Month: April 2026

The war has led many expats to look beyond Dubai. In Italy there is already a city willing to take advantage of it

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He skyline It may be Dubai’s most recognizable feature, however in recent decades the city has gained something much more important (and complicated) than its skyscrapers: prestige. For years the expats half the world has seen in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) a destination in which to settleattracted by their tax advantagesadministrative facilities, luxury and stability of the country. Now the shock wave of the Iran war is erasing some of that image and has led some expats to look for alternatives in safer cities. An Italian city already appears on the horizon. The other bill of war. As with all wars, that of Iran It looks a lot like a set of dominoes. Operation ‘Epic Fury’ launched on February 28 by Washington and Tel Aviv on Iran ended the life of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, supreme leader of the Islamic regime; but that was only the first step of the war. The first in a long chain of pieces. Since then the conflict has escalatedaffecting international markets, skyrocketing the price of crude oil and infecting the rest of the Persian Gulf. We had the most graphic proof in the first days of the war, when Iran harshly punished some US allies in the region, including the UAE. Their attacks blocked Gulf airspace, unleashed the biggest crisis of aviation since the pandemic and left images that until recently were unimaginable, such as luxury residences attacked by Iranian drones. Reputation blow. The casualty toll in the UAE is relatively low (the Emirati authorities numbered at 13 those killed during the attacks launched by Iran), but the reputational damage has yet to be measured. For decades, the Emirates knew how to carve out a niche for itself as a favorite destination for expats from other countries. As explained a few months ago Guillaume Giroux, of the Dubai Inmo firm, in cities like Dubai, fortunes found tax facilities, bureaucratic agility, stability, an attractive real estate market and a high standard of living, especially for people accustomed to luxuries. Some of that magnetism remains, but the Iran war has tarnished the image of a safe, reliable and ‘boring’ (in a good way) destination created by the UAE. Has it changed that much? Public discourse certainly has. If it is news for hosting more than 81,000 millionaires or attract thousands of residents wealthy in just one yearDubai has made headlines for the chaos unleashed by the Iranian war. At the beginning of March Financial Times spoke of people driving 10 hours to cross the border into Oman, desperate to leave the region. In Guardian even they assured that a jet company was asking 85,000 euros (triple the normal amount) for a flight to Istanbul. They are specific cases, but they punish the UAE’s global projection. Looking for alternatives. It is unlikely that Dubai will suddenly lose the image that has been built up for years and it remains an unknown what the effect of the war will be in the medium and long term. there are those already warn that he is not considering leaving the Emirates. None of the above means that there are already millionaires looking for alternatives. I confirmed it recently Guardian in a chronicle explaining that as Dubai sees its reputation as a safe haven erode, there is expats thinking about the best way to return to Europe. The article, signed by Lauren Almeida, focuses on British billionaires, but still leaves out an interesting idea: when looking for European destinations, there is one in particular that seems to be winning. Which? Milan. “Those leaving the UAE can easily imagine themselves living in Rome or Milan, metropolitan and international centres,” point Armand Arton, who is dedicated to advising millionaires on citizenship and investment plans. Why’s that? For a sum of factors. In a way, Milan offers the rich a package similar to the one they find in Dubai: a attractive tax regimea rising real estate market (something especially interesting for those who buy with an investment mentality) and above all luxury. It’s nothing new. In September the Italian edition of Idealista explained that Milan was becoming one of the most attractive destinations in Europe to attract great fortunes. “Italy offers the best advantages: single tax and good quality of life,” insist Arton. “It’s a beautiful country. Milan has a very developed financial services sector, many of the things that are attractive in London, Milan also has them,” adds Marc Acheson of Utmost Wealth Solutions. This sum of factors, added to its environment, schools, services and cosmopolitan lifestyle, explains that the Italian city be home now from some of Europe’s biggest investors and bankers. Also the increase in price of your home. Luxury and something more. The attractiveness of Italy as a city is not the only factor that explains its ability to attract expats. Another is its tax policy. In 2017 the country introduced the “single rate”also known as “Ronaldo tax” and that it is designed precisely to attract wealthy foreigners. In summary, the regime allows new residents (foreigners and returned Italians) to pay 300,000 euros annually for income obtained outside the country. It may seem like a high tax, but as its name indicates, it is applied in a fixed manner, regardless of the base amount, which makes it an interesting option for large fortunes. Until recently, its amount was also lower, making it even more attractive. When it was introduced, the “single rate” amounted to 100,000 euros annual. In 2024 that figure rose to 200,000 and did not reach its current level, of 300,000 euros, until this year. This tax advantage can be enjoyed for only 15 years, but it has extras. Marking distances. It’s not just about what Italy has done. As explains the Golden Visas platform, the Italian system gained attractiveness after in 2024 United Kingdom review its tax regime for non-domiciled residents and for Portugal to also rethink its system. Reuters precise that in 2023 around 1,500 people took advantage of the single rate regime in Italy, … Read more

