usatoday24

rich, globalized and increasingly invisible

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More than twenty years ago, a Chinese engineer working in Silicon Valley with little more than a chip design. He wrote a phrase in an email that sounded like delirium at the time: predicted that the global memory business would end, sooner or later, in the hands of Chinese companies. Almost no one paid attention to him. Today, that engineer is one of the largest technological millionaires in China with a fortune estimated at 15.5 billion dollars. according to Forbes. His company has just debuted on the stock market with a force that has caught half of the Asian market off guard. And it is not an isolated case. An entire generation of young entrepreneurs is growing behind him. Chinese with giant fortunes. Unlike their North American counterparts, their objective is to go completely unnoticed by adopting a discreet public profile. Chinese millionaires: from bricks to chips The visionary engineer of Silicon Valley his name is Zhu Yiming and founded CXMT (ChangXin Memory Technologies), the largest Chinese DRAM memory chip manufacturer. When went public in Shanghai, its shares rose 500% on the first day surpassing Intel in capitalization. In 2018, Zhu committed to not collect his salary until the company made money. He fulfilled it. Zhu Yiming. Founder and CEO of CXMT Zhu is not alone in this new crop of Chinese millionaires who have gone from basing their fortune on the steel industry, construction or real estate speculation young entrepreneurs whose startups have become the technological cutting edge in AI and semiconductor development. According to the Hurun report 2026China already has 29 self-made billionaires aged 40 or younger. Liang Wenfengfounder of DeepSeek, rarely gave interviews when his AI model shook Silicon Valley. Your company just closed a new round of financing, and with it, his fortune climbed to the 36 billion of dollars. An estimate that places his fortune above that of Dario Amodei or Sam Altman. Millionaires with a global vocation This new generation of millionaires in China is not like the previous one. The big names of the nineties became rich driven by the real estate growth and the big factories for the west. Their growth objectives were in China and they did not contemplate expanding beyond its borders. On the other hand, the new millionaires have a more global vision for their products. Wang Ning created the Labubu dolls of Pop Mart and became the China’s tenth largest fortune and the youngest to achieve it. His toy triumphed across half the planet before many could even pronounce its name. He was not born with the aspiration of stay alone in China. Junjie Zhang founded something as united with chinese culture like a milk tea chain: Chagee. Just two years later it opened its first store outside of China and nine years later it is already a global success that listed on Nasdaq and operates in several countries. These new millionaires have not only adopted a more global philosophy in their companies, but they have also known how to connect with the needs of their employees. For years, Chinese business culture revolved around model 996: work from nine in the morning to nine at night, six days a week. Millionaires like Jack Ma or the founder of JD.com They defended that model of working day. However, the new generation break that habit to capture to the best talent. The price of growing fast However, not everything is an advantage for this new elite of billionaires. The Chinese Government continues to closely monitor the movements of its great fortunes since it punished in an exemplary way to Jack Ma. That happened after saying a speech criticizing to financial market regulators in 2020. In 2026, Beijing has blocked the sale from the artificial intelligence startup Manu to Meta for two billion dollars. Its founder, Xiao Hong, would have become a billionaire if the deal would have been closed. These types of run-ins explain why so many successful businessmen in China avoid the spotlight. They fear that a political turn in China or the US will change their business overnight, leaving their fortunes exposed. They let their products be and not their facesthose who cross borders make headlines in the press around the world. The most global elite in Chinese history is, at the same time, the most difficult to recognize on the street. In Xataka | Seven of the ten largest fortunes in the world in 2026 are due to AI: this illustrative graph makes it very clear Image | Pop Mart, CXMT, Unsplash (aboodi vesakaran)

