Month: January 2026

At the age of 16 he created a picosatellite from his room in Madrid. Today your company is at the global forefront in IoT communications

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While the majority of 16-year-olds were thinking and doing other things, it occurred to Julián Fernández (La Línea de la Concepción, Cádiz, 22 years old) create a 250 gram picosatellite from scratch. That project and that ambition changed his life and ended up causing him to found Fossa Systems in 2018. Today, six years later, we are faced with a leading company in this market that has things very clear and a spectacular projection. From Gran Vía to space. Fernández commented in a recent interview on RTVE how Fossa is the Spanish company that has launched the most satellites into space: currently there are 24 satellites. The project of his company – based on Madrid’s Gran Vía street – is to create a constellation of 80 small satellites. They have that many licensed, and all of them are specifically designed for communications with IoT devices. This is not a Starlink. Comparisons are odious, but often useful, and it is inevitable to look at Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite network. The latest versions of its satellites weigh between 800 and 1,250 kg, while Fossa’s nanosatellites do not exceed 6 kg. Starlink’s need huge solar panels because processing their broadband communications consumes a lot of energy, while Fossa’s use batteries that can last up to ten years. Nanosatellites for IoT. The focus is also very different, because Fossa’s nanosatellites have the mission of moving small packets of data in an ultra-efficient way. They are designed so that a sensor on an oil barrel, cow collar, or cargo container sends short, informative messages such as “pressure level OK” or “location: X.” They are totally designed for those short and critical communications in the Internet of Things. Spain is beginning to truly emerge. Fossa has already raised more than 12 million euros between private and public financing, has more than 50 employees and headquarters in Madrid and Portugal—and soon in Asia. They have become an absolute benchmark in their segment. and although at the moment they are launching with SpaceX, they hope to do so soon with PLD Spacethe other jewel in the Spanish aerospace crown: “Spanish satellites on Spanish rockets.” Satellite sovereignty. Fossa’s technology is being especially used in the defense sector: more than 80% of its turnover comes from this segment. As Fernández explained in that interview, “we cannot depend on the US for a technology as critical as satellite communication and sovereign and independent systems are needed.” A notable bet. The fact that Spain is, for the first time, the fourth European country that invests the most in space. Along with Poland it is the one that has increased its contribution the mostwhich now reaches 22,000 million euros. Hello, “New Space” model. Fossa has taken advantage of a new paradigm known as “New Space” in which from large space megaprojects we move to agile developments in which miniaturization and cost reduction is enormous. Fossa Systems is capable of creating a new satellite and putting it in space in six months, but that satellite also costs hundreds of thousands of euros, not tens of millions of dollars. There is another fundamental advantage: Fossa Systems does everything except the design and manufacturing of the semiconductors and the launch of the satellites. That verticalization, that “not depending on almost anyone” is another of its strengths. The future: satellites (somewhat larger)… and licensing. From that initial picosatellite of 250 g we have moved on to the current FOSSASat FEROX of about 6 kg, but the future involves manufacturing somewhat larger satellites of about 20 kg. They hope to complete their constellation of 80 satellites before 2030, and while they do so, Fernández has another objective that he will surely have no problem completing: obtaining his degree in telecommunications engineering at the Rey Juan Carlos University in Madrid, where he is currently pursuing that degree. In Xataka | PLD Space has a detailed plan to become Europe’s rocket factory. And the pieces have started to fit

We have always believed that London is very rainy and that Barcelona is not. The only problem is that it’s a lie

