Month: June 2026

The best deals on televisions at the PcComponentes PcDays with mini LED, OLED models and more from 369 euros

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PcComponentes has started its PcDaysan offers campaign in which we can find discounts on many products. There are many sales on televisions with very reasonable prices (even on OLED models), so we are going to review the best deals we can find right now. LG OLED55C57LA by 869 eurosthe television that we most recommend for its excellent quality-price ratio. Philips 65PUS7000 by 399 eurosan inexpensive television with a very large screen. TCL 55P7K by 369 eurosa smart TV that has a good balance in its specifications. Philips 55MLED920 by 529 eurosa good TV that has the brand’s particular technology. LG OLED55B56LA by 779 eurosan OLED television with a very reasonable price. LG OLED55B56LA (55 inches) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links LG OLED55C57LA The LG OLED55C57LA (LG C5) is the television that We highly recommend it for its quality-price ratio.and it is a model that, for the price of 869 euros that you have now, we find a panel with OLED technology and 55-inch diagonal. It also reaches a refresh rate of up to 144 Hz through VRR which, added to its HDMI 2.1, is ideal for current generation consoles. In addition, it is compatible with both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. It should be noted that right now it costs only 20 euros more than what we saw on Amazon Prime Day. LG OLED55C57LA (55 inches) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Philips 65PUS7000 On the other hand, if what you are looking for is a cheaper, and also larger, television, the model Philips 65PUS7000 Right now it is at a price of 399 euros. It is a TV that incorporates a 65-inch diagonal screen and is compatible with both HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos (it is not compatible with Dolby Vision). Its refresh rate is 60 Hz and it works with both Alexa and Google Home. Philips 65PUS7000 (65 inches) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links TCL 55P7K If we look for another television with a lower price, the TCL 55P7K has dropped in price at PcComponentes to 369 euros. It is a particularly interesting model for everything it offers: QLED screen with a 55-inch diagonal, Google TV operating system, compatibility with Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos and a 60 Hz refresh rate. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Philips 55MLED920 We can also find the smart TV on sale (and at a very good price) Philips 55MLED920which remains for 529 euros. We are talking about a QD Mini LED television with a 55-inch QLED screen that comes with Ambilight from Philips, a technology that captures the colors of the screen and reproduces them through the LEDs located on the back of the television. In addition, it offers a refresh rate of 120 Hz (up to 144 Hz via VRR) and is compatible with HDR10+, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Philips 55MLED920 (55 inches) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links LG OLED55B56LA Finally, if what you are looking for is an OLED television that is cheaper than the LG C5, PcComponentes has the model right now LG OLED55B56LA (LG B5) for a price of 779 euros. It is a television with a 55-inch OLED panel that has a 120 Hz refresh rate and is compatible with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. LG OLED55B56LA (55 inches) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | PcComponentes y Compradicción (header), LG, Philips, TCL In Xataka | Best home theater projectors. Which one to buy and five recommended models from 299 to 18,000 euros In Xataka | Mega-guide to set up a home theater: projector, screen, sound system and more

