Month: January 2026

TCL is growing wildly in TVs while Samsung falls. The surprise that no one saw coming is about to happen

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The global television market fell 1% year-on-year in November 2025, but behind that decline is the sign of a change in hierarchy: Samsung continues to be the leader with a 17% share, but TCL has boosted its sales by 20% compared to the previous year and is already close to first place. What seemed impossible two years ago (a Chinese brand that used to be seen as ‘cheap’ taking the throne from Samsung) is now a very real possibility. The data comes out of latest monthly report sales report published by the market analysis firm Counterpoint Research. The figures. Samsung has gone from 18% to 17% market share in one year, with a 3% decline in units sold. TCL, on the other hand, has climbed from 13% to 16% and continues to rise. Hisense, the third manufacturer, has fallen 13%, dragged down by the collapse of the Chinese market (-24%), where it is stronger than in the West. LG has grown by 7% and stands at 9%, while Walmart has strongly entered the top 5 after completing the purchase of Vizio in December 2024. Between the lines. TCL’s rise is neither coincidental nor ephemeral. The company has stopped being seen as a manufacturer of cheap TVs to position itself in premium technologies such as MiniLEDwhich sells at more competitive prices than Samsung. That combo has been lethal in emerging markets such as Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, where demand for quality is growing but price remains decisive. And there is another key factor: TCL hardly depends on the Chinese market, which is in free fall. Hisense has collapsed due to its exposure to its country of origin (it accumulates almost a third of its sales there), but TCL has diversified its sales and is now reaping those fruits. The master stroke. TCL just signed a historic agreement with Sony to manufacture its televisions under a joint venture in which the Chinese will control 51% and the Japanese 49%. It is a move that changes everything: TCL gains instant credibility in the premium sector by associating with a brand synonymous with image quality, and also manages to penetrate Japan, a protectionist market where Chinese brands have a very difficult time. For Sony it is a way to survive in an increasingly competitive market where it does not manufacture its own panels and its premium prices leave it out of the game. For TCL it is the definitive boost: it stops being the cheap-Chinese manufacturer and starts managing one of the most respected brands in the sector. The joint venture will start in 2027, so the immediate effects will be less than anecdotal. But in the medium term, history may change. Yes, but. Samsung is not going to let itself be dethroned without going down into the mud. Although its share has fallen, it still has great financial muscle, a global distribution network full of alliances forged after many years of relationships with distributors, and an advantage in premium segments such as OLED and QD-OLED. Besides, Walmart’s acquisition of Vizio It marks the entry of a third major contender in North America that could make life difficult for both Samsung and TCL. What is clear is that 2026 will be the definitive year: TCL, Hisense and Xiaomi are going to continue putting pressure on MiniLED and medium-large screens, just where demand grows the most. And if Samsung does not react as it should, the surprise It may be a matter of quarters. He 2026 World Cup can alter all forecasts. It is one of the great incentives for millions of homes to renew their TVs, and whoever best positions themselves in price and technology will win the jackpot. And now what. The battle to lead TV sales is no longer just a technological issue, it is also a question of pricing strategy and geographical expansion. TCL has shown that it can grow with a lot of commercial aggressiveness without giving up the best technologies. Samsung is going to have to decide whether to lower its prices or take refuge in the most premium segment. The third option (staying still) does not seem viable for anyone’s sake. In Xataka | I also plugged the HDMI cables into the first port I found: I was wasting half my TV Featured image | TCL

The DGT ends the extension and anticipates mandatory insurance for 4 million vehicles