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Few towns exist so troubled by the vicissitudes of time like the British. During my stay in Cambridge, one of my first conversations with a native revolved around its climate. “Actually, the weather is nice in Cambridge,” he told me, “the problem is Londonwhich has a microclimate where it is always raining.” According to his testimony, London, the city with the greatest international projection, gave a bad name to the rest of the country. The British weather wasn’t so horrible. The truth is that it is: Most of the United Kingdom is cold, lives under a perennial blanket of gray clouds and enjoys greater rainfall than the rest of the continent (especially in Scotland). His story, in fact, was inversely true. Despite legend, London is one of the most dry of the United Kingdom, and a European capital with comparatively little rainfall. So why do we universally believe the opposite? First, let’s look at the data. According to Met Office figuresAccording to the British weather agency, London receives between just under 600 and almost 700 millimeters of precipitation annually (depending on the season: London is a gigantic city). The standard chosen by Wikipedia is Heathrow, east of the megalopolis, where in 2014 they fell 601.7 millimeters. Without further reference, it is a neutral number. How does it compare to the rest of England? On a map: London, the black spot… Of the low rainfall in the United Kingdom. The bluest areas are the rainiest in Britain (north east scotland plays in another league). In general, the North Sea coast is drier than the Atlantic. And as we approach the south, to the English Channel, rainfall reduces. This is where we can find London: a city in which it rains comparatively little compared to its island neighbors. My confidant was wrong: it rains more in Cambridge than in London. “Ok, ok, but the United Kingdom is a very rainy country per se. Just because it rains less in London than in other parts of the island does not mean that it rains in London.” bit“. The reasoning is logical, but also incorrect. The truth is that there are few points in continental Europe that have annual rainfall below of 600 millimeters. Unlike supposedly rainy London, Europe below the Channel does live underwater. Raining many days does not mean raining a lot Let’s think about, without going any further, Barcelona. The beautiful city of Barcelona has a reputation for being sunny. It receives millions of tourists a year thanks to its wonderful, mild and friendly climate. Well, its rainfall is very similar to that of London, and in 2014 it was slightly higher. AEMET counted 640 millimeters that yeardistributed throughout 72 days. The surprising record places Barcelona as a rainier city than London. The same thing happens with other quite amazing points of European geography. For example, Croatia. The most recent milestone of European tourism has also built a reputation for “good weather”, but the climatic reality of the Adriatic is stubborn: only in Dubrovnik, the famous citadel popularized for Game of Thrones, more than 1,000 millimeters of precipitation fall per year. 65% more than in London, of tormented fame. With some licenses, places in Europe where it rains less than in London (in yellow). The best way to understand how wrong our intuition is about London’s climate is the map above, shared a few months ago by a Reddit user: Areas in blue (almost all of central and western Europe, including Italy) receive more rainfall per year than London. Only the areas in yellow are drier, and they are few: specific points in Poland, almost the entire Iberian Peninsula (from the Ebro down, so to speak) and Sicily. Let’s think about two antagonistic places: Helsinki and Lecceon the Puglia peninsula, southern Italy. The first is one of the northernmost world capitals and spends most of its time buried under snow amid terrifying temperatures. How much does it rain there? Well, not much more than in London: about 655 millimeters annually. The second is a baroque jewel with a very sunny summer nestled in the heart of the Mediterranean. Its rainfall? Depending on the year, about 590 millimeters. Such geographical disparity does not correspond to very different rainfall. Which shouldn’t be strange, but it does manage to properly contextualize the importance of rain in London. The London chirimiri, the source of prejudice Now, if London is dry, why do we all think it’s always raining? A Basque would have an immediate answer (despite the fact that the Basque Country is very humid, especially Bilbao): chirimiri. In other words, the thin layer of rain that always grips certain cities but is actually very gentle. This is where the scarce 72 days of rain in Barcelona come into play, a city where it rains on just a few days on the calendar. If you want to look for really humid places in Europe, head to the Alps or the Atlantic ledges. In London the opposite happens: it rains more or less the same, but the water is spread over many more days (110a little less than a third of the year). Helsinki is another story: its rainy/snow days range from 180 in 2010 and the more than 200 from last year. Like many other northern European cities (Cambridge included: I barely saw the sun during the month of January I lived there), London often dawns cloudy and with a thin layer of rain that never seems to evaporate. The sun comes and goes, the clouds appear and disappear, the rain stops and starts again regularly. It doesn’t rain much, but the feeling of rain and humidity is almost permanently, inevitable. That’s why fame is so raw. Another factor is the dry reality of most of Europe’s capitals. Berlin, Vienna, Stockholm, Paris, Madrid, Warsaw or even Copenhagen They have less or only slightly more annual rainfall than London (none exceeds 700 millimeters). There are few capitals in Europe where it rains a lot (Amsterdam, … Read more

