Month: May 2026

Microsoft put the head of its AI department in charge of Xbox. Now it’s dismantling all of Xbox’s AI

by

Asha Sharman is the new CEO of Xbox and has arrived with a mission: to blow up Xbox. At least, that is what he is proposing in the first three months of his mandate in which he took the reins of the company in one of the worst moments in its history, with a diffuse identity and with the responsibility of filling the shoes of a Phil Spencer who had been with the company for 40 years. The most curious thing is that Sharma came from presiding over CoreAI, one of Microsoft’s most important AI divisions, and is doing the opposite of what many of us expected. Dismantle AI from within. Distrust. The Xbox brand is not going through its best moment. Since the disastrous E3 in 2013 where the Xbox boss said that if someone didn’t want an always-connected console (Xbox One) they could stick with their old Xbox 360, things have gone downhill. That someone was a Don Mattrick who was replaced by Phil Spencer and with whom things began to change. Game Pass, studio purchases to feed the ecosystem and strategy changes such as launching games on PC and PlayStation. The accounts seemed to come out in services, but not in hardware or games. After all this time, Phil retired and a totally different profile arrived: that of Asha Sharman. The directive I wasn’t a gamer like Phil, he also had no gaming experience. He came from leading CoreAI, a Microsoft team focused on accelerating the development of AI software for internal and external customers to build and run AI applications and agents. Out with the AI. When it was announced that she would be in charge of replacing Phil, in the midst of the ‘Microslop’ meme, many of us feared the worst for the division. Even one of the fathers of Xbox He pointed out that Sharma was going to bury Xbox. However, through Twitter, the CEO has just launched a release quite interesting: “Xbox needs to move faster, deepen our connection to the community, and address friction for both players and developers.” It would seem like just another message, that typical ‘CEO language’ that so many managers use, but it has gone one step further by committing to something interesting: “Today we promoted leaders who helped build Xbox while bringing in new voices to help us move forward. This balance is important as we get the business back on track. As part of this change, we will begin removing features that do not align with our intentions and plans for the future. “We will begin scaling back Copilot on mobile devices and will stop development of Copilot on consoles.” CoreAI Avalanche. This implies a shift in the strategy of a Microsoft that, like others like Meta, they had become an AI company. They have pushed Copilot to its limits, putting it on capon even on televisions thanks to commercial agreements or by renaming its office suite so that, now, its most important services were Copilot and, therefore, artificial intelligence. These statements, therefore, represent an interesting change, as interesting as seeing who are those who now manage Xbox. Sharma talks about “new voices” and what contrasts with this plan to dismantle Copilot in some of the products is that many of them come from… CoreAI. As they point our colleagues from 3DJuegos, The Verge raises a list of four very important members of that AI division who, now, come to Xbox to work with Sharma when defining the future strategy and the new machine: Project Helix. Return to fan. It is not Sharma’s only turn in this short period at the helm of Xbox. From the “everything is an Xbox” campaign, tremendously controversial because if everything is an Xbox, nothing is, we move on to a “we are xbox“, a return to those origins in which an Xbox is an Xbox, and that’s it. Well, also the PC, which is receiving its ‘Xbox mode‘ to improve the video game experience. There is rumors that they are considering returning to exclusives (PC and Xbox) abandoning launches on platforms such as PlayStation 5 and They have lowered the price of Game Pass Ultimatethat it was shot a few months ago. Of course, although they lowered the price, they also left ‘Call of Duty’ out of the subscription, so that reduction is misleading. I want to believe. Now, you have to be careful with all this. Although they are already taking some actions (that “reduction” of Game Pass or stopping the development of Copilot on Xbox), the return to exclusives and the roots of Xbox are issues that remain to be seen. Until they start taking more forceful action, we won’t be able to assess how far Sharma has gone to do things differently. Furthermore, and it is not to look for spins on Sharma’s statements, the board has pointed out that they stop Copilot on consoles. And that word, “consoles,” is very important because we don’t know what Project Helix will be. Your new machine definitely cannot be classified as a console because the machine itself Microsoft is positioning it as a PCone in which the crisis of components will impact strongly both in availability and price and it remains to be seen if they miss that opportunity to bring AI to the living rooms. But well, it is evident that the new CEO has arrived at Xbox wanting to wage war and we can think “ok, but above it is someone with more power: Satya Nadella.” And yes, Nadella has been one of the great drivers of converting Microsoft into an AI company, but just yesterday the company’s CEO sent a powerful message: clean Windows of so much garbage to win back the fans. Only time will tell, but it is evident that Microsoft’s image is not going through its best moment. In Xataka | France wants to “become independent” from Windows and embrace Linux: Extremadura has a lesson to transmit

