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what it is and how it wants to revolutionize streaming with its improved efficiency

June 16, 2026 by usatoday24

Let’s explain to you what is AV2 codeca new video codec that has arrived after more than five years of development. It is the successor of the AV1 present in most large platforms where video is broadcast over the Internet, so it represents a future improvement in how we all watch online videos. We are going to start the article by explaining what this codec is and what it is for, so that you understand it even if you have never heard of its predecessor. Then we will tell you its main improvements, and we will end with an estimate of when it can start arriving. What is the AV2 codec and what is it for? A video codec is the technology, the software responsible for compress and decompress moving images. Thus, the images are sent from a server to your computer compressed so that they do not occupy or consume excessive amounts of data, and then they are decompressed on your computer to view them in maximum quality. For example, if you wanted to watch a 4K movie on a streaming service, this would possibly cost you huge amounts of gigabytes, and would require a connection of a speed that not everyone has. But thanks to video codecs, less data is consumed on the mobile, and you require less fast WiFi than if the video were uncompressed. That said, AV2 is the successor codec to the very popular AV1currently used by YouTube, Netflix, Twitch, Instagram, Discord, and many other video platforms. It has been developed by the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia), a consortium made up of more than 50 companies, including Google, Apple, Netflix, Amazon, Intel, Nvidia, Microsoft and Samsung. The main characteristic of AOMedia developments is that it works under a free patent policy, so any manufacturer or platform you can implement the codec without paying licenses. This is what makes its adoption expected to be as massive as that of its predecessor. In fact, its objective is the same: that you can watch higher quality video with less bandwidth, or with the same quality but consuming less data. Of course, it comes with a series of technical improvements that will improve the experience even more. AV2 codec news According to its creators, the AV2 offers 30% higher compression efficiency than AV1 approximately, with improvements of 28.6% in the YUV-PSNR metric and 32.6% in the VMAF benchmark. This means that you can get the same image quality when you watch movies or series on services like Netflix, but consuming 30% less bandwidth. Furthermore, if you already have a good fiber, the platform will be able to offer you higher image quality with the same connectionmaintaining the same bit rate. This makes it a new codec especially useful for 4K or 8K content. Therefore, when platforms begin to adopt this new technology we should notice an improvement, at least, in the data we consume when viewing content. On a technical level, in addition to these new features, these others stand out: Larger superblocks: AV2 uses 256×256 pixel blocks versus AV1’s 128×128, allowing for smarter partitioning and improved image prediction. Up to 7 reference frames: This improves prediction of movement between scenes. Support for immersive and multi-stream formats: Support is included for formats such as 3D videos through several layers, and for sports broadcasts with several simultaneous cameras. Planned future extensions: The AV2 codec is also expected to eventually implement support for 12-bit video and greater color depth, as well as potential AI/ML capabilities, which will be offered as optional extended profiles. When will AV2 arrive? The AV2 codec has been official since the beginning of June 2026, but for it to reach devices such as smart televisions or mobile phones, chips are needed that are capable of playing files compressed with this technology. Therefore, possibly not until 2027 or 2028 when, with the arrival of chips from MediaTek, Qualcomm, Amlogic or Rockchip that incorporate support for the technology, it begins to reach us all en masse. That will also be when we start to see it arrive on the main streaming platforms, although there are no specific dates for this either. It will just do it over time. Support will also have to start arriving in the main Internet browsers. According to AOMedia, 53% of its members plan to adopt AV2 within 12 months of its launch, and 88% plan to do so within the next two years. Therefore, The technology is ready and now it needs to be implementedand this will take time. In Xataka Basics | How and where to download 4K and full resolution wallpapers for your Windows PC

For decades, companies have accumulated capital and talent. Satya Nadella Thinks They Need Something Else Now: Token Capital