This is everything we know about him so far

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If there is a device that has been expected since Samsung put its first Samsung Galaxy Z Fold on the market, it is, if you doubt the Apple foldable iPhone. Rumors and leaks about this device have been circulating for some time and, as they say, when the river sounds, it carries water. So, here is a compilation of everything we think we know to date based on all the leaks and rumors with some weight. Under no circumstances is this information official or confirmed by Apple, but it does allow us to get an idea of ​​what, perhaps sooner rather than later, we can expect from the Cupertino firm. What could you call the foldable iPhone? Foldable iPhone concept Apple is not excessively original in terms of naming refers, so it is possible that it follows a scheme similar to what we have seen in Android brands. There is a kind of written rule that has been inherited since the launch of the first foldables, and it is the following: If it is folded to the side, like a book, it is Fold. If it is folded downwards, like an old-fashioned cell phone, it is flip. All the leaks and rumors suggest that the foldable iPhone will fold and unfold to the side, like a book, which is why it is unofficially known as iPhone Fold. This would make sense as this terminal targets the most premium (even professional) segment. Generally, Fold-type foldables have been the most premium, while Flips are aimed at a younger audience. When could the foldable iPhone come out? There is no confirmed date and we won’t know until probably a couple of weeks before its release. Now, leaks suggest that the foldable iPhone will be launched as soon as this year. In fact, Mark Gurman, the omnipresent leaker of the Apple world, assures that it will be announced in September even though the signature seems to be encountering some difficulty. Here it is important to note that, if the leaks are correct, this year we could attend an unconventional dance date. Instead of presenting everything in September, as is normal, Apple is expected to opt for a new announcement and launch strategy: In September 2026: iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone Fold. The first two would be launched in September, while the foldable one would go to December. It is a similar situation to the one we experienced when the iPhone 8 and iPhone X. In March 2027: the iPhone 18, the iPhone 18e and possibly the second generation iPhone Air. What will the iPhone Fold screen be like? The OPPO Find N2 Flip is the closest thing to the format that the iPhone Fold would have | Image: Xataka If the rumors are not wrong, the iPhone Fold is expected to be just that, a Fold-type device that folds and unfolds horizontally like a book. However, leaks suggest that it will not be like the ones we are used to seeing. It would actually be more similar to a OPPO Find N2 or a Huawei Pure X that to a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold. With some exceptions, such as the aforementioned OPPO and Huawei, when the Fold is folded, closed, it has a more vertical format. The objective is, obviously, that you can use the external screen as if it were a conventional mobile phone. However, the format of the OPPO Find N2 is more square, closer to 4:3, which makes it smaller and more compact. Leaks suggest that the iPhone Fold will follow this path. It will be a foldable phone and, in principle, compact. Proof of this would be its external screen, whose diagonal would be 5.49 inches, while the internal one, the one we will use when we open the mobile, would be 7.8 inches, according to Ming-Chi Kuo. Given what we have seen, Apple does not seem to want to offer a large mobile phone that gets bigger, but rather a compact mobile phone that turns into a small tablet. If the iPhone is as the leaks suggest, it will be very similar to the OPPO Find N2 | Image: Xataka On the other hand, when we talk about folding phones it is inevitable to talk about the wrinkle. No brand has managed, at least for now, to eliminate it completely. There have been significant advances in reducing or hiding it, but even in the most recent folding products it continues to make an appearance. It is minimal, nothing like the first generations, but it is still present. According to reports from ET Newsciting Apple’s supply chain, the apple firm “has decided to eliminate the fold at all costs, regardless of price, to differentiate its foldable phone from current models.” To do this, I would have opted for a more resistant metal plate under the screen, a liquid metal hinge, UTG glass (Ultra Thin Glass) and a panel developed by Samsung which integrates the touch sensors into the screen itself, thus reducing the thickness of the sheet. It is a new technology and one that Apple will surely debut. As to whether he has achieved it or not, we will see. What we do know is that no manufacturer has done it to date and that defying the laws of physics is complicated. However, if Apple wants to differentiate its foldable from the others, it has all the margin in the world to do so in the wrinkle. What features would the foldable iPhone have? AppleHub concept As for the rest of the features, some rumors suggest that the device It will be made of aluminum and titanium. The former will be used for the chassis, while titanium (more expensive, but much stronger) will be used in the parts most exposed to stress. Apple has done a good job with titanium in its very thin iPhone Airso it would make sense. What also makes sense is that rumors suggest that it will not have Face … Read more