opinions, first contact and photos

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“You have to be very clear about your audience and know where to aim” This is what one of the people in charge of Ebro tells me who has seen the brand grow since its first days and who came with previous experience in one of the largest automobile groups in the world, now made up of a huge sum of brands with a diluted image that have lost their hallmark. Ebro is looking for it by pulling Chery. As we tell you in Xatakathe brand has the challenge of recover a firm that was an icon of rural Spain through Chinese capital but trying to carve out its own niche in the market. They explain to us that there are already a thousand workers in the old Nissan plant where, curiously, those first Ebros were also assembled. For now, the company continues working with kits partially assembled in China but those that are finished being sealed in Spain. The next step is for these kits to be components, more individual parts and greater weight of local assembly. Who knows if, in the future, they will be able to count on their own molds and purely Spanish manufacturing with a greater weight of Spanish suppliers. What is certain is that, until then, the brand seems to be heading in the right direction. Ebro S900 PHEV technical sheet EBRO S900 PHEV Body type. Five-seater SUV. Measurements and weight. 4,810 meters long, 1,925 meters wide and 1,741 meters high. Wheelbase of 2,800 meters. Weight not specified. Trunk. 448 liters. Maximum power. 425 HP and 580 Nm of maximum torque. WLTP consumption. 1.4 l/100 km according to the WLTP cycle. 140 kilometers of electric autonomy. Environmental distinctive. Zero emissions Driving aids (ADAS). Mandatory by the European Union. Others 15.6-inch 2.5K instrument cluster display 10.25-inch instrument panel and 8.8-inch Head-Up Display. Infotainment system compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay (wireless). 50 W wireless charger. 540º camera (view of the bottom of the car). Heated and ventilated seats. 14-speaker Sony sound system. Electric hybrid. No. Plug-in Hybrid. Yes. Plug-in hybrid set with up to 140 kilometers of electric range with a total power of 425 HP. Formed by: Electric motor 1 (front / generator): 75 kW (102 HP) / 170 Nm Electric motor 2 (front-wheel drive): 90 kW (122 HP) / 220 Nm Electric motor 3 (rear-wheel drive): 175 kW (238 HP) / 310 Nm 1.5 TGDI DHE engine (front-wheel drive): 105 kW (143 HP) / 215 Nm electric. No. Price and launch. Now available from 53,990 euros without aid or commercial offers. Ebro announces a starting price of 38,990 euros with the exit campaign. Chinese car plated in Spain We could get an idea of ​​what we were going to find with the Ebro S900. If you have read our test of the Omoda 9 SHS You will have noticed that, aesthetically, it has many similarities. And its skeleton, the ingredients of the dish, are Chinese. But the chef is Spanish, there is no doubt about that. And this Ebro S900 PHEV is tuned in Spain to resemble it a little more to Spanish tastes. The result is very good. Like the Omoda 9 SHS, this Ebro S900 also arrives with a complex heart. It has a 1.5 TGDI DHE combustion engine that is accompanied by three electric motors. Two of them are at the front, with a three-speed gearbox and three clutches, and another motor is located on the rear axle. This set that generates up to 425 HP and 580 Nm of torqueis distributed as follows: Electric motor 1 (front / generator): 75 kW (102 HP) / 170 Nm Electric motor 2 (front-wheel drive): 90 kW (122 HP) / 220 Nm Electric motor 3 (rear-wheel drive): 175 kW (238 HP) / 310 Nm 1.5 TGDI DHE engine (front-wheel drive): 105 kW (143 HP) / 215 Nm So you can work on five modes different, considering what is the most efficient and appropriate for each moment: Completely electric Series hybrid: the combustion engine acts as an electricity generator and the electric motors drive the car Parallel hybrid: electric motors and combustion engine drive the wheels The combustion engine drives the wheels directly. Regenerative braking Taking all this into account, the maximum power is 425 HP and a torque of 580 Nm. Its acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h is 5.8 seconds and the maximum speed of 180 km/h. This power arrives through six driving modes: ECO, Normal, Sport, Snow (longer gears), Sand (more work of the hybrid engine to improve traction in sand) and Offroad (smooth torque delivery to facilitate off-road handling) All this is accompanied by a 34.46 kWh CATL battery of NMC chemistry that allows recharging of 6.6 kW in alternating current and 71 kW as peak power in direct current. We will have to wait to find out what the battery charging curve may be because Ebro only announces that to go from 30 to 80% charge with a direct current plug it takes 25 minutes, which is not a good figure if we see the size of the battery and the maximum charging power supported. All this cocktail of data is brought to shore with a very nice plug-in hybrid in its use both on the highway and off it. What draws the most attention is the game that Ebro has put on his broadcast although, and without data we cannot confirm this for sure, it is likely that it is at the expense of his consumption. When we tested the Omoda 9 SHS we said that we did not feel the approved 537 HP. You had to look for them with your foot deep and they didn’t always show their faces. It was difficult to get the car out of its lethargy as series hybriddesigned to save consumption at the expense of the combustion engine working as an electricity generator at specific revolutions and with the electric motors pushing the car. This Ebro S900 behaves very … Read more

