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Sony has taken advantage of its AI to improve photos. It turned out quite average

May 15, 2026 by usatoday24

Sony presented the mobile this week more anti-2026 that we had seen in the high range. A return to the headphone jack, the generous bezels, the microSD card and, beyond the curious, a photographic bet that promised to be solid. Just yesterday, the Japanese company published on its social networks how the new assistant worked AI camera in the new Xperia, one “to bring photos to life.” The post has gone really viral, since it is not clear who and why it seemed right to publish said publication in X. all bad. The publication already has 8 million views and more than 3,000 comments, the first of which are directly memes. Beyond the fact that this is the usual trend in X, there are reasons to be disoriented by Sony’s publication. According to the company, which also publishes the same examples on its website, the new AI camera assistant helps create “expressive options to bring our photos to life.” And yes, although what is a good photo and what is not is partly subjective, the publication leaves no room for interpretation. Yes, I laughed. “Life”. The photographs that Sony has shown with the AI mode are terrible. Not from a subjective interpretation, but from introducing photography into any editing programread the histograms, and objectively analyze that they are completely burned (full overexposure) and with a very high color distortion. As the company has shown, this is a mode that completely destroys the naturalness of the original photography, and without practical use to improve the results on a daily basis. Not too surprising. Sony is the leading camera manufacturer in the world. In fact, there are hardly any filmmakers and content creators who do not use their cameras. When buying a phone, the reference to know if it has a good camera is that it has a Sony sensor. But, for some reason, in all Xperia generations there have been serious problems with the camera. Usability of the apps, final quality of the photographs, strange looks that were not completely understood… Despite leading with an iron fist in video cameras, the Xperia division in mobile phones does not come close to what is expected from the manufacturer. Hope? The margin of doubt is always necessary and, after the virality of the publication, it is more than likely that Sony will give AI processing a twist. And, if not, we will always have an additional way to create memes. In Xataka | We have been juggling for ten years to transfer a photo from iPhone to Android. Google closes the wound with AirDrop

What does each pilot light mean and whether it is on or off

May 15, 2026 by usatoday24

The router, that device that serves as a gateway to the Internet in your home. Whether with fiber or formerly with ADSL, the router is what connect your home with the Internet signal that you hire, and the one that allows you to have a connection by connecting to it or with the WiFi network it generates. And the router has a series of lights that indicate its status and that of its functions and components. Therefore, we are going to tell you in a summarized way What does each of the lights mean? and the fact that some are on and others are off. Not all routers will have all the lights, and some may have their own, but we are going to explain the main and most used ones. Main lights of your router We are going to give you a list of the main lights that all routers have, and what each pilot light means. We are going to do it in a summary way so that it is understandable for everyone, and also easy to understand. power: The on/off button, which is the single indicator that tells you when the router has power and is connected. It has the connected symbol with the open circle with the stripe at the top. This indicator light only shows that the router is on, it does not say anything about whether it is working correctly or not. ADSL or Fiber: It is the button that tells you the status of your home connection. It may have letters such as ADSL, Fiber, PON and LOS, or simply icons with an antenna or symbolizing the signal status. What it tells you is whether the fiber you have contracted is reaching the router. Come on, it shows you the status of the router link with the internet provider. The lights should be solid, and if they are flashing it is possible that the router is trying to connect after having a problem. If they flash permanently or do not turn on, then you have to call technical service. Internet: Another indicator that must always be on, which will indicate that the router has managed to establish a connection with the line. It is similar to the previous indicator. Phone: This indicator will be on if you have contracted a telephone line with your operator and it works correctly, and you can make calls. If you do not have a contracted telephone line, it will be turned off. LAN: The LAN light indicates if you have a device connected to the router via an Ethernet cable. Remember that the Internet will always go faster on devices connected via Ethernet compared to WiFi. Wi-Fi: The WiFi indicator, which can also appear as WLAN, lets you know if your WiFi is working and if you have devices connected to this network. When a device is connected, the light will flash constantly. This way, if you are going to turn off the router you will know if it affects any device. Some current models may have indicators that warn if the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz network is working. USB: If you have a USB on routerthen you may also have an indicator light that tells you if a device is connected to it. WPS: He WPS button The router serves to have the router’s WiFi in standby mode to allow a device to connect directly without knowing the password. How to use it may have safety hazardsyou will be informed when it is active so that you take it into account. Update: If this light is on, it will be because you have a firmware update for the router, and you have to enter its configuration to install it. It will only turn on on very specific occasions. In Xataka Basics | Internet does not work at home: five alternatives to connect without using your router

