Month: January 2026

The problem is how to prove something that is not impossible

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The capture of Nicolás Maduro by the US special forces has generated one of those stories that, due to its form and timing, seem designed to colonize the collective imagination even before a verifiable version of the events can be established. The rumor: Washington has been able to use its own secret weapon from a Marvel movie. It’s not impossible, and that’s the catch. The perfect rumor. We are not talking about something completely new, because this theory already sounded strongly with Washington and Cuba as protagonists years ago. The return of the “sonic weapon” now appears as a perfect story to explain a humiliating defeat. Also to elevate the operation to the category of a technological demonstration: a group of special forces captures Maduro and, according to a guard, leaves the defenders bleeding, dizzy and lying on the ground unable to get up. It is a type of narration that automatically has gone viral because it does not require nuances: it converts a confusing fight in a clear scene of absolute superiority and ends with a deterrent conclusion (“no one should confront the United States”), which is exactly the phrase that an intimidation campaign would want to put in the mouth of the enemy. From TikTok to institutional speaker. The origin of everything is quite flimsy: it appears in a TikTok videoa testimony impossible to verify (an alleged member of the Venezuelan security forces as a witness), then translated and later amplified by commentators with the clear intention of dramatizing it and making it viral. Then something happens that changes everything: the White House spokesperson share it and promote it as required reading. Without confirming anything, this gesture gives it authority and creates the most certain ambiguity: it is not official, but it is no longer a simple hoax, and in that gray area it fuels conversation, fear and propaganda. The Pentagon and SOUTHCOM take shelter in operational securitywhich leaves the ideal void for the myth to grow without the need for evidence. @franklinvarela09 loser of January 23 recognizing the surrender of Diosdado Cabello eschunlo friend s #greenscreenvideo ♬ original sound – Varela News What we know about the assault. He described operational framework was already, in itself, that of a high-risk mission with specialized means: nighttime heliborne insertion, armed support helicopters, shooting, American injuries and a high number of casualties on the defending side, including foreign military allies of the regime. With surprise, local air superiority, electronic warfare, cyber support, and precise fire, a defensive collapse can occur without the need for mysterious “lightning strikes.” That is why the rumor that has gone viral is not essential to explain the result: it is, in any case, an embellishment that transforms a complex tactical victory into a fable of technological domination. But there is something else. Technology that exists. What really means that the rumor does not die instantly and that many specialized media have remembered, is that it relies on a real background: Washington takes decades researching non-kinetic capabilities and “less lethal” to incapacitate without killing, from the called Active Denial System (millimeter microwaves that cause severe pain) to long-range acoustic devices LRAD type scope and dazzling lasers to deny vision. It has also been explored combine sensory effects (pain, disorientation, temporary blindness, confusion) to break an adversary’s coordination without resorting to immediate lethal fire. There is no doubt that programs exist of this type does not prove that they were used in Caracas, but it does provide veracity: “it may exist” is enough for the story to survive. A briefing slide from about a decade ago describing the “Non-Lethal Weapons Demonstrators” available to the US military at the time, including the Active Denial System and Acoustic Call-type systems “Sonic” as a label. They remembered in Forbes that sound as a weapon has physical limits and is riddled with historical exaggerations: it is easy to promise “paralysis” or “panic” over frequencies, but much more difficult to demonstrate consistent effects beyond hearing damage or disorientation from extreme volume. Furthermore, the TWZ analysts explained that a witness under stress can describe as a “sound wave” any devastating sensory experience: close explosions, flashbangs, overpressure, daze, and trauma. The language of the victim in this scenario does not identify the mechanism, it only transmits an experience, and that difference is crucial when the story travels through networks as if it were a technical report. An ADS prototype loaded into the back of a heavy truck EPIC, the hypothesis. Forbes too emphasized in a more “coherent” alternative with certain symptoms: EPICa concept that would use radiofrequency pulses to interfere with the inner ear and balance, causing extreme vertigo, inability to stand, and visual disorientation. The idea would be tactical and attractive because, unlike sound, radio waves cross obstacles and may feel like pressure or “popping” in the head as it affects the vestibular system. The problem is that there is no public evidence that this program went beyond early phases nor that it exists as an operational capacity, so here it functions more as a credible anchor than as proof. Havana Syndrome. It we count a few years ago. The debate over anomalous health incidents associated with the so-called Havana Syndrome prepared the ground: there was already a conversation about possible invisible mechanisms (acoustic, radioelectric or other) capable of producing real symptoms without an obvious explosion. The official evaluations have oscillated between skepticism about foreign authorship and the caution of not ruling out that a small number of cases could fit with known scientific principles used for harassment or incapacitation. In this scenario, any “invisible weapon” story is feasible because it leads one to think that the strange is not impossible, just classified. The most plausible explanation. If the strongest hypothesis is to be chosen, it is likely to be a combination of actual combat, explosions, distraction devices, smoke, shock and disorganization, amplified by testimony that has every incentive to exaggerate and convert defeat into technological inevitability. Details like “vomiting blood” or … Read more

