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These are the provinces with the most first-time passes

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Passing the driving test on the first try doesn’t just depend on how well you have prepared. It also has a lot to do with where you do it from. a study has analyzed the data of all the autonomous communities based on records of passes and failures from 2024, and reveals striking differences between each community: the first-time success rate ranges between 56.42% in Castilla-La Mancha and 42.65% in the Canary Islands. Below all the details. Every second. The national average of passes in the practical exam on the first try is 50.21%, according to the report from Carwow. In theory, the figure is slightly higher: 51.48% manage to pass it on the first attempt. The rest need at least one additional attempt, and 54.06% of the drivers who ended up passing the test did so after having failed at least once. The provinces where the first pass is approved the most. Castilla-La Mancha tops the national ranking with 56.42% passing the practical on the first try, followed by Asturias (55.60%) and Extremadura (54.12%). Murcia (52.53%) and the Valencian Community (51.97%) complete the top five. If we go down to the city level, the study places Soria as the town with the highest overall success rate, with 60.70% combining theory and practice. On the other hand, Badajoz has the highest practical pass rate in the entire country, with 63.29%. The provinces where it costs the most. At the opposite extreme, the Canary Islands (42.65%) and the Balearic Islands (42.77%) are the autonomous communities where it is most difficult to pass the pilot the first time. Cantabria (46.14%) and Madrid (44.89%) are also clearly below the national average. At the city level, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria registers the worst data in the country both in theory (40.69%) and in practice (37.19%), with a combined rate of just 38.94%. Why is there so much difference? There really is no single factor that explains everything. The type of traffic, the topography of the roads, urban density and the usual exam circuits directly influence the difficulty that one may perceive in the test. Driving through Madrid or Barcelona in the exam has nothing to do with driving through Soria or Badajoz. This is something that, according to collects Idealist In its analysis of the cost of the license, it already leads some applicants to change cities to take the exam looking to do it in a “simpler” place. More difficulty in exams. One of the most relevant data from the Carwow study is the downward trend in approval rates. In the theoretical exam, all the provinces analyzed registered a drop compared to ten years ago, with a national average of 14.47% fewer passes. According to the studyCiudad Real is the one that has fallen the most: 23.25% less. In practice, the situation is more unequal: some provinces improve (Ávila rose 16.72%) while others worsen (Palencia fell 15.24%), although the national average variation barely reaches 0.48%. And suspending is also expensive. The cost of obtaining a license goes far beyond what many initially calculate. The average price of the B license in Spain is around 650-700 euros if everything is approved the first time. But that figure can easily go to more than 1,000 euros if one fails several times, since each new call implies going back to pay DGT fees (94.05 euros) in addition to additional practical classes, which range between 25 and 50 euros per session depending on the city. Carwow’s own studio points out that 38% of those surveyed declared having paid less than 700 euros, while 7% paid between 1,000 and 1,500 euros. Those who already have the card. The outlet also asked nearly 1,000 Spanish drivers about their experience. 80% assure that they would pass the practical again the first time if they had to repeat it today. And among those who encountered difficulties during the process, 15% of those surveyed said it was due to lack of time, the price of obtaining the license (7%), or lengthy waiting lists to be examined (7%). In Xataka | The four days in which Valencia had a red and green traffic light at the same time: a mess resolved with a 45,000 euro fine

Spain has been looking for a way to make mass tourism more digestible for years. The US threatens to do the job for her