having a device repaired even out of warranty comes into effect on July 31

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It is said a lot that Europe invents little and regulates a lot. The first is not true and we have some of the companies that They give life to sectors such as AI and semiconductors. The second yes, translating into the arrival of USB-C to iPhones or new Nintendo Switch with a battery that is easier to repair. In recent years, Europe has made advances to protect the consumer faced with something that manufacturers really like: planned obsolescence. And now, with the Directive 2024/1799 about to come into play, it is interesting to see what what has been dubbed the EU directive means for us as consumers. right to repair. Directive (EU) 2024/1799. This is its official name and it encompasses a set of common standards to promote the repair of property. It was formalized June 10, 2024 and modifies previously established European Union regulations and directives with the aim of extending the useful life of products, avoiding premature replacement and making repair more accessible and attractive to consumers. In essence, it seeks to generate less waste or electronic waste, as well as promote the circular economy, but obviously it also seeks to make it easier for a user to repair a washing machine, for example, rather than choosing to buy a new one by throwing the old one away at the recycling center. In fact, it is established that, as long as the device is repairable and the cost is proportionate, it can be repaired outside the legal warranty period. Calendar. The Directive formally came into force in June 2024, but as always in these cases, the different countries had a margin of time to adapt it to internal regulations. That time is coming to an end, since this June 31 the deadline for states to have prepared their proposals ends. By July 31, 2027, a further step will have to be taken to build a European online platform that allows consumers to easily find repairers and sellers of refurbished devices. The goal is to end 35 million tons of annual waste in Europe, but… what about practice? “Right to repair”. With this in mind, manufacturers will need to provide access to replacement parts, repair and maintenance information, as well as the software tools necessary to execute that repair. The key is that prices must be “reasonable” so that they do not dissuade the consumer from repairing the device and, furthermore, all this must be maintained during the warranty periods set by the countries. In the case of Spain, three years. The thing doesn’t end there. If the user wants to repair the device, manufacturers are obliged to provide replacement goods for the duration of the repair or to offer reconditioned goods when repair is impossible. If it cannot be repaired due to a factory defect and not due to misuse, you will not be left without a ‘clunker’ or you will have to buy a new one, in short. To do this, the Directive creates a ‘Form’ that repairers must provide free of charge to the consumer to inform about all this in the clearest and most understandable way possible. The type of repair, the price, the deadline, the guarantees on the repair and any other necessary terms are stipulated there, all of this in force for 30 calendar days for the user to make the decision. Furthermore, if the device is to be repaired, the warranty is extended by an additional year. And this is something that the manufacturer can do directly or by outsourcing the service. Impact. As we say, the different countries of the Union have had to prepare this last year for a new framework with which they hope to make repairs easier or for manufacturers to do products that last longer. There are some that are irreparable, but in practice, the impact of this measure reaches to establish repairability requirements on devices such as household appliances, some electronic equipment such as smartphones, consoles, computers and that type of goods. In case something goes wrong with the device and it is not due to misuse, you can assert your rights as a consumer. But of course, manufacturers will not be happy giving all the facilities, and this is where the importance of knowing those rights comes in. My colleague Pepu already captured that in Xataka Móvil, a series of recommendations which are most useful in order to have a little more peace of mind for the future of our devices: Deadlines and documentation: In Spain, any new mobile phone and other devices have a three-year warranty by law. Always ask for proof or purchase invoice, save it in digital and physical format, and do not lose it, as it is essential to manage any claim. Who is responsible for: During the first two years, if the technical service refuses to repair your device arguing that you have used it incorrectly, do not settle for a simple inspection at first glance. Always require that they certify and demonstrate said misuse through a detailed written report. Accessories: Elements such as the cable, charger or headphones that come inside the box do not have coverage of less than one year because they are consumables. The regulations grant them exactly the same three years of warranty as the phone itself. Warranty extension: If your device breaks within the warranty period, arranging its repair will allow you to obtain one more year of added legal protection, in accordance with European directives. Record everything: If they refuse to assist you or try to send you quickly in technical service, don’t give up. Raise your case by contacting the manufacturer’s official customer service (either by phone or online) mentioning the relevant law. If none of that works, you ask for the complaint form to go to the Consumer authorities. In Xataka | Logitech’s controversial “eternal mouse” does not require subscriptions. What it needs is to be repairable

In China they have had an idea to defuse the demographic bomb that shadows their future: “top blankets” of love

