Month: July 2026

Europe enjoys the cleanest skies in half a century. And that’s one of the reasons why this summer is burning up.

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This is not another article about heat. It’s July: we all know it’s hot. However, there is a reason behind these high temperatures that we do not usually discuss and, for many people, is very surprising: that the skies over Europe are much cleaner than they have been in the last half century. As the popularizer Jorge Alcalde explained In COPE, the rise in temperatures in Europe is accelerating “at a rate of 0.56 degrees per decade since the 1990s, almost double the global average of 0.27 degrees.” And this is interesting because, “although the climate is warming globally, it is crucial to understand why some regions like Europe are more affected.” In that sense, Mayor pointed out that “sending less pollution into the atmosphere contributes to the increase in temperatures on the continent, there is a greater amount of solar radiation that impacts the ground.” It’s not that the air generates heat, of course. It is that the particles that we release when burning fossil fuels (especially sulfur sulfates) reflect sunlight and make the clouds whiter. That is, they cool. The data is crystal clear: in a series of the northeast of the peninsula, in Gironasolar radiation reaching the ground has increased by about 2.5 W/m² per decade since the late 1980s, especially in summer. And that is largely due. wing improvement of regulation against polluting aerosols. It is not the only thing that cools, it is not even the main cause. Copernicus attributes it to several things at the same time: atmospheric circulation, less snow that reflects light, the proximity to the Arctic, the drop in pollution and, of course, greenhouse gases (which They alone explain half of the increase in European heat waves). However, it is one of the most striking. And it is important to explain it well… because stated like this it may seem that the reduction of pollutants is warming the climate in Europe and that is not the case. What the pollution did was hide that warming. The conditions behind the rise in temperatures were there, it’s just that the sulfur didn’t let us see them. We were cooler, but the cost of that was paid by our lungs. We must not forget that Lowering fine particles to the levels recommended by the WHO would prevent around 182,000 premature deaths per year in the EU alone. Furthermore, while aerosols last a few days in the atmosphere, CO2 lasts for centuries. We were covering up a huge problem that was very difficult to solve. Dirty the world again. I insist on this idea because when the effect was discovered in the Atlanticmany proposed intervene again in the atmosphere to lower the temperature. The problem is that, as we can see, this doesn’t solve anything. Clean air is the first good news and, at the same time, what forces us to look squarely at the second: how much we have already warmed up. Image | Chris LeBoutillier In Xataka: The waters of the oceans are not only rising in temperature. They are also starting to change color

