Month: December 2025

desperately finding your own SpaceX

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In the technological field, it is often said that Europe regulates a lot and innovates little. This regulatory obsession is something that the European Union is often criticized for, but it has managed important technical advances in technology (a universal airdrop and the USB-C standardization). However, it is true that, in certain fields, other countries have overtaken us to the right. In spatial matters, it is evident: China is investing a lot and SpaceX takes the lead in reusable rockets. Europe wants to get its act together and has announced a megaproject. One of more than 900 million euros to find its own SpaceX. In short. November 2023 marked the turning point for European space ambitions. The ESA advertisement the European Launcher Challenge, an initiative to foster competition between European orbital launch providers, promote a diverse ecosystem to access space, develop cost-effective solutions and, above all, improve European autonomy in space transportation. During this time, it has awarded contracts of up to 169 million euros to five companies that will have the task of developing these processes, the Spanish PLD Space being one of them. It was essential that European States respond with financing, and we already have the results. A few days ago, the ESA published ‘Document 100’ that details each of the investments made by the participants. Final amount? 902.16 million euros to finance the space program. Not necessary: ​​vital. Not only countries with companies involved in development have put money in: there are others that do not have production plans, but have committed funds to the program. It responds to the movements that have been occurring in the world for almost four years. If ESA, and Europe, want to be relevant in space, they must be self-sufficient, just as Russia, the United States and China are. The problem is that it wasn’t. When Russia invaded Ukraine, Access to Soyuz rockets was cut off. He Ariane 5 European retired in 2023 and Ariane 6 has had a series of major mishaps until its first flight in summer 2024. This goes beyond sending astronauts to the ISS: it implies that, without rockets, critical satellites such as The Galileo navigation or the Euclid telescope. Europe had to foldwith many reviewsbefore SpaceX and from the ESA management itself, they signed the agreement with a “we have no other option.” Show me the money. With those 902 million euros, Europe seeks sovereignty, something it is doing in other areas (rearmament, for example), because he understands that he cannot trust geopolitical agreements that, at one time or another, can be broken. The biggest bets have been made from the countries that have the most interest in the program: Germany It is the one that has contributed the most: a total of 363 million euros. France It is the second with about 179 million euros. Spain will make a contribution of 169 million euros. United Kingdom about 144 million euros. And then, as we say, other countries like Norway with 29 million euros directly to the European Launcher Challenge, but each country contributes another amount to other ESA programs. The amounts are astronomical and go to each person’s homeland. In the case of Spain, for example, 36.77 million are going to PLD Space to develop the MIURA 5 and another 132 million for the rocket construction sector in Elche. The chosen ones. And the companies that will receive the bulk of the financing to develop their programs, which they will later sell to ESA, are the following: Isar Aerospace – German company that develops the Spectrum rocket to carry medium payloads. Rocket Factory Augsburg – Also German, she works on the RFA One launcher which is already in the testing phase. MaiaSpace – French she is developing Reusable vertical landing technology. This is a key piece to reduce the price of each launch, which is what SpaceX is achieving with its rockets. PLC Space – The Spanish one who develops the MIURA 5, a small class launcher, as well as a family of reusable rockets called Miura Next. Orbex – British company that plans to host launches from the Saxavord outpost in the Shetland Islands and is developing the Prime A. Feet of lead. Despite the ambition of the project and the companies involved, we must go with a certain skepticism, precisely because of what I commented at the beginning of the article: the regulatory desire. While the American model has allowed SpaceX’s ambitions to be unleashed, with a huge investment and one NASA turning to Musk’s company To put its astronauts into orbit, Europe has maintained a model of strong government oversight. Recently, some voices they asked whether Europe could create a reusable rocket industry, taking into account that it is something that requires specific market conditions that have not been cultivated in the territory. This is precisely where the ESA wants to put the patch with its European Launcher Challenge thanks to a change in policies and investment. Since 2023, private investment in space technology has skyrocketed in Europe and institutions have point to a change of course to “recover sovereignty in terms of access to space.” It only remains to see how the five companies develop their systems, something that will happen before the end of 2027 with a view to ESA missions towards 2030. Images | OrbexIsar Aerospace, ESA, MaiaSpaceFRG In Xataka | “Elon Musk can monopolize everything,” warns Arianespace, which has been launching all of Europe’s satellites for 40 years