AEMET warns that, after the cold, something much more problematic comes

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The Mediterranean asks to speak and the polar jet seems ready to give it all the prominence: if everything goes as planned, after a very cold weekend, What is happening? That the polar jet is contorting again and, this time, it is going to turn so far south that a good part of Spain is going to be in the cold zone. We will change the warm and humid air masses of the Gulf for cold masses that, since they are not arctic, will also have a lot of humidity. For practical purposes, that does not stop the “train of storms” that was affecting us; but its temperature. Therefore, the “storms, fronts, wind and rough seas“will be accompanied, once again, by a drop in temperatures: snow is, in fact, expected in the north of the Sahara. That and a strong storm in the middle of the Mediterranean. But let’s start with the cold. During the weekend (accompanied by that contortion of the jet) orA mass of cold air will invade Spain: Not only will the minimum temperatures drop and frost will return to a large part of the country, but the maximum temperatures will suddenly collapse. The great Mediterranean storm. Although on Saturday the 17th there will be movement in the Gulf of Valencia and the Balearic Sea, the strong will begin on Monday the 19th. That day, the undulation of the polar jet has a good chance of setting up a very powerful cyclogenesis. A cyclogenesis is an intensification of a low and, the Mediterranean knows a lot about that: the arrival of cold air at altitude over a fairly warm sea only needs a good shot of humidity to transform into a very intense storm. These days we will have all the elements on the table. And what can we expect? The models are beginning to converge in a full-fledged winter storm in the Balearic Islands and the Mediterranean coast. Although, as Martín León explains“it could leave abundant rain and snow in medium-high areas in the eastern part of the Peninsula”; The truth is that the position and intensity of the storm is still unclear. And those uncertainties will make the difference between a cold calm or a real winter storm. Image | ECMWF In Xataka | The soils of Spain are already saturated with water. And now a new train of storms threatens something worse

