Month: February 2026

boost your own WeChat 100% secure not fake

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Just a few hours ago Pavel Durov, CEO and founder of Telegram, he reported through his channel that Putin’s government had blocked access to Telegram by Russian citizens. Today that limitation has gone one step further with the blocking of WhatsApp and other Meta apps such as Instagram or Facebook. Context. In Russia there is an organization called Roskomnadzor, aka Russian Telecommunications Supervision Agency. It’s the Russian regulator, in a nutshell. Just a day ago, Roskomnadzor announced restrictions on Telegram alleging that it was not applying Russian law, that “no real measure is applied to combat fraud and the use of messaging for criminal and terrorist purposes.” WHATSAPP Tricks and tips to HIDE YOURSELF TO THE MAXIMUM and maintain your PRIVACY Better, much better, Max. In Russia there are two predominant messaging apps: Telegram and WhatsApp, but from Moscow they have been promoting Max for some time. Since the summer of last year, all mobile phones and tablets sold in the country must have it pre-installed. This app has been developed by VKontakte, the Russian Facebook, whose control falls de facto to the Russian government. Screenshot of Max’s landing page | Image: Xataka Max integrates with government services and centralizes communications through a platform controlled by the Kremlin. Let’s think about a Russian WeChat. The excuse is the protection of citizens’ data, the complaint is that they seek to limit digital freedoms and monitor the activity of citizens. And now, WhatsApp. With its pluses and minuses, WhatsApp is a fairly secure and robust app that, at least, is end-to-end encrypted. That does not fit with the Kremlin’s mission to control the communications of Russian citizens. WhatsApp has at least 100 million users, or rather, it had, because during the evening yesterday the Russian authorities eliminated it from the app directory maintained by Roskomnadzor. In short, Moscow has deleted WhatsApp and other Meta apps from the Russian Internet. WhatsApp has been blocked, while Instagram and Facebook have been declared extremist and are only accessible via VPN, they point out from Financial Times. The YouTube experience has also been downgraded, although it is unclear whether it will be blocked entirely or not. WhatsApp, for its part, has issued a statement in X ensuring that “the Russian government tried to completely block WhatsApp to force people to use a state surveillance application. Trying to isolate more than 100 million users from private and secure communication is a setback and can only reduce the security of Russian citizens. We continue to do everything we can to keep users connected.” The problem. Although from the point of view of the Russian government it makes sense to promote Max, the truth is that blocking Telegram and WhatsApp means disconnecting the population. Everyone, including those on the front lines and civilians who use the app to find out about attacks, suffer from war. The blockade, however, was evidently going to happen. An increase in control. Russia has been promoting a campaign against foreign courier services for four years, accusing Telegram from being used by Ukraine to recruit agents and organize attacks, without going any further. Since last year the government has been reducing network speed when using WhatsApp, making its use more frustrating and forcing Max into exile. Another of the obligations imposed by Russia directly affects Apple, which since September 1 You have to pre-install RuStorethe Russian app store, on all the company’s devices. Until that day, it was only required on Android devices. Cover image | Dimitri Karastelev In Xataka | When Europe launched its satellites decades ago it did so without encryption. Now he just discovered that someone else knew: Russia