June 16, 2026 by usatoday24

The reflections of the CEOs of large companies must always be taken with some caution since they are not usually simple reflections thrown into the air. They seek to give someone their ear: investors, rivals, users or to calm the waters among its employees. Satya Nadella, has published in their profiles of social networks a text in which he redefined, without much dissimulation, what a company should be in the era of artificial intelligence. It was not just a statement, but rather it almost pointed to become a manifesto in which the focus of the race was changed by develop the best AI model (an area where Microsoft seems to accept the Copilot’s defeat) and defines that the future of companies involves generating a third pillar to their structure: token capital. The company of the future needs a new type of capital: token capital. Nadella does not conceive AI as a substitute for human employees since, according to his thesis, human capital is the basis for turning AI into a truly disruptive tool that is nourished by knowledgethe criteria, the relationships and the reading of patterns that employees provide. However, it brings a new element to the business equation: token capital. This new element is formed by the AI that a company builds and owns, not in the models that third companies rent to it. Currently, most companies use AI as a subscription service in which they pay for a model that they use to perform tasks with it. However, when they stop paying for it, all that knowledge and evolution is lost and the company retains nothing of all the knowledge. time and resources you have invested in fine-tuning its use. Nadella maintains that this path leads to transferring value to a few suppliers and the only ones who accumulate advantage are those who sell the models, the knowledge of each company ends up being the raw material that feeds others. The loop that becomes active. The Microsoft CEO’s idea revolves around what he calls a “learning loop”: a system that feeds back with each decision made and each workflow completed. That is, it is a knowledge base that makes the company’s memory permanent and not lost when changing the AI model or employees. “This cycle becomes the company’s new intellectual property,” highlights the Microsoft CEO. “I look at it as a hill-climbing machine.” The key is that this asset, unlike what happens today, is evolutionary and is built based on training with real company data and internal measurements of its response. The more you use it and tune it, the more value it has. And, Nadella argues, the company that builds it will soon have something that can’t be bought in any AI model marketplace: a tool that has been “trained” to do a very specific job in a custom context. AI as a tool, not a monopoly. There is a paragraph in Nadella’s statement that is striking coming from the CEO of a company valued at three trillion dollars. Nadella compares the current risk with what happened in the first phase of globalization: entire industrial sectors were emptied by outsourcing. The macroeconomic figures of the countries they endured the loss of industrial fabric, but the social fabric ended up suffering by adding tension in the labor market. His warning leaves no room for interpretation: “If all value is concentrated in a few models, political economy simply will not tolerate it. There is no social permission for an AI future that destroys entire industries.” The goal, he says, has to be an ecosystem where each company can build its own learning, not be another cog in an AI monopoly. Actually, this is not new, since it is the same principle with which Microsoft built its platform business in Azure cloudwhich used Microsoft’s infrastructure for companies to generate more value than the platform itself had. The problem that the manifesto does not solve. However, Nadella’s words also raise a series of contradictions with respect to the latest movements of Microsoft and other large technology companies. The CEO maintains that human capital becomes essential as token capital grows since it is the employees who make a company’s AI learn. However, his own company has been half doing the opposite. Microsoft fired to more than 15,000 employees during 2025, and in April 2026 it offered voluntary retirement packages to some 8,750 workers in the US, something it had not done in its 51-year history, linking these layoffs to your commitment to AI. It is not an exclusive case of Microsoft. In the first quarter of 2026 they are already more than 92,000 layoffs among the employees of large technology companies and the argument that all companies repeat is the same: AI allows us to do more with less people. In Xataka | Jensen Huang enters the Samsung salary controversy: “Workers should earn as much as possible”

