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produces for the first time the ultrapure silicon that its competitors controlled

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China is a powerhouse in quantum technologies. In fact, in this area he looks directly at the US. These two countries have accumulated notable milestones over the past few years, including the quantum supremacybut his leadership diverges depending on the area. In quantum computing The US accumulates 34% of the most cited articles compared to 16% Chinesewhile in quantum telecommunications China leads with 34% of reference scientific production vs. 17% United States. The patent landscape reflects that same duality. China monopolizes around 60% of all requests global quantum technology patents registered in 2024, but when the filter is applied to international patents (those protected simultaneously in several countries), The US leads with 48% compared to 11% Chinese. Although, as we have just seen, China is making important achievements in the field of quantum technologies, it is to some extent dependent on some innovations from abroad. In the current situation of tension with the United States and its allies, this gigantic Asian country needs to become independent from foreign quantum technologies, and has just taken a very important step forward in this direction. The Chinese State Nuclear Corporation has announced that one of its research institutes has for the first time produced high-purity silicon-28 with an isotopic abundance greater than 99.99%. This isotope is decisive because it is considered the raw material for quantum hardware with the greatest scale potential: quantum computers based on silicon. Silence is everything The reason why silicon-28 matters so much must be found in physics. Natural silicon is composed mostly of silicon-28, but contains approximately 4.7% silicon-29, an isotope with non-zero nuclear spin. This detail is innocuous for a classical transistor, but is devastating for a quantum computer because the silicon-29 cores act as sources of magnetic noise that disturb the qubits, causing them to lose their quantum state in fractions of a second. Enriching the silicon until that impurity is almost completely eliminated is equivalent to building an anechoic room for the qubits: an environment where noise disappears and quantum information can persist long enough to operate on. A silicon-based quantum computer uses electron spin trapped in quantum dots (nanostructures manufactured on a silicon wafer) as a basic unit of information. Coherence, that is, the ability of the qubit to maintain its quantum state long enough to operate on it, depends directly on how quiet the surrounding environment is. In natural silicon the magnetic field generated by the silicon-29 nuclei drastically limits coherence In natural silicon, the magnetic field generated by the silicon-29 nuclei drastically limits this coherence. However, in silicon-28 enriched to 99.99% that field disappears. The most recent experiments on wafers manufactured with standard industrial CMOS processes have yielded coherence times of up to 803 microseconds and relaxation times of 6.3 seconds, as well as operating fidelities exceeding 99% in both one- and two-qubit gates. These numbers make sense when put against those of other qubit technologies. Superconducting qubits, the bet of Google and IBM, are extraordinarily fast in the execution of logic gates, but require cooling at temperatures close to absolute zero (around 15 millikelvin) and their coherence times They are measured in tens of microseconds. Trapped ion qubits, for their part, achieve coherences of several seconds and very low error rates, but their operations are slow and scaling them beyond a hundred qubits is extraordinarily difficult. In fact, they require ultra-fine vacuum systems, complex electromagnetic traps and surgically precise lasers. Spin qubits on silicon-28 are not the fastest or most coherent in absolute terms, but they combine sufficiently long coherence with an advantage that no other platform can match. That advantage is compatibility with the semiconductor industry as it exists today. Spin qubits in silicon are manufactured on 300 mm wafers using standard CMOS processes, the same ones that TSMC, Intel or Samsung use to produce classic transistors. This means that, in principle, the transition from a handful of qubits to millions integrated on a single chip is not limited by unknown physics, but by the same manufacturing engineering that the industry has mastered for decades. For China, which has invested many resources in building and strengthening its own semiconductor industry, being able to autonomously produce the base material on which this architecture depends is not only a scientific milestone; It’s a strategic move that connects its quantum agenda with its chip industry. And, as a tip, also with its broader objective of technological autonomy compared to the West. Image | Maxence Pira (Unsplash) More information | SCMP In Xataka | 38% of AI experts in the US have been trained in China. They are essential to sustain your leadership