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In 2025, Spain was left with the desire to reach the 100 million tourists foreigners. Now a cloud on the other side of the Atlantic threatens to move that milestone further away also in 2026. In a turbulent scenario, conditioned by the warthe brent barrel climbing and domestic politics, more and more Americans are rethinking their trips abroad. This is suggested by at least one report from the consulting firm Cirium, which has detected a “puncture” both in flight reservations between Europe and the US and (and here is the key) from the US to Europe. The data is relevant because the flow of Americans connects with other fronts that affect Spain, such as the demand of the tourism sector or the housing. A percentage: 11.2%. The data has advanced it USA Today. In a chronicle on tourism and international travel patterns, the newspaper slips a couple of data from the consulting firm Cirium that leave a clear reading: the demand for transatlantic flights is suffering. And quite obviously. According to their analysis, reservations from Europe to the United States have experienced a year-on-year decrease (July 2025-July 2026) of 15.34%. In the opposite direction, from the United States to Europe, a drop of 11.19% has also been recorded. Country of origin Tourists (2025) AVERAGE expenditure per tourist € (2025) United Kingdom 19,084,423 1,240 France 12,767,491 908 Germany 12,050,833 1,317 Italy 5,704,989 956 Netherlands 5,007,641 1,423 USA 4,456,665 2,297 Portugal 3,383,482 602 The alarms go off. The falls are striking, but they are even more shocking when compared to measurements that the consultancy managed at the beginning of the year. The outlook they drew at that time was also negative and predicted falls, but not so abrupt. Europe-US reserves pointed to a decline of 14.22% and US-Europe reserves of 7.27%. The reading is clear: travel forecasts have worsened, especially those of Americans. Why is it important? That the US has lost appeal among foreign tourists is no surprise. In 2025, after the return of Donald Trump to the White House and the trade and immigration war with which his mandate began, there began to be talk of a tourist boycott to the country of the stars and stripes. In 2026 the outlook is not simple either. The US has the powerful claim of the World Cup (it is the host along with Mexico and Canada), but the year has still started losing travelers and Oxford Economics estimates that, despite the ‘FIFA effect’, 2026 will close with a discreet growth tourism of 3.9%. What is striking about Cirium’s analysis is that the flow of tourists does not seem to be suffering only in the ‘USA direction’. Demand also pushes in the opposite direction, from Americans themselves, who are less interested in crossing the pond to visit Europe. USA Today cites two cases: reservations to Frankfurt have been reduced by 26.8% and those to London by 11.31%. Half surprise. The truth is that Cirium’s data only confirms the forecasts released several months ago by YouGov, which in December published a study in which he already warned that Americans would face their international vacations with some “caution” in 2026. The report left out some percentages for reflection. For example, 60% of those surveyed admitted that they never traveled abroad for pleasure, something that is largely explained by the cost of flying. Another interesting fact is that 43% admit to having traveled less abroad during the last year. But… And why is that? There is no single answer. When talking about the decline in demand in December, YouGov slid two factors why Americans pack less now. First, due to “economic uncertainty”, a reason cited by almost a third (28%) of those surveyed. Second, due to the increased cost of travel, something that 18% complained about. Since then the picture has become more complex. Added to the uncertainty are geopolitical tensions and the conflict in the Middle East, which, remember USA Todaybeyond the rise in oil prices, has “revived fears of terrorism.” The newspaper recalls that messages like the one left not long ago by Jeh Johnson, former Secretary of Homeland Security, about the security risks derived from the war in Iran weigh on US travelers. There would be another factor influencing Americans’ flight plans. The prolonged government shutdown from the end of 2025 has increased the burden on the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which partly translates into long lines at the country’s airports. Now we add the changes to the airport map caused by the war in Iran, the foreseeable increase in the cost of transportation and flight cancellation due to increased costs. Does Spain care? Yes. The US is not only a world power. It also represents an important fishing ground for tourists and expats interested in spending time in our country. According to data from the INE, last year Spain received 96.8 million of foreign visitors. Of them some 4.4 million (almost 5%) came from the US, making it one of the main foreign markets. Its average expenditure per person is also high: 2,297 euros in 2025, above the average (1,392) and nations like Germany. Its weight is relevant if Spain wants to reach the goal of 100 million visitors. It is also felt in another market closely connected to tourism: housing. Both through vacation rentals and the expatswhich in recent years have set their sights on the European market due to their attractiveness. In fact there are experts who they already warn that there are areas like Mallorca that are arousing more and more appetite among Americans looking for luxury homes. Image | Martijn Vonk (Unsplash) In Xataka | China stripped Japan of its tourists in hopes of causing an economic hole. Nothing could be further from reality

