Month: January 2026

Nepal imposed a $4,000 bail on tourists to clean Everest. Now you have more garbage and a problem

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If we talk about remote, isolated and inaccessible regions, few places reach the level of Everest. The highest mountain of the planet (at least if we take sea level as a reference) is not within everyone’s reach. Crowning it requires years of preparation, acclimatization and in-depth knowledge of mountaineering, in addition to spending a few tens of thousands of dollars in tickets, equipment, fees and Sherpas. Despite that, despite all its rigors, Everest has become a monster touristified full of tons and tons of garbage. In Nepal they just checked that this problem, that of the accumulation of waste in the mountains, cannot be solved even with the threat of paying thousands of dollars. Hence, the Government is already considering tougher measures. What has happened? That Nepal has realized that the threat of sanctions is not enough to prevent Everest from becoming a gigantic landfill frozen. More than a decade ago, its authorities adopted a measure with which they intended to clean the mountain: each climber who wanted to ascend to the roof of the world must first deposit $4,000, a kind of deposit that would only be recovered if he returned from his expedition with eight kilos of waste. The objective was clear: for the mountaineers to collect their garbage. If they did, they got their $4,000 back. If not, they lost the deposit. The idea looked good on paper, but it has turned out to be a fiasco. Over the past few years, mountaineers have returned from their climbs with backpacks full of debris to unlock their bails, but that hasn’t improved Everest. On the contrary. Why’s that? Very simple. Because (paraphrasing the Spanish proverb) ‘the law is made, the trap is made’. Tourists who have set out to conquer Everest have spent the last few years returning with rubbish to claim a refund of their money, but what at first sounds so positive has actually meant a problem for the mountains. The reason? The origin of these wastes. Climbers collect waste, true, but in lower altitude camps. Things change if we talk about the highest bases, where loading and eliminating waste is more difficult, expensive and even dangerous. Hence, the waste problem continues to be worrying and has even worsened in the most sensitive areas: the camps located closer to the summit. “From the highest bases people tend to return only with oxygen bottles,” explains to the BBC Tshering Sherpa, executive director of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee. “Other items like tents, cans and boxes of packaged food and beverages are left there, mostly abandoned. That’s why we see so much trash piling up.” What has been the result? A fiasco. The Sherpas themselves recognize that the pollution problem has worsened in the camps closest to the summit. After all… Why descend loaded with garbage from the top of the mountain if 8 kg can then be collected in the lower camps? As if that were not enough, managing the $4,000 deposits has resulted in more paperwork for Nepalese officials. Although the problem of dirt has not been solved, the majority of mountaineers recover their deposits, which translates into an “administrative burden” for the nation. Does it work that badly? In the country there are those who speak directly of a “defective norm” that fails in several key points. The main one, surveillance. “From the checkpoint above the Khumbu Icefall there is no supervision over what the climbers do,” comments Sherpa. Hence, it is not a problem for tourists to leave their garbage at the top of the mountain and then cover the quota with waste from lower camps. There is also another important handicap. The rule requires climbers to return with 8 kg of waste, but there are studies that warn that a climber produces much more waste during his stay on the mountain, at least if the weeks of acclimatization are taken into account. To be precise, we are talking about 12 kg. Is the problem that serious? Yes. The figures speak for themselves. Estimates may vary from one study to another, but they generally show that after years of tourism, Everest has become a large landfill in which dozens of tons of waste accumulate. And that includes everything from packaging, store remains, ropes… and even kilos and kilos of feces. It is not at all surprising if you take into account the great popularity that the mountain has been gaining over the last few decades. Although the expeditions are not affordable for everyone (some estimate that they cost between 40,000 and 60,000 dollars) every year hundreds of climbers land on Everest. The Telepragh esteem that around 600 mountaineers try to climb the mountain every year, which represents a huge flow of climbers who arrive accompanied by equipment and Sherpas. There are many, but the figure falls short when compared to the activity that was recorded in the area before the pandemic. Statista calculates For example, in 2023, 656 successful promotions were recorded, a figure that exceeded 800 before the health crisis. And now what? After assuming that their previous bailout plan “did not show tangible results,” the Nepalese authorities want to toughen their conditions to tackle the pollution problem. They have a new plan on the table that includes a cleaning fee that It would be around $4,000.although with an important nuance: in this case would not be refundable. The idea is that this flow of thousands of dollars will serve to finance the conservation of the mountain. “With the new plan we will deploy qualified rangers paid for by the cleaning fee collected from climbers,” comments Himal Gautamfrom the Department of Tourism. If the measure goes ahead, it will join others that in recent years have sought to improve the preservation of Everest, such as the increase in rates administrative or even the norm which since 2024 requires mountaineers to carry bags to collect their excrement. Images | Akunamatata (Flickr), Mari Partyka (Unsplash) In Xataka | When a storm hit Everest, a … Read more