Satellites show where Russia is heading in Europe after Ukraine

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In the midst of the Cold War, Norway was the only NATO country with a direct border with the Soviet Union in the Arctic, and for decades the alliance rehearsed there how stop a Soviet invasion in extreme snow and ice conditions. That old frozen border seemed like a relic of the 20th century. Today it is once again one of the most guarded areas in Europe. Russia fights while preparing the north. They counted the TWZ analysts that, while Russia remains bogged down in the Ukrainian war, wasting men, armor and resources in a conflict that has already transformed its entire economy, at the same time it is building something much further north. The new satellite images together with intelligence analysis show that Moscow has been expanding bases, building barracks and creating new logistical warehouses next to the border with Finland and Norway for months. The most disturbing fact is the scale: facilities prepared to house up to 80,000 soldiers. The reading is clear. Although Ukraine continues to absorb a good part of its military force, the Kremlin is already designing the next scenario of tension with the West. “New satellite images show that Russia is increasing its weapons in the area,” the report states. “SVT, together with media partners in several countries, has analyzed how Russia is preparing for the deployment of 80,000 troops… It is a threat we must take seriously,” declares Thomas Nilsson, head of the Swedish military intelligence service (MUST). Russia is expanding its military infrastructure near the borders of NATO countries. Satellite images show numerous new barracks capable of housing thousands of troops, as well as ammunition depots and equipment storage areas From a discrete border to a reinforced one. For years, the border between Russia and Finland was one of the most stable areas in northern Europe. There was a military presenceyes, but at relatively low volumes and without a great sense of immediate threat. Now that is starting to change. According to the finnish estimatesMoscow could go from about 20,000 troops to almost 100,000 once the new facilities are completed. that jump multiplies the capacity of Russian pressure in the area and completely alters the military balance of the region. It is no longer a surveillance presence; It is a structure designed to sustain a massive concentration of troops. Russia is expanding its military infrastructure near the borders of NATO countries. Satellite images show numerous new barracks capable of housing thousands of troops, as well as ammunition depots and equipment storage areas The Arctic is no longer a periphery. All this has a profound reason: the Arctic has ceased to be a distant corner and has become a centerpiece of the world board. The melting ice is opening sea routes that were previously impassable, the region’s energy reserves are enormous and control of the north offers decisive military advantages. Russia has been understanding this for years and strengthening his position. China has also shown more and more interest. What once seemed like marginal geography is now a space where top-level economic, military and strategic interests intersect. Russia is expanding its military infrastructure near the borders of NATO countries. Satellite images show numerous new barracks capable of housing thousands of troops, as well as ammunition depots and equipment storage areas NATO responds. NATO’s reaction it has been fast. The alliance has activated a new advanced ground force in Finland, supported mainly by Sweden and with command and deployment centers spread across northern Scandinavia. Although the initial number of soldiers is small compared to what Russia is preparing, the political message is powerful. Finland and Sweden have gone from neutrality to becoming in central pieces of European defense. In other words, the north is no longer a calm rearguard and is beginning to resemble a new line of contact. The real fear after Ukraine. What worries NATO most is not what Russia can do now, because a good part of its army remains committed in Ukraine. The real concern is in what comes next. If the conflict freezes or ends and Moscow decides to move part of its veteran units to the north, all that infrastructure could fill up in a very short time. That means that what today seems like a medium-term preparation could quickly transform into a tangible threat. The current war, in that sense, is also a period of transition towards something broader. Europe looks to the north with different eyes. It is the most obvious conclusion: the rivalry between Russia and the West is no longer limited to the Ukrainian front. Everything indicates that is expanding towards new areas where the clash is not yet open, but where everyone is preparing as if it could arrive. Moscow strengthens positions, NATO reorganizes his defense and United States adapts its military structure to the new map of the Arctic. There is no doubt, we are not talking about shots fired on that border, but we are talking about movements, investments and deployments that reveal the same idea. As Russia continues to fight one war, satellites indicate that it is preparing the next one. Image | x In Xataka | As we look to the Middle East, the Arctic has become the hiding place for Russia’s biggest challenge to NATO: Borei and Yasen In Xataka | While we all look at Iran, something is moving in the Arctic Circle: Russia is sending bombers with missiles

“The existence of the company is in danger”