You just have to distribute the loading schedule better

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Among the challenges and doubts that the electric car presents is what would happen if there were mass adoption. Obviously they would have to be fed. If we think about fossil fuel cars and their variants, the solution has been operational for decades: those gas stations spread throughout our municipalities that we use as we see fit. In the event that everyone had an electric car, the million-dollar question is whether the electrical grid is designed to support that demand. A study by The Brattle Group for EnergyHub Change that focus that invites you to think about more investment in infrastructure for a more sensible solution: choose the moment well. Because there is a potentially disastrous habit: charging the car as soon as you get home. What the study says. This study shows that the most widespread solution to manage the charging of electric cars is to take advantage of the cheapest nighttime electricity rate. When night falls and the price drops, the bulk of the cars begin to charge practically at the same time, creating at that moment a consumption peak twice as high as the largest peak that could occur if each driver charged whenever they wanted without any type of restriction. Why is it important. Because the electrical network does not suffer from total consumption but rather it is those specific peaks that are critical, forcing the infrastructure to be reinforced. The problem is not how much energy they consume but when. The study calculates that precisely this attractive night rate is what forces work to be done earlier than necessary, with secondary lines, transformers, substations, an expensive infrastructure that everyone pays for, whether they have an electric car or not. What the study proposes is to use active managed charging, that is, to intelligently distribute the charging moment of each vehicle. According to their tests, this practice would allow between doubling and tripling (depending on the network section, between 1.3 and 3.2 times) to absorb more EV cars without major rushes. Context. The study sample is the driving and charging habits of 58 people residing in the state of Washington in real use situations. And although there are obviously differences between American and Spanish citizens (without going any further, in the architecture of their homes), this charging habit can be extrapolated and so can its conclusions. Thus, while the cheap American rate starts at 9 p.m., in Spain It goes from 12 at night to 8 in the morning. Nowadays, the standard strategy of countries and electricity companies to distribute consumption involves peak-off-peak rates because they are easy to implement and understand for citizens. However, this type of time discrimination rates were developed before electric cars existed and even the latest modification (in Spain it was in 2021) when these were rare birds. The proposal. This type of charging does not imply that the driver loses absolute control over the load or that in the morning you prepare to go to work and find that your vehicle has 10% battery. Broadly speaking, smart charging looks like what mobile phones do. Thus, the most advanced platforms analyze the real usage habits of each person so that, when you go to the car at your usual time, you find it ready. The system knows what time you need the car charged, it charges it little by little during the night, taking advantage of the times of lower demand and arrives on time with the car ready. The study concludes that the key is to anticipate: if these systems are implemented before mass adoption, the savings in infrastructure can be notable. A trust problem. The point is not so much to have this technology, as there are companies like ev.energy, Kaluza either WeaveGrid with pilot programs of virtual power plants that manage demand to balance consumption, but with trust: forget about the plug and hand over the charging task to a platform with the peace of mind that you will have your car ready when you need it. In Xataka | How much does it cost to charge an electric car: recommended rates In Xataka | Electric car charger: the best models Cover | EV Charging Ratio

Big Tech has entrusted the keys to its kingdom to NVIDIA. Now they want the keys back

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NVIDIA is no longer a gaming graphics card company: NVIDIA is a ubiquitous company. That means it is the baby at the baptism, the bride at the wedding and the cement of the manufacturing industry. artificial intelligence. Your hardware is in the most powerful data centers on the planethis software controls everything and your money invest in any company that has something to say in AI. Big Tech (and everyone) is blindly trusting NVIDIA and has been given the keys to the house, but something is changing. And now they want the keys back to regain control. All the spotlights. Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Meta have bought hundreds of thousands of NVIDIA GPUs to shape your AI aspirations. At some point many began to develop their own hardware, but in the end NVIDIA’s was everywhere and was the one that gave the most guarantees, so they “gave up.” Apple, curiously, opted for Amazon. And not just the big ones. OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral or xAI are purely AI companies that They bet very heavily on NVIDIA from the beginning. Its hardware is the one that leads the way, the one that Western and Chinese companies want and the one that has such a brutal demand that it has elevated the company as the best client of TSMC and Samsung. amd. But no one likes to have all their eggs in one basket, and those same names are moving. From a position of absolute dominance, in a short time we can move to another in which the hardware market is much more diversified. AMD is NVIDIA’s great historical rival in the PC gaming segment (and in consoles), but although they were out of the conversation for a few years, they have returned with force. They have the hardware and are moving to get the same memory that NVIDIA has (and Samsung wins more than anyone else) and contracts as juicy as the one they achieved recently with Meta. The big rival also has deep pockets and is committed to taking a piece of the AI ​​pie. The Chinese threat. On the other side of the world we have China. We have said on numerous occasions that China is on to other things when we talk about AI. If the West pursues the AGI (with questionable claims like it’s already here), to China doesn’t care exactly. They want fast chips that allow them to create accessible and monetizable models in the short term. But they also have Huawei, the company that has become the spearhead of the Chinese technology industry thanks to its collaboration with foundries such as SMIC is allowing, in an unthinkable way due to vetoes, can develop advanced chips. The development of cutting-edge chips still needs to be achieved, but Huawei already has more powerful inference chips than NVIDIA’s H20, according to them, and a supercluster for training. Taking back control. Because in that term, “inference”, is where the current key is. AI training is important because it is what allows the model to then have the data and have a wardrobe to pull from, but inference is the final layer, which processes the user’s request to provide a response. There is not so much raw power needed, and that is what almost all the companies mentioned above are taking advantage of. Amazon, Google or Meta have programs in which they are actively researching or developing chips proper for inference. OpenAI has signed an agreement with Broadcom to supply chips and xAI along with other companies Musk also has its own chips and they plan to open factories. And in China things are no different with Cambricon wanting to be a local alternative to NVIDIA and giants like Alibaba either ByteDance getting into chip design. Groq. Given this, do you think NVIDIA is standing still? Among their hardware proposals, they have Groq, an inference accelerator that is designed for, next to Vera Rubinprocess a large amount of data at enormous speed. Groq was an unknown in the world of AI – until NVIDIA licensed it – and specialized from the beginning in that: chips with minimal latency for inference. The key is in the architecture of its chips and it was a piece that was missing from the NVIDIA catalog and shows that, although the rest want the keys back, the one that already had them may have made a backup copy to continue being the reference. Because they may all be preparing their chips, but while they arrive, NVIDIA is already there and, in fact, with Groq it seeks to sneak into theThe $50 billion pie: China. Problem for NVIDIA. But of course, that’s part of the story. The other is that NVIDIA also has all its eggs in one basket: that of AI. In the middle of last year we already mentioned that six customers represent 85% of all NVIDIA revenue in the previous quarter. It is an absolute nonsense that shows that, if there is a shift in technology, a puncture of the bubble or a new player that arrives strongly, the situation for NVIDIA may not be so favorable. The question is whether a regime change can come and everything will be allowed to collapse like a house of cards. The uncomfortable thing is that an absurd amount of money is being invested and it’s not something that can escalate forever. In Xataka | Jensen Huang believes we have reached the “coming of the AI ​​wolf.” It is perfect for feeding a Tamagotchi