It’s tempting to start a “miracle diet” against the clock to get to Christmas. The experts have something to say

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We have reached December and, with it, Christmas lights turn on and also a silent race that repeats itself every year. While company dinners, meetings with friends and family gatherings accumulate, thousands of people begin what we could call “the last sprint”: losing weight quickly before sitting down at the table at Christmas. But behind this sprint There is a much more complex phenomenon. One that has social, emotional and biological roots, and that hides a perverse effect. Express diets teach the body to be more efficient in saving energy, which ends up causing us to regain it and sometimes even more after losing weight quickly. The pre-Christmas sprint. Every December, an almost automatic reflex is activated, the feeling of having to “get there safely” to the holidays. The psychologist specialized in Eating Disorders (ED), Sara Bolo, He explained to us in Xataka that this phenomenon is not coincidental, but a pattern that repeats itself year after year. “Christmas is a special time, where we see family or friends again that we don’t see every day. And with that, comments about the body reappear: ‘I look thinner at you’, ‘you’ve gained weight’…” This dynamic, as common as it is harmful, multiplies aesthetic pressure and turns coexistence into a silent body examination. Another ingredient is added to this context, the purposes that were not fulfilled. “We arrived in December with the idea of New Year, New Me that we announced in January – says Bolo – and the urgency appears to show that we have achieved something.” That mixture of self-demand and closure of the cycle pushes many people to make drastic decisions in a very short time. One more factor. And it’s not just aesthetic pressure or frustration, there’s also anticipatory fear. According to Bolo, it is common for some people to restrict their diet in the weeks before, thinking that this way they “compensate” for Christmas meals in advance. “It becomes a defensive preparation. I don’t want them to tell me anything, I don’t want to feel guilty, so I start restricting before,” he details. This urgency is exactly what dietitian-nutritionist Laura Jorge also observes, director of the centers that bear her name. Since your consultation, December always has the same profile, more requests for “quick fixes”, more promises of express weight loss and more anxiety. “Every year we see an increase in people looking to lose X kilos ‘before the holidays’. It is a very clear pattern,” he explained to us in an interview. Three elements are repeated: urgency, guilt and dichotomous thinking – “now I restrict myself, and at Christmas I will eat” -. What starts as a sprintBoth experts agree, it usually ends up being an emotional and metabolic trap. The hidden enemy. Science explains it bluntly, when we subject the body to extreme and sudden caloric restriction, the body activates survival mechanisms, not weight loss. As Jorge details, the metabolism slows down, hunger increases, satiety decreases and the body begins to use muscle mass as a source of energy. This not only makes it difficult to maintain weight loss, but also reduces basal metabolic expenditure, making it easier for us to gain weight later. Scientific research supports these observations. A study of New England Journal of Medicine showed thatafter losing weight, leptin—the satiety hormone—was still low and ghrelin—the hunger hormone—was still elevated even 12 months later, even though the person had already recovered part of their eating routine. The authors conclude that these adaptations create “a physiological environment that favors the recovery of what was lost.” In addition, the factor of genetics must be taken into account. A study from 2024 published in International Journal of Obesity points out that not everyone responds the same; some people, after repeated cycles, develop a greater risk of insulin resistance or visceral adiposity. The other side. Rapid weight loss has an immediate emotional effect and makes it seem like a success. “You get on the scale, you see fewer kilos and you feel immediate euphoria,” admits Sara Bolo. But it is a mirage. When the weight returns – as it usually does – the emotional collapse appears: guilt, frustration, shame, absolute thoughts (“I am a failure”, “I have no willpower”). Furthermore, the environment reinforces this dynamic because thinness is praised and gain is censored, even with “innocent” comments. This back and forth deteriorates self-esteem and fuels restrictive behaviors that, far from solving the problem, intensify it. A door that is better not to open. “The restrictive diet is the first step of any eating disorder,” he says. the psychologist Rigid control, obsessive calorie counting, avoiding social meals, or classifying foods as good or bad are early signs. And Christmas is one of the moments where they manifest themselves the most. Laura Jorge agrees: “In these weeks we see people who begin to talk obsessively about compensating, skipping meals or doing compulsive exercise. These are signs that should not be ignored.” The combination of aesthetic pressure, abundance of stimuli and comments can activate a latent ED or aggravate an existing one. When the comment is “innocent”, it is not. Social responsibility is evident. The experts remember that comments as common as: “Oops, are you repeating yourself already?” “That’s good, you’re thinner.” “After these meals, tomorrow on a diet.” Behind all these phrases, a thin laugh follows that for many sounds like a roar. And as experts say, they are not only unnecessary, but potentially harmful. “You have to take care of your language,” summarizes the nutritionist. “Do not congratulate people for losing weight, do not comment on their own or other people’s bodies, do not pressure them to eat or stop eating.” Aesthetic pressure often begins with a comment that seemed harmless. So how can we accompany? For those who live Christmas meals with fear of losing control, the key is not in the plate, but in the environment. The psychologist Sara Bolo insists that accompany It does not mean guarding, but offering a safe space. His advice … Read more