How to add the Three Wise Men to any photo of your street using artificial intelligence

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Let’s tell you how to add the Three Wise Men to your photographsso that you can create images full of illusion. The idea is that if you have a photo of your street or a place you usually walk through, you can add these characters to it without altering anything else. We are going to tell you two ways to do this, both with artificial intelligence. First we will go to a website designed exclusively for this, which is the easiest alternative to use. And then we will tell you how to use the most popular artificial intelligence chatbots, such as ChatGPT either Gemini. Use a third party page If you want to do things as easily as possiblethere are pages like fotoalosreyesmagos.comcreated especially to add the Three Wise Men to your photos, and which allows you to see the photos shared by other users from all over Spain. The website offers consistency in designs, although the results are a little less refined. To use it, go to fotoalosreyesmagos.com and click on Upload your photo. Now you will go to a screen where you have to upload the photo you want to use to insert the Three Wise Men. Click on the box or drag the photo to it if you are on the computer. Remember that they must be photos of a street or landscape so that the AI ​​can insert the characters into it. Now you’ll have to choose how to customize your resulting photo. To do this, you just have to decide if you want to include the camels or only to the Kings. Additionally, you have to choose if you want the photo to be public indicating your location or if you want to keep it private and not publish it in the gallery. Now, after deciding whether or not to accept or not give the website a donation of one euro, the photo will be generated. When the photo is generated you can download or share itin addition to publishing it if you want in the public gallery. Add the Three Wise Men with ChatGPT or Gemini The other option is use ChatGPT or Geminiin both cases you will be able to use the same prompt, although today ChatGPT Images offers better results. But you can try both options and stick with the one that suits you best. What you have to do in both options is upload a photograph of your neighborhood, and add the following prompt: I want you to add the three Wise Men in this photo. They should be walking down the street, and you should make them realistic, make them look like real people. Look at the proportions so that they have a realistic size within the photograph, that they have the size of a real person. Don’t touch anything else in the photo, just add to the characters. That’s it, with this the AI ​​will generate a fairly realistic image of these characters. The advantage of this option is that you can add and specify things at the prompt you use, adding objects, specifying sizes, and similar. In Xataka Basics | How to create a character in ChatGPT and Gemini to use it in all the images you make with artificial intelligence