what they are, what they are for and how to reserve yours

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Let’s tell you what it is and how to request your WhatsApp usernamewith which having to give your phone number to contact someone will go down in history. This is a feature that we have been waiting for for a long time, and that has finally begun to roll out. Let’s start by explaining to you what exactly usernames are, so that understand what they are for. Then, we will tell you how you can reserve yours step by step. Usernames cannot be used yet, but you are now starting to be able to reserve them. This reservation function is being deployed gradually so it will gradually reach all of us, but not all of us will be able to do it yet. What are usernames and what are they for? WhatsApp usernames are a unique identification method so other people can find you. The idea is that each person who uses WhatsApp has their own username, which will be unique and no one else can have. Usernames will be used to no need to give your phone number when you want someone to write to you. Therefore, it is an alternative to giving your number. This will allow you to have an extra layer of privacy. Until now, the only way for someone to contact you on WhatsApp was to give them your phone number, something quite personal and which can even be dangerous. Now, with a username you won’t need to give your number. The way it works is simple. If I tell you that I would like to write to you on WhatsApp, you will give me your username. So when I click on the write a new message button, By writing your user number I will get your contact. In addition to this, it will also be used to log in to the account. Each user may have a single name, but The first one to set it up will keep it.. This means that if you have a common name, like Maria, the name @maria may fly very quickly, and you will have to add other characters such as numbers or additional letters. Here, remember that your username will be foreverso you will have to look for one that identifies you so that it is as personal as possible. Ideally, it would be easy to type so that they can find you, but in a service with billions of users this will end up being difficult. How to reserve your username Image: Javi Márquez To reserve your username you have to enter the settings of your WhatsApp account. To do this, you have to click on the top right on Android to see the settings option, and on iOS you just have to click on the tab You. Once inside, click on the section Account that appears in the main menu with a key icon. Once inside, click on the option User name what you will see in the section Your account. You will go to a screen where the function is explained, and where you must click on Create username. Image: Javi Marquez This will take you to a menu where you will have to write the username you want to use. This is the most complicated part, because the names cannot be repeated. Therefore, you will have to try names until you find one free. For example, if you type “pepito” you may see a red indicator saying that it is busy. Then, you will have to add characters or change letters until you find one that is free. As we have been able to provesome usernames will only be able to be reserved with WhatsApp Business, so in some cases you will have to make the jump to this modality. You will also have to be original to find a free one, although you must try not to make it overly complicated so that others can write it by hand. Once you have chosen the username, you will have to configure who can contact us with it. You can make it so that all WhatsApp users can do so, but you can also generate a password so that only people who have it can contact you, something that serves to cut off massive messages from random people if your username were to be spread. In Xataka Basics | Send WhatsApp messages to yourself: How to do it and 11 uses for the function

the humanoid robot Figure 03

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In October 2025, Figure showed us what his new humanoid robot was capable of. The Figure 03 boasted a new design and much more precise dexterity, allowing it to move around the house and do such delicate tasks as picking up dishes or folding clothes. Although it is not for sale at the moment, Figure 03 has already started its first work. The chosen place has been the BMW factory in New Jersey. It is not the first time that BMW integrates humanoid robots in their factories. In fact, this new pilot program is the continuation of a first phase in which the previous model, the Figure 02, was supporting the production of the BMW X3 and previously They also had Figure 01 “in practice”. A very technological warehouse boy Figure 02 spent ten months at the BMW plant in Spartanburg, specifically in the body department. His job was to load the sheet metal panels that dress the BMW X3. Specifically, it helped the production of more than 30,000 vehicles. Now, Figure 03 has a totally different job that takes advantage of its new capabilities. The department where Figure 03 operates is assembly logistics. Here they receive the components in large, messy containers. Your job will be to collect them and sort them into carts that are sent to the assembly line in a specific order. In its first job, Figure’s robot had a very specific task in that it always picked up the same pieces, but now it must pick up pieces of different shapes, weights and sizes, which requires greater adaptability and precision. Figure 03 introduces important improvements compared to the previous generation, such as a design with soft parts that makes it safer, cameras in hands that improve the grip of objects and much more sensitive touch sensors. A key test This pilot is part of the initiative BMW iFactoryits global production strategy that seeks to promote digitalization starting with warehouse number 52 of the Spartanburg plant. The BMW X3 is produced here and the BMW iX5 electric. In this plant, technologies such as 3D simulations have already been implemented to optimize processes and vision and sound systems based on AI that provide real-time feedback to operators. Unlike the first pilot, this time they have chosen a more complex task in the sense that it undergoes changes and does not always follow the same pattern, which makes traditional industrial robots not the best option. If Figure 03 manages to maintain the precision and rhythm of the assembly line, it will be the litmus test to see whether humanoid robots can go from being a laboratory demonstration to a real worker. Images | bmw In Xataka | Humanoid robots will be truly ready when they manage to summit Everest. And they are already at it

Europe has realized that nothing matters in technological sovereignty if it does not spend money on something crucial: defending its submarine cables