five portable air conditioners without work or installation ideal for your home

June 16, 2026 by usatoday24

The heat is here to stay until the summer ends, so it is a good time to buy a device that allows us to cope better with it if we have not already done so. If you cannot install a split air conditioner or you are simply looking for something better than a fan, in this article we are going to review five portable air conditioners that do not require works or installation. Comfee 3 in 1 by 224.99 eurosa portable air conditioner that includes its own window kit. Midea by 429.99 eurosa model with a window kit that offers 3,000 frigories. Cecotec ForceClima 7100 by 179 eurosthe best-selling portable air conditioner on Amazon. De’Longhi Compact PAC ES72 by 419 eurosa model that also has a dehumidifier and ventilation function. Create Silkair 5000 by 155.95 euroswith a dehumidifier function and its own window kit. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Comfee 3 in 1 He Comfee 3 in 1 (224.99 euros) is a particularly interesting device for those people looking for a triple function of air conditioning, air conditioning and dehumidifier. It offers 2,000 frigories, can be used with your mobile phone and includes its own kit for sliding windows. If you have folding windows, the kit is not useful, so we recommend taking a look at the Hoomee insulating coverwhich is ideal for both this model and the following ones. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Midea The model Midea (429.99 euros) can be used for both summer and winter because it incorporates a heat pump. It offers a cooling capacity of 3,000 frigories, can be controlled via the touch panel or with a smartphone and also comes with its own kit for sliding windows. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Cecotec ForceClima 7100 On the other hand, if you are looking for a more economical model, the Cecotec ForceClima 7100 (179 euros) is not far behind in terms of specifications. It is the best seller on Amazon for several reasons: because of its price, because it offers a cooling capacity of 1,750 frigories and because it comes with a ventilation and dehumidifier function. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links De’Longhi Compact PAC ES72 He De’Longhi Compact PAC ES72 It is not a particularly cheap model (419 euros), but it is quite complete. It offers 8,300 BTU, has a timer of up to 24 hours, is quite compact and has three speeds. In addition, it does not make too much noise, since the minimum noise is 47 dB. De’Longhi Compact PAC ES72 The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Create Silkair 5000 Lastly, the Create Silkair 5000 (155.95 euros) is a portable air conditioner that has a cooling capacity of 7,000 BTU, allowing it to cool rooms of up to 20 square meters. It also comes with a fan and dehumidifier function and includes its own kit for sliding windows. 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 | Comfee, Midea, Cecotec, De’Longhi, Create In Xataka | Buying guide for connected fans: recommendations for choosing a “smart” model with WiFi and six models from 50 euros In Xataka | Silent ceiling fan: which one to buy? Tips and recommendations

3.5 kilometers over the Guadalquivir and a height that no other bridge in Europe reaches

June 16, 2026 by usatoday24

Seville is going to have the longest road bridge in Spain and, most likely, the largest in all of Europe. The most interesting thing of all is that the project already has an official green light and until approved budget. What is missing, as usually happens in these macroprojects, is time. Decades without solution. The SE-40 ring road has been a pending issue in Seville for years. Of the 75 kilometers planned, only 38 are in service today. The section that was missing (and that was the most difficult) is precisely the one that must cross the Guadalquivir to the southwest of the city, between Dos Hermanas and Coria del Río. As long as this situation continues, traffic continues to be diverted to the SE-30, a road where traffic accumulates daily and for which the SE-40 was born, precisely, as a solution. It took a while to start. For almost two decades, the project has been paralyzed because no agreement was reached on whether to opt for a subfluvial tunnel through the Guadalquivir or build a bridge. The tunnel option ended up being discarded due to its enormous technical difficulty and exorbitant cost. Furthermore, according to point El Confidencial, the failure of that plan left consequences such as a tunnel boring machine valued at 37 million euros that was stored unused for more than a decade and ended up being sold for just 1.8 million. So the Ministry of Transportation ended up opting for the bridge solution, approving the project last November. The bridge traces the Dos Hermanas–Palomares–Coria del Río section, is 5,069 kilometers long and has an estimated budget of 688.11 million euros (VAT included). ORn pillarless cable-stayed bridge across the river. Perhaps the most outstanding element of the complex is a cable-stayed bridge whose central span, 366 meters of lightwill avoid the Guadalquivir without supporting any pile within the channel. This decision aims to protect the riverside vegetation and the Special Conservation Area of the Bajo Guadalquivir, also guaranteeing that large boats can cross it. The total of viaducts add up to approximately 3.5 kilometers in length. A record gauge. The minimum vertical clearance over the river is 70.80 meters. It was a figure required by the Port Authority of Seville so that the bridge does not interfere with maritime traffic towards the river port. According to the newspaperthe current European champion in vertical clearance is the Puente de la Constitución of 1812, in the Bay of Cádiz, with 69 meters. This new bridge aims to surpass it, which would place it among the bridges with the largest clearance on the entire continent. ANDThe longest road viaduct in Spain. The Constitution Bridge of 1812, known as the La Pepa Bridge, measures 3,092 meters and has held the national length record since its inauguration in 2015. The set of viaducts on the SE-40 will total approximately 3.5 kilometers, according to collect The Vanguard. Two records in one. When can it be used? There is still no official date for the start of works or opening to traffic. According to the mediathe Government’s forecasts suggest that the works could last until 2030 or 2031. El Diario points out that the tender for the central structure of the bridge would not take place before January 2027. To give context, the Pepa bridge took about eight years to build, so it looks like there is still some distance left. When the southern arch of the SE-40 is closed, several key highways will be connected (A-4, A-92, A-376, A-8058 and A-49) that today do not have a direct link to each other in the south of Seville. It remains to be seen how the project progresses. Cover image | Recreation of the Ministry of Transportation (climbing with Upscayl) In Xataka | Building tunnels is very good, but in China there are regions that are doing other things: cutting mountains in half

