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When an engineer wanted to cross Africa by car, he invented a wooden. It would be the beginning of its end

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In one of his picturesque life, Tony Howarth had a revolutionary vision: Create a perfect car for Africa. A cheap, resistant, easy to repair and that could be made locally with sustainable materials. His project, baptized as ‘Africar’, promised to change transportation in the African continent forever. However, what began as an altruistic dream It ended up becoming a legal nightmare which led its creator directly to prison. From a filmmaker to engineer with a mission: to manufacture the perfect car for Africa Image: Silodrome Howarth was not any businessman. Graduated in Engineering from the University of Cambridge, had developed since childhood A passion for mechanics which led him to build his own fuel injection system for his motorcycle when he was barely ten years old. However, it was his recognized career as a photographer and filmmaker that led him to devote himself to this peculiar project. And is that Howarth has traveled more than 130 countries, experiencing in the first person the difficulties of African land roads. During his trips through Africa in the 70s, Howarth realized that Western vehicles were not designed for the extreme conditions of the continent. Earth tracks, deep potholes and the lack of specialized workshops turned any breakdown into a capital problem. In addition, the programmed obsolescence of the Western car industry made the spare parts more and more difficult to achieve. An inspiration of the Ford Model T Image: Silodrome The concept of Africar was inspired by the legendary Ford Model T, a vehicle that had been designed precisely for the roads without asphalting from Rural America of the early twentieth century. Howarth understood that what Africa needed was something similar: A simple, durable and that could be repaired by local mechanics No need for sophisticated equipment. Its design was revolutionary for its simplicity. The chassis was built with stainless steel tubes to avoid corrosion, while body panels could be manufactured with local materials such as laminated wood impregnated in resin, aluminum or even plastic. The chosen engine was the Citroën GSA Boxer Propulor Refrigated by air that offered reliability and ease of maintenance. An expedition that changed everything Image: Lancslive In 1984, Howarth built three prototypes of Africar for an ambitious expedition that would be documented by Channel 4: A journey from the Arctic Circle to the African Ecuador. The three vehicles-a ranchera, a pick-up and a six-wheel model-demonstrated their worth crossing thousands of kilometers of extreme land. During the journey, Africar exceeded evidence that left a Land Rover Series III that accompanied them. Their long -running independent suspension and their high distance to the ground allowed them to overcome obstacles that stuck more conventional vehicles. The fatal error Image: Lancslive The success of the expedition opened the doors to investment. In 1986, Howarth founded Africar International Limited in LancasterEngland, and began to capture capital of private investors. However, He made a mistake that would end his project and, later, in prison. Concerned about the dependence of the Citroën engines, which could be obsolete at any time, Howarth decided to invest the money of investors in developing their own engine. It was a logical decision from the technical point of view, but catastrophic since the financial. The funds were exhausted before completing the development, and the clients who had paid in advance did not receive their vehicles. The situation became unsustainable when investors discovered that the prototype shown in a Christmas presentation of 1987 was actually an empty shell: without engine, with the doors stuck and still wet paint. A bitter ending and a legacy that endures Image: Silodrome In July 1988, the Police intervened and Africar International Limited ceased its operations. Howarth fled to the United States in a desperate attempt to get the financing that saved the project, but it was useless. In 1994 he returned to the United Kingdom, where He was arrested immediately. Tony Howarth declared himself guilty of a fraudulent crime and five to obtain goods through deception. Was sentenced to 15 months in prison. In his own words, the prison experience “was like being in a British boarding school.” Although Africar never manufactured in series (it is estimated that only one and six specimens of production were built), Howarth’s idea did not die with him. His concept has inspired other African entrepreneurs, such as the creators of the Mobius in Kenyathat resumed the vision of a car designed for the region, despite Its economic difficulties. Cover image | Silodrome In Xataka | The list of 2025 most reliable cars has left us the most unexpected surprise: the best car does not have Toyota or Honda