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The Volkswagen Group is at risk of collapse. That, at least, is what six out of nine managers think behind closed doors, according to the German newspaper Manager Magazine. The media assures that the company has conducted an internal survey of its top managers and two out of three agree with its diagnosis. “The company is in danger”. This is what six out of nine managers have answered, according to this German media, to the question of an internal survey that has been circulated among the company’s top leaders. The other three, always according to information from Manager Magazinedescribed the company’s situation as “tense.” The survey has moved among the board of directors through a management consulting company that is analyzing the internal way of working. And the result has been overwhelming: the Volkswagen model is sold out. Some discrepancies. In the German environment Elektroauto They expand the information ensuring that the company that carried out the survey is Boston Consulting Group and that the eight boards of directors of the group and Michael Leiters, head of Porsche, have participated in it. But, without a doubt, the most problematic thing is that, according to this medium specialized in the electricity market, there was no internal consensus on the functioning of the board of directors. Four members of the board of directors assure that the management is united but four others denied it. A position, the latter, that was repeated among eleven of the 14 people who make up the Company Supervisory Board. Same old problems. Among those surveyed, the German media agree, the problems that Volkswagen has on the table seem clear: A perfect storm. Volkswagen’s financial situation is not a coincidence, it is the result of multiple factors in which the coin has come out tails (they have more or less responsibility as a company). In China, the market has turned to local manufacturers. Companies are managing to sell more striking and advanced products than traditional manufacturers but, above all, they are doing so at a much more competitive price. They have entered into a price war that threatens to take manufacturers ahead and is fueled by a public that feels pride in buying Chinese products to the detriment of what comes from abroad. In the United States, tariffs imposed by the Government are severely punishing factories located in Mexico but they have also made the product manufactured within the country itself more expensive because there are pieces that continue to cross the border even if they are assembled on American soil. And brands like Porsche, which have the United States as their big market, They do not manufacture a single car within the country. The result. Volkswagen’s accounts are compromised because investments in the electric car and some concepts that revolve around it have not yielded good results. For example, Cariad, the company dedicated exclusively to producing the software for its future vehicles, it has turned out to be a disaster and has forced important cars to be delayed for Audi or Porsche. This, added to the fact that the electric embrace of the public has not arrived when expected, has sunk the profit of Volkswagen, Seat/Cupra or Porsche, they point out in the German newspaper Welt. For its part, Bentley is also showing red numbers and Audi has entered a lethargy from which it wants to escape with ambitious new proposals to recover brand image. In doubt. In the internal survey that has been carried out within the company, some managers have indicated that they find it impossible to comply with the monetary adjustments announced by Oliver Blume, its CEO, years ago. They consider that to carry out these adjustments it is even necessary to cancel the development of new platforms for future vehicles, according to Elektroauto. In 2025, The Volkswagen Group recorded its worst data in the income statement since 2016when they came marked by the Dieselgate. All of this has led to the unanimity of the board of directors, the nine people that comprise it, thinking that it is necessary for the company to redefine its strategy and its business model, according to the German media. Photo | Volkswagen In Xataka | Volkswagen was late to the transition to the electric car. The price to pay now is 50,000 layoffs

We thought that sleeping was only good for rest. It actually helps us build new muscle.

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We spend a third of our lives sleeping, and although to some people it may seem a waste of time because literally while we sleep we are not ‘producing’, the reality is quite different. And it’s not just about resting, but our brain hides a real neural “switch” that, during sleep, dictates whether our body will build muscle, burn fat or, on the contrary, enter a state of metabolic emergency. What was seen. Joint research from the University of California and Stanford University, published in September 2025 in the prestigious magazine cell, managed to map this mechanism. The researchers identified a specific neuronal circuit in the hypothalamus composed of two fundamental players: the GHRH neuron, which acts as the “accelerator” of growth hormone, and somatostatin, which functions as the “brake.” Its balance is essential to regulate how much growth hormone is released during sleep. And it is not something that should be left in the background or only for children who are growing, but this hormone is essential to be able to build muscle, break down fat or even regulate glucose. In the first half of the night. Not all moments of the night are worth the same, since approximately 70% of daily growth hormone secretion occurs during the first cycle of deep sleep, also known as the N3 phase. In this way, if we shorten our hours in bed and miss that key rest, deep quality sleep is not achieved and the desired peak of growth hormone does not occur. What this directly leads to is accumulating fat and losing muscle tissue. The hunger. The muscle is not the only one affected, but our diet also suffers chemical sabotage. Here research has shown that little sleep drastically alters our appetite-regulating hormones. A large meta-analysis published in the journal Obesity Reviewsthat analyzed 21 studies with 2,250 participants, pointed out that short sleep causes leptin, which is the hormone that sends the signal of satiety, to decrease by 18%, while ghrelin, the hormone that triggers hunger, increases by 28%. This makes us have a greater appetite and prefer to consume more calories if we do not sleep enough hours. The metabolic risk. The impact of not sleeping goes far beyond hunger and the scale, since at a metabolic level, sleep restriction reduces insulin sensitivitywhich directly increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. More and more data. If you still had doubts about the benefits of sleeping correctly, we already know that having a good sleep allows us to be more productive and better integrate the different knowledge that we learn in our brain. But to this is now also added the ability to ‘create’ new muscle, making the smartest decision to be sleeping, although for some it is not very productive. Images | Slaapwijsheid.nl Anastase Maragos In Xataka | Hitting the gym every week is great, but it all depends on what you do right after you leave the gym.