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There is a type of technological infrastructure that is invisible, but that has become essential in recent years: submarine cables. Conflicts like those of the Red Sea either the ukrainian war have shown that the seabed is a new battlefield. Damaging submarine cables havoc can be wreaked, and the European Union has just outlined its plan to strengthen the security and resilience of these cables. The goal? Track and stop threats in real time, but also repair underwater cables that enemies have attacked as soon as possible. Plan of action. In recent months, Europe has been weaving a plan to protect its submarine cables. These cables carry most of the world’s Internet traffic (an estimated 99%), but also other essential goods such as energy, vital when we want to tackle offshore energy. Hence the importance and, obviously, why the attacks also focus on them. Only in the first months of 2025 were more than a dozen submarine cables cut which seem few, but it really is something that can wreak havoc. And, therefore, Europe started to define an Action Plan with four main categories of action: Prevention: carry out risk assessments coordinated by countries and prioritize the financing of “smart” cables with redundancy. Detection: improve the monitoring capabilities of sea basins such as the Mediterranean or the Baltic to obtain a situation picture in real time. Response and recovery: strengthening rapid repair capacity and improving EU crisis protocols to act in a coordinated manner when a cable is damaged. Deterrence: use diplomacy and ultimately sanctions to respond to hostile acts. With global partners, promote a pact to encourage “cable diplomacy.” Repair of a cable Quick response. But of course, if deterrence does not work, we must act, and more recently, the European Commission has announced the steps to reinforce that strategy that aims to ensure that a damaged submarine cable causes as few headaches as possible. With an allocation of 40 million euros, the Commission seeks to guarantee a rapid and effective response to disturbances of submarine cables in emergency situations through adaptable modules. These modules, like repair kits, will be strategically positioned in various sea basins so that, in the event of a cable break, the ships repairing the cables will have quick access to these modules. It is one more step in a strategy that already had a first pilot call for 20 million euros a few months ago and whose objective was to finance modules in the Baltic Sea. Booster. Another measure will be the installation of the first two regional cable centers. In the Baltic, a Regional Center will be opened that will be responsible for strengthening surveillance and response mechanisms. The idea is that, with an allocation of 2.5 million euros, the information exchange platform and the capacity to both detect and prevent threats to maritime infrastructure will be improved. Finland will be the coordinator of the center together with Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Latvia and Sweden. On the other hand, in the Mediterranean, another center will be supported with 3.3 million euros. The task will be to make decisions, exchange information in real time and the same as in the Baltic: anomaly detection and coordinated response to incidents. Italy will be the coordinator together with Greece, Cyprus and Malta. With the first regional cable centers, Europe moves towards enhanced capabilities, strengthening our ability to detect threats, act faster and respond together – Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice President for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Next steps. In the end, these two strategies are part of a much larger plan in which they had already been assigned 595 million euros to 74 continental connectivity projects. In February of this year, the Commission also advertisement a package of some 347 million euros exclusively for submarine cable projects (construction, monitoring and repair), which shows that it is a strategic, basic infrastructure that fits in with the technological sovereignty plan that Europe is pursuing after seeing associations with allied countries weakened in recent years. Image | What’s Inside? In Xataka | A third of the world’s population cannot read this: the UN reveals that 2.9 billion people have never accessed the internet

“They considered those lands as if they had no owner, since they counted their inhabitants as nothing”