now they are 60% of the food that Spain buys

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Spain has changed in many aspects in the last decade, but in few places has a transformation been experienced as rapid and radical as on supermarket shelves. And all on account of the white label. If the ugly duckling of the retail national, a concept associated with a cheap product of questionable quality has come to conquer the baskets (and wallets) of families. We Spaniards are increasingly betting on items from Hacendado, Auchan or Seleqtia compared to other similar ones that are sold with labels other than supermarkets. So much so that if we talk about the food sector, white label dominated last year. 60.5% value sharewith a growth rate much higher than that of brands associated with external manufacturers. Eating the market. The data starts from a study on large consumption carried out by the consulting firm Circana and advanced by EFE. And although it is in tune with other previous ones that reflect the white label boom in the retail Spanish, but that doesn’t stop it from being striking. In 2025, foods sold under “distributor brands” (those directly associated with supermarkets, such as Hacendado in the case of Mercadona or Auchan with Alcampo) accounted for 60.5% in value share. That is, they took six out of every ten euros spent in that niche. Growing faster. The data is conclusive, but is completed with another also recorded by Circa. It’s not just that private labels take up a lot of the money we spend on food when we go to the supermarket. It’s just that they are hoarding more and more. In 2025, spending on these types of items registered a year-on-year growth of 6.3%a striking percentage for three reasons. First because the value of its rivals marketed with a “manufacturer’s brand” grew much less, 1.4%. Second, because that 6.3% doubles the increase in the price of the shopping basket as a whole, which closed 2025 with an increase of 3%. The third reason is that with this increase, private label foods stand out as those that evolve best among all the product categories that are integrated into the “mass consumption”the label with which experts refer to items that are consumed on a massive and daily basis. Are there more indicators? Yes. And they all point in a more or less similar direction. For example, the study indicates that if we talk about general sales of “mass consumption”, excluding fresh products, the market share of the private label is around 51.7% compared to 48.3% for its manufacturer rivals. That does not mean that Hacendado, Seleqtia and other similar brands rule all branches of the sector. In fact, there is one in particular in which we Spaniards continue to opt mostly for brands that have nothing to do with supermarkets: beverages. In it 66.2% of family spending of 2025 has gone to manufacturer brands compared to 33.8% of private label. What does that mean? In practice, when we want to buy a soft drink or a bottle of water, we mainly choose recognized brands, such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi or Bezoya or Font Vella, rather than those from Dia, Lidl or Eroski. The war of the brands. Circa’s data is just a brushstroke in a much larger picture: the one that has been showing for years the growth of the white label in Spain. The data may vary from study to study, but the trend is always the same. If years ago we customers had reservations about resorting to the supermarkets’ own assortment, those doubts seem to have evaporated. A few years ago Kantar Worldpanel published a report which showed that in 2021 17.2% of customers filled their basket only with white brands, in 2022 it was already 19.5% and in 2021 21.3%. If we talk about spending, during that period Hacendado and other similar brands went from accounting for 42% to 48%. Other analysis published by The National suggest that in a matter of a decade (between 2013 and 2023) the market share of the brands controlled by the supermarkets themselves increased by 11.2 percentage points. Standing out in Europe. The white label has been the protagonist of such a boom in Spain (in 2024 it was already dominating more than 50% of the shopping basket in volume) that has made our country stand out in Europe. Last year Simon-Kucher he wondered how many Spaniards buy this type of items “exclusively” and discovered that the answer is 26%. It is the highest percentage, along with France. In the Netherlands they are 25%, in the United Kingdom 20% and in Germany 19%. If we also include those who “predominantly” bet on these products in their basket (not just exclusively), the figure shoots up to 64%, six points above France and far from the rest of the countries. “The high sensitivity to price and changes in purchasing habits have led to private label becoming the first choice for most households,” explained to Expansion Javier Rubio, from the Simon-Kucher firm. But… Why? This boom responds to several factors. One, key one, is what the consultant comments on: the price and the influence it has had on our shopping basket in recent years, marked by inflation. However, other relevant aspects come into play and have more to do with the commercial strategy of supermarkets, the places where we fill the refrigerator. In 2024 Promarca calculation that in the previous five years the presence of white brands on the shelves of the main supermarkets had increased by 13%. On the contrary, third-party brands decreased by around 23%. The association not only detected the disappearance of thousands of items with non-supermarket labels, it also verified that those that remained were charged more expensive on average. “The public price of manufacturer brand products set by the distribution is between 5% and 160% more expensive than that of private label brands,” warned. Whether your estimates are correct or not, the truth is that we buy more private label because we have it more at hand. Three chains, … Read more

