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“Society will not tolerate that only a few companies do all the learning”

June 28, 2026 by usatoday24

That things are not very good lately in the tech industry is a reality (depending on which side you are on, of course). The economy around the exacerbated demand for AI data centers It has become so devirtualized that it is no longer surprising that a major technology company has spent tens of billions of dollars on another big deal. And as a consequence of this, component shortage It is making the purchase of technological products by the consumer increasingly more complicated. So yes, you could say that things are not very there. But there’s also some comedy in Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella coming out to point this very thing out. And the company precisely contributes greatly to the situation we are experiencing. In an interview For the Wall Street Journal, Nadella warns that the current AI development model is neither sustainable nor legitimate in the eyes of society. What is this about? Nadella has long warned that AI has to generate real impact to justify the resources it consumes. Already He did it last January at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he warned that if AI tokens do not improve tangible results in health, education or productivity, “social permission” to continue allocating energy and money to their development would be lost. Recently, in a similar speechhas dared to point out those who, according to him, are concentrating too much power. Concentration. For Nadella, a small group of companies (those that build the most advanced models, such as OpenAI, Anthropic or Google) are accumulating the value generated by AI while, at the same time, stirring up fear. And the conversation in recent years has revolved around topics such as massive job lossesthe existential risks about its use and about how these companies require almost unlimited resources to continue growing. “You can’t say that all white-collar jobs are going to disappear, that this could be a weapon, and at the same time use all the power available to build data centers,” counted the executive to the WSJ. Society is not going to tolerate a few models and a few companies “doing all the learning in the world,” he continued. “Narrative is not enough because now we have to demonstrate with facts,” he insisted to the medium. Who he points to without naming. Nadella does not mention specific companies in the interview, but the context says it all. Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic (and Microsoft partner with a multi-million dollar deal signed last year) predicted in 2025 that AI could eliminate half of jobs entry-level before 2029. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI (another long-standing Microsoft partner, in which the company has invested billions) has also made similar warnings about employment, although recently he admitted he was wrong in their predictions. Both companies have led to tensions with the United States Government regarding the safety of its models. What Microsoft is doing. Nadella also points out in the interview that Microsoft has launched a series of low-cost models to make access to AI cheaper for its enterprise clients, and has presented Copilot Coworkan autonomous AI agent that allows the user to choose between different models (including the cheapest ones) depending on the task. The WSJ points out In his article, the company is also considering whether to host a version of DeepSeek on its platform, a company that not long ago turned the technology industry upside down with its R1 model (it is also a company accused by OpenAI and Anthropic of having copied their models). The vision it proposes. For Nadella, the future of AI lies in a more distributed model, that is, companies using their own data, with access to a variety of models at different prices, without depending on a handful of suppliers. He defines the companies of the future as “continuous learning systems” that combine human knowledge and AI. In Nadella’s vision, a company’s capital would not only be its assets, but also its ability to process and learn, something he calls “token capital.” And he warns that protecting intellectual property will be key so that companies do not become mere executors of what the big models dictate. Between the lines. Nadella’s position also has a strategic reading. And Microsoft has not managed to develop its own model that competes with the most advanced ones from OpenAI, Anthropic or Google. Furthermore, according to share WSJ, its Copilot users have begun to prefer alternatives, according to data from the analysis firm Recon Analytics. Without its own header model, it is in its best interest for the market to move towards variety and price competition, and not towards consolidation around the most powerful models (which are, precisely, those of its partners). Cover image | Microsoft and M Rezaie In Xataka | “AI is killing my books”: Tim Ferriss has been selling productivity tips for years that ChatGPT now gives away for free