Is it the best time to buy a Poco F8 Ultra or should you wait? This is what the data tells us

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Depending on how the price of the Poco F8 Ultra since its launch and seeing how its predecessor (the Poco F7 Ultra) in the market, this is how we evaluate whether or not to buy the F8 Ultra, in its 512 GB versionwhich is the one we have analyzed. 🟡 CAUTION (WAIT FOR OFFER) Poco F8 Ultra Verdict It is a mobile that has been on the market for a short time and can still be purchased almost at a launch price official RRP 899.99 euros (Xiaomi official store) Target price “on the street” Don’t pay more than 699 euros (Amazon in the 12 GB RAM version) Next release Next Poco F9 Ultra expected to launch in Q1 2027 according to rumors Our recommendation Wait if… If your current mobile still holds up and you are not looking for the bargain of the century, wait a few months (June/July), since the price of the Poco F8 Ultra will have stabilized and you will be able to get it cheaper. Regret cost Medium (about 100 euros). Normally, Poco lowers its terminals when they have been on the market for more than half a year. This means that if you buy it now, perhaps if you wait until summer (or even before), you can save about 100-150 euros. XIAOMI POCO F8 Ultra – 16+512GB Smartphone The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Why is the traffic light yellow? Although the Poco F7 Ultra started with a starting price much lower than that of the Poco F8 Ultra, it is true that its history serves to suggest that, currently, it is a favorable time for wait for it to go down. Specifically, we find ourselves in this situation: A relatively new mobile: With only about three months on the market, it is normal that the price of the Poco F8 Ultra remains stagnant. The ideal is to wait for it to go down, when it has been on the market for a little longer. Future purchase: Waiting means being patient and seeing the different offers that may come out for this mobile (we are aware of them and we will offer them to you). Think that if you wait, you will be able to save about 100-150 euros on purchasing the same mobile phone that you want now and it is money to invest in other accessories or, simply, to have it extra in your monthly budget. Expert Buyer Tip: That the Poco F8 Ultra is a knockout is something about which there is no doubt. Although buying it now for almost the same price as the original price is a financial mistake. If you hold out for a couple of months, you will be buying the same hardware for the real price it should be. Price history and change prediction The graph above compare the prices that the Poco F8 Ultra has had compared to its predecessor (the Poco F7 Ultra) over a year. These are the data that we get in key from this graph: The Poco F8 Ultra has had a aggressive debutpositioning itself significantly above the historical figure of the F7 Ultra (reaching 899.99 euros in month 8). While the previous model (F7 Ultra) maintained notable stability between 550 and 600 euros, the new flagship shows much greater volatility, with rapid corrections of 150 euros after price spikes. The current trend suggests that the F8 Ultra will seek to stabilize around 749.90 eurosa price floor that is still 36% above what its predecessor cost at the same point in the life cycle. If you are looking for the real ground, the prediction indicates that you will have to wait until the last quarter of the cycle to see figures close to 600 euros. The best Poco F8 Ultra deals now: Keep in mind that many of the offers we find are no longer available once we publish the item, either because they end or because stock runs out, so make sure before buying. Right now, we haven’t found very good deals for the Poco F8 Ultra (except in a few stores). XIAOMI POCO F8 Ultra – 16+512GB Smartphone The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Is the Poco F8 Ultra for you now? If you are not sure whether or not you should buy the Poco F8 Ultra, this is what I would take into account: ✅ BUY IT TODAY IF: You want to have the latest of the latest now and you can’t live without it Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Not one more day and you don’t care about losing 100 euros in two months. ⛔ I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT IF: You budget is tightsince you are about to pay the price ceiling (749.90 euros) and you can wait a couple of months to have this Poco mobile. 💡 Good alternatives to the Poco F8 Ultra that I would buy If you still have doubts about buying (or not buying) the Poco F8 Ultra, these are some of the alternatives that I would take into account: Xiaomi 15T Pro: If you want a Xiaomi mobile, one of the perfect rivals from the same manufacturer for this Poco F8 Ultra is the Xiaomi 15T Prowhich you can buy in the brand’s official store from 799.99 euros. It is a mobile phone with cameras signed by Leica, 6.83-inch screen, MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ processor and 90 W charging. XIAOMI 15T Pro Gray 12GB RAM 512GB ROM The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Realme GT 8 Pro: for a similar price to the Poco F8 Ultra (709 euros specifically in PcComponentes) you can get this mobile with good value for money. He Realme GT 8 Pro It has a 6.79-inch 144Hz 2.K AMOLED display. It supports ultra-fast charging at 120W and comes with Snapdragon 8 Elite. Realme GT 8 Pro 5G 12GB 256GB 6.79″ Blue The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Samsung Galaxy S25 FE: This … Read more