It is the secret document of salvation

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Yeah your house starts to burnWhat is the first thing you would save? Surely you have asked yourself that question more than once, with a very clear answer in your head that, once you save what you love most, it is completed with “if I can take more than one trip, I would take this and that.” Being prepared is not badbut… what if instead of personal objects, you had a museum with hundreds of unique objects and works of enormous value? They have thought about that. And the plan is perfectly imperfect. Grab lists. Whether of greater or lesser importance, everyone has unique pieces in the form of artistic creations or elements that have helped us understand and admire the past. And, when there is an emergency, you cannot improvise. That is why each museum has a salvage list or priority list that basically lists the most important objects for the institution and puts them on a list with all the details to keep the piece safe. Because we don’t talk about robbery cases like that of the Louvrebut fireswater leaks, gas leaks, floods and even terrorism. In short, it is a printed and secret plan that museums wish to never have to use for logistical reasons, but also for ethical reasons and responsibility with the art they treasure. How to do it. In this document We see it as a guide to react and make the list. They range from small museums, where perhaps more material can be saved, to large museums where the pieces must be organized in detail. If something happens, the rescue list is given to the emergency services (firefighters during a fire, for example), and should be compiled based on: The rarity of the item. Its value (although they indicate that it should not be the only element to consider, we will see what happens when there is a lot of money at stake). An important historical link to the museum or city. Its vulnerability to fire or floods. An example. The guide is a sample of that safety document that tells staff how to react to different conditions. For example, if there is an electrical failure, recommendations are given such as assessing whether there is a risk of electrocution and, if everything is safe, starting to proceed. If there is an insect infestation, it is indicated how to save the works. But what interests us are the examples of the priority list. On a map of the museum, they indicate which works need to be saved, accompanied by the number they have on that priority list. But, in addition, a series of instructions must be given so that personnel outside the museum (the aforementioned firefighters, for example) are clear about how to act. In this table, the guide includes the reference number of the object, a photo of it so that you are clear about what it is, if keys are needed to access the display case and where they are, as well as handling recommendations (gloves, box, etc.) and how many people are needed to move it. Do not overwhelm with details: the more concise, the better. Powerful knight… That they are secret documents is more than necessary for a very obvious reason: no one who is not strictly involved with the construction security service can know which objects are on the list because there could be leaks. Because, as you may be thinking, the most monetary valuable items would be the first to go out the door in armored trucks. Because maybe he bone of a T-Rex It may be very important on a scientific level, but it will not be worth the same as a painting by a renowned painter. Each object has its insurance premium, and when there is a crisis, the priority is usually clear: save what is expensive. And there is a perfect example: ‘Mural’, by Jackson Pollock. It’s not hypothetical. In a fantastic report by The Economist The case of the aforementioned work by Pollock is presented. Answering how much art is worth is, to say the least, complex, but specifically, ‘Mural’ is valued at 140 million dollars. Painted in 1948, due to different factors it ended up in the University of Iowa Museum of Art. It is, like many other important museums, one that is attached to a river, and in 1993 the first “notice” came. A flood caused water to leak onto the university campus. He sneaked into the basement and warehouse, but the exhibitions continued to be set up and running. In 2008, things changed. A heavy snowfall meant that the ground could not absorb as much water, so the Iowa River overflowed and levels rose. The reservoir to which the city entrusts its protection could not handle that amount of water and had to be evacuated. Decide between two children. At a meeting, those responsible for the safety of the works did not know what to save, so the most interested came in: the museum’s insurer. It is at that moment in which the cultural value and the importance of the roots of the work are put aside to reflect reality: money and the value of the work prioritizes which ones will be saved first. With water at the doors, a few days before the museum was flooded, ‘Mural‘He left on his way to Chicago in an armored truck. Another work, ‘Karneval‘, a 1943 triptych by Max Beckmann, was also transported to the same facility in Chicago, but on a separate truck. Reason? The director of the university told journalists that these works were being moved and the museum management saw it as a reckless act. “Our collection is insured for a third of a billion dollars and now we have people telling the world it’s on its way to Chicago,” said Pamela White, the museum’s acting director. Beyond money. Museum staff moved more than 10,000 works in total, protecting those they had not been able to evacuate and placing them … Read more

a storm that aims to leave Twelfth Night under snow

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The weather models are slowly beginning to give us a vision of what is going to happen in these first days of January, and the reality is that we are already looking forward to a Three Kings’ night. with really low temperatures and even snow cover. Something that responds to the arrival of the storm Francisan anticyclonic block at high latitudes and an outbreak of continental polar air. The clash of masses. For a heavy snowfall to occur on the Iberian Peninsula, it is not enough for it to be cold, but humidity is also needed. That is why the scenario they propose GFS models and ECMWF for this January 2026 it is, technically, textbook. All this because an anticyclone has been installed in northern Europe and arctic areas, which forces very cold air to move south, directly towards Spain. While this cold settles on the peninsula, we must not forget about the storm Francis that enters from the southwest loaded with humidity. And when Francis’ humidity collides with the “wall” of frigid air already over the peninsula, a so-called “mass clash” occurs. This is where it turns into snow generally at very low levels. The AEMET. In his special prediction For these important dates, the meteorology agency indicates that this Friday the 2nd the rains will reach the Canary Islands and to the west of the peninsula. But it will be on January 3 when rainfall will be very abundant in western Andalusia, with snowfall at low levels in the north. But the truly interesting thing is between Sunday, January 4 and Tuesday, January 6, Three Kings’ Day, where heavy and persistent rains are expected in the south and east of the Peninsula. The highlight may be the snowfall in the eastern and central part of the peninsula, which the AEMET points out that can be important with a large drop in temperatures. Arrival of unusual snowfall. The “postcard” of Three Kings with snow is plausible in a good part of the country, although highly conditioned by the orography and some details of Francis’ career. In the south, for example, AEMET and local media report a drop in the snow level of up to 400 m in provinces like Granada either Malagawith minimums below 5 °C in capitals and negative values ​​in the interior, which opens the door to snowfall in areas where they are uncommon. In the center and east of the peninsula, the coldest scenarios place the level around 400–500 meters during January 4 and 5 and snow at medium or low levels in the southeastern quadrant, eastern Iberia, the east of the southern plateau or the Baetics; In the north and northwest, the posterior maritime polar mass keeps the snow in the mountains and could leave significant accumulations in systems such as the Montes de León. The American GFS model has come to propose for the Three Kings Day environment snow accumulations of more than 30 cm in the province of Toledo and greater than 40 cm in areas of Teruel, in a scenario of very extensive snowfall that inevitably reminds us of Filomena. A new Philomena? It’s an almost obligatory question. with the arrival of this storm, and although there are voices that affirm that we are going to face that, experts ask for caution to see how the predictions develop as the days go by. And the difference between a historic snowfall and an episode of cold rain depends on just a few kilometers in Francis’ trajectory. In this way, if the storm drops in latitude, cold air will dominate and snow could cover Madrid, the center of the peninsula or Granada. But if the storm moves north, the warm mass would win the battles and the snow would be restricted to mountain areas and medium elevations. Everything will depend on how the prediction develops in the coming days. The danger for horseback riding. With this forecast that we have on the table right now, the truth is that the cavalcades may have problems making their usual routes. Although it must be taken into account that these forecasts may change, not being truly 100% reliable until a few days before these dates arrive. After Three Kings Day. Once these dates pass, temperatures will begin to increase substantially. This way, starting January 6th Precipitation is expected to begin to lose intensity and extent in the southern areas, although it could still be locally strong in the Strait, while snowfall remains in the more mountainous areas. Images | AEMET In Xataka | La Niña is going to be meteorologically “less intense” than we expected. And that actually hides a problem.