build the tallest statue of Jesus in the world

June 28, 2026 by usatoday24

If by chance you travel to Zovunia village in Kotayk, Armenia, you are likely to get one of those surprises that make you wonder if you are really in the middle of a dream. On the outskirts of the town, behind a metal fence, stands a huge figure of Christ of furious white. Although to be more precise, it is correct to say that what stands is only the trunk of the statue. Its other two sections are distributed throughout the same neighborhood, like pieces on a board. The picture is so strange that the aerial photos of the area seem generated by AI. However, it is about something else: the dream of an Armenian megalomaniac determined to raise the statue of Jesus Christ largest on the planet. One name: Gagik Tsarukyan. There are many ways to pass on to posterity. The Armenian Gagik Tsarukyan (69 years old) has it guaranteed by his status as a former athlete (he was world arm wrestling champion in the 90s), wealthy businessman and politician. However, he has decided that he wants to be remembered for another achievement: having erected the largest statue of Jesus in Armenia… and on the planet. What Tsarukyan has in mind is neither more nor less than erecting a huge sculpture of Jesus of 77.5 meters on top of Mount Hatis, in Kotayk. If the pedestal is added, the monument will total around 101 meters high. A new icon. Beyond its dimensions, the project draws attention for its symbolism and pretensions. Tsarukyan not only wants to erect a statue of Christ that surpasses the famous one in height ‘Christ the Redeemer’ from Rio de Janeiro (38 m) or the ‘Christ the King’ of Poland, which in 2010 was awarded the title of “tallest statue of Jesus Christ” by Guinness World Records. The Armenian magnate has proposed erecting his sculpture in a special place: in Hatis, on top of a 2,500 m mountain overlooking Yerevan and protected for its biodiversity and heritage. More than just an idea. The interesting thing about the project is that it is not just a more or less ambitious idea captured on paper or a handful of renders. As anyone who visits Zovuni can see, the sculpture is already well underway. Its authors have made of aluminum and divided into three sections to facilitate its assembly on the enormous pedestal that will rise in Hatis. Does a few months Reporters from Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty (RFE) visited the area and saw how the work on the base was progressing on the mountain while the three sections of the metal statue, already completed and awaiting assembly, appear behind the fence of a Zovuni workshop. The image is so surreal that it attracts curious people and some local guides have included it in their itinerary for tourists. How will those segments be moved to the top of Hatis? Some sources speak of a helicopter. Others point out that the final solution will be more orthodox and the pieces will be loaded in a truck. The oligarch Gagik Tsarukyan. With controversy included. That the work is advanced is explained by a very simple reason: the project is not exactly new. Tsarukyan announced it in 2022 and, at least initially, it seemed to convince the authorities, who saw in it a private initiative that could attract visitors to the country. In the summer of that same year (2022) the tycoon celebrated a ceremony of laying the first stone in Hatis, an event attended by the Minister of Economy. Shortly after, the project was marred, however, by the “irreversible damage” which, supposedly, caused to an ancient fortress in the area. Goal: 2027. That episode brought cold water to Tsarukyan’s plans, as he saw his project paralyzed for months. To save it, the magnate agreed to relocate the pedestal and move it several hundred meters. Thanks to this change, he once again received the green light from the Armenian authorities and continued with the foundation of the base, which was reactivated in September 2025. Photos taken on site by RFE/RL in March confirm that work is progressing with the goal of the monument being completed as early as 2027. The three sections of the statue wait while outdoors, in Zovuni. @armenianexplorer Armenian businessman Gagik Tsarukyan has funded the construction of what will be the world’s tallest statue of Jesus, standing at 33 meters on a 44-meter pedestal. This impressive structure will be installed atop Mount Hatis, at an elevation of 2,528 meters. The statue is already completed, with the architectural design crafted by Armen Samvelyan. ——— #Armenia #ArmenianExplorer #JesusStatue ♬ original sound – Armenian Explorer “He does not consider it acceptable”. Tsarukyan’s project does not quite convince the environmentalists and the Monument Watch organization has raised his voice also to warn of “the destruction” of Mount Hatis that “is carried out with the approval and permission of the Armenian authorities.” There is another institution that also has shown his suspicionalthough for different reasons: the Church. Although supporters of the mega sculpture hope it will attract visitors to Armenia and activate religious tourism, the Armenian Apostolic Church warns that the monument does not quite fit with the religious and architectural heritage of the country. In fact, he made his position very clear in a statement launched shortly after the project was presented, in 2022: “The Church does not consider it acceptable.” This is not a simple aesthetic objection. Armenian tradition reject the statues of Jesus Christ because they are considered idols. His faith is expressed above all through other figures: the Khachkarcarved stone crosses. RFERL remember that the few statues of Christ in the country have ended up vandalized. Matter what… and who. The truth is that Tsarukyan is just as (or even more) striking than his project. Armwrestling champion, boxing fan and rich man, Tsarukyan has also tried his luck in politics. without much luck. In the last elections his party, Prosperous Armenia, nationalist and pro-Russian, did not obtain … Read more

“Now there is money everywhere and if you have a quality company, you will have a lot of funds waiting”