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Just take a walk through Malaga to come across dozens of little blue signs with two letters, “AT”. That is, “tourist apartments”. This has been the case for a long time, but in recent years tourist pressure has become increasingly intense. Maybe that’s why, on almost every AT poster, you can see stickers that say “Before this was my house”, “Mayor Your dead”, “To Your fucking house”, “I stink like a tourist”. And it is interesting to look at them because they are a very precise x-ray of how the same problem is channeled in completely different ways. That distinction has been written for 230 years and the nuance marks everything. When Kant kicked out all the tourists Königsberg. Anyone who knows anything about Kant You will know that he was not exactly a revolutionary. The German philosopher barely left his city on the shores of the Baltic and, in fact, was famous for following a routine so exact that neighbors could adjust the clock time with their walks. Of course, he didn’t have the blood in his veins to throw anyone out of Königsberg. However, in ‘On Perpetual Peace’ (1795) He developed an idea that, brought to our days, can help us understand the limits of tourism: that of hospitality. Hospitality? Yes and, believe me, it is a slippery concept. Historically, this same concept served the theorists of the School of Salamanca to justify the conquest of America and Kant to drive people out of his city. The devil, as always, is in the details. After all, any philosophically developed concept of hospitality focuses on limits: it focuses on recognizing that the stranger has the right not to be treated with hostility as long as he comes in peace. That is, you have the right to visit, to sightsee in our cities. But (and here is the heart of the artichoke) what you do not have the right to do is to rearrange the site to your liking. Kant uses the idea of ​​’inhospitable conduct’ to condemn the Western powers: ‘visiting’ or ‘trading’ meant for them to treat the lands as if they had no owner and its inhabitants as ‘nothing’. ‘Hospitality’ cannot become a way of remaking the place you arrive at to your advantage. And why are we interested in this? Because Spain Spain broke its record in 2024: 93.8 million international tourists, 10.1% more than the previous year. Only in July 2025 11 million people arrived. That pressure is changing cities to serve tourism. But is that wrong…? To understand the contemporary nuances, it is worth bringing up the philosopher Lea Ypi and her update of the Kantian concept of colonialism. In his works on this topicYpi points out that the problem is not the origin of the visitor, nor that the natives have a kind of ‘ownership’ over the territory: the problem is the dynamics that deny the locals a relationship of equals with the visitors. That is to say, touristification is not bad because it fills cities with foreign tourists, but because it is a phenomenon that, taking refuge in lack of definition, reorganizes the city for the benefit of outsiders and, along the way, expels those who live in it. The moral problem is not the immigrant or ‘expat’ who arrives in a community and integrates into it to strengthen it; The problem is that it erodes it and puts it at its service (even if it is not with armies and cannons, even if it is with an asymmetry in economic relations). As the theorist recalls Margaret Moore“residents” is defined by having a life tied to a place, not by being born there (or having property there). The unfaithful trustee. Because yes, in many cases this touristification is only possible thanks to the necessary collaboration of many ‘natives’ who are enriched by it. However, that argument often forgets that, although these people have concrete property rights that they are entitled to exploit, they also have a fiduciary responsibility for the common good. The owners who indiscriminately put groups of tourists into neighboring communities until they become uninhabitable are not exercising their right, they are ignoring their responsibilities towards the community of owners and the city in which they carry out this activity. That is, it’s not the who, it’s the what. The distinction is fragile, it is true. But it is useful to understand “what is wrong” with touristification. And for something written over 200 years ago by a very troubled guy from Königsberg (who, as far as we know, never set foot on a beach) it’s not bad at all. Image | Xataka In Xataka | What did Immanuel Kant mean when he argued that patience is not “a force of resistance, but rather one that hopes to make suffering satisfactory?”

In the nineties many people had a cactus next to their computer. It wasn’t for decoration, it was to protect yourself from radiation