what it is, how it works and how to protect yourself from it

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Let’s tell you what is zero click attack typeused by spy applications such as Pegasus. We will all remember that in 2021 The phones of Pedro Sánchez and the Minister of Defense were infected by this malware espionage or Spywareand to do so this technique was used. The zero-click technique in Pegasus was first documented by Citizen Lab in a 2016 reportand it is worth knowing it for its sophistication. Basically, it is a method of infecting devices in which the victim does not need to do anything or touch any link. What is the zero click attack The Zero Click This is what we call an exploit.a trick that exploits a security flaw in operating systems or web pages to do something that you should not be able to do. In this case, what we should not be able to do is install spyware on the mobile phone without the victim knowing. To spy on another person’s cell phone you have to install a spy program, and the most common method to do this is through hacking attacks. phishing: The victim is sent a fake email or message with a link on which, when clicked, the spyware is downloaded. Come on, an interaction is needed on the part of the victim. However, zero-click exploits are designed to function without interaction of the user. This means that they are methods so that a victim’s mobile phone can execute code on its own. This is a very sophisticated type of attack, subtle, and with a high success rate, since we will not realize that it is happening. Thus, your device becomes infected invisibly or by simply receiving a missed call notification from an unknown number. Zero click attacks They are not a virus or malware, but a technique through which these malwares can be installed. Therefore, your antivirus will not detect this attack, although it can detect the program installed on the mobile phone through it. How the zero click exploit works This type of exploit uses vulnerabilities within communication applications completely normal and legal that we carry on our mobile. For example, messaging applications, SMS or social networks. What they do is take advantage failures in automatic processes of mobile phones or applications. For example, when you receive an SMS on your mobile, the application automatically processes it to send you a preview in the notifications, or a notification with the specific message. What attackers do is use flaws that they have discovered but the companies responsible for mobile phones, operating systems or applications do not know about. To follow an example, if the messaging app has a flaw when processing images, PDFs or audio, the exploit can take advantage of it to send a message that has a code with which to exploit this flaw to install the malware in question. For example, Pegasus used zero-click exploits in iMessage and WhatsApp. The attackers only had to send a specially designed message to exploit the flaws of this app, and the phone was infected without you realizing it, even deleting the message afterwards to leave no trace. There are groups of cybercriminals specialized in creating these exploits, which because they are so difficult to design can be worth millions. Today, the most common types are those aimed at smartphones, although they can also be created for other devices. How to protect yourself from zero-click exploits Since these attacks work without requiring any interaction from the victim, you won’t have a chance to identify the threat and defend yourself from it. This makes them extremely difficult to avoid, although we can always resort to proactive security measures. First of all, keep your devices and their applications ALWAYS updated. These attacks work through vulnerabilities that have not been discovered, but if they are discovered, the companies of the apps, devices and operating systems will always send urgent updates. The more unupdated applications or operating systems you have, the more vulnerable you will be. Another very important measure is avoid using unsafe applications. Be careful with almost unknown apps, or those that you download from third-party application stores or directly from websites. I know we all like to explore new apps, but only trusted apps downloaded from reputed app stores can minimize the risks. You can also consider install anti-spyware and malware applicationsthe classic antiviruses. Behind them are companies dedicated to monitoring risks and malware, and zero-click exploits are often used to install this type of virus. Take extreme precautions if you are a public figure. Obviously, a government or an institution is not going to spend millions of euros on one of these exploits to infect the town baker. But if you are an activist or member of an institution or government, then you are going to have to take all these measures more seriously. In Xataka Basics | Cybersecurity for your vacation: tips and recommendations for before and during your days off

Mercadona and the white label had been setting the course for supermarkets in Spain for years. Until the “ultra low cost” arrived