June 28, 2026 by usatoday24

Like scouts for football or basketball clubs, investment funds and large companies use a figure with the same purpose. They are the ‘scouts’ or startup scouts. Their mission: to find promising companies when they have not yet been discovered, to be the first or among the first to invest or collaborate with them. In silver, arrive before anyone else. “These ‘scout’ programs become popular during approximately 2021-2022, in the midst of valuation hysteria for technology companies. It is a time of prosperity for the funds, which begin to see that the companies’ income multiples begin to grow very quickly,” says Kintxo Cortés, referring to the fact that the investment enthusiasm resulted in the companies’ income having to be multiplied each time by a higher number (x4, then x6, then x11…) to arrive at your assessment. For reference, the current 5 trillion dollars of capitalization of Nvidia are equivalent to multiplying its annual income by 20. In the case of Alphabet, Google’s parent company, the figure would come from multiplying turnover by 11 and in that of Apple, by 10. “In venture capital what is happening is that money is a commodity. There are very good funds, so it is not only a race to see who finds the company that grows the best but also who enters a promising company the earliest,” explains Cortés, who has been a scout for four years. He currently collaborates with the Accel and Samaipata funds, in addition to working at the connectivity company Gigs. “Now there is money everywhere and if you are an entrepreneur and have a quality company, you will have a lot of funds that will want to put money into you.” In an environment like the one Cortés draws, investment funds can only be differentiated in two ways. One of them is with its team of professionals, capable of adequately supporting the startup. The other is with speed. Whoever gets to the entrepreneur first has an advantage when it comes to investing. So the funds have diversified their search for projects with potential. The objective is to enter capital very soon, even with a small position. And this is where the scouting activity unfolds. They are specialists and know the entrepreneurship ecosystem inside out in certain areas or niches. They allow the funds to gain capillarity that they do not have with their staff alone. This way they have access to a greater number of companies and can glimpse promising teams operating in interesting sectors as soon as possible. Although this scout profile is not the only one that scans the landscape in search of attractive startups. Gema García González, director of Open Innovation and Coporte Venturing at Repsol, is in charge of a team of ten people dedicated to reinforcing the company’s technological development with external resources. “We try to be flexible, we work with other research centers, with other corporations and, of course, with startups. The entrepreneurial ecosystem has many pieces, it has grown a lot in recent years and can contribute a lot to us in developments that we want to accelerate,” he explains. In this case the scouts are on staff. Thus, the company has invested in more than 35 startups and today works with 21 companies, detected by its analyst service. “We do not invest in what any investment fund can invest in, we invest in something that can be strategic for the company, in startups with which we want to collaborate,” says García González. Repsol scouts, working within the framework of its R&D center, Tech Lab, comb the entrepreneurial ecosystem in search of circular economy, energy optimization or renewable hydrogen projects. “My team has to dedicate part of its time to being very connected to the ecosystem. It needs to have a good network of contacts with other corporations, with other investment funds, go to conferences and startup events and see which platforms are the best to launch technological challenges,” explains García González. He clarifies that one of the formulas for finding interesting projects is the launch of contests and challenges that reward the best solutions to a given problem. Don’t let the next ‘PayPal Mafia’ escape The connection with the entrepreneurial world is essential. In the technology sector, a trend that has been seen for a few years has been accentuated. “There are companies that are doing very well in technology and have many employees who begin to set up other companies because they have access to liquidity, either because the company goes public or they can move shares in the secondary market,” says Cortés. “They find themselves with a lot of money and the desire to continue building things.” The phenomenon is not new and is reminiscent of the success of ‘PayPal Mafia’a symbol of that diaspora that sometimes occurs in technology companies. Many talented employees and deep pockets who decide to undertake can emerge from them. From the early days of PayPal came Elon Musk, the founder of LinkedIn Reid Hoffman and the investor Peter Thiel. And other employees started projects such as YouTube, Yelp or the social application Slide, acquired by Google. More recently, the brain drain at OpenAI also illustrates how talent within one startup ends up spawning other startups. That’s where the Amodei brothers came from.which they founded Anthropicformer chief scientist Ilya Sutskever (Safe Superintelligence) or former CTO Mira Murati (Thinking Machines Lab). The great value of Kintxo Cortés for the funds with which he collaborates is his network of contacts with employees and former employees of the companies where he has worked, especially Airbnb, Shopify and Trade Republic. That connection is key for investing entities, which do not have the structure on their own to delve into the ins and outs of the projects formed by former employees of the technology companies. Even fewer are able to discern which employees they should pay attention to, whether because they are the sharpest, most talented, or best positioned. A corporation like Repsol must also be clear about which … Read more