what it is, how it works and who can use Xiaomi’s AI agent platform

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Let’s tell you What is Xiaomi MiMo Claw and how does it work?the artificial intelligence platform created by Xiaomi. This is a service that combines the manufacturer’s own artificial intelligence with the platform OpenClawthe popular AI agent. Xiaomi simplifies all of this to the maximum so that anyone can use it. So that you understand it well, we are going to start by explaining what exactly this tool is and how it works. Then, we will tell you who can use it. What is Xiaomi MiMo Claw MiMo Claw is a platform created by Xiaomi, built on OpenClawan open source AI agent framework. OpenClaw allows artificial intelligence to take control of your devices and do things for you on them, both to manage files and to do things on the network. About OpenClaw Xiaomi uses its most advanced artificial intelligence model, MiMo-V2.5-Pro. It is this version of MiMo that acts as an agent, being able to do the tasks you ask of it. Come on, it’s not limited to answering questions, it can also perform actions for you. Xiaomi has been testing this tool in beta for months, and on June 16, 2026, it confirmed the launch of its official version. Its great asset is yesu integration with Kingsoft Office (WPS Office), the office suite that is the Chinese alternative to Microsoft Office or Google Workspace. With this agreement, whoever uses its programs will have Xiaomi’s AI functions integrated. Xiaomi claims that in its internal tests at ClawEval, a testing ground that measures the performance of AI agents, its model had a task completion rate of 63.8%, with token consumption between 40% and 60% lower than that of similar products. Of course, remember that these are data that Xiaomi itself has given, it is necessary to treat the figures with caution. How MiMo Claw works MiMo Claw works as an AI agent, not a chatbot. This means that it is not limited to writing you answers for what you ask, it can take care of perform complex multi-step tasks without you having to guide them through each one of them. According to the data published by Xiaomi, the system can sustain more than a thousand consecutive calls to tools within the same session. This means that you do not lose track of what you are doing, and the logic is not interrupted in a long task. Come on, it’s harder to stay halfway without knowing what to do when the tasks are especially long. This is possible, among other things, because MiMo-V2.5-Pro ​​handles a context window of up to one million tokens. Tokens measure the amount of text and information that can be remembered and taken into account less work. The model natively supports the protocol MCP or Model Context Protocol. It is a standard that acts as a bridge between the AI ​​model and data sources that feed it to give it the information it needs to function. This means that it allows an AI to call external tools, being able to search the Internet, open files or execute code autonomously without the user having to do anything else. As we have told you, MiMo Claw is integrated into Kingsoft Office, so it focuses on the office field. MiMo Claw is compatible with more than 95% of common document formats, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint or PDF among many others. This allows you to create complete cycles. For example, you can generate a document with AI, preview it and edit it in real time, all without leaving the Kingsoft Office ecosystem or resorting to other platforms. You can also create documents with a single click from templatesmanage files, and execute several tasks at the same time. This entire system is hosted in the cloud, so you don’t need to install anything nor use it on a powerful computer, although this also means that it does not have as much privacy as local alternatives. Of course, it is available 24 hours a day and can continue working or correcting errors while you sleep or do other things. Who can use MiMo Claw MiMo Claw can be used independently on the website of mimo.mi.comwhere in Use MiMo do you have a link for MiMo Claw. Of course, its deployment will be progressive outside of China. The service is in a phase where subscriptions and technical support for abroad are not yet enabled. Even so, when it arrives its free usage time will be 4 hours. MiMo Claw’s integration with Kingsoft Office is also designed for the Chinese domestic market. Therefore, if you use the version of WPS Office available in European app stores you will not find native integration with MiMo Clawit will only be in the Chinese versions. Therefore, at the moment MiMo Claw can only be used in China, and we will have to wait to see if it ends up reaching Europe. European data protection regulations are strict, so it may take a while to arrive. In Xataka Basics | QuickClaw: what it is, how it works and how safe this application is to install OpenClaw on your mobile with just a couple of clicks

“It is not wild boars that cross our roads; it is our roads that cross their habitats”