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Shanghai is a powerful financial center, with a booming stock market and hundreds of multinational headquarters. However, if one walks around on a Sunday afternoon People’s Parkin the Huangpu district, you will come across a market that seems straight out of another time. And not because their stalls sell crafts, spices or livestock. What we will see are parents determined to sell your unmarried children like great matches with which to start a family. Their goal is to capture the interest of other potential in-laws or marriage agency employees hired by other families. It may seem picturesque, but it is further proof of the demographic bomb that takes shape in China. A marriage market? Exact. And as a good market it is, we will find supply, demand, brochures and people committed to give notoriety to your ‘merchandise’although these are single children of matchmaking age who in many cases do not even know that their parents are there ‘selling’ them. That is the peculiar image that can be found on Sunday afternoons in the People’s Park from Shanghai (Rénmín Gōngyuán), where people meet who are looking for couples to start families with, parents concerned about the sentimental life of their children and agencies specialized in finding matches. OUCH! #China‘s population falls again as births drop to lowest rate since 1949 communist revolution. The number of new babies born was just 7.92mln in 2025, a decline of 1.62mln, or 17% YoY. The latest birth numbers show that the slight tick upward in 2024 was not a lasting… pic.twitter.com/QpUO7tRLFk — Holger Zschaepitz (@Schuldensuehner) January 19, 2026 Is it something new? No. There are references that go back to more than a decade. In fact, it is believed that the Shanghai marriage market started in 2004when parents began to act as matchmakers in the same place where their children gathered to attend dance classes or play sports. Shanghai is not the only place in China where these peculiar ‘love fairs’ are organized. We can also find them in parks Beijing, Canton either ChengduFor example. However, neither their popularity nor their antiquity has caused the interest they arouse among foreign tourists to decline. And what are those markets like? A quick Google search brings up articles on the topic of The Economist, South China Morning Post, The Paris Review either The Worldto name just a handful of examples. They are all recent and they all tell their readers the spectacle of the Shanghai market with a mixture of fascination and exoticism. And it is more than understandable. At fairs like the one in Huangpu you can find parents loaded with copies of the sentimental resume of their children, sheets in which they report their height, age, hobbies and (most importantly) if they have good salaries or a home they own. These leaves are hung from poles or open umbrellas, which recently led a reporter from The World to define it as a “top love blanket”. Why is it important? The fact that there are parks where suitors meet and, above all, parents concerned that their 35-year-old son is still single or a 38-year-old daughter is the only one in her group of friends who has not yet had children is striking. Just like the fact that there are agencies that They charge up to 1,000 euros for placing their clients’ resumes in the best places in the park, those where they will have the best chance of finding a suitor. However, if ‘marriage markets’ like the one in Shanghai generate so much interest, it is because of their social background. Cultural issues aside, they connect with one of the main headaches that Xi Jinping’s Government has been dealing with for years: the ‘demographic bomb’ that takes shape in China. Although for decades the problem was overpopulation and high birth rates, which led him to embrace until 2015 the ‘one child’ policyright now the challenge is another, of the opposite nature: birth rate falls, population falls, society ages and increasingly common to see single-person households. What do the data tell us? That parents who go to Parque del Pueblo with their children’s curriculum under their arms are the manifestation of a larger phenomenon. The Chinese authorities estimate that there are more than 240 million of single adults and there are studies that talk about 125 million of single-person households, which represents a radical break with the traditional concept of home in which up to four generations lived together under the same roof. The problem, after decades of application of the ‘one-child policy’, is that the gender division of this mass of singles is not balanced: there are 30 million more of men than women. As a backdrop, a nation in which demographic indicators are beginning to paint a worrying picture. In 2025 the country scored its lowest birth rate and saw the population shrink for the fourth year in a row. This trend has contributed, among other things, to China have lost the crown of the most populous country on the planet, but above all it worries about its implications social and economic. Is it only seen in the markets? Not at all. Marriage markets are part of a much larger and more complex mosaic that demonstrates how demographics (in their various manifestations) are becoming an obsession for part of Chinese society. And also his Government. In addition to fairs like the one in Shanghai, initiatives have been emerging in the country of all kinds for promote birth: matchmaking programs, subsidies…the Government has even gone so far as to make more expensive the price of condoms or activated, through the Communist Party (CCP), a kind of Tinder for young people. Images | Wikipedia (Jpbowen) and Luca Casartelli (Flickr) In Xataka | With the birth rate at levels not seen since 1939, a reality is emerging in Barcelona: the native population is now a minority