Mythos has struck fear into governments around the world. That’s why Spain wants “early access” to see what happens

by

Spain wants to have access to Claude Mythos Preview, the AI ​​model it is making shake the world. The vice president and Minister of Economy, Carlos Body, has made clear that the European Union needs “early access” to Mythos to be able to assess what vulnerabilities European financial systems have. For the minister, “Europe cannot be a second-class region.” Bad news: today, at least for the most powerful AI startups on the planet, it is. There is not only fear in the banking sector. Although the alarm was initially raised by the financial sector, the Spanish Government warns that Mythos’ ability to find “back doors” affects practically all economic sectors. We are talking about threats that extend to critical infrastructure and essential elements for the functioning of any modern country. Anthropic itself has already made its fears clear: they did not want to launch the model publicly to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. The AI ​​Act is a problem. The European AI Law was widely celebrated among Eurolegislators for being the world’s first major regulation about this technology. In reality, it has become clear that it has been a shot in the foot for EU countries, which have often seen how the most advanced AI models could not be used on our borders because they could violate this regulation or others. like DMA/DSA. This regulation forces companies to comply with strict requirements if they want to deploy especially advanced models, considered “high risk.” And Mythos is just that, so the AI ​​Act is precisely what would prevent it from being used in Europe. So they want to delay its application. Euroofficials have realized their mistake, and are now trying to buy time because technology moves (much) faster than bureaucracy. Their proposal is simple: delay until December 2027 the application of these obligations for “high risk” models like Mythos. In this way, this model could operate in Europe without having to go through these strict controls for another year and a half. Milestone or marketing maneuver? While the Eurogroup and the ECB analyze the risks with those responsible for financial supervision, in El Mundo quote to a group of critical voices who suggest that Anthropic’s maneuver could be a distraction strategy. The thesis is simple: the company has a clear computing capacity problem, and is not able to satisfy demand. Their solution: argue that Mythos is too powerful to avoid having to release it publicly, which would cause an avalanche of petitions. Coordination. Body added that in this case it is important that the request for “early access” is coordinated and comes from the EU as a block: “We Member States cannot each go on our own in an uncoordinated manner to try to access this software to this model. We need the umbrella of the Commission and a coordinated approach.” AI as a geopolitical weapon. What this has shown is that little by little access to advanced AI models is becoming a geopolitical weapon that is straining relations between Washington and Brussels. Anthropic is expanding access to Mythos to some institutions for example in the United Kingdoma traditional ally of the US. However, trade relations with Europe they are still complicatedespecially after the tariffs with which the Trump administration wanted to change the rules of the game. In Xataka | The bad news is that the EU loses out in the tariff pact with the US. The good thing is that Spain comes out relatively unscathed

the price of a hectare of olive grove falls in Jaén while the rest of the land soars

by

Something is happening in Jaén. The price of a hectare of olive grove has fallen: it went from 17,682 euros in 2023 to 17,499 euros in 2024; the last year of which we have consolidated data. And it may seem like an anecdote (after all, it is a decrease of 1.03%), but it is not. Because while the olive grove loses value, the rest of the agricultural land increases: the orchard increases by 13%, dry fruits by 19.7%, arable land by 18.3% and subtropical crops by 26.1%. What is happening to the olive grove? A complicated question. We could talk about many factors (the collapse in the price of oil at source, the increase in production costs or a 2025-26 campaign that was expected to be bad before it started), but we would be focusing on the situation and not on the underlying trend. The central issue hidden in the data is that Jaén is the “canary in the mine” of the Spanish olive grove. After all, Jaén is especially sensitive to changes in the profitability of the olive grove: on the one hand, the monoculture concentration of the olive grove in the province has caused many parallel dry lands to be in slope areas that are difficult to mechanize and almost impossible to convert into intensive ones no matter how much water is available. And let us not forget to remember that the olive grove does not stop growing. With the only exception of the small decline in 2022 (0.08% already recovered in 2023), the hectares of olive groves They have grown year after year. Does demand grow and price fall? With the provisional data of the Survey on Crop Areas and Yields (ESYRCE) 2025 of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) in hand, the olive grove area in Spain reached 2,873,396 hectares. This is 1.63% more than in 2024 and 5% more than in 2015. And yet the price falls. The key is that does it unevenly: Irrigation gains ground over dry land, super-intensive olive trees in hedges spread over land previously dedicated to cereal or cotton, and investment funds concentrate their enormous resources in areas with more water. The great transformation of the Spanish olive grove. We said it years ago, Spain faces an enormous agrarian challenge, an unprecedented industrial reconversion: convert 1,901,529 hectares of olive groves into irrigation before it’s too late. And that “afternoon” is closer than ever because the Junta de Andalucía The cut in aid amounts to up to 22% to the Jaén olive grove that would derive from the proposal for the new CAP. Here is the key, here is the factor that will change the field in the coming years. Image | Txemari. (Navarre) In Xataka | Spain faces its greatest agricultural challenge of the century: converting 1,901,529 hectares of olive groves into irrigation before it is too late