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A few days ago we were talking about a myth circulating that says that if you put a coin on top of the router improves WiFi. It’s as stupid as a temple, but it’s the typical easy-to-do trick that ends up going viral. In the nineties we did not have social networks and the word viral had a completely different meaning, but myths of dubious credibility were also spread, such as the one that said you had to have a cactus next to your computer to absorb its radiation. The origin of the myth. It is believed to come from from an observation made at the geobiology institute in Chardonne, Switzerland, in 1987. It was not a formal experiment, but rather the perception of the institute’s employees who claimed that placing a cactus next to the monitor reduced their symptoms of fatigue and headache after spending many hours working. To that anecdote was added, without links or details, the reference to “a NASA study.” There is no evidence to support any of this, but the use of institutional names was enough for the myth to spread with a semblance of scientific rigor that it never had. Fear of radiation. The word radiation acquired a very negative tone especially after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. However, not all types of radiation are harmful. “Bad” radiation is ionizing radiation, such as x-rays or gamma rays, but in the case of a computer, it is low-frequency electromagnetic radiation, non-ionizing and incapable of altering our cells. This and other myths (such as related to 5G) arise from the false belief of associating any type of radiation with something dangerous and harmful. Why a cactus. The fact that a cactus is recommended and not any other plant has to do with the fact that they have a high water content and of course, like water absorbs radiation since it is assumed that the cactus will also do it. It can absorb radiation, yes, but no more than any object: by that rule of three, a watermelon or a jug of water next to the computer would achieve an even greater effect. In addition to the fact that the electromagnetic field that a computer can emit is not harmful, it goes out in all directions, so to protect us from it, we would have to surround the entire machine with cacti, not place one next to it and that’s it. Efficacy not found. In 2018, a group of Turkish scientists set out to check if changes occurred in the electromagnetic field by placing a cactus nearby of the screen. They were made with LCD monitors and old tube monitors, as well as different varieties of cacti, including some large ones. They measured the electromagnetic field by placing the cactus in various positions and came to a clear conclusion: the effect was null. Although this trick has been refuted, the popular belief has remained and there are those who have taken advantage of it. Who is it? The cactus sellers. Image | Magnificent In Xataka | We could assume that the plant world was one of the last AI-free corners. we would be wrong

Amazon celebrates the end of June by lowering the MacBook Neo to 649 euros and a giant Xiaomi TV, among other bargains

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Once the Prime Day hangover is over, it is easy to think that there is nothing worthwhile left on Amazon, although it is a mistake to think that way. Although the great discount party officially ended a few days ago, there are still offers on technology, home and gadgets at the e-commerce giant. Today we have browsed your online store to be able to collect the best offers and these are the bargains that are worth it amazon today. Apple MacBook Neo 13-Inch with A18 Pro Chip The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Robot vacuum cleaner Roborock QV 35A by 299.99 euros: with 8,000 Pa of power and base all in one. Notebook computer MacBook Neo by 649 euros: 13 inches and with A18 Pro chip. Smart TV Xiaomi TV F Pro 75 inches by 569 euros: 75 inches and with Fire TV operating system. V16 beacon Hibron Extrastar by 14.89 euros: with free connectivity until December 2038. ceiling fan Leduni by 59 euros: with four retractable blades and controllable from the app. Roborock QV 35A Robot Vacuum Cleaner With a 49% discount compared to its recommended RRP (589.99 euros), you can now get the best-selling robot vacuum cleaner on Amazon, this Roborock QV 35A by 299.99 euros (even cheaper than on Prime Day). This model stands out for its 8,000 Pa HyperForce suction power and for its LiDAR laser navigation system to map your home in 360 degrees. It has a double rubber brush specially designed to avoid annoying hair tangles. Furthermore, one of its main assets is its all in one basewhich completely automates maintenance by taking care of the self-emptying of dust, as well as the automatic washing and drying of its two rotating mops. roborock Robot Vacuum Cleaner QV 35A The price could vary. We earn commission from these links MacBook Neo laptop Now that Apple has announced that will increase the prices of some of its devicesthis Amazon offer is perfect if you were looking to buy the cheapest laptop from the apple firm, the MacBook Neo. Now, you can take it at its minimum price: 649 euros. This cheap Apple laptop has a 13-inch Liquid Retina display. He MacBook Neo It is available in four colors and its brain is the A18 Pro chip. It is designed for Apple Intelligence and comes with 256 GB of storage. Apple MacBook Neo 13-Inch with A18 Pro Chip The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Smart TV Xiaomi TV F Pro 75 inches If you are looking to renew your home TV and have thought about one with a large diagonal, this Xiaomi TV F Pro 75 inches is now reduced to 569 euros on Amazon. Assemble a panel QLED with 4K resolution and it is a model from this year. It stands out for integrating the Amazon Fire TV operating systemso it includes a remote control with direct access button Alexa. In addition, it has an elegant design with minimal aluminum frames and incorporates sound technologies such as Dolby Audio and DTS-HD. XIAOMI TV F Pro 75, 75 Inch (190 cm), 4K UHD QLED The price could vary. We earn commission from these links V16 Hibron Extrastar beacon The most desired moment for many is approaching: summer vacations. If you are going to travel by car and you are still one of the laggards who still do not have the V16 beacon obligatory, on Amazon you now have this Hibron Extrastar at a price that is worth it for not pay fines: 14.89 euros. This emergency light It is approved by the DGT and has automatic and free connectivity until December 2038. It offers 360º maximum visibility and up to a kilometer away and is resistant, stable and easy to install. HIBRON EXTRASTAR Emergency Light Beacon V16 Approved DGT The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Leduni ceiling fan If you are tired of sleeping with him air-conditioning and you don’t want your electricity bill to increase greatly in summer, this Leduni ceiling fan It is a good purchase option now on Amazon. It has gone from costing 79 euros to 59 euros in these moments. This ceiling fan with LED light, it offers three color temperatures: warm, cold and neutral white light, and has four retractable blades with ABS system that operate silently at six speeds. You can control it through the remote control or app and comes with the kit for easy installation. LEDUNI ® Ceiling fan with light 66W+30W MotorDC The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Javier Pastor (Xataka), Xiaomi, Apple, Leduni, Baliza V16 Hibron Extrastar and Roborock In Xataka | Best Amazon Fire TV. Which one to buy and recommended models to convert your TV into a smart TV depending on use In Xataka | Best televisions in quality price. Which one to buy and seven recommended 4K smart TVs