one with the supercars of Saudi millionaires parked badly

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One of the most important tasks of the traffic police of any big city. Cars in double rows, speeding, parking in wrong places, etc. However, as how they collect British media, this task has intensified especially in the wealthiest area of ​​London, where the great Saudi sheikhs and magnates notice the insignificant amount of a parking fine, less than the tip they leave for the waiter who parks their car. In this context, the recent scene of a Saudi Rolls-Royce raised on a crane and that of a convoy of hypercars blocking the sidewalk in front of a luxury hotel summarizes well the fight that is being fought between the Westminster authorities and an elite that uses the street almost as a private garage. London and the problem of Saudi supercars In the Mayfair neighborhood, near the former US embassy, ​​Westminster City Council has begun to act more harshly against luxury cars parked directly on the sidewalk next to The Chancery Rosewood five-star hotel. “The vehicles are registered abroad (the ones we photographed have Saudi registration plates), so the chances of recovering the costs are practically nil. The owners of the vehicles, which include Rolls Royces and Lamborghinis, are so rich that the fines have little effect,” said a spokesperson for Westminster City Council. According to they explained sources from the council to the British The Standardneighbors complained about wealthy guests parking their luxury cars on sidewalks “Pedestrians should not have to face a sea of ​​illegally and selfishly parked supercars when trying to walk through Westminster.” The response of the authorities has gone one step further and instead of continuing to accumulate fines that many millionaires do not even pay, they have chosen to remove the vehicles with a tow truck when they block the path of pedestrians. Source: Westminster City Council Recently, a Saudi Rolls-Royce valued at about $330,000 was removed with a crane and moved a few streets further, a scene that became for a few minutes an unprecedented urban spectacle, while serving as a warning to navigators of those who decide to park their luxury cars in inappropriate places. The hypercar “sandwich” in front of the hotel However, the joy was short-lived for traffic authorities. A few hours after that withdrawal, the sidewalk opposite the one where the Rolls-Royce retreat took place was once again filled with raised mobile phones, this time to photograph a convoy of four very special cars. Two Bugatti Chirons parked in front of the door of the luxury hotel, flanked by a huge Mercedes-AMG G 63 6×6 and a Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Tap on the image to go to the original message The set, which occupied practically the entire pedestrian space, easily raised more than 9 million dollars on the pavement if the base prices of each model are added. The Bugatti Chiron is announced with a starting price of $2.5 million, including no customization, more than doubling its initial price. For his part, the Mercedes‑AMG G63 6×6 It hardly goes below a million dollars in the most exclusive second-hand market and the Rolls-Royce Cullinan starts at around $325,000 in its basic version. Faced with such a display of supercars (and millions of them), the authorities preferred not to move and, this time, the tow truck did not appear. A luxury that goes beyond the car: the “1 V” license plate Beyond the value of the cars, there was a detail that went unnoticed by many pedestrians who could not help but raise their cell phones to capture the unprecedented moment to upload it. to your social networks: the Saudi license plates, and in particular that of the white Bugatti Chiron that was part of that convoy of supercars. Only a number and a letter were read on its plate, “1 V”, an extremely rare format in Saudi Arabia and which is part of a lucrative market for personalized license plates managed by the Saudi General Directorate of Traffic through electronic auctions. As and how he published Gulf Newsin one of those auctions held on the government platform Absher, the “1 V” license plate reached a bid of more than 10 million Saudi riyals, equivalent to approximately 2.3 million euros at the exchange rate, becoming one of the most expensive license plates that have been auctioned. Tap on the image to go to the original message Behind this bid is Yazeed bin Mohammed Al Rajhi who, in addition to being businessman and rally championis the son of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Al-Rajhi, co-founder of Al Rajhi Bankone of the largest Islamic banks in the world. Thus, the cost of that small metal rectangle is close to the price of the car, turning this license plate into a symbol of wealth, luxury and exclusivity almost as powerful as the Bugatti Chiron itself. In Xataka | The richest king in the world: his empire covers 17,000 properties, 38 private jets and a collection of 300 luxury cars Image | Westminster City Council, Bugatti

