so you will only have to plug it into your MacPC, PS5 or Xbox, for example, to be able to save files without problem. Crucial X9 SSD 2TB Portable The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Fire Stick 4K Plus If you want to give a new life to your old TV or change the operating system of the one you already have, the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus is a good device to consider. Now, you can buy it at more than half its usual price. It has gone from costing 69.90 euros to 29.90 euros in these moments. The Fire TV Stick 4K Plus was launched this year and is ideal for use on televisions with 4K resolution. It has a WiFi 6 connection and comes with Alexa as a voice assistant. Your remote also has direct access buttons to the main streaming platforms. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Soundcore Sport X20 Wireless Headphones If you are thinking of giving something to someone who regularly practices sports, these Soundcore Sport X20 wireless headphones are a highly recommended accessory. Normally, they cost 99.99 euros, but now they have a 40% discountbeing able to buy them for 59.99 euros. These wireless headphones They are available in three colors. They are perfect for training and have a rotation of up to 30 degrees and 4 mm of extension. They have noise cancellation and their battery offers a autonomy of up to 12 hours (or extendable up to 48 hours using the charging case). Furthermore, they have IP68 certification. Soundcore Sport X20 Wireless Sports Headphones 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 | Webedia, Soundcore, Google, Amazon, Crucial and Amazfit In Xataka | Best “smart” Amazon Echo speakers. Which one to buy and recommendations based on use In Xataka | Which Kindle to buy: buying guide with recommendations to get it right with Amazon e-book readers

There is so much misinformation with the Treasury and private payments in Bizum that the Treasury has had to come out to deny them

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In recent days, Bizum has become an unexpected protagonist of the tax debate in Spain as a result of the reform on operations communications that financial institutions must send to the Treasury. Given the confusion generated, the Tax Agency has published an official clarification to clarify what really changes and what does not in the communication of payments made through Bizum. What the Treasury has had to clarify. The Tax Agency has published an explanatory note to stop the idea that Bizum is going to impose massive control of payments between individuals. As explained in his note, there is no change in the taxation of individual users or in the obligation to declare the daily payments that individual users make through Bizum. What does change is the information that banks must send to the Treasury about certain payment systems. Bizum becomes explicitly included along with other means such as credit cards, debit cards or other electronic platforms. But this information obligation does not apply in the same way to all users. The key nuance is who uses Bizum and for what purpose. And that is where the confusion skyrocketed and the private use of the platform was confused with the professional use and supervision of those payments through Bizum. The reform that caused it all. The origin of the controversy is in the regulatory reform that regulates communications between financial entities and the Tax Agency, recently published in the BOE. This text establishes that banks must report all movements made through electronic payment systems when the recipient is a company or professional. That is, Bizum is comparable to other common collection methods in economic activity. If a business, a self-employed person or a company receives payments through Bizum, these movements must be fully communicated to the Treasury, just as occurs with card payments. These payments will be included in your accounting books and tax regulations will be applied to them. like any other paymentand the tax entities will communicate the existence of these payments by identifying the bank or payment accounts through which these charges associated with the company are made. The standard does not introduce a new obligation for businesses, but rather standardizes the treatment of Bizum with other payment systems that were already under that level of control. What happens to private users?. The Treasury clarification is blunt on this point: individual users are left outside the individualized control of each movement when they use Bizum for day-to-day payments: shared dinners, gifts, money refunds or small payments between friends are not communicated in detail to the Tax Agency. There is no new threshold, no obligation to declare each transfer, nor automatic monitoring of daily operations between natural persons. In that sense, Bizum continues to work the same as it has until now for the majority of users. The exemption, however, does not mean carte blanche from a tax point of view. And this is where the second important nuance about the use of Bizum comes in, understood as a payment channel that has already been equated with any other existing payment system. Bizum is only a payment channel. In a own statementBizum wanted to clarify that the exclusion of individual users from automatic reporting does not eliminate their tax obligations. The platform insists that the payment method (Bizum, in this case) does not change the nature of the income. Yeah a user charges a rent by Bizum and does not declare it, it is still taxable income. If you receive a donationmust pay taxes in accordance with the corresponding regulations. And if you use Bizum for a hidden economic activity, the Treasury can demand liability in the same way as if the payment had been made in cash or by transfer. The key is in the concept of payment, not in the payment channel used. Bizum does not inspect or exonerate itself, it simply channels payments. The obligation to declare depends on the origin and purpose of the money. SMEs and microenterprises. By equating Bizum with other payment systems and differentiating between individual users and companies, there is a risk of diluting the limit in cases where the holder of a bank account belongs to the 5463% of sole proprietorship SMEs in which a self-employed professional develops his profession and uses a single checking account to receive his Bizums, both personal and professional. As and as they recommend from Bizum, in these cases, it is essential to identify the specific cause of each payment received through Bizum or, to avoid problems, separate payments from Bizum directed to the professional activity of the personal Bizum into different accounts. In Xataka | Bizum and the Treasury: what changes in the control of transfers after eliminating the 3,000 euro threshold