OpenAI lost $38.5 billion in 2025, almost eight times more than in 2024. It will still go public

June 16, 2026 by usatoday24

The well-known analyst Ed Zitron has leaked the audited financial statement of OpenAI for 2024 and 2025. The data is overwhelming and shows how the company, which lost $5 billion in 2024, lost almost eight times more in 2025: $38.5 billion. These colossal amounts do not seem to be an obstacle to the company’s new ambition: going public. It looks like a big hole… When analyzing the 2025 numbers, it is clear that OpenAI’s operating business is not the real cause of this hole in its accounts. Much of the net loss is due to the transition that the company made from an entity non-profit (non-profit) to a traditional business corporation (for-profit). By doing soUS tax regulations caused a loss of $41.55 billion due to changes in the value of convertible interests and stock options (warrants) that had been agreed with partners and investors. …but maybe it’s not. The fascinating thing about this situation is that although the data is worrying, it also contains a probable contradiction. OpenAI records this colossal loss of $41.55 billion not because business is bad, but precisely because it is worth much more than before. How do they explain in Financial Timesupon becoming a for-profithad to update all those “accounting promises” at a fair and reasonable value, which generated that notable negative impact on the balance sheet. The “real” loss. The leaked balance sheet explains that if this “technical” loss from revaluation and some other tax credits is discounted, the pure operating loss from its traditional commercial activity is around a much more acceptable figure and less than $8 billion. It is still a huge amount (in 2024, we repeat they lost 5.08 billion), but it changes the perspective. Investors still believe in OpenAI. These data may seem terrifying and should make investors flee. They are doing just the opposite because they firmly believe in the future of the company. A few months ago the company raised an absolutely astronomical investment round of 122 billion dollars to reach a valuation of $852 billion. At the moment the one that wins is Microsoft. The leak also shows who is currently the big financial winner of this AI fever: Microsoft. In 2025, OpenAI paid the Redmond giant a total of $17.2 billion to be able to use the computing capacity of its cloud infrastructure, Azure. The amount Microsoft paid OpenAI for licenses or services was ridiculous by comparison: $303 million. Source: Sherwood News. Revenue is growing. For investors, the metric that is sustaining optimism is the speed at which OpenAI has managed to grow its revenue. The company closed 2025 with consolidated revenues of 13.07 billion dollars, almost tripling the 3.7 billion in 2024. But what is really notable is the evolution of its annualized income (Annual Run Rate, ARR), which allows projecting what is expected to be earned at the end of the year. OpenAI started at a pace of $1 billion per quarter, and then accelerate and end up closing with a turnover of more than 2,000 million per month (per month!). The condemnation of everything free. OpenAI’s commercial strategy, however, may have been its great Achilles heel. The company has paid a high price for wanting to be the free AI of the end user. Keeping hundreds of millions of people querying for free on ChatGPT certainly has a huge impact on operating costs. That contrasts with Anthropic’s approach, which from the beginning focused on business users who pay in much greater proportion. This tactic has allowed the rival company to achieve something unusual: make money with AI. With small print, but they win it. And the IPO, what? The truth is that OpenAI has already sent the confidential documentation that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) needs to start the IPO process. That doesn’t necessarily mean such an IPO is near, but there’s a problem: Anthropic has taken the exact same step. If the company led by Dario Amodei comes forward in that appearance on Wall Street, it will be another reputational battle won just at the moment when OpenAI is generating the most doubts. In Xataka | Anthropic is at the most important moment in its history and has a warning: we must lift the AI accelerator

a Meta employee interrupts a meeting and summarizes pretty well how things are inside