It has the last name Pro and will be updated for several years

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One of the best things about Apple is that it offers software update support for many years, which allows us to buy an old device and have it continue to be updated for many years. It happens, for example, with the iPhone 12 Promobile that is available refurbished at PcComponentes by 359 euros and that will still continue to receive updates for a few years. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links A cheaper iPhone with the surname Pro He iPhone 12 Pro It is a good mobile. It may not have the improvements and innovations that we see in the most current generations, but it is still an interesting proposal both for its format and for everything it offers. PcComponentes offers two years warranty and promises that it has impeccable performance. The mobile was launched in 2020 and you will still receive software updates; specifically will be updated until 2028. It is, therefore, ideal whether we want it as a first mobile phone or as a secondary one (for example for work). It is also quite compact with a 6.1-inch screen and comes in a configuration with 256 GB of internal storage. On the other hand, the iPhone 12 Pro incorporates the A14 chip; It’s not the latest, of course, but it still offers good performance. It is also compatible with 20W fast charging and MagSafe charging, as well as 5G networks and FaceID. ⚡ IN BRIEF: iPhone 12 Pro offer today ✅ THE BEST Software updateswhich will end in a couple of years. It is compatible with MagSafe. Two-year warranty offered by PcComponentes. ❌ THE WORST YesYour charging connector is Lightning. 💡 BUY IT IF… Are you looking for a mobile phone for work or for a more secondary use, or as your main mobile phone if you want a compact and cheap Apple device. ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… You are looking to get the most out of your mobile with demanding apps and games or if it is essential for you that it has artificial intelligence functions. You may also be interested 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 | Anna MartiApple In Xataka | Best iPhones. Which one to buy in 2026 and recommended models based on budget, tastes and quality-price In Xataka | Best mobile phones 2026. Which one to buy based on use and six recommended models

What Android tablet under €200 do you recommend?

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Although they don’t get as many headlines as smartphones, tablets are still in-demand devices for offering us a better screen for viewing content and using apps, especially for those who want something good, pretty and cheap for simple tasks. But precisely in the entry and mid-range ranges there are so many competitors that sometimes it is difficult to know which one to choose. And a cheap tablet for basic tasks is precisely what one of our readers asks us about in The Officeone of the advantages of Xataka Xtraour subscription to access exclusive newsletters, raffles, promotions and other exclusive advantages. In this case, what we offer is a direct line with us to resolve questions like this. The xatakero asks us for a recommendation an Android tablet under €200 that serves certain basic tasks. And this is where we come in to make recommendations based on our experience. The question “I’m looking for an Android tablet under €200 for easy use: navigation, emails, watching series, playing chess, Strava…” The answer Recommending a device is always a great responsibility, and in this case we need to know the hardware necessary for the uses that the user wants to give it. The question is answered by our colleague Iván Linares, a specialist in smart devices, who has extensive knowledge of the Android ecosystem and mobile and tablet models. “Of all the options currently available, I think I would buy the Xiaomi Redmi Pad Pro. Large screen with 2K resolution, a decent Snapdragon 7s Gen 4, enough storage and a generous battery. It’s close to 200 now on a flash sale: for that price you get a very good tabet, more than enough for the use you need.” Do you have more questions like this? The subscribers of Xataka Xtra You can send us your questions and our team will respond personally. And if you are already a subscriber, remember this advantage and that you can ask us whenever you want.

How a simple comma was enough to put a Steam game on the ropes

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The bug fixes It is one of the most frustrating tasks in video game development, especially when a failure seems to occur completely randomly and without following any pattern. The world of bugs in video games is very curious, and if not tell the guys at Atari, who when trying to center the company’s logo on the game ‘Tempest’ they ended up implementing a bug which allowed infinite games to be played. Well, something along those lines has happened to Black Beach Studios, developer of Iron Rebelliona mecha shooter for virtual reality. The studio spent months facing an enigma: players kept complaining on Steam and in the Meta Quest store about unexpected closures in the game. The problem was that in the automatic bug reports absolutely nothing appeared. It wasn’t until the team began recreating very specific game situations that they came up with a chain of errors so absurd that, in retrospect, it almost seems like a joke despite making all the sense in the world. Two Germans, a fight and a fall to the left Screenshot of Iron Rebellion | Image: Black Bleach Studio According to they explain the developers themselves in a video posted on TikTok, the origin of the problem lay in an extremely specific combination of events. The game crashed exactly when the following happened: A mecha was destroyed. The remains of the mecha were falling to the left. The combat took place at a very specific point on a specific map. And there were always exactly two German players participating in the game. Given this, the team asked the logical question: how is it possible that the players’ language causes the game to break? Those of you who know computer science will already be guessing the reason: the decimalsthat the devil carries them. In computing, decimal numbers are a delicate matter. While in the English-speaking world the point is used as a decimal separator (for example, 1.99), In countries like Germany, the comma is used by default (as we do in Spain, for example, with 1.99). If this is not taken into account, the ingredients for disaster are in place: due to the German localization, the game, for some reason, converted decimal points into commas when calculating physical positions. Image | Black Beach Studio When the mecha fell to the left at that specific point, the game sent the position data in network packets to the rest of the players. Due to locale settings, these packages contained commas instead of periodswhich caused the other players’ network code to not know how to interpret the information. The data could not be processed and the game would crash completely instantly. The problem has already been solved and the game is fully functional, but it is not the first time something similar has happened. In fact, something similar happened in a very beloved game: ‘The Witcher 2’. The game had a bug in memory management and font encoding with German texts, so every time I tried to process a character with Umlaut (ä, ö, ü) or ß, it would break. Furthermore, it happened in any context: when played in subtitles, in the inventory… The community had to come to the rescue with an unofficial mod. Via | Gamestar.de Image | Gamestar.de

