Mobile Tech & Gadgets

The big problem of marine wind is cables. Germany has a plan to avoid them

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In the middle of the North Sea, an anchored barge off the German coast does not transport merchandise produces fuel. It is not science fiction: it is the first floating floor that converts wind, seawater and air into energy for the future. Short. In the port of Bremerhaven, Germany floats a rare platform. At first glance it looks like another industrial barge, but in reality it is a floating laboratory that prepares for something unpublished: to manufacture synthetic fuels directly in the sea. More in depth. The project His name is PTX-Wind and is part of the national H2Mare initiative, focused on the production of clean energy on the high seas. It is promoted by the Institute of Technology of Karlsruhe (Kit), together with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Technical University of Berlin. The installation has not yet left the port, but it is already ready for its next phase: operating in real conditions against Helgoland. The purpose of the kit with this test is clear: show that e-combustible in the high seas can be generated, without electricity or land infrastructure. No cables, network or land firm. One of the most striking things of this platform is that it is not connected to any electricity grid. It works totally autonomously, using only wind energy, seawater and the surrounding air. What you get from there transforms it into liquid fuels ready to use, without net emissions of CO₂. According to Professor Roland Dittmeyer, director of the Institute of Microprocess Engineering of the Kit and project coordinator, this installation not only seeks to demonstrate the technical viability of the system, but also learn to climb it for future large industrial platforms. The heart of the barge. Inside, this platform integrates several advanced technologies that, together, form a Power -to-X (PTX) chain (PTX). In other words, they convert renewable electricity into fuels or other chemicals. The giant laboratory has a first phase of Direct air capture (DAC)which extracts carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere. After that, desalination to transform seawater into water suitable for electrolysis. That water is divided into hydrogen and oxygen using electrolysis fed by wind energy. Finally, a synthesis is used Fischer-Tropsch to combine hydrogen with CO₂ and generate liquid hydrocarbons, also known as e-combustible. The entire system has been designed to operate in a modular, flexible and disconnected way of the electricity grid, adapting to the natural intermittency of the wind. This allows maintaining active production even in variable conditions, a key aspect for its replication at an industrial scale. First in your class? While there are other hydrogen production projects on land or offshore wind platforms, none until now had gathered all these pieces in a single floating and autonomous structure. According to Interesting Engineeringthis is the first plant that converts marine renewable energy into liquid fuel without depending on the mainland or electrical networks. The point is that not everything can plug. Today, many sectors already advance towards electrification: cars, heating, even some trains. But there are industries – as aviation, maritime transport or heavy chemistry – that still depend on liquid fuels with high energy density. The e-fuels, like those produced by this platform, They are a neutral alternative in carbon that could replace diesel or kerosene without the need to completely redesign airplanes or ships. And the best: they do not compete for agricultural lands nor consume fresh water. When operating directly in the sea, they take advantage of the wind potential and avoid costly terrestrial infrastructure. According to the Federal Ministry of Investigation of Germany (BMBF)also helps relieve pressure on local electrical networks. Not only diesel. Although for now the main objective is liquid fuels, the team behind PTX-Wind is also investigating other possible production routes, such as Synthetic methane (compatible with current gas networks), The green methanol (useful for maritime transport or chemical industry) and renewable ammonia (It works as a hydrogen bearer or as fertilizer without emissions). The sea as a new energy border. More than a prototype, the PTX-Wind platform represents a scalable and adaptable model for the production of fuels in the high seas. Its modular design would allow to replicate this technology in different coastal areas of the world, creating a distributed network of floating refineries of clean energy. At a time when climatic solutions are urgent and promises often stay on paper, this floating barge is a tangible example that innovation is already out there, literally floating in the sea. Image | Unspash and Kit Xataka | There is a place where Spain is losing a good part of the renewable electricity that generates: the Toledo-Ciudad Real-Granada axis

