Month: July 2026

The new Huawei MatePad Pro Max is now available in Spain

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Our colleague already told it Javier Penalva: the new Huawei MatePad Pro Max It is a tablet that impresses. Right now we only have it available to buy in the official Huawei store: its price is 1,199 eurosalthough it must be taken into account that, at the time of writing these lines, it indicates that its delivery It will not occur until next July 22. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links A huge tablet, but very thin This is a very interesting high-end tablet for those looking for top performance with a good screen. The Huawei MatePad Pro Max mounts a 13.2-inch PaperMatte OLED panel with a peak brightness of 1,600 nits and a refresh rate of 144 Hz, which makes it ideal for working, watching a movie on the couch, and even playing video games. In fact, it comes with six speakers which makes it perfect for these last two things. The size of the diagonal already tells us that it is a large tablet, but it is not something that also applies to the thickness. This Huawei tablet It is 4.7 millimeters thickwhich makes it very fine. Despite this, the Chinese manufacturer has managed to fit a 9,760 mAh battery inside that promises to provide about ten hours of autonomy for mixed use. In addition to all of the above, it should be noted that the tablet now comes with a keyboard case included and even with the Huawei M-Pencil Pro as a giftwhich will allow us to use it for productivity, drawing or writing. Of course: we must keep in mind that we will not be able to use Google apps in it, something that can be a stumbling block for many users. ⚡ IN SUMMARY: huawei matepad pro max ✅ THE BEST Trousers and a six-top speaker system: Its OLED screen of more than 13 inches and its six speakers make it ideal for watching multimedia content. Almost 10,000 mAh battery in less than 5 mm thickness: It has a very good battery capacity with a very thin thickness. That, together with its 500 grams, makes it also quite manageable. Comes with the pencil included as a gift: It comes with the Huawei pencil and a keyboard case, two almost essential accessories to make the most of what this tablet offers. ❌ THE WORST Without Google apps: Like other Huawei devices, this tablet does not have access to Google applications. Its high launch price: It is a tablet that costs almost 1,200 euros, which is a significant barrier to getting it. 💡 BUY IT IF… You are looking for a tablet that stands out for having an OLED screen, a good speaker system and good autonomy without that implying that it is a hulk. ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… Do you prefer to wait for the price to drop or do you want an alternative that does have access to Google services. You may also be interested Apple iPad Pro 13″ (M5): Ultra Retina XDR Display, 12 MP Horizontal Front Camera and 12 MP Rear Camera, Wi-Fi 7 with Apple N1 Chip, 256 GB — Silver The price could vary. We earn commission from these links XIAOMI Pad 8 Pro Black;8+ 256 GB; 11.2 inch screen; Battery 9200 mAh; 67W charger; Charger included (Wi-FI version) 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 | Huawei, Xataka In Xataka | Best tablets 2026: which one to buy and seven recommended models In Xataka | Best tablets in quality price. Which one to buy based on use and seven recommended models

the definitive guide to photograph it with your smartphone without ruining the camera