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They wanted to launch it on January 2, 2026 but at the end of December last year They confirmed that it would not be possible. Now, the DGT returns to the fray to try to organize everything related to light personal vehicles. That is, the scooters and derivatives that circulate on our streets. This time yes, this time there will be registration. Start-up. The DGT has confirmed that users of personal mobility vehicles (VMP) will have to register in the electronic traffic headquarters their electric scooters if they want to circulate in accordance with the law. Traffic wanted to have this measure ready with the start of the new year but it was today that the Council of Ministers gave the green light to the measure. In its last meeting, the Government approved the royal decree that regulates the operation of the Registry of Light Personal Vehicles to “comply with the first additional provision of Law 5/2025 of July 24, which modified the law on civil liability and insurance in the circulation of motor vehicles to introduce the obligation to insure all personal mobility vehicles, which came into force on January 2 pending the launch of the registry.” What does this mean? In short, if you have an electric scooter you will have to register it with Traffic. The measure is taken to have control of, according to the DGT, the four million personal mobility vehicles that circulate on our streets. The procedure is slightly different, as we will see later, depending on the age of the electric scooter but it is key because it is the first step to force the user to have insurance for your vehicle. The DGT already warns that not having it will be grounds for a fine “According to the provisions of the law on civil liability and insurance, lacking it will be penalized with between 202 and 610 euros and driving with a VMP without insurance with between 250 and 800 euros depending on whether it is considered a light personal vehicle or motor vehicle (more than 25 kilograms in weight and more than 14 kilometers/hour) by the aforementioned Insurance Law. They already have a certificate. In addition to registration and insurance, electric scooters must have a certificate in which all the technical characteristics of the electric scooter are collected. This allows an agent check if a scooter is complying with regulations or, on the contrary, it has been tricked to circulate above the maximum authorized speed of 25 km/h. This certification is collected with a plate on the chassis of the vehicle and is present on all electric scooters sold in Spain since January 22, 2024. The DGT itself, as happens with the V-16 beaconshas on its website a list with all approved scooters to be sold in our country. In this case, if the electric scooter already has this certificate, in the electronic office it will be enough to fill in the certificate number and the serial number. Then a digital registration certificate is issued so that our vehicle is registered as registered. Does not have certificate. In this case, you have a problem. First because the DGT requires that these scooters also be registered although at the time of purchase it was not mandatory to have the certificate. To do this, it is mandatory to have an invoice or technical sheet from the VMP and a photograph. If you do not have an invoice, the only possible procedure is to homologate the vehicle by going through a laboratory certified by the DGT to obtain the technical sheet. Once the certificate is obtained, the DGT issues an identification sticker that must be affixed in a visible place, as is the case with environmental badges on cars. And keep in mind that if you want to keep your scooter it is worth it. Without a certificate registration is not possible and without registration it is not possible to insure the electric scooter. The DGT opens an extension to certify all these scooters until January 22, 2027. From then on it will not be possible to circulate with a VMP without a certificate. How do I do it? As we said, the DGT will enable a space in its electronic headquarters where the entire process can be carried out. At the moment, this space is not open but Traffic assures us that it will be available “in the coming days.” In addition, the DGT assures that they will enable a channel to register the electric scooter when contracting the insurance and that they are working to be able to register it at the time the scooter is purchased at the establishment. Will they fine me? According to the press release, yes. As we said above, with fines of between 200 and 800 euros. However, Traffic does not specify in its press release from what date it will be mandatory to have a registered vehicle and insurance to avoid receiving the fine. Right now, we only know that scooters without a certificate have until January 22, 2027 to obtain it. When asked about this, the DGT has not given us exact dates or deadlines either. Traffic limits itself to stating that it will be informed about this and that the platform will be available “in the coming days” but there is no date indicated on the calendar. Photo | Marek Rucinski In Xataka | $25,000 fine for driving a souped-up electric scooter: Toronto has decided to apply a heavy hand to them

AEG’s Winter Sales are perfect for renewing appliances

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Renewing appliances (no matter if they are large or small) is less drama when we have offers or discounts. The brand is in that right now AEGwhich has active Winter Sales with discounts of up to 60% in ovens, hobs, washing machines, dryers, vacuum cleaners and more. These discounts can also be combined with the code “AEGEXTRA15”, thanks to which we will have an additional 15% discount. In addition to the promo, available until next March 1It is important to note that the AEG store has delivery in 48/72 hours, interest-free financing in up to 12 installments, free installation and even includes the removal and recycling of the old appliance that we are going to replace. There are several AEG appliances that have very interesting prices, but below we leave you a selection of the most powerful offers: Multifunction pyrolytic oven Series 5,000 by 424.15 euroswith thermal probe and WiFi connectivity. American refrigerator Series 9,000 by 1,129.65 euroswith touch display and very good capacity. 6,000 Series Dishwasher by 370.60 euroswith satellite sprinkler arm and clamping system to avoid damage to glassware. Cordless vacuum cleaner Series 8,000 by 381.65 euroswith autonomy for up to 90 minutes and emptying station. 5,000 Series Induction Hob by 289.85 euroswith individual timer and pause function. 6,000 series washing machine by 362.95 euroswith 8 kg capacity and spin speed up to 1,600 rpm. Multifunction pyrolytic oven Series 5,000 As a first option we have this multifunction oven from the 5,000 Series, with a capacity of 71 liters. It has a 4-glass door and WiFi connectivity, which is ideal so that we can control cooking from our mobile phone. In addition, it has 9 functions, 45 automatic programs and a thermal probe that is perfect so that we can control our dishes more precisely. It is reduced to 499 euros (its price is 699), but it remains at 424.15 euros with the code “AEGEXTRA15“. Series 5,000 multifunction oven The price could vary. We earn commission from these links American refrigerator 9,000 series If we are looking for a refrigerator with large capacity, we have this American Series 9,000 available for 1,129.65 euros with the code “AEGEXTRA15” (its RRP is 1,849 euros). It has a system that allows you to adjust the independent temperature of its Multichill drawer, which allows you to better preserve certain foods. It also has touch controls and a total capacity of 593 liters. American refrigerator Series 9,000 The price could vary. We earn commission from these links 6,000 Series Dishwasher The Series 6,000 dishwasher is a very interesting option in terms of quality-price: it is available right now for 370.60 euros with the code “AEGEXTRA15“. This uses a satellite spray arm that allows the cleaning to reach every corner of the interior of the appliance, which will ensure that we obtain very good results. In addition, it has a fastening system to prevent the glassware from breaking. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Cordless vacuum cleaner Series 8,000 AEG also has top options to help us clean our home, like this Series 8,000 cordless vacuum cleaner. It has very good suction power and an automatic emptying station that is very convenient to use. It offers up to 90 minutes of suction per charge, more than enough for a medium-sized home. Plus, it comes with several different accessories. It is available for 381.65 euros if we use the code “AEGEXTRA15“. Cordless vacuum cleaner Series 8,000 The price could vary. We earn commission from these links 5,000 Series Induction Hob We continue with more kitchen appliances with this Series 5,000 induction hob, available for 289.85 euros (its RRP is 499 euros). It has 4 different cooking zones and a system called Powerboost that makes them heat up faster than normal. It has independent and responsive touch controls, offering a very fluid user experience. 5,000 Series Induction Hob The price could vary. We earn commission from these links 6,000 series washing machine Finally, we have this 6,000 series washing machine, available for 362.95 euros if we use the code “AEGEXTRA15“. This one, which has 8 kg capacity, automatically adjusts the time, water and even energy consumption depending on the volume of the load. In addition, it has a program called Extra-Quick that allows us to have a wash of up to 3 kg of clothes ready in 20 minutes. 6,000 series washing machine 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 | AEG In Xataka | What to take into account before buying a refrigerator In Xataka | Best cordless upright vacuum cleaners. Which one to buy and seven recommended broom vacuum cleaners from 139 euros