China is manufacturing missiles at an unprecedented speed. And the final objective is not Taiwan, it is another island 3,000 km away

May 15, 2026 by usatoday24

In the early 2000s, many Chinese technology companies they became famous manufacturing thermal cameras, fiber optics or cheap electronic components for the civilian market. Two decades later, several of those same companies appear linked to one of the most ambitious military programs on the planet. Xi’s missile factory. Reuters counted in an extensive report that China is manufacturing missiles at a speed that is beginning to transform entire sectors of its economy. What for years was a relatively opaque military ecosystem is becoming a gigantic industrial chain where dozens of private and state companies are skyrocketing income thanks to the accelerated rearmament promoted by Xi Jinping. The most revealing data is not only the increase in chinese arsenalbut the number of companies that already partially make a living from it: manufacturers of infrared sensors, fiber optics, stealth coatings, 3D printed metals or specialized electronic systems are registering record profits while much of the Chinese economy is going through much more serious difficulties. Beijing has achieved something that few countries have achieved on this scale: merge civil and military industry to the point of converting missile development into a strategic economic engine. The real target is further away than Taiwan. The island constantly appears as the center of any possible conflict in Asia-Pacific, but depending on the mediumthe Chinese missile deployment points to something broader. Beijing not only wants the ability to invade or blockade the island, it wants to prevent the United States from being able to intervene effectively. And there appears the true strategic objective located about 3,000 kilometers away: guam. As we have counted At other times, the island functions as one of the main US military nodes in the Western Pacific, a huge air, naval and logistics platform from which Washington could sustain operations around Taiwan. That is why China has been developing systems specifically designed to threaten it for years, like the DF-26known precisely as “Guam Express”. Chinese military logic is relatively simple: If it manages to put Guam at risk, it greatly complicates the US ability to project power near its coasts and breaks one of Washington’s great strategic advantages in the region. Economy oriented to manufacturing war. Plus: Xi’s program does not depend solely from state giants such as China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation or China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation. The most striking thing is how civil companies seemingly normal have ended up integrated into the Chinese military ecosystem. Some began manufacturing thermal sensors to detect fever during the SARS epidemic and today produce components for missiles and military drones. Others develop fiber optics for precision navigation or stealthy materials capable of reducing radar detection of aircraft and projectiles. The result is an industrial structure that is extremely difficult to isolate through sanctions, because many of these companies operate simultaneously in civilian and military markets. The United States has been trying to limit Chinese access to advanced chips and sensitive technologies, but Beijing has responded by expanding an increasingly extensive and autonomous national network of suppliers. The effect of the war on Iran. The war between the United States and Iran has further reinforced this arms race. While Washington consumes part of its missile and ammunition reserves In the Middle East, China is carefully observing how modern wars are becoming conflicts of industrial attrition where the ability to manufacture and replenish weapons quickly begins to be as important as the individual technological quality of each system. That is where Beijing believes it has an advantage. The reason? China already has of thousands of missiles ballistic and cruise able to cover much of the Indo-Pacific, and the expansion rate it’s still huge despite the purges internal affairs within the Chinese Army and the investigation of senior commanders for corruption. In some ways, Xi seems to be preparing the country for a prolonged scenario of military competition where whoever manages to keep production lines open the longest will survive. The new global race. All of this is happening while much of the planet simultaneously accelerates its rearmament. France, South Korea, USA either Japan are increasing production and military spending, but the Chinese case stands out for its industrial dimension and by the speed at which it evolves. Beijing not only increases the number of missiles, it also develops new hypersonic generationsexpands its nuclear arsenal and tests systems capable of threatening aircraft carriers, air bases and targets thousands of kilometers away. The big concern in Washington is that China is approaching a point where it can sustain a conflict long thanks to a combination of mass production, relatively low costs and enormous integration between civil companies and defense. That is why the growth of the missile program China is beginning to be interpreted less as simple regional rearmament and more as the silent construction of an economy prepared to compete militarily with the United States on a global scale. Image | CCTV In Xataka | The YJ-20 has just entered the scene at the most delicate moment: China has launched its hypersonic missile against the US and Japan In Xataka | China is beating the US with a simple strategy: manufacturing hypersonic missiles at the price of a Tesla