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The experience of seeing a solar eclipse is something unique; given that, unless we decide to travel the world in search of itWe have very few opportunities in life. Therefore, it is not strange that everyone wants to photograph it. In the past, it was something that was only in the hands of a few scientists and astrophotography experts. However, with the widespread use of mobile phones, today we all carry a camera constantly in our pockets. It is the reason why many people will want photograph the solar eclipse this August 12 with their smartphones. It may seem like something simple. You take your cell phone, point it at the sky and take the photo. However, it is a much more complex process, requiring both security measures and basic knowledge about photography. And also, if possible, some gadgets that will make the process much easier. Therefore, if you are considering photographing the solar eclipse with your mobile phone, pay attention to this small guide. Maybe it’s not a good idea Before mentioning how you should photograph a solar eclipse with your mobile phone, it is important to keep in mind that most experts recommend don’t do it. Neither with the cell phone nor with a professional camera. The total eclipse on August 12 will last a couple of minutes at best. The longest eclipses in history They have not extended much beyond 7 minutesand yet they are scarce. They are usually very short.. Therefore, if we spend those few minutes behind the lens of a camera, we may not enjoy the experience. Experts often recommend enjoying the first eclipse by looking directly at it. Then, if you see more, you might consider taking photos. Now, if you are clear that images are going to be an important part of the experience for you, there is nothing wrong with taking them. As long as you do it with caution. The solar eclipse can damage your eyes and your phone! At this point, everyone (or almost everyone) We are clear about the importance of using approved glasses to look at the sun during a solar eclipse. However, we can make the mistake of thinking that if we look through a lens, our sight is protected. This is not true, in fact, if it expands our vision of the sun, it can also magnify the damage to our eyes. That’s why, it is important to use filters Suitable for the objectives and lenses of telescopes, cameras and binoculars. Now, if what we want is to photograph the solar eclipse with our mobile phone, our eyes are not in the same danger. If we look at the Sun on the mobile screen, there is no risk, since we are not looking directly through the lens and the screen does not emit a harmful glare. However, The image sensors of the mobile camera can deteriorate. This is because these cameras are prepared to take images of the sun in the background of a landscape or directly at times of weak lighting, such as sunrise or sunset. However, their sensors are not adapted to the illumination they receive when landing directly on the Sun at a time of higher illumination, especially if it is done for a long time. And of course, to take a good photo of the Sun, a good exposure is important. A quick click is not enough. Tips for photographing the solar eclipse with your mobile phone We have already seen that the first thing we must do to photograph the solar eclipse with our mobile phone is protect the camera. There are specific filterswhich are a very good option. Now, if we don’t want to spend money, we can opt for something more rudimentary, such as placing approved glasses directly in front of the lens. You can even cut one of the two lenses of glasses and glue it in front of the lens. The result will not be as good as with a specific fultro, but we will be able to get by. Most experts recommend that you just watch the eclipse, you don’t always have to take photos of everything Once the sensors are protected (and our eyes if we look through a lens), we must take into account the parameters at which it is best to take the photograph. From NASA recommend use a fixed aperture of f/8 to f/16 and try shutter speeds between 1/1000 and 1/4 second to find the optimal setting. That would be for the partial phases of the eclipse. On the other hand, during totality, the corona has a wide range of brightness, so they recommend using a fixed aperture and an exposure range that goes from approximately 1/1000 to 1 second. Of course, during totality the Sun is completely covered, so the camera filter can now be removed. It can and it should, since if we don’t do it we won’t see the solar corona well. However, the colleagues of Xataka Mobile They clarify that this is useful for cameras, but not for mobile phones. In case we are clear that we want to take the photo with our mobile phone, the best option is to do it automatically and follow some basic tips. Shoot at full resolution: Many current mobile phones have sensors of 50 and even 200 megapixels and manufacturers usually offer a shooting mode to take photos at maximum resolution. If your mobile phone has it, activate it since you will be able to have a huge image from which you can take a crop with very good quality Use optical zoom: Find out what the optical zoom of your mobile phone is and don’t go beyond that. If the maximum zoom is 3x, then shoot at 3x. This way you ensure that the quality will not worsen when using digital zoom. What are the best gadgets? We can try to see the eclipse directly and take photos at the same time. For this, it can be … Read more

Volkswagen led an army of sheep to graze under 31,000 solar panels. It turns out that the way of producing energy began to change