Review with characteristics, price and technical file

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Robert Ader, CEO of Porsche, said that the Porsche Taycan is “The best electric car in the world”. Rereading the Héctor Ares test back in 2020we are not surprised by those words. He talked about the car as “a before and after in the history of Porsche” but extended the appellation to all “electric mobility.” That taycan that has monopolized looks, which was An immediate supervents But what has had Problems to sell over timehas a twin brother with four hoops on the front. His name is Audi e-Tron GT. And as a good brother, by the hand of the renewal of the Porsche electric supercar, it has also been updated. That renewal has come with more power, more battery and better consumption. More and better. To create an authentic beast of enormous versatility. A thousand -faced car that has to be a real bullet in circuit, which the only limit he knows on the road is the road itself. But, curiously, it is incredibly comfortable in city as a daily car. A thousand -faced car that we have already tried. Why does an electric car have less autonomy than the announcing Audi RS E-Tron GT Performance Technical Card Audi RS E-Tron GT Performance Body type. Five -seater electric supercard. Measures and weight. 4,997 meters long, 1,964 meters wide, 1,369 meters high and 2,900 meters of wheelbase. 2,395 kg of weight. TRUNK. 350 liters in the rear trunk. 77 liters in the front trunk Maximum power. 925 hp WLTP consumption. 18.7 kWh/100 km according to WLTP cycle. 592 km according to WLTP cycle. Environmental Distinctive. Zero emissions Driving aids (ADAS). Automatic emergency braking, intelligent speed limits information, vehicle detection at the dead angle, smart cruise control, 360º parking chamber, rear parking sensors, maintenance assistance and lane change, rear cross traffic alert. OTHERS. Own software compatible with Android Auto and Apple Carplay. Matrix lights with laser technology. Electric hybrid. No. Plug -in hybrid. No. electric Yeah. Tested version with two engines (one per axis) that generate a maximum of 925 hp with 105 kWh gross battery (97 kWh (net) price and launch Already available from 166,900 euros. Proven version: 220.005 euros. Barbarity I know that tastes are very personal but I like the Audi e-tron GT a lot. I really like the Porsche. Perhaps because it still makes me uncommon to see a berlina signed by Stuttgart’s with five doors. The e-tron GT seems more sculptural, more organic and elegant. I have not been fortunate to get on the Porsche Taycan but, because of what was read to colleagues, I have the feeling that in motion you must feel something similar. More gross the Porsche, most noble the audi. Two faces of a currency that make one ask one where the limits of the electric car are. Because if something surprises in the first contact with the Audi RS E-Tron GT Performance is its ability to move between traffic, to make easy what in a supercar seemed difficult or is taken for granted that is uncomfortable. Surprisingly, it is not to wander it, maneuvering with a shaken facility for a five -meter car that in practice feels smaller. Slipping between traffic, steering wheel and right pedal is resembled to a video game. You always arrive before the rest of the drivers. You always have space to advance in an exit. You always find a hole. Because under the foot You have 925 hp and 1,000 nm torque always available that are managed with a sweet softness or with the unbroken kick that launches you above any legal (and rational) limit that occurs. At the moment one, two, three seconds fall, the image is rampant, the tunnel effect begins and the car does not ask you if (the best for your driving card) you are or not on an autobahn. If you are not because, for whatever, Germany is far away, it is almost mandatory to put the speed limiter. The proven unit comes with the most advanced pneumatic suspension. The same one that slips up 77 millimeters when entering and getting out of the car to facilitate the blessed fattening of sitting almost up to the ground. The same that makes the car a carpet that slides down the street and overcomes obstacles (it doesn’t matter highlights as deep potholes) without immutating the body. And the same that keeps the body of the immovable car every time you take the following curve of a mountain port. That which It seems to pounce on you Every time you put your foot on the accelerator pedal, always willing to force you to step hard those ceramic brakes that nail you on the site and could stop an uncontrolled trailer. It seems that the car does not care to weigh the almost 2,400 kg that are distributed between the front and the rear axle. One slides, again, trumpets, aware that the road is (very) small. We have not put it to the circuit and return the car we feel that perhaps it is the only logical means to put it to the test. In any other scenario, the Audi RS E-Tron GT Performance is a perfect supercar. Against all prognosis, it is a really comfortable car for day to day. I would not mind having it in the garage and using it daily but I can think of many other supercar to which it would cost me to go to my office in one of those towers that break the sky of Madrid. I imagine that who is spent each and every one of the 222,005.00 euros that this unit costs (part of 166,900 euros before accompanying it from the referenced active suspension, the matrix lights with laser technology or the carbon endings for the ceiling and the mirrors) works in one of those towers a tens of meters high. There will be those who can tell me that this person’s own electrical technology will put your feet on the floor. But in … Read more