“You can pay 150 euros to fix your air conditioning or you can do it yourself”: Scotty Kilmer, mechanic

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It is the song that returns to your head again and again. That, without any reason, comes to your head early in the morning, while showering. And that does not abandon you for days. And although the situation is more than known, and we know how it works, it does not cease to surprise us. A summer. And another. And another one. The same goes for air conditioning. Summer arrives and the air conditioners break. It is always at the worst moment and, almost always, it is because We have not looked at it well for the rest of the year. Without correct maintenance, car air conditioning cools for spring temperatures but is not enough to a heat wave. It is there when we demand most and, pum, it breaks. The Calvary arrives to look for someone who can repair a system that seems essential to travel on vacation. All this experience is well known by my partner Amparo Babiloni, who has left in writing Everything that has happened to him and how he has had to act. To prevent this from being repeated, the council is simple, short and direct: maintenance. Maintenance that we can do ourselves, which will take some time but that taking the appropriate indications can save us good money in the pocket. Do it yourself That is the message of Scott Kilmen, an American mechanic who with decades of work behind him has a YouTube channel with more than six and a half million followers how we can keep our car in the best possible state, some tricks to avoid and how to act in case of breakdown. In the video you can see in this link, explain what to do if your air conditioning does not cool enough. Something common when we have been making a timely use of it with temperatures softer. Among the tips that Kilmer provides is, in the first place, to replace the air conditioning filter. This filter is recommended to replace each car review but if you do not make it difficult to pass the cabin. Only this small detail will significantly improve the amount of air that arrives and the quality of the same. It is a simple operation And it usually has easy access, so we can change it without much difficulty for a handful of euros (less than 20 euros, generally). In addition, this not only has its advantages in summer, it is also especially useful for Avoid allergies in spring. Then, Kilmer proposes to improve the quality of the air we breathe. It is as simple as using An antibacterial product Since, as he explains, a dark and humid place such as the cooling system of a car has everything so that bacteria and microbes are developed that fall from the air we breathe. Especially if we live in a wet zone. With the air lit at full performance, select the air inlet outside. Now, Kilmer recommends going to the air intake under the hood and spraying it with the antibacterial product to reach all corners of the system. He also recommends throwing it overnight and letting him act without fear until the next day. Finally, if all this has not ended by solve the matter We only have to recharge the air conditioning gas. In that case you have to buy a Compatible with pressure gauge and apply it to the low pressure system. The pressure gauge is important because it will give us an immediate response of system pressure. While it is green, says Kilmer, you can continue adding gas and we must stop if it reaches the red zone. In spite of everything, remember that these are more or less simple tricks that require a minimum of knowledge. Each driver is the one who must value whether or not it is worth investing money in a professional mechanic. Photo | Magnus Östberg In Xataka | Solving one of the great debates of the summer: if the car consumes more with air conditioning or not