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For years, the industry has assumed that each new problem required an increasingly sophisticated solution. Volkswagen just demonstrated which is not always like that. After deploying thousands of solar panels to power one of its factories, it has discovered that the best possible maintenance is not done by a robot or a specialized machine, but by a flock of sheep. The problem was not the plates, but what was underneath. Photovoltaic parks share a challenge that is as simple as it is constant: vegetation doesn’t stop growing. In industrial facilities with tens of thousands of panels, keeping the ground clear involves introducing machinery between metal supports, wiring and electrical equipment, with the consequent economic, energy and maintenance costs. In the Volkswagen plant in Poznań, Poland, where a solar park of 31,000 panels can cover the entire energy demand of the factory during the days of greatest radiation and provides about 25% of its annual consumption, that challenge had become part of daily operations. An ancient solution. Instead of looking for a more efficient machine, Volkswagen turned to a much older technology: a hundred sheep. The animals replace lawnmowers, eliminating the need for mechanical clearing as they calmly cover the terrain under the plates. The curious thing is that the solution is not only effective in maintaining the grass at baybut it avoids the constant passage of vehicles between the infrastructure, reduces emissions and simplifies the maintenance of a state-of-the-art energy installation. The plus that sheep give. The project is part of a known model like agrivoltaicswhich seeks to combine electricity production with agricultural activity on the same surface. Under the supervision of researchers from the Poznań University of Sciences, the flock has been turned into a real open-air laboratory. The scientists analyze how it influences grazing on biodiversity, soil quality, vegetation, microclimate and animal well-being, while studying the extent to which the shade projected by the panels reduces the thermal stress of livestock during the hottest months. Nature also optimizes. The first results show an adaptation surprisingly fast. The sheep have been distributed naturally throughout the facility, forming small groups that take advantage of the shaded areas generated by the solar panels. This behavior, in addition to indicating that the animals feel safe, helps maintain a uniform plant coverage and encourages the appearance of insects and other species, transforming a simple photovoltaic plant into a much richer ecosystem than conventionally mowed land. Agrivoltaics is no longer rare. Although the case of Volkswagen is especially striking because it is a large industrial facility, the use of sheep in solar parks takes vyears extending in countries like the United Kingdom and the United States. The idea it’s simple: obtain two different yields from the same plot. While the plates generate electricity, the agricultural or livestock activity keeps the land productive, reduces operating costs and improves the environmental performance of the facility without competing for the use of the land. Innovation is not always more technology. The paradox of the project is evident. A factory that is committed to electrification, solar energy and decarbonization has ended up finding one of its most effective solutions in a livestock practice with thousands of years of history. At a time when innovation is often associated with artificial intelligence, automation or robotics, Volkswagen has discovered that, sometimes, the greatest advance consists of simply letting innovation. nature do a job that no machine can do with the same efficiency. Image | Rafal Pijanski In Xataka | Australia compared 1,700 sheep and discovered something unexpected: those that graze among solar panels give better quality wool In Xataka | Texas installed millions of solar panels on rural land. To maintain it they have had to hire 3,000 sheep

Doing more hours of treadmill does not guarantee losing more fat, and the culprit is our metabolism

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There is a deep-rooted belief in the world of sports that treats the human body as if it were a simple thermal calculator, which leads us to think that if half an hour of cardio burns 300 calories, a full hour will burn 600. At the end of the day, it all boils down to ‘the more, the better’, but biology and metabolism are much more complex than a linear mathematical equation. It is studied. To get out of this thought that can be logical, an article published this same year made a comparison between the traditional additive model and the “constrained” model of energy expenditure. In this way, when subjecting different individuals to a type of aerobic exercise such as running, the increase in daily energy expenditure was only 30% of what would be expected if the model were completely linear. That is, instead of adding all the calories burned on the treadmill to the total expenditure for the day, the human metabolism implements a partial compensation. Because? This discrepancy occurs because the body, faced with an acute caloric deficit induced by prolonged exercise, activates a series of biological energy-saving mechanisms to protect its energy reserves, still aware of its need for survival. That is, far from burning energy without limit, the body “cuts” spending on other functions. For example, we know that metabolism, when we are on the treadmill, can slow down slightly, reducing the energy it ‘sends’ to non-urgent physiological processes in response to the stress of very aggressive training. There is more. A 2023 review concludes that decreasing unstructured physical activity is an incredibly common coping mechanism. This means that when a very demanding workout begins, people unconsciously tend to move less the rest of the day, which again significantly reduces the total caloric deficit. But when we are persistent in doing intense training, the body ends up adapting and becoming much more efficient, making the neuromuscular and cardiovascular system need less energy to do the same mechanical work. And here again we see that more exercise is not always more expense. Variability. Not all humans are the same, partly due to this great complexity of our organism. We see this in a review which determined that the average energy compensation after the introduction of exercise is around 18%, but warned of strong heterogeneity. The degree to which our body “boycotts” extra caloric expenditure depends strongly on variables such as the duration of exercise, genetics and, above all, the amount of adipose tissue that a person has when starting treatment. Here, a 12-week study in overweight adults pointed to how different groups showed radically different levels of metabolic compensation, registering 35% in one group compared to a massive 63% in the other. But what is clear is that doing more hours on the elliptical or treadmill does not guarantee a parallel increase in the loss of fat mass. Cardio works. Exercise continues to be a non-negotiable pillar due to its profound benefits on cardiometabolic health and continues to contribute to the loss of body fat. What science tells us is that there is a law of diminishing returns that stipulates that, above a certain threshold, adding more training volume generates a decreasing net caloric impact. In Xataka | We were wrong about exercise after 60: why strength training is the true shield against aging