June 16, 2026 by usatoday24

At the end of May, Meta made the biggest restructuring in its history: 8,000 employees were laid off and 7,000 were relocated to new departments. The internal leaks paint a rather unbearable atmosphere: the teams’ morale is at rock bottom and the unrest is widespread. In this context, an employee couldn’t take it anymore and exploded. what has happened. They tell it in Wired. During an internal presentation involving thousands of employees, one of them opened his microphone and said exactly what he thought, without filters. She declared that she felt like “the company’s bitch” and asked whoever had organized the call to tell a Meta executive that “he’s a piece of shit.” Details about who the angry executive or employee were have not emerged, but it is known that he was part of a new team called Applied AI, which some employees refer to as “the gulag.” Applied AI. Of the 7,000 people relocated, at least 6,500 have ended up here. Their job is to support the superintelligence department, where all the AI galactics work that Zuckerberg signed last year. Wired has spoken with several of these employees who criticize that their work has become mechanical, uncreative and demoralizing. The majority of employees in this new department were engineers or product managers who were dedicated to software development, but now they have to create puzzles and problems for an AI to solve. Those chosen to enter this unit could not choose to go to another department: they either accepted the new position or they went out with the rest. In an internal memo, Zuckerberg himself tried to calm things down, suggesting that it was temporary: “The work is essential to the advancement of our models and allows very talented people to contribute to those efforts, while we create other positions in which they can contribute their bit at Meta in the coming months.” There is more. A month has passed since the layoffs were announced. A month in which employees did not know if they were going to end up on the street or not. As if that were not enough, at that time Meta made a very controversial decision: started monitoring everything employees did on their computers. The company installed a program that recorded clicks and took screenshots periodically, but not to control them (or not only for that), but so that its AI learns to perform everyday tasks. More than 1,600 employees signed a petition to have this program removed, but were only able to be allowed to pause data collection for 30 minutes. Something is something. The hackathon. The CEO of Meta is aware of the discontent among the staff, so he has had an idea to raise spirits: hold a hackathon next July that will be focused on “innovation in AI.” It seems that the only one in the mood for celebrations is Zuckerberg, because according to Wired The employees couldn’t have taken it worse. At a time when the company has given them more workload and is requiring them to be at 100%, many workers do not have time and believe that a hackathon is very disconnected from reality. Additionally, they are concerned that what they do during the event will not count toward performance evaluations, so they have no incentive to participate. It will take more than celebrations for the good atmosphere to return to Meta. Image | Xataka with Magnific In Xataka | Soon you won’t need to remember anyone’s name. Meta’s glasses will do it for you