MediaMarkt offers this Google Pixel with a 6.3-inch screen and Google Tensor G4 chip at a minimum price

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If you are looking for a compact mobile phone, with a good level camera and the cleanest Android experience on the market, there is no need to go to the high range. MediaMarkt has just brought down the price of Google Pixel 10a. It is reduced to 449 euros, but you can also get an extra discount of 44.90 euros if you are from miMediaMarkt. Thanks to this privilege, the mobile phone remains available for 404.10 euros. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links A good, pretty and cheap mobile This Google Pixel 10a that MediaMarkt has on sale is a pure Android phone with a 6.3 inch pOLED screen with Full HD+ resolution. This screen reaches a peak brightness of 3,000 nits and has a refresh rate of 120 Hz. As we have already indicated, it comes with the latest version of Android and its brain is the chip Google Tensor G4 (it is not the most powerful on the market, but it is more than enough for everyday tasks), accompanied by 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB internal storage. If there is something notable about this device, it is that it promises up to seven years of guaranteed updates. As for its photographic section, it incorporates a double rear lens and, finally, it should be mentioned that its battery has a capacity of 5,100 mAh and supports fast charging by 30 W cable. ⚡ IN BRIEF: offer for the google pixel 10a today ✅ THE BEST Good mid-range camera: The combination of Google image processing with the Tensor G4 engine achieves impeccable photographs in any scene, especially in portraits and night conditions. Update Support: offers 7 full years of operating system updates and security patches, guaranteeing the longest useful life in its segment. ❌ THE WORST Limited raw/gaming power… Although the Tensor G4 moves the system and AI impeccably, it is not designed for extreme gaming demands with ultra graphics during long sessions. No dedicated telephoto lens… Go for a main + wide-angle sensor, depending on the software digital zoom for long distances. 💡 BUY IT IF… You are looking for one of the best cameras under 500-600 euros. It’s the ultimate purchase if your number one priority is taking great photos and videos without the hassle. ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… You need to fill the battery from 0 to 100% in 15 or 20 minutes before leaving home, this model will be slow for you. Some accessories for this mobile that may interest you JETech Magnetic Case for Google Pixel 10a The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Google Pixel Buds 2a – Wireless Earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation 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 | Iván Linares (Xataka) and Google In Xataka | Best mobile phones in quality price. Which one to buy based on use and ten recommended models In Xataka | The Google Pixel 10a, face to face with its Pixel 10 family: this is the mobile I would choose