The entire ocean floor of the Earth, in a spectacular 3D interactive map that reveals 50,000 unknown underwater mountains

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Although we are already looking other planets in the universe (especially interesting are the potentially habitable ones), the reality is that the old Earth still has a few hidden secrets left. Without going any further, the seabed continues to delight us with new species at this point in the film. NASA knows this and that is why in December 2022 it launched a satellite into space with a mission: to achieve topography of surface waters and oceans. Hence its name, SWOT. Already the first year managed to map the ocean floor in more detail than in the last 30 years and is now available in full. It is, in short, the most detailed marine gravity map in history. What he has “seen” is not just the ground, but subtle variations in the height of the sea surface. These variations reveal the existence of thousands of underwater mountains, trenches and faults, invisible to conventional satellites. To prepare this map, NASA has used state-of-the-art phase coherence interferometry, which has made it possible to measure the two-dimensional height of sea level with high precision. Historically, sonar has been used to measure the seabed, but we have only managed to map less than 30% (with the Seabed 2030 project) with this technique. On the other hand, standard satellites offered a resolution well below the achieved spatial resolution, close to 8 kilometers. This exhaustive map of the ocean floor goes beyond satisfying geographical curiosity, the impact of this cartography It is evident in: Biodiversity. Underwater mountains are oases of life and knowing where they are is essential. Safety in navigation, allowing the identification of underwater peaks that may constitute a risk for vessels. Climate change. These types of structures are directly related to ocean currents, responsible for transporting heat. If we do not know the relief, we cannot predict how the sea will warm. The map of the seabed with a level of detail never seen before With this vertical gravitational gradient map, NASA has developed a 3D model through which you can move and zoom through all the depths of the seas and oceans of the Earth. Individual abyssal hills measuring 200 – 300 kilometers in length can be seen along with other small seamounts and tectonic structures, previously hidden. In fact, abyssal hills are the most common landform underwater (in the southern Indian Ocean they can be seen, for example). NASA explains that they are formed by normal faults along the axes of the oceanic ridges. From them, plate reconstruction studies are being carried out. Also in the visualization you can see seamounts located west of Central America, which are actually underwater volcanoes formed by magmatic intrusions through the oceanic crust. Their importance is crucial as they modify ocean circulation, influence the distribution of nutrients and constitute key points of biodiversity. The high-resolution mapping reveals some 50,000 previously unknown seamounts approximately one kilometer high. Tap to go to NASA’s 3D model of the seafloor. Via: NASA/JPL The topography of surface waters and oceans from SWOT also shows great clarity in the continental margins, highlighting the high latitude areas, with tectonic structures buried under sediments and ice. Thus, it allows observing submarine canyons that transport sediment from the mainland to the deep sea along the South American continental shelf, as well as ancient mid-ocean ridges hidden under the ice in the Weddell Sea. In Xataka | Astronomers have stitched together 10,000 images from the Webb telescope to make the largest map of the universe. Something doesn’t fit In Xataka | This is the impressive interactive map to see the Earth in 4K live from space and monitor satellites Cover | POT