give it a second life on your Smart TV or PC

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Let’s tell you How to give a second life to your old mini or micro systemso that you can reuse it, especially its speakers. Thus, if you have one at home or see one that is quite cheap second-hand, you should know that it may be better for you to reuse it than to buy a sound bar for your TV or speakers for your computer. Let’s start by telling you about the limitations you will have if you want to do this, such as limited audio formats or no network access. Then, we’ll tell you what you’ll need and how to proceed. These are the limitations The first limitation that you are going to find is in some audio formats. If you connect the mini system to a device such as a TV or computer, you can play almost all types of files, although you will not have support for Dolby Digital, DTS or Dolby AtmosFor example. What you will have is support for great audio quality, since the speakers are connected. The other limitation will be in the connectivity that your chain supports. The safest thing, being a few years old, is that you do not have support for USB-C or HDMI, and possibly not WiFi or Bluetooth support either. Mini chains that are a few years old will surely be limited to analog audio inputs by RCA-type coaxial cable, and it probably has two different inputs, one for the left speaker and the other for the right. The speakers you bring may also be connected to the micro system via a specific speaker cable. This is what you can do If your TV has support for RCA coaxial cables, there is no problem, because you just have to connect them to the micro system, and then the speakers to it. But not all TVs have this support, and of course your computer will not have it. For these cases, there are two solutions. The “easy” solution is to opt for a 3.5mm jack cable. Many TVs and some computers may have one of these connectors, the headphone jack for life, and many micro systems may also have an input to use them. Then, on the device you will have the option to output the audio to speakers or headphones. If your chain doesn’t support it, there are 3.5mm jack to RCA cable adapters, another good option. However, the best option is to buy a DACespecially if you want to reuse the mini system on a computer. These are small boxes that are responsible for converting digital audio into analog. This means that you can connect your computer or TV to the DAC via USB, and after the DAC the RCA cables come out. In fact, you can even use DACs as intermediaries for other PC speakers you have, because they usually improve the sound a lot. This is how I told you back in the day when I explained to you how to improve the sound of your computer. The negative part here is that DACs have a cost. I use a Fiio K7 with support for Hi-Res audio, and Its price is about 200 euros. You can also buy others for less than 100 or less than 50 euros in stores like Aliexpres, they will also work for you. There are many models and many prices, and it all depends on the use you want to give it. Some DACs even have Bluetooth support, which will add this connectivity to your micro system. Regardless of the method used, once you have connected your TV or computer to the micro system, then turn it on in the INPUT options choose the auxiliary or the one designated to input sound from another device you have connected. Reusing speakers is not easy Reusing only the speakers of a micro system without the device itself and its electronic part is a little more complicated. This is only possible if the speakers have passive filters for the frequency range already installed inside them. Almost all speakers are two or more ways, with at least one driver for treble and another for bass-midrange. For everything to sound correctly, the speakers need to send the corresponding frequency range to each driver through prior filtering. These filters can be passive with a filter made up of capacitors, resistors and coils, or electronically active. The normal thing is that the technology to be able to do this is within the microchain itselfso separate speakers sometimes won’t do. In Xataka Basics | Improve the sound of your computer: basic tips and what you can do to make music sound better