Foxconn wants to manufacture everything. ALL

June 28, 2026 by usatoday24

Vivatech was held last week. It is one of the largest technology fairs in the world and one of the least concrete. There is humanoid robotsrobots that are dedicated only to doing funny things, robo-assistants, artificial intelligence, beauty products, a quantum computer, virtual reality and even a feelings monitor. Yeah. However, what surprised me most was not the glimpse into the future, but the deployment of the Taiwanese Foxconn. When we talk about Taiwan and technology, TSMC is the name that comes to mind the easiest, but Foxconn is the main component manufacturer worldwide, the engine of Taiwan’s exports and the controversial assembler of products such as the iPhone or the Xbox. The point is that Foxconn wants to stop being the largest telephone assembler to become one of the main multinationals in the world and the path is clear: robots, cars and artificial intelligence. And all that plumage is what it showed at the Paris fair. Vera Rubin, the jewel in the crown Nvidia is currently a driving force for many companies and Foxconn has been one of the last to enter under the umbrella of the American giant. The company led by Jensen Huang already has everything ready so that those who manufacture its platforms have the machines at maximum production for Vera Rubin. Two of the modules of a server This is the new AI platform that promises to be at the forefront of trainingbut also of the inference in the models and Foxconn recently joined as one of the leading suppliers of both Groq 3 LPX and cabinets Vera Rubin NVL72. These cabinets They are one of the grails of data centersa liquid-cooled supercomputer in which 72 Blackwell GPUs and 36 Grace GPUs behave as a single large accelerator to train and infer trillion-parameter models. It is an impressive platform that could be seen at the Vivatech stand next to one of the modules behind glass and signed by Huang himself. You can see that Foxconn is proud of this, wow, but apart from the injection of money, also because of the possibilities it opens up for them as a company that wants to start doing everything. Robotics and digital twins Because to become multidisciplinary, now youyou have to be an AI company. And something that goes hand in hand are robots and digital twins. At the fair we couldn’t see much about this, although they did show a couple of glimpses. On the one hand, a humanoid robot (from the hips up) that is in charge of setting up the servers. He places pieces and screws them with the necessary precision and force so that everything is adjusted to the millimeter. They told us that it is not the fastest at work (of course), but in the end there are still many of these working in parallel. On the other hand, the digital twins. This technology is very interesting because it is a software simulation of elements of the physical world. Thanks to AI and algorithms, engineers develop exact replicas of the physical world, but in the virtual world. Imagine a car, for example, not only modeled to the millimeter with all its parts in software, but that software simulates the weight of each of the components. The objective of creating these 1:1 replicas that respect the laws of physics, but in the virtual world, is to perform tests on the software that then accelerate developments in the real world. In a factory to create engines or any sensitive part/component, these digital twins are allowing much of the trial and error testing to be done in a virtual environment without the need to invest construction time in the real object. Basically, they exist so that sensitive parts of the development are carried out in an environment in which the price of error is lower, to fine-tune the shot for physical prototypes. And, for that, enormous computing power is required that Foxconn achieves with platforms like Nvidia’s, but also with another of its ambitions: data centers. Data centers If you want to have computing power without depending on increasingly expensive GPU rentals, you must have a data center. It is something that opens the door to both meeting your needs and the possibility of offering your equipment to whoever needs it (for a good pinch). And, within the framework of Vivatech, reported that the French electricity company Schneider had signed an agreement collaboration with Foxconn to set up a data center. It is a partnership that makes perfect sense, since one provides the energy and the other provides the AI platforms that, as we have just seen, are being developed for Nvidia itself. The cars. Because they also have cars, of course. And if each leg of the business makes sense on its own, the unifying point is the most striking product they brought to the fair: the car. The cars, rather. In 2020, Foxconn introduced Foxtron, a subsidiary focused on manufacturing electric cars under the open platform. MIH. This platform has been named “the Android of electric cars”since it is a platform that combines a modular chassis, power electronics and software so that third parties can build their own models and services. Model D interior Foxconn’s goal is reduce entry barriers to the EV segmentlower development costs and shorten market launch times, but of course, they have also taken the opportunity to create their own models. At the French fair they brought both the Bria (an SUV) and the Model D (more of a van) that stand out for their screens inside and an aggressive aerodynamic design in some parts. The company told me that the Bria, for example, It has about 300 or 350 km of autonomy (depending on how much you push it) and that it is powered by chips from MediaTek and Nvidia for the smartest features. The autonomy is nothing remarkable and it all depends on the price at which they market it. Interior of the Bria News regarding this? … Read more

Mistral CEO warns Europe that time is running out to build its own AI infrastructure