4.1 billion euros and no turning back

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The Court of Justice of the European Union has definitively closed one of Google’s longest antitrust litigations in Europe. And the organization confirmed this Thursday the fine of 4.1 billion euros imposed by the European Commission for the company’s use of Android to harm its rivals, as reported by the court itself in a statement. The sanction is final, so the company has no further opportunity to appeal. What has happened? The origin of this case dates back to 2018, when Brussels imposed Google a record fine of 4,340 million euros for forcing mobile phone manufacturers to pre-install Google Search, the Chrome browser and the Google Play store if they wanted to have access to the rest of the Android ecosystem, in addition to preventing them from installing alternative versions of the operating system, according to collect Bloomberg. In 2022, a lower EU court slightly reduced the amount up to 4.1 billion euros, although it maintained many of the Commission’s arguments. Google appealed that decision to the Court of Justice of the EU, which has now rejected the appeal and has definitively ruled in favor of the regulator. The largest antitrust fine. For Brussels, Google abused its dominant position to shield its search engine and its applications from the competition. This is the largest antitrust fine that the company has received in Europe and, according to share To CNBC, lawyer Alex Haffner, partner at the Fladgate firm, represents the closing of what could be called the “first phase” of the Commission’s fight with big technology based on classic competition laws. In detail. The Commission detected three illegal practices in the Android deal: First: it forced manufacturers to pre-install Google Search and Chrome as a condition of being able to license the Google Play store. Second: it paid large manufacturers and operators in exchange for installing its search engine exclusively. And third: it prevented manufacturers from launching phones with versions of Android not approved by Google itself, according to details Bloomberg. Google has always defended that Android offers more options to users and supports thousands of businesses in Europe. A company spokesperson has assured CNBCthat the ruling “does not recognize the significant investment” made to keep Android open, interoperable and free, although it has stressed that the company has already adapted its contracts to comply with the original decision since 2018. Between the lines. This ruling comes at a particularly delicate time for Google in Europe. The company has already accumulated nearly 11,000 million euros in antitrust fines in the last two decades, according to Reutersand last year the Commission already imposed another sanction of 2,950 million euros for its practices in digital advertising. The ruling also opens the door for companies that consider themselves harmed by these practices to claim compensation on their own, an avenue that has already begun to be explored, since from Bloomberg remember that Google was condemned just a day before to pay nearly $2 billion to Klarna in other related antitrust litigation. On the other hand, the organization FairSearch, which submitted the original complaint to the Commission in 2013, has qualified the ruling as “an important victory against Google’s anti-competitive conduct in the mobile market.” And now what. The regulatory focus in Brussels is no longer so much on traditional competition laws as on Digital Markets Law (DMA) and the Digital Services Lawthe new legislative tools with which the EU monitors big technology companies. Google already faces other files opened under these rules, including one for favoring its own services in search results and another for its practices in the application store. Added to this is the open investigation into whether the company unfairly harms certain news results, notes Bloomberg. The current political background doesn’t help either. And the president of the United States, Donald Trump, has threatened tariffs 100% to countries that impose digital taxes on US technology companies, a measure that directly affects countries like France or Spain, CNBC points out. Everything indicates that regulatory pressure on Google in Europe will continue to intensify in the coming months. We’ll see what happens. Cover image | Guillaume Perigois and Alex Dudar on Unsplash In Xataka | “To say that it is a bubble is a blasphemy against AI”: a man who has invested a fortune in OpenAI

copy Tesla. And that is why we are going to have 1,500 kW chargers in 2027

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Just a year ago I was in China and I was overcome with skepticism, I won’t deny it. BYD presented us with the 1 MW chargers. Chargers capable of 1,000 kW that seemed to come from the future. Then I already said that the experience had changed my mind. Now BYD has made another promise on which an important part of its future strategy is based. Skepticism. I’m glad I was wrong. It is something that one learns if one wants to be minimally critical of companies. And the companies and their communication teams, doing their job, flood us with promises that do not always come to fruition but that fill headlines. The 1 MW load was not one of them. It is one thing that, although it may seem silly to see an electric car (simply) charging, one has to experience for oneself. And it is amazing to see how the battery graph fills up at a devilish rate and, indeed, we have hundreds of kilometers again just after five minutes. Personally, it’s something I assumed would be full of asterisks and fine print. A “always complies except in this specific case.” But the truth is that it worked. The new promise. What BYD assures now is that the company will have ready between 300 1,500 kW charging posts by the end of 2027 in our country. That is, the 1 MW, 1,000 kW charger is a thing of the past. BYD will increase its power until it becomes almost ridiculous. The company has given a demonstration these days in Madrid. When we tested the 1,000 kW recharge we confirmed that the power dropped after 80% filling. With the 1,500 kW chargers, the battery goes from 10 to 97% in nine minutes. Nine minutes. It is faster (or there is hardly any difference) than filling the gas tank and paying at the cashier. How is it possible? With cars prepared for it, of course. And this expansion of ultra-fast chargers comes with the landing of Denza. The company already has a sports sedan for sale called Denza Z9 GT in plug-in hybrid and electric format. The latter is capable of assimilating the burst of power from these chargers. It is, in fact, the only car on the market in our country that can get the most out of BYD chargers. The great incentive to pay just over 100,000 euros For this car it is precisely that: that traveling in an electric car at a good pace is no different from doing so with a gasoline car. In terms of infrastructure, the charger has its own backup station. A few meters from the cable there are batteries stored stacked in a kind of small warehouse that support the electricity supply when it does not have enough power on its own. Is there much difference? It depends on the point of view. If we go to the purely technical, yes, there is a lot of difference. Right now, the vast majority of the most powerful chargers in Spain move around 350 kW of power. The cars that can get the most out of it move around these figures or, in the best of cases, assimilate 500 kW of power. That is to say, The Denza Z9 GT and the BYD chargers multiply these figures by several magnitudes. However, charging a car with a huge 100 kW battery at 350 kW means going from 10 to 80% of the available range in about 15 minutes. That is, if the car can travel 500 kilometers with said battery (assuming a consumption of 20 kWh/100 km) we will go from having 50 kilometers to 400 kilometers available in a quarter of an hour. It doesn’t seem like too much and on long trips they are recommended breaks. And does it make sense? Much more than the data says. For several reasons: BYD is positioned as a leader in this technology in our country. Only if you buy a BYD can you carry this power. This generates a feeling of belonging and improves the brand image. BYD presents a technology that, in reality, overestimates our needs but gives security to the electric car skeptic. The customer may never use it but knows it is available. And it will go further. Much of what changed my opinion about these chargers was the performance that could be obtained from the company. BYD assures that it will maintain a price of 0.50 euros/kWh loaded. That is, a 100 kW charge will cost 50 euros. It seems like a lot but it means that traveling 100 kilometers will cost about 10 euros. Compared to a gasoline car that consumes 6 l/100 kilometers on the road, there is hardly any difference. But, above all, it is interesting because these charges promise to be key when it comes to recharge electric trucks that need enormous charging powers if they want to reduce downtime. There, BYD is gaining ground and is positioning itself as one of the companies that will already be there when this type of vehicles multiply. Copying Tesla. BYD’s strategy is very similar to the one Tesla deployed in its day. The American company put cars on the market with very green technology and that used their own chargers to operate. This allowed them to position themselves as the leading company and create a brand image and community. They still receive the fruits of that today.. BYD is doing something very similar when the market is already more mature. If you want these charging powers, only the Chinese company offers them to you right now. It is a smart move to gain brand image and trust among skeptics of electric cars and Chinese cars. And, for the same price, they can position themselves as a key company in the deployment of heavy electric vehicles. Photo | Hector Ares for Motorpassion In Xataka | Spain has been filled with charging points for electric cars. The problem is that we … Read more