First the PS5 rises in price by 100 euros and now the lack of chips forces Sony to stop selling SD and CFexpress cards in Japan

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Buying a computer, a mobile phone or a console is much more expensive today than it was a couple of years ago and the voracious appetite of data centers is to blame for this component crisis: RAM has become more expensivemore of the same for NAND storage (and therefore, of SSDs) and already threatens even to the batteries. And consumer electronics manufacturers are making moves to avoid swallowing the price rise resulting from this imbalance between supply and demand. If we talk about gaming, a couple of days ago Sony threw a bucket of cold water on those who expected its latest console to drop in price over time because it has been the opposite: The PS5 will go up 100 euros in April. But it is not Sony’s only drastic measure: in Japan have announced that stop selling storage cards. When you see your neighbor’s beard cut… NAND memory chip shortage is wreaking havoc If you have tried to buy a memory card in recent months, you will have already realized that prices have gone up a lot for that common little device that we use for photography, gaming or the Raspberry Pi (which also its price has skyrocketed due to the component crisis). Well, Sony has gone one step further and has indefinitely suspended the acceptance of orders for almost all of its line of CFexpress Type A, Type B and SD cardswhether for authorized distributors or those who buy from the Sony Store. The brief Sony Japan statement is blunt: “Due to the global shortage of semiconductors (memory) and other factors, it is expected that supply will not be meet the demand for CFexpress and SD memory cards in the near future. Therefore, we have decided to temporarily suspend the receipt of orders from our authorized dealers and customers in the Sony store from March 27, 2026. As for the resumption of accepting orders, we will study it based on the supply situation and will announce it separately on the product information page.” It is no longer just the temporary suspension, it is that there is no return date and the reality is that the medium-term future looks bleak: it does not seem that this shortage of components will be resolved in the coming months. In fact, the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran It is bringing other consequences beyond the rise in fuel prices: helium shortageessential in cooling operations in chip manufacturing It is true that this statement is restricted only to Japanbut the shortage is not exclusive to the Asian country: a quick search for SD in the Sony Store in Spain It returns just four models, one moderately affordable 64GB and then three others of 128GB, 256GB and 512GB that cost around 300 euros. One of the most affected models are the TOUGH cards used in professional photography and the entry-level SD cards. What you can buy today on the Sony website About a month ago the CEO of Phison, one of the major suppliers of controllers for SSDs and memory cards, he already warned: If the situation does not improve, this shortage may end the closure of consumer electronics companies completely in 2026. In Xataka | Not content with bursting demand and prices for RAM, AI is already targeting another victim: batteries In Xataka | The current generation of consoles was supposed to be “weak” and the games were expensive. Well: nothing has stopped the PS5 Cover | Xataka

For 15 years a couple lived in a house inside Disneyland. None of the visitors noticed