June 28, 2026 by usatoday24

When the United States Claude Mythos blocks people from outside the USsends a clear message: it is a cutting-edge export technology subject to control, like chips are. And in that scenario, Europe is practically an observer: the old continent is a pioneer in legislating AIbut its infrastructure, business ecosystem around it, and LLM models are behind what the United States or China have. Simply put, Europe depends on third parties for the best AI. But that can change. A little less than a month ago, Arthur Mensch appeared in May 2026 before the French National Assembly with another very clear message: if Europe wants to stop being an observer and descend into the mud, it has to do it now. Time is running against them. The deadline given by the co-founder and CEO of the main European artificial intelligence company is short: two years. The warning from the CEO of Mistral AI. In his exhibition, Arthur Mensch gave a warning macroeconomic with concrete figures: Europe has approximately two years to build its own AI infrastructure, or it will be structurally subordinated to American technology companies. If it does not arrive in time, Europe will become “a vassal state.” The future if we don’t achieve this is dark: “Once the supply is monopolized by American companies, we will suddenly run out of supply and will no longer be able to transform electrons into tokens.” His argument is technical but with a political background: whoever controls the calculation controls the economy. AI is not just another digital service: it is the infrastructure on which everything else will work. Like electricity or roads, but privatized and in foreign hands. Why is it important. Because under this approach, being dependent on third-party AI is not only a mere technical issue, which is no small thing considering its use in critical sectors such as defense or banking, it is also a serious problem of productive sovereignty and balance of payments. The CEO of Mistral refers to AI as a strategic asset, in the same way that gas is. Europe had a hard time understanding the cost of its energy dependence on Russia and Mensch’s argument is that the old continent is making the same mistake. In statements to CNBCdelved into the impact on the macroeconomy: “You cannot afford a trade deficit of one trillion if you really want to remain competitive in the race” because every euro that Europe pays to US companies for AI services is financing the competitor’s R&D. And that money is not coming back. Furthermore, we have already seen that using AI will be increasingly expensive, so much so that There are companies like Uber or Microsoft cutting licenses. Imagine if what depends on AI is your safety. Context. The game board shows that Europe does not exactly start with a good hand: according to data from Epoch AI, collected both by the US Federal Reserve as by RAND Europethe United States controls 74% of global high-level computing for AI, China 14% and the EU just 4.8%. He Draghi report of September 2024 has already identified that much of the blame for Europe’s productivity gap with respect to the US lies in the technology sector, or rather, the absence of it. One year later, Draghi himself was pessimistic: barely had been fulfilled 11.2% of almost 400 recommendations. In detail. Europe has already started with the plan action plan called “AI Continent” which is committed to tripling the capacity of data centers and deploying up to five gigafactories, but the question is whether it will be enough and if it will arrive on time. Without going any further, the 500,000 chips in these gigafactories planned are very far from what there is in the US: by the end of 2025, OpenAI I had already planned exceed one million chips. Mensch did not stop at warnings, but made concrete proposals. The first of them: use public procurement as a lever. Given that 50% of European GDP is generated through public spending, it is clear that it is a magnificent instrument to catalyze this development. On the other hand, Mistral is exploring the development of its own chips and has already announced a new data center in France. Yes, but. The main argument against Mensch’s words is obvious: he is one of the major stakeholders in the policies he proposes. Mistral has 1,000 employees, a valuation of 12 billion euros, a target of 1 billion euros in revenue by the end of 2026, this year it has invested 1 billion in R&D and approximately 75% of its sales are in Europe. On the other hand and for the moment, not having your own servers does not mean not being able to use AI, of course, being clear that it is a third party who dictates the conditions, prices and limits of that access. In Xataka | Europe wanted to set an example to the world with its AI Law. What you are achieving is becoming evident In Xataka | To become technologically “independent” from the US, the European Union already has a plan: four desperate measures Cover | Flickr and Wikimedia Commons / ALEXANDRE LALLEMAND | Igor Omilaev | Markus Spiske

49% of Americans already use AI frequently. Only 16% believe that it brings something good