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When we Spaniards go out shopping we value above all two factors. The first, proximity. The second, the price. Even above the quality. It is not at all surprising if we take into account that we come from a inflationary crisis and there are items of common consumption (cocoa, coffee either eggs) who have experienced a real storm in recent months. The chains know how much they are risking with each euro and have acted accordingly. For example with a bet on the white label that has been especially good to Mercadona. There is, however, another strategy that has been gradually making its way into the world. retail Spanish, one also focused on prices, but that does not rely on white label or short assortment: supermarkets “ultra low cost“. “Ultra low cost“? Exact. It sounds somewhat far-fetched (almost, almost cacophonous) but that is the label that best defines certain supermarket chains that have focused their strategy basically on product discounts. double digit. After years of inflation and with costs becoming a decisive factor When families decide where to shop, most chains try (to a greater or lesser extent) to be competitive in prices. In fact in the rankings Cheaper stores usually include brands such as Alcampo, Family Cash or Aldi. In the case of super “ultra low cost“The price is, however, more than just a front on which to compete. It represents the great differentiating factor. And it is to such an extent that it conditions the approach, the offer and the way the chain operates. In a recent article, Five Days reviewed the billing data of two relatively young firms that fit this pattern: Sqrups and Primaprix. What differentiates them? That in a sector (that of supermarkets) in which it seemed that everything had been said, with Mercadona expanding your domain and the white label gaining market sharethe “ultra” chains low cost“have found an alternative path of growth. Their strategy involves offering items from recognized brands (nothing from Hacendado, Deliplus, Auchan or similar), but with surprisingly low prices. As an example, Sqrups boasts of offering its customers “significant discounts” that move between 30 and 80%. How do they work the miracle? With your business model. More like its supply model. Unlike most supermarket chains, they supply surpluses that are left ‘off the hook’ or have no place on the shelves of companies such as Carrefour, Eroski, Mercadona or Hipercor, among others. These are surplus stocks, items that do not quite work, merchandise that has been left out of the circuit due to a change in packaging or not meeting presentation standards… In short, items in good condition that manufacturers need to liquidate and cannot (or want) to distribute through ‘conventional’ chains. Their destination ends up being Sgrups or Primaprix, where they add to a catalog marked by rotation, speed and discounts. But… How do they do it? “Large international brands usually have surplus stocks in their warehouses, left over from promotions (Christmas, summer, events…), from new launches or simply products with a much lower price in one country than in another. At Primaprix we travel throughout Europe hunting for these opportunities,” details the companywho remembers that he opened his first store in Madrid in 2015 and in just ten years he has built a network of 260. Sgrups’ explanation is similar. “We recover products that, under normal conditions, distribution throws away,” clarifies its general directorRaúl Espinosa, who boasts that thanks to its discounts the chain sells products with prices much lower (50-80%) than those on the market. The company ensures that its assortment comes from three sources: “production surpluses, image changes and quality control.” It also incorporates “short-dated” products. “In the last year we have rescued more than 26 million products, preventing them from being destroyed and giving them a second chance for consumption,” the company specifiesborn ago just over a decade and that works with food, but also drugstores, stationery and hygiene items. The big question: why? Because this formula has allowed them to connect with a part of the market and expand in a sector, that of retail Spanish, in which a small number of brands have been expanding their dominance. “Companies like Sqrups or Primaprix break the differentiation with the rest of the operators thanks to this supply model,” explains to Five Days Javier Pérez de Leza, good knowledge of the sector. “Mercadona, Lidl or Aldi have dedicated themselves to a type of discount that leaves room below, because the price trend is upward. You can be much cheaper than all of them, although with risks.” What risks? One (fundamental) is the pressure that operators in the sector can exert to reduce the surpluses that these chains feed on, although it is not the only limit that the model of companies like Primaprix faces. Relying on stocks makes it very difficult to guarantee the continuity of an ever-changing assortment. Furthermore, the fact that customers encounter different products every so often may increase their interest in visiting stores but also complicates such basic issues as logistics. What do your accounts say? That neither of the two chains are doing badly at all. Primaprix data we know them also thanks to Five Dayswhich a few days ago revealed that during the 2024 financial year the company had a turnover of 347 million euros. Maybe it’s far from billions from Mercadona, but it represents a year-on-year growth of 24%. If we look further back, the company’s sales quadrupled between 2020 and 2024, a period during which it went from managing 110 stores to 245. Now it is on its way to 300 establishments. The key: your business modelwhich is nourished by the surpluses accumulated in the warehouses of large manufacturers. Your catalog is completed with purchases you make in other countries, looking at prices, discarded items despite being completely suitable for consumption, or products that will expire soon. A bet not very different from what fashion or furniture outlets have been making for years. They are merchandise (many … Read more

Xiaomi already has its own AI model for robots. At the moment, he’s great at taking apart LEGOs and folding towels.