10,000 steps a day are of no use if they are not done well

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For years, the public health mantra has undoubtedly been focused on something very simple: walking. Anyone with high blood pressurediabetes or any other chronic illness received as a ‘treatment’ by taking a walk with the mantra of 10,000 steps in the background ringing. But the reality is that there are some voices that want to overthrow this concept in a radical way. The criticisms. Felipe Isidro, professor of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences, has put his finger on the sore by pointing out that walking is not exercise, but rather it is wander. For this expert, prescribing “walking” to a patient is as useful as telling him to breathe because logically we are walking every day to get from one place to another (unless we are immobilized). And taking less than 120 steps per minute is inefficient. And science is something that is supported in different studiesbecause human biology is extremely efficient: if an effort is not challenging, the body does not invest energy in adapting. This is what science calls “insufficient stimulus.” For example, the LITE studio analyzed people who walked at low intensity and discovered something quite frustrating: in resistance and functional capacity tests, the results of those who walked slowly were practically identical to those in the control group that didn’t do anything. And it makes sense, since for the body that level of activity was background noise, not exercise. It’s literally like you’re wandering around. The x3 rule. If we compare casual walking with moderate or vigorous exercise, the difference is not linear, but rather exponential. According to the data of the Framingham Heart Studyone of the longest-running and most respected analyzes in the world, moderate-high intensity exercise is three times more effective at improving physical fitness than walking at a slow pace. And it makes sense. The metabolic response that our body has means that one minute of vigorous activity can provide the same cardiovascular benefits as six minutes of moderate walking. But in addition, meta-analyses on type 2 diabetes show that interval training (walking fast in sections) lowers blood sugar levels much more aggressively than always walking at the same pace. And although walking more steps reduces overall mortality, the published reviews in The Lancet suggest that maintaining excessively slow paces can increase cardiovascular risks by up to 44% compared to those who push the pace. A lie detector. Where is the scientific border between “walking” and “training”? The technical literature places the turning point in the cadence. For walking to have a real impact on health biomarkers (blood pressure, aerobic capacity, fat composition), studies suggest a range of between 120 and 140 steps per minute. Below that figure, we are in what physiologists call “light physical activity.” This activity is useful for breaking a sedentary lifestyle (and has proven benefits on the mental health and mobility of older people, reducing motor difficulties by 14-16%), but it is insufficient to reverse metabolic problems or improve the cardiorespiratory system in healthy adults. A clear verdict. Science does not say right now that walking is bad, but that what gives a neutral or even harmful effect is doing the basic minimum. This is why total steps are excellent for extending overall longevity and not dying early, but what really protects quality of life is intensity. In short, if the smartwatch on duty indicates that you have taken 10,000 steps, but without your heart knowing, the truth is that you have only been wandering. What should be done is simply accelerate the pace so that our body can react (as long as each person’s limits allow it). Images | Arek Adeoye In Xataka | Walking changes the rules of Alzheimer’s: a few steps a day are enough to stop the spark that ignites the disease

OpenAI’s obsession was to train its models like crazy. Now it’s run them faster than anyone else

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OpenAI has signed an agreement estimated to be worth more than $10 billion with Cerebras Systems, a startup that designs advanced AI chips dedicated to one thing: running AI models as fast as possible. It is a unique alliance not only because of that change of focus, but because there is a conflict of interests. what has happened. The firm led by Sam Altman has committed to purchasing 750 MW of computing capacity over the next three years from Cerebras. Sources cited in The Wall Street Journal indicate that this alliance has an estimated value of more than $10 billion. We are therefore facing an operation extraordinary in size, but peculiar in form and substance. What Cerebras does. The firm based in Sunnyvale, California, was founded in 2015 by former engineers from SeaMicro, purchased in 2012 by AMD. The startup designs artificial intelligence chips specifically aimed at the inference stage of AI models, that is, executing them. More tokens per second please. When we use ChatGPT or any AI model, what we are looking at is an AI model using inference. Some “write” faster than others, and that speed of displaying text in responses is measured in tokens per second. Typically NVIDIA chips are great for the training phase, but not so much for the inference phase. Chips from companies like Cerebras —or those of the well-known Groqwhich has just been “bought” by NVIDIA—are precisely designed to run those models at full speed and obtain very high token per second speeds. The AI ​​is already good. Now she wants to be fast. NVIDIA’s recent “purchase” of Groq makes it clear that Jensen Huang’s company wanted the ability to offer those ultra-fast inference chips, and now OpenAI seems to want something very similar with its deal with Cerebras. AI models have already achieved remarkable performance in many scenarios, and although they are not perfect, now companies want them to not only work well, but also work very very fast and their responses, even if they are long, appear almost instantly. OpenAI wants more computing power. This operation also helps Sam Altman’s company with another objective: to obtain (and reserve) as much computing capacity as possible in anticipation of the fact that demand for these AI models will grow non-stop in the coming months and years. According to WSJ OpenAI already has more than 900 million weekly users, and its managers have frequently commented that they continue to have computing capacity problems. Brains grow. This agreement reinforces Cerebras’ position in a market that clearly demands this type of solutions. The firm is negotiating a $1 billion investment round that would bring its market valuation to $22 billion, tripling the current valuation, which is around $8.1 billion. In the past it has raised $1.8 billion according to PitchBook. Conflict of interest. This agreement also draws attention for an important aspect: Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, is also an investor in Cerebras (he is at the bottom of this Cerebras website) and indeed your company At one point he considered acquiring Cerebras although in the end that operation did not bear fruit. We are therefore faced with an operation that theoretically benefits Altman on both sides, which is worrying. How will OpenAI pay for this party? This new agreement once again triggers the debate about OpenAI’s ability to meet its credit and debt obligations. In 2025 it generated about 13,000 million dollars in income, but that enormous amount remains minuscule if we take into account that the contracts it signed with OracleMicrosoft or Amazon They amount to about 600,000 million dollars that will have to end up getting from somewhere. Where from? It’s a good question. We’ll see if they can end up answering it. In Xataka | The alliance between Oracle and OpenAI is not just about data centers: it is about overtaking Google, Apple and Microsoft on the right