their young people remarry

May 15, 2026 by usatoday24

It is not very clear how it has done it and if it is something specific (the result of the post-pandemic hangover) or a change in trend that will be consolidated over time, but South Korea has achieved something that until recently sounded almost unthinkable: increasing marriages between young people. Their latest statistics show that, after years in free fall, relationships between men and women in their twenties or who have not yet turned 35 are increasing. It is a fundamental fact for the country because, although the mentality of young people is changing little by littlein conservative South Korean society, marriage and birth rates remain closely linked: it is estimated that something less than 5% of births occur outside of marriage. Young people at the altar? The tables from Statistics Korea are clear: after a decade of decline, relationships involving young people (both boys and girls) in their twenties have begun to rise. Also among South Koreans in their early thirties. If we talk about women, in 2015 the statistical observatory accounted 109,300 links in which girls between 25 and 29 years old participated. In 2023 that figure had plummeted by 49%, until it stood at 55,700. In 2024 the curve reversed with 64,300 marriages and in 2025 the increase was consolidated with 69,300. In the case of men the ‘photo’ It’s very similar. Between 2015 and 2023, unions involving young people in their twenties (25-29 years old) plummeted by 44%, from 67,100 to 34,600. However, in 2024 the number of marriages in that age group rose to 39,800 and last year the growth was consolidated with another 42,500 unions. The same happened with young adults between 30 and 34 years old: since 2022 they have risen by just over 40%, a trend that is again seen among both men and women. Why is it important? Beyond what these data can tell us about the way of thinking of young South Koreans or the cultural changes that the country is going through, marriage statistics are relevant because they are closely connected to birth rates. And the latter are key in a nation that has spent decades mired in a demographic catastrophe who threatens to boycott his economysocial balance and even national security and that only now seems (seems) to be reversing. It is estimated that in 2022 only 2% of babies born in South Korea were born out of wedlock. Other statistics They approximate the data to 5%but in any case they give an idea of how unwilling South Koreans are to become parents without having made their relationship official. In 2024 Statistics Korea published a survey conducted among young people in which it explored precisely this issue and reached an interesting conclusion: although more and more people support having children outside of marriage, less than half of the population (42.8%) sees it as ‘acceptable’. That does not mean that the number of babies born to single parents has grown little by little, going from 6,900 in 2020 to around 9,800 in 2022. What is the change due to? The million dollar question. To begin with, there is an important fact: in South Korea not only do weddings seem to be increasing among twenty-somethings. They do it in general. Official statistics show that in 2025 they will be registered in the country 240,000 linksdoubly good information. Sample an increase of 8.1% compared to 2024 and above all it represents the third year of sustained growth, breaking with more than a decade of declines. Statistics Korea figures show In any case, a good part of those relationships involved brides or grooms who had not yet blown out the 30 candles. Why this interest? There are those who believe that to a large extent this wedding boom is basically explained by the pandemic, a phenomenon that has occurred in many other countries. Those who wanted to walk down the aisle in 2020, 2021 or even 2022 had no choice but to postpone their wedding plans, which explains why this ‘pocketed demand’ has begun to be released in the last three years. Another key factor is what experts call ‘demographic echo’: Today there are more South Koreans around 30 years old getting married basically because there are more South Koreans around that age, the echo boomers. But that doesn’t explain everything, right? No. The pandemic or the shape of the demographic pyramid may explain why weddings are generally increasing in South Korea, but it does not fully clarify why twenty- and thirty-somethings decide to walk down the aisle. Throughout the last half months as Korea Times, Korean Herald either The Straits Times They have tried to clarify this point and have mainly introduced two ideas: a change in mentality and the search for greater stability thanks to the combination of salaries. It is not the only factor, of course. Studies suggest that young people are also changing their conception of marriage, which little by little stops being seen as a social imposition or an institution that restricts individual freedom. In fact, even though the voluntary singlehood movement has arrived to South Korea, there are studies that suggest that young people seem to show more interest for weddings. Is everything perfect? No. Beyond the social trends that may occur naturally, it is undeniable that the State has been deploying measures designed to promote birth and the creation of couples. In fact Korea Times slide an important key: government support for newly married couples, especially in terms of housing. According to the media, in 2025, 39,121 public rental applications were submitted for couples who had just said ‘I do’. Not bad at all if you take into account that they were fighting for an offer of 1,686 homes, which leaves a rate of 23.2 candidates for each accommodation. In certain areas of the country this figure skyrockets to exceed one hundred requests per apartment. There is another important fact and that is that, whether there are more or fewer weddings, in general terms … Read more