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It has been a long, long time since Xiaomi stopped being a mobile company. Today the company’s tentacles reach all types of sectors, from mobile and household appliances until cars, chip design and, from now on, robotics. And the Chinese company has just presented its first vision, language and action model for robotics. Its name: Xiaomi-Robotics-0. What is this about?. Xiaomi-Robotics-0 an open-source model whose code can be found in GitHub and HugginFace. As the company explains, this model has been optimized to offer “high performance, speed and smoothness in real-time executions.” We should not think of this model as an AI capable of making a robot run and jump like a human, but rather one capable of making a “simple” robot understand its surroundings and know how to make the optimal decision without, for example, destroying whatever it has in its hands. About the robots. When we talk about AI applied to robotics we are not just talking about a robot being able to move. The device must know and understand that it should not apply the same force when holding a brick as it does when holding a cat, for example. In that sense, there has to be an understanding of the visual, an understanding of what is being seen and an appropriate execution of actions: this is a brick > it is a heavy object > I have to apply more force to hold it and move it from one side to the other. Xiaomi-Robotics-0 results in the benchmarks | Image: Xiaomi The benchmarks. Xiaomi has achieved, as detailed on the project website, very good results in the benchmarks I RELEASE (measures knowledge transfer), SimplerEnv (measures performance in real simulations) and CALVIN (measures performance in tasks conditioned by language). According to the company, Xiaomi-Robotics-0 “achieves high success rates and robust results in two challenging two-handed tasks: disassembling LEGOs and folding towels.” The fun of training. Every AI model draws from a training dataset. In the case of Xiaomi-Robotics-0, a 4.7 billion parameter model, the dataset consists of 200 million time steps of robot trajectories and more than 80 million samples of general vision-language data, including 338 hours of LEGO disassembly videos and 400 hours of towel folding videos. The results. The company claims in the paper that its model is capable of disassembling complex LEGOs of up to 20 pieces, adapting the grip in real time to avoid errors, using only one hand to place the towel correctly and folding it or, if you pick up two towels from the basket, take one of them, leave it in place and fold only one. This demonstrates an interesting capacity for adaptation and learning that, although it may seem trivial on paper, has its value if we think about industrial and even domestic robots. Beyond. What this model is demonstrating is being able to adapt to complex and unpredictable geometries, such as that of a towel thrown in a basket, and to understand the, let’s say, “soft physics.” On a towel it may seem like a small thing, but let’s think about manipulating human tissues in an intervention, for example. Same with LEGOs. It’s not just disassembling them, it’s understanding the position of the blocks, how they fit together, what force to apply and at what angle so as not to break them. Let’s think about a robot that removes debris. An industrial robot has historically been programmed with fixed coordinates, that is, moving something from point A to point B. A robot with AI like the one proposed by Xiaomi would be much more versatile. The first robot learns movements, the second robot learns tasks, and the difference is a world. If we think about a distant future in which there are domestic robots, a robot cleaning dust from a shelf will not be the same as knowing how to identify objects, decorations, etc., and understanding that it must move them to avoid throwing them away and cleaning them thoroughly. Cover image | Xiaomi In Xataka | A Chinese company boasts another limit in robotics: it ensures that its new humanoid robot runs like an elite athlete

all the changes and improvements of the latest update for iPhone and iPad

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Let’s tell you what’s new in iOS 26.3the new update with additional features for iOS 26. This is a very minor update with hardly any changes, but it prepares the ground for the great revolution that will come with iOS 26.4. In fact, what the main new features of this new version have in common is that They arrive thanks to the demands of the European Commissionwhich have pushed Apple to be less closed and favor more interactions with devices from other brands. What’s new in iOS 26.3 These are the new features and corrections that Apple has announced for this new update. They are official changes with all the new things that you will find on your iPhone after updating. RCS encryption: RCS is the technology that converts the SMS sending application of any Android and iPhone mobile into a WhatsApp, being able to send rich messages with multimedia totally free between devices of all brands. Now, Apple has added end-to-end encryption. Transfer data to Android: Apple makes it much easier to transfer your data to an Android mobile. This does not come from the goodness of his heart, but from European demands. The configuration to do so will be within Settings > General > Transfer or reset iPhone. Here you will have a new option Transfer to Androidand by clicking on it you can scan the QR of the other mobile to proceed to move photos, videos, contacts, calendars, notes and other files. Notifications on third-party watches: Another change that comes thanks to European demands. Your iPhone will now allow you to better manage notifications on watches from other brands beyond the Apple Watch. For that you will have to go to the option Notification forwarding within the notification settings. Better third-party headphone pairing: Thanks to European requirements, you will now be able to pair headphones from other brands to your iPhone just by bringing the case close to it. Come on, the same as with the AirPods. Automatic switching on third-party headphones: Apple has also had to open up the flagship feature of the AirPods. With this update, the possibility of automatic switching between devices with headphones from other brands is added. Come on, if they are connected to the iPhone and Mac, you will go from one device to another depending on which of them you are using. Better location privacy: In iOS 26.3 you can limit the location to a general area, reducing the precision with which the mobile network can know where we are. All this without affecting the quality of the calls. At the moment this is not available in Spain, and it affects only very few operators and few devices, only iPads and iPhones with Apple’s own 5G modem, and in some operators in Germany, the United Kingdom, Thailand and the United States. New wallpaper organization– Native Weather and Astronomy wallpapers are separated into different categories in the wallpaper setup settings. In Xataka Basics | iOS 26: 19 functions and some tricks to get the most out of the new operating system for your iPhone