The Robla Express is the “Orient Express” of the north

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We live in an environment in which having the skyrocketing cortisol levels and rushing everywhere is part of the daily routine. For that reason, travel by train It is once again a symbol of distinction. Not by arriving earlier, but by how you get there. In the midst of the so-called “slow luxury“, where time becomes the true luxury, the La Robla Express emerges as one of the most exclusive railway experiences in Spain. His proposal: recover the pleasure of travel without rushenjoying each section of the journey as if it were part of the destination. A journey where time stops He La Robla Express tours the north of the peninsula on two routes: The Robla route and the pilgrim route. The first connects Bilbao and León over three days and two nights, while the second route is circular and reflects the spirit of the Camino de Santiago with its beginning and end in Oviedo, extending its duration to six days and five nights. Both with a format designed for those looking for something more than a simple trip. Although the trip takes place on board the train, the itinerary is also built around the stops. The days alternate journeys lulled by the gentle rattle of the tracks with guided tours to northern cultural enclaves. From museums and monuments to historic towns, all of them accompanied by a guide and a support coach that transports travelers to visit. Gastronomy is also an essential part of the trip with lunch and dinner served in the luxurious dining rooms of the train that reminiscent of bygone eras. At night, the train remains parked to guarantee a complete rest, maintaining that calm that defines the experience. As in the other luxury trains from Renfetraveling on the La Robla Express is not an economical experience. The average price is between 1,300 and 1,700 euros per persona figure that reinforces its status as a premium product within the Spanish tourism offer. The best thing is to travel like 100 years ago Restored with care to preserve the spirit of the great classic trainsthe Robla Expreso combines lounge cars with large windows, warm compartments with bunk beds and a private bathroom, and an atmosphere that attempts to replicate the golden age of the railway at the beginning of the 20th century. This experience adds to the global movement that has returned prominence to the luxury trains that are resurfacing throughout Europe. The rise of “slow luxury“is reflected in the recovery of mythical routes and in the launch of new proposals where slow travel is the central axis. In recent years we have seen how They returned to the proposed luxury routes such as those of Belmond’s Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, with suites that reach prices similar to those of the most exclusive hotels, are evidence of the extent to which the economic elite has once again looked at the railway as a symbol of lifestyle. In Spain, Renfe has followed the same path with the renewal of the Al-Andalus trainwhich has reinforced its position as a national alternative to the Orient Express model, offering a different way of getting to know the south of Spain at a calmer pace. In that context, the La Robla Express It occupies a unique space in which the aesthetics of classic luxury are combined with a more intimate approach and a tour of some of the greenest and most peaceful landscapes in the north of the peninsula. The new luxury is the experience of traveling slowly, carefully and far from the speed that dominates current transportation. This train represents a way of traveling that turns each kilometer into part of the memory. A luxury that is not measured in speed, but in the ability to enjoy the journey. In Xataka | Hotel chains no longer just offer luxury rooms: Ritz-Carlton dives into the superyacht business Image | Flickr (Luxury Train Consultancy), Renfe

Five technology and entertainment offers at MediaMarkt and El Corte Inglés, today December 13