The US hamburger has found an unexpected rival that arrives en masse from Japan: sushi

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When they arrived in the US, back in the 60ssushi restaurants were true extravagances, establishments with a diverse audience in which immigrants and businessmen eager to try new flavors mixed. The oldest business in Chicago, for example, Kamehachi, was dedicated to prepare nigiris and makis traditional for the people who came to the Buddhist Temple of the Midwest. Today things are different. Sushi has permeated US culinary culture and has become so popular that it is even in demand at children’s parties. From a gastronomic rarity it has become a rival to the hamburger. Sushi eats the US. We don’t say it. I said it in September The New York Times in a report which started with a headline that made things clear from the first line: “Sushi is more fashionable than ever in the US.” The data managed by the industry certainly show growing popularity and, above all, enviable business expectations. The Kroger chainwhich operates stores in most of the US and has been selling sushi since the early 90s, says its sales they have shot up 50% since 2019. In practice that is equivalent to selling a million rolls a day. Arrivals from Japan. The Blue Ribbon restaurant chain assures that in just a few years takeout sushi has gone from representing 6% of all your sales at 30%. Probably encouraged by this context, the Japanese firm Chiyoda Sushi has decided to bet big on the US market. A few weeks ago Nikkei revealed that in spring the operator will begin to market its trays of frozen sushi rolls in the US, where it has already achieved the support of a Japanese supermarket chain, Mitsuwa Marketplace. A millionaire business. Beyond the income statements and decisions of specific companies, the sector conducts market studies that reveal that sushi is not doing badly in its expansion to the other side of the Pacific. The research firm Circana estimates that in 2024 the so-called sushi deli (sushi sold through retail channels, such as supermarkets) represented a business of 2.8 billion dollars7% more than the previous year. All this after experiencing a notable sales increase since the pandemic. In general, according to data from the Government of Japan, in North America there are between 29,000 and 30,000 ramen restaurants and other Japanese specialties. If compared to data from a decade ago, it represents a growth of 17%. And there is no reason to think that it has peaked. a year ago Technavio estimated that the global market (not just in the US) for sushi restaurants will continue to expand in the remainder of the decade, with a growth rate of 3.5%. Beyond the numbers. The popularity of sushi in the US is not measured only in market reports and growth percentages. Much of their success is based on a more qualitative and abstract factor: nigiris and makis succeed simply because they are no longer seen as something extravagant and alien. It explained well in The New York Times the owner of Kamehachi, the oldest sushi restaurant in Chicago: after almost six decades of history, the business has seen an increase in demand for increasingly “creative” rolls, made with new ingredients, such as mango, cheese or jalapenos. Opportunity… And risk? This trend is a sign of the interest that the dish arouses, but also a risk. “The more we explore different types of rolls, the more I worry about moving away from the origins of sushi,” recognizes Giulia Sindlergranddaughter of the founder of the business, who admits in any case that she is delighted to see how Japanese cuisine is no longer something exclusive to the fooders more daring to be a pleasure shared by several generations. In a way, this assimilation into North American gastronomic culture can be traced back to the 1970s, when the California roll was invented in an attempt to hide raw fish and make the dish more palatable to Americans. Goodbye Happy Meal, hello nigiri. Perhaps the clearest proof of the extent to which sushi has penetrated the gastronomic heritage of the USA was given a few days ago. The Wall Street Journal in an article in which he revealed something surprising: in the US it is no longer strange to find children’s parties in which Japanese food has replaced ‘orthodox’ options, such as pizza or hamburgers. The reason? Probably a combination of factors that combine its growing popularity, but also the presentation of the sushi, the aesthetics of the premises or even the content of the rolls. “The more sugar we put in rice, the more it is eaten,” recognize Trevor Corson, author of ‘The Story of Sushi’. Your consumption level may be far from the huge intake of hamburgers that the US registers each year, but the trend led by sushi is surprising to say the least. Especially in a context marked (at least in Spain) by the fall in consumption of fish. “He doesn’t want fries or chicken nuggets. He wants tropical shrimp tempura,” joke Laureano Escobar, a 40-year-old man, when he talks about the culinary tastes of his six-year-old daughter. Images | Daniel (Unsplash) and Only Seafood (Unsplash) In Xataka | Until the 90s, no one in Japan ate sushi with raw salmon. Until a marketing campaign changed everything