Your design teams no longer report to design

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Tim Cook has placed John Ternussenior vice president of hardware engineering, will lead Apple’s design teams from the end of 2025. The move has not been officially announced and internal and external organizational charts do not reflect it yet, but Mark Gurman has made it public on Bloomberg. Ternus now acts as an “executive sponsor” of all design at Apple. Manages communications between the design team and executive leadership, and represents design in leadership meetings. Decisions are still made by consensus among senior managers, but Ternus now has more influence than any other hardware chief in Apple’s recent history. Why is it important. Only Apple’s most prominent figures have supervised design. Jony Ive did it until 2019. Cook briefly between 2015 and 2017. AND Jeff Williams from 2019 until its retirement in 2025. Ternus now joins that list. The difference is very notable: Ive was a designer, Williams came from operations and Ternus comes from product engineering, where his work has consisted of converting other people’s designs into manufacturing products. Now he is the one who oversees both phases: how the products look and how they work. Between the lines. Apple has gone years without major aesthetic revolutions in its main products. The iPhone has maintained a similar visual structure for several generations. He air It is fine as a recent exception, but otherwise the same. Macs have converged on a predictable, established design language. Apple’s recent innovation has focused on its own chips, integrating hardware, software and services; and in supply chain optimization. Exactly the areas where Ternus has excelled. Placing him at the forefront of design certifies that at Apple execution increasingly matters more than aesthetics. The company seems to have accepted that its years of visual leadership give way to another stage and that its competitive advantage lies in systems engineering and the optimization of each component. Yes, but. Design is still important to Apple, but it is no longer the department that sets the course. Ternus is not a designer and Cook “keeps his distance from design decisions,” according to sources from Bloomberg. Craig Federighi and Greg Joswiak They maintain a voice in Apple’s overall aesthetic. Some company executives, as reported by Gurman, fear that Ternus is too risk-averse and uncharismatic. His main strength is his strong knowledge of the supply chain and attention to detail, but not the conceptual vision that Ive brought. Marking agenda. This move consolidates Ternus as big favorite for Cook’s succession. At 50, he is Apple’s youngest senior executive and Cook is exposing him to more and more areas of the company. Apple has increasingly positioned him as the public face of the business. Cook turned 65 in November. Although there appear to be no imminent plans to retire, succession planning is part of his responsibilities. And the signs are becoming clearer. Featured image | Carles Rabadà on UnsplashApple In Xataka | John Ternus, vice president of Apple: “The iPhone Air had been in development for years, but we had to say ‘no’ until now”

Demolition prices on folding and high-end mobile phones, the discounted Samsung projector and more. Hunting Bargains