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Many of the stores have begun to launch many pre-Christmas offers, so there is something to choose from. Therefore, in this article we are going to review five of the best offers that both MediaMarkt and El Corte Inglés have throughout the weekend. Google Pixel 10 Pro by 764.15 euros Adding it to the cart, a high-end mobile phone with a very reasonable price. AirPods Pro 2 by 169 euros Adding them to the cart, one of the best Apple headphones. Samsung Galaxy S25 by 764.10 euros when registering in the store, a gem for its 512 GB configuration. Jura S by 118.15 euros Adding it to the cart, a cup warmer for the most coffee lovers. ‘Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’ by 39.99 eurosone of the best prices that the winner of GOTY 2025 has had. Google Pixel 10 Pro He Google Pixel 10 Pro has starred in one of the best offers of the week with the new discount of the Private Sale of El Corte Inglés. By registering in the store and adding the mobile phone to the cart, you stay at 764.15 euros. It is a fairly complete smartphone that stands out, above all, in its operating system, design and cameras. Google Pixel 10 Pro (128GB) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links AirPods Pro 2 The same happens with the AirPods Pro 2one of the best Apple Bluetooth headphones. Through the Private Sale of El Corte Inglés, they remain for 169 euros in its version with a charging case with USB-C. Have active noise cancellationThey are very comfortable, their audio quality is very good and their battery lasts approximately 30 hours with the case included. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Samsung Galaxy S25 The Google Pixel 10 Pro is not the only mobile that we can find with a very good price. By registering with MediaMarkt, the Samsung Galaxy S25 stays alone 764.10 euros. And we say “only” because it is about the 512 GB configuration internal storage. It also has an excellent and very well optimized operating system, its screen is a delight and it offers very good photographic results. Plus, it comes with the processor Snapdragon 8 Elite. Samsung Galaxy S25 (512GB) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Jura S If you are a good coffee lover, be very careful with the offer that El Corte Inglés has through its Private Sale in Jura S. 118.15 euroswe talk about a cup warmer which maintains its interior at a constant temperature of approximately 55 ºC. It comes with a lid to preserve heat and allows you to heat up to eight cups of Espresso, six cups of Coffee or four cups of Cappuccino. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links ‘Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’ MediaMarkt has taken advantage of the fact that ‘Clair Obscur: Expedition 33‘has won nine awards in the The Game Awards to put it on offer. By 39.99 euroswe are talking about an excellent title in many of its sections: story, narrative, art design, soundtrack…Without a doubt, it is a most interesting video game that has also incorporated additional content for free. Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 (PS5) 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 | MediaMarkt, El Corte Inglés and Compradicción (header), Google, Apple, Samsung, Jura, Sandfall Interactive In Xataka | The best mobile phones (2025), we have tested them and here are their analyzes In Xataka | Best wireless headphones. Which one to buy and 21 models from 15 euros to 470 euros

The countries of northern Europe are full of offshore wind. So they’ve started to steal the wind from each other