The Government says Palantir is a risk to national security. NATO, of which Spain is a member, has put it in charge of its own

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Moncloa has begun to ask public companies not to sign new contracts with Palantir, according to Agustín Marco has advanced in The Confidential. The order is not official nor is it in writing, but an agreement has already been reached with the Civil Guard and another with Navantia. The panoramic. Spain joins France, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands in distrust towards the company of Peter Thiel and Alex Karp. The unofficial argument is the usual one: not to risk sensitive information in the hands of an American company with close ties to the Trump White House. The veto affects Telefónica, Indra, Correos and Navantia, all of them under the umbrella of SEPI. There is no statement, no press conference, no official note. They are indications transferred internally to boards of directors. In detail. The contract that really matters still stands. Defense signed with Palantir in 2023 a 16.5 million euro agreement for the Armed Forces Intelligence Center, and that contract expires in November of this year. According to The Confidentialthe chiefs of the General Staff have pressured Margarita Robles to renew it because there is no comparable alternative. Either Palantir or nobody. The decision remains unmade. The contrast. While Moncloa slides the veto inside, NATO announced this week that Palantir’s Maven Smart System becomes its operating system for military data management. Spain is a partner of the Alliance and has had to approve this decision, like all allies. So he voted yes in Brussels but has chosen the opposite direction behind closed doors. Why is it important. The veto does not touch the only thing that really counts: the Defense contract. Everything else (the Civil Guard and Navantia) were negotiations in progress, but not consolidated relationships. Cutting them costs little. Touching the CIFAS contract (Intelligence Center of the Armed Forces), on the other hand, would require replacing a tool that, according to sources in the military sector itself, has no rival in the market. Again: either Palantir or nobody. Yes, but. The gesture has a clear recipient: the US government. Pedro Sánchez has not received the US ambassador in Madrid, Benjamín León Jr., for months and Its Executive has invested 115 million euros in Openchip and another 5,000 million in a chip gigafactory as a commitment to European technological sovereignty. The Palantir veto fits that narrative. What doesn’t fit so well is that this same story coexists with a Defense contract that no one dares to cancel. And now what. The end of the current contract in November will test whether this was signaling or conviction: If the CIFAS contract is renewed without making much noise, the veto will have been a diplomatic gesture. If it is dropped without an equivalent replacement, Spain will be left without the tool its own military considers irreplaceable. The middle way, replacing it with European or national technology, does not yet exist. In Xataka | AI is crucial for the US military. So he’s naming OpenAI and Palantir leaders as lieutenant generals Featured image | Palantir, Wikimedia Commons