A report has set off alarm bells in Europe. Russia’s shell production is meaningless for a single war

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When Russia crossed the Ukrainian border in 2022, Europe reacted as it had not done since the end of the Cold War: massive sanctions, accelerated rearmament and a political unity forced by urgency. During these years, the European debate revolved around a seemingly simple question about kyiv’s resistance, as the conflict lengthened, became normalized, and ceased to be a “temporary” war. Now, with the front stagnant and the calendar moving forward, in the European capitals it is beginning to prevail another concern. What will Russia do when this war is no longer the center of the board? It’s not just the front. Yes, as the conflict in Ukraine approaches its fourth anniversary, it is beginning to take hold in Europe a different reading And more disturbing: Russia is not acting like a country trapped in a war of attrition, but rather like a power that uses the conflict as, perhaps, a preparatory phase. In the last few hours, a piece of information has appeared on the old continent: the massive increase in its military production suggests that Moscow is not only thinking about supporting the current front, but about setting up a later strategic scenarioin which having reserves, industrial capacity and room for maneuver will be as important as any territorial advance achieved in Ukraine. The figure that triggers the alarms. The data that most worries the European intelligence services is the Russian production of ammunition, which has exceeded the seven million projectiles annually, a figure 17 times higher to that of the first stages of the invasion. According to the Estonian intelligence service Välisluureamet, this jump is not explained by a simple intensification of combat, mainly because it makes no sense, but by the construction of new industrial plants and the will to rebuild strategic reserves in the long term. For Europe, the implicit message is clear: no one manufactures at that rate if they are only thinking about surviving the current conflict. Resist and prepare. This rearmament occurs despite the Russian economic deterioration, enormous human cost of the war and the increasing difficulties for recruit soldiersreinforcing the idea that the Kremlin prioritizes material accumulation over internal well-being. The support of North Korea, which has come to supply a substantial part of the ammunition used in Ukraine, has allowed Moscow to gain time and rebuild arsenals. For Estonia, maintaining these reserve levels is a central element of planning possible future conflictsnot simple insurance for the ongoing war. The north enters the radar. we have been counting in recent months. That fear of what comes next is not limited to the eastern flank. Now Norway has warned openly that a Russian move to protect its nuclear assets in the Arctic, concentrated on the Kola Peninsula, a short distance from its border, cannot be ruled out. This is not a classic ambition of conquest, but rather an aggressive defensive logic: ensuring the ability second nuclear attack in case of an escalation with NATO. The Ukrainian War has forced Nordic countries to plan for scenarios that a few years ago would have seemed unlikely. Tactical peace for strategy. The Guardian said this morning that, while increasing its military capacity, Russia deploys calculated diplomacy that seeks to buy time and divide the West. Estonian intelligence describes opening gestures toward the United States and negotiating rhetoric as a maneuver to reduce pressures, exploit cracks between Washington and Europe and consolidate positions without giving up the underlying objectives. In parallel, Moscow intensifies influence operations and hybrid warfareaware that the Ukrainian post-war can be as decisive as the war itself. The disturbing scene. In short, the combination of mass production of ammunition, possible nuclear planning, hybrid pressure and instrumental diplomacy seem to paint a panorama most uncomfortable for Europe: one where even when the weapons end fading in Ukraine, Russia will remain an actor ready to act. From that perspective, it is not only the end of a war that is worrying European capitals, but the beginning of a stage in which Moscow, industrially reinforced, could decide when and where to tighten the chess again. Hence, what comes after Ukraine is precisely what generates the most fear. Image | Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Vitaly V. Kuzmin In Xataka | The question is no longer whether Europe “is at war”: the question is whether it is willing to defend itself In Xataka | First it was Finland, now the US has confirmed it: when the war in Ukraine ends, Russia has a plan for Europe