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The world has thrown itself into the arms of renewables to meet the goals of decarbonization. Each country is developing its strategy And, if in some the photovoltaic takes the lead, in others it is the wind that splits the cod. The problem is the commitments: fill the plate field implies that crops receive less sunlight. And fill the world with wind turbines – apart from visual impact, for fishing and for the birds-, is causing something as curious as it is problematic. Countries that are stealing the wind from their neighbors. Wake effect. When the wind hits the wind turbine bladesthese rotate, generating kinetic energy and electricity. The wind continues its path, but after passing through a wind turbine, it does so with less force. Multiply that by fields full of these mills and we have what is known as the ‘wake effect‘ or ‘wake effect’. This air that has already passed through a wind turbine station does so with a lower speed and greater turbulence. And if this is important, it is because the wind takes time to recover: the wakes can extend more than 100 kilometers after crossing a field of windmills. wind thieves. These facilities are usually far from each other to better take advantage of the currents, but if under certain circumstances they extend tens of kilometers, and up to the aforementioned hundred, imagine the consequences for the wind turbines that remain behind that installation that receives the first “hit” of wind. It is not an assumption: there is measurements by SAR satellite that confirm that, if a wind farm is built upwind of another, the wind speed it receives is 9% lower, causing it to have a reduction between 10% and 20% compared to that first installation. This is what is known as “wind theft,” a colloquial term for something that is easy to understand, but not so easy to fix. This GIF of The Telegraph illustrates it perfectly: Princess Elisabeth. As we read in BBCthe lawyer Eirik Finseras, specialized in offshore wind energy, “is a somewhat misleading term because you cannot steal something that you cannot own. Nobody owns the wind” – del Sol, yes, a Galician -. But of course, the fact that no one owns the wind does not exempt that park on the windward side from suffering the effects of the park built on the leeward side. In the North Sea, this is already becoming a problembecause the denser and larger the wind farm, the more intense the wake effect will be. Belgium is building Princess Elisabeth, a huge park that will add a whopping 3.5 GW of offshore wind capacity to the country’s accounts. It is a really huge offshore facilitybut although it will allow the addition of those 3.5 GW, it will also affect the existing Belgian parks due to a wake that will extend 55 kilometers beyond the installation. According to the accounts of the University of Leuven, the oldest Belgian facilities located to the east will experience: An 8.5% reduction in annual electricity production. Losses of up to 15% on very windy days. Impact. That in Belgian parks, but of course, it is also an international problem because the wind does not understand borders. By 2030, it is estimated that the current capacity of offshore wind energy in the North Sea will triple. This implies that thousands of turbines will be erected in a very short time with Belgium, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands willing to obtain, in total, 65 GW of offshore wind energy. The problem is knowing what will happen to these trails, since it is estimated that the 1,400 MW installation in the Dutch area of Borssele will cause a reduction of 2.7% on average in some Belgian wind farms. It is a very clear case of how the Netherlands is “stealing” the wind from Belgium. It is logical to understand the interest in offshore wind Bigger blades. In a report by BBCPablo Ouro, a civil engineering researcher at the University of Manchester, points out that they have been seeing wake effects for years, but that “the problem is that, to achieve emissions neutrality, we will need to triple offshore wind capacity and some of these new turbines will operate very close to those already in operation. There will be more and more crowds and the wake effects will have a greater impact.” And it is no longer a question of the number of mills, but of their dimensions. In the North Sea we are seeing efforts to achieve both greater heights for the mills themselves (to take advantage of other currents that are not being taken advantage of right now, such as larger blades that receive even more force from the wind. They are imposing mega-constructions that will also affect this wake effect, aggravating the problem. Solutions? Different countries are doing calculations. For example, in the United States, esteem that the planned offshore wind farms will produce a devastating wake effect: losses in the annual electricity production of other farms by up to 48.5 TWh per year. And there are already accusations: the Netherlands says that Belgium takes advantage of its wind, Germany says that the Netherlands is harming them… and the United Kingdom’s offshore parks stealing wind each other. The solution? Nothing simple, especially when many of these parks have either already been built or are under construction, but even so, research is being carried out to optimize the facilities. For example, adjusting turbine angles and optimizing the space between them, manufacturing higher power turbines to produce more with less or creating buffer zones between parks And, perhaps, the most difficult thing: that countries cooperate to carry out joint studies to place their facilities in the most efficient way for everyone. Images | ESMAP, G B_NZ In Xataka | In the great battle for wind turbines, Spain goes against Europe: it wants them further away than ever