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In 1959, the biologist Jane Goodall documented how newly opened roads in East Africa altered ancestral routes displacement of primates and other mammals, forcing them to change movement and feeding patterns. Decades later, that early observation has become one of the great certainties of modern ecology: a road never divides just one landscape. The city as an invisible barrier. Modern cities are often thought of as perfect machines for moving people: cars, subways, scooters, roads and avenues designed to optimize each human journey. But that logic has a hidden cost. Under that network of asphalt and glass, thousands of animals coexist in an environment that for them functions as a permanent trap. Urban mobility, so efficient for us, becomes for wildlife a territory full of obstacles, noise and death points that alter their daily lives and reduce their living space. The noise that forces change. One of the deepest impacts is the acoustic. Many birds depend on song to defend territory, find a mate or communicate, but the constant noise Traffic has forced many species to change their behavior. Some raise their pitch, others advance their songs at dawn and others they just disappear. Adapting has a price: more energy expenditure, less reproductive efficiency and constant stress that breaks balances built over thousands of years. Glass, cars and silent deaths. They counted on a Vanguard report that the deadliest threat is often not even seen. Glass surfaces, transparent screens and illuminated infrastructure cause thousands of bird collisions each year. Robins, chiffchaffs and thrushes are among the most affected speciestrapped by an architecture that to the human eye is neutral, but for them it is an invisible trap. Added to this is road traffic, which turns secondary roads and urban roads into authentic corridors of mortality, especially for amphibians during their migrations. They are not the ones who invade. Here comes the idea that summarizes the true change of outlook. As the ecologist states Joan Pino in the middle“it is not wild boars or roe deer that cross our roads; it is our roads that cross their habitats.” The phrase dismantles a widespread perception: that fauna breaks into human spaces. The reality is the inverse. For decades we have fragmented forests, natural corridors and passageways with roads, train tracks and housing estates. When a wild boar appears on a highway or a roe deer in a district, is not invading anything; He is trying to move through a territory that was always his. The price of cutting up nature. That cut has measurable consequences. In Catalonia, accidents with wildlife have been doubled in the last decade, already exceeding several thousand a year. In that sense, it is not only a question of road safety, but a sign that ecological connectivity is failing. Spaces like Collseroladespite their proximity to large green areas, are becoming increasingly isolated due to traffic density and the proliferation of infrastructure. Physical distance matters less than the hostility of the middle ground. Rethinking the shared city. It is possible that the solution will not only involve building isolated wildlife crossings, although they remain essential. The challenge is much broader: design permeable territories where biodiversity can move without encountering lethal barriers every few hundred meters. Glazing adapted for birds, less aggressive lighting for bats, green corridors and less private traffic are part of this new logic. From this prism, the city of the 21st century can no longer be thought of as an exclusively human space, it will have to be understood, increasingly, as a shared ecosystem where moving does not imply expelling or silencing the rest of the invisible neighbors. Image | x In Xataka | In Spain we are putting GPS on wild boars to follow their wanderings. And we are discovering surprising things In Xataka | An “enemy” is invading the United Kingdom on a large scale and it is one of the most intelligent it has faced: the octopus

What is the best cheap dongle for your TV in 2026?