€10 order, €30 tariff. The EU has just approved the mother of tariffs for Aliexpress, Shein and Temu

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In 2021, the European Union modified the VAT regulations for businesses like AliExpress stop benefiting from the same exemption for packages worth less than 22 euros. Five years later, the measures for products entering Europe duty-free will completely change. The measure. The Council of the European Union has given the green light to a new regulation on customs duties for items contained in small packages entering the EU. “The new rules respond to the fact that These packages currently enter the EU duty free, resulting in unfair competition for EU sellers“ According to the Council, the measure is intended to support EU companies and “will close avenues for unscrupulous sellers.” The three euros. The figure is very specific: three euros of provisional customs fixed on items contained in small packages valued at less than 150 euros. According to the EU, more than 91% of these small shipments come from China. The key is that those three euros are not per package, they are per different product. You order a package with two mobile phone cases valued at four euros You also order a tempered glass for one euro In the event that you order 10 products for 1 euro but they are different, you would not pay 10 euros, you would pay 40 (30 in tariffs). Starting July 1 you will not pay five euros, you will pay those five euros plus another six (11), when ordering two different products. The dates. The fixed provisional customs duty of three euros will be applied to all product categories, without exception, between July 1, 2026 and July 1, 2028. Once the new EU Customs Data Center comes into operation, the duty will go from being provisional to a normal customs rate. Because. According to the statement, the EU is struggling to reform its customs system in order to cope with “the significant pressure arising from increased trade flows.” A measure that will affect giants like Temu, AliExpress and Shein, kings of electronic commerce in Spain. In Xataka | Europe has proposed to become technologically independent from the US: And it has started with the most difficult thing: chips

Now you can get it with an extra 50 euros discount on its 256 GB version

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If there is a phone that constantly receives offers and that is turning it into a guaranteed success, that is the Google Pixel 10. A week ago, MediaMarkt had it at an incredible price, but now it’s Amazon where we can buy it at its best price to date. Your current price (in your 256 GB versionwhich is a plus for those looking beyond basic storage) is priced at 729 euros. Although now, by adding it to the basket and proceeding to pay for the order, Amazon gives a direct discount of 50 euros, remaining available for 679 euros. This promotion will be available until next February 15. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links The latest Pixel launched by Google reaches its best price yet This Google Pixel 10 It is a high-end smartphone that now has the best price yet. Above all, this discounted model is ideal if you are looking for plenty of storage, as it has 256 GB internal memory. But what has made this mobile succeed in the market? There are no shortage of reasons and its size is one of them, since with 6.3 inches It fits perfectly in any pocket and can be easily handled even with one hand. Your brain (the Google Tensor G5) offers more than decent performance, although it has some detractors who do not consider it the most powerful on the market. Regarding its battery, it can be noted that it supports fast charging wired at 30W and wireless at 15W. Although if there is one section that can be mentioned as very good in this Google Pixel 10, it is photography. His triple rear camera It is made up of a 48 MP main sensor, accompanied by a 13 MP wide angle and a 10.8 MP 5x telephoto, thus offering excellent results when taking photos with your mobile. ⚡ IN SUMMARY: Google pixel 10 offer today ✅ THE BEST Your photographic system: Few phones of the same price as this Pixel can fight against it in the photography section. An operating system that lasts for years: Having pure Android is one of the main hallmarks of Google phones and they guarantee updates for years (seven, specifically). ❌ THE WORST The screen can be improved… Although it is true that the Google Pixel 10 has a good screen, we miss that it is not LTPO. 💡 BUY IT IF… You want a cell phone to take good photos without having to spend the almost 1,000 euros that high-end terminals from other brands usually cost. ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… Obviously, the only significant drawback that this mobile has is that it works with Android, so if you don’t want a terminal with this operating system, you have no choice but to go for a iPhone. Some accessories that may interest you for this mobile Natbok Magnetic Case for Google Pixel 10 with Magsafe and 2 Screen Protectors The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Google Pixel Buds 2a – Wireless Earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation 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 | Pepu Ricca (Xataka) and Google In Xataka | The best mobile phones, we have tested them and here are their analyzes In Xataka | The best quality-price mobiles. Their analyzes and videos are here