All viewers believe that the trailers spoil the movies too much. But there is a reason: fear of lawsuits

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The paradox of trailers: they serve to encourage the public to see upcoming releases, but more and more people decide to literally cover their eyes or start talking to their neighbor, because the feeling that the trailers reveal too much is widespread: plot twists, climatic scenes that should be a surprise. There is a more or less intuitive reason: the market is increasingly competitive and it is important to show the public what each film offers that the others do not. But there are more prosaic reasons why trailers reveal more and more about movies. The trailer as a marketing tool.For decades, trailers were considered pieces with their own narrative: small works that condensed the spirit of a film, not mere advertisements. That premise was shaken in December 2022, when a court ruling questioned the legal limits of film marketing. The case pitted Universal Pictures against two viewers who claimed to have been misled by the ‘Yesterday’ trailer. The ‘Yesterday’ case.Two viewers had rented the film after seeing the trailer, in which Ana de Armas appeared in an apparently relevant role; but in the film he had disappeared: his character had been completely eliminated after test screenings. The plaintiffs alleged that they would never have paid for the film if they had known that de Armas was not in it. In Xataka The AI ​​trailers for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ are indistinguishable from the real thing. In the end, Scorsese was right Universal Pictures requested the case be dismissed, arguing that the trailer conveyed the film’s theme in three minutes, but the judge rejected this line of defense. Although trailers involve creativity and editorial decisions, these elements do not nullify their fundamentally commercial nature: they must be treated as advertisements, and the sample they show of the film must correspond to the final product. The judge specified that his resolution was limited to the presence or absence of interpreters, excluding subjective assessments of tone, quality or generic expectations, but set a precedent. It’s not the first. The friction between what the trailers promise and what the movies deliver has generated some attempted litigation. None went so far as to establish firm jurisprudence, but all illustrate a recurring tension between public expectations and studio marketing practices. {“videoId”:”x88pexn”,”autoplay”:false,”title”:”Yesterday Trailer”, “tag”:””, “duration”:”180″} Drive (2011).a spectator sued the distributor claiming that the trailer presented the film as an action film in the style of ‘Fast & Furious’, when in reality it was an atmospheric drama with few chases and a practically mute protagonist. The case dragged on for years without success for the plaintiff: the film did contain driving scenes, but the discrepancy lay in the tone and pacing, not in objective matters. Suicide Squad (2016).The trailers had highlighted Jared Leto as Joker, but his presence in the final cut turned out to be less than fifteen minutes. a scottish fan announced his intention to sue Warner Bros. for false advertising. Leto himself fueled the controversy by confirming that the deleted material It was so extensive. what would make for an independent film. The lawsuit was unsuccessful, but it highlighted the problem of trailers edited before final editing. Dune (2021).Zendaya featured prominently in promotional material: posters, trailers, and a press tour placed her on the same level as Timothée Chalamet. However, his screen time barely exceeded seven minutes of a total footage of 155and most of his appearances were dream sequences. There were no legal repercussions: Zendaya had previously warned that her presence was reduced and that she had only filmed for four days. {“videoId”:”x88q6ut”,”autoplay”:true,”title”:”Dune Trailer”, “tag”:””, “duration”:”208″} The Castaway case.Robert Zemeckis, with his usual ability to anticipate the rest of the industry, had already traveled this path years before. The trailer for ‘Castaway’ (2000) was criticized at the time because it revealed the eventual rescue of the protagonist. Zemeckis defended himself with an argument that is still valid in the industry, beyond the current legal precautions: market studies indicate that the public wants to know exactly what they are going to see before paying for a ticket. The problem of outsourcing.Trailer production rarely falls to the films’ creative teams. Studios hire specialized agencies (Buddha Jones, Trailer Park or Mark Woolen & Associates, only in Los Angeles) that work with raw material, often months before there is a final assembly. These agencies operate fromdailieseitherrushesthe raw footage that comes directly from filming. The process of creating a trailer can take up to a year, a calendar that forces you to work without knowing the final cut. The case of ‘Yesterday’ is a direct consequence of this dynamic. In Xataka Good series are a journey that no spoiler can ruin The pressure for difference.When a franchise accumulates multiple installments, marketing teams face an additional dilemma: how to convince the public that this film offers something different from the previous ones? The answer often involves revealing the differentiating element. The trailer for ‘Terminator: Genesis’ (2015) told that John Connor, traditionally the leader of the human resistance, had been turned into a machine, a twist that constituted the dramatic core of the film. Director Alan Taylor acknowledged that the decision responded to a complex calculation: how to signal to the public that this installment was not a mere repetition of the previous ones? A dilemma that promises to continue giving us headaches for a long time. In Xataka | Disney is looking for a successor to Bob Iger as CEO and has only one condition: that he does not look like Bob Iger’s previous successor as CEO (function() { window._JS_MODULES = window._JS_MODULES || {}; var headElement = document.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)(0); if (_JS_MODULES.instagram) { var instagramScript = document.createElement(‘script’); instagramScript.src=”https://platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js”; instagramScript.async = true; instagramScript.defer = true; headElement.appendChild(instagramScript); – The news All viewers believe that the trailers spoil the movies too much. But there is a reason: fear of lawsuits was originally published in Xataka by John Tones .