“A microsecond lag in GPS could miss a moon landing by hundreds of meters”

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The competition and space disagreements between the United States and China are one of the main geopolitical problems in 21st century science. We might think that this effort to be first only harms them, but in reality it can be a problem for anyone who enters the space race. There are many issues that serve as examples, although the most recent is the one that concerns lunar time. It has long been clear that there must be a lunar standard time, but The United States has decided to establish a and China another. The consequence is a weak satellite navigation system, which can affect anyone who wants to land on the Moon. At the moment, it seems that NASA is the most advanced in this regard, but it is possible that it will have to do so under Chinese standards, so the conflict, if they do not agree, is served. Two hours for one place. USA has agreed determine the lunar time under something called Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC). That would be the time under which the LunaNet satellites would work, a satellite system projected by NASA in 2019in order to control the first navigation system of our satellite. For its part, China has decided to establish the time according to the Lunar Time Ephemeris (LTE-440). This is the system with which both Queqiao-1 and Queqiao-2, the only two lunar relay satellites that are currently active, maneuver. They are designed for communications and would be the first step towards a lunar GPS system. Why is it necessary? Gravity is very different on Earth and the Moon. We know that gravity, in addition to generating attraction on bodies, also curves space-time. As a consequence, time passes more slowly the greater the gravity. And what does that mean? Well, basically, time passes faster on the Moon. Specifically, 56 microseconds faster. That means we can’t use the same time on Earth as we do on the Moon. Our natural satellite needs its own schedule. Be careful with the GPS. GPS systems work by signaling temporal signals measured by satellites. It measures how long it takes for the satellite signal to get from one point to another and, thus, the distance can be calculated. Therefore, it is very important that satellites and clocks work with the same time system. When traveling to the Moon, you should take into account how the satellites used by GPS measure time. But we have already seen that China and the United States do not agree on that. For now, LunaNet is nothing more than a project. The Chinese lunar GPS system too, but at least there are already satellites. Those from the United States have not been launched. Therefore, if NASA lands on the Moon without taking into account the Chinese time system, there could be problems. Just a microsecond of difference in lunar time can affect hundreds of meters away. That can be very dangerous in the face of a moon landing. China has already tried it. The Asian country is the only one that has landed a ship on the far side of the moon. Terrestrial radio systems do not reach this area of ​​our satellite. Therefore, this unmanned moon landing had complete dependence on Queqiao-1. It was proven to work, as the moon landing was a success. But of course, the ship was synchronized with the satellite time system. It is necessary to reach agreements. Sometimes these types of political disagreements make scientists quite lazy. They may want to reach agreements to work in a safer way. At the moment, NIST, which is the United States Standards Institute, is having conversations with the Purple Mountain Observatory (Zijinshan). This institution is one of the main managers of Chinese satellites, so its decisions are very important in the decision to use one time system or another. For everyone to achieve their goals, this time it would be necessary to work as a team. The grudges and competitions could end up delaying the space race for both sides. Image | Magnificent In Xataka | Mars was the great space battleground between China and the US. Now it’s the Moon and there’s too much at stake