They are going to retire later than ever, but nobody wants to hire them

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In Spain, the employment situation of the workers over 50 years It has become especially worrying, since they represent an increasing part of registered unemployment. At the same time, the investment of the demographic pyramid forces to extend work life delaying The retirement age to guarantee the Pension sustainability. In other words, the labor market is cornering workers over 55, between chronic strike and a more and more distant retirementwhich only adds tension to the state coffers. Retire later. Statistics and projections on the population coincide: Spain must increase the ordinary retirement age if you want to avoid the collapse of its pension system. According to A study of the BBVA and IVIE Foundation, the aging of the population and the delay in the incorporation into the labor market of young people will force retirement to delay even 71 years due to the fall of active contributors and the progressive increase in pensioners. The OECD too This diagnosis reaffirmspointing out that the employment rate will fall 10.3% from here to 2060 if measures such as the regularization of immigrants that complement young people, or the greatest labor integration of workers over 55 years. It is precisely in this second aspect where the focus would be to be focused more urgently. Less young, more seniors. According to Official datathose over 50 already suppose approximately 47% of the unemployment recorded in Spain, which represents more than 1.14 million unemployed people in that stretch of age. On the other hand, in percentage terms, this group has a 10.35%unemployment rate. The data seems contradictory since the age segment that brings together 47% of the total unemployment, only records a unemployment rate of just over 10%. We have the explanation in the demographic pyramid. Such and as he clarified The economistthis range of over 50 years has gone from having 3.8 million active workers at 8.1 million in recent years due to the aging of the templates. Hence its unemployment rate seems less. In contrast, the range of younger workers has a lower volumealthough it suffers a higher unemployment rate. The latest Active Population Survey (EPA) sample That those under 25 have an unemployment rate exceeding 26.53%, but total around 451,000 unemployment workers, that is, less than half than those over 50. More senior unemployed. These data leave us a photo in which there are less young people entering the labor market, but more and more employees of more than 50 years excluded, which generates a scenario of labor shortage. The Official reports of the Ministry of Labor point to the lack of digital qualification and the difficulties in the recalification of those over 45 as the main barriers to senior employment, especially in sectors such as banking, industry or large technological ones, where template adjustment processes They have focused In older workers. The INE figuresThey confirm that the group of over 55 years has doubled its weight in the labor market in the last fifteen years, but its vulnerability to long -term unemployment and its expulsion of professional training processes has also increased. Retirees at 55. The direct consequence of this doors closure is that a good part of Those over 55 years old They end up touring a path that combines periods of unemployment, subsidies and, ultimately, early retirement or involuntary. According to the SEPE, the reality is that the State assumes, several years in advance, the costs of these subsidies and subsequent retirement benefits for almost half of the current labor mass, in part because companies continue to consider someone 55 years “too old” to be productive, despite the fact that there are hardly any young people available available To take your relief In many strategic sectors. Greater life expectancy for them. The goal of Expand working life of the workers, in addition to maintaining an active labor mass that is cited, is to balance the retirement age Regarding life expectancy. In other words, do not do without workers when they are still physical. However, excluding workers from labor market What can and want to workonly aggravates the situation by adding an average of 10 years more the dependence of these workers of the public coffers. In Xataka | From the “great resignation” to “great prejubilation”: the labor market loses the experience of those over 55 years Image | Unspash (James Hose Jr)

The decision that opens a gap between China and the United States and will define the future of AI