has run out of gasoline and diesel

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12% of French gas stations is running out of fuel. It’s a headline that’s taking over some of the news this week. Although we may think that it is due to a national shortage problem, the cause is quite different, and has to do with discounts. what has happened. 12% of French gas stations has run out of some type of fuel. The figure, however, has not stopped growing: according to the French government, on Wednesday it was already 18% of the total of stations in the country — almost one in five — that reported a shortage of at least one type of fuel. Specifically, 66% of the stations belonging to TotalEnergies announced yesterday Tuesday that their service stations were running out of fuel, highlighting that they were mobilizing to resupply the affected gas stations. Why has it happened. Fuel prices in France have skyrocketed above two euros, so TotalEnergies decided to apply as a ceiling measure a maximum price of 1.99 liters for gasoline and 2.09 euros in the case of diesel. These rates, notably lower than those of the rest of the distributors, triggered demand with an “infrequent influx” according to the French executive. The result was predictable: queues accumulated at Total stations while the rest of the gas stations operated normally. Translation? There is no fuel shortage in France: there is a logistics problem concentrated in a single network that could not absorb an extraordinary volume of demand. Given the situation, TotalEnergies has decided to extend the measure until the end of April, although adjusting the diesel cap to 2.25 euros per liter. Why is fuel so expensive in France?. Below the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany, where climate taxes are especially high, we find France. A country with quite aggressive taxation with fuel, and in which the increase due to the war in Iran is especially affecting. On top of that already high fiscal base, the conflict in the Middle East has acted as an accelerator. The tensions around the Strait of Hormuz have pushed the price of a barrel up, and France, which does not produce significant crude oil of its own, absorbs it entirely. What’s coming The French industry expects a rapid drop in fuel prices if the ceasefire in Iran is consolidated — this was anticipated this Tuesday by sources in the sector. But until that happens, the French face a scenario of record prices, gas stations with queues and a summer that looks expensive for those who depend on the car. TotalEnergies has bought some time with its price cap, but the underlying solution is not in the hands of any oil company. In Xataka | As soon as the war in Iran began, Spanish gas stations had already done something: start raising prices

WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2 explained without jargon

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Let’s tell you why the protocol you choose is so important in one VPNand we will also explain three of the most important ones in detail. We will talk to you about WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2, which you can find in services such as NordVPN or any of the best vpn serviceseven also in some free vpn. Let’s start by explaining to you what VPN protocols are and why they are so important. And then we will tell you what the protocols offer WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2so you know which one to choose. We will try to explain all this in an easy and understandable way. Why protocol may matter more than other things When choosing a VPN, it is normal to look above all at practical aspects, such as the price of its subscription, the number of servers it offers and how many countries it has them distributed in, and even aspects such as the aesthetics and design of its application. However, We don’t usually pay so much attention to protocols. supported by each service, and it is something important. The protocol is the layer that determines the operation of the VPN itself. The one you choose can directly define aspects such as the speed or encryption strength of the connectionas well as other things like network stability, and how they manage potential network outages or transitions. Therefore, protocol shapes the VPN experience when you use it. There are several modern options here, such as an OpenVPN that offers great security, a WireGuard with faster performance, or IKEv2 that is perfect for mobile users. Which one to choose will depend on how you want to use the network and the purposes at all times. NordVPN with 76% discount The price could vary. We earn commission from these links OpenVPN is the industry standard OpenVPN has been the standard that dominates the VPN industry since its launch in 2001. He is the great veteranthat has enormous value for cybersecurity, since it involves two and a half decades of audits, testing in real environments, and reviews by security researchers around the world. Its main advantage is its flexibilitysince it can be easily configured to work on any port, using both UDP and TCP. This allows the protocol to work against restrictive firewalls, being a very good weapon against Internet censorship, as well as in blocked corporate networks where WireFuard or IKEv2 could be cut. As OpenVPN has among its modes the ability to operate over TCP on port 433, the same port used by normal https web traffic, it is impossible to block it without breaking general browsing. Use encryption AES-256considered indecipherable by current computing standards, so your traffic travels safely so that they don’t spy on what you do. The price to pay is in speed. Because yes, OpenVPN is that perfectly secure and private veteran technology, but it offers a slightly lower browsing speed than other alternatives. WireGuard is modern and fast WireGuard is the most modern protocol of the three we are talking about today, and its great asset is its extreme simplicity. Its source code takes up only about 4,000 lines compared to OpenVPN’s 100,000, and less code means fewer points where something can fail or get stuck, and greater speed. It also makes things much easier for audits. The most interesting part of this protocol is that it prioritizes simplicity and speed, but does not make sacrifices in security. It is open source, so anyone can review and use it, and uses various types of ciphers such as ChaCha20Poly1305 for packet encapsulation in UDP, or various cryptographic algorithms such as Curve25519 for key exchange, ChaCha20 for encryption, Poly1305 for authentication, and BLAKE2s for hashing. It is a carefully chosen selection of technologies. But where this protocol really shines is in speed, being able to reach quadruple OpenVPN connection speed in some configurations. It also maintains low latency in real-time activities, being the best alternative for gaming, streaming content or video conferencing. The only drawback that can be made is that it is not a protocol created for the general public, and that it stores IP addresses on the server during connections. However, most commercial VPNs that use it have created effective solutions, such as double NAT systems or dynamic IP assignment to maintain privacy. IKEv2 is perfect for mobile IKEv2 is a protocol designed for the mobile phone and the real life of conventional users. Specifically for those users who move from one place to another and connect to different networks. Its great asset is the MOBIKE protocol, which keeps the VPN connection active even when you change networks. Come on, if you change from home WiFi to your mobile data, your connection tunnel is maintained without you having to do anything. The other protocols can handle this as well, but MOBIKE was designed specifically for these scenarios. Another of the strong points of this protocol is in your connection timeswhich equals and even exceeds those of the competition’s protocols. Users typically connect within seconds, and reconnections after a network outage occur almost instantly. IKEv2 uses the AES-256-GCM encryption algorithm to offer maximum security. It also uses SHA-2-384 for integrity verification and 3072-bit Diffie-Hellmann keys. This security structure meets the strict requirements of companies and public administrations. In addition, IKEv2 also offers advantages in speed, security and stability. The Achilles heel of this protocol is visibility. It uses fixed ports and specific protocols, so it is easier to block than OpenVPN when faced with aggressive firewalls like those used by some countries to censor the Internet. Therefore, sometimes it doesn’t work well where other protocols do. What protocol to use protocol average speed size of your code time to connect mobile stability firewall bypass OpenVPN Moderate ~600,000 lines 3-5 seconds Good Excellent WireGuard Very fast ~4,000 lines 1-2 seconds Excellent Moderate IKEv2 Fast ~400,000 lines 2-3 seconds Excellent Moderate As you can see, each protocol has its pluses and minusesso there is no easy choice. … Read more