We have just confirmed, to no one’s surprise, that Neanderthal dentists were real butchers

May 15, 2026 by usatoday24

Go to dentist or having maxillofacial surgeons for many people may be something that arose with our species and our great intellectsince we do not conceive that in prehistoric times our ancestors were worried about their teeth. But now we know that Neanderthals They had dentistsalthough logically with the techniques of the time. An evolution. Until now we knew that Neanderthals used small wooden sticks to get clean food scraps, something that, to be fair, some modern primates also do. However, a new find In the icy mountains of Siberia, what we thought we knew about prehistoric medicine has just been blown up. And it was not a simple instinct, since Neanderthals knew how to locate the source of acute pain and use stone tools to perform invasive dental interventions like those they can do to us today. Although logically we no longer have stone as a surgical material. Patient zero. The discovery that is the protagonist of this story has been named ‘Chagyrskaya 64’, and it is nothing more than a lower left second molar that belonged to an adult who inhabited the Chagyrskaya cave in the Altai massif in Russia. We even know that he belonged to a group that represented the most eastern known Neanderthal populations. Via: PLOS. Images of the tooth analyzed by the researchers. A tooth. At first glance, the tooth had a huge and unusual cavity in its upper part where it performs the chewing function. At first, archeology attributed this to the natural wear of the piece due to friction when chewing hard foods or simply from having received a blow. However, the edges of the cavity were smooth and rounded, so accidental breakage was completely ruled out. Furthermore, the pulp chamber, which is nothing more than the inner part of the tooth, was widened in a way that wear could not explain. What was happening. The answer to everything centers on the fact that the tooth had a severe cavity that someone tried to cure by force, removing the entire area of the tooth that was in the ‘worst’ condition. And surely the pain that is felt with a cavity of considerable size that reaches the nerve area of the tooth was the trigger for having to do this technique. Rustic dentistry. To prove that this hole was made on purpose, the research team used micro-computed tomography and extensive traceological analysis to see traces of use. Here what was seen is that the walls of the cavity had V-shaped stepped microgrooves, identical to those left by a perforator lithic, which was a sharp stone tool. And to confirm this, experts conducted experimental archaeology, replicating the drilling and rotation process on ‘modern’ human molars. And the brands matched perfectly. A conclusion. With all this information we can know that there was an individual who not only survived the brutal intervention in life, but also continued chewing with that tooth, as demonstrated by the subsequent polishing. It is true that they had no option to ‘cover’ that hole in the tooth as dentists do now after removing the cavity, but it did not prevent him from continuing with his normal life. A cognitive leap. Beyond the medical anecdote, the reality is that solving a cavity by excavating the infected tissue requires quite complex rational reasoning. Although we see it as easy now, identifying the source of the pain, conceiving the idea that it can be eliminated, selecting the tool for that task and executing precise rotary movements with the fingers is not easy. That is why this ability separates this behavior from mere animal instinct and shows that Neanderthals were more advanced than many of us had in mind. Images | Gerd Altmann wavebreakmedia_micro on Magnific In Xataka | A mixture of 4,000 kilometers: we have the first detailed map of the coexistence between Neanderthals and Sapiens