Your VPN is half price for a year

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One of the most useful tools we can have to browse the Internet safely is, without a doubt, a VPN. There are those that they are free and that, for specific use, they fulfill their function. Now, in the long run, They are not the best option: They are usually unsafe and its operation may involve slow Internet traffic. There are payment options that work very well and that we can purchase at very competitive prices, such as the Kaspersky VPN: right now it is on sale and a full year costs only 19.99 euros. Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection (1 year) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links A very configurable and easy-to-use VPN A VPN, regardless of whether we use it on a mobile phone, a tablet or any other compatible device, will allow us to pass all our Internet traffic through an encrypted and secure tunnel. In this way, no one will be able to see what we are doingso we will have a greater degree of privacy even if we browse a public WiFi network. In addition, of course, we will also protect our IP address. This Kaspersky VPN includes several interesting features. For example, it has what is called a kill switchso if the VPN disconnects, our Internet traffic will automatically be interrupted so that our data is not in danger. In addition, it can be configured to only work, automatically, with certain applications or with a specific browserFor example. Another interesting point is that it is compatible with both Windows and MacOS, Android or iOS, so we will be able to install it on almost any device. It also has more than 6,000 servers distributed in more than 85 locations, which means that we will always have a server available to connect to. As we said at the beginning, this usually has a price of 39.99 euros per year, so it is a quite interesting discount. This promo includes this tool for one device, although if we want to use it on more simultaneously, We also have a discounted plan that includes the VPN for 5 devices for one year for 26.99 euros (its normal price is 45.99 euros). Once the year ends, any of these plans will return to their usual price, but we can unsubscribe whenever we want, since there is no no type of permanence. It is also worth mentioning that it has a period of 30 days where we can test this VPN and, if it does not convince us, request a full refund. 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 | Domenico Loia on Unsplash In Xataka | Why it is dangerous to connect to public Wi-Fi and what you should do to protect yourself In Xataka | Free VPN and security: what’s the problem, why you should be careful