Denza Z9GT and Denza Z9, features, specifications, photos, price, date

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BYD carries a few years of heart attack in Europe and in the rest of the regions in which it has a presence. However, this time the brand wanted to take a very different step: fully enter the premium vehicle segment. And he has done it precisely with Denza, your luxury brand which has been based in China for more than a decade and which this year crosses borders to give another pinch to the European automobile industry. The Chinese giant launches its premium division in this market with two models: the Denza Z9GTa high-performance family coupe, and the Denza D9a seven-seater minivan. Curiously, we were already able to test the Z9GT first-hand in 2025, giving us clues about what was happening. Now, the departure is imminent, and below these lines we tell you all the details. Denza Z9GT and D9, technical sheet denza z9gt denza z9 BODY TYPE. Coupé, five seats (shooting brake) Minivan, seven seats MEASUREMENTS AND WEIGHT. Pure electric version: 5,180 meters long, 1,990 meters wide, 1,490 meters high. 3,125 m wheelbase. Weight to be confirmed Plug-in hybrid version: 5,195 meters long, 1,990 meters wide, 1,490 meters high. 3,125 m wheelbase. Weight to be confirmed 5,250 meters long, 1,960 meters wide, 1,900 meters high. 3,110 m wheelbase. 2,895 kg empty weight. TRUNK. 495 liters (1,680 liters with seats folded) 430 liters (3rd row back) 570 liters (3rd row forward) 2,310 liters (3rd row folded and 2nd row forward) MAXIMUM POWER. Pure electric version: 1,156 HP / 850 kW (three electric motors). Maximum torque: 1,210 Nm Plug-in hybrid version: 776 HP / 570 kW (three electric motors and one 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder gasoline motor). Maximum torque: 1,035 Nm 353 HP / 260 kW (120 HP 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder gasoline engine that acts as a generator + 231 HP front electric motor + 61 HP rear electric motor). Maximum torque of 220 Nm WLTP autonomy. Pure electric version: more than 600 km in all-wheel drive (up to 800 km in rear-wheel drive) Plug-in hybrid version: up to 203 km of electric range. 805 km of combined autonomy under the WLTP cycle WLTP electric range of 210 km Joint range of 950 km (battery + full tank) ENVIRONMENTAL DISTINCTIVE. Zero emissions. Zero emissions. DRIVING AIDS (ADAS). To be determined To be determined OTHERS. DiLink software, Integration with Google, seats with ventilation, massage and heating, 1,150 W sound system, 17.3-inch central screen, 13.2-inch co-pilot screen, 50-inch Head Up Display, refrigerator DiLink software, Integration with Google and Apple, ventilated, massage and heated seats, 16-speaker sound system, 15.6-inch central screen, 10.25-inch driver screen, 12-inch Head Up Display, refrigerator price and release Pure electric version: from 115,000 euros Plug-in hybrid version: starting at 101,000 euros Available in the coming weeks From 78,500 euros Available in the coming weeks As we said before, Denza is not a new brand. It was born in 2010 as an alliance between BYD and Daimler, and launched its first vehicle in 2014, although its presence had until now been limited to the Chinese market. Its arrival in Europe comes in a context in which Chinese brands are trying to consolidate beyond the mid-price segment, where they have already achieved some traction. The Z9GT: a grand tourer with three engines and ultra-fast charging The Z9GT is the model with which Denza wants to present itself to the European buyer of premium cars. It is a shooting brake (a body between a sedan and a family car) with more sporty lines. The vehicle is 5.18 meters long (5.19 meters in the plug-in hybrid) and was designed by Wolfgang Egger, known for his work at Audi and Alfa Romeo. The most interesting thing about the Z9GT is its technical proposal, especially when it comes to battery charging. The model incorporates the system FLASH Charging from BYD, capable of operating with a power of up to 1,500 kW, which would allow the battery to be charged from 10% to 70% in five minutes, or from 10% to 97% in nine. The brand further claims that even at temperatures of -30°C the process from 20% to 97% would be completed in twelve minutes. These figures, if confirmed in real conditions of use, would represent a significant jump compared to what we currently have. Of course, to take advantage of them, it will be necessary to access BYD’s own chargers, which also they have to deploy in Europe. So there is still quite a bit of work ahead in this regard. The battery is an evolution of the Blade Battery from BYD, now in its second generation, with chemistry lithium iron phosphate (LFP). According to the brand itself, engineers have managed to simultaneously increase both energy density and charging speed. You have it in pure electric and plug-in hybrid The Z9GT will be sold in two variants. The 100% electric version has three motors (one front and two rear) with a combined power of 1,156 HP and a 122.49 kWh battery. The autonomy approved according to the WLTP cycle exceeds 600 kilometers. 0 to 100 km/h is resolved in 2.7 seconds and the maximum speed reaches 270 km/h. These are, of course, figures that we are not used to seeing very often on the streets. Throughout 2026, Denza also plans to add a rear-wheel drive variant with a range of about 800 kilometers. The plug-in hybrid version (DM) combine those three electric motors with a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine. The total power of the system is 776 HP. The battery, in this case 63.82 kWh, offers 203 kilometers of electric range according to WLTP. With the battery charged and the tank full, the manufacturer estimates a combined range of about 805 kilometers. 0 to 100 km/h is done in 3.6 seconds, according to the firm. Platform with rear steering and double independent motor Under the body, the Z9GT rides on the e³ (“e-cube”) platform, developed specifically for Denza. In it we find a rear steering system with two independent motorsone per wheel. This allows … Read more

All your plans now include a gift card to spend on Amazon

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When choosing a VPNThere are so many that it is difficult to choose one. Sure, let’s go directly to one of the best available It is always the best option, but even then, it is not easy. For this reason, a promo like this one that Surfshark has active right now attracts so much attention: we can get their VPN from 1.99 euros a month and take us, in passing, an Amazon gift card. We tell you more about it. Surfshark Starter Subscription – monthly The price could vary. We earn commission from these links VPN and Amazon gift card at a very good price Accessing this promo is very simple. To do this, all we have to do is use the code ‘amazones’ when we select the plan that best suits us, since it is available for the three that Surfshark has. Two things to keep in mind: it is only available if we choose a two-year plan and the gift card will arrive when we have the subscription active for 31 days. How much is the Amazon gift card? The amount of this will depend on the plan we choose. The most basic plan, called Starter (which includes VPN and the Alternative ID tool), comes with a 10-euro gift card so we can spend on whatever we want. The other two increase the amount: Surfshark One will give us a 20 euro gift card, while Surfshark One+ he will give us a 30 euro cardyes. Now, let’s do the numbers. If we opt for the cheapest plan (remember, it costs 1.99 euros per month), we would be paying a total of 47.76 euros to have 24 months of VPN. The price is quite attractive, but two things must be added: comes with three extra months (so it will be 27 months in total) and we will have the 10 euro gift card. These would be the prices, in summary, that we would pay with the other plans: Surfshark One: 27 months for a total of 59.76 euros and an Amazon gift card of 20 euros. Surfshark One+: 27 months for a total of 100.56 euros and an Amazon gift card of 30 euros. 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 | surfshark In Xataka | Why it is dangerous to connect to public Wi-Fi and what you should do to protect yourself In Xataka | Antivirus in Windows 11: what they are, differences between free and paid and the best for your PC