charge a lot to Big Tech that uses it for AI

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The world’s largest free encyclopedia is celebrating. Wikipedia turns 25, and to commemorate this event they have prepared content and activities for all its users that give context to the beginnings of this non-profit project. However, perhaps the most striking thing about your statement It has to do with the new vision that the Wikimedia Foundation will take from now on: a Wikipedia in the age of AI. For this reason, those responsible for managing this digital library have also revealed that Microsoft, Meta and Amazon joined other Big Tech companies such as Google to be able to use Wikipedia content to train their language models. To do this, companies pay good money to the foundation for having premium access to that content. What is happening. The Wikimedia Foundation has confirmed that Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Perplexity and Mistral AI have joined Google as paying customers of Wikimedia Enterprise, a commercial platform launched in 2021. According to Lane Becker, senior director of revenue at the foundation, this initiative offers a version of the Wikipedia API “optimized” for commercial use and AI companies, with functionalities customized according to the needs of each company. Why are they paying? Tech companies rely massively on Wikipedia to train their AI models. 65 million articles in more than 300 languages ​​are essential for chatbots like ChatGPT or virtual assistants. However, Wikipedia says that this use has also increased the maintenance and server costs of the library, whose traditional financing comes from small donations from the public. “Wikipedia is a critical component of the work of these tech companies that need to figure out how to support it financially,” explained Lane Becker told Reuters. In detail. Wikimedia Enterprise is not simply downloading Wikipedia. The platform allows these companies to access content at a volume and speed specifically designed to train large-scale AI models, with structured data formats and custom functionality requests. Microsoft, Perplexity and Mistral AI joined forces over the last year, while Meta and Amazon were already partners although their participation had not been publicly announced until now. Between the lines. It is a financing model with which the Wikimedia Foundation would benefit more, in addition to individual donations. It’s also a change in how Wikipedia sustains its nonprofit mission. For years, the platform has relied on individual donations while large corporations benefited from its knowledge for free. Now, the foundation has found a balance: keeping access free for the general public while monetizing heavy commercial use. “Reaching a new sustainable balance with these new companies is critical for our continued existence, but also for yours,” pointed out Becker to The Verge. Wikipedia in the age of AI. Just like account Foundation, Wikipedia continues to be created and maintained by approximately 250,000 volunteer editors around the world who write, edit and fact-check information for free. Tim Frank, corporate vice president of Microsoft, counted that “together, we are helping to create a sustainable content ecosystem for the AI ​​internet, where contributors are valued.” On the other hand, Selena Deckelmann, Director of Product and Technology at Wikimedia, assured that “Wikipedia proves that knowledge is human and knowledge needs humans. Especially now, in the age of AI, we need Wikipedia’s human-powered knowledge more than ever.” Cover image | Oberon Copeland In Xataka | The Apple Intelligence and Siri disaster has caused something unusual: Apple gives the keys to its kingdom to Google