Mobile phone sales are sinking. Apple thinks it knows how to save them: with foldables

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Apple seems to be preparing one of the most striking release schedules in its recent history. There is talk of no less than five new models between the second half of 2026 and the first half of 2027, and among all of them, one is especially protagonist: the (long rumored) foldable iPhone. The curious thing is not that Apple is launching it at this point, but that it is quite optimistic about said model. More foldable than expected. According to indicate in Nikkei Asia Sources close to Apple’s plans, Apple has asked its suppliers to prepare to manufacture about 10 million foldable iPhones this year. This is a figure clearly higher than the 7-8 million that were estimated recently, and this “doubled” commitment to the format is certainly surprising. risky bet. Firstly, because folding devices have never managed to achieve massive success in the mobile phone market. They are a very striking niche, but one in which manufacturers have not achieved the success they probably expected. And second and most important, because there is no oven (from the mobile industry) for buns. The memory crisis It is having a brutal impact in many areas, and the smartphone market is no exception: is preparing for the worst year in its entire history, in fact. Muscle is muscle. The company has already reserved components for 80 million smartphones for the second half of 2026 alone, and its total production for the year will exceed 220 million units, according to that newspaper. It is a spectacular figure, especially considering that its competitors in China, with brands such as Xiaomi, Oppo or Vivo, have had to cut its production by at least 100 million units due to the shortage of memory and other components. But of course, Apple is a lot of Apple, and its negotiating power with suppliers is spectacular. Staggered releases. For months it has been rumored that Apple will follow a very special launch route. Theoretically, it has decided to postpone the launch of the standard iPhone until the first half of 2027 to focus all the autumn prominence on the premium models: iPhone 18 Pro (if it is finally called that), Pro Max and of course that first foldable iPhone. It has even asked its suppliers to reserve components already used in the iPhone 17 for the future iPhone 18: It is another way to protect yourself from the shortage that is strangling the rest of the industry. In spring 2027, two more models. And as we said, while this fall we will see how the super high-end iPhone catalog is renewed, in the first half of 2027 We will foreseeably see the standard iPhone 18 and, attention, a new iPhone Air. There are apparently plans to renew its more affordable models, although at the moment there are no details on how it will be done. Be that as it may, the 2026-2027 academic year seems like it will become one of the most ambitious for Apple just at a terrible time for the industry. The hinge is no longer a problem. The great challenge with folding devices has always been the hinge: the screen ended up showing signs of the fold in that central area of ​​the screen when unfolded, and no manufacturer had solved the problem until now. That threatened the launch of the Apple device, but it seems that the company has managed to overcome this challengewhich would make your device one of the most striking in that niche. Prices, the great threat. a week ago Apple announced price increases of 20% on average throughout its catalog. It was a splash of cold water for consumers, and that highlighted that not even the Cupertino company could avoid the memory crisis. The question, of course, is how those new policies will affect future iPhone prices. Is this increase a preview of another that will arrive in the fall? Or has Apple preferred to give bad news now to maintain prices later? The unknown is there, and it can mark the purchasing decision of millions of consumers. In Xataka | I thought that in 2026 I could buy a cheap cell phone without worrying about anything. big mistake

An air conditioner that leaks on the street seems harmless. Until you discover that you can be fined