the incredible secrecy with which the first iPhone was manufactured

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What was it like working on the iPhone original? The question has surely been on the mind of every technology enthusiast: after all, we are talking about one of the greatest advances in technological consumption of the 21st century. And it is one that has an answer. It was given by Terry LambertApple engineer, a few years ago on Quora. Lambert was part of ‘Project Purple’, a top secret project in which it was only possible to work if one accepted not only endless days, but also an environment in which secrecy was absolute. So much so that Lambert had to sign a confidentiality agreement (NDA) not only to guarantee that he would not tell anything about that project: he signed it to be able to know the name of the key project. That was just the first of obsessive security measures who managed to protect that secret until the end. Lambert was responsible for about 6% (in number of lines) of the core code of OS The first thing he said is that when he was offered to work on that project, they took him to an area of ​​the headquarters where everyone dressed in black: that in itself was an unmistakable sign that something top secret was being worked on. Working blind, almost literally In fact, Lambert joked that if you wanted to create a cute Apple Halloween costume, all you had to do was put on a black sheet, cut out a couple of holes for the eyes, and go “secret project“. During that project he never saw the iPhone for which he was programming and debugging code: “I could only see the machine that did the remote debugging, not the actual device, but it was obviously a system based on ARM architecture.” After signing the NDA that allowed him to know the code name of the project – and of course he couldn’t discuss anything with anyone, including his family – he would end up working on something that he wasn’t even sure what it was, especially since Apple maintained completely independent groups in which they worked on small objectives that They did not allow us to know what they were working on on the whole. Another thing Apple does is give different code names for different groups. Or what is the same: you could be working on the same project as another person or group without knowing it. Neither debate it nor comment on it. Another engineer named Jerry Wang who also answered that question on Quora indicated how in fact he, who also worked on the documentation of that device and worked with the operators that launched the iPhone in the United States, did not know the project as ‘Project Purple’, but as ‘M68’. From that moment on he had access to a “secret laboratory” that was inside the main laboratory. Only a select few had access to that secret lab, but “you never got to see the design of the product, because when you’re doing that initial work, it’s all Plexiglas prototypes.” A curious detail: Lambert confessed how the cables used to “talk” to those pre-production units were, indeed, purple. In Xataka | In 2007, Steve Jobs went on stage with an iPhone that barely worked: he was saved by a script that did not allow even a detour Image | Xataka

Immediately afterwards, Intel and AMD ended up being sued

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The inside of a missile says much more than it seems at first glance. Beyond its military function, it is also the result of a design, manufacturing and distribution chain that crosses borders. In several analyzes carried out in Ukrainetechnicians have identified foreign components integrated into Russian weapons. That information, by itself, does not explain how they got there, but it does open an investigation that begins in the technical field and ends up connecting with international trade and the courts. In this way, that clue is transferred to the judicial field. Several civil lawsuits were filed this week in Texas state court in Dallas on behalf of dozens of Ukrainian citizens against Intel, AMD and Texas Instruments, as well as Mouser Electronics, a large components distributor linked to Berkshire Hathaway. The plaintiffs maintain that these companies did not prevent restricted chips from being resold to Russia through third parties, despite the sanctions in force. The chosen location is not coincidental, since the aforementioned companies have an operational presence in that state. The accusation in a sentence. As Bloomberg reports, The lawsuits maintain that the companies incurred what lawyers describe as “willful ignorance”, a deliberate ignorance regarding the diversion of chips to Russia through foreseeable intermediaries. According to the plaintiffs, there were sufficient signs that components from these companies were being resold in violation of US sanctions, but they allege that controls were not strengthened to prevent this. That omission is the basis of a broader accusation of corporate negligence in export control and diversion prevention. So how do the chips arrive? The background of the litigation links to investigations that have long pointed to the presence of foreign technology in Russian weapons. Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Ukrainian presidential commissioner for sanctions policy, he explained to CNN in September that many of these components are dual-use and that their entry into military programs usually occurs through intermediaries and front companies. The demands are not based only on a general approach, but on specific episodes. The writings cite five attacks that occurred between 2023 and 2025 that killed or injured civilians in Ukraine. According to the documentation presented, one of those attacks would have involved Iranian-made drones, while others are attributed to KH-101 cruise missiles and Russian-produced Iskander ballistic missiles. In several cases, the plaintiffs claim that the systems used incorporated electronic components associated with the aforementioned companies. The focus of the lawsuits is not limited to the manufacturers. Named in court documents is Mouser Electronics, a large components distributor based in Mansfield, Texas, and owned by Berkshire Hathaway since 2007, when it acquired parent company TTI. The plaintiffs allege that Mouser facilitated chip transfers to shell companies controlled by intermediaries with ties to Russia, and that its logistics decisions and operations were a relevant domestic component of the alleged conduct. Mouser and Berkshire Hathaway also did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Position of the companies and sanctions. The companies mentioned have not made public comments on the matter. In the past, however, they have said that they comply with sanctions requirements, that they ceased their activity in Russia when the war began, and that they maintain strict policies to monitor compliance. Since the start of the war, the United States has tightened controls on the export of semiconductors and other electronic components, but the results have been mixed. a report of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations concluded last year that components manufactured in the United States continue to appear in Russian weapons. As we can see, sanctions and export controls do not seem to be preventing Western chips from ending up in the hands of companies linked to the Russian military complex. From now on, the course of the case will depend on when the court processes the lawsuits and they become publicly visible in the judicial record. From there, the judges will decide if the litigation moves forward and with what schedule. Beyond the result, the case focuses on a question that is difficult to resolve with simple rules, how far the responsibility goes when a component is resold over and over again and ends up in a prohibited end use, with human consequences far from its point of origin. Images | Vitaly V. Kuzmin (CC BY-SA 4.0) | Rubaitul Azad In Xataka | The US has joined the “party” of China, Russia and Japan in the Pacific: with its nuclear bombers