For psychologists the great challenge is “renegotiating coexistence”

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At 32 years old, the suitcase in the hallway of his parents’ house is not a sign of a visit, but rather a sign of moving. The room he left five years ago is still there, but he is no longer the same, nor do his parents have the same energy. This scene, which is repeated in thousands of Spanish homes, is the face of the so-called “boomerang generation.” As described by family psychotherapist Xiomara Reina in The Vanguardreturning home is not just a matter of sharing a roof; It is a challenge to identity at a time when “everything that seemed stable is no longer so.” The statistical reality in Spain has reached a critical turning point. According to the Spanish Youth Council (CJE)the emancipation rate has fallen to 15.2%, the lowest figure recorded in a second semester since records exist. Although the average age to become independent was already over 30 years in previous reportsthe current scenario shows an almost total paralysis of the young life project. In the report of think tank Funcas reveals a historical paradigm shift: Today, only 43% of women and 32% of men between 30 and 34 years old live as a couple, a drastic drop from 80% in 1970. The result is an increase in intergenerational households. As the report points out, in 2024, 6% of Spanish homes already housed at least three generations living under the same roof, an “emergency” trend where the family gathers in spaces that are not always prepared for it. A perfect economic storm Why is an adult with studies and work forced to return? The answer is purely arithmetic. The CJE barometer warns thatwith rent at a record price of 1,080 euros per month, a young salaried person would have to allocate 92.3% of their salary solely to renting. If we add basic supplies, the cost exceeds 100% of the average income, leaving survival in the hands of family help. Added to this is geographical pressure. According to data from the National Institute of Statistics show that cities like Madrid and Barcelona are losing national population because the effort to rent adequate housing requires between 80% and 90% of the family income. This “two-speed migratory engine” expels residents to the periphery or back to their home of origin. But not only the economy pushes the boomerang; personal events “shocks” are decisive. Although international studies –like that of the University of Essex in the United Kingdom either Thrivent survey in the US– analyze this trend, in Spain the impact is identical: job loss and relationship breakups with a rebound of 8.2% in 2024, reaching 86,595 marital dissolutions. With an average age of breakup now approaching 50 years, this phenomenon not only affects young people, but also pushes middle-aged adults back into the home of octogenarian parents, completely reconfiguring the traditional family structure. The danger of “regression” When the adult child crosses the threshold of the house, time seems to go back in a dangerous way. It’s what the newspaper Guardian defines as “teenage mode.” Psychotherapist Satya Doyle Byock explains that this return can cause a “psychological regression” where adults of 30 or 40 years old become sullen again, stop cleaning or feel infantilized by parents who automatically resume their role as caregivers. So that this forced return does not transform the home into a pressure cooker, the experts’ recipe is not resignation, but rather an active renegotiation of reality. Xiomara Reina warns that the most frequent error —and often the most well-intentioned—is for parents to minimize their child’s pain or try to “cheer them up” too quickly. The returning adult often carries a heavy backpack of frustration, defeat, and silent shame. Therefore, the key lies in treating coexistence as a contract between adults and not as a return to childhood. It is essential to establish what we could call a domestic “Constitution” from day one. Nothing can be taken for granted; It is essential to speak clearly about check-in times, cleaning arrangements and meal organization. In this new balance, “symbolic contributions” play an essential psychological role. Even if the child cannot pay a market rent, helping with the purchase, paying for internet or taking care of repairs helps preserve their dignity and prevents silent resentment from germinating in parents for feeling like eternal servants. Finally, considering the stay as a transition with a clear time horizon, reviewing the situation periodically, allows the family home to be a safety net and not a definitive stagnation. From a mental health perspective, the PLOS ONE study suggests a complex reading: Although living with parents relieves financial stress, the lack of autonomy can worsen symptoms of depression if living together is conflictive. On the other hand, fathers who are “connected” with their children tend to have better mental health during grieving processes or late divorces (silver splits), as reported by Lisa Jessee and Deborah Carr. In Germany, the concept of the “multigenerational house” It is presented as a planned solution with independent spaces. In Spain, the model is one of “resistance.” The CJE document on the Youth Test proposes that public policies They must be evaluated under an intergenerational impact: the precariousness of the child is, ultimately, a burden for the father’s old age. As Gretchen Rubin reflects in Atlanticwe must change the metaphor of the “empty nest” to that of the “open door.” Family remains the ultimate safety net. A stage of opportunity for “parents and children to look at each other from a more human place and repair pending conversations.” The success of this forced coexistence does not depend on money, but on self-awareness. In a country where becoming independent is “practically a chimera”, the parental home has become the last stronghold of resistance against a market that expels its young people. But so that the boomerang does not break the glass of coexistence, the key is only one: stop treating the adult as a child and the parent as an eternal servant. Image | freepik Xataka | … Read more