How to create mathematics exercises for children using artificial intelligence

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Let’s explain How to create mathematics exercises for children wearing artificial intelligence. Thus, if you want to reinforce your knowledge or put some extra tasks or exercises, you will be able to make them easily even if you do not have many knowledge or mathematics or didactics. Let’s start by giving you A series of previous tips With things you should take into account before creating exercises with AI. Then, we will tell you how to do it with a generative AI. Then we will continue with a list of other tools based on AI that you can use, and we will end up explaining how to use two of them. Before starting, some notes Before starting, you should have some things into account. First, you should know that IA may have errors When creating exercises. These algorithms can have what we call hallucinations, and put meaningless things as if they were real. That’s why, It should be reviewed all exercises To check that they are well before giving them to children. When you are going to start these exercises, the first thing you should know is What area or competition you want to work. You have to think if you want varied exercises, or if you want to focus on sums, subtraction, logic, geometry, fractions, or any other specific area. This you will have to specify it when asking to create them. You must be clear about the age strip with which you are going to work. Here, the simplest thing will be to specify the age for which they are aimed at AI, but it is also convenient that you know that you should avoid very technical words or that you must get the exercises to be brief and concrete. Try to give variety to exercises so that they are not always the same. As you create them, try that the structures or operations to be performed are not repeated, and that if you use any type of examples, they are not always the same. In addition to this, If you are going to use the AI to correct The exercises, you should ask that simple explanations to know why something is wrong, or that it is not limited to giving the answers. In addition, you can ask you to give you clues or progressive help. Children’s exercises using generative The easiest and most generic way to create mathematical exercises for children is to use general and generative artificial intelligence chats, such as Chatgpt, COPILOT, Gemini, Deepseek or similar ones. Here, The important part will be the command either Prompt that you give the AI. For example, you can use a prompt like this: “I need you to create 10 sum exercises for 6 -year -old children with fruit drawings as a context. Shows the step -by -step solution.” Using this prompt, the AI will generate a series of exercises using fruit emojis, or the subject you ask. The important part is Specify age of the children for whom the exercise is directed, and explain both the quantity and the type of exercises. If you do not want them to be alone, you can tell you to be varied, but specifying that they are mathematical and the age for which they are directed. Be careful with the subject of solutions. With the prompt that we have used, these will appear under each exercise. However, you can Ask the exercises to be on one sheet and solutions in anotherso that they are separated and the little ones do not be tempted to skip steps. Finally, remember that You can ask the AI to convert the answer into a PDF So you can print everything. You can also ask you to make it a PNG image, specifying the size format, such as in size of an A4 sheet. Use a specialized online tool There are several online tools that They allow you to create exercises with artificial intelligence. Here you have a list with the main ones that you will be able to use, as well as its characteristics: Teachermatic: A virtual classroom by the in which you can create all kinds of school materials. You can choose the level, and what it creates is totally printable and multilingual. In the free account you can generate 5 documents per day. Link: teachermatic.com. Conker AI: A free platform for teachers, with which you can generate questionnaires for AI, including mathematical content. Here, you can specify age, topic or type of questions. The bad news is that it is in English, although you can generate Spanish content. Link: Conker.ai. Curipod: It serves to create educational presentations and activities, being able to use it to generate exercises, games, surveys or mathematical problems with explanations. Link: Curipod.com. Magicschool.Ai: Another portal where you can create all kinds of exercises and evaluations with AI, from spreadsheets to mathematical problems. You can use it in Spanish, but the web is English. Link: App.Magicschool.Ai. Khanemigo: A Khan Academy website, where its GPT -based educational assistant allows you to generate exercises or help a student solve them step by step. It is not available in all countries. Link: khanemigo.ai. Create exercises with Teachermatic This has seemed a great tool to create school materials with AI. It has a giant index with all kinds of filters, but to create mathematical exercises you can Choose the option Worksheetwhich is to create all kinds of exercises. Now, you will go to a previous screen where you can Set the type of exercises you want create. You can specify the subject Ly the activities, as well as specify the age for which they are directed and also give many details about your students and their level to give context. When you specify everything, the AI will generate the worksheet. Will do it in a format that You will be able to print To use it in your class, and at all times you can regenerate it and ask for changes. Create Exercises … Read more

Anthropic has seen that their users do not stop using the 200 euros plan a month of their AI. They had to stop their feet