June 28, 2026 by usatoday24

People are using AI non-stop, but they are afraid of it. It is the great conclusion of a recent study from Pew Research Center in which a unique dilemma is posed. Adoption is skyrocketing, but so is pessimism and distrust regarding AI. A survey with contradictory results. The well-known Pew Research Center published its macro survey “Americans and AI 2026” these days, and the results give a very contradictory picture. On the one hand, generative AI tools are increasingly used and are already part of many people’s daily lives. On the other hand, this success in popularity coexists with the concern that these same users have regarding this technology. ChatGPT is king. The report shows how using generative AI models is already very normal among the North American public. 49% of American adults say they use chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot, up from 33% in 2024. ChatGPT’s market share is by far the most notable: of all those who use these platforms, 44% (almost half) use ChatGPT over other alternatives. Gemini is in second position with a 25% share, and behind it are Copilot and Meta AI. The use is also anecdotal: 12% confess to using AI several times a day, and for 4% the use is “almost constant.” Goodbye search engine, hello AI. The practical use of AI also allows us to understand the change that is taking place. In the survey, participants indicated that the two areas in which AI is most used are the search for information (40%) and the automation of work tasks (38% of active workers). Not only that: the AI Overviews of the Google search engine are an absolute success: 60% of users take advantage of these summaries, which reveals a total transformation of the way we consume content and, in this case, searches. It is striking that AI is being used more and more, but at the same time users have an increasingly negative perception as well. Fear of AI (especially among young people). One of the most surprising conclusions of the study debunks the idea that new generations embrace AI with much more optimism than previous generations. It is true that those under 30 years of age double the AI use rate of those over 50 (57% compared to 28%). However, it is precisely these young people who show a more hostile profile towards the impact of this technology. These young people, those most impacted by recommendation algorithms, are the same ones who overwhelmingly believe that AI will end up having a negative impact on both their personal lives and society in the next 20 years. Less data security. The main reason for this negative perception of AI seems to be data security. For 71% of respondents, the use of AI will make their data less secure. It is a striking discovery that reveals a real problem: the conversations we have with AI are not private, because when asking something to ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini, for example, the data is sent to the clouds of OpenAI, Anthropic or Google (respectively) to be read and processed. This data can theoretically be collected, stored and consulted by personnel from these companies, and encryption practically does not exist. Only solutions like Apple’s Private Cloud Compute They propose a real solution to the privacy and confidentiality of conversations with AI models. Google, by the way, has launched its own alternative, Private AI Compute. A problem in the making according to US users. The growing use of AI seems positive because it shows that users are indeed finding ways to take advantage of it, but the fact that this increased use does not contribute to a positive perception is especially worrying. Here it is evident that the current rejection of data centers in the USA or fear of the impact that AI will have on work They do not help to improve that perception, and the uncertainty in both senses is high. There is more concern about AI in Western countries: curiously in Asia, optimism exceeds the concern generated by this technology. And in Spain, what? In our country the survey “AI Monitor 2026” carried out by Ipsos reveals varied data for various countries, including Spain. According to this survey, 47% of the Spanish population is enthusiastic about the use of AI (8 points above the European average), although there is also concern regarding this technology: 52% of those surveyed showed concern about its impact on society. Image | Solen Feyissa In Xataka | Spain has just put numbers to the impact of AI on the labor market: 2.3 million jobs will change forever

49% of Americans already use AI frequently. Only 16% believe that it brings something good

June 28, 2026 by usatoday24

The best MediaMarkt offers in technology, today June 28

June 28, 2026 by usatoday24

After a Prime Day full of offers, what do we have left? Well, MediaMarkt right now has a wide assortment of discounted devicesespecially from Apple. Are you looking for a good MacBook, Airpods or a sound bar? Well, pay attention to these offers. MacBook Air M5 by 1,099 eurosa good price considering that Apple’s official price has risen (and not a little). LG S80TY by 399 eurosa very complete sound bar that includes a wireless subwoofer. iPhone 17e by 599 eurosthe most economical mobile phone of Apple’s current generation with a more reasonable price. Dyson Cool AM07 by 249 eurosa bladeless fan that has a 28% discount. AirPods 4 (ANC) by 133 eurosone of the best prices we’ve seen on Apple headphones. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links MacBook Air M5 He MacBook Air M5 It is one of those affected by Apple’s price increase, but… you can still buy it at MediaMarkt for 1,099 euros (before 1,429 euros). It is a good laptop, especially because of the power that the M5 chipbecause of how little it weighs (1.24 kg) and how long its battery lasts. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links LG S80TY If your television lacks extra power (and quality) of sound, MediaMarkt has the offer LG S80TYa sound bar that, for 399 euros (previously 799 euros), comes with its own wireless subwoofer. It offers a power of 480W at 3.1.3 channels, is compatible with Dolby Atmos and it also has a five-year warranty. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links iPhone 17e He iPhone 17e You haven’t missed the MediaMarkt offers, and the store has it on sale for 599 euros (before 689 euros). It is the perfect mobile to give you the Apple mobile ecosystem without spending a lot of money. It is also quite compact with a 6.1 inch screen size and power is not lacking thanks to the A19 chip. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Dyson Cool AM07 Now that it’s quite hot, we should consider buying a fan if we don’t already have one. and the Dyson Cool AM07which has dropped in price to 249 euros (before 349 euros), it is ideal for homes with children and pets. Because? Basically because it doesn’t have blades. It is safe and easy to clean, includes a remote control and has an oscillation of up to 90º. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links AirPods 4 (ANC) Finally, MediaMarkt also has on offer the AirPods 4 in its version with active noise cancellation (ANC). Its price is 133 euros (before 169 euros) and stand out above all for having noise cancellationas this was a key feature of the Pro model. They also have a good battery and their audio quality is quite good. 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 | MediaMarkt and Compradicción (header), Apple, LG, Dyson In Xataka | Best iPhones. Which one to buy in 2026 and recommended models based on budget, tastes and quality-price In Xataka | Best connected fans (2026). Which one to buy and five recommended models