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Although it is true that 4K dominates marketing, HD streaming is still the king of the second homes, bedrooms and old TVs who refuse to die. If you want to convert a standard television into smartwith a simple dongle you can achieve it and for less than 50 euros. Today, there are two devices of this type that are leaders: the Fire TV Stick HD and the Xiaomi TV Stick HD (2nd Gen). We confront both throughout this post so that you can choose one of them to give a second life to an old television that you have at home. Amazon Fire TV Stick HD (latest generation) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Xiaomi TV Stick HD 2nd Gen The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Technical data sheet of the Xiaomi TV Stick HD (2nd Gen) and the Fire TV Stick HD Xiaomi tv stick hd (2nd gen) fire tv stick hd Maximum resolution 1080p (Full HD) at 60 fps 1080p (Full HD) at 60 fps processor Quad-core Cortex-A55 Quad-core 1.7 GHz (Optimized) ram memory 1GB LPDDR4 1GB DDR4 Storage 8GB eMMC 8GB operating system Google TV (based on Android 14) Fire OS (Amazon Ecosystem) video codecs AV1, VP9, ​​H.265 (HEVC) AV1, H.265 (HEVC), H.264 hdr HDR10, HDRO10+, HLG HDR10, HDRO10+, HLG audio Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD Dolby Atmos (passthrough), Dolby Digital Connectivity Wi-Fi 5 (Dual Band), Bluetooth 5.0 Wi-Fi 6 (Basic Support), Bluetooth 5.3 Ports HDMI (built-in), Micro-USB (Charging) HDMI (built-in), USB-C (Charging) voice assistant Google Assistant Alexa extra features Chromecast built-in Support for Ring/Echo cameras remote control Bluetooth with direct access to YouTube Bluetooth with TV channel buttons price from 59.99 euros (only for sale at Powerplanet) 49.99 euros (not yet for sale) At first glance, in this comparison table you can already see how these are similar and what they are not. dongles. But so that you are clearer about the best option for your TV (and your own tastes and needs), we are going to delve into their differences. Software and philosophy: customization or recommendation? This is the main difference between both models, since you are not buying just hardware but you are choosing the operating system that you will see every time you turn on the screen. The Xiaomi device works under the latest version of Google TV. One of its great advantages is neutrality, since Google recommends content based on what you seewithout aggressively prioritizing its own platform. In addition, having Chromecast integrated is a lifesaver, since you can send content from your mobile directly, with just one touch. Instead, the Fire TV Stick HD uses Fire OS. Here, you could say that Amazon is the owner and this shows. The interface is fluid, but designed for you to consume Prime Video content. One of its strong points in 2026 is its integration with home automation. So if you have a smart home with the Alexa ecosystemyou can see who is knocking at your door (if you have a Ring video doorbell) or ask the voice assistant to turn off the lights in the living room, for example. Of course, you have to be prepared to see banners of advertising for their own series on the home screen, something that not everyone likes. The controller: the physical connection with the content Both controls They work via Bluetooth (which prevents you from having to point them directly at the TV); The sensations of use are different. Xiaomi bets on the extreme minimalism. Its buttons are very quiet and have dedicated shortcuts. Of course, Google’s voice assistant delivers, but sometimes it may seem a little slower, especially when processing complex requests. On the contrary, Amazon’s command is already a reference. Is ergonomic, robust and the button intended for Alexa works instantly. Voice search allows natural commands and the system gets it right. Performance and memory management On paper, both devices are entry-level, although there are some differences in performance. Don’t be fooled by the RAM numbers, which are still frozen at 1 GB in both models. The secret of this renewal (in the case of Xiaomi) is purely hardware: the processor makes the leap in architecture A53 to A55while the graphic section is modernized from a Mali-450 to Mali-G31 MP2. How does this show up on a day-to-day basis? It doesn’t change the number of apps you can keep in the background, but rather the pure speed at which the stick responds. Both models, on the other hand, decode the AV1 codecsomething vital in 2026. This means that it allows you to watch HD streaming with superior image quality while consuming 30% less data. If your connection is unstable or you use your mobile as a hotspot, AV1 can significantly reduce interruptions during playback In this section we would also have to talk about connectivity. Here the Amazon Fire TV Stick stick out his chest with his WiFi 6 compatibility (compared to WiFi 5 of the Xiaomi model). If you have a modern router at home, the connection is stronger and has less latency, something you will notice a lot, especially if you use cloud gaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming or Amazon Luna. Why buy the Xiaomi Stick HD (2nd Gen)? Although still It is not officially for sale in Spain (at the moment we have only found it on Powerplanet for 59.99 euros), if you want to wait to get it dongle from the Chinese manufacturer in other stores, these are the reasons why it would be worth waiting to buy it. You send a lot of content from the mobilelsince the built-in Chromecast is much more stable than Amazon’s mirroring system. It’s perfect if you project photos from your gallery, videos from social networks or Chrome tabs to your TV. Do you like to enjoy a Clean interface without intrusive ads. Want customize your home screen to the millimeteruse apps that are not in official stores or you want full access to the Google … Read more

PAU students have become obsessed with Gardening FP. It actually makes complete sense.