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Anthropic has announced new weekly limits for your CLAUDE They have already entered into force, especially affecting Claude Code, their programming tool through artificial intelligence. The measure arrives after some users have been executing the tool continuously 24 hours a dayconsuming resources equivalent to tens of thousands of dollars with the most expensive subscriptions of $ 200 per month. There are saturation and the accounts do not come out. The most intensive developers They are putting cane To the Anthropic servers, saturating them with a use that goes far beyond what the company had planned at first. Some programmers have configured Claude Code to permanently operate in the background, automating tasks and generating code without stopping. This has caused Claude Code to have suffered partial or total falls at least seven times in the last month, according to THE STATE PAGE of Anthropic. New limits. Of course, users will have limits that restart every seven daysin addition to the current five -hour limits. Users of the Pro Plan ($ 20 per month) will be able to use between 40 and 80 hours a week with the sonnet 4. those of the Max Plan of $ 100 will have between $ 140 and 280 hours with Sonnet 4 and up to 35 hours with Opus 4. The Max Plan of 200 dollars will allow up to 480 hours with Sonnet 4 and 40 hours with Opus 4. Anthropic ensures that less than 5% of its users will be affected by these changes. It is not an isolated case. Other companies in the sector are living similar situations. Cursor, the popular programming tool with AI, changed its price strategy In June to stop the most intensive users of their 0 dollars plan, although He had to apologize Then not to communicate the changes well. Replit, another rival in the space of the program assisted by AI, also implemented similar measures the same month. It is clear that companies dedicated to AI are experiencing their plans and studying the use given by their users. That there are price changes as soon is a symptom that they are still taking their pulse while looking for a way for the business to come out profitable. Hidden limits. One of Claude’s problems is that it does not offer an accountant that allows users to know how much they are consuming in real time. Developers have to go “blind” until they run directly with the limit, something that generates frustration especially among those who pay the most expensive subscriptions. In addition, the company has detected that some users are sharing and reverting accounts, which makes the use of these accounts even more intensive. An experimental business model. Anthropic has pledged to offer “other options” for cases of intensive use in the future, but for the moment the priority is to maintain stable service for most users. Subscribers of the Max Plan may buy additional use at API prices when they exceed their limits. Keep a generative ia service as Claude It’s a challengeespecially if you want to guarantee maximum performance to all users. That is why we see so many changes in their plans, and it will not be uncommon to see them in the rest of the alternatives. Cover image | Anthropic In Xataka | There are those who believe that the best AIs become more silly over time. It is no madness

Continue playing as if it were 1955

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Every day millions of people face a deafening squeak. They do it every time They take the subwaya means of transport with many lights but with this great shadow. It is something that we live together almost without realizing: we have done everyday unbearable, but the question is: What is that noise? Damn rolling. As he points out In the country Soledad Torres Guijarro, professor at the University of Vigo, the problem with the subway is the rolling, a noise whose origin comes “from the roughness of both the wheel and the raíl”. The problem has been studying for half a century, and affects both the subway and the railroad. Even the naughty ones that unite the rails “can be excited with those vibrations and become radiated elements.” The tunnels do not help. While railroads circulate outdoors, the subway usually does it underground, inside a tunnel. That aggravates the situation because the tunnels are very reverberant spaces that amplify all the noises produced by the train. A study Made by Cecor in May 2022, it was concluded, yes, that “there is a small number of people exposed to noise levels greater than those marked” in official documents. This plane shows noise levels in one of the areas covered by Metro line 5 in 2022. Source: Community of Madrid / Cecor. Worse in curves. The squeak produced by the friction of the train tracks is aggravated in closed curves. That “howl” It is due to the lateral sliding of the wheels on the upper part of the railroad. There are other noises that add to those squeaks: the separation between the rails-to allow the thermal dilation of the metal-also causes the traditional “click-clac” sound when the subway cars pass over. Rescue brakes. The problem has tried to mitigate with varied improvements. For example, they decreased by replacing Zapata brakes with the disk, this expert explained. The former rely on the wheel surface itself, but those of disco, much more silent, do not act against the contact surface. And smaller wheels. Smaller wheels have also begun to be used, because the smaller the vibrant surface, the less capacity it has to generate sound. Even so, Torres stands out, roughness will always be there. Other solutions. There is no unified response to the problem, but there are subway networks in which varied measures have been applied. In the New York Metro for example It was modified the way in which the tracks were fixed to the ground. The concrete naughty used there were covered with rubber to mitigate vibration, for example. In addition, panels were installed that absorb the noise on the ceiling and walls of the station, something that is complemented with the increasingly common protective acoustic screens – like those that were installed In the Biscay metro– installed close to the roads. WHO recommendations. The World Health Organization (WHO) has specific recommendations for different noise sources. According to A document Updated in 2022, less than 54 decibels for noise caused by trains (44 decibels at night) are recommended. To try to mitigate the problem, the experts of this agency propose to “apply line rectified procedures to eliminate deformations and corrosion in the railways.” In a study on Hongkong Metro made in 2019 It was concluded that the average noise was 74.1 dB with 100.9 dB peaks. BOE No. 178, of July 26, 2012. And in Spain, what limits are there? In Spain, state reference regulations regarding environmental noise is the Law 37/2003, of November 17, of the noise (BOE No. 276, of November 18, 2003), and the Royal Decrees 1513/2005of December 16 (BOE No. 301, of December 17, 2005) and 1367/2007of October 19 (BOE No. 254, of October 23, 2007). The latter was updated with the Royal Decree 1038/2012of July 6 (BOE Nº 178, of July 26, 2012) with limits 5 dB higher than those of the previous document: the noise was not less, but more. 65 dB on residential soil. All of them transpose the 2002/49/CE European Directive, of June 25, on Evaluation and Management of Environmental Noise (DO No. 190, of July 18, 2002). In that last Royal Decree Annex III determines the limit values in rail and airport infrastructures, which fit what the Who points out although they do it depending on the type of soil: from day, up to 60 DBA for land of sanitary or teacher use (55 in the previous annex, for example), 65 dba for residential and 75 for industrial (50, 55 and 65 DBA at night, respectively). Image | Ronnie Schmutz In Xataka | Spain has a rail giant in the shadows. And just achieved the “contract of the century”