the “manfluencers” who record women without their consent

May 15, 2026 by usatoday24

While some They try to reinvent the smartphone (without success, so far), there is a gadget with AI that is catching on among the general public. AI glasses are becoming more popular and are already being targeted controversies and social debates. Is it ethical to wear a camera on your face that may be recording without others realizing? Not much, especially when those videos are used for extortion. What has happened? In BBC They tell the story of Alice (not her real name) and how she was recorded without her consent at the entrance to a London shopping center. The man was actually a content creator who gave dating advice to other men. She published the video of their interaction and it went viral to the point that it reached the protagonist herself. Alice says she was shocked because the man “didn’t have a phone, he didn’t have a camera pointed directly at my face.” If you want me to delete it, pay me. Alice said she felt humiliated and contacted the account that had posted the video, requesting that it be removed, but the response was not what she expected. The man who had recorded it asked him for payment in exchange for removing the video, since according to him it complied with the platform’s rules. Finally, it was TikTok that deleted the video, but reuploaded it to another account, which has been deleted for violating its rules on harassment and bullying. There is more. Alice’s is not the only case of videos of this type recorded with AI glasses. In a previous reportBBC narrated the cases of two other women who had also been recorded by one of these “manfluencers.” The modus operandi is to approach women to ask for their phone number or start a conversation and then upload it to networks, where they often go viral and generate all kinds of comments. Something similar also happened in Spain, a man filmed hundreds of women in the streets of Barcelona without their knowledge. He ended up being arrested for a crime against privacy. We have also seen how AI glasses are used to cheat on examswhich already has the authorities alert in cities like Valencia. Why is it important. Much of the success of the Ray-Ban Meta is due to the fact that they are normal glasses, which you can wear on a daily basis without squeaking (hello, Google Glass). Their main attraction is precisely what makes them perfect for recording without anyone noticing. Yes, they have an LED light that lights up when the glasses record, but there are two circumstances: the LED can be modified and many people do not even realize that that light indicates that they are being recorded. Reaction. Although AI glasses are still an emerging product category, a wave of social rejection and criticism is already emerging, especially in the US where they are most popular. Many people find them invasive and they don’t feel comfortable if someone is wearing someeven if the LED is off. We have also seen the response of the Chinese startup Even Realitiesglasses without a camera whose selling point is precisely the weak point of glasses with a camera: they do not spy on you. Image | Xataka with Gemini In Xataka | I’ve been testing the Ray-Ban Meta 2 for weeks and I’ve discovered something: Meta has made brilliant glasses with disappointing AI