Spain is full of cables that “don’t belong to anyone”

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The Los Gallardos fire, in Almería, is already the deadliest of the century in Spain: a dozen dead, some 6,600 hectares and 1,405 evicted. Many of the victims They appeared inside their carstrapped on a dead end road. And while the Civil Guard works to identify everyone and the INFOCA teams work to completely put out the fire, the public debate becomes increasingly intense. There will be many topics to analyze, but there is one in particular whose importance will be capital: the one that started it all, the cable that could have turned it all on. The cable theory. Almost from the first moment, the theory that a broken electricity cable could be the cause of the tragedy spread like wildfire. At dawn on Friday, Endesa sent a technical team and concluded that the cable was not its own. RedEléctrica was quick to add that it was not part of its transportation network either. As they explained, it would be a private low voltage connection which served an abandoned restaurant (bar Anita) decommissioned since 2009. According to the technicians, in fact, the cable should not have tension. And, of course, without tension there are no sparks. That The judicial experts have already made it clear: If there is no electrical charge circulating through the copper, it is physically impossible for the fires to originate there as described. This has opened the debate: was it really “without tension” as it appears in Endesa’s files or was it being used (“underhand”) to supply scattered farmhouses? We still don’t know, but (beyond the specific case of Los Gallardos) the interesting thing is the question it raises: how many cables like these are loose in Spain? What exactly happens with the cables? The first thing is to realize that we are facing a serious problem. And not exactly because the fraction of fires caused by cables are many, but because they tend to be very destructive. In California, for example, the cables are behind approximately half of the most destructive fires in its history despite causing less than 10% of ignitions. In Spain we do not have clear statistics, but some studies say that the figures are around the same percentages: in Aragon the power lines caused this year around 10% of accidental firesand WWF reports already place them among the causes of large fires. And no one does anything? Well, after the Guadalajara fires of 2005, the State forced the network owners to keep the margins of your lines clear and review them from time to time. However, the case of Los Gallardos highlights something about which we have reflected little: there are many lines that, on a practical level, belong to no one. That is the big problem: An old connection to a ruin, without maintenance and perhaps with informal current, can be a huge source of problems. And now what? Once responsibilities are resolved, there will be more pressure to monitor private power lines in forest areas (something that is frequently debated in California). But the solutions are always the same: finance prevention It is boring and, for this reason, we are spending 400 million a year in Spain when it would take ten or fifteen times more. Image | Dina Lydia In Xataka | The fire in Los Gallardos (Almería) reminds us of the car trap: it is not a shelter, it is a lethal oven

This is how you can get a Huawei Watch Fit 5

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We are approaching the equator of the month of July. And yes, it is hot, it is no secret, but the heat is always better if you wear a cool watch for the first time. Just a few weeks ago we raffled off a Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro and now we draw his “little” brother, the Huawei Watch Fit 5a watch that we have also analyzed, that we also liked a lot and that is valued at 199 euros. This giveaway is reserved for Xataka Xtra membersour community that you can join by only 30 euros a year. Membership includes, in addition to the possibility of participating in exclusive raffles like this one, access to a growing catalog of benefits and discounts on digital services, a private Discord server, and customized query resolution through El Consultorio. You have all the information here. How to participate in the giveaway for a Huawei Watch Fit 5 Participating in this giveaway is as easy as being part of the Xtra Communityaccess your member area and check the box marked in red in the image below. When you have done so, you will not only participate in this draw, but in all those to come. Make sure you check that box to automatically participate in the exclusive Xataka Xtra draws | Image: Xataka If you are already part of Xataka Xtra and you have participated in previous draws, you don’t have to do anything. You will automatically participate in this draw and future ones, as you already did in previous ones. Regarding the draw that concerns us today, this is the summary of key dates: Requirements: be a Xataka Xtra subscriber and resident in Spain (Peninsula, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla) Start of the draw: Monday, July 13, 2026. End of the draw: Friday, July 24, at 9:00. Winner selection and resolution: Friday, July 24. How will the winner be chosen? From Xataka we will choose a random subscriber and two substitutes. If the winner does not respond within the period stipulated in the legal bases of each draw, the winner will go to the first substitute and, if this does not happen either, to the second. Winning a giveaway does not prevent you from winning in the following ones. You can find the legal bases at this link. Huawei Watch Fit 5 | Image: Xataka The prize is, as we said, a Huawei Watch Fit 5a watch as interesting as the Pro model. While the Pro has a more sporty character, the Fit 5 has a more lifestyle approach. However, it has everything you would expect from a high-end watch. Not to mention exceptional autonomy. It is a great prize and a very suitable watch for any user profile. Whether you are an amateur athlete or someone with a more tech profile, the Watch Fit 5 is a product that will measure up. Good luck to everyone! In Xataka | Subscribe to Xataka Xtra