Train liberalization in Spain has been a success for travelers. The problem is that companies are losing a money

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Railway liberalization has reached cruise speed with spectacular results for passengers … but demolving for operators accounts. Why is it important. The train price war is changing the transport map in Spain. Users earn with more low options and prices, but companies are bleeding money in a battle that has also begun to question the sustainability of the current model. In figures: Almost 40 million travelers They used high speed in 2024. That is 77% more than in 2019, before pandemic. Prices They have fallen up to 42% On some routes. Passenger income is 35% below the levels prior to liberalization. The context. Ouigo has become the undisputed EY of low prices. In the first quarter it was the Most economical operator in four of the five liberalized runners: Madrid-Barcelona (18.59 euros). Madrid-Sevilla (29.09 euros). Madrid-Málaga (26.89 euros). Madrid-Aliante (20.80 euros). Only in Madrid-Valencia surpassed him Avlo, and it was for just 25 cents. This aggressive strategy It is giving results. The French subsidiary has managed to capture 36% of the market in Madrid-Aliante, 25% in Madrid-Valencia and 15% in Madrid-Barcelona. Yes, but. Profitability is another issue. The sources do not indicate the concrete losses of each operator in 2024, but The data They indicate that the average income remains far from the levels that Renfe achieved alone. The operators have increased only 6% the average income in Madrid-Barcelona, to the 8 cents per traveler and kilometer, a figure that remains 35% lower than the era of the monopoly. Deepen. Beyond numbers, liberalization is changing mobility habits. The train has won the battle to the plane bluntly: In Madrid-Barcelona, the rail share went from 65%to 81.5%, while other routes exceed 80-90%. And now the financial sustainability of the sector is at stake. If current margins do not allow long -term profitability, something will have to give in: either prices, or some operators will end up withdrawing from the market. In Xataka | Renfe trusted the Avril trains to face the Low Cost of Ouigo and Iro. They do not stop giving problems Outstanding image | Dani guitar

Europe has realized that the rearme must start on the roads. A Russian invasion would unleash a fatal congestion