“3D prefabricated houses can help alleviate the housing crisis, but they are not a structural solution”

June 28, 2026 by usatoday24

When the mayor of Madrid, José Luís Martínez-Almeida, presented his first promotion Built “in wood with prefabricated 3D modules” it defined its objective in a simple way: to make housing cheaper by “reducing deadlines.” The Municipal Housing and Land Company (EMVS) stated that they would promote the “construction of 800 homes developed with this system” in the community. The question is obvious: is this system really scalable and a solution to the housing crisis that Spain is experiencing? Tenders for multi-family buildings like the one in Madrid with industrialized systems are beginning to become common. “There are similar cases in Andalusia and the Valencian Community, with different industrialization systems, both in 2D and 3D, with wood, concrete or steel,” says Gerardo del Río, civil engineer, commercial director at the Guerola construction company, which has a 3D industrialized building factory. For Margarita de Luxán García de Diego, architect and emeritus professor of Graphic Expression at the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM), this technique “is practically in an experimental phase.” still must move forward to improve and avoid limitations that condition it and “rigidize its use,” he clarifies. While industrial warehouses and single-family homes have been built with industrial systems for many years, high-rise construction such as hotels and educational centers is more recent, clarifies Gerardo del Río At the level of Spain there are very few buildings built and completed completely, with the enclosure and partitions with “3D printers in situ”. So far it has been done comprehensively in buildings up to two stories high. It also requires particular conditions so that the 3D printers can be placed and maneuvered. Regarding whether printed buildings can lower the final price, the architect points out that it is possible if the client is the developer, which is unusual. On the other hand, whether a builder or a real estate company sells them depends on the final price they want to set. Of course, they shorten construction times “as long as the project is very well resolved and decided in all its parts, including details and installations.” The challenge of making cheaper Carmen Díaz López, architect, doctor in Civil Engineering and professor and researcher at the Higher Technical School of Architecture of the University of Málaga, has the same opinion: “Industrialization makes processes cheaper, reduces uncertainty and improves efficiency, but that does not always automatically translate into a drop in the final price for those who buy or rent. The savings are clearer in time, management and cost control than in market price, unless there are measures that guide these solutions towards affordable housing.” In a town in Soria They have carried out a pilot construction test of seven industrialized homes. According to the mayor of Langa de Duero, “the homes are divided into modules, which means they can be practically assembled in three days.” Of course, the final shots would still be missing. While the Madrid project used wood, here the prefabricated elements are made of concrete. “They are different systems. The first consists of a multi-family building intended for an urban environment and the second is single-family homes for a rural environment,” explains Gerardo del Río. “It seems to me to be a good initiative in the face of the housing crisis, especially in areas as depopulated as Soria, and even more so being from Soria,” he adds. “These projects can help alleviate the housing crisis because they allow us to build faster and with greater cost control, something very relevant in a context of lack of supply,” highlights Carmen Díaz López. But the expert warns that “they are not a structural solution on their own: the housing crisis also has to do with land, regulation, financing and the functioning of the market. They are a useful tool, but they must be part of a broader housing policy.” “The ideal is for the initiative to be taken by the public sector, making land available to the private sector to build or construct housing directly, which can subsequently be managed by the administration itself or by the private sector through concession contracts,” says del Río. Margarita de Luxán highlights that industrialized homes They are not a panacea either. to housing prices and the lack of houses to live in. “The housing crisis and its solutions depend on many and very complex things, not only on construction techniques or materials,” he explains. For her, printed buildings are “a small part of the many approaches that must continue to advance.” In the current circumstances “they are marginal to define them as a generalized solution given their scale and conditions.” Render of the Loreto development, in Barajas, prefabricated in 3D. To address rural depopulation, projects like the one in Soria have, for Díaz López, potential if they are integrated into a territorial strategy. “Their main advantage is that they allow housing to be activated in places where today it is barely built, which can facilitate the arrival of new profiles: from young people to people who telework. But housing, by itself, does not fix the population: for there to be a real impact, services, connectivity, employment and a certain demographic stability are needed,” he highlights. “Its impact will depend on how it is scaled and, above all, if it is linked to a public strategy capable of converting that construction speed into truly accessible housing,” he adds. From the point of view of sustainability, the industrialization of housing has clear advantages for the professor at the University of Malaga: less waste, greater energy efficiency, better quality control and more precise execution. But the underlying debate is not only technical. “Industrialization can change how we build, but it does not solve on its own why housing remains inaccessible. The challenge is no longer so much technological as it is one of scale, governance and access model,” he concludes. In Xataka | Luxury homes in the US are selling like hotcakes and experts think they know why: AI In Xataka | In Vancouver they are building a … Read more