break SK Hynix’s monopoly on AI

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Samsung Electronics will imminently begin manufacturing HBM4 memories in February, the next generation of high-speed chips that power AI accelerators. It has already passed qualification tests from both NVIDIA and AMD, according to industry sources cited by Reuters and Korea Economic Daily. The first deliveries will go to NVIDIA for its platform Vera Rubinwhose CEO, Jensen Huang, has confirmed that it is already in production with a launch planned for the second half of 2026. Why is it important. This move is set to change the balance of power in the AI ​​memory market, where SK Hynix has been the dominant supplier to NVIDIA. Demand for HBM chips has skyrocketed with the rise of generative AI, and that has made them one of the most critical bottlenecks in the tech industry. For NVIDIA, diversifying supply reduces the risk of relying on a single supplier when demand for its accelerators far exceeds its capacity. For Samsung, regaining ground means accessing revenues worth tens of billions annually at a critical time: need this boost because precisely SK Hynix has eroded part of its business. Between the lines. Samsung has played a risky card: adopting a sixth-generation (1c) 10-nanometer DRAM manufacturing process before anyone else, despite suffering from very low initial yields. Also has integrated a 4 nanometer logic chipmore advanced than that of SK Hynix. The bet is paying off: Samsung’s HBM4 chips reached speeds of 10.7 gigabits per second in NVIDIA tests, surpassing the 10 Gbps threshold. SK Hynix recorded 8.3 Gbps and Micron around 8 Gbps, according to a technical source cited by Korean Herald. The change in qualification criteria has favored Samsung. Nvidia and AMD have tightened speed requirements but relaxed thermal limits because they prioritize raw performance. This comes after accelerators like Google’s TPUs have demonstrated performance comparable to NVIDIA GPUs. Yes, but. SK Hynix is ​​already working to avoid losing ground: it has redesigned its HBM4 chips and is awaiting the results of new qualifications that will give it an advantage. In February it will begin deploying wafers in its new M15X plant in Cheongju to produce HBM chips. In addition, SK Hynix closed all HBM supply agreements with its largest customers in October for 2026. Samsung arrives later, trying to grab whatever share it can, thanks to all manufacturers operating at the limit of their capacity. The geopolitical background. South Korea concentrates more than 70% of global HBM chip productiona component so critical to AI that it determines who can train the most advanced models and who cannot. China, despite its enormous investments in semiconductors, is still a few years behind in this technology due to Western restrictions on advanced lithography equipment. South Korean dominance in HBM It is one of the most valuable advantages that the Western technological bloc maintains. And now what. Both companies have to publish their quarterly results this Thursday. And it is to be hoped that they will take the opportunity to provide more details about HBM4 orders and real demand. Those numbers will say a lot about who is winning this battle for the most valuable component of the AI ​​era. In Xataka | There is an unexpected victim of the rise in RAM memory prices: the very modern connected cars Featured image | Samsung

that does not look like Bob Iger’s previous successor as CEO

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Disney’s board of directors prepares to announce Bob Iger’s successor for early 2026, according to revealed President James Gorman. With this, the race to lead the entertainment giant has been reduced to two favorites. And after the disastrous mandate of Bob Chapek between 2020 and 2022, Disney cannot afford another mistake in the chair of the most powerful manager in Hollywood. With the shareholders meeting scheduled for March 18 and Iger’s contract expiring on December 31, 2026, the clock is ticking for a decision that will determine the direction of a 230,000-employee company valued at more than $170 billion. Iger’s salary. Iger’s compensation amounts to $45.8 million: $1 million in base salary, $21 million in stock, $14 million in stock options, $7.25 million in cash bonuses and $2.59 million in additional compensation. It represents an increase of 11.5% compared to the 41.1 million by 2024a figure that contrasts with the urgency surrounding the search for his replacement and underlines the importance of the position. The imminent announcement. James Gorman stated that the appointment will be determined by the full board in early 2026. The March 18 shareholder meeting is relevant for a precedent: when Iger retired in 2020, the announcement of his successor It occurred approximately two weeks before the annual meeting. The two candidates: Josh D’Amaro. The succession has become a duel between two antagonistic profiles. Josh D’Amaro, 54, president of Disney Experiences, leads the bets in some recent surveysa striking fact considering that one year before He wasn’t even among the top three candidates. D’Amaro has 27 years of uninterrupted experience in the company. Disney Experiences generated last year the 36% of total revenue and oversees a $60 billion five-year expansion in parks and cruises, and Wall Street supports its operating profile. Among its weaknesses, its limited experience in the creative content businessthe historic heart of Disney: film production, relationships with Hollywood talent and streaming. The two candidates: Dana Walden. Walden, 61, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment with Alan Bergman, presents an opposite resume. President of Entertainment at Fox in 1999, Co-CEO of the Fox Television Group, she arrived at Disney in 2019 with the acquisition of 21st Century Fox. Walden is a historic choice: she would be the first woman to lead Disney in its 102 years of existence. His strength lies in decades of cultivating relationships with the Hollywood creative ecosystem and having led Disney+ to profitability after years of million-dollar losses. Under his supervision, the group’s platform and television networks have produced recent hits such as ‘The Bear’ and ‘Only Murders in the Building’, consolidating Disney’s presence in the competitive streaming market. Walden’s shortcomings. The opposite of D’Amaro: he has never managed parks and resorts, a segment that contributes more than two-thirds of operating profits. He also does not have substantial experience in the film industry. His candidacy was marred by temporary suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s show in October 2025, episode that some media suggested that could have damaged its image with shareholders. Other possible candidates. Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, has contributed to the profitability of Disney+ and oversaw hits such as ‘Inside Out 2’ and ‘Deadpool and Wolverine.’ The company reached a record 60 Emmy Awards in 2024. However, it has been said who lacks the necessary charisma and falls below D’Amaro. Jimmy Pitaro, current president of ESPN, personally communicated his lack of interest in the position. Replacing him at ESPN would also be complex given the specialization of the position. Disney also considered hiring external talent: Andrew Wilson, CEO of Electronic Arts, held talks during Chapek’s tenure about a potential sale of EA to Disneybut lacks experience in film, television and parks. The Chapek trauma. The urgency responds to a recent corporate trauma. Bob Chapek, named CEO in February 2020 after leading the parks division, was removed in November 2022, 33 months later, forcing Iger to be reinstated. Among Chapek’s mistakes: the release of ‘Black Widow’ simultaneously in theaters and Disney+ without renegotiating Scarlett Johansson’s contract, which led to a public lawsuit. The second disaster came when it was revealed that Disney had financed campaigns of legislators who promoted the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law in Florida, which was followed by protests by employees and Iger demonstrating against it. Chapek’s late rectification sparked a confrontation with Gov. Ron DeSantis. The final blow: a disastrous fourth quarter in 2022 that stocks sank. The possible scenarios. The most likely: D’Amaro as sole CEO, with Walden overseeing creative content. There is also speculation with D’Amaro and Walden as co-CEOs, dividing control according to their previous experiences, a model that would avoid excessive concentration of power. The third scenario, with Walden as sole CEO, is the least likely due to her inexperience in parks and cruises. Header | Nagi Usano