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Everyone manages their nerves as best they can (or knows how). A few weeks ago, while thousands of young people were preparing the PAUthe old ‘Selectivity’, a tiktoker called Ikero800 published a comic video in which he joked about the future that is presented to students with bad grades. The piece, which lasts just 15 seconds, shows a telephone with an incoming call that reads “FP de Jardinería” while the tiktoker hum those three words over and over again to music Joseph Haydn background. Funny or not, has gone viral. But… Does it make sense? Reducing tension. To understand it you have to go back a few weeks back, when thousands of young people from all over Spain were glued to their desks reviewing the last lessons before the PAU, the test in which many risked access to their dream career. To relieve tension and pulling sarcasm, Ikero800, a tiktoker with almost 11,000 followers, he published a video in which he jokes about the outlook that was presented to those who failed. What panorama? The average cycle (FP) of Gardening and Floristry. Or at least that’s what Ikero800 slides into his video, in which he hums over and over again “Efepé gardening…” while a Haydn trumpet concerto plays in the background. In the image we see the young man dancing, the capture of an incoming call in which the same thing is read (“Gardening FP”) and a text that explains: “POV: you fail all the course exams and see how the gardening FP is approaching.” As a video says more than a long explanation, here we leave the link: @ikero800 Did you like my gardening FP song? ♬ original sound – Ikero800 @danistudyy 😭🤣all of us who have exams right now😭🫣 This would have been my lucky case that proxus.es saved me from this and helped me get good grades, I hope I don’t get caught in the body and paint exam students university high school humor ♬ original sound – Ikero800 15,900 videos (and counting). The truth is that the sketch it worked. So much, in fact, that Ikero800’s video is on its way to 87,000 likes and his joke has transcended far beyond his account. The original audio of his piece, in which the tiktoker humming out of tune ‘gardening ephepe’ while Haydn plays in the background has already been used around 16,000 times. The staging changes, but the ‘soundtrack’ is always the same. Same as the message: most people use it to joke about their PAU or their grades. “POV: there is one day left until the PAU and it starts to ring,” one publishes while recording himself studying. “We when we see the language exam tomorrow,” shares another in a video in which a group of teenagers are seen in a garden with a pot and a shovel. The list goes on and on (and on and on). Why is it important? Beyond its viralitythe joke is interesting because it reflects a reality that transcends TikTok, networks or the Internet: accessing the dream university career is increasingly difficultwhich translates into an extra burden of anxiety for students who are risking their future. It has always been like this (the Selectivity already left similar scenes), but the situation seems to have worsened due to the pressure endured by the most in-demand degrees. Last year elEconomista.es did a study analyzing a selection of degrees and universities and concluded that in just one decade the cut-off marks had risen on average by 24%. From the 7.78 average in the 2015-2016 academic year, it had gone, according to the newspaper’s calculations, to 9.63 in 2025-2026. elDiario.es did a similar exercise and although their data do not coincide, the general trend does: their estimate shows that in just one decade it went from 6.85 to 8.05. Racing inflation. If before there were only four careers that required a outstanding grade 13 (or higher), last year that was already the price to pay to access some 70 degrees. a few weeks ago The Mail did a similar exercise in Galicia and concluded that in almost 80 formations the cut-off score had suffered the effects of ‘inflation’, that is, it had increased in just a couple of years (2023-25). In another hundred the trend was the opposite. The pressure it is not the same in all training courses and stands out above all in double degrees, Mathematics, Computer Science and certain training courses in the scientific field. With this data, we can better understand the TikTok publications in which students show their reactions upon learning about their PAU grades or jokes like that of Ikero800, who, given the success of the video on the Gardening FP, published other similar videos (the music changes) about the Plumbing FP, Welding FP, Sports FP, Cooking FP or even “FP of Churrero”. Are FP that bad? Not at all. What’s more, the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services of Madrid recalls that in certain cases FP has become “a much more attractive path than university” in the eyes of students who finish the Selectivity. At least if we talk about employability. According to a study cited by the agency, last year between 73% and 79.5% of VET graduates were in active employment, a percentage that drops to 66% among university students. Of course, the membership rate depends a lot on the type of training we are talking about. For example, according to U-Ranking in the degree of Medicine or Computer Engineering it exceeds 90%. What Social Security says. The disclosed data in 2025 by Education show that the average affiliation rate in the first year was 36.2% among those who graduated in 2020-21 in Intermediate Vocational Training and 51.1% among those with Higher Education. These percentages grow as the years go by. The third year is around 63.5% among higher graduates and 72.1% in dual modality. If we talk about university degreesIn general, the average affiliation rate is 49.6% after the first year, 65.6% in the … Read more

an anomaly of up to 15 degrees never seen since 1950

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Right now, as I write this, “there is the possibility that next week’s temperatures will be Record”. That is, “the highest recorded in Spain since 1950” for that date. The American model, without going any further, It is 46 degrees for areas of Portugal and Extremadura. What there is no doubt is that a “very extreme” warm episode is coming with anomalies between 10 and 1 degrees above normal. I repeat because it is difficult to assimilate: between 10 and 15 degrees. At this point in June 2026, the only discussion is whether we will see the first heat wave of the year. A debate that does not focus on the heat we are going to experience (which, except in areas affected by storms, will be a lot), but on how long the extreme event will last. What is going to happen? In principle, as explained Álvaro Oliver“a ridge will spread from the Sahara that will practically reach the polar circle.” The consequence of having a “great subtropical advection, with temperatures at 850 hPa close to 30°C” is that, “on the surface, 40°C will be reached in many points and will be widely exceeded in the valleys.” It is true that “no need to take it for granted maximum temperatures” because there will be convection, cloudiness and “stormy spells that generate intense gusts of wind.” In other words, the warm advection will probably not be as “stable” as the last one and that will be especially noticeable in the western Cantabrian. However, the resulting picture is dramatic. What can we expect? In terms of temperatures (and beyond an unprecedented crisis in the south of France), maximums around or above 35 ºC in the middle of the week even on the Northern Plateau and the possibility of 40 ºC in the interior of the southern half. This, however, refers to the most intense phase of the phenomenon. What worries experts is that many scenarios maintain the warm anomaly throughout the last fortnight. Hence the doubt persists about whether or not there will be a heat wave. To do this, the extreme temperatures have to last three days. Either way, this is real. Whether or not there is a ‘heat wave’ will be a technical question. The important thing is that the signal is there: the heat waves in Spain they doubled their frequency in 2011-2020 compared to each of the previous decades since 1975 and appear earlier and earlier. June 2025 was cool, but we already have the heat knocking on our door here. What does all this imply? Plus the heat is already here. It’s a wake-up call: the first extreme events of the season They are always the most dangerous. Neither our houses, nor our clothes, nor our physiology are completely adapted. And that, in people with health problems (or very exposed to heat) can be a top priority health problem. Image | Tropical Tidbits In Xataka | We have not known for 30 years why there is an area of ​​the Atlantic that cools while the planet burns. Now we have an idea