a mining camp and an enigmatic trail of green rocks

by

The high mountains have always been seen as an almost natural limit for survival due to the extreme conditions that have to be experienced, and that is why archaeologists assumed that this location was too hostile an environment for our ancestors. However, a new and surprising discovery At more than 2,200 meters of altitude, he has just blown up that idea by pointing out that not only did they go up there, but they spent many years working to search for minerals. What has been seen? A recent study Published in the journal Frontiers in Environmental Archeology, it points to the first evidence we have that there was a prehistoric human presence in the Pyrenees. Here the setting is none other than Cova 338, a rock shelter located at 2,235 meters of altitude where it has been seen that our ancestors had their work activity. Some green stones. What archaeologists have found in Cova 338 is not a simple shelter to shelter from a storm. Here it has been seen that the site houses multiple combustion structuressuch as homes or areas where fires were made to cook or simply keep warm, which indicate that the place was inhabited in a continuous and planned manner. And we know that they were from prehistory because of the carbon-14,14 that leaves no room for doubt. But the discovery that has drawn the most attention to experts are some fragments of green rock, which are said to be malachite, which is a mineral rich in copper. Because? The fact of having malachite here has made researchers think that we are facing a camp oriented towards mining prospecting and early metallurgical work. In this way, our prehistoric ancestors were combing the Pyrenean peaks in search of the necessary resources to make the first metal tools and jewelry. A child in the heights. The Cave 338 It also hides a human and deeply moving component, since among the remains of extinct fires and fragments of malachite, the research team has found human remains belonging to a child. Right now, the exact reasons why it is there or why it ended up dying are a great mystery, so it adds a layer of social complexity to the site. This shows us that expeditions to the high mountains were not exclusively composed of isolated groups of adult hunters or miners, but rather involved family dynamics or broader demographic groups. European archaeology. To date, the traditional archaeological narrative considered areas above 2,000 meters as “marginal spaces” during prehistory. Literally, true technological and social innovation was thought to occur in the lower valleys and plains where weather conditions were much more favorable. But this new study forces us to rewrite the Alpine and Pyrenean history books, since Cova 338 demonstrates that prehistoric humans had great knowledge of high mountain geology and the logistical capacity to establish stable camps, light fires at extreme temperatures and process minerals in harsh conditions. Images | UAB In Xataka | “In 200 years, archaeologists will search through our trash and find a terrible image of ourselves”: the dirty reality of what we throw away

Chrome has always liked to gobble up RAM. Now download a multi-gigabyte AI model without warning