Hydration breaks have turned football into a new sport

June 16, 2026 by usatoday24

It was the 21st minute when Liviano Comenencia shot a ball that was left without an owner on the edge of the Germany area. The shot is poisoned between the legs of one of the defenders and Manuel Neuer is surprised under the goal. As surprised as all of us who were in front of the television watching Curacao’s first goal in the final phase of a Soccer World Cup were. The game, by then, was beginning to go crazy. Germany was driving but the German team looked uncomfortable. The top favorite suit was not fitting him at all, it was obvious that the shirt was a little small and that the collar was too tight. The public began to dream of one of those historical feats. But five minutes were enough to wake us up from our reverie. Stop to take a breath. Cooling Breaksays on the television sign. And on the way back, there was Germany. Now he had replaced his shirt, already tucked well inside his pants. Before the usual break came, the Germans had already settled into the game and were winning 3-1. Curacao can boast of having tied Germany for a few minutes. And he will also regret being one of those great victims of a new football that is played in four quarters. From player protection to the advertising business In FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches, players will enjoy three-minute rehydration breaks midway through each half. With this measure, FIFA prioritizes the well-being of the players during the edition of the competition that will be held next summer in Canada, Mexico and the United States. When FIFA introduced hydration breaks for the first time 12 years ago he did it due to pressure from the players themselves. Faced with the extreme heat and humidity of Brazil, the footballers pressed until the highest body of world football agreed to temporarily stop the match in the 30th and 60th minutes, as long as the certified temperature exceeded 32 degrees. Two minutes and continue running chasing the ball. Since then, the measure has been extended to all types of competitions, as long as the temperatures and the weather conditions were extreme. But FIFA, as stated on its own websitehas decided that in this World Cup the match will be paused in the 22nd minute of each half. A measure, they say, that “gives priority to the well-being of the players” and that is applied “in all matches, regardless of the weather and prevailing temperaturesto grant equal conditions to all teams in all matches”. That is, the match stops even when it is played below the aforementioned 32 degrees. In fact, it stops even when the match is played in a stadium with the roof closed and the air conditioning on. When Germany-Curaçao stopped, the thermometer read just over 20 degrees. The Caribbeans were the perfect victim. The break, without exhausted players, was the perfect time to take the short break as a time-out, take a deep breath and reorganize ideas. Before the break, Germany had put ground in the middle and had crushed all Curaçao resistance. It is the best example that football, as FIFA wants in this World Cup, is a new sport that is played in four 22-minute quarters. And, incidentally, a new formula to put a new advertising break into the viewers’ eyes. More available screen time, more business, more millions. There was little doubt about the true purpose of these advertising spaces breaks for hydration but a cell phone is enough in the stadium to dismantle the FIFA discourse: the players waiting for the order of the referee who observes on a tablet if the announcements have ended on the television signal offered by the players. “These three minutes stop everything. We have to adapt. The televisions are happy, right?“, ironically said Didier Deschamps, France coach, in words collected by The Wall Street Journal. “I don’t like it. I only want them when the conditions are extreme but if the weather is good, it’s unnecessary,” lamented Mauricio Pochetino, United States coach. The most ridiculous situations have been seen when Germany players asked the referee to restart the match against Curacao after 90 seconds. It is logical that the meeting remained stopped. They explain in the American newspaper that advertisers pay around $200,000 for 30 seconds in these pauses but that the figure rises to $750,000 if the United States plays. They explain in that same article The Wall Street Journal that those responsible for the media do not hide from the true purpose either. Before the World Cup, Zac Kenworthy, one of Fox’s vice presidents, already pointed out that “FIFA is always looking for ways to innovate. They are very interested in the American market, in how sports are done here.” The implications of a new football “I’ve been watching all the games and when there’s a hydration break… well, I don’t really like it. I think they’re necessary if it’s really hot but you should treat each game separately.” With these words Virgil Van Dijk, captain of the Netherlands, was referring to the obligatory break to hydrate. “I’ve already talked too much,” he said to the camera with a face of obvious discomfort. Jürgen Klopp has been much less uncomfortable, who was the coach of Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund, believing that the pauses are “a golden cage built for advertisers. Football is being hijacked by managers entrenched in air-conditioned offices,” they report in Basque newspaper. And the problem is that these breaks completely change the nature of the sport. The three-minute pause decreed for each and every match breaks the rhythm and offers an advantage to those who run in all directions without finding the water with which to put out the fire. The unforeseeable in football, the temporary madness unleashed on the playing field paralyzed in favor of the umpteenth potato chip advertisement on television. EITHER, how they collect in elDiario.esthe official mayonnaise of the National Team. Necessary genuflections to … Read more