the cities are no longer yellow

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The astronauts who have been lucky enough to travel to space more than once in the last decade are privileged witnesses of a chromatic change on a planetary scale. From their vantage point 400 kilometers high, they have been able to see that the cities, previously faint spots of amber, now shine with an intense white light. It’s not a metaphor. It is the visible trace of one of the most rapid and widespread infrastructure transformations in recent history: the great replacement of public lighting. We have retired the old sodium vapor streetlights and massively embraced LED. This change, driven by regulation in favor of energy efficiency, has redrawn the night map of the Earth, a phenomenon that can be seen more clearly from space. The invention that earned a Nobel Prize in Physics. Old sodium vapor lamps, especially low-pressure ones, were monochromatic in nature. They emitted light in a very narrow band of the spectrum, resulting in that characteristic and ubiquitous yellow-orange hue that tinted our streets and skies. LED lights work in a completely different way. His breakthrough, which earned Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physicswas the invention of the high-efficiency blue LED. By combining this blue LED with a phosphor coating, it was finally possible to generate a bright and affordable white light. This diode is not only more efficient (exceeding 300 lumens per watt, compared to 16 for an incandescent bulb), but it offers a much broader spectrum. Southern Europe in 2025 from the International Space Station. Image: Don Pettit The cities changed color. To the eyes of a night observer in space, cities have gone from being yellow to glowing bluish white. Milan is the paradigmatic case: it completed its transition to LED in 2015, and appears in an ESA comparison with before and after photos taken by astronauts André Kuipers and Samantha Cristoforetti. But it is by no means the only case. Los Angeles was a pioneering city: it ordered the replacement of 140,000 streetlights in 2009. Buenos Aires modernized its lighting with smart LED streetlights between 2013 and 2016. New York finished replacing 500,000 bulbs in 2023. Barcelona plans total remote management of public lighting by 2028. But India is the country that carries out the largest replacement in the world, with more than 13 million LED streetlights already installed. The b side of this transformation. Like any revolution, the LED has a dark side. Light is cheaper, so cities are not only replacing old streetlights, but also increasing the number of light points or their intensity. The result is that we are leaving a brighter planet, where it is most difficult to escape of light pollution. The statistics indicated otherwise, but it must be taken into account that light pollution is measured by satellites, and satellites are partially blind to blue light. This means that the actual increase in light pollution, especially that perceived by human beingsis much higher than official figures indicate. To make matters worse, blue light is the one that interferes the most with our biological clock, and can affect the quality of sleep, in the same way that disorients migratory birds and the moths. The future is adjustable. The solution is not to go back to sodium. The efficiency of the LED is indisputable. The key, as with any technology, is in its application. The next phase of this transition is not about changing light bulbs, but about installing smart streetlights. It is estimated that almost one in four streetlights will be smart by 2030. When connected, they can regulate their intensity depending on the time or traffic, detect faults in real time and collect environmental data. This remote management will allow one of the new lighting maxims to be applied: using only the necessary light, when and where it is needed. In parallel, other solutions have emerged to protect biodiversity, such as red light streetlights being tested in Nordic cities so as not to disturb the bats. and the idea of ​​bioluminescence as an organic way of generating light without any electrical consumption and with minimal environmental impact. Image | The Iberian Peninsula in 2012, by astronaut Don Pettit In Xataka | Why sunlight doesn’t illuminate space: solving the question a child sent to the ISS

I explain how to do it, how to activate your privacy key and the obstacle I found