Some of the best mobile phones of 2025 at a historic low, Nintendo Switch 2 with a good discount and more. Hunting Bargains

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We start another year and we do it, as it could not be otherwise, with a Hunting Bargains. This first Friday of 2026 comes with quite interesting offers, especially on some top mobile phones. In addition, other discounts are also still active on the most diverse devices, such as consoles, super-automatic coffee machines and more. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra by 890.10 eurosthe best super high-end phone in its 512 GB version. Krups Roma EA81K870 super-automatic coffee machine by 239 eurosa top option if we are looking for good value for money. nintendo switch 2 by 432.46 euros with the coupon ESCD13, in a pack with ‘Mario Kart World’. Xiaomi Redmi Pad 2 by 95.74 euros with the ESCD13 coupon, a great option if we are looking for a new tablet for less than 100 euros. Google Pixel 10 Pro by 854.10 eurosoutstanding device and highly recommended if we want the purest Android experience. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra We start this Bargain Hunting with the Galaxy S25 Ultraphone that took the award for best super high-end mobile of 2025. It is true that its successor will not take long to be announced, but it is still a top option if you are looking to have one of the best Android phones. Outstanding 6.9-inch screen, plenty of power and a great camera system. Plus, it’s loaded with AI and offers seven years of guaranteed updates. Registering at myMediaMarkt (it’s free and only takes a couple of minutes), go out to 890.10 euros in its 512 GB version. Galaxy S25 Ultra (512GB) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Krups Roma EA81K870 super-automatic coffee machine If you are a lover of good coffee or want to give a gift to a person who is, this Krups super-automatic coffee maker is a great option. Not only because of the price it has right now (it is reduced to 239 euros), but for the very good results it offers. It has a grinder that allows you to achieve different textures, a steam nozzle to give that final touch to drinks and a tank that allows you to prepare up to 9 coffees without having to refill it. Super-automatic coffee maker – Krups Roma EA81K870, 1450 W, 15 bar, 1.7 L, 3 temperatures, 2 cups, Thermoblock System, Cleaning kit included, Black The price could vary. We earn commission from these links nintendo switch 2 One more week, nintendo switch 2 is back in Bargain Hunting. In recent weeks we have been seeing it on sale repeatedly, although it is true that not at the same prices that we saw during last Black Friday. However, this AliExpress offer is not that far away: it costs 432.46 euros with the coupon ESCD13 in your pack with ‘Mario Kart World‘, so we would already have a great game as standard to debut the console. Nintendo Switch 2 + ‘Mario Kart World’ The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Xiaomi Redmi Pad 2 If we are in the middle of searching for a cheap tablet that is perfect for simple tasks like studying or simply watching movies on the couch, this one Redmi Pad 2 It can fit us very well: it comes out 95.74 euros with the coupon ESCD13 on AliExpress. It has an 11-inch screen with 2.5K resolution and a 90 Hz refresh rate. Its battery is 9,000 mAh, so it has enough autonomy to give us a day of use without problem. In addition, it has a good speaker system. Xiaomi Redmi Pad 2 (128GB) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Google Pixel 10 Pro We start this Bargain Hunting with a great mobile from 2025 and we end with another. He Google Pixel 10 Pro It is an ideal device if we want the best Android experience in a compact mobile. It has a 6.3-inch screen, a Google Tensor G5 chip that performs well and 16 GB of RAM. In addition, its camera system is quite balanced. By registering in miMediaMarkt, we can get it for 854.10 euros in its version with 256 GB of storage. Mobile – Google Pixel 10 Pro, Obsidian, 256 GB, 16 GB RAM, 6.3″ Super Actua OLED, Google Tensor G5, 4870 mAh, Android 16 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 | Samsung, Krups, Nintendo, Xiaomi, Google In Xataka | The best mobile phones (2025), we have tested them and here are their analyzes In Xataka | Best tablets in quality price. Which one to buy based on use and recommended models