China has closed a huge chunk of sky for 40 days. And all we know is that space is bigger than Taiwan

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In aviation, advisories restricting the use of airspace usually last just a few days and are linked to very specific operations, while areas without altitude limits are reserved on rare occasions due to its impact on air traffic. In strategic regions of the planet, any prolonged alteration in these patterns is often interpreted as more than a simple technical measure. It just happened in China. An unprecedented air closure. China has closed for 40 days (from March 27 to May 6) a huge maritime airspace without offering any clear explanation, delimiting areas through aeronautical warnings which are normally used for short exercises but in this case they are unusually prolonged. To give us an idea, the extension of that space exceeds the size of Taiwan, which makes the measure difficult to fit within operational normality. The official silence and the scale of the movement suggest a deliberate decision that goes beyond simple air traffic management. What these notices really mean. The NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) are designed to warn of risks or temporary restrictions, but their usual use is far from the current scenario, since they usually last a few days and are linked to specific, clearly identified maneuvers. Therefore, the combination of an extraordinary duration and the absence of explanations points more to a position of sustained activity more than a specific exercise. A priori, this implies that airspace control is being used as an active tool within a broader strategy. A key space on the regional board. counted the wall street journal A few hours ago, the affected areas extended from the Yellow Sea to the East China Sea, covering areas in front of South Korea and Japan and being located in strategic corridors for any military operation in the region. Although they are far from Taiwan (several hundred km), their location does not seem coincidental and fits with scenarios where the air route control would be decisive. The scale of the reserved area reinforces the idea that this is not a limited trial, but something with deeper operational implications. Signs in the midst of a tense context. The closure also coincides with a moment of high tension in the Indo-Pacific, with military movements in Japan, pressure about Taiwan and diplomatic activity relevant in parallel. Not only that. It also occurs after a striking pause on Chinese military flights near Taiwan, followed of its resumptionsuggesting a recalibration of activity. In this context, the measure can be interpreted as a way to send strategic messages without the need for explicit statements. Ambiguity as a strategy. In short, and although there are precedents for similar airspace reservations, they had never been so long nor so widewhich marks a clear difference compared to previous practices. If you like, this ambiguity also allows China to maintain operational flexibility, test scenarios and, ultimately, generate uncertainty among its rivals without publicly committing. The result is a signal that is difficult to interpret, one that, possibly or precisely because of this, multiply your impact strategic. Image | LG Images In Xataka | In silence, China is making giant strides in a race that until now it was not leading: space. In Xataka | The US opted for the quality of the F-35 rather than quantity. China opted for the opposite and it is already a problem

Within Meta there is a race to see which employee consumes the most AI tokens. It’s the ‘Tokenmaxxing’ of Silicon Valley