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we may carry months talking about usernames on WhatsAppbut it is one thing to read about a feature that is coming and quite another to see it appear in our own account. This Monday, WhatsApp, from Meta, opened the reserve of identifiers before they can be used generally, and the first thing I did was try to get mine out of the way. At first I couldn’t do it, but a few hours later the option was already there. And then the interesting thing began: booking it was easy, choosing it not so much. In the earlier published article We already explained the scope of the function: usernames do not replace the phone number to create the account, but they do add a more private way to initiate certain contacts. This time the approach is more practical: what I found inside the application, what steps I followed to reserve my identifier and what detail forced me to change plans when I tried the most obvious option. How I reserved my username on WhatsApp In my case, the journey started from the main WhatsApp screen, in the bottom bar of the application. To the right of Chats the tab appears Youwhich is where WhatsApp groups access to the profile and various account settings. From there I entered Account and then in User namean option that already appeared in the menu. As seen in the screenshots, the path is not hidden, but it does require knowing where to look if we have not yet received a clear warning within the app. The next screen leaves little room for doubt about the status of the feature. WhatsApp does not say that usernames can simply be used, but rather that “they will be available soon” and that, in the meantime, we can reserve ours. It also summarizes the promise of privacy with a simple explanation: the username will serve to keep the number hidden from people who do not yet know it. This nuance is relevant so as not to confuse reservation with complete availability. What we have in front of us, for now, is a way to set aside an identifier before general deployment. By clicking on Create usernamethe first thing I did was try my own name. It is a quite natural reaction when a platform opens the pool of identifiers: before getting complicated with numbers, hyphens or combinations, we try to stay with the cleanest form possible. In my case, I wrote Javier and waited for WhatsApp validation. The response was not exactly what I expected. The message was quite specific: “This username is only available on WhatsApp Business.” That is, it did not seem like a normal case of a busy identifier, but rather an availability conditional on the type of account. In practice, this introduces an interesting nuance for those who try to reserve very simple names, especially proper names, because some, apparently, can be left out of a personal account even if they appear associated with another channel. In my case it didn’t make sense to jump to WhatsApp Business. Then I tried another logical option: my last name. It was a reasonable alternative, because it was still easy to remember and fit well with the idea of ​​sharing a personal identifier without resorting to a very long combination. This time WhatsApp did show a much more conventional notice: “Username is not available“There the problem was no longer the type of account, but pure and simple availability, something to be expected in a function that comes to a service with a huge user base. At that point it was time to decide whether to continue trying combinations or choose a reasonable option and continue with the process. I opted for the second. The name I ended up saving was not the cleanest nor the one I would have chosen in an ideal world, but it did what I needed: to clearly identify myself and serve as contact information without exposing my phone number. After accepting the identifier, WhatsApp displayed the message you expected to see: “Username reserved.” The reservation does not end entirely on that screen, because WhatsApp also allows you to adjust who will be able to contact us through the username. In the section Contact me by username I found two options, and the one that was marked by default was All. That is, if I left the configuration as is, anyone who knew my identifier could use it to initiate that first contact. For a function that is presented precisely as a privacy layer, I think that setting deserves review before closing the process. The other option available was People who know my password. When selected, WhatsApp generates a key that works as a second filter for that first contact by username. The idea is simple: it is not enough for someone to know our identifier, they would also have to know that key to be able to start the conversation that way. Here is an important detail that should not be overlooked. In my experience, it is not enough to enter People who know my password and see the password generated by WhatsApp. If we then go back or simply close the application, the setting is not applied and the configuration remains at All. For that additional filter to really work you have to click on Save key. Only then is the key registered and can be consulted later from the same section. That said, we must keep in mind that we are talking about a gradual deployment. If you enter WhatsApp, follow the same route and it still does not appear User nameit doesn’t mean that you are doing something wrong or that your account has any problem. In my case, the option was not available when I heard the news and appeared a few hours later. It is best to keep the application updated on iOS or Android and check again later, because WhatsApp will gradually activate the reservation. It is … Read more

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