Mercadona invests heavily in AI. And it has an advantage built over 40 years

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The general overview. Mercadona has a turnover of 38.8 billion euros annually without being the cheapest supermarket in Spain. The slogan ‘Always Low Prices’ was left behind a long time ago because its focus became different. Their secret today is not in the price, but in constantly anticipating what their customers need. Now it wants to scale that capability with AI. Why is it important. Sergio Pajares, the company’s Director of Technology, sums it up bluntly in statements to The Spanish: The company does not seek to have AI for the sake of having it, but rather to develop “the best AI to sell lettuce.” A way to make it clear that they do not want a simple technological showcase, but rather tools that solve tangible problems of daily business. The context. Mercadona has been optimizing its supply chain for forty years and accumulating knowledge about what works in its stores and logistics blocks. That advantage built year after year is what now powers its AI models. It is not about integrating any API and bragging about innovation, but about training systems that understand the internal reality of the company. In detail. The company has developed an AI tool applied to product master data, the heart of its system. Automate the generation of information when new assortment arrives. And it detects inconsistencies that could break the chain: from label errors to coding mismatches. Pajares defends that therein lies the competitive difference: “There are very advanced models to program applications, but none natively understands how software is developed within a specific company.” The key is that the AI ​​knows and interprets Mercadona’s own context, in this case. Between the lines. The strategy has two speeds. For business processes, such as planning employee vacations that do not compromise operational continuity, the company trains its own models. For more standard tasks, such as automatically recognizing supplier invoices, use off-the-shelf generative AI, while maintaining flexibility to switch suppliers when appropriate. Yes, but. Mercadona does not want technological disorder. It has defined an internal strategy that standardizes developments, guarantees common practices in quality and security, and prevents each team from creating its own isolated solutions. “AI cannot grow in a disorderly manner,” insists Pajares. This last point is key: in many companies, AI has been assumed as an engine that each team executes independentlyoften with different tools between teams, complements disconnected from each other. Mercadona seeks that cohesion between departments. The background. Pajares is clear: it is not about having the best algorithm in the world, but about knowing where to apply it. “In technology we tend to fall in love with the algorithm; in real life, intelligence lies in knowing where to apply it,” according to The Spanish. Mercadona’s bet is to predict demand with more precision than anyone else. Four decades of data on purchasing behavior, product rotation and logistics efficiency are your moat particular. And AI amplifies that advantage. In Xataka | Mercadona grows, but the “shopkeeper” model is dead: Spain has lost 142,000 businesses in 10 years Featured image | Mercadona

In 2017, the owner of an electric car installed a charger with his neighborhood community against him. The Supreme Court has spoken