go for the second cheapest

May 15, 2026 by usatoday24

It is not always easy to choose the right wine when you go to a restaurant. If the letter is full of unknown names and wineries, what tools do you have at your disposal to inform your decision? The price, naturally. But there is a widespread taboo among all diners outside the wine universe. Nobody wants to choose the cheapest bottle, from what that can say about us. So faced with the dilemma of spending a fortune on a bottle that you know nothing about or appearing stingy, we decide to order the second cheapest bottle. It’s real. The previous story has a lot of legend but also reality. a survey informal prepared by Atlas Obscura discovered a few years ago that the second-cheapest bottle was a recurring choice among its readers. At least 50% of those surveyed admitted having used it on some occasion; and 21% recognized choose it regularly, well above the 13% who tended to settle for the cheapest one. The remaining 25% opted for, perhaps, the most reasonable strategy: asking the waiter. That is to say, the myth has something real. And it is logical. So much so that in recent years it has emerged another legend: restaurants, aware of this decision-making mechanism, they shoot up the price of the second-cheapest bottle. As everyone knows, the price of any product in a restaurant, especially wine, has nothing to do with its price in a supermarket (not to mention when you go to the wholesaler). The idea behind this other myth, very amplified in the mediais that restaurants multiply the premium on the second cheapest bottle. Because they know what their client will ask for. Ordering it for a dinner would be an economically irrational decision. It is? It turns out that a couple of researchers have decided to study the issue and shed data where before there was only a nebula of oral legends. Your response, summarized in this job which analyzes the menu of more than 235 London restaurants, contradicts the myth: the second-cheapest bottle has a lower premium than the later ones, the middle class of the menu. Also the cheapest. And also the most expensive, the top of the table. Your bar on duty is not scamming you when you order the second cheapest. On the contrary, it is a profitable option. The explanation. Quite succinct and very intuitive. When designing their pricing strategy, restaurants have few incentives to make their cheaper wines more expensive. They function as access to the range for less enthusiastic diners. If they were offered very expensive, many of them would opt for another drink. By maintaining the most modest percentage of profitability, they manage to give them an outlet. A similar logic operates for the most expensive wines: only the most profound connoisseurs choose them, so an honest price, perceived as bargainwill encourage your purchase. Who loses in this process? Easy: the middle class. It is in the intermediate wines where the quality-price, in relation to the price that we could find in a supermarket, stops paying off. There restaurants skyrocket their % profitability. A necessary sacrifice to prioritize the consumption of cheap wines (for occasional diners) or very exclusive wines (for finer palates). In figures. On average, intermediate bottles carry a 50% higher price premium than bottles with the highest price. fair. The cheapest ones are around 25%, while the extraordinarily expensive ones, with an almost non-existent surcharge, are very worth it (if you are willing to pay them). In London (and from here you should hold your breath) the average price for a bottle of red is around €48, although a majority (46%) are below €34, and an overwhelming majority (79%) are below €57. We will always have the house wine. Image | Unsplash In Xataka | Europe had placed its hopes in China to continue selling wine to the world. They didn’t have “morality” In Xataka | For the first time in history the possibility of a Mediterranean without wine is beginning to appear on the horizon In Xataka | Two decades sealed: the world’s longest chemical test fits in a bottle

After a catastrophic 2025, Tesla sales continue to decline in China. The solution is an old acquaintance

May 15, 2026 by usatoday24

Sales of electric cars have fallen in China. Although the loss is not as high as that of pure combustion vehicles, the decline in the market is producing very bad results for Tesla. And Elon Musk’s company has brought out one of its traditional tools to boost sales again. An obvious fall. Sales of electric cars in China are not reaping the best results although, everything must be said, recent weeks are beginning to give some hope to companies. At the moment, if global sales are not suffering a setback it is because the accelerator has been put into exportswith record numbers and growth of more than 70% compared to last year. But in the domestic market, sales of “new energy” cars (plug-in hybrids and electric) have fallen 21%reaching 2.92 million cars sold compared to 3.66 million last year. In recent weeks, the Hormuz crisis has served to begin to ground the decline of this type of car. Without state aidits sales had fallen but in recent days we have seen how the savings compared to gasoline have turned the situation around, to the point of break record in plug-in penetrations in the market. Damaged. The context so far this year has not been easy for brands that only sell plug-in vehicles. Much less, therefore, to those who only sell electric vehicles, like Tesla. Without state aid at the beginning of the year and a Chinese New Year longer than usual, sales of this technology fell in a market accustomed to growing year after year. This situation rewarded those who have the most diversified business. In January and FebruaryGeely, which has a portfolio where electric, plug-in hybrids and pure combustion cars are intertwined managed to surpass BYD whose leadership seemed untouchable. Tesla has been through a similar situation. So far this year, Its sales from January to April 2026 have fallen by 15%. It is a bad figure considering all the difficulties the company went through last year. This has led it to lose more market share and remain at just over 3%. Interests. Among the sales of its cars in China, The company has a huge dependence on the Model Ywhich represents around 75% of sales so far this year. But in April, where the Model 3 had a year-on-year drop of 66.09%, the sedan barely accounted for 11% of sales. The fastest solution has been through an old tool: loans. The company has an active campaign in China to defer payments for its cars at 0.99% interest in the case of the Model 3 and 0.92% in the Model Y. The idea is simple, aiming to reward the customer in the long term because it is increasingly difficult for them to compete at the starting price. Right now, in Spain it gives loans above 3% which, however, remains relatively low for our country’s market. However, the company has been offering similar loans before and, right now, In Germany a 0% interest offer is available. Other solutions. Very low interest loans are not Tesla’s only move in China. Aware that the Model 3 has little sales at the moment, GigaShanghai’s exports have skyrocketed so far this year. So much so that global sales, internal sales and those outside Chinese borders, they have grown 36% last April. This means that, clearly, Tesla is trying to move the focus of its target audience. The company has encountered the problem that in China the customer has turned to the local product that usually offers more for less money. The solution is to push the European market, which is now receiving the first units of the Basic Tesla Model 3. less margin. The problem for the company is that it can no longer push the price as hard as before. Before the massive embrace of the Chinese car in its local market and new models began to arrive in the European market, Tesla played as it wanted with demand rising and falling prices. Today those days are over and, what is worse for the company, Your profit margins cannot respond as before. As the price has fallen, the margin has narrowed, losing ability to continue moving in the market. This explains why the voices calling for smaller and more affordable versions of their cars are heard louder. A ship that, given what has been seen, Elon Musk’s company has not been able to bring to fruition. Photo | Priscilla Du Preez and Sou Jest In Xataka | Elon Musk called the $25,000 Tesla an “absurd idea.” Now you need it to compete in China