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This week we have seen several quite powerful campaigns in terms of number and quality of offers. Therefore, in this same article we are going to review the best deals in technology that we can currently find in different stores. Google Pixel 10 by 630.46 eurosa high-end mobile phone with an excellent photography section. Sony WH-1000XM5 by 198 eurosone of the best Bluetooth headphones from the brand. Samsung The Freestyle by 429 eurosan interesting smart portable projector. ZTE Nubia Flip 2 by 371.80 eurosa folding mobile with a price like we have rarely seen. LG 75UA75006LA by 599 eurosa television that comes with a 75-inch screen. Google Pixel 10 He Google Pixel 10 It has not stopped dropping in price in recent months and now at El Corte Inglés we find one of the best, and the best the store has had to date. By 630.46 eurosit is a high-end mobile that offers good performance, its operating system will be updated for many years and it has a excellent photography section. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Sony WH-1000XM5 The same happens with the Sony WH-1000XM5which are one of the brand’s best Bluetooth headphones. We have seen them drop a lot in price over the last few months and now they have received a big discount at MediaMarkt. By 198 eurosthey are headphones with one of the best active noise cancellations we’ve testedthey are very comfortable and their battery reaches 30 hours of autonomy with ANC. Of course, they come with a soft carrying case and not a rigid one. Sony WH-1000XM5 (soft case) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Samsung The Freestyle In the field of projectors we can find very different prices. It doesn’t usually come down much in price, but the Samsung The Freestyle (2023) Right now it is in El Corte Inglés for 429 euros. It’s a smart projector Quite compact with Tizen operating system that incorporates speakers and comes with both WiFi and Bluetooth and a microHDMI port. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links ZTE Nubia Flip 2 Little by little we are finding folding phones with slightly more reasonable prices that, fortunately, are below the 1,000 euro barrier. He ZTE Nubia Flip 2 now it costs 371.80 euros. It is a folding clamshell with 3-inch external and 6.9-inch internal screen. It has 256 GB of internal storage and comes with a 4,300 mAh battery. ZTE Nubia Flip 2 (256GB) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links LG 75UA75006LA If you are thinking of renewing your television, MediaMarkt has now lowered the price of the LG 75UA75006LA. By 599 euroswe are talking about a huge smart TV that incorporates a 75-inch screen. It is compatible with the HDR10 format, it has Filmmaker mode to watch movies and series and its speakers are compatible with Dolby Digital. LG 75UA75006LA (75 inches) 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 | Google, Sony, Samsung, ZTE, LG In Xataka | The best mobile phones, we have tested them and here are their analyzes In Xataka | Best home theater projectors. Which one to buy and five recommended models from 299 to 18,000 euros

Meta was the big loser of the AI ​​race in 2025. She was actually preparing her big move

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Meta wasn’t dead, but she wasn’t partying either. He was working hard on a new AI model for which there are huge expectations. Now we know a little more about that project, but one thing doesn’t change: it better not fail. what has happened. Andrew Bossworth, CTO of Meta, has confirmed during the World Economic Forum in Davos that the Superintelligence Labs division already has a first internal version of its new AI models. This is an important and long-awaited milestone that they have been working on for six months. “Very good”, but not ready yet. Bossworth did not want to give too many details, but he did indicate that preliminary tests show that the models perform very well. These models will still take time to come to market: Meta is currently in a critical post-training phase for these models to be truly useful for both internal developers and end users. Two great models. Although the names of those models were not specified, rumors and leaks point to two major developments. On the one hand, Avocado, focused on text and which could be launched in the first quarter of 2026. On the other, Mango, focused on image and video generation. A 2025 of transition. The manager described the year 2025 as “tremendously chaotic”, and it was certainly a very complicated year for Meta. He Llama 4 failure It made the company completely change its philosophy and strategy. Zuckerberg did not stop hire talent with a exorbitant costespecially when it acquired Scale AI and signed its CEO, Alexandr Wangnow head of Superintelligence Labs. That investment has also been allocated to acquire companies like Manusthat could become another key component of Meta’s strategy going forward. Glasses as an AI device. If they behave as expected, these models will probably also end up being used in smart glasses from Meta, which has been collaborating with Ray-Ban for years and which you have just seen its second version accompanied, of course, by the striking and even more versatile Meta Ray-Ban Display. Interaction with AI models is one of the most striking features, and these models could take it to new limits. The mystery of Open Source. In July 2024 Mark Zuckerberg indicated that “Open Source AI is the way to go.” Llama was at that time the clear reference, but the disappointing launch of Llama 4 and above all the push for open models from various Chinese companies has made this panorama change significantly. It is not clear that Meta will launch its new models with open versions, and if it did not do so, Chinese hegemony would be even more notable. Will it be worth the investment? Meta is one of the companies that has spent (or bet) the most money on the future of AI. Mark Zuckerberg said that I was willing to lose “hundreds of billions of dollars in AI” because not investing them would be even more dangerous for Meta. He has been consistent with that statement, but It remains to be seen if it ends up working.. The company certainly has the resources to be a protagonist in this market, but today its solutions—with Meta AI at the head—have a very reduced role compared to that of their competitors. Image | Goal In Xataka | China’s best kept weapon in AI is not Qwen: it is the more than 100,000 variables created by other companies