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A neighborhood association does not have the right to prevent a neighbor from installing a charger in their garage. This is the conclusion reached by the Supreme Court, confirming what can already be read in the Horizontal Property Law where this assumption is included. This has been the case of a neighbor from Alicante. 2017. The entire case studied by the Supreme Court has its origins in the last months of 2017. As stated in the rulingat the beginning of September of that year, the owner of an electric car contacts the administrator of his neighborhood community to inform him that he is going to install an electric car charger in his garage. There begins an exchange of communications in which the property manager maintains that he cannot carry out said installation because he is occupying common areas with the cables pulled for it and asks him to wait for the ordinary meeting to ask the neighbors if they agree with said installation since he can only carry it out if all the neighbors give their approval. Why does an electric car have less autonomy than advertised? without permission. It is then that the owner of the electric car tells the administration of the garage’s community of neighbors and its president that he does not need the approval of the neighbors since it is only necessary to inform the community of owners of his intentions. To do this, remember that in the article 17.5 of the Horizontal Property Law the following is specified: The installation of an electric vehicle charging point for private use in the building’s parking lot, provided that it is located in an individual parking space, will only require prior communication to the community. The cost of said installation and the corresponding electricity consumption will be assumed entirely by the person or parties directly interested in it. Therefore, he points out, the installation will be carried out whether the neighborhood community wants it or not. He emphasizes that he will pay the costs in full and that the electricity will be supplied with the service of his home. The complaint. Once the charging point was installed in December 2017, the ordinary meeting of the neighborhood community decided in February 2018 that the installation is illegal because it is occupying common areas and that for this the owner must receive the approval of the neighbors. They point out that if the installation is not eliminated within two months they will use the appropriate legal measures. Given this decision, the owner of the electric car denounces the community of neighbors so that the agreement in which the installation of his charging point was discussed is annulled. The defendant neighborhood association requests that it be dismissed and the court of first instance agrees with it, dismissing the lawsuit and ruling that the owner of the electric car has to pay the costs of the trial. From there, the matter escalates to the Supreme Court. First, the owner appeals the decision and the court of second instance agrees with him, admitting the complaint to be processed and declaring the agreement of the ordinary meeting null and void despite the fact that the community of owners filed an appeal that was dismissed. Then, the community of neighbors files an appeal against the decision of the court of second instance. The Supreme Court. With all this background, the Supreme Court concludes that the owner has the right to install a charging point in his parking space despite the fact that he has to occupy common areas with perforations and passage of cables, as detailed by the community of neighbors. In its ruling, the highest judicial body rejects the appeal of the community of owners. They remember that although in article 17 of the Horizontal Property Law there are several points that require the unanimity of the owners to occupy common areas for private purposes, this is not the case in the case of the fifth point in which the installation of charging points is regulated. Additionally, they explain the following: (The installation) requires an electrical supply, which can only be obtained through the appropriate conduction, it is obvious that it must necessarily flow through such elements. In other words, the legislator had to necessarily imagine that the wiring would pass through common elements. If, however, it introduced this rule without referring to said circumstance or the agreement of the Community, it is because it considered that this particular action was excluded or outside the decision-making powers of the Community, which could not oppose the practice of installation Communicate but do not ask permission. As confirmed by experts in horizontal property to Xatakaany resident of a community garage can install a charging point for their electric car even if the neighborhood community objects. Legally, it is only necessary to communicate the intention to do so and comply with the Technical Guide of application of the ITC-BT 52. Special purpose facilities. Infrastructure for recharging electric cars. When the Madrid College of Administrators was consulted, its advisors recommended complying with the following requirements to avoid problems: Prior communication by the requesting owner or neighbor. From the meter to the charging point, the line must be installed under approved pipe and along the route agreed upon with the community of owners, and common conduits and boxes cannot be used. The pipe pass from the meter room to the garage will be the responsibility of the requesting owner. The charging point will be installed on the back wall of the parking space, as centrally as possible and without occupying the flight of the adjacent spaces. The owner or neighbor must deliver the installation bulletin to the community of owners. Comply with current regulations at all times. An exception. It occurs in Catalonia and its objective is to facilitate the installation of more than one charging point for electric cars by taking advantage of the implementation of the first plug or, at least, trying to ensure that it … Read more

We joke about porn at ChatGPT, but it’s the most lucid financial move OpenAI has had in a long time

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There are people so hooked on AI who needs professional help to get out of there. Others they fall in love with one and even they cheat on their partners. In the midst of the debate about the effects of AI on mental healthOpenAI took a radical turn: would allow erotic content on ChatGPT. Porn on ChatGPT is on the decline, and it may be the push OpenAI needs to start monetizing its invention. adult mode. They count in The Verge A few days ago the head of OpenAI applications confirmed the approximate date for the arrival of this new mode. The adult mode was expected to be ready for this month of December, but apparently they do not have the age prediction system ready yet, so it will arrive sometime in the first quarter of 2026. Rudder turn. The measure represents a turn in Altman’s speech, which in August of this year He was “proud of not making a sexbot to squeeze profits”, in which many of us saw a swipe at Elon Musk and his competitor Grok. His change of position provoked criticism from many users, to which responded saying that Open AI was not “the world’s moral police” and that “as AI becomes more important in people’s lives, giving them the freedom to use it as they wish is an important part of our mission.” Subscriptions. Only one word is needed to understand the change in position: money. If there is something that OpenAI needs as May water, it is money, a lot of money. The subscriptions They were proposed as the most logical way to monetize AI chatbots, but the reality is that of the 1.8 billion users that ChatGPT has, only 3% pay any of the subscriptions. OpenAI’s plan is that by 2030 the number of subscribers will increase by at least 8.5% and adult mode is part of that plan. A sector that moves millions. Grok is one of the AI ​​chatbots that has fewer restrictions regarding erotic content, but there are more apps like Character.Ai or Replika that also allow sexual content. They count in The Economist that the adult content AI market will bill $2.5 billion in 2025 and is expected to increase 27% annually until at least 2028. It is too juicy a business to be left out, even if that means going against what he said just a few months ago. Something more will be needed. Sam Altman himself recently said that OpenAI’s spending projections over the next eight years amount to $1.4 trillion (European trillions, add twelve zeros). Although the adult mode was a success and they managed to double their subscribers, There is still a long way to go to achieve the desired profitability. OpenAI has other open fronts such as the creation of the highly anticipated “AI iPhone” or robotics, but they are businesses that require a huge investment. The advertising It is emerging as another path to follow and, together with porn, they seem to be the two most realistic and effective ideas of all those that OpenAI has on the table. Image | Unsplash In Xataka | OpenAI has lost $11.5 billion in a single quarter. Sam Altman doesn’t like to be reminded