To no one’s surprise, companies that lay off employees for AI are not seeing the benefits they expected.

May 15, 2026 by usatoday24

We have been hearing for years that artificial intelligence was going to transform the labor market as we know it. Apparently, companies that bet heavily on automation would gain productivity, save costs and leave the competition behind. And yes, many technology companies they have taken that path: dismiss employees to finance your leap into AI. A new report from the consulting firm Gartner has just poured cold water on that strategy. The research, based on surveys of managers of large organizations with income exceeding $1 billion annually, reveals that staff cuts They are not producing the economic benefits that many expected. The most striking thing is that the figures are practically the same among the companies that They fire and those who don’t. Gartner numbers. The consulting firm found that around 80% of large companies that are implementing autonomous AI technologies have reduced their workforce to a greater or lesser extent. As and as highlighted Fortunethese personnel cuts in some cases affected up to 20% of employees. However, when analysts looked at who was obtaining better economic results, the data indicated that there was no appreciable difference in the return on investment of those companies that had laid off a good part of their workers and those that had kept them on staff. As Helen Poitevin, distinguished vice president and analyst at Gartner, noted, “There is no connection or correlation between those achieving ROI and layoffs.” The substitution fallacy. According to the authors of the report, the logic that has dictated the strategy of many technology companies is that, if AI can do the work that was previously done by a human, dispensing with that human will reduce costs, and that savings automatically becomes profit. The problem is that this equation is not being fulfilled. Gartner notes that companies that opted for workforce cuts to use AI ended up at the same point as those that did not. Poitevin warned that this approach could be “very damaging in a broader sense,” noting that some organizations that cut staff were forced to rehire employees shortly after. Amplify people, not replace them. Gartner data revealed that the companies that are achieving the best results are those that They don’t use AI to replace peoplebut rather they incorporate AI into production processes so that their employees perform more. In fact, one of the risks posed by the strategy of replacing personnel with AI is that the company stops investing in the medium term in improving its operations and loses productive capacity. The report notes that companies that use AI as a co-pilot for their workers tend to invest in training programs, create new roles to oversee the implementation of AI and redesign workflows, making their employees increasingly autonomous and productive. The future of work: transformation, not apocalypse. Gartner projects that by 2029 the number of jobs created thanks to AI will exceed those lost, thus coinciding with other previous analyzes such as that of the World Economic Fundwhich point towards a shift in labor profiles, not towards a balance of net job destruction. Between 2023 and 2029, approximately 6 million jobs will be automated worldwide, a small proportion of the nearly 2 billion jobs available globally. Still, the impact of AI is real. Gartner estimates that about 32 million workers a year will see their jobs automated. The author of the report assured that AI “is not causing a workplace apocalypse, but it is unleashing chaos and changing the way people work.” In Xataka |“They blame AI for layoffs they would do anyway”: Sam Altman confirms that AI has been used as an excuse to lay off Image | Unsplash (Raj Rana)