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Summer has just begun and we are already suffering the first extreme heat wave that has made the air conditioners are working at full capacitywhich implies that they produce more condensation water. many people let that water fall directly into the street Thinking that nothing happens, it’s just water, right? Although it may seem harmless since it is condensation water, pouring liquids onto public roads is listed as an infraction in most municipal ordinances. If you do not have the drain of your air conditioning correctly installed or if you have a bottle on the balcony or window and you let it overflow, you risk being fined. What the ordinances say It depends on each municipality, but in many of them the dumping of liquids of any type is considered an infraction, even if it is clean water. For example, in the Municipal urban cleaning ordinance of Valencia They do not explicitly mention air conditioning, but it is prohibited to “Pouring water, and in particular, watering plants placed outside buildings if as a result of this operation spills and splashes occur on public roads or on their elements.” In Madrid, the Ordinance on Cleaning Public Spaces, Waste Management and Circular Economy classifies as a minor infraction “Pouring water into public spaces from watering plants” and also “Pouring water into public spaces from cleaning terraces of buildings or similar.” There are town councils like Malaga that do explicitly mention air conditioning. In the Ordinance for the cleaning of public spaces and comprehensive waste management They say that “Air conditioning units that face public roads will not be able to discharge water into it.” There are town councils that take it further, such as the town hall of El Puig, in Valencia, which has a specific ordinance on air conditioning devices. In addition to instructions on where and how to install them, one of the rules is that “The collection of water through drainage or any other means that prevents its discharge onto public roads must be planned.” These are just a few examples, but Each town council has its own regulations. Risk of fines According to lawyer Arsenio Martínez on your Instagram profile, fines can range between 90 and 1,000 euros depending on the severity. It also warns that if water causes an accident or damage, the owner of the device will have to bear all the expenses derived from possible injuries and damage caused. The cleaning and waste disposal ordinances that we have consulted do not establish penalties for this specific violation. For example, the city council of Valencia toughened sanctions for dirtying public roads with fines from 750 to 3,000 euros, but they do not mention the discharge of water specifically. Just because there isn’t an explicitly established amount doesn’t mean they can’t fine you: it is still a violation. Of course, in most cases it appears as “mild”, so the amount should not skyrocket, but it depends on each municipality. If you want to avoid scares and your installation allows it, the best and most comfortable thing is for the condensation water pipe to be connected to a downspout. When this is not possible, we usually have a jug or bucket to collect the water. In this case, if you have it on the window or balcony, remember empty it periodically so that it does not overflow and fall onto the sidewalk. Image | Amparo Babiloni, Xataka In Xataka | Europe is discovering what Spain learned the hard way decades ago: extreme heat destroys your infrastructure