the seven Harry Potter books

June 16, 2026 by usatoday24

In 1941, during his confinement in the Auschwitz concentration camp, the writer Primo Levi recited from memory verses of the Divine Comedy to other prisoners to hold onto something the Nazis couldn’t take away from them: memory. Because sometimes, surviving starts with remembering. Mariupol: the last goodbye. The story was told in a extensive BBC report. Oleksandr Ivanov left Mariupol in April 2022 convinced that that call to his wife would be the last. In the midst of the collapse of the Ukrainian defense, surrounded by corpses, unlit bunkers and the permanent smell of death, the marine officer ended captured and sent first to Olenivka and then to a penal colony in Mordovia. There began a captivity 1,495 days. Almost four years without knowing if his country still existed, if his family was still alive or if the war was over. Time stopped being measured in days and began to be measured in silences. Prison as a psychological weapon. They counted in the middle that what destroyed the prisoners most was not hunger, although Oleksandr lost thirty kilos, nor the cold, or the overcrowding of eight men in a tiny cell forced to spend most of the day standing. It was mental demolition. The Russian guards repeated over and over again that Ukraine had disappearedThey burned letters in front of them and filled the air with constant propaganda on the radio. Talking was prohibited. Think, told in the reportwas almost the only thing left. And when you spend months thinking about your life, your family and a future that may never come, even your memory begins to run out. The most unlikely weapon. It was at this point in history where the unthinkable appeared. Apparently, Oleksandr had been obsessed with Harry Potterto the point of having reread the saga so many times that he had almost completely memorized it. Thus, what was an obsessive hobby ended up becoming a survival tool. First he confessed to his companions that I knew the story. Then he began to narrate it. Book by book. Chapter by chapter. Whispering so that the guards wouldn’t hear him. For five or six hours a day, in that Russian cell, a Ukrainian soldier turned seven fantasy novels into something much more important: a form of keep sanity alive. Image of Oleksandr on his Instagram account Hogwarts inside a cell. Of course, the scene stopped being entertainment very quickly. Oleksandr narrated it like a serial, always stopping at the most exciting point to create anticipation. His companions began to wait every morning just to find out how the story continued. In an environment designed to collapse from the inside, the saga filled the void. The prisoners began to see themselves as Azkaban inmateswith the guards converted in dementors on the other side of the door. And that metaphor was not minor: in the logic of Harry Potter, dementors can only be fought with a Patronus. For them, that Patronus was the hope of returning home. Humanizing the jailers. The BBC explained The irony was even stranger because Oleksandr had tattoos related to the Harry Potter universe since before the war. Some Russian guards recognized the symbols because they had seen the movies or read the books. And during certain moments, something unusual happened: they stopped seeing him as an enemy and spoke to him with a certain normality. The war outside the cell. Meanwhile, his wife Nelly reconstructed his trail piece by piece from Ukraine. Each released prisoner memorized family telephone numbers and transmitted news upon release. That’s how he knew where he was, how he was and what he was doing. Until one day he heard something incredible: that Oleksandr was counting harry potter in prison. Far from seeming absurd to him, it was a sign that he was still alive. If he could still tell stories, he thought, he was still whole. Even wrote to JK Rowling explaining how his books had become a refuge for prisoners of war. He never received a response. After all this time. On May 15, Oleksandr was released in an exchange with 205 other Ukrainian soldiers. He came back broken physically, but intact in something essential. While he recovers, he devours news to fill four years of emptiness and receives packages from strangers with Harry Potter objects. His wife, who got tattooed during the war the phrase “After all this time? Always”, the same one he wears on his skin, summarizes the story better than anyone. One where, in the end, what kept Oleksandr alive was not just military discipline or physical endurance. It was something much more unexpected and simple: the ability to remember a story and turn it into light when everything around looked black. Image | Adam PolselliRyan McGrady, JoitsInstagram In Xataka | We have to start thinking about the Ukrainian war in terms greater than those of the First World War. In Xataka | The drone war has left a clear lesson for Ukraine: you can’t leave home without a 100-year-old machine gun

so we can see the August solar eclipse

June 16, 2026 by usatoday24

Next August 12 you can see the new solar eclipseand it is especially relevant because we have not seen such a spectacular eclipse since 1912. That is why we must be careful when it comes to seeing it and choosing glasses that are approved. Okay, but… what glasses should I buy? Stores like El Corte Inglés did not want to miss this event and have added some other approved glasses to their catalog, being Hawkers one of the most interesting. The reason is that they can be purchased in the online store for only 3.99 euros. Hawkers, approved glasses for solar eclipses The price could vary. We earn commission from these links The new Hawkers are intended for solar eclipses Hawkers glasses are approved with regulations ISO 12312-2which is basically a specific international certification for direct sun observation filters. In addition, it is worth mentioning that they are manufactured in Spain, thus ensuring the traceability and quality of the materials. The funny thing is that these glasses are designed to be comfortable, and they are The temples can be folded and the frame can be adjusted to make them more ergonomic. Furthermore, as the brand mentions, these glasses have a useful life of 10 years from their manufacture, so they will serve you for a long time. Finally, it is important to keep in mind that Not all Autonomous Communities will see the solar eclipse in the same way. We invite you to take a look at the eclipse map to know what it will look like in your neighborhood or city. ⚡ IN SUMMARY: Hawkers glasses for solar eclipses ✅ THE BEST Adjustment levels: allows you to adjust both the temples and the frame so that they are comfortable. Its useful life: The glasses have a useful life of 10 years from their manufacture. They are approved. ❌ THE WORST Shipping costs: They cost more (5.90 euros) than the glasses themselves. 💡 BUY IT IF… You want to see the next solar eclipse and are looking for approved glasses to see it. ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… You find the glasses in another store where you do not have to pay shipping costs, or they are lower. You may also be interested Galaxium 12x Solar Eclipse Glasses Approved ISO 12312-2 – AAS 2026 Approved – CE Certified – Safe for Direct Observation – Glasses to View Solar Eclipse The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Helioclipse 6 Solar Eclipse Glasses for Viewing the 2026 Solar Eclipse, Safe Solar Eclipse Glasses for Solar Eclipse Observation 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 | Jongsun Lee in UnsplashHawkers In Xataka | The mobile phones with the best camera 2026: next level photography in your pocket In Xataka | Best wireless over-ear headphones. Which one to buy and five recommended models