20 years after Dolly we still haven’t cloned humans, but stopping aging is feasible: Crossover 1×32

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In the summer of 1996, a Scottish laboratory made a breakthrough that would forever alter our understanding of genetics and ignite intense debates about the ethics and the possibilities of cloning. That day Dolly was bornthe first mammal cloned from an adult somatic cell. This milestone, achieved by researchers at the Roslin Institute, opened a new era in genetic engineering and shattered the belief that only embryonic cells possess the potential for the complete development of a new individual. Since then there has been debate about the possibility of cloning human beings, but we have not done it and it does not seem that we will ever do it. Serezade, molecular biologist, researcher and scientific communicator, talks to us about that and many other things this week. But we also discussed with her another fascinating topic: how the latest advances seem to be achieving something long sought after: slow aging. There is a lot of fabric to cut here, and for example the environment, culture and habits shape our DNA. But there are also risks, ethics and genetic privacy intertwined. And all this raises a key question: does it make sense to be immortal? On YouTube | Crossover In Xataka | The promise of 120 years is dismantled: biology sets a life ceiling that is quite difficult to break

dealers doubt 20 days after its application

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It was presented on December 4 and promises to be active on January 2, 2026. That day, if everything goes ahead, we will be able to go to the dealership, commit our electric car and see a discount on the final bill. That, at least, is what was promised the day the Auto+ Plan was presented. The last to doubt this: the dealers. The presentation. It’s been eight days since The Auto+ Plan was presenteda purchase assistance program framed within the Auto Plan 2030a transversal strategy to promote the electric car and general improvements in the mobility of our country. The star measure: direct discounts on the purchase of electric cars. It is a decision that meets the demands of buyers and manufacturers who have been asking for this measure for years to encourage the expansion of this type of vehicles. And it is that, with the MOVES III Plan and in all previous editions, the delivery of aid was delayed in some cases by up to 18 months. many doubts. Despite the announcement, many doubts remained floating in the air: It is not known how much aid for electric cars will amount to. It is not known if the aid will also cover the purchase of plug-in hybrids. It is not known if the aid will have to be declared in the income tax return, although if it is applied as a discount to the purchase it is likely that this will not be the case. It has been announced that Aid from the MOVES III Plan will be covered that have not been entered but it has not been clarified how long we are talking about. To be restless. When this Auto+ Plan was announced we could expect that all agents were aware and had agreed. Much more so if we take into account that there are 20 days left until the new purchase aid is available. But the truth is that dealers are revealing their doubts. According to The Economistthe concessionaires are negotiating with the Ministry of Industry the delivery of the aid but they have a red line: they will not advance the aid. From Xataka We have contacted Faconauto, the dealer association in Spain, but they have refused to comment on the matter. The problem, they point out from the media, is that the concessionaires do not have sufficient financial health to advance the money if the State extends its subsequent income. According to data from Facoauto itself, the profitability of the sector is only 1.38% and three out of every ten dealerships are in losses. The Valencian case. One of the proposals that had been put on the table was to act the same as with the Restart Auto+ Plan when Up to 10,000 euros in aid were offered for buyers of an electric car after the DANA in Valencia. The objective was to take advantage of the forced renewal of the automobile fleet with the delivery of electric cars. Then we worked with the idea that the aid money would be deducted from the total payment for the vehicle. However, the bureaucracy made an appearance again to the point that some dealers advanced aid to customers with a discount on the purchase at the expense of their request being later approved but without prior acceptance through. In The Economist They point out that the dealers remember that this way of acting was only carried out by some brands, delivering the car before having approval for help. Furthermore, they remember that the Valencian case was exceptional and that it is difficult for something similar to be applied on a state level if they do not have the State’s commitment to deliver aid in a short period of time. 20 days left. Now, with this position of the concessionaires in front of us, the Government has less than three weeks to negotiate aid that was announced for January 2, 2026. A complex situation that is reminiscent of the last extensions of the MOVES III Plan. It must be remembered that in February 2024the Government has already promised to provide aid for the purchase of electric cars with a discount on the contract. Throughout that year, this possibility was delayed until the renewal of the MOVES III Plan arrived with the same conditions as always. That same aid program fell when meeting within the Omnibus Decree lying by the Congress of Deputies despite being announced and active. Months later, in April 2025, the MOVES III Plan came back… with the same problems as always. That is, with a management that left the client at the expense of collecting the aid until 18 months had passed in some cases. Photo | Robin Le Mee and Mohamed B. In Xataka | The best time to buy a “cheap electric car” will be never: at least that’s what Skoda thinks