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In 2022 there was already talk of this: having a better army does not help much if it cannot be launched. That year was the beginning of many meetings in Europe with the Russian Ukraine Invasion as a fuse. Then there was talk of rearmebut attention also focused on something that Europe has just elevated in the priority list: the need to prepare roads, railways, ports and airports for the rapid movement of troops and tanks. Background: Russia. European military vulnerability. Had three years ago The political environment that the debate on the real capacity of Europe to resist an eventual Russian attack had put a fundamental aspect that usually is hidden behind rearmament ads: it is not enough to have more tanks or soldiers if the necessary infrastructure To move them quickly. Roads, railroads, ports and airports of the European Union show serious limitations when it comes to supporting the weight and volume of modern armored ones, or absorbing an intense military traffic in times of crisis. The east. As He warned then The American Lieutenant retired Ben Hodges, excommanting of the United States Army in Europe, the problem is aggravated the more advances east: bridges unable to support German, British or American combat cars and mountainous routes that hinder access to key countries such as Romania. In case of emergency, bottlenecks could delay the deployment of allied forces just at the points where they would be needed more urgently, such as the passage of Suwałki between Poland and Lithuania or the routes towards the Black Sea. The first mechanism. To deal with these shortcomings, The EU launched The mechanism connect Europe (CEF), an infrastructure fund that also covers military mobility. However, the budget for this mission was drastically reduced: of the 6,500 million euros initially proposed only 1.7 billionand that money, the commission ended up assigning 340 million to 22 projectsthe majority of small scale and focused on central Europe. Among them They highlighted the improvement of rail links between Antwerp and Germany, the modernization of two airports in Poland and the connection of the Military Tapa base in Estonia. Modest support were also included to large strategic projects Like Rail Balticathe railway corridor of 5.8 billion euros that will connect the Baltic countries with Poland, or Via Baltica, the road that crosses the region, which it received just 60 million of community support. The new warning. Back to the present, he counted this week The Financial Times That the European Transport Commissioner, Apostols Tzitzikostas, has re -launched a warning that shook the foundations of the European defense: the continent It is not prepared For a large -scale war against Russia because its roads, bridges and rail networks are inappropriate for rapid transfer of troops and armored. According to explainedmany bridges are Too closetoo old or directly non -existent, which would prevent the transit of tanks from, for example, 70 tons thought to operate in a matter of hours. In practice, moving military forces from west to east of Europe would take weeks or even months, an unacceptable lag in case of a sudden Russian offensive. The strategy. Solution? To correct this structural weakness, Brussels now work on a 17,000 million plan of euros that provides for the modernization of 500 critical projects along four major military corridors that will cross the continent. It is a design made in coordination with NATO and its military controls, whose details remain classified for security reasons. The idea is that troops and heavy equipment can move in a matter of hoursfar reducing the reaction time to an aggression. In addition to reinforcing bridges and adapting roads, it will be sought Eliminate bureaucratic obstacles To prevent military convoys from being held on European borders by customs protocols that, in times of war, would be a fatal ballast. The context of rearme and Russia. The new plan is enrolled in a broader effort of rearme Continental that We have been counting. The European Union studies a package of up to 800,000 million euros to reinforce its defensive autonomyin part in response to the pressures of Washington and the possibility of a substantial reduction of the US military presence in Europe. To this is added The warning The NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, who in June warned that Moscow could attack a member of the Alliance before 2030. The message of Tzitzikostas fits this urgency logic: without the ability to move troops agilely, any European defense plan would be on wet paper in front of Russian military machinery. The budget struggle. Although the European Commission has included military mobility in its proposal for the 2028-2034 budget, diplomats warn that the initial figure of 17,000 million It could be diluted In negotiations. This budget fragility is seen as a dangerous contradiction: While considering the expense in defense 5% of GDP (With 1.5% specifically intended for military infrastructure), some Member States (Spain at the head) They resist to assume the costs of such vast modernization. Tzitzikostas, meanwhile, insists in which Europe cannot afford to continue depending on others or be disarmed by its own bureaucratic slowness. The modernization of bridges, tunnels and railways is not just a matter of civil transport: it has become the backbone of the future European defense. One thing is clear for curator: an invasion would not wait for forms to be resolved or to reinforce a bridge. Image | 7th Army Training, US Army Europe, European Roads In Xataka | If Europe rearma we will find a problem that will affect us all: cars and trains In Xataka | The “rearme” in Europe has encountered an obstacle that neither US imagined: Spain

In Madrid there are 24 tons of Canarian volcanic sand giving tumbos. So they will become a “dry garden”