What channels are available for free and how to access them

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Let’s tell you how to watch DTT on Prime Videoalthough at the moment only those on public television are available. We are going to tell you what exactly you can expect from this movement, its advantages, and how to access these channels. Although DTT is accessible to almost everyone, being able to access its channels from streaming services can help you wherever you are. There is no television signal but you do have internetwhether sharing the connection from your mobile or with something contracted. Which DTT channels are seen on Prime Video For now, from January 14, 2026 You can see all RTVE channels. These channels are La1, La2, Clan, Teledeporte and 24H. All of them can be accessed from the same place as the rest of the channels. The other DTT channels are paid. For example, Atresmedia has its own available, but you must pay for Atresplayer Premium, while for Mediaset’s you must have a subscription to Infinity+. You have to hire these as an addon. We still do not know if after the free incorporation of RTVE the private channels will imitate their movement or not. How to access channels To access the free DTT channels on Prime Video, the first thing is to have a subscription to this service. Then inside the app Click on the section live TV that you will have at the top. This will take you to the list of free channels that are broadcasting live on this service. In it, simply, go down until you find the ones from TRVE and select them. That will start the broadcast over the Internet. In Xataka Basics | DTT channels in 2026: what changes are there with a channel that is leaving, a new channel and another that changes its name

Barcelona believes it has a night security problem. So you’re going to leave the Christmas lights on all year long

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Vigo risks losing his position as “city of lights” (from Spain). Although the Galician City Council usually displays its Christmas decorations already in July and boasts every year of the millions and millions of LEDs that adorn its streets for almost two months, from November to January, there is another city that is about to raise the stakes: Barcelona. There the Consistory has decided maintain part of the lighting for the festivities Old City during the remainder of winter. Their reasons actually have little to do with Christmas. Lights, lights and more lights. Christmas may be over, but in Spain it is becoming common for us to talk about its lights for months and months. In Vigo they do it because the City Council begins to hang them in the middle of Julywith the thermometer flirting with 30º and the city full of tourists in shorts and flip-flops. Now they will do it too in Barcelonaalthough for other reasons. What do they want to do there? The news I advanced it on Monday The Vanguard: Barcelona is finalizing a plan to improve the lighting of some of the narrowest (and darkest) streets of Ciutat Vella, taking advantage of part of the decoration that was installed there this Christmas. That is to say, in the absence of traditional streetlights, garlands strung between facades are good. Although Jaume Collboni’s team has not yet revealed the details of the initiative, the idea does seem clear: it is not so much about neighbors, merchants and tourists continuing to walk for months under decorations of Santa Clauses, Three Wise Men and Christmas trees, but rather about maintaining the most ‘timeless’ designs. Walking under light bulbs. The key is therefore to take advantage of decoration that does not clash with the rest of the winter. To reinforce it, the municipal government also proposes maintaining the garlands that the merchants themselves have placed. In the Gòtic there are businesses that have been hanging decorative lights on their own, although as these were private initiatives they encountered challenges such as the passage of garbage trucks or some parades. Where, when and how. While waiting for the City Council to provide more details about where, when and how the initiative will be deployed, The Vanguard has advanced some keys: the measure will focus on points in Ciutat Vella, Gótic and Sant Pere streets, Santa Caterina and Ribera that aspire to improve their lighting. Regarding the calendar, councilor Albert Batlle explains that the Consistory proposes keeping the lights for several months: “The will is that the measure be implemented, now and in the future, during the winter time period, approximately between the last weekend of October and the last weekend of March.” Two keys: trade and security. Batlle too confirm that the measure pursues two objectives: to favor the businesses and residents of the area and to put an end to alleys in which pickpockets find refuge. “We want to improve the lighting of some small streets in Gòtic and Sant Pere, Santa Caterina and la Ribera to promote commercial, cultural and social revitalization, and also to improve the feeling of security, especially on days with fewer hours of daylight,” he adds. “We are working on the formula to enhance this network.” “They give them more qualms”. The measure appears to have had good reception among the businesses in the area, which even proposed expanding the list of roads that were initially going to benefit from the lights. “If the streets are more illuminated, walking becomes safer and commerce will benefit,” recognize to The Newspaper David González, from the Via Laietana Merchants Association. Proof of how convincing the measure is is that at the time some businessmen from Born they already started to hang garlands at your own risk. “People go along Paseo del Born very happy because the promenade and the streets are usually well lit. But the dark alleys make them hesitant.” The idea has also been found with detractors who consider it a patch. But… Does it work? Although he has achieved reduce your crimeBarcelona usually appears in the area highest of the rankings about the cities insecure from Spain. The key is whether more public lighting will translate into greater real safety, a question that has generated debate in recent years. What they do seem to confirm cases like that of Vigo is that a good commitment to street lighting (even if it is seasonal) serves to attract thousands of visitors. Images | Barcelona City Council (X) and Núria (Flickr) In Xataka | The upper area of ​​Barcelona no longer interests the rich: the Eixample has become fashionable and its neighbors tremble because of the prices