Its greatest advantage is not having its own model

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Meta ended its 2025 by announcing the purchase of manus for more than 2,000 million dollars. It says a lot that it is a company that coordinates and directs other people’s models. Why is it important. Manus reached 100 million in annual recurring revenue without training a single model. Use Claude and Alibaba models to do the heavy lifting. Its differentiation is not in the intelligence of the model but in the execution: planning complex tasks, invoking tools, iterating on results, delivering finished work… a purely agentic model that achieved its little viral moment at the beginning of the year. OpenAI, Google and company focus on announcing models that fight to get tenths in the benchmarksbut Manus simply makes money by selling that ability to direct other people’s models. The backdrop. In ranking like those of Chatbot Arena We have been seeing the same pattern for a year: every time one model is crowned the best, another surpasses it in a few weeks. None manages to make a lasting difference and there is no great difference. moatnot even the capillarity and recognition of OpenAI, or the distribution capacity of Google. Yes, but. Yeah the models are commoditizing and they are increasingly interchangeable, where is the business? Meta just gave his answer: at the application layer. In who controls the distribution where people actually use AI. Meta spends $70 billion a year (and counting) on ​​AI infrastructure, but Meta AI It is not curdling and Flame 4 punctured. It lacks what Manus has proven to have: a proven ability to turn models into products that people pay to use. The threat. Meta is facing a distribution problem: Google has Android, Google Search, Gmail, Google Docs… Microsoft has Windows and its suite of productivity, in addition to being ubiquitous in companies. Apple controls the iPhone and the Mac. And Meta has social and messaging platforms, but its track record in corporate products is disastrous. Workplace never took off and closed. Their reputation with business data isn’t exactly great. Buying technology is easy, but whether companies trust Meta as a provider of work tools is another story. Chinese arbitration. Chinese AI startups are clearly undervalued: The Chinese number one is worth less than 1% of the American one with comparable technical capacity, and the penetration of OpenAI justifies the distance, but not at that level. Benchmark Capital saw these figures and he put in 75 million in May at a valuation of 500 million. a few months later goes for more than 2,000 million. The new manual. Manus has just shown that there is a viable route for Chinese AI startups: turn to cheap and well-trained Chinese talent, develop a product designed for global markets (and not just Chinese) from day one, raise Western capital, move the legal headquarters outside of China (in this case, Singapore), and achieve a “clean exit.” Other Chinese startups can now be expected to follow a similar path, and the Chinese authorities are aware of this… and are not happy with the idea, according to the wall Street Journal. They see it as a leak of technology developed with local engineers. And now what. Meta will integrate Manus into Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. But the real message goes further: in AI, as happened with the Internet, the infrastructure becomes commodity and the business is in the digital “last mile”, where technology touches the user. Meta just paid 2.5 billion to not forget that lesson. In Xataka | Mark Zuckerberg is giving a radical change to Meta’s AI strategy. And that’s what happens when you lose a Nobel Prize winner. Featured image | Manus, Xataka with Mockuuups Studio

What changes are there with a channel that leaves, a new channel and another that changes its name

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We are going to tell you what the changes are in Spanish DTT in 2026. Now that the year has started, there are some changes that we are going to encounter. Specifically, there is a channel that disappears, another that is released, and there is also a channel that changes its name. In this article we are going to briefly tell you what these changes are, which have taken effect since January 1, 2026. In principle no need to retune of DTT, but simply wait for the changes to be applied. However, we remind you how to retune your DTT in case you consider it necessary. Changes to Spanish DTT in 2026 The first change that applies to DTT in Spain since its entry in 2026 is the disappearance of the channel Paramount Network. It is a channel focused on cinema and television series, which has already stopped broadcasting. And the electromagnetic space of Paramount Network A new channel that is already broadcasting is going to take advantage of it. It is about the new channel Squirrel 2. In 2025, Disney Channel was replaced by Squirreland now we have a second children’s channel with this brand, more focused on series, while the first is more focused on movies. As Squirrel 2 has taken the place of Paramount Networkin principle it is not necessary to do a retuning. Simply, the channels will be replaced and their names changed in our receivers automatically. And this is not all, because there is also a name change. The channel BOMCine is renamed Squirrel 3reorganizing its contents to adapt to the new name. Of course, the channel that disappears and the one that is incorporated do so throughout the country. However, Squirrel 3 still has limited coverage as I had it with the previous name. It is only broadcast through the Autonomous Multiplex in regions such as the Community of Madrid, Valencia, Andalusia or Murcia, and on some operator platforms such as Orange TV or Vodafone TV. In Xataka Basics | How to create a pocket TV antenna using an old Chromecast to watch DTT on any TV