TikTok has dodged the bullet of the US veto. Although it has not been free

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TikTok has announced through a press release the creation of a new one joint venture with which it seeks to meet the demands of the United States Government. This operation will give rise to a new subsidiary majority controlled by a group of American investors close to the president of the country. The agreement. TikTok now operates in the United States under a new entity, TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC. The joint venture allows Bytedance to retain 19.9% ​​of the new company, with the rest under the control of three companies: Oracle, Silver Lake Management and MGX. The constitution of the new subsidiary will allow TikTok to continue operating normally in the country, complying with the executive order signed by Trump on September 25, 2025. The data. The main objective of the Joint Venture is to meet Trump’s demands. That user data remained in the United States was one of the main ones. “The majority U.S.-owned joint venture will operate under defined safeguards that protect national security through comprehensive data protections, algorithm security, content moderation, and software safeguards for U.S. users.” The algorithm. The content recommendation algorithm will be updated in the United States, leaving it in the hands of the joint company. The Oracle cloud will be in charge of ensuring this, and it will be specifically designed to make recommendations based on data from American users. Although the United States has gained access to the algorithm, it is not done with your property. Bytedance licenses, but does not sell its most valuable asset. Qor what is important. The fight between TikTok and the United States was not a whim, it was a geopolitical war around one of the most important social networks for China. trump even banned the application in the United Statesafter considering it a “risk to national security” in 2024, throwing a dart at Bytedance with a Protecting Americans from Applications Controlled by Foreign Adversaries Act made to measure. Within hours of completely shutting down, the president extended the deadline for the vetoin order to reach an agreement. Trump made it clear that, if China wanted reduce its tariff burden, the price to pay was TikTok. During 2025, the future of the social network was up in the air. Neither winners nor losers. There are two sides to this new agreement between China and the United States. For Bytedance, TikTok is not important in the United States only because of its unique users (less than 10% of its global base): it is also important because the bulk of creators that feed their algorithm from the country. Although it loses participation in TikTok in the United States, it maintains a user base. Maintains algorithm. Resolves tension without giving up one of your most precious assets. On the United States side, although it has not been able to take over the app 100%, it achieves one of its main objectives: that user data stays in the country. In Xataka | Young people have decided to stop posting (so much) on Facebook and Instagram. “AI-generated garbage” has free rein