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There is a battle within Meta: see who spends the most AI tokens. This is the basic unit that AI uses to understand the language with which we order actions. It is like the “bridge” between our words and the numbers that the machine can process and, therefore, when ChatGPT either Google They present a model, they brag about the millions of tokens they can process. But tokens are also becoming a ‘spending’ unit in AI companies. Silicon Valleyso much so that they may be generating a toxic work culture. And Meta is an example of a company where employees compete to see how many tokens they can consume to become a Token Legend. Tokenmaxxing. It is not the first time that we talked about this. A few days ago, Jensen Huang -CEO of NVIDIA and one of the main instigators of this phenomenon- commented that he would be worried if an engineer who earns $500,000 did not spend at least $250,000 a year on tokens. Because tokens cost money and NVIDIA is already considering offering tokens as part of the signing bonuses for its artificial intelligence engineers. Goals. As it could not be otherwise, Meta does not want to miss this party. The company, which changed its name when the metaverse was going to be the big thing and, after the swerveis defined as a “native AI company”, is one of those that promotes its artificial intelligence engineers to keep a count of the tokens spent during their day. There is no official data, but there are reports revealed to media such as Business Insider and The Information which point out that some of these teams have very specific objectives related to the use of tokens. For example, the company expects 65% of its engineers to write more than 75% of code using AI tools by the middle of this year. The Scalable Machine Learning division has another objective, and so on in each of the code-related departments within Meta. Legend Token. In The Information, they directly point out that there is an internal classification table created by the employees themselves to gamify the work. It shows the 250 most intensive AI users in their tasks with an easy premise: the more tokens you spend, the more you climb in the ranking. The winner of this particular competition takes the title of ‘Token Legend’, or ‘Legend of Tokens’. It is turning an expectation into a kind of internal sport. The first paragraph of this article converted to tokens crazy spending. If we put the first paragraph of 542 words in the tool ‘tokenizer‘ from OpenAI, we see that that simple phrase has already consumed 121 tokens. Well: according to The Information, in the last 30 days the total token panel usage of that internal table was more than 60 billion (of ours) tokens And even if they want to dress it for sports and competition, it is still obligatory. In late 2025, Meta launched the ‘Level Up’ program where employees who complete the most tasks using AI earn badges. And more important than this: it made the use of AI a central criterion in its employee performance evaluations. This, obviously, sets salary and promotion objectives. Doubts. But of course, beyond paying to work, there are other underlying issues. One of the criticisms of this tokenmaxxing system is that AI companies like Meta or NVIDIA encourage spending more on tokens because, in this way, their own employees become consumers of the product they are creating. An easy example that software engineering analyst Gergely Orosz exposed which is as if Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, said that if one of his employees who earns $500,000 a year did not spend $50,000 on purchases in the App Store, he would be worried. Orosz continuous stating that productivity should not be measured in tokens spent, but in the results obtained. Industry issue. In any case, Meta and NVIDIA are not the only ones that measure their employees by their consumption of AI at work. It is something that is soaking in other AI majors, turning the tokens into an extra work benefit incorporated into the engineers’ remuneration wheel along with the base salary, performance bonuses and shares. HE esteem that an OpenAI engineer can process 210 billion tokens in a week and there are Claude Code engineers who accumulate more than $150,000 in tokens in one month. Basically it is merging part of your salary into the company that pays you. And… have they said anything from Meta? Yes, it’s not about volume, but about quality, pointing that performance rewards are based on the impact of the work and not the raw use of AI. Image | ‘Wolf of Wall Street’, Meta Logo. Edited In Xataka | Google Earth shows the world. The Spanish Xoople wants AI to understand it

After visiting a Chinese factory, the CEO of Honda loudly admitted the noise of the industry

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We are witnessing a great change in the automobile industry, led above all by the great presence of China in more and more global markets and a transition to electric which seems to still be difficult for him. The traditional automobile industry is going through a delicate point, and the president of Honda saw it clearly when visiting a supplier factory in Shanghai. The surprise. At the end of February, Toshihiro Mibe, president of Honda, visited the facilities of a large Chinese manufacturer of components in Shanghai. What he found was a completely automated plant, without workers on the production line, and capable of supplying parts to both Tesla and local builders, minimizing labor costs and operating constantly. “We have no chance against this,” counted Mibe when leaving, according to statements reported by the Nikkei Asia media. It is certainly not the type of statement that one would expect from someone who runs one of the most historic brands in world motorsport. Why does it matter? Honda is not an isolated case. It is the latest symptom of an industry that has been looking at China with concern for years. Chinese manufacturers have managed to compress the development time of a new model to between 18 and 24 monthsabout half of what the Japanese or Europeans need. And it’s not just speed: it’s cost, automation and software. It is a change that is costing the traditional automobile industry, and that is not easy to replicate either. Numbers. In 2020, Honda sold 1.62 million vehicles in China. In 2025, that figure fell to 640,000 units, a decrease of 24% in the last year alone and the fifth consecutive year of decline, according to data published by the media. Its factories in the country operate at 50-60% capacity, well below the 70-80% necessary to be profitable. By 2026, the planned production is less than 600,000 units. “It is an extremely disappointing plan,” acknowledged an executive from a Chinese supplier company to Nikkei Asia. “But it doesn’t surprise me either,” he continued. Honda is not alone in this. Jim Farley, CEO of Ford, warned in an interview with CBS Sunday Morning last October that China has enough production capacity to “supply the entire North American market and put us all out of business.” “Unless things change, we will not survive,” counted for his part, also the then president of Toyota, Koji Sato. And coming from Toyota, which is basically the largest automaker in the world, that says a lot. Vgo back to the past to go towards the future. Honda’s reaction goes through resurrect your R&D division as an autonomous entity, something that has already existed since 1960 and that in 2020 was dismantled in favor of centralized management. It was that independent structure that, in 1972, developed the low-emission CVCC engine (the first to meet US regulations) and turned the original Civic into a global success. Now, thousands of engineers return to a subsidiary with greater operational freedom. “Five or six years ago it was good for the headquarters to take the reins,” recognized a Honda executive to Nikkei Asia. “But now the world has changed drastically,” he continued. Doubts. The movement does not convince everyone. Takaki Nakanishi, chief analyst at the Nakanishi Research Institute, said to the media that “it is doubtful what will change just by restoring the organization.” Honda’s own management team admits that recovering the structure does not guarantee winning China. “But that doesn’t mean we’re going to raise the white flag,” added a company executive, according to Nikkei Asia. In parallel, Honda cancels two of its electric planned for the US, the 0 SUV and the 0 Sedan, and assumes losses of up to 15.8 billion dollars. Also have been left in the air the two vehicles under the Afeela brand, the joint project with Sony. The alternative bet: India. While Toyota and Nissan choose to ally with Chinese partners to learn from their speed and launch affordable electric cars, Honda prefers another path. The brand is betting on India as a manufacturing base for its next generation of electric cars. The Model 0 Alpha, its global strategic EV planned for 2027, will be produced there. In mid-March, the Indian subsidiary shared images of the Alpha in rolling tests, describing the moment as “a new milestone in Honda’s electrification journey.” Imbalance. The automobile sector is going through one of its most profound transformations. China has stopped being just a market to become the main global competitor, with brands like BYD already reaching 1.8% share in Europe in the first two months of 2026, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA). Honda, with just 0.5% in the same period, illustrates this imbalance well. Cover image | Sling In Xataka | Sensors, luminous tires and fish scales: the crazy (and stinky) story of the first “autonomous” car