only today you can get it for less than 96 euros

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Finding a robot vacuum cleaner that sweeps, vacuums and mops below the 100 euro barrier is usually a complicated task, unless you turn to completely unknown brands. However, Lidl wants to make it easy for you to clean your home with this offer of the day that is practically undeniable. Now you can take this Silvercrest robot vacuum cleaner and floor mop discounted, for 95.99 euros (tomorrow it will return to its original price of 119.99 euros). This is a very economical entry-level option designed for those looking to automate daily home cleaning without making a large outlay. Floor mopping robot vacuum cleaner The price could vary. We earn commission from these links At this price, maybe when you decide, this robot vacuum cleaner from Lidl is no longer available. If you don’t arrive in time to get this deal, you can get this one at a similar price. Conga M20 by Cecotecwhich is available for 99.99 euros and has gyroscopic navigation and multifunction brush. Cecotec Conga M20 Robot Vacuum Cleaner The price could vary. We earn commission from these links A robot vacuum cleaner that you can control from the remote control Despite its very affordable price, this Silvercrest model is a hybrid device. It has a classic dust container and a separate water tank to moisten its rear mop, allowing you to vacuum and mop the floor in a single pass. Its operation has been simplified as much as possible so that anyone can use it without having to deal with complex configurations. Although it does not have an advanced mobile app to map rooms in 3D, it includes a very intuitive remote control from which you can program cleaning times (so that it works when you are not at home), direct it manually or switch between its functions. six cleaning modes. One of the biggest fears that may arise when buying such a cheap robot vacuum cleaner is that it will suddenly hit the furniture or fall down the stairs. Silvercrest has solved this by integrating 11 sensitive anti-shock sensors and three anti-fall sensors. Thus, the robot brakes gently before colliding with large obstacles and detects unevenness mechanically to turn around safely. Regarding its autonomy, it is equipped with a lithium-ion battery that offers up to 100 minutes of continuous operation In its Auto mode, more than enough time to completely clean a medium-sized apartment or an apartment in a single pass. Additionally, when the battery is low, the robot itself autonomously searches for its charging base to recharge. ⚡ IN SUMMARY: offer for lidl’s silvercrest robot vacuum cleaner and floor mop today ✅ THE BEST Unbeatable price: It is your biggest purchase argument. For less than 100 euros you have a device from a trusted brand (Lidl) that sweeps, vacuums and mops. Very simple operation: By not necessarily depending on a mobile app or configuring 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi networks, anyone (including older people or low-tech people) can use it from the first minute with the remote control. ❌ THE WORST Crash navigation (without map)… It has no lasers or cameras. It moves randomly and changes direction when it hits an obstacle. This means you can go through the same place three times and leave another room untouched if the house is large. Very basic scrubbing… It does not scrub the floor or meter water electronically; Simply drag a mop that drips wet. It works to remove fine dust, but don’t expect it to remove dry stains. 💡 BUY IT IF… You want to try the convenience of having a robot vacuum cleaner but you can’t or don’t want to spend the 200 or 300 euros that a mid-range one costs. ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… You have an apartment of more than 80-90 square meters with many corridors and rooms, the robot will end up getting lost or will take hours to cover the entire surface. Other economical robot vacuum cleaners that may interest you Ultenic Robot Vacuum Cleaner 6000PA with Mopping The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Lefant M210 Pro Robot Vacuum Cleaner 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 | Webedia and Silvercrest (Lidl) In Xataka | Best robot vacuum cleaners in quality price. Which one to buy based on use and six recommended models In Xataka | Best upright vacuum cleaners. Which one to buy based on use and six recommended models

Fable 5 is back with small print. One that says who really rules in US AI

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Fables 5 has returned three weeks after the US government ordered its blackout. It returns with several asterisks: it only allows 50% of weekly usage for paid plans, and it brings a more aggressive security filter along with a commitment that binds Anthropic to share with the government every model that comes after it, including future ones. The official origin is a reproducible failure in models much inferior to Fable. But what remains after solving it weighs more: early government access before each launch and dedicated computing to audit the models. In detail. On June 12, the US government acted after learning of a report from Amazon researchers that Fable 5 had identified software vulnerabilities by bypassing its safeguards. Anthropic replicated the finding with less powerful models (Opus 4.8, GPT-5.5 and Kimi K2.7) and everyone got it the same. On June 30, the restriction was lifted. Of course, the new classifier notifies the user when it blocks a request and redirects it to Opus 4.8. Between the lines. Anthropic admits that this classifier blocks more harmless requests, especially in programming and debugging code, its main use. The safety margin itself, the company says, is “far greater than in any previous release.” Alberto Romero, in The Algorithmic Bridgereads it like this: if the model fails due to excess caution in its most common use, the real ceiling of what a user can squeeze out remains at the level of Opus 4.8 either GPT-5.5although the model below is more powerful. Why is it important. Anthropic grants early access to models that “materially advance the capability frontier” in national security, and assembles internal teams for government priorities. The government reserves the right to reimpose the license “if circumstances change”, but without defining which ones. Since the premise of this industry is that a larger model develops new capabilities overnight, almost any advancement fits that phrase. The context. Anthropic has been collaborating on an ad hoc basis with US agencies such as the Treasury and the National Cybersecurity Office for almost two years. What is new is that this work becomes a permanent protocol, and that Fable and Mythos They are the first to pass through it. Anthropic has been chasing OpenAI for years, but in 2026 it has taken the lead on several fronts, in the heat of Claude Code, Claude Cowork and the discovery of the quality of their models’ responses by those who had not left ChatGPT. Accepting this tutelage now, when they finally have something to lose, is a gamble: they prefer a guarded border to a race that neither they nor their government fully control. And now what. What needs to be monitored is whether the classifier improves its accuracy in code without losing a strong hand, and whether OpenAI or Google end up signing something similar. If that happens, Fable’s return will no longer seem like an isolated incident. In Xataka | Sharing your ChatGPT or Claude password is not like sharing your Netflix password: there are people learning it the hard way Featured image | Anthropic