MediaMarkt is selling out all these portable air conditioners right before summer starts

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Summer officially starts next Sunday, but it’s already hot. Many of us have been caught by the bull and we don’t have anything at home to make it more bearable, so it’s time to go for something. If you don’t want a fan nor anything that requires installation like a split type air conditionerone of the best alternatives is a portable air conditioner. And MediaMarkt is liquidating several of them. Portable air conditioner – Cecotec ForceClima 9150 Style, 2250 fg/h, 2 speed The price could vary. We earn commission from these links There are several models to choose from, but we have selected five that we find especially interesting: Cecotec Force Clima 9150 Style by 209 eurosideal for rooms of about 25 square meters. Koenic KAC 9026 W by 190 eurosan economical option with night mode. De’Longhi PAC EM90 Silent by 599 eurosa very quiet portable air conditioner ok OAC 7026 ES by 153 eurosperfect for small rooms. Koenic KAC 12126 by 299 euroswith a dehumidifier function and with refrigerators for a large room. Cecotec Force Clima 9150 Style The first of these portable air conditioners is the Cecotec ForceClima, which has 2,250 frigories. It is ideal for rooms of about 25 square meters and also has a lot of versatility, since it can be used for cooling, ventilation or as a humidifier. At the MediaMarkt outlet, in ‘New’ condition, it is available for 209 euros. Portable air conditioner – Cecotec ForceClima 9150 Style, 2250 fg/h, 2 speed The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Koenic KAC 9026 W An option very similar to the previous one but somewhat cheaper: this is the Koenic KAC 9026 W. It has the same refrigerators as the Cecotect one and also has 3 operating modes. This also has a ‘Night Mode’ to save energy and emit less noise. It has a timer, includes a window kit and, in ‘New’ condition, comes out 190 euros. Portable air conditioner-KOENIC KAC 9026 W ES Mobile Air conditioner,Temp 24h The price could vary. We earn commission from these links De’Longhi PAC EM90 Silent The most expensive of these airs is this one from De’Longhi. It has 2,450 frigories, making it suitable for larger rooms than the other two above. But, beyond that, this model stands out for making less noise than other airs of this type. In addition, it has energy efficiency A, something that we will appreciate on the electricity bill. On MediaMarkt it is available for 599 eurosalthough we found it on Amazon for 495.04 euros. De’Longhi Pinguino PAC EM90 Silent The price could vary. We earn commission from these links ok OAC 7026 ES If you are looking for one that is especially economical and that works for small rooms, this one from the ok brand may fit you very well. It has 1,750 frigories, although it is also more compact and narrower than the other models on this list, which also makes it easier to move from room to room. In ‘New’ condition, we have it available at the MediaMarkt outlet for 153 euros. Portable air conditioner – ok. OAC 7026 ES, 1720 fg/h, 2 Speed, 16m², 55 dB(A) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Koenic KAC 12126 Another from the Koenic brand, although this time we are looking at a model more oriented towards large rooms, such as a living room. Of all those in this selection of portable air conditioners, it is the only one that also has a heat function so you can continue taking advantage of it in winter. It also has a timer, night mode and is out right now at the MediaMarkt outlet for 299 euros. Portable air conditioner-Koenic KAC 12126 W ES Mobile AC, 4 modes, 400 m³/h, T 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 | Cecotec, Koenic, De’Longhi, ok, In Xataka | Which smart air conditioner to buy. How to choose a connected air conditioning system and featured models In Xataka | Silent portable air conditioner. Which one to buy? Tips and recommendations

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