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It is one of the hottest debates in the AI race and that is making the difference between the two most advanced powers. China is committed to Open Source with models such as Deepseek, while in the United States they lead private developments such as Chatgpt or Claude. Meta, on the other hand, has been defending the Open Source for a long time. Or we believed. According to the New York Timesnew Mark Zuckerberg Superintelligence Team I would be questioning this strategy in favor of developing a closed model. Flying. If confirmed, it would be a drastic change in the finish line. In 2023, goal It joined other companies To defend the creation of open source models and have not been few times when Mark Zuckerberg has said that his AI is Open Source (although not all true). Now that the new Superintelligence Team commanded by Alexandr Wang He has started working, they are considering whether to continue with the plan or choose to develop a closed model. Behemoth. It is the name of the AI Open Source that Meta was developing, its largest model to date. In fact, Behemoth’s bad results would have been The trigger for Zuckerberg decided to create the new AI team. Nearby sources claim that one of the first discussions of the team has been to leave its development. There is also the possibility that Behemoth’s development continues and that the new team focuses on developing a new model that points to the great goal of goal: Create a general artificial intelligence. What is an open AI. The Open Source concept is not new, but with the arrival of AI there has been enough debate about its definition. The AI models are very complex and the classical definition did not adapt to them, so in October last year the Open Source Initiative agency The Osaid published (Open source ai definition), a definition with which Target I did not agree. In order for an AI open source, it must allow the following: Use the system for any purpose and without having to ask permission. Study the operation of the system and inspect its components. Modify the system for any purpose, even to change your performance. Share the system so that others use it, with or without modifications, for any purpose. Chinese patience. The United States and China are the two most powerful players in the AI race, but although they play the same game, they do it with Very different strategies. With Deepseekhis most famous AI model, China surprised to bet on the open source, a strategy that has allowed him Avoid the zancadillas that your rival puts With vetoes and restrictions. And it is not the only oun source in China, there are many more: Qwen from Alibaba, Doubou by bytedance, Ernie from Baidu, Hunyuan Turbo of Tencent or Kimi From MoNshot AI. It is not a matter of giving in exchange for anything, behind there is a strategy of Soft Power Technological: Today I give you access, with the intention of being dominant tomorrow. China wants to create global dependence on its models and be an alternative to the payment models of the Americans. China has the future vision and patience to do so, we have already seen how invested for decades to form engineers And that today gives a clear advantage in the AI race. American immediacy. OpenAI, Anthropic, Google… The greats of the AI of the United States have opted for private development and subscriptions to access their most leading models. The exception to the rule was put by the goal with flame, the only one whose code is accessible (at least part), But if they focus on private development, that closed approach will be armed even more. The objective is clear: they have the most advanced models and resources to continue training them, so they can obtain an economic benefit by monetizing them. They do it through subscriptions to pro versions or with specific products such as AI agents, it is the case of the newly announced Chatgpt agent. The trap. China’s strategy makes all the meaning if we take into account that they were behind their rival (although They have managed to cut positions in record time). With open and free IAS they manage to create a great very fast user base and create that dependence. However, it is not a good long -term strategy from the economic point of view. If in the future they begin to monetize, that sooner or later they will have to do it, they face two problems: that their users come out in disarray and that the regulators put their eyes in them. The United States maintains strong control and obtains benefits from minute one. Has the most sophisticated models, but every time prices are higher And that makes a luxury within reach of a few. Many will look for alternatives and there will be China with their open and free models. They are two opposite visions: one focused on the present and one in the future. We will have to wait to see what vision is imposed. Image | Bibek ghosh, and Kaboomps (Pexels) In Xataka | Four AI companies are monopolizing the intellectual future of humanity. They are not good news

The US every day trusts less than China. Now plan to prohibit the use of submarine cables of Chinese origin

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The distrust held by the US and China is absolute. And probably both countries have solid reasons not to trust the other. After all, they are struggling to get world supremacy. The last sample of distrust has been put on the table the nation led by Donald Trump. And is that the Federal Communications Commission, known in English as FCC (Federal Communications Commission), wants to ban submarine cables of Chinese origin used to connect USA with the rest of the planet. This American institution is responsible for regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, telephone, satellite and cable, so it has power to execute a prohibition like this. In fact, Brendan Car, the president of the FCC, holds in a statement That his intention with this measure is to defend the integrity of the US Internet connection infrastructure in the face of the security threat that China represents. This initiative is also supported by the Plan “America First” that the Trump administration officially launched in February this year. In the current context, submarine cables are more important than ever “Submarine cables are the anonymous heroes of global communications. In fact, they transport 99% of Internet traffic,” Brendan Carr assures in its statement. “As the US builds the data centers and the infrastructure necessary to lead the world in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and next -generation technologies These cables are more important than ever. “Although it does not express it clearly, Carr’s statement contains a very important message that we cannot overlook. “We have witnessed how submarine cable infrastructure has been threatened in recent years by foreign adversaries, such as China” What the FCC fears is that China, which is climbing at full speed in the manufacturing industry of submarine cables, uses its technologies to spy on the US. Currently the companies that lead the production of these cables reside in France, Italy, USA and Japan, but HENGTong Group, Zhongtian Submarine Cable, Orient Cable and Dosese cable, All of them Chinese companiesThey are increasing their competitiveness and market share. Car proposes to adopt a double approach. On the one hand, it aims to encourage the use of US repair and maintenance of submarine cables, as well as completely reliable technologies from foreign countries. And, on the other hand, it aspires to discourage the use of Chinese technology in global infrastructure by imposing additional restrictions on its use in any underwater cable that connects to the US. “We have witnessed how submarine cable infrastructure has been threatened in recent years by foreign adversaries, such as China,” Brendan Carr in its statement. This is not at all the first time that the US launches an initiative to prohibit the use of Chinese technology in its communications infrastructure. In fact, in 2019 the Donald Trump government prohibited using telecommunications equipment manufactured by Chinese companies ZTE and HUAWEI. This was one of the most important chapters of the conflict held by the US and China for almost a decade. More information | Tom’s hardware In Xataka | 2025 has started with another cut cable cut. The problem is where and the suspect: in Taiwan and China