plans to increase production of the H200 in the face of an avalanche of orders, according to Reuters

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NVIDIA once again finds itself in the center of the game. According to Reutersthe company analyzes increasing the production of its chip H200 after orders from China have exceeded what its current capacity can cover. But this time the result will not be decided in Washington, but in Beijing, where the government must authorize the entry of the hardware. The Chinese response will determine whether the window opened by the United States translates into real sales or remains a gesture caught between opposing interests. What has changed in Washington. The turnaround began in Washington on December 8, when Donald Trump announced that the United States would allow the H200 to be exported to commercial customers approved and validated by the Department of Commerce, with a 25% tax on each sale. The measure marked a turning point with respect to previous restrictions and introduced a more flexible control model: the US Government will supervise shipments from Taiwan, subject processors to a security review before authorizing their departure to China and apply the corresponding surcharge. NVIDIA celebrated the announcement as a balance that, according to its own statement, seeks to make national security compatible with commercial activity, while in the markets its shares rose around 2% in subsequent operations. Avalanche of orders. The signal that has led NVIDIA to consider increasing production is clear. According to the aforementioned agency, H200 orders from China already exceed the current manufacturing capacity of the chip. AND, as we pointed out last weektechnology groups such as Alibaba and ByteDance have contacted the company to explore volume purchases, aware that availability is very limited. NVIDIA has informed these clients that it is studying adding capacity, although without commitments or figures, in a context marked by scarcity and the priority that other more advanced generations have today. The interest in the H200 is also explained by its place in the NVIDIA catalog. It is the most powerful chip of the Hopper generation and a clearly superior alternative to the trimmed models designed for China, although it falls behind Blackwella generation with which, Trump explained, NVIDIA’s American customers are already moving forward. That position makes it an awkward balance: it’s not state-of-the-art, but it’s advanced enough to make a difference in training large-scale models. What China decides. Beijing is not limited to giving a yes or no. According to sources cited by Reuters, the internal debate revolves around how to allow access to H200 without weakening the momentum of its domestic semiconductor industry. The authorities are studying imposing specific conditions on each order and reviewing the final destination of the chips, in a context in which Manufacturers like Huawei or Cambricon continue to be priorities for the country’s industrial policy. NVIDIA H200 Capacity and bottlenecks. Increasing H200 production is not an immediate or easy decision. The chip is manufactured at TSMC using its 4nm process, an advanced capability that is hotly contested today. NVIDIA is prioritizing Blackwell production and preparing the transition to Rubinwhile competing with other large clients, such as Google, for space in the Taiwanese manufacturer’s most advanced lines. That context explains why the company has warned its customers of tight supply even if it ultimately decides to add capacity. National security and industrial pressure. The H200 debate goes beyond NVIDIA. In Washington, fear persists that the sale of advanced chips will contribute to strengthening China in sensitive areas, while the Administration itself has defended that completely cutting off access to American chips could reinforce the efforts of local manufacturers. The solution adopted by the Trump Administration seeks that balance, but keeps alive a controversy that conditions both exports and the real possibility of expanding production. With demand pressing and supply at a minimum, the outcome is now being played out in the offices of the Chinese regulator. If Beijing authorizes the purchases, NVIDIA will have to decide to what extent it can reallocate capacity without compromising its industrial priorities. If it doesn’t, the H200 will join the list of advanced chips caught between politics and strategy. In both scenarios, the episode confirms that access to hardware has become as determining a variable as the chip design itself. Images | NVIDIA + Photoshop In Xataka | Microsoft has reduced its ambition with AI. It has been realized that almost no one uses Copilot, they say in The Information

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