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Every summer has its informative soap opera. That is no novelty. What is less common is that, As is happening In La Palma, a few sacks of sand star. It sounds strange, but after all it is the history of the 24 tons of volcanic sand that in May 1,800 kilometers traveled to value the Canarian culture and then ended up abandoned. From the case we already talk to you A few weeks ago. Now we finally know its conclusion, which is no less surprising. Volcanic sand … and traveling. A few months ago, in May, the Canary Authorities had a peculiar idea: they collected more than 20 tons of sand from Tajogaite volcano (La Palma), prepared it and put it in large bags and then uploaded it aboard a ship that transferred it to Cádiz, from where she traveled again on board trucks to Madrid. It took several days to cover the entire journey. Once in the capital they opened the sacks and scattered those blackish grains in the middle of Callao, drawing a huge, dark and bright circle. And all that, for what? To value the Canarian struggle, a popular sport on the islands, but that many do not know in the Peninsula. Coinciding with the Month of the Canary Islands, on May 17 the outdoor playing field was prepared in the Plaza de Callao and everything arranged so that two of the teams with the most footprint in the islands, the Saladar of Jandía and the Candelaria de Mirca, dispute in Madrid one of the most emblematic days of the DISA Government of the Canary Islands. As was in charge of emphasizing The regional government was the first time in the very extensive history of the island sport in which an official fighting day was held in the center of Madrid. But even so, to give it more epic, they decided that the fighters were measured on authentic volcanic land of La Palma. Hence the whole logistics deployment of sacks, permits, ship, trucks and crane. First stop: Callao Square. The experience was a success. In addition to the Arena, in Callao, stands were installed and the appointment attracted a nourished audience that included some authorities, such as the island president, Fernando Clavijo. “Fighting about the sand with which so many palm trees continue to fight to get ahead was a spectacular moment. We were recorded in memory,” Recognize in The Spanish newspaper (EPE) Lorena Hernández, general director of native sports of the regional government. At first, the sand, he remembers, sounded like “crazy”, but the idea went ahead for his “romanticism.” And what do I do with all this sand? That was the next question. Once the competition is over and the experience is over the next question was what to do with those 24 tons (some versions speak of 20) expelled in their day by the Tajogaipe volcano. They could take the way back to the palm. Or they could stay in Madrid as a gift, which was the idea that ended up. There were those who thought that the grains would be divinely in the Madrid volleyball pigs and for that purpose they reserved, but there was a problem: the sand was heated too much, so it was not a good idea to dedicate it to that end. Second stop: Torrelodones. The history of those volcanic sands ended A report With a suggestive headline: “Without a trace of the 24 tons of sand from the palm volcano that Canary Islands gave to Madrid for beach volleyball fields.” The newspaper said that the Consistory had no evidence that they went to dedicate volleyball sand to its volleyball fields. Apparently the material was lost track. The mystery did not last little. A day later the same medium revealed That the sand of discord was actually in a Torrelodones warehouse, where they accumulated dust waiting for the City Council to ultimately accept the sacks formally and look for a new use. Discarded the Volleyball fields and without short -term plans that the Canarian struggle was to take root in Madrid, then it was pointed out to be given a third use: environmental. Third stop: “Dry Garden”. The story seemed to conclude there, but EPE He has just contributed A new fact that (at least apparently) puts the end to the soap opera of volcanic sand, at least for the moment: instead of allocating sports clues, the sand will be dedicated to gardens. And not any kind. There is talk of “dry gardens.” One of the ideas on the table is to create a garden with low water consumption species and a typology similar to those that exist in the Canary Islands. Another option is to use it in other green spaces to take advantage of the properties of the material, of porous structure, good for drainage and that prevents the land from flooding. “It is a high material in minerals, in the Canary Islands it has worked wonderfully. If the sand can have a second use and create a green space with the sand of the palm, it will be wonderful,” Recognize Hernández. Why does it take so long? Simple: bureaucracy. The Cabildo had already prepared a document with the details of the donation, but now it is time to modify it: instead of allocating the sand to sports uses, it will be dedicated to the parks and gardens of Madrid. “Being a donation between public institutions, it requires a lot of paperwork. With this, we believe that we can put an end to management in one or two weeks,” they explain to EPE after specifying that a few days ago new documentation was requested. While the procedures advance in the offices, in the Torrelodones ship follows the one that is probably the most traveling sand in the history of the palm. Images | The Government of the Canary Islands (X) In Xataka | The Canary Islands have seven islands, but only one has escaped from the … Read more

What can you do to remedy it

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Let’s explain How to prevent Google Maps from spending so much drums When you are using the application as GPS in your car. It is normal that when you are doing this the mobile consumes more battery, since the application will be making continuous use of many of its resources and chips. However, there are some things that can do that they allow consumption is not so exaggeratedly great. Do not wait miracles, but to increase autonomy a bit when you are using the application continuously. Use the dark mode One of the problems when using Google Maps as GPS is that you will have the screen always on. And the best way to reduce the battery with the mobile screen always active is enable dark mode In the application. Thus, the Maps interface will have dark tones, which will make bright consumption lower, and battery will be saved. To activate the dark mode on your Android mobile or your iPhone you have to enter the Google Maps settings by clicking on your profile photo. Once inside, you have to look for the option of Dark mode and mark it as activated. Beware of apps in the background This is an advice applicable to any use that you give to the mobile, but especially important when you are going to be using an app and only an app for a long time, such as Google Maps. Try close any other app that you don’t use and that can be consuming battery in the background. Normally we always advise to force the closure of any app, since if you close it but after a while you will open it more battery than leaving it in the background. But if you are going to be driving, you can allow you to close all except Maps and maybe the music app that you are going to be using. Restricts Maps in the background If for any reason you stop actively use Google Maps in a section of the journey, but do not close it or stop navigation because you will return later, The application will be active in the background. This means that it will continue to consume a lot of battery. In Android you will be able to manage its operation in the background. For that, you have to go to the settings, enter the section Applicationsand search Maps. Inside your adjustments click on Batteryand then Restricted. When activating the restricted mode, the consumption of Maps will fall significantly when you have it in the background. Use battery savings mode Mobiles usually have a battery or low consumption savings mode. They are modes optimized by the operating system itself, and that you can use when you have very little battery as an emergency. You can affect your experience with Google Mapsbut above all it will control other elements of the operating system so that they consume less. When you activate this mode on your mobile, it will affect aspects such as the use of networks, brightness, screen updates, visual effects, screen blockage and, above all, the applications in the background. Google Maps will be a little slower And the screen will look darker, but its consumption will be remarkably lower. You will have this mode in the section Battery of your mobile settings. Take advantage of the no connection mode One of the reasons why Google Maps consumes so much drums is because it is connecting to the Internet at all times to update the map content. Therefore, it is highly advisable to use Google Maps without connection previously downloading the maps from the areas through which you are going to drive. To download maps, click on your profile picture up to the right in Maps, and in the options that open click on Maps without connection. On the screen you are clicking on Select your own mapand then you will go to a visualization where you can choose the area you want to download to use without connection. If you are going to be listening to music, I also recommend you download your streaming app music on the device. Thus, the mobile will not connect to the Internet to play music, and you will save even more battery. In Xataka Basics | 61 European alternatives to Google, X, Gmail, Chrome, Maps, Dropbox, Google Drive, WhatsApp and other popular services