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When we talk about amusement parks, Disney is king. Although in recent years we have seen amazing ideas (such as the spectacular Japan’s Super Nintendo World), the Disneylands continue to have a lot of pull. In fact, some parks continue to be updated with corners like the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge that, after five years of constructionopened as the largest expansion in the park’s history. There are also additions such as Avengers Campus or Tomorrowland. Being so huge, it is normal that stories of all kinds are found in its magical corners (sometimes they don’t turn out well if you do not pay the corresponding extra), and one of those stories It is that of the couple who lived for more than 15 years in their own house within the park. It is about the marriage between Owen and Dolly Pope and his house was on the park land even before the park itself was built. Disneyland began construction in 1954 and opened in 1955, but the story begins long before that. Owen and Dolly were married in 1935 and worked performing horse shows throughout California. In 1950, Harper Goff, one of Disney’s leading artists at the time, saw the couple in one of these shows and recommended Walt – Disney – go see them. At that time, Disney was passing a bad time. They were in the middle of a financial crisis and the company saw that it had to diversify. For this reason, they began to consider entering other businesses, amusement parks being one of them. Therefore, the idea of ​​creating Disneyland was already on Disney’s mind and, after seeing the show, he arranged to have lunch with the Popes. At first, they thought that what he wanted was to hire them for a movie, but what arose were plans to build a park and Disney wanted the Popes to perform their shows there, also managing the activities with the horses. In 1951, the couple moved to Disney’s studios in Burbank, being the only ones who, along with the military who occupied the studios during World War II, lived inside them. This is what the house would look like inside when the Popes lived there. They lived in a caravan inside the studios while Owen built stables, but one day they were given the choice of a house inside the park. It was located where the Big Thunder Ranch area was later built, one of the wings of the park focused on the ‘Wild West’ theme, and they began living there three days before the park opened. Making room for a galaxy far, far away Evidently, they did not live because of the good will of Disney, but because they were in charge of maintaining everything related to the horse shows and activities with both horses and ponies. Apart from this, Disney staff visited regularly to ask how they could improve the shows and what people wanted to see, so it was a very important part of park management. With brutal financial results, Disney began to explore the idea of ​​opening theme parks in other parts of the world, Florida being one of them. So, while Walt Disney World was being built on the other side of the United States, Owen built harnesses or tackle for the horses in the new park, but from his home in the Californian park. In 1971, Dolly and Owen moved to Florida to oversee construction of the Fort Wilderness Resort area of ​​the new park, and with everything in place, in 1975 they both retired. They were the first cast members to retire. What happened to the house? Well, the story has a crumb because. It is not a decorated house, since the Pope They lived there like anyone does in our homes, but their work was much closer and they could walk. The funny thing is that thousands of visitors passed by his house every day without knowing that… well, that it was a normal, ordinary house. However, it was abandoned after the move to Florida and was not used again except for some staff meetings. There came a time when a set showing how the Popes lived was put up and could be visited at certain times, but it was time to build the Star Wars megapark. The Pope house and stables. Image of Dadlogic The area today, with the Star Wars expansion and the approximate location of the Pope house Disney has the ability to make everything a commercial product or have appeal and did not demolish the Pope housebut the transfer to an area near the park that is publicly accessible, but on Disneyland property. On its façade you can see an identifying plaque that tells its history and where the Pope’s house and stables used to be, we now have the parking lot of the Millennium Falcon. Images | Disney and Google Maps In Xataka | Drugs, betrayals and trusts: the bizarre story behind Walt Disney’s billionaire inheritance