It’s called NexPhone and it wants to be your next pocket PC

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I have once fantasized about the idea that my phone could run Windows or Linux natively. I think everyone who has been tinkering with gadgets for a while has thought about it at some point. However, there are currently no serious commercial proposals beyond similar projects such as PinePhone either Libremto give some examples. Nex Computer, known for its concept NexDock that turns smartphones into laptops, wants to change that. The company just presented the NexPhone– A mid-range Android phone capable of also booting Windows 11 and Linux. Below these lines we tell you all the details. What makes the NexPhone different. The NexPhone’s focus is not on being a mobile phone that runs desktop applications like they do Samsung DeX either Android 16 desktop feature. The thing goes further, as it allows three complete operating systems to boot: Android 16 as standard, Debian Linux (which runs as an app) and Windows 11 via dual-boot. When connecting the device to an external monitor via USB-Cthe NexPhone offers a complete desktop environment on any of these systems. The Windows trick. The greatest technical curiosity of the NexPhone is its ability to run full Windows 11. To use it, you need to restart your phone in Windows mode, and when you do, you are greeted with an interface that pays homage to the defunct Windows Phone. According to Emre Kosmaz, founder of Nex Computer, they had to build this mobile interface using progressive web applications, since Microsoft discontinued support for Android on Windows in March 2025. But the real usefulness is not to run Windows from the mobile screen, but to connect the device to a monitor to have a complete PC experience. An unconventional processor. The NexPhone features the Qualcomm QCM6490, a chip originally designed for IoT applications and enterprise devices. It is a variant of the Snapdragon 780G from the end of 2021, which places its power in the mid-range. Kosmaz explains They chose this processor because it offers native support for Android, Linux and Windows, something they did not find in more powerful chips aimed at smartphones. Microsoft lists it as an officially compatible platform with Windows 11, and Qualcomm guarantees updates until 2036. There are limitations. Running Windows 11 smoothly requires much more power than Android or Linux. Although the device has 12 GB of RAM, we will have to see how a 2021 mid-range processor can offer a fluid and agile Windows experience, beyond basic tasks such as checking email or browsing the internet. There is also the issue of the battery, since 5,000 mAh may not be enough for a complete desktop operating system running. However, we will have to wait to find out how the experience is. The rest of the specifications. Beyond its peculiar multi-system capacity, the NexPhone offers a 6.58-inch LCD screen with Full HD+ resolution at 120 Hz, 64 MP main camera with Sony IMX787 sensor, wireless charging, and IP68 and IP69 certification for water and dust resistance. It has a design that resembles that type of more robust mobile phone, meeting the MIL-STD-810H military standard, with a polycarbonate finish and non-slip texture. The set weighs 256 grams and measures 13.1 mm thick, so it is not exactly compact or light. Prices. Nex Computer has already opened the reservation period with a refundable deposit of $199. The final price of the NexPhone will be $549, and the company hopes to begin shipping in the third quarter of 2026. If you have a mobile phone and a computer in one device, it is not a crazy price. It remains to be seen how it works. Cover image | Nex In Xataka | We will increasingly see more “verified” SMS against fraud. The important thing is to understand how they really work

Hyundai imagines factories full of humanoid robots. A Korean union has said ‘not so fast’

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Hyundai has been building a very specific story for months about the future of its factories, one in which humanoid robots go from being a distant promise to a real industrial tool. The image is powerful and connects with a global race to automate increasingly complex processes, but in South Korea that discourse has already found its first limit. Even before robots enter production lines, the union has come forward to make its position clear and warn that any changes that impact employment will have to be negotiated. A clear warning. Hyundai Motor Union has made it clear that “Without an agreement between the company and workers, not a single robot can enter South Korean plants,” stressing that any decision with an impact on employment must go through the negotiation table. The message connects directly with the current collective agreement, which requires all measures that affect work to be subject to debate and joint approval. With this positioning, the introduction of humanoids is emerging as one of the possible reasons for friction between worker representatives and the Asian corporation. Fear that South Korea will lose prominence. The union links automation to a broader movement of industrial reorganization, marked by the growth of manufacturing in the United States. As they explain, the planned increase in capacity at the US plant could end up subtracting volume from factories in South Korea, and they maintain that two centers would already be suffering from a lack of workload. In this context, humanoids are interpreted not only as a technological tool, but as an element that can accelerate job adjustments if it is not accompanied by clear guarantees regarding the maintenance of employment. The starting point of the discussion. This comes after Hyundai introduced Atlas, the humanoid robot developed by Boston Dynamicsas a key piece of its medium-term industrial strategy. The firm assured that it plans to progressively integrate it into its global network of factories starting in 2028. It also explained that these robots are designed to take on general industrial tasks and work alongside people, with the aim of reducing physical effort and taking on potentially dangerous jobs. Of course, he avoided specifying how many units he will deploy in the first phase or how much the project will cost. First in the United States. The manufacturer has already begun to draw how it wants to industrialize this bet. The group has explained that it will build a specific plant in the United States for the production of robots, a factory dedicated to producing Atlas on a large scale in the coming years. The first operational destination would be at the Georgia plant, known as HMGMAwhere humanoids would initially be used in very specific tasks, such as classifying and sequencing parts for the assembly line. The small labor print. Hyundai’s commitment is part of a much broader race to bring humanoid robots to the industry. Companies such as Tesla, Amazon or the Chinese manufacturer BYD have announced similar plans, although with different degrees of maturity. Some projects have already gone from demonstration to real work, such as the robot Figure 01 in a BMW plantwhere he performs support tasks autonomously. These are still limited and highly supervised experiences, but sufficient to show that the leap from the laboratory to the factory has already begun. Images | hyundai In Xataka | 100% autonomous factories where it is not necessary to turn on the light: China is already considering manufacturing cars only with robots in 2030

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