by

Chrome is part of the digital routine of millions of people to the point that we often stop wondering what exactly it does while we browse. We use it for almost everything, we trust it with sessions, extensions, passwords, searches and a good part of our life on the Internet. That is why it is so surprising to find a folder larger than 4 GB associated with an AI model downloaded by the browser itself. We are not talking about a minor update or a residual file, but rather a large component that many users probably did not expect to see there. The conversation began to take shape from a publication by Alexander Hanff in That Privacy Guy. Their finding, in essence, was simple to understand: according to its logs, Chrome had left a multi-gigabyte AI model on his computer without giving him a clear warning during the process. From that clue I did the checking on my own computer, used from Spain, and found the same folder that Hanff refers to: OptGuideOnDeviceModel, within Chrome’s internal files. In my case, macOS shows that folder as 4.27 GB in size, even though features like the Gemini sidebar are not yet available in this market. Gemini Nano downloaded to my computer Gemini Nano It does not work like a traditional download that we search for, accept and install manually. In the Chrome developer documentationthe company explains that the integrated AI capabilities are intended to be fluid and that model management is done automatically in the background. It also notes that the initial download can be triggered when an AI feature built into the browser needs to use the Gemini Nano for the first time. In other words: the model can reach the computer as part of Chrome’s internal workings, not necessarily through a clear and recognizable action for the user. An AI model that goes beyond an integrated chatbot The model is not limited to promoting a browser with a chatbot integrated within Chrome. Google has already described uses Gemini Nano on the device itself to detect technical support scams, a type of threat that often lasts a very short time online and can escape traditional tracking systems. In that scenario, Chrome can provide the model with content from the page the user is visiting to extract risk cues. AI, therefore, can also be part of the browser’s security layer. Gemini Nano also boosts security features in Chrome That’s where a good part of the discomfort lies. AI in the browser can have reasonable uses, from helping detect fraud to powering writing, translation or summarization functions, but the problem arises when the user does not fully understand what has been downloaded, why it is there and how they can manage it. Hanff sums it up with a very direct criticism: “Chrome didn’t ask. Chrome does not show it to the user. If the user deletes it, Chrome downloads it again.” There are also voices that reduce the seriousness of the case. On Reddit, a user defended that the model is only downloaded when someone tries to use an AI function that needs it and that it can also be disabled from the Chrome options. Hanff responded that his logs showed otherwise: the browser opened on schedule, stayed on a page for a few minutes without interaction, and still left a trace of the download. Beyond that specific discussion, Google’s own documentation points to a middle ground: the download can be triggered by built-in functions and continue in the background even if the tab that started it is closed. Chrome does offer controls to reduce the presence of some AI features, but it doesn’t concentrate everything in a single, easy-to-understand panel. From settings can be disabled or hide certain visible pieces, such as Gemini in the markets where it is available, typing assistance, search history or AI-powered search. To go deeper, however, We must enter more technical terrain, such as experimental options from chrome://flags. This jump changes the experience quite a bit: we are no longer talking about turning off a clear function, but rather touching internal parts that may also be linked to features that the user may want to keep. Firefox offers an easy way to disable AI features Firefox offers an interesting counterpoint because Mozilla has grouped its AI controls in its own section within the settings. Since Firefox 148, that section is now available as “AI controls” and allows you to block current and future improvements from a visible place, without having to chase options spread throughout the browser. It also separates specific sections, such as on-device AI, translations and chatbot providers in the sidebar. It is a more direct approach: the user not only sees that these functions exist, they also better understand what they can activate, block or leave available. The arrival of Gemini Nano to Chrome is part of a broader movement: browsers want to become more than just a window to the Internet and start executing AI tasks within the computer itself. That direction can have real advantages, especially if it serves to strengthen security or make some functions more agile. But the case also leaves a visible panorama. Some users won’t mind at all that Chrome downloads local models automatically; others, instead, they will want to knowunderstand what it is for and have room to decide. Images | Xataka with Grok | Screenshot In Xataka | It doesn’t speak, it doesn’t climb stairs and it doesn’t even always obey: this is the robot that the creator of the Roomba has been wanting to develop for 30 years

The countdown begins for companies to cut their working hours

by

May 1 was celebrated as Labor Day, but Mexico did much more than that on that day full of symbolism: it began its path towards reduction of working hours of 40 hours with the entry into force of the law regulating the length of the day labor. The change promoted by President Claudia Sheinbaum’s party does not represent a sudden change, but with the entry into force of the reform secondary working day opens an adaptation process for companies to modify the organization of their working hours to the new regulations. From 48 to 40 hours in four steps. Mexico part of one of the work days longest in the world according to dOECD data. The current legal limit is 48 hours per week, a ceiling that has not moved since 1917. However, the reform seeks to lower it in stages until it reaches 40 hours per week: on January 1, 2027 the maximum limit will be 46 hours; It will drop to 44 hours a week in 2028, to 42 in 2029 and, finally, it will be set at 40 hours a week by 2030. Every year, two hours less. The first step expires on January 1, 2027, which leaves companies room until that date to reorganize shifts, contracts and processes. All this without the workers see their salaries or benefits reduced current, something that itself Federal Labor Law expressly prohibits. The duties that the reform brings. The publication of the labor reform Mexican not only activated the calendar. The new legislation establishes as an employer’s obligation to keep an electronic record of the working day, which in Mexico is popularly known as a time clock. That obligation comes into force on January 1, 2027 and It is not a simple procedure. The Ministry of Labor and Social Security (STPS) will have access to this data to verify that the working hours are truly respected. Penalties for not having the registration in order they are already set and range between 29,327 and 586,550 pesos (between 1,431 euros and 28,624 euros at the exchange rate), equivalent to between 250 and 5,000 times the Unit of Measurement and Update. In addition, the STPS must develop mechanisms to collect and evaluate data on how the reduction in working hours is applied. Most companies have not yet moved. The diagnosis of the real state of preparation of companies is not encouraging. The data from a study from EY published by Yucatan Diary with 165 companies in Mexico reveals that 72.7% are in what the analysts themselves call “tactical paralysis”: they know the details of the change of day, they have followed it closely, but they have not yet taken any concrete steps towards its application. Only 18% of companies consider that they are really prepared to apply the new labor regulations. As explained Yeshua Gómez, associate partner of People Advisory Services at EY México to Expansion“companies are not waiting because they do not understand the reform. They are waiting because they do not know how much it will cost them to implement it.” 85% identify cost as the main obstacle to starting to take action, while 71% recognize that they regularly depend on overtime to sustain their daily operations. For these companies, the challenge is not to spend 48 to 46 hours on paper, but to do it from real days that already frequently exceed the 48-hour limit. More limited working hours, but with more overtime. The reform has also modified the definition of the working day, establishing the daytime workday at a maximum of eight hours, the nighttime workday at seven hours, and the mixed workday could reach seven and a half hours. The only (and important) exception to this rule is that the day could be extended due to extraordinary circumstances. This overtime, on the other hand, is also gradually extended: up to 9 hours during 2026 and 2027, 10 hours in 2028, 11 hours for 2029 and a maximum of 12 hours for 2030. The objective is that the transition to the change in working hours does not suddenly hit the sectors most dependent on extra work, and to offer them tools to optimize the working day of their employees, even if it is at the cost of pay up to three times more expensive every extra hour. In Xataka | Mexico has an ambitious plan to be the tenth economy in the world and that involves technology: semiconductors Image | Unsplash (Jesus Herrera, Kaden Taylor)