These are the five best offers from MediaMarkt’s VAT-Free Day

June 16, 2026 by usatoday24

Today, the 16th, we have a new Day without VAT from MediaMarkt. As usual, We have a little less than 24 hours to take advantage of very good discounts in technology and we have everything: from mobile phones to tablets, through televisions, appliances and even on this occasion, also consoles. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links There is a lot to choose from, but we have made a selection of five offers that we find especially interesting: nintendo switch 2 by 399 eurosa discount for the Nintendo hybrid that will increase in price in just a few weeks. LG OLED C5 by 896.69 eurosone of the best quality-price OLED televisions. Galaxy S26 Ultra by 1,156.19 eurosminimum price for the Samsung flagship. Xiaomi Electric Scooter 6 by 338.01 eurosa discount for one of the most popular electric scooters. OPPO Find X9 Pro by 1,073.55 eurosa high-end mobile phone with great autonomy and a very good photographic system. nintendo switch 2 One of the most notable offers of MediaMarkt’s VAT-Free Day (although it does not specifically indicate it on its page) is the nintendo switch 2. The hybrid from the Japanese company represents an important leap with respect to the first Switch, since it now has the power to move games to 4K when we use it connected to a TV. In addition, it already has several top exclusives such as ‘Pokémon Pokopia‘ either ‘Donkey Kong Bananza‘. comes out for 399 eurosa very interesting price if we take into account that the console will rise to 499.99 euros in September. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links LG OLED C5 OLED TVs aren’t cheap, but this one LG OLED C5 It is one of those that offer the best quality-price (and more, costing 896.69 euros). It is a TV with outstanding image quality thanks to this panel technology, which offers a pure black color and infinite contrast. In addition, it is compatible with Dolby Vision, its refresh rate can be taken up to 144 Hz and it has HDMI 2.1 ports, so it is perfect for playing. 55″ OLED TV – LG OLED55C55LA, 4K OLED, α9 AI Processor 4K Gen8, Smart TV, DVB-T2 (H.265), Black The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Galaxy S26 Ultra He Galaxy S26 Ultra is one of the best phones so far this year. It is a device whose main novelty is privacy screenbut obviously this is not the only notable thing about the mobile. It remains an option with outstanding performance thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and with a camera system that offers very good results in almost any scenario. In addition, it has seven years of guaranteed updates. It’s coming out right now 1,156.19 euros. Mobile – Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, Violet, 256 GB, 12 GB RAM, 6.9″ QHD+, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, 5000 mAh, Android 16 The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Xiaomi Electric Scooter 6 If you are looking for a solution to get around the city without depending on the car or public transport, this Xiaomi Electric Scooter 6 It could be great for you: it’s out right now 338.01 euros. It has a maximum power of 800 W and is capable of reaching 25 km/h. In addition, it has about 45 kilometers of autonomy, so we will not have to charge it all the time. Supports up to 120 kg load. Electric Scooter – Xiaomi Electric Scooter 6, Type 1 / VPL, Nominal Power 400 W, Max. Load 120 kg, 10000 mAh, 25 km/h, Black The price could vary. We earn commission from these links OPPO Find X9 Pro Finally, another very interesting high-end mobile phone, the OPPO Find X9 Pro. It arrived at the end of 2025, but it is still one of the best options if you are looking for an Android mobile. It stands out for a high-level camera system and for having a gigantic 7,500 mAh battery, although we cannot ignore its 6.78-inch screen with a very high peak brightness level. It costs right now 1,073.55 eurosits historical minimum. Mobile – OPPO Find X9 Pro, Titanium Charcoal, 512 GB, 16 GB RAM, 6.78″ AMOLED ProXDR Gorilla Glass 120 Hz, MediaTek 9500, 7500 mAh 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 | Xataka, Nintendo, LG, Samsung, Xiaomi, OPPO In Xataka | Best mobile phones in quality price. Which one to buy based on use and nine recommended models In Xataka | The best TVs to play and get the most out of your PS5 or Xbox Series

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