For years, TV ads have been louder without violating any laws. Spain has decided that this is over

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A common experience among millions of viewers: you are watching your favorite series at a comfortable volume when an advertising block bursts in, forcing you to rush headlong towards the remote control. This calculated shock could have its days numbered in Spain thanks to quantifiable technical criteria to monitor the sound level of advertisements. The law. The National Markets and Competition Commission has established for the first time a series of criteria so that the sound level of the advertising blocks does not exceed that of the programs, according to the agreement INF/DTSA/083/25 published on November 20, 2025. The regulations extend the regulation that from summer 2025 DTT governs the entire audiovisual ecosystem: video streaming platforms such as YouTube and on-demand services, music applications such as Spotify, pay television and conventional and digital radio stations. The regulator warns that non-compliance constitutes a minor infraction with penalties that can reach 200,000 euros in serious cases. The technical deception: dB vs. LUFS. The advertising industry has for decades exploited a fissure in the traditional measurement of sound. Conventional decibels record the electrical amplitude of the signal, but ignore a crucial factor: how the human brain processes that sound information. Two recordings may register identical values ​​on a traditional peak meter, and yet one is perceived as noticeably louder than the other. The secret is in the frequency composition. Our auditory system responds unevenly depending on the pitch: mid frequencies (especially between 1 and 4 kHz, where the human voice is concentrated) are much more audible to us than deep bass or extreme treble. This physiological characteristic allows advertisers to create messages that sound louder without violating technical decibel limits. The birth of the LUFS. The solution came when the International Telecommunication Union published the ITU-R BS.1770 standardadopted in August 2010 by the European Broadcasting Union. This system introduces the LUFS (Loudness Units relative to Full Scale), which integrate a weighting filter K that mathematically replicates the sensitivity of the ear. The result: a measurement that reflects actual perception, not just electrical power. Spain aligns itself with Europe. He Royal Decree 250/2025approved in March, established for the first time an objective parameter for Spanish DTT: -23.0 LUFS with a tolerance of ±1.0 LU (Loudness Unit). This figure is not arbitrary, but coincides exactly with the normalized value that the European Broadcasting Union has been recommending since 2010. The CNMC has now taken the next step and has extended these criteria beyond traditional television. Implementation. The Spanish regulator has opted for a gradual approach. The CNMC does not require platforms to reencode millions of hours of historical content immediately. The document allows operators to adopt “technical criteria that offer an equivalent level of protection”, a flexible formula that recognizes the characteristics of each medium. But implementation faces complex obstacles. While traditional television networks control every second of broadcast from a production room, the streaming It works with distributed architectures where advertising is dynamically inserted through programmatic systems. YouTube, for example, hosts content generated by millions of users with disparate equipment, from professional studios to smartphones. Technically monitoring each ad inserted in real time in this tangle becomes a considerable logistical challenge. Photo of Vadim Babenko in Unsplash / Elyas Pasban in Unsplash

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