your CEO just clarified who should have the best

by

The race for artificial intelligence is usually told through models, applications and the latest promises of automation. But beneath all that there is a less attractive layer and much more difficult to replace: the hardware. Without advanced chips, training massive models, deploying them at scale, and competing on the front lines becomes much more difficult. That is why NVIDIA continues to occupy such an important place for the United States and China. The question is no longer just who develops AI better, but who can access the most powerful chips first. Huang’s message. That debate landed this week in Los Angeles, during the Milken Institute Global Conferencea forum that brought together bankers, investors, policymakers and executives in Beverly Hills. Over there, according to Nikkei AsiaJensen Huang was asked directly about a particularly sensitive question: whether China should have access to NVIDIA’s “latest and greatest” chips. His response was as brief as it was forceful: “No.” The CEO later added that the company supports the United States having “the first, most and best” chips, a phrase that pretty much sums up the balance it is trying to defend. Sell ​​yes, but not the last. Huang’s position is not about removing China from the trade equation, at least not according to what he proposed in that same forum. The CEO defended that American semiconductor companies continue to compete in global markets, including China, because that also strengthens the North American country. Huang said that increasing exports helps raise tax revenue, improve economic security and contribute to national security. The message, therefore, has two layers: technological leadership first, and commercial presence under control later. The border is in the generation. Not all NVIDIA chips occupy the same place in this discussion. The H200, remember, is a high-end AI processor and places it above of the H20the chip the company designed for China after US export restrictions. But the agreement announced by Donald Trump in December did not include neither Blackwell nor the next-generation Rubin products, two families that represent a more advanced layer of NVIDIA’s roadmap. The regulatory framework still has several moving parts. Donald Trump said in December that he would allow NVIDIA’s H200s to be sold to “approved” customers in China, as long as the US Government received 25% of those income. The company obtained official export authorization this year, and Huang said in March that NVIDIA had already received orders from “many Chinese customers.” But that does not mean that everything is resolved: the final shipment will also depend on whether Beijing allows such sales and in what quantities. The bottleneck is not just political.Tom’s Hardware suggests that there may also be an industrial explanation behind the absence of recent shipments. According to the media, Hopper and Blackwell are manufactured in the same factories and production lines compatible with TSMC’s N4/N5, a capacity that is not infinite. If that reading is correct, NVIDIA would have reason to reserve more production for Blackwell, a more advanced and expensive family, especially for US customers, instead of using part of that capacity in H200 for China with a 25% commission to the US Government. According to that reading, Rubin’s arrival at N3 could free up margin later. A pending trip. Trump said he will visit Beijing this month and that trade issues could be on the table in his meeting with Xi Jinping. In that context, Huang’s words do not sound like a simple corporate reflection, but rather a way of marking a position in a debate that goes far beyond NVIDIA. The dispute not only revolves around which chip is more powerful, but also about who accesses it first, under what conditions and with what margin so as not to be left behind. Images | NVIDIA In Xataka | It doesn’t speak, it doesn’t climb stairs and it doesn’t even always obey: this is the robot that the creator of the Roomba has been wanting to develop for 30 years