Scientists have investigated what happens to your brain when you play video games. And they have surprising news

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There is something strangely comforting about dissonance. Sometimes, while I’m fighting with a crochet hook trying to make a scarf not end up looking like a dish towel, I like to put the TV channel in the background. TacticalGramma. Michelle is 59 years old, she is a proud grandmother and, while I clumsily count wool stitches, she is annihilating entire squads in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 with a precision that any teenager would want for themselves. The scene has that visual irony: technology has not come to isolate us in a basement, but to rescue our neurons from rust. For decades, the social narrative sold us that video games “rot” the brain; Today, science is beginning to suggest that, if you want to reach 60 with good mental agility, perhaps you should take control. The brain clock. A study published by Nature has managed to compare the health of neural connections with the person’s actual age—what is known as brain clocks. The team led by Carlos Coronel-Oliveros has discovered that players who are experts in strategy titles like StarCraft II They have a mental structure that is much more resistant to the passage of time. On average, the brains of these players function with the agility of someone four years younger, according to a statistical estimate based on neuroimaging models. An efficiency phenomenon that neuroscience calls Brain Age Gap (BAG). When Sudoku is no longer enough. While classic brain games are isolated and repetitive tasks, an action video game forces the brain to manage an avalanche of information in real time. This level of constant demand—planning movements, reacting to attacks, and filtering out distractions simultaneously—forces neurons to reorganize. To reach this conclusion, the research team used research techniques whole-brain modelingcombining fMRI with machine learning algorithms capable of detecting subtle patterns in connectivity. The results showed more efficient integration in the so-called “frontoparietal hubs”, key regions for attention and executive function that are usually among the first to deteriorate with age. Changes in brain hardware. This apparent rejuvenation has a physical reflection in the structure of the brain. Science has found that, just as a muscle develops with exercise, certain key areas of players become denser and more robust. Studies in Scientific Reports and Translational Psychiatry reveal that those who regularly play action titles have more “gray matter” in regions responsible for coordination, attention and making quick decisions. It is as if the brain had expanded its information highways to react sooner and better to each stimulus. But the most useful change is the refinement of our visual “filter.” Research in PLOS ONE show that the players They develop a superior ability to ignore unnecessary noise. It’s not that they see more, it’s that their brain has learned to process only the information that really matters to win the game, optimizing the energy expenditure of the visual cortex. The ‘learning to learn’ factor. What is truly significant is not being more precise within the game, but the impact on the ability to continue learning. A study in Communications Biology showed that video game training Action speeds up the speed at which people learn new tasks, even when they are unrelated to the game. As they explain psychologists Daphne Bavelier and C. Shawn Green, these games train the brain’s attentional control. The result is improved cognitive adaptation, valuable in an ever-changing technological world. But experts still debate the degree of “far transfer”—that is, the extent to which being a keyboard whiz makes you better at managing a real crisis or a complex spreadsheet. When the benefit runs out. Even so, it is advisable to lower your enthusiasm. Most of these studies they are correlational: they do not allow us to state with certainty whether playing transforms the brain or whether certain already “agile” brain profiles are more inclined to enjoy video games. Furthermore, the effects vary depending on age and life context. Side B is not minor either. Researchers warn that excessive exposure can cause cognitive fatigue and sleep disturbances. The World Health Organization recognizes the video game disorder as a real problem when gambling becomes a compulsive behavior. The neural benefit depends on the balance that if the challenge stops being stimulating and becomes automatic or addictive, the protective effect disappears. Not just any game will do. Another key point is that not all video games produce the same effects. The strongest benefits are seen in action and real-time strategy games, which require quick decisions and multitasking. As experts point outonce a game stops being difficult and becomes mechanical, brain plasticity stagnates. Speed ​​and time pressure seem to be essential ingredients for keeping machinery in shape. There is something hopeful about seeing someone like TacticalGramma master a digital environment. The science doesn’t say that video games are a panacea, but it does suggest that brain aging doesn’t have to be a one-way path to decline. Perhaps the secret to a healthier brain is not in a pill, but in our ability to continue to face what is difficult and accept the frustration of constant learning. For now, I’m going to leave crocheting for a while. Image | freepik Xataka | The art of self-deception: why our brain defends our mistakes even if it knows we are wrong