The AEMET warns of extreme temperatures in the midst of the fire crisis

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This summer we are going to have few respites as far as temperatures are concerned, and after the ‘rest’ we experienced this weekend, we already have the fourth heat wave of this summer upon us. And it is that, after propping it up in the last few hours On the part of the meteorological models, the AEMET has finally activated a special warning indicating that we will have a considerable increase in temperatures at least until Sunday. When does it start? The special notice issued by the AEMET marks Wednesday, July 29 as the official starting point for this new episode. Although the anticyclonic situation has already begun to raise thermometers, it will be on Wednesday when temperatures take an extraordinary leap, especially in the eastern third of the Peninsula. It will not be something specific, but the official forecast indicates that the extreme heat will stay with us at least until Sunday, August 2, although there are already voices that suggest that high temperatures will continue for a good part of next week. The oven map. On the same Wednesday, the mercury will reach 39-41 ºC in the main valleys of the southwest, such as the Guadalquivir, Guadiana and Tagus. But it will also break the barrier of 40-42 ºC in the Ebro valley and the depressions of the northeast. In the Canary Islands, the decrease in the humid layer will leave temperatures above 37 ºC and a strong presence of haze. On Thursday there will be a slight thermal respite on the Cantabrian coast, but the suffocating heat will remain unchanged in the center, south and east, repeating extreme maximums, which will last until Friday with temperatures that will continue to hover around 40-42 ºC. At the end of the week. Although the models show some uncertainty for so many days ahead, a significant drop in temperatures is not expected to allow the warnings to be reduced, and maximum temperatures will continue to remain stuck above 40 ºC. At the worst moment. Extreme temperatures pose a serious danger to public health, and the AEMET itself has warned of a “significant” risk in the middle of the day. But in addition to the medical field, we must not forget the many fires that we are facing in our country. Extinction efforts, which are currently focused on large fires in areas of Ávila, Madrid, Toledo and Castellón, are facing dramatic conditions. The heat wave brings with it very low generalized humidity and locally gusty southern winds and this scenario, which in climatology is known as the 30-30-30 factor (more than 30 degrees, winds of more than 30 km/h and less than 30% humidity), will once again trigger the fire risk index to extreme levels in practically the entire national territory. In Xataka | ENT doctors agree: “Sleeping with air conditioning forces the nose to work excessively”

cover your straws with acid ants

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When some time ago South Korean Food Safety inspectors started looking at online reviews of restaurants, they found something unpleasant: ants. Hundreds, thousands of ants. To the astonishment of the officials, in the comments of one of the most prestigious establishments in Seoul, nothing more nor less than a sorbet sprinkled with insects was shown, a dressing with which the chef intended to give an acidic touch to the dessert. The recipe worked well enough that it has been served since 2021. There was only one problem: it was illegal. What has happened? That a South Korean chef’s creativity in the kitchen is about to cost him dearly. Very expensive. The local press has revealed that the Seoul Western District Prosecutor’s Office has requested a severe sentence for the owner of a restaurant in the capital for violating the Food Safety Law. The most curious thing is what he is accused of. The establishment in question has not neglected its hygiene or served food or drink in poor condition. No. Their mistake (supposedly) was including ants as part of their ingredients. Ants in the kitchen? Exact. While browsing online reviews, officials from the country’s Food and Pharmaceutical Health Department came across strange mentions about a restaurant in Seoul: in addition to mentioning its meats, fish, wines and desserts, customers alluded to a sorbet covered with insects. To be more precise, what the chef used were dried black ants imported directly from the United States and Thailand. The most curious thing is that it was not new. According to the local pressthe restaurant began buying them in 2021, so the dessert had been on the menu for years. And what is the problem? Taste and scruples aside, the main problem is that South Korean law is very strict about what can and cannot be used in hospitality. And black ants fall into that last category, the banned one. It is not that the country’s legislation prohibits the sale of insects for human consumption, but its list is very restricted and perfectly limited: it is limited to a dozen species, including grasshoppers, mealworms, crickets, bumblebee pulp or silkworm pupae. No ants. What if you want to try new things? If a chef wants to be original and try new ingredients they can try it, but they must first request specific authorization from the authorities. The Food Safety Agency He also insists in that she is very clear about it, so she does not tolerate excuses. “Anyone can easily check on the department’s website, among other places, which raw materials can be used in food. Therefore, operators in particular must first check whether a raw material is suitable for use in food before purchasing or using it.” Were many sold? It seems so. According to authorities’ calculations, the restaurant served a total of 49,000 ants in 12,200 sherbet glasses. From the local they clarify this information and remember several issues. First, there was no bad faith. The chef used the recipe in the US and Europe to give acidity to his sorbets, but when he transferred it to South Korea he did not notice the change in legislation. Secondly, the business remembers that the ingredient was well identified on the menu, which offered several alternatives. It was the diners themselves who chose whether to order it or not. They estimate that in these years it has done 60%. And now what? Seoul authorities have released the news, but without detailing the name of the restaurant or the identity of its owner and chef. In fact, it is not even known if they are two different people or if the cook is also the owner of the business. What has emerged is that the establishment is located in the area of gangnamin the Korean capital, and is distinguished with two Michelin stars, which a priori identifies it as a restaurant of “excellent cuisine”. The creativity of your chef, however, can be costly. Yonhap agency points out that the Seoul Western District Prosecutor’s Office has asked the court for a one-year prison sentence for the restaurant owner, in addition to a fine of 20 million won, about 12,000 euros. The figure has been calculated based on the estimated benefits, which the authorities place at 120 million won. Isn’t that a bit excessive? It may seem like too harsh a punishment, but The Chosun Daily assures that the health authorities have not only “hunted” the establishment by ignoring food legislation. Their analyzes would have concluded that the ants used to sprinkle the sorbet “contained up to 55 times more heavy metals than usual edible insects.” Images | Marco Neri (Unsplash), Louis Hansel (Unsplash) and Ministry of Food and Drug Safety of South Korea In Xataka | Italy has taken the “gourmetization” of ice cream to the extreme with a €95 cone. Now the country debates whether that is “idiots”