the new front of the technological cold war

by

The great Achilles heel of the energy transition in Europe is not in sight. It’s not the photovoltaic panels or the windmills, but the hidden chips and processors that make them work. Aware of this risk, the European Union has decided to shield its electrical network with a drastic measure. Companies that want to set up renewable projects with community money will have to look for alternatives: Chinese technology is, for the moment, out of the game. The veto, in detail. Brussels has made public his plan to veto European financing for renewable energy projects that use key equipment manufactured in countries considered “high risk”: China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. The target of this prohibition has a very specific name: investors (or converters). Simply put, these are critical electronic devices that act as processors for photovoltaic plants. Its function is to transform the direct current generated by solar panels into the alternating current that finally reaches our homes and businesses. The measure, de facto, is already underway. financial institutions They have until May 15, 2026 to notify the Commission of the projects they have in their portfolio. As of November 1, the veto will be total for any new facility that aspires to receive community funds, especially those coming from the European Investment Bank (EIB). And why now? As pointed out Expansionthe Community Executive has framed this decision under the umbrella of “economic security” and protection against strategic dependence, distancing itself from those who see it as a mere protectionist industrial policy. The scope of this guideline is capital. As detailed pv magazineis not only limited to traditional solar parks, but extends to vital Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). This is a blow to the Asian giants, which usually sell integrated solutions that combine batteries and power electronics. To this fence must be added a strict “anti-cheat law”: the regulation does not contemplate significant exceptions and will affect even those inverters that are physically manufactured in Europe, as long as the parent company is controlled by entities from these risk countries. The ghost of the national blackout. The forcefulness of the EU responds to a tangible fear. The Commission bases its veto on intelligence reports and classified information provided by several Member States that warn of a very serious threat: cyberattack and “remote shutdown.” Since the investors are connected to the internet and manage critical operational data of the electrical grid, a foreign actor could use them as a Trojan horse. Siobhan McGarry, Commission spokesperson, has been blunt: “In practice, this could involve a remote shutdown of Member States’ networks, causing national blackouts.” This is not science fiction. The great blackout that Spain and Portugal suffered on April 28, 2025 empirically demonstrated the vulnerability of the network. Although acts of deliberate sabotage were ruled out at the time, the official report from the European grid (ENTSO-E) concluded that the collapse was directly linked to a large voltage swing caused by the unexpected disconnection of photovoltaic inverters. This precedent has revived in Brussels the ghosts of 5G and the decision to corner firms like Huawei and ZTE in the telecommunications sector. A shot in the foot for Spain? Brussels’ theory is firm, but it collides with an uncomfortable reality: the overwhelming dependence on the Asian giant. According to data provided by SCMPChina currently controls 80% of the global inverter market, with brands such as Huawei and Sungrow leading the world ranking. In Spain, the scenario is even more monopolistic. As revealed by the European Solar Manufacturing Council (ESMC)that close to 70% of the inverters installed in our country are of Chinese origin. Huawei alone accounted for 36.5% of installations in 2023, followed by Sungrow (29.7%) and GoodWe (14.5%). Despite warnings from Brussels, the Spanish Government maintains a divergent position and continues to certify dozens of Huawei devices for use in sensitive networks, assuring its allies that they do not pose a risk. However, the shock wave of the European veto is already breaking projects at the national level. As we explain in Xatakathe Generalitat of Catalonia has recently had to backtrack on the award of its public network macro project (XCAT) to the alliance formed by Sirt and Huawei. The fear of having to dismantle the infrastructure in less than a year to comply with new European regulations has left a 127 million euro contract up in the air. Unfounded fear of costs? There are many open questions. Will this veto paralyze renewable deployment in Europe due to lack of supply or cost overruns? The European industry assures that there is no reason for panic. According to the ESMCthe current production capacity in the EU exceeds 100 GW annually (compared to a demand of about 65 GW). Furthermore, the Commission points to Japan, South Korea, Switzerland and the United States as reliable alternative suppliers. Regarding the economic impact, the data dismantles the myth of a drastic increase in prices. As stated Euronewsthe cost of inverters barely represents 5% of the total budget of a solar park. An analysis by Wood Mackenzie It is estimated that replacing Chinese components Western technology will only increase the total cost of large-scale projects by 2%. A “minimal extra cost”, according to Brussels, in exchange for shielding the network. The “boomerang effect.” This strategy of Western isolation has a silent but gigantic parallel consequence. By expelling China from European energy and telecommunications networks, Beijing is being forced to create a 100% autonomous technological ecosystem. Chinese entities, such as Tsinghua University or Huawei itself, are registering an unusually high volume of patents in photolithography to be able to manufacture its own cutting-edge chips without depending on the European ASML. In parallel, they are building solid alternatives to Western Artificial Intelligence standards (like NVIDIA’s CUDA monopoly). By closing the door, Europe and the United States could be incubating a totally uncontrollable and independent global technological competitor. Outrage in Beijing. As expected, China’s reaction has been immediate. The Chinese Chamber of Commerce in the EU (CCCEU) has … Read more