Hunting Bargains in technology, today May 15 with offers on packs of TVs, mobile phones, consoles and more

May 15, 2026 by usatoday24

Today is Friday, and that means that a new Hunting Bargains. Are you looking for a mobile phone and are you looking for good discounts? Do you want to renew the living room television while taking advantage of the World Cup? Well, be careful because this week there are big offers. Xiaomi TV F Pro (pack) by 769 eurosa pack that includes two televisions and a Bluetooth speaker. Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition by 229 eurosone of the best Amazon eReaders that incorporates a color screen. Nothing Phone (3a) Pro by 349 eurosa mobile phone with a very attractive design. nintendo switch 2 by 469 eurosNintendo’s hybrid console with a free video game. Fire TV Stick 4K Plus by 39.99 euroshe dongle from Amazon with the best balance between price and features. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Xiaomi TV F Pro (pack) We have one of the best offers of the week in the new Xiaomi pack that includes two televisions and a Bluetooth speaker. In this case, we are talking about two Xiaomi TV F Pro 2026; one 75 inches and one 32 inches. Both have the FireTV operating system and panels with QLED technology. In addition, they come along with a Xiaomi Bluetooth Speaker. All this for 769 euros. Xiaomi TV F Pro 2026 (75 inches) + Xiaomi TV F Pro 2026 (32 inches) + Xiaomi Bluetooth Speaker The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition Along with the announcement of the new Kindle Scribe ColorsoftAmazon has launched some deals on its other eReaders with color screens. In this way, we find ourselves faced with a Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition that has gone down to 229 euros (before 299 euros). Includes a seven inch color screensupports wireless charging, comes with 32 GB of storage and is waterproof. If you prefer, the Kindle Colorsoft is the basic model with a color screen and has also dropped in price. In this case you can find it on Amazon for 199 euros instead of 269.99 euros. Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Nothing Phone (3a) Pro If you want to change your mobile phone and are looking for a model that has a very striking design, the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro has dropped in price in its 256 GB configuration: for 349 euros (before 459 euros). At first glance, the back is its most striking point, but this mobile also incorporates a good 6.77-inch screen that offers a refresh rate up to 120 Hz. Its processor is the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 and it comes with a battery that supports 50W fast charging. Nothing Phone (3a) Pro (256GB) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links nintendo switch 2 MediaMarkt has once again launched one of its best offers in the nintendo switch 2. Its price has dropped to 459 eurosbut if you pay 10 euros more (it would stay at 469 euros) you can take a video game to choose from these three options: ‘Kirby Air Riders‘. ‘Hades 2‘. ‘Metroid Prime 4 Beyond‘. Nintendo Switch 2 + video game The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Fire TV Stick 4K Plus Along with eReaders, Amazon has lowered the price of its Fire TV Stick. Again, the one that has the best quality-price ratio is the model 4K Pluswhich has dropped to 39.99 euros (before 69.99 euros). This dongle It offers 4K resolution, compatibility with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos and its performance is very fluid. If you prefer, these are all the models that have dropped in price: Fire TV Stick HD by 25.99 euros (before 44.99 euros). Fire TV Stick 4K Select by 27.99 euros (before 54.99 euros). Fire TV Stick 4K Plus by 39.99 euros (before 69.99 euros). Fire TV Stick 4K Max by 49.99 euros (before 79.99 euros). 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. Image | Xiaomi, Amazon, Nothing, Nintendo In Xataka | Best televisions in quality price. Which one to buy and seven recommended 4K smart TVs In Xataka | Best wireless headphones. Which one to buy and 21 models from 15 euros to 470 euros

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