with the help of Elon Musk

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There are few canals as strategic in the world as the Panama Canal: in 2025 alone, 13,404 ships passed through it, according to official data. And although it is coming out competition in Mexicohas a difficult time surpassing its numbers. The Panama Canal is essential for the logistics of the continent as it connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, but it also part of the Central American country. So the mayor’s office has had an idea: take advantage an Elon Musk contest pedestrianize the canal so that people can cross it on foot or on foot. And the best thing: if their plan goes well, they won’t pay a single balboa. The Boring Company gives away a tunnel. A brief presentation: The Boring Company is Elon Musk’s tunnel construction company and its project portfolio includes the vegas loop either the Encoreboth in Las Vegas. On January 18, the company threw down the gauntlet: “Tunnel Vision Challenge“, an open call to any entity to propose where to build their next tunnel. If you win, you get it for free. The rules are simple but they significantly limit the applications: the tunnel cannot exceed one mile in length (1.6 kilometers), it must have an interior diameter of 12 feet (3.66 meters). The use is free: it can be for the passage of people, goods, supplies… of course, it must be well justified what problem it solves and its construction must be viable from a technical, economic and regulatory point of view. Panama’s proposal. The Panama América newspaper collects the Panamanian proposal from the hand of its mayor, Mayer Mizrachi: the first pedestrian crossing to cross the Canal, which until now can at most be crossed by car (soon, also by metro). The estimated length is around 600 – 900 meters, within the limit of conditions, and the diameter is sufficient for the passage of people and bicycles. According to his estimates, 45,000 people a day would pass through this future pedestrianization, new public areas will be built at the end, panels on its walls to tell the story and, ultimately, a tourist use of what is the most famous infrastructure in the country. Of the 487 proposals, Panama’s is among the 15 finalists, says the politician. Why is it important. Because the Panama Canal is not just a waterway: it is a barrier that divides the country and its capital. Panama City and its metropolitan area have been growing on both sides of the Canal for more than a century, depending on the car and facing heavy traffic at specific times. This step changes the mobility paradigm, favoring transportation in more sustainable means and life around the Canal, for example going for a run or a walk. A recovery of space for people. The Panama Canal was already providential for the country’s logistics and economy, but tourism has enormous potential: a tunnel with its museum component through which you can walk under the largest ships on the planet. Without that tunnel, It has already received a million visitors in 2025 alone. Context. The subsoil of the Canal is geologically complex, with volcanic materials and clays that have historically given stability problems (cockroach training) and challenges such as the point where the Continental Mountain Range intersects (Culebra Cut). However, Panama has experience in excavations, without going any further, with the subway lines and the relatively recent expansion of the Canal. But who would be in charge of the construction would be The Boring Company. Of course, before talking about costs and deadlines, an exhaustive geotechnical study would have to be carried out. That said, before its materialization and engineering challenges there is the institutional obstacle: the Panama Canal is administered by the Panama Canal Authority, an autonomous body of the State. That is, the mayor does not have the power to authorize the works. Before carrying out the work, it is an essential requirement that the Panamanian government and the ACP give approval. In fact, Mayer Mizrachi has already publicly requested the support of the president of the country. What’s going to happen now. The deadline for submitting proposals It concluded on February 23 and a month later, on March 23, the winner would theoretically be announced. The date has already passed and as we write this article, The Boring Company has not yet made a statement, which could mean three things: that the announcement has simply been delayed, that Musk’s company has opted to declare the winner void, or that they are in full negotiations before announcing the winner. If Panama wins, a three-way negotiation will begin between the city mayor, ACP and the central government for the granting of permits and other bureaucracy derived from a work of such magnitude, which includes the public use of the ends of the tunnel. Even if you didn’t win, it wouldn’t mean the end: reaching the final of a competition with almost 500 applications seeking innovative mobility and your idea could be the starting point to follow your own path. In Xataka | Mexico wants to build its “Panama Canal”: cross from the Atlantic to the Pacific in less than seven hours In Xataka | The drought in the Panama Canal is so extreme that desperate solutions are already being proposed. How to squeeze the clouds Cover | Pancanal and The Boring Company

the true antidote to aging is in a step

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For decades, standard medical advice for older adults has been nearly unanimous: walkswim or do a little stationary cycling. In the end we talk about low impact activities focused on the cardiovascular system, but recent scientific evidence is giving a 180 degree turn to this recommendation, since the real enemy of aging is not only the lack of physical background, but sarcopeniawhich is the loss of muscle mass and strength. And to combat it, science points to a simple exercise. A simple exercise. Something as simple as stepping up a step, especially if done with optional extra weight, known as a weight step exercise, is not just a ’90s aerobic movement, it’s top-notch functional training. And one of the great benefits of this exercise is that it does not require having to go to a gym or have extensive equipment, but rather it can be done at home and integrated into your daily routine. Studied. It is not something that personal trainers say just for the sake of it, since there are different essays published in several top-level magazines that demonstrate that doing training sessions stepping They are tremendously effective tools. The first of them consisted of analyzing a program of only six weeks of stepping with weight at home in women over 65 years of age. The result was that they increased the power of their lower extremities by 10 to 11% and improved their stair climbing time by 9%. Another 12-week study confirmed that step aerobics Elevates overall functional fitness, muscle volume and balance. An undisputed king. Although he step It is fantastic for legs and glutes, the truth is that this should be the gateway to doing strength training with loads. This is something that made clear a systematic review of Cochrane which analyzed a meta-analysis of 121 randomized clinical trials with more than 6,700 participants. In this case, progressive resistance training, using weights 2 or 3 times a week, has a very important effect on improving muscle strength, reversing the unwanted effect of age. In this way, short sessions of just 20 to 30 minutes are enough to improve the ability to carry out complex daily activities, reduce osteoarthritis pain and increase muscle mass. More evidence. As if that were not enough, the Mayo Clinic points out that doing interval training from the age of 70, such as 6-second sprints on a stationary bike, is capable of reversing the aspects of muscle aging at the cellular level. In this way, with only 1 or 2 sessions a week for 8 weeks, participants not only reduced their blood glucose, but showed 100% adherence without serious adverse events. Of course, studies emphasize that this type of routine requires professional supervision in the beginning to avoid overtaking people or falls that are fatal at this age. Images | Vitaly Gariev In Xataka | Neither walking nor running: science suggests that the squat is the true “drug” for healthy aging

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