From 2028 you will not buy the game, just a permit to play it as long as Sony wants

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Sony recently gave us one of the worst news for the video game industry. And the company will stop manufacturing physical disks for all new PlayStation games starting in January 2028. The company justifies as “a natural evolution towards current consumer preferences”, in which the demand for the digital format has prevailed over the physical medium. From that date on, any title you want to purchase will only exist in the PlayStation Store cloud or in digital versions from partner stores. What we have to do now is ask ourselves what this change really means for those who pay for a game. Why does it matter? When you buy a record, that object is yours. You can lend it, resell it, keep it on a shelf for years and it continues to work even if the company responsible goes bankrupt. There are nuances to this, since each company manages the licenses of its content in different ways, but the important thing is that the physical medium has that added value that, in most cases, allows you to own the content. When you buy a digital game, on the other hand, you do not acquire the software, but rather a license to use it subject to a contract that almost no one reads. Steam leaves it in writing in your subscriber agreement, as the content is licensed, not sold. This legal distinction, which is usually a fine print that many of us ignore, becomes the general rule of the PlayStation ecosystem as soon as the disc disappears completely. And yes, we can talk about that today, even buying in physical format, nothing guarantees that all the content is on the disk. Also, in terms of preservation, although a disk can last for many years if well preserved, it is not an eternal medium and can also deteriorate over time. What is at stake here is a company’s total control over what you buy, and that, even minimally, should matter to us. Anti-consumer practices. Companies have a thousand reasons to abandon the physical format, and over the last few years we have seen examples of anti-consumer practices beyond the abandonment of this format. In 2024, Ubisoft shut down the servers of The Crew, a driving game that required permanent connection even to play alone. The title stopped working completely for all its buyers, without any patch that would allow you to continue playing offline. That was the spark that ignited the movement. Stop Killing Gameswhich gathered more than 1.3 million verified signatures to ask the European Union to force publishers to leave their games in a playable state when they withdraw support. This month, the European Commission refused to impose that obligation by lawalleging that the studios’ intellectual property rights outweigh the player’s continued access, although they did commit to promoting a voluntary code of conduct by the end of the year. The fine print is now the norm. That same debate has forced distributors themselves to be more honest about what they sell. In the United States, a California law (the AB 2426) prohibits digital stores from using words like “buy” if they do not offer real ownership of the product. As a consequence, Steam started showing a notice in the payment process that clarifies that you are only acquiring a license for the game, not its ownership. PlayStation Store is not subject to that law outside of California, but the principle is identical. Legal front. In addition to the pulse in Europe, Sony faces in the United Kingdom a class action lawsuit valued at nearly $2.7 billion for alleged abuse of a dominant position in the sale of digital games. In parallel, Ubisoft is already being sued in France and California for the closure of The Crew, accused of making consumers believe that they were purchasing a game permanently when, in practice, their access ended up being temporary. They are different disputes, but they all point to the same question. What legal protection does someone have who has paid 70, 80 or 90 euros for something that can disappear due to the decision of a company? Impotence. There’s no magic solution really, but if you value preservation, there are cases like GOGwho sell installers without DRM that can be downloaded and saved permanently, the closest thing today to real ownership of a video game. But of course, that doesn’t solve the problem of someone buying physical games in the PlayStation ecosystem. It may be that we are doomed to abandon the physical format. But not this way, or at least not having to give up our possession to a company. And the problem is that we have been convinced for all these years that the convenience and comfort of the digital format had to strictly go through a company’s total control over what you buy. Regarding PlayStation, games already published on disc before 2028 will continue to exist in that format, so anyone who values ​​this format still has a year and a half to continue buying. And it is worth remembering that not even the label “physical” guarantees anything anymore. The clearest example we had it a few days ago with GTA VIwhich its physical edition will include only a download code inside the box, without any disc. They are anti-consumer measures. Cover image | Mahtab Mashuq Tonmoy In Xataka | “We have never seen the price of a component rise so much and so quickly”: The thing about Apple, Microsoft and Valve is only the tip of the iceberg