a weld between tracks from 1989 and 2023 in the spotlight of the Adamuz accident

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The liberalization of the tracks and the multiplication of the number of trains that have to pass through them is the reason why a track fractured at high speed near Adamuz, Córdoba, causing an accident that has ended with 45 deaths and 22 people in the hospital, five of them in the ICU. That is the position, at least preliminary, of Iñaki Barrón, president of CIAF, entity in charge of the investigation of the biggest railway accident in our country since train derailment in Angrois (Santiago de Compostela) that ended the lives of 80 people. With the first investigations on the table, the indications suggest that the Iryo train derailed due to a fracture in a weld between rails carried out during the renovation last May. The fracture would have left traces on the first carriages of the Italian train and on the trains that circulated on that track that same day. At the time of the derailment, an Alvia train was traveling in the opposite direction and passed in a very short period of time (there was talk of 20 seconds at first but now it is pointed out that it could have been nine seconds) that prevented him from stopping before crashing. The blow caused the second derailment and the Renfe train ended up at the bottom of a four-meter embankment. It was on this train that the majority of the deceased were counted. In an interview with The CountryBarrón defends that the roads have endured slight traffic until the liberalization that put Ouigo and Iryo to compete with Renfe but that the mere multiplication of routes does not explain the breakdown of the tracks. Ensure the following on the affected lane: “For a long time it has had relatively light traffic. Lately, it has endured a little more intensity, but the lines should still give much more being of high capacity. The current traffic is by no means saturation. What was decided was to renew the detours, which are very critical elements and it was clear that it had to be done” In the interview, the president of CIAF explains how the renewal of the tracks is carried out and points out that the use of tracks manufactured in 1989 should not be a cause for alarm. On the contrary, the first bet from the investigative committee It was the welding that joined a section manufactured in 1989 with one manufactured in 2023 that really failed, leading to the breakage of the track and subsequent derailments. How two tracks are welded 34 years apart In recent days, the information regarding the Adamuz railway accident has focused on one fact: one of the split rails was manufactured in 1989. Adif, in the comprehensive renovation of the track, decided that it would not change sections that were more than 30 years old but this should not be a problem in itself, according to the president of CIAF: (On why Adif did not change all the lanes in 1989) “That is what we have asked, why the lanes have not been changed. Maybe it was not planned or should not be done. Many people have interpreted that when we talk about a comprehensive renovation, practically all the material is changed, and that everything that is usable goes to other lines, not high-speed lines. That has been done all our lives. When we realized that the detours had been changed, because that is what It was critical and there had been some incidents in the past, and also some more pieces of rail, but not all of them, we asked Adif about it. The fact that we continue with rails manufactured in 1989 is not particularly serious in itself. It is not something to raise our hands as long as they were in a position to provide service. But we have to carefully analyze the issue of renovation to see exactly what has been done and how it has been done. To questions from Xatakahe General Council of Industrial Engineers They point out that “it makes all the sense in the world” to point to welding as the source of the problem. “The joint is a unique point on the track. First because it is a discontinuity and any millimeter imperfection is amplified as the wheels pass. And second, because the welding process generates a zone that is thermally affected around it and can generate residual stresses.” And they emphasize: “when a rail breaks, the typical hypothesis, and which seems to be being confirmed, is that the break begins in the weld or in its immediate surroundings and from there evolves to the final failure.” Regarding the reason why the welding could have failed, the CIAF and the General Council of Industrial Engineers point to examinations in laboratories to determine what could have happened. The experts consulted by Xataka they point out that the Causes why a weld can fail in their execution they are multiple: Execution problems: such as the creation of a pore due to not reaching the appropriate melting temperature. Geometric finishing problem: a millimeter-sized burr or microstep is generated Problems with alignment: the alignment between lanes is not perfect These same experts point out that the derailment can be caused by various factors and that, by itself, one of the previous causes does not have to explain the entire problem. They point out that the laboratories will have to confirm if there was a previous problem in the material, if a failure occurred during the welding process and to what extent the thermal conditions and the frequency of train passage could have aggravated the problem. All of these are problems that revolve around two issues to take into account. The first points to the different degree of hardness of the steel between the rails. The 1989 track was made up of R260 steel, which is softer than the R350 HT steel that makes up the track produced in 2023. “The base steel is very similar,” they … Read more