This is how James Webb uses eclipses to “read” the soil of other planets

by

Most telescopes specialized in the analysis of exoplanets are capable of study its atmosphere. However, James Webb has just gone further, directly analyzing the heat emitted by the surface of a planet located outside the solar system. This is very informative data, which until now had never been detected and marks a new study method for the future. LHS 3844b. The exoplanet that has analyzed the James Webb is LHS 3844b. Its size is 30% larger than that of our planet and it is located at a distance of 50 light years. According to the analysis of this space telescope, it is a dark, hot, arid rocky world without an atmosphere, quite similar to Mercury. Ideal for James Webb. This exoplanet is also characterized by being tidally locked. That is to say, It takes exactly the same time to orbit its star as it does to rotate around itself.. As a consequence, he always shows the same side to his star. Like the Moon to the Earth. Planets that always have the same side facing their star have one side where it is always day and another where it is always night. The first, in addition, usually has very high temperatures. But the best thing is that They are cannon fodder for MIRIone of James Webb’s star instruments. This has a great capacity to detect infrared emissions, such as those emitted by a hot object. In other words, the analysis of a body’s infrared emissions can give us an idea of ​​the heat it emits. eclipse chasers. On planets like this, with one side always exposed to its star, there is a problem. When analyzing the heat emitted by its surface, it can be confused with that of its star. Therefore, eclipses are ideal for MIRI to do its work. When this happens, the planet hides behind the starso the only light that reaches the Space Telescope is from this one. Thus, the data is obtained that must then be subtracted from the set that is normally measured to know exactly what the infrared contribution generated by the planet alone is. Geology enters the chat. In reality, the radiation measured by MIRI does not only provide us with information about heat. The different elements that can be present on a planet have a different emission spectrum. They reflect more or less radiation. Therefore, it is possible to know approximately what the composition of the atmosphere and surface of the planet is. This exoplanet does not have an atmosphere, so we can basically know data about its surface and even its geology. The infrared spectrum of the hot dayside of LHS 3844 b is derived from the brightness contrast with its host star in ppm (parts per million = 0.0001%) at different wavelengths. Observational data obtained from the James Webb and Spitzer space telescopes (circles and squares) are consistent with mantle (solid orange line) or volcanic rock (dashed blue line), while ruling out an Earth-like crust (green dashed dotted line). Credit: Sebastian Zieba et al./MPIA two eclipses. In 2023 and 2024, two eclipses were detected on this exoplanet that allowed James Webb to analyze its infrared emissions. The signal obtained was compared with that of planets and well-known objects, such as Earth, Mars and the Moon. It had nothing to do with Earth, so it is assumed that the surface of both planets must be very different. Possibly with very little water in the case of the exoplanet. On the other hand, there were quite a few similarities with the Moon. That would lead one to think that the planet could be covered in basalt, a very common volcanic rock on our satellite. Something doesn’t add up. The initial hypothesis Given these signs, the planet could be young and covered in fresh lava. However, with this volcanic activity, gases such as carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide are released, which were not detected by the James Webb. That’s why, another hypothesis has been raised. The planet is likely covered in a thick layer of dark, fine-grained material formed over long periods by radiation and meteorite impacts. It is something similar to what happens on Mercury or the Moon. Planets without an atmosphere are especially susceptible to this phenomenon, known as space weathering, so it would be plausible. We will have to check it. It is hoped that James Webb will be able to obtain even more data to confirm whether this last hypothesis is correct. Be that as it may, only with what he has already been able to measure he has overcome many barriers. The achievements of this telescope seem to have no end. Images | NASA | Sebastian Zieba et al./MPIA In Xataka | The James Webb has broken another historical record: a supermassive black hole older than expected