We have a problem with AI. Those who were most enthusiastic at the beginning are starting to get tired of it.

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The most promising promise surrounding AI at work today It’s not that it’s going to replace us.but it could free ourselves from part of the burden we carry every day. In recent years, much of the technological discourse has insisted on this idea, also driven by the arrival of assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini or the different co-pilots integrated into everyday software: fewer routine tasks, more time to think, create or decide calmly. However, as these tools begin to be truly used in real environments, a question arises that can no longer be ignored: what happens when that promise of relief is confronted with the daily practice of work. Depletion system. The narrative of relief begins to crack when academic research looks at what happens inside companies. A study published by Harvard Business Review describes that, in the observed case, the AI ​​did not decrease work, but rather tended to intensify it, even without explicit orders to produce more. These findings can be interpreted as a sign of an emerging problem, where increased capacity can push certain organizations towards dynamics close to structural exhaustion, more linked to constant acceleration than to the promised efficiency. Where does the data come from?. The aforementioned work was developed for eight months within an American technology company with about 200 employees, combining in-person observation two days a week, monitoring of internal communication channels and more than 40 in-depth interviews with engineering, product, design, research and operations profiles. The company did not mandate the use of AI or set new performance goals, although it did offer enterprise subscriptions to business tools, which allowed it to analyze what happened when adoption arose on the initiative of workers. The pattern behind the promise. Far from a sudden change, the intensification described by the researchers takes the form of a recognizable process. The magazine summarizes its findings in three mechanisms that, combined, transform the daily work experience: progressive expansion of responsibilities, increasingly blurred boundaries between activity and rest, and simultaneous management of multiple tasks supported by AI. The increased activity began, in many cases, with something that at first glance seemed positive: the feeling of being able to do more on one’s own. It was no secret that AI makes it possible to tackle tasks that previously required external support or specific knowledge, gradually expanding the perimeter of its role. However, this growth did not replace previous responsibilities, but rather added to them and triggered new demands for supervision and adjustment within the teams. When the pause is no longer a pause. The study also shows that this dynamic not only arises from doing more things, but from doing them at different times. By reducing the initial effort required to begin a task, AI made it easier for work to slide into spaces traditionally reserved for rest, such as meals, short intervals, or the end of the day. Over time, this barely perceptible continuity transformed the work experience into something more constant and less delimited, decreasing resilience even without formally increasing hours. Fragmentation of care. Harvard Business Review points out that the possibility of executing several actions at the same time, relying on systems that work in the background, pushed many professionals to maintain an increasing number of tasks open simultaneously. This multiplication of fronts generated a feeling of momentum and support, but also required frequently reviewing the results produced by the AI ​​and continuously changing context. As this behavior became habitual, expectations of speed tended to rise within the organization. A possible way out. The study suggests that the problem does not lie in the technology itself, but in the absence of frameworks that regulate its daily use. Therefore, it proposes developing an “AI practice” based on intentional pauses that allow decisions to be reconsidered, work sequencing that reduces fragmentation, and moments of human connection that counteract isolation. In this scenario, the challenge for companies stops being to adopt more AI and becomes integrating its capacity without eroding the balance of daily work. Images | Vitaly Gariev In Xataka | Google is going to borrow money to pay back in 100 years. You have to believe that in 100 years Google will still be there

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