“A glass is not reusable because it is thicker”

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If you usually go to concerts and festivals, it will have happened to you. more than once. If you want to order a drink at the bar, in addition to the soft drink, beer or big cup you have to pay for a special glass, one supposedly “reusable”although in practice most people never use it again. It remains as a memory of the festival. And that is in the best of cases. Many others end up in green bins or thrown on the floor, just like single-use plastic cups. There are those who believe that It’s time to change that. What has happened? That the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (Miteco) has just received a small slap on the wrist from the more than 130 social, environmental, neighborhood and consumer organizations that are part of the Zero Waste Alliance and the #LeydeResiduosYA platform. In a statement issued a few days ago by Greenpeace (one of its members), both groups complain about the “legal loophole” that exists around supposedly “reusable” glasses at festivals and concerts and ask the department headed by Sara Aagesen to improve its regulation. What is the problem? That often the packaging distribute sold at festivals with the label ‘sustainable’ are anything but. Hence Zero Waste and #LeydeResiduosYa talk about “false ‘reusable’ glasses.” In theory the RD 1055/2022 points out that from July 1, 2023, the promoters of any “festive, cultural or sporting event” (whether or not it has public sponsorship) must “implement alternatives to the sale and distribution of beverages in single-use containers and glasses”, in addition to guaranteeing access to unpackaged water. That’s the theory, of course. Greenpeace and the rest of the organizations that have addressed Miteco they denounce that, “in practice, the reusable cup has become a mere product of merchandising that is charged to attendees, but that lacks a real collection and circulation system. Is it a problem? Of course, this is what Julio Barea, head of Greenpeace’s waste area, considers, who regrets the “legal vacuum” and that a concept as seemingly simple as ‘sustainable packaging’ has been degraded. “A cup is not reusable because it is made of thicker plastic or because it has a sustainable message printed on it. It is only reusable if it is systematically returned, washed and recirculated,” warns the expert “Without a real return circuit, we are faced with just another single-use waste, disguised as green.” The most curious thing, as environmental organizations highlight, is that there is already legislation (Law 7/2022 and RD 1055/2022) on the topic. The problem is, in your opinion“the lack of operational development and inspections”, which has caused the spirit of the laws to be “evaded”. “Large festivals and events cannot continue to wash their image at the expense of the consumer’s pocket. Charging one euro for a glass without offering the real option to return it is climate fraud.” Is it just theory? No. There are practical cases that help to better understand the problem. In November 2025 Facua revealed that the Seville City Council’s Consumer Service planned to fine a concert promoter 20,000 euros precisely for not allowing users to return glasses that were supposedly “reusable” and charged at 1.5 euros. “People who wanted to drink the cold drink were forced to purchase the official glass of the concert for an added amount of 1.5 euros. In the case of beers, there was no alternative to buying these glasses, since the only option was on tap,” details Facuawhich denounces that, despite RD 1055/2022, the supposedly reusable glasses were not allowed to be returned. Why are they denouncing him now? That the Zero Waste Alliance and #YAWasteLaw have raised his voice right now it’s no coincidence. And not only because we have just entered summer, the quintessential time of festivals and open-air concerts. The organizations want the ministry to take advantage of the opportunity provided by the upcoming reform of the Royal Packaging Decree to “implement effective collection, washing and traceability systems.” “The imminent adaptation of the state legal framework to the new European Regulation 2025/40 on packaging, applicable from August, represents the ideal opportunity to correct this anomaly,” underlines Zero Waste and #LeydeResiduosYa, which ask that the new regulatory framework address several points: define what a “reusable cup” is and oblige organizers to enable visible return points and be clear when providing information. Furthermore, they require concert promoters to report how many containers they have used, how many they have recovered and what their actual reuse cycles are like. They also claim that their way of acting influences issues such as authorizations, sponsorships or public subsidies. Images | Noland Live (Pexels), Jess Low (Pexels) and Lukas Eggers (Unsplash) Via | DAP In Xataka | A week of air conditioning is 70 liters of “dirty” water wasted: this way we can recycle it for other things

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