We have so much supply on the way that no one knows what will happen to the prices.

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The global and European energy market is experiencing an unprecedented metamorphosis. If just three years ago the world held his breath In the face of scarcity, today the scenario is the opposite. According to Bloomberga “record supply wave” is creating a “buyers’ market” that will last until the end of the decade. But the news is not only that there is more gas, but that the rules of the game for buying and selling it in Europe have changed forever: gas has ceased to be a slow raw material and has become a high-speed financial asset. The giants are awakening. The engine of this saturation has its own names. According to Bloomberg dataglobal LNG production grew by 6% in 2025 and the trend has only just begun. This year, two megaprojects—Golden Pass in Texas and the massive Qatar expansion—will begin pumping fuel, alone adding 11% to total global exports once they reach full capacity. This reality has reconfigured the European board. According to a report by S&P Globalthe United States is already the absolute owner of the supply in the old continent, representing 77.53% of imports in 2025. The market no longer reflects shortages, but rather the symptoms of an “excess supply” that is forcing prices down, with the JKM index (Asia) and the TTF (Europe) narrowing their margins. The end of office hours: The gas becomes “hyperactive.” One of the most profound changes is not on the ships, but on the traders’ screens. As revealed by the newsletter Energy Daily from Bloombergthe Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) has extended trading of gas and electricity products to 22 hours a day. This movement breaks with decades of tradition. Before, all traders logged on at 8 am in Amsterdam to check inventories and weather news. Now, the market operates almost tirelessly to synchronize with the United States and Asia. This movement allows you to react “instantly” to nightly headlines about Iran or Ukraine. The result is a cglobal price convergence, but with a risk: this immediacy can amplify sudden movements and volatility in the short term. The landing of the Hedge Funds. This new liquidity and opening hours has attracted a risk-hungry player: the Hedge Funds. By not being tied to physical assets (such as pipelines or ships), these funds can bet on pure volatility. As Bloomberg analysis explainswhile traditional traders suffer from low margins, hedge funds take advantage of the arbitrage opportunities generated by a market that never sleeps. Gas has officially become an asset as dynamic as oil or currencies. The respite of emerging nations. Supply saturation has a human lifeline. The collapse in prices is allowing emerging nations such as Vietnam, India and Myanmar return to the market. After being squeezed out by prohibitive prices in the 2022 crisis, these countries are absorbing excess LNG to displace coal and power their growing electricity grids. It is this Asian appetite that is preventing the market from totally collapsing under the weight of the new American and Qatari supply. The point goes beyond. And as always there is the geopolitical factor. This abundance puts giants like Shell and Exxon Mobil in a bind. According to ReutersShell is already suffering the consequences, with a drop in its trading results that calls into question its $3.5 billion share buybacks. For its part, Donald Trump’s geopolitics adds fuel to the fire. How Reuters has had accessTrump has pressured oil companies to revitalize Venezuela after Maduro’s departure, but Exxon CEO Darren Woods has been skeptical, calling the country “uninvestable.” At the same time, the market is watching Trump’s tariffs on Iran, that according to the Bloomberg graphhave taken Brent crude oil to almost $65, complicating the strategy of some “majors” that must find buyers for their surplus gas in an increasingly volatile world. The European “Wall”. In Europe, the battle is not about gas, but for the infrastructure. Given the slow pace of works on land, the EU has entrusted its fate to FSRUs (floating regasification units). These ships are the mobile “plugs” needed to process gas crossing the Atlantic. On the other hand, Spain is the perfect example of the disconnection between abundance and transportation. Despite being the Europe’s “renewable laboratory”the country has hit a technical wall. Gas consumption for electricity rose by 26% in 2025 to act as a “bodyguard” of the network and avoid blackouts. However, the year closed as the third most expensive in history for the Spanish consumer. Spain has gas on its coasts, but it does not have enough “cables or pipes” (interconnections) to relieve the rest of the continent or lower its own bill. The trap of 2050. Despite the renewable boom, a McKinsey & Company report projects that global gas demand will increase by 26% towards 2050. Gas is not being retired; It is being repositioned as the life support of an electrical network that does not know how to function on its own. As a Morgan Stanley report concludesthe energy success of 2026 is no longer negotiated in political offices in Moscow. It is decided on the speed of the algorithms of the hedge funds that operate 22 hours a day, in the capacity of the floating terminals and in the engineers who must untangle the knot of the European electricity network. There is plenty of gas, but the path for this relief to reach the final consumer is still full of obstacles. Image | Unsplash Xataka | Spain, Europe’s renewable laboratory, runs into the gas wall: 2025 broke the dream of cheap electricity