The most emblematic trucks in the US are multiplying in Russia. And they are using them to bomb Ukraine

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Last week, a documentary broadcast on the television channel of the Russian Army, Zvezda, revealed the Greater Russian Drones Factory fighting. In the images not only We saw hundreds of drones Geran-2 black finished, all in a row within the secret installation. We also saw that the factory had its own test field where the devices were mounted on trucks that serve as a shuttle. The model was surprising. Made in USA trucks. A Kyiv Independent Research He has revealed a mechanism for evasion of sanctions that allows Russia to have American pickup trucks, specifically the successful RAM 1500 models TRXdespite the prohibition of exporting them after the large -scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The finding is particularly alarming because after the Zvezda documentary It has been verified that Kamikaze drones They are launched from these modified RAM 1500 models. According to the mediumalthough Ukraine points out that fixed catapults are more reliable for takeoff, the simple appearance of these vehicles in official propaganda demonstrates the use of western goods in Russian military machinery. Evasion of sanctions. After the imposition of sanctions, Stellantis (owner of the RAM brand) interrupted in 2022 All export to Russia. However, since then At least 130 RAM 1500 They have entered the country through indirect routes. Here are several companies based in the Arab Emirates, such as Automax Motors Fze, Fine Cars Eaeu-Fze or Mehrzad Post & Shipping, who have acted as intermediariesre -exporting dozens of vehicles to private Russian companies in San Petersburg and Moscow. This technique of “Transhipment”It is a classic evasion method, where goods first travel to a non -sanctioning country before being sent to Russia. In social networkssome of these firms have openly presumed shipments for Russia, which shows the laxity of control in certain Gulf markets. The direct route from the USA. But there is something more serious. It was discovered that Arivir Corpa company based in Virginia, sold at least eight RAM 1500 TRX manufactured in 2023 directly to the Russian subsidiary Arivir Rus, owned by a Russian citizen. According to filtered customs documents, the procedure It was systematic: The American company acquired vehicles in concessionaires, reluctant their Russian counterpart and managed shipping. No doubt, this trade clearly violates US export restrictions unless there was A special licensewhich is almost impossible to obtain in this context. Neither Arivir Corp nor the other firms contacted responded to research consultations. Instead, the Stellantis group has given explanations. The group remember that “has stopped all sales of vehicles in Russia and suspended its manufacturing operations in that country” from 2022. And he adds that “contractually prohibits all distribution channels sending vehicles to Russia.” Strategic implications. The experts consulted By ki they underline That any export of this type without a license constitutes a violation of the export controls of the United States, regardless of the location of the intermediary. In addition, the companies involved could face to secondary sanctions that would affect their ability to operate in the international market. For Ukraine, the situation reveals both the insufficiency of sanctions compliance mechanisms and the need for Western manufacturers to reinforce YOUR CONTROL SYSTEMS of customers and distributors. What are apparently simple trucks becomes a war resource capable of integrating into the Attack infrastructure Russian, adding another layer of complexity to the international effort to weaken Moscow’s military capacity. Image | Zvezda In Xataka | We already know what Russia’s trick is to multiply its drones: it is called “cooling units” and comes direct from China In Xataka | The Russian threat has activated the “Nordic model” in Germany. The Plan: Recruit 40,000 adolescents a year in the Army

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