In the middle of the heat wave, there are trains in Extremadura that are running out of air conditioning. For Renfe there is only one culprit: the heat

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It is July 13 and it seems that we have settled into a perennial heat wave. And the forecasts for the coming days are not particularly promising. For this reason, it is still very important to avoid the central hours of the day and those of maximum heat to carry out outdoor activities… and other indoor activities, such as traveling by train. At least, that is what they are denouncing from CCOO, who assure that the Madrid-Extremadura trains travel without air conditioning on a regular basis. a complaint. This is what they have done at CCOO, who assure that “very frequently” the Alvia trains that travel between Madrid and Extremadura are registering failures in the air conditioning systems during heat waves. Miguel Fuentes, Secretary of Mobility of the union, assures in this statement that “this is not a one-off incident, but rather it is something systematic that is occurring in the heat waves of recent years and is creating a painful spectacle that is detrimental to the health of train users and the workers themselves.” Roasts. According to CCOO, these failures are being recorded in the Alvia S730 series trains when “outside temperatures are higher than 35 or 36 degrees.” In that case, they point out, “the air conditioning of several or all of the cars stops working and turns the trains into an oven.” The situation, despite the union’s complaint, is not new. a few days ago, The Extremadura Newspaper I already reported this incident on one of the Alvias that connect Madrid with Badajoz. That day, they point out, the passengers of the affected car were relocated to the free seats of the cars where the air conditioning did work. “In Madrid it was very hot, in Atocha, more of the same, we were looking forward to getting on the train, especially because of the concern of heat stroke and it turns out that the car runs out of air, it was the finishing touch,” said one of those affected by the Extremaduran media. What does Renfe say? In Xataka We have contacted the company who point out that “the trains undergo periodic inspections and are prepared to withstand temperatures between -10° and 40ºC” and that they understand the situation expressed by CCOO. However, they accept the following: “In exceptional circumstances, when outside temperatures exceed 40ºC as in the current heat wave, the train systems can activate automatic protection mechanisms to avoid major breakdowns. This happens because the pressure of the refrigerant gas shoots to critical levels, causing a temporary stop of the equipment until the system stabilizes. During that time, it is not possible to restart the air conditioning, which can generate incidents in the interior temperature of the train” That is, it is so hot outside that the train needs to protect itself to continue running. And when this happens, the train itself has to choose between continuing to move forward despite limiting or eliminating some functions (such as the air conditioning of one or more cars) or moving forward. Have measures been taken? Renfe assures that, without the possibility of modifying the trains, measures are being taken to safeguard the comfort and health of passengers. However, they assure that they are studying new measures that respond to the union’s requests. These measures would, therefore, be an addition to those already applied. According to the company: When these weather conditions occur, the sale of tickets is stopped to leave places free and to be able to relocate passengers. If conditions do not allow safe travel, alternatives are sought such as transferring to a fully air-conditioned train or even traveling by road. A real problem. In Xataka We have explained that heat can generate a real problem for people’s health because “kidnaps the blood”. And when we face very high heat on a sustained basis without barely moving, we are buying many tickets to faint and, if necessary, suffer heat stroke. That is why traveling refrigerated on a train is especially important. They collect in Today that between May and July there are already 15 incidents with the air conditioners that have caused Renfe trains to be left partially or completely without refrigeration. They look at Spain. The news comes just when Spain has been set as an example in countries that live above the Pyrenees. And in Germany, France or Denmark they have observed what Spain, Portugal or Italy are doing in the face of heat waves and What can they apply so that trains are not canceled?. And in these countries the railway service has been suspended because the companies were not able to ensure the health of the passengers. In the region of Bavaria (Germany), 40 degrees were recorded inside some trains. We now know that our trains, at least in part, are also not guaranteed to operate at full capacity. Photo | Falk2 and windy In Xataka | “We have six kilometers that have melted due to the heat”: in the face of extreme temperatures, France needs to Spanishize its roads