Leroy Merlin sells the V16 beacon for 30 euros that connects to its own app to notify emergencies and insurance

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On January 1, the new DGT regulations that forces us to carry a V16 beacon in the vehicle to use in case of emergency or breakdown. There are many models that exist on the market, although there are two manufactured in Spain that stand out from the rest. One is the Help Flash IoT+ and the other is this one that Leroy Merlin sells. It is about the V16 Ledone beaconwhich if there is something that stands out for it is the number of candles and also for having its own app. Its price, at the moment, is 29.99 euros. V16 approved DGT geolocated beacon LEDONE Connected The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Made in Spain and with characteristics different from the rest If you have not yet purchased a V16 beacon for your vehicle, this model has some features that make it stand out from the rest. One of them is its design, since it has a base that elevates itso it can be very useful to place in different types of vehicles. Another of its assets is that it has 120 candleswhich is triple the mandatory 40 candelas that this emergency light must have according to the DGT. In addition, it is manufactured in Spain, which gives it extra reliability. Although if there is something for which this stands out emergency light (and that only has one other model on the market) is because it has your own app. From this app, you can communicate directly with your insurance and emergency services, something that will be very useful if you have to leave your car on the shoulder. Other V16 beacons that may interest you If this V16 beacon does not convince you, on the market you can also find other models at a good price. These are some of them: V16 beacon Raykong by 35.99 euros on MediaMarkt: it is also one of the most popular models. V16 beacon iWottolight by 29.99 euros at Carrefour. V16 beacon Nk DP-EL2024-C1 by 29.99 euros in PcComponentes. V16 beacon help flash IoT+ by 36.81 euros on Amazon: a best-selling model with its own app to notify emergencies or insurance. Other accessories that may interest you for your vehicle 10.26″ Wireless Carplay Screen 360 Rotation 4K Dash Cam with Auto Stereo Audio Receiver The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Xiaomi Portable Air Compressor 2 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. Image | Webedia and Ledone In Xataka | Don’t wait until January 1: if you have to buy your V16 beacon, Leroy Merlin has them for less than 40 euros In Xataka | Safety, organization and entertainment gadgets and accessories for cars on long trips

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