It takes 7,000 GPUs to simulate a tiny quantum processor. Although it may not seem like it, it is excellent news.

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The complexity of quantum computers It is extraordinary. In their construction it is possible to rely on several very different strategies, such as, for example, superconducting qubits, ion traps or neutral atoms, among other technologies, but they all have something in common: to a large extent its power is a consequence of its complexity. Of the complexity inherent in any device designed to take advantage the laws of quantum physics. The surprising thing is that, despite its sophistication and exoticism, it is already possible to accurately simulate a small quantum processor using conventional hardware. In fact, has achieved it a research group from the Quantum Systems Accelerator and the Division of Applied Mathematics and Computational Research at the University of California at Berkeley (USA). This is not the first time that a quantum processor has been simulated, but until now no one had managed to do it by emulating every physical detail before its manufacture. A new era begins in quantum chip design Here’s a shocking fact: the Berkeley researchers I mentioned in the previous paragraph have carried out their simulation of a quantum chip using the Perlmutter supercomputer, which contains 7,168 NVIDIA GPUs. To achieve their purpose, they used almost all of these GPUs for 24 uninterrupted hours, so it is evident that the computational effort was titanic. But they got it. They managed to model a multilayer quantum chip 10 mm wide and 0.3 mm thick, accurately simulating how signals travel and interact within this processor. This statement from Andy Nonaka, one of the scientists at the Berkeley Quantum Systems Accelerator, express clearly Why this milestone is so important: “I am not aware of anyone who has ever performed physical modeling of microelectronic circuits at the full scale of the Perlmutter system.” “I’m not aware of anyone having ever done physical modeling of microelectronic circuits at the full scale of the Perlmutter system. We were using almost 7,000 GPUs (…) We divided the chip into 11 billion grid cells and were able to run over a million time steps in seven hours, allowing us to evaluate three circuit configurations in a single day. These simulations would not have been possible in this time frame without the complete system” What really what makes the difference is precision with which they have managed to carry out the design and simulation of their quantum processor. “We perform a full-wave physics-level simulation, which means we care about what material is used in the chip, its design, how the metal is wired (using niobium or other types of metal wires), how the resonators are built, what the size, shape and material used are (…) We care about those physical details and we include them in our model,” Nonaka says. A priori we can conclude that using almost 7,000 GPUs for 24 hours with the computational effort and energy expenditure involved in this process to simulate a quantum chip just 10 mm wide and 0.3 mm thick is not a success. But yes it is. Thanks to this technology, it will now be possible to design quantum hardware in less time and in a more efficient way. Bert de Jong, director of the Berkeley Quantum Systems Accelerator, invites us to look towards the future of quantum computing with optimism: “This unprecedented simulation is a critical step in accelerating the design and development of quantum hardware. More powerful, higher-performance chips will unlock new capabilities for researchers and open new avenues in science” Image | Generated by Xataka with Gemini More information | ScienceDaily In Xataka | We already know what the chips that will arrive until 2039 will be like. The machine that will allow them to be manufactured is close

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