60% of what we spend on food already goes to them

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Markets are not immutable spaces. They change. They transform. They reinvent themselves due to trends that are born, grow and die. In recent years, however, few sectors have experienced as many ups and downs as supermarkets. He Mercadona boomthe push of the regional chains and the merchants They are revolutionizing the business, although there is another phenomenon that is even clearer: white label success. From being the ‘ugly ducklings’ of the stores, the cheap option and of dubious quality, brands like Hacendado or Auchan have come to dominate more than 60% of what households spend on food. The reason is very simple: today’s ‘white label’ is not yesterday’s white label and everything indicates that it will not be the same one we will see in a few years. A pillar of the sector. The white label is doing well in Spain. Very good, in fact. For some time now the sector manages studies which demonstrate that the distributors’ brands have expanded their weight in the market, taking an increasingly larger portion of the food and drugstore business. What’s more, there are supermarket chains that can no longer be understood without their brands. The latest data show that almost 79% of Mercadona’s sales are made up of items that carry their own labels, such as Bosque Verde. And the percentage is not very different in Aldi, Dia or Lidl, where it rises to 82.6%. The percentage: 61.2%. The above is not new. What is new is the study by the consulting firm Circana, advanced by Efe, which shows that the private label is becoming the undisputed queen of the food business in Spain. According to your latest datafrom the first semester, you teach like Bosque Verde, Hacendado or Deliplus, they monopolize 61.2% of spending total in food. In practice, this means that six out of every ten euros that were moved in Spain within the food sector and branch went to brands controlled directly by the supermarket chains, not by the manufacturers. But… Has it grown? Yes. And quite clearly, too, what take to the experts to wonder if the expansion of private label will peak at some point. Circana’s report shows that during the first half of 2026 its food footprint has increased by 5.3% in terms of sales value and 3.1% in volume. This difference in percentages is largely explained by the increase in prices, which these months have risen on average by 2.2%. There are business niches in which the expansion has been even clearer. On the shelves of drugstores and cleaning supplies, the white label has grown by 3.4% until achieving a 65% quota. At the opposite extreme is the beverage business, in which brands from manufacturers other than supermarkets (Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Bezoya, Font-Vella…) continue to dominate with an iron fist. In that case the picture is the opposite: external manufacturers account for 65.5% of the total expenditure, so private labels must be content with only a third of the pie. Other percentage: 47.2%. Circana is not the only one that has recorded the growing success of private label. So has Worldpanel by Numerator, which has focused primarily on the demand for packaged products. Its estimate for the first five months of 2026 shows that around 47.2% of products packages that households purchased carried labels from supermarket chains, a percentage that rises to 48.6% in the specific case of food and 56.3% if we talk about drugstores. And what is the reason? Better to talk about reasons, in the plural. One of the key factors that explain the success of private labels is cost. In 2025 Shopdavizor published a report that found that for 90% of consumers Price continues to be a determining factor when purchasing items from brands such as Hacendado. And that is not a minor issue in a context clearly marked by inflation and with the Bank of Spain worsening your outlook. There are studies that they assure that the supermarkets themselves are taking charge of penalizing the cost of external items on the shelves precisely to encourage the purchase of their brands. This explains why there are chains in which the white flags already represent more than 80% of sales in value quota. Beyond the price. White label has always been associated with cheaper prices. That’s nothing new. The curious thing is that in recent years it has managed to shake off the ‘toll’ that this entailed: the low quality image. It’s not just that the brands of Mercadona, Eroski, Consum, Alcampo… are growing, it’s that they have managed to change the perception that customers have of them and even aspire to put their heads into a business that was unimaginable until recently: premium items. Buying white label is no longer equivalent to comparing ‘cheap and bad’. Now people buy out of loyalty, trust, familiarity. “Innovation, premium proposals, health and well-being or sustainability are expanding the role of the private label,” confirm Circana. The same idea is underlined by its managing director, Antonio Khalaf, who explains in the Efe agency that the chains themselves have changed the way they approach private label. “It is no longer just a tool to gain share, it behaves like a brand in itself, capable of generating loyalty to the brand.” Changing image. In its 2025 report, Shopadvizor highlighted this by pointing out that for 80% of consumers there are no longer big differences between private labels and those sold under the names of their manufacturers. In fact, although customers continue to focus on price tags, more and more factors enter the equation, such as emotional connection, variety, trust, quality or the degree of familiarization with the products. “The private label has surpassed its traditional role as an economic alternative to consolidate itself as a value option,” concluded the Shopdavizor report. Images | Eroski Group (Flickr), Wikipedia and CCOO Services (Flickr) In Xataka | In Barcelona, ​​hoteliers have grown tired of the competition from Mercadona’s ‘mercaurantes’. So they are denouncing them