McDonald’s Happy Meals

by

At the end of the eighties, batman It was not that perfectly oiled machine of franchises, shared universes and meticulous marketing, but rather a risky bet. Warner Bros decided to blow up the image camp inherited by Adam West and entrust the character to a guy like Tim Burtona director with a dark, gothic and deeply authorial imagery. The result was a success almost as famous as his fall into hell. When Batman stopped being sellable. As we said, the result of Burton’s hiring It was Batman (1989), a huge success that not only devastated the box office, but also legitimized superhero movies as more than just children’s entertainment. Burton not only redefined the character, he also laid the aesthetic and emotional foundations for everything. what would come next. Gotham became an architectural nightmare, Bruce Wayne a lonely and disturbed millionaire, and the genre took an irreversible leap toward maturity. Creative freedom and unbridled sequel. That success placed Burton in a unique position: almost total creative control for Batman Returns (1992). The director took advantage of the margin to go even further, delivering a film less interested in the hero than in his villains, more sexual if you will, but also more grotesque and uncomfortable. Danny DeVito’s Penguin was not a stylish eccentric, but an abandoned monster at birth, violent, repulsive and tragic. Catwoman, a broken and vengeful figure, and Gotham City a warped reflection of corruption, power and alienation. Batman Returns it wasn’t a children’s movie, and possibly I didn’t mean to be. Burton never conceived it as such, and in fact fought with censors and studios to avoid an even more restrictive rating. The clash with merchandising. The problem was not the movie itself, but everything that was built around. Warner Bros. activated a massive marketing campaign, supported by sponsors who had not seen either the script or the final cut. McDonald’s was the star partner. Gotham-themed restaurants, collectible glasses, toys and, above all, Happy Meals aimed at children between five and ten years old. The contradiction was total: a dark, disturbing film not recommended for children under 13 years of age sold as a familiar, colorful and sweetened product. The Penguin case was the breaking point. While Burton showed a villain on screen who bit noses and spit black bile, McDonald’s distributed a watered down version and almost endearing character in their children’s menus. The perfect storm: parents. The reaction it didn’t take long to arrive. Outraged parents, letters to newspapers like Los Angeles Timesreligious organizations and civic groups accusing McDonald’s and Warner of irresponsibility and deception. The question was always the same: how on earth was it possible for a movie full of nightmares to be actively marketed to young children? McDonald’s tried to defend himself claiming that the toys did not promote movie attendance, and Warner claimed that it had avoided using real elements from the film, something that was not entirely true. The damage, after all, had already been done. Batman Returns became a public relations problemnot because it failed at the box office, but because it didn’t fit the mold that marketing needed. Find a culprit. Fearing that the franchise would burn out in the long term, Warner Bros. opted to a radical turn. The solution was not to change the relationship between cinema and merchandising, but to change the tone and sacrifice the director. Tim Burton was removed from the saga on the grounds that his vision was “too strange” and unfamiliar. Michael Keaton, who did not want to continue without Burton, he also left. The message was clear: Batman had to be bright, accessible and, above all, sellable again. Joel Schumacher took over and the result was Batman Forevera film designed for please sponsors and fast food chains (and that today would embrace the algorithm), with bright colors, exaggerated humor and a tone that made any trace of Burton’s introspective and gothic Batman impossible. The Happy Meal as a symptom. Years later, Burton I would sum it up with irony and bitterness: he had upset McDonald’s. The famous phrase about “that black thing that comes out of the Penguin’s mouth” condensed the real problem. It was not just a fast food chain behind it, but the definitive clash between an artistic vision and an industry that was beginning to understand franchising. as merchandising platforms rather than as cinematographic works. In that sense, Batman Returns didn’t fail creatively, it failed as a children’s product, and that was inexcusable. The legacy. Burton’s departure marked a before and after. The saga entered into a drift that would culminate with the infamous Batman & Robin and their outfits with nipplesa cartoon that buried the character for years. Paradoxically, time has been generous with Batman Returns, today considered one of the films more personal and brave of the genre, and possibly one of Burton’s best works. Its “failure” was, in reality, the early demonstration of a conflict that would define Hollywood for decades: when superhero cinema stopped belonging to directors and began to respond, above all, to toys that had to fit in a Happy Meal box. Image | Warner In Xataka | In 1975 a party ended on the beach. What happened next was so chilling that people were afraid to swim in the sea In Xataka | The best advertisement within a movie is this science fiction classic: it was so good that it made us doubt the Nazis

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