This is how the map of comings and goings has changed

June 28, 2026 by usatoday24

The photography of migration in Spain has taken a turn in less than four decades: it has gone from being a state that exports people to becoming one of the main migratory destinations on the continent. Thus, in the Spanish state in 1990, more Spaniards lived outside (1.4 million) than inside. In 2024, that proportion has reversed: 8.9 million people born outside the state’s borders reside in Spain, while there are 1.6 million Spanish people in diaspora. A brutal structural change that has its explanation in economic, demographic and geopolitical transformations. This trend was reversed approximately in 1995 (1.3 million immigrants vs. 1.2 million emigrants), it has been growing and does not seem to be stopping. The Spanish state is one of those places doomed to severe demographic contraction because its replacement rate is in the red. According to the INEfertility in Spain is 1.12 children per woman, well below the established threshold of 2.1 by the OECD at Society at a Glance 2024. Migration is essential to maintain the welfare state. The graph you see below these lines is an interactive tool called “Where do migrants live, and where were they born?” which allows us to see, for any state in the world, where the people who live there without being born there come from and where the people born there who live outside go. Both flows are concentrated in a graph where it is possible to filter by sex and move in time from 1990 to 2024. An important detail: the map does not show how many people arrived in a specific year, but rather how much is there in total accumulated. That is to say, if in 2024 there are 1.1 million people of Moroccan origin in the Spanish state, that is the sum of decades of arrivals, not the arrival of a million people at once. Where immigrants in Spain were born, and where their emigrants lived in 2024. Our World In data This Sankey diagram interactive is the work of Our World in Data, a non-profit organization linked to the University of Oxford that is responsible for publishing data visually. The information on which these graphs of bilateral flows between states are based comes from the UN DESA International Migrant Stock 2024which publishes an exhaustive and rigorous count of people living outside their country of birth for 233 countries. For those countries where censuses have not been done recently, the numbers are an estimate and not a direct measurement. 35 years of migration, in a very complete graph Debates about migration are often full of wrong perceptions and even selective amnesia: Without going any further, many people in Spain forget that the Spanish state has historically been a land of emigration and, in fact, has been recently. This Harvard study shows that people in rich countries overestimate how many immigrants there are and the resources they consume, so having access to this information in such a clear and intuitive way is essential to change that perception, or at least, to combat it with data. But this visualization is also relevant because it helps to see Spain’s connection with other countries and why: People do not migrate at random, but follow already established networks. Where immigrants in Malaysia were born, and where their emigrants lived in 1990. Our World in data It was difficult for Spain to become a destinationbut when it did it came dizzyingly quickly: the economic growth of the 1990s and 2000s required a lot of labor that the state did not have. Thus, it has been one of the most rapid demographic changes of Europe in peacetime: according to the INE Migration Statisticsin 2023 the migration balance was more than 642,000 people, one of the highest in the last twenty years. In that time, Spain has faced the challenge of managing its borders, a bureaucracy that the graph does not show, just as it does not visualize another structural problem: integration and the real conditions in which these people live once inside. From 1990 to 2024 the graph has changed a lot. Almost 40 years ago there were more Spaniards abroad than foreigners inside and the few people who went to Spain to stay came mainly from France, Morocco and Germany. Spanish people in diaspora lived mainly in France and Argentina, a legacy of Francoism and exile. Between 1990 and 2005 the number of immigrants quintupled and countries such as Ecuador, Colombia and Romania emerged strongly as countries of origin. In 2024 the number of immigrants is 9 million people, with Morocco first, Colombia second and copper going to Venezuela, an origin that barely existed in the 90s. Where immigrants in Spain were born, and where their emigrants lived in 2005. Our World in data Although these interactive graphics allow us to know at a glance origins, destinations and accumulated quantities, they are insufficient to understand migration phenomena in depth. They do not distinguish between radically different profiles: a person refugee, a student, a temporary worker or an expat with an international contract they count equally in the stock, when their conditions, rights and vulnerabilities are incomparable. Nor do they include irregular migration, a particularly significant phenomenon in the Spanish state. And, above all, they reduce people to numbers, showing the result but not the causes. It is also worth remembering that this flow is not just about people: the remittances that they send to their countries of origin represent one of the largest movements of capital towards the global south, in many cases exceeding official development aid. In Xataka | The great Iberian divide: the map that divides Spain in two through its two large hydrographic basins In Xataka | The two types of countries in the world, on a map: those that are becoming demographically extinct and those that are not Cover | Our World in Data

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