We no longer want to see “artists” but shows

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Sphere sells movies and concerts in a way that neither streaming nor traditional theaters can replicate, a unique experience that risked becoming stale. such a Las Vegas extravagancethe place where the space is housed. However, the revenue data for the first quarter of 2026 not only speaks of healthy accounts, but also of the confirmation that live entertainment is mutating irreversibly. The aforementioned. Sphere Entertainment closed the first quarter of its fiscal 2026 year with $386.4 million in revenue, 38% more than what it earned in the previous twelve months. For the second time, the business of also the owner of Madison Square Garden, James Dolan, closes a positive quarter, with an operating profit of 7.2 million dollars compared to the 78.6 million losses (for the company as a whole) a year ago. The segment managed directly by Sphere almost doubled its turnover, up to 266 million dollars (69% more), driven above all by the controversial screening of ‘The Wizard of Oz’. Not everything is great news (first and last time we make the joke): the shares have risen 400% in the last year, but They fell by more than 5% on the same day of the announcement, because investors were comparing the quarter with an even better fourth quarter of 2025. The ups and downs of the stock market aside, what this data reflects is that the business is not stable, but depends on the show calendar. That is why he has already announced the residencies of Metallica (24 concerts from October 2026) or Backstreet Boys (56 nights this summer) well in advance. The magician’s bombshell. In 2025, Google and Sphere announced a collaboration to reconstruct ‘The Wizard of Oz’ from 1939 with artificial intelligence, using Gemini, I Spy and Image models to expand the frame and generate characters that were out of shot in the original film, but that did enter the monstrous screen of the venue. The project cost $100 million, as much as a medium-high budget film, and cut the footage to just over an hour. Between that and the radical visual change, which destroyed the original planning, they intensified the criticism. However, the reduction in duration allowed more passes to be scheduled per day. Tickets cost at least $104 and easily exceeded $200, depending on the seating in the stands. Result: more than two million tickets sold and $260 million in revenue since its premiere almost a year ago now, in August 2025. Dolan has clearly said that the numbers “demonstrate that Sphere’s business model works.” It is still striking that what comes from this success is a version of a classic film that does not resemble the hitherto untouchable original. Cinema, down. Meanwhile, the traditional film business continues without raising its head. In Spain, attendance fell by 8% in 2025, to 65 million viewers, the second consecutive year of decline. In the United States tobarely half of the adults set foot in a room throughout the year, with 769 million tickets sold compared to the record of 1.6 billion in 2002. And yet… premium formats are better than ever. IMAX closed 2025 with record revenue of 410 million dollars (+16%) and a global box office of 1,280 million dollars (+40%), with titles such as ‘Sinners’ or ‘F1’ contributing more than 20% of its debut collection in the United States. The concert industry is not far behind: for example, Live Nation closed 2025 with $25.2 billion in revenue (+9%). And in that part of concerts, Sphere is already among the venues with the most tickets sold on the planet, only behind the South Korean K-Arena Yokohama and the Movistar Arena in Madrid in the third quarter of 2025. The conclusions are clear: the public does not go out in search of generic offers, but rather unrepeatable experiences. Clearly, the ball is in the court of the movie theaters. The icing on the cake: the exterior. Sphere doesn’t live on tickets alone. Its exterior façade, the Exosphere, is the largest LED screen on the planet and works as an advertising medium which bills between 450,000 dollars for one day and 650,000 for a week of campaigning. Evian, for example, signed a multi-year sponsorship as the venue’s official water supplier in April, and analysts estimate that advertising could exceed 10% of the company’s total revenue in the coming years. Meanwhile, the spherical business does not stop: while the city of Las Vegas is falling in the number of visits (in 2025 it received 7.5% fewer visitors than the previous yearthe largest annual drop outside of the pandemic and since records exist, since 1970) Sphere Entertainment is already thinking about new venues. The second headquarters is being negotiated in National Harbor, in the state of Maryland but also very close to Washington DC Of course, we will have to wait: its opening is not scheduled until 2030. Header | Even Better