Dangers of Clawdbot and how to protect yourself from them before deciding to use it

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Let’s give you some safety tips in case you are thinking of using Clawbot. This is a AI agenta bot that takes control of your computer, and then you can use it to tell it to do things on it. This is something that is having a lot of success, since it is capable of speeding up many processes and doing many things for you. But of course, when you are using this tool you are giving a system of artificial intelligence full access to the machine where you install it, and this has some dangers that you should be aware of. What dangers are there for your data These are the dangers to which you expose yourself when are you going to use this tool. Even the creators of the bot have assured that there is no perfectly safe configuration, so it should be taken into account. Gateway exposure on the web: If you do not have the way in which your bot is accessed properly configured, a third party may have access or the access page may even be filtered. This would allow a third party to take control of your computer. Too open access policies: If you are not careful when configuring access to the bot and allowing others to interact with it, you will be giving them the keys to your computer to control it. Prompt injection: If you make the bot interact with files that you have downloaded from the Internet, perhaps some of them have hidden texts with commands that ask it to ignore what you have ordered and do another task that could be dangerous for you. Plugins or extensions: When you install a plugin on this AI agent to give it more capabilities, it runs alongside the gateway. This means that if you install a malicious plugin or extension, they may contain code that takes control of your computer or performs unwanted actions. Bot malfunctions: Like any bot based on artificial intelligence, it may fail to interpret orders or perform unwanted actions unintentionally. This could endanger the contents of the computer where you run it. In short, the main danger is exposing your bot and access to it, allowing others to control it. If another person has access to your bot, they can simply take control of your entire computer and the data you have on it. How to keep Clawdbot safe First of all, and the most recommended is do not use Clawdbot on your main computer or machine. Just don’t have it where you keep your most private data and files, and this way you will prevent unwanted access or malfunction from putting you at risk. And if you don’t have a secondary computer, use a sandbox mode, install a virtual machine with limited files. By installing Clawdbot on a secondary or virtual machine, you can decide what files you want on it, what applications do you have installed and what passwords are in the browser to use, as well as bank details. It is simply advisable to only have the accesses and applications that you are going to use, not everything. In addition, for each of the dangers we have mentioned above there are also specific tips to follow. Gateway Dangers: To prevent others from accessing your bot, you need to ensure that Gateway authentication is always enabled with a token or password. Additionally, you must use Tailscale or secure HTTPS for access. If you use a web interface for the bot, disable settings that allow insecure authentication, and if you control it through the chat of a messaging app, take maximum care of the privacy of that application and access to it. Put a password. Too open access policies: Be careful when pairing nodes with elevated permissions, and avoid sharing access in groups if you don’t fully trust all users. It is also advisable to configure the bot so that it only responds to specific users or to messages where it is explicitly mentioned. Prompt injection: Try not to interact with files that you have not created, deleting those that you have downloaded from the Internet on the machine. You should also design your configuration for limited and validated access before processing commands. Plugins or extensions: To avoid any danger from malicious plugins or extensions, you should only install those that you explicitly trust, and only from completely trustworthy sources. It is best to manually review the plugin code before activating it. In addition to this, the creators of Clawdbot have an advanced security guide where they tell you the security hearings that you must perform periodically to make sure everything is working correctly. And finally, the best advice I can give you is that do not use Clawdbot if you do not have minimal knowledge to know how to configure it. If terms like “remote administration API”, “sandboxing”, “localhost” or “reverse proxy” don’t sound familiar to you, it’s best not to install it on your computer. In Xataka Basics | The best prompts to save hours of work and do your tasks with ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot or other artificial intelligence

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