already mass-produces its own UVP lithography machines, according to The Information

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A Chinese company backed by the government led by Xi Jinping has broken one of the most resistant barriers in the semiconductor industry. According to The Informationthis company has begun to mass-produce its own immersion deep ultraviolet (UVP) lithography machines, the tool that engraves the geometric pattern of circuits on silicon wafers and that China had never produced on an industrial scale. Its objective is modest: it intends to produce five units this year aimed at SMIC (Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation), Hua Hong Semiconductor and CXMT (ChangXin Memory Technologies), and another twenty in 2027. International media have not yet confirmed the name of this company, although several of them claim that it resides in Shanghai (China), so it is probably Shanghai Yuliangsheng Technology, an emerging company linked to Huawei and YesCarrier. This simply means that the ecosystem of suppliers that China has been weaving around Huawei in recent years is also beginning to bear fruit in photolithography, the link that is taking the longest to master. The market has reacted immediately. ASML shares have reached drop up to 6.5% in Amsterdam just a few hours ago, and Applied Materials, Lam Research and KLA Corp left between 4% and 7% in that same session. It is no surprise: any significant advance by China in lithography is perceived on Wall Street as a direct threat to ASML’s business in this Asian country, which, surprisingly, continues to be an important source of income for this Dutch company despite the fact that US and Netherlands sanctions They prevent it from selling its most advanced machines there. China is still a generation behind SMIC, China’s largest semiconductor manufacturer, has been testing a Yuliangsheng tool since September 2025. That machine has been designed for 28nm integration processes, although with multipatterning advanced could reach 7nm nodes or even more sophisticated. SMIC has set 2027 as the date for mass production of these machines. However, Yuliangsheng is not alone: ​​SMEE (Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment), another Chinese manufacturer of lithography equipment, has already sold about ten units of its SSA800 series, which is also focused on 28 nm immersion UVP photolithography. These new machines mainly incorporate Chinese components, although some critical parts still depend on Japanese suppliers. These new machines incorporate mostly Chinese components, although some critical parts still rely on Japanese suppliers, and presumably lag behind ASML equipment in performance and manufacturing quality. On the other hand, we must not overlook that this technical gap can trigger months of qualification tests before the equipment actually enters the large scale production lines. In this context, an independent analysis of AI Futures Project published in June has put Chinese production of commercial-scale UVP dipping machines into the mid-2030s. Meanwhile, ASML continues to control the 98.7% of the market. This last company, in fact, plans to deliver to its customers about 130 UVP immersion equipment in 2026, a volume similar to that of 2025, as explained its chief financial officer, Roger Dassen, at the July earnings call. This figure makes clear the real magnitude of the distance that separates China and ASML: this Asian country aims to manufacture twenty UVP units in 2027, while the Dutch company will deliver that quantity in just under two months. The geopolitical context, in any case, does not help reduce tension. The US is considering imposing even stricter restrictions on the export and maintenance of lithography equipment that reaches China through the MATCH lawwhose limitations would reach even machines already installed in Chinese factories. In parallel, the Chinese Government continues to develop its own extreme ultraviolet lithography (UVE), although this project is presumably still in the prototype phase, and, according to analysts, it is still several years of producing a commercial chip. Image | ASML More information | The Information In Xataka | TSMC raises its bet in the US: there are already 265,000 million dollars for 2 nm

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