“They’re damn smart.” Marine chief believes Gen Z has just the advantage the modern military needs

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The same idea has been repeated for years. about generation Z: who lives glued to a screen, who has less capacity for sacrifice and who is less prepared to face great challenges. However, the commander of the United States Marine Corps maintains just the opposite. In his opinion, the biggest change is not in the young people, but in the war. The big mistake. Few generations have accumulated so many stereotypes like Z. They are accused of depending on cell phones, social networks or video games and, by extension, of being less resilient than their parents and grandparents. Eric M. SmithCommander of the United States Marine Corps, counted in Military who believes that this reading is based on a wrong premise: different life experiences are being confused with a supposed lack of character. After almost four decades of service and thousands of recruits seen passing through training centers, his conclusion is blunt: “their surnames have changed, but their character and commitment have not.” Like in WW2. “They are made of the same wood as the Marines of World War II,” explains. The comparison is not accidental. Smith equates today’s young people with those who fought in historical scenarios such as Iwo Jima, the Chosin Reservoir or, more recently, Fallujah. He also rejects the idea that the Corps has lowered its standards to attract volunteers. “We have not lowered standards. We never will,” affirms. Their argument is simple: the Marines continue to demand that the applicants adapt to the institution and not the other way around, maintaining a training process that continues to be the longest in the US armed forces. Eric M. Smith It’s not the character, it’s the tools. Where Smith does see a break with previous generations is in the relationship with technology. He himself remembers that he was already a captain when he had his first mobile phone, while the new recruits have grown up surrounded by mobile phones, video games and the Internet. What for years has been interpreted as a distraction can be, according to the generala strategic advantage. “They’re damn smart,” summarizedbefore adding a sentence that explains his reasoning: just give them a device and five minutes for them to discover on their own how to use a drone, while officers from previous generations would need specific training. Skills that barely counted before. The Smith’s statements They come at a time when the battlefield is undergoing accelerated transformation. The war in Ukraine has become protagonists to FPV drones, artificial intelligencesensors, electronic warfare and connected systems, displacing part of the traditional prominence of the large armored or artillery. In this context, understanding digital interfaces, quickly adapting to new tools or intuitively learning how complex systems work begins to be as important as physical resistance or aim. Each military revolution has changed the profile. History shows that armies have always had to adapt to the technologies of their time. There was a time when know how to ride a horse made the difference, then came radio, radar, cryptography or the guided missilesforcing the incorporation of increasingly more technical profiles. The digitalization of combat represents another similar jump. The skills that many identify with a generation raised on screens can now become a first-rate military asset. The real advantage. He Smith’s message transcends the debate about generation Z. It does not maintain that young people are better than their predecessors, but rather that they have a natural familiarity with technology that fits the needs of the modern army. For him, the core values ​​remain exactly the same as 250 years ago (honor, courage and commitment), but the tools have changed. And in a war where a drone operator can influence so much As an infantry unit, the ability to quickly master a new system may become one of the most valuable qualities of the soldier of the future. Image | CEPA, ACMCphotousmc In Xataka | The US had a ship with 2,000 marines ready to invade Iran. Now he has sent it right to the place where China worries the most In Xataka | The same day that the US sent its marines to Iran, Taiwan woke up with déjà vu: China has surrounded it with 26 planes and 7 warships

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