The list of the richest in Spain has taken an unexpected turn but there is something that has not changed at all: Amancio Ortega

by

The great fortunes in Spain have been booming for five years in a row. As the global economy grapples with wars, inflation and political uncertainty, the heritage of the richest in Spain It hasn’t stopped growing. The last year was especially striking because the group of the hundred largest assets in the country increased their fortune by 14.3%, reaching an unprecedented figure: 373,450 million euros. What makes the 2026 edition of the annual list especially interesting that elaborates The Worldis that the distribution of that wealth presents notable surprises: there are names whose assets have grown stratospherically, new faces who enter the billionaires’ club for the first time, and one that has been around for decades at the top without anyone being able to displace him. Record in joint assets. The sum of the hundred largest fortunes in the country reached the impressive sum of 373,450 million euros in 2026, compared to the 326,720 million attributed to them in 2025. This implies that the group of the richest people in Spain has increased their assets by 14.3% in just 12 months. The main reason for this growth is due to the behavior of the Spanish stock market: the Ibex 35 appreciated by 50% in a single year, boosting the value of the shares of those who have its listed companies. However, the stock market boom does not fully explain this phenomenon. The companies of some of the people who appear at the top of this list are not listed, such as Mercadona or Mango, but they also had record years. Few movements at the top. The list of millionaires in Spain in 2026 does not present significant changes in the names that make it up, especially in the top positions, where Amancio Ortega, Rafael del Pino and Juan Roig lead the list easily. However, there have been some changes that do not imply a loss of assets as such, but rather respond to the fact that some fortunes have had explosive growth, while in others it has been more progressive.The most relevant movements of the year have the Puig and Daurella families as protagonists. The Puig family, driven by the listing of the cosmetic group that bears their last name and the possible integration with Estée Lauderrises to fifth place, overtaking to Sol Daurellaheir to the empire of the world’s leading Coca-Cola bottler, which is relegated to sixth place. For its part, the Entrecanales family rises from tenth to eighth place, increasing its assets by 66.93% from 5,035 million to 8,405 million euros in 2026, while the brothers Francisco and Jon Riberas Mera lose one step and remain ninth with 6,845 million, despite managing the largest industrial conglomerate with Spanish capital and have increased your assets by 1,040 million euros in the last year. More millionaires and with more millions. Within this general upward trend, the list prepared by The World It highlights that 66 of the 100 fortunes grew at a double-digit rate during the last year. The result of this acceleration is that the number of billionaires in Spain It has gone from 59 to 76 families in a single year, almost double that of a decade ago. In the same way that the volume of each of the fortunes grows, the bar for entry to the list has also become more expensive, and for enter that Top 100 millionaires In Spain, the minimum assets rise to 765 million euros, compared to the 420 million that were needed ten years ago to belong to this select group. In fact, the segment that is growing the most is precisely that of fortunes between 2,000 and 5,000 million euros, followed by the range between 1,000 and 2,000 million. That is, the second and third tranches have pulled the rest upwards, while in the tranches between 750 and 1,000 million and less than 750 million, there are now fewer millionaires than in 2024. Amancio Ortega remains immovable on the throne. Having just turned 90, Amancio Ortega continues to be the undisputed number one on the list, and with a wide distance from the second largest fortune in the country. The assets of the founder of Inditex grew by 4.9% during the last year, a rate clearly lower than that of the rest of the list, which grew by an average of 20%, accumulating some 40,000 million more euros in a single year. However, this lower percentage growth does not imply that its financial movements have been wrongit has just had more financial movement than usual. The founder of Inditex has had a very active year in the real estate field and between 2025 and 2026 he has changed the entire structure of Pontegadea, placing Luxembourg as a base of operations from which it controls all its assets in Europe, the US, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Half or more of its real estate portfolio already passes through the Grand Duchy, where it shares a fiscal neighborhood with the Del Pino family, the Álvarez Santaló, Víctor Madera or Sol Daurella, with whom it also shares a presence on the list of the greatest fortunes in Spain. The most spectacular climbs and the newcomers. Among the most striking promotions of the year, Florentino Pérez stands out, whose fortune grew by 156% thanks to ACS’s stock market peak in recent months and the company’s awards in data center construction projects. In four years, the president of Real Madrid has multiplied his assets by four and is closer than ever to the top 10 on the list. Another meteoric rise has been that of Madrid-born David Ruiz de Andrés, whose fortune increased by 214% thanks to Grenergy, a company that is leading the construction of an 11,000 MW gigabattery. in the Atacama desert. The businessman in the energy sector went from having a net worth of 580 million euros in 2025, to adding more than 1,825 million, which represents a net worth increase of 214.66% in just 12 months. The Spain of the clans. … Read more

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.