The Samsung Galaxy Z fold6 has a new historical discount. We had never seen it so cheap

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Buying a folding mobile is not easy. Soon that we are looking for a model with good performance, the budget can be triggered up to more than 1,000 or 2,000 euros, as with the Samsung Galaxy Z fold. Fortunately, there are many stores that occasionally launch offers that we can take to buy much cheaper phones. For example, the Samsung Galaxy Z fold6 has received a few, being the current one we have seen to date: PowerPlanet has it for 1,299 euros. Samsung Galaxy Z fold6 (256 GB) * Some price may have changed from the last review A samsung galaxy z fold6 at demolition price He Samsung Galaxy Z fold6 It is a folding mobile that It was launched by the whopping of 2,009 eurosso we talk about a fairly large discount. Yes, we are at the gates of seeing the arrival of the Samsung Galaxy Z fold7which will be launched in a few days, but due to the price difference it is possible that we are more interested in staying in the previous generation. Samsung’s folding mobile we liked a lot when we did his analysis. It has excellent screens: a 6.3 -inch external and another 7.6 -inch folding internal. Both offers a good resolution and a 120 Hz soda rate. In addition, one of the most remarkable points is its adapted software for Samsung folding mobiles; It is a real delight to use it. Internal level we are faced with a good processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxytogether with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. Its battery supports fast and wireless charging and its photographic section stands out for its rear cameras module, which is composed of a 50 MP main sensor, a great angle of 12 MP and a 10 MP telephoto. You may also be interested in Samsung accessories Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro + Loader – Wireless headphones, noise cancellation, Bluetooth, Audio 361, Hi -Fi sound, gray (Spanish version) * Some price may have changed from the last review Samsung Galaxy Watch7 Bluetooth + Correa – Smartwatch 44mm, health control, sports monitoring, green (Spanish version) * Some price may have changed from the last review Some of the links of this article are affiliated and can report a benefit to Xataka. In case of non -availability, offers may vary. Image | Ricardo AguilarSamsung In Xataka | Best folding mobiles in 2025. Which to buy in Spain and recommended models In Xataka | Best Samsung mobiles: which buy and recommended models based on budget, tastes and quality price

Mat Watson, expert in Supercars, about the Purosangue Ferrari

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To a Kia Ev6 GT and a pure Ferrari They separate 340,000 euros and four victories. Specifically, those achieved by Mat Watson, Carwow journalist, in Milla’s room. The medium has faced to two rivals who seem to arrive from different galaxies in the classic test of the mile room (400 meters). He Ferrari Purosangue It is one of the most anticipated products of the Italian company in recent years to enter the SUV market. It is sold for almost 400,000 euros to which we can add innumerable extras that, evidently, make the final bill. Some, if you want to skip your huge waiting list, are Selling in Spain for more than one million euros. Although seeing the success that everything has had indicates that the Purosangue Ferrari was going to be an immediate sales success, the Italian company wanted to save him a huge Atmospheric V12 motor of 6.5 liters of displacement to make it clear that we were not facing a second -important Ferrari or an unimportant model for the brand. Of course, its 725 hp did not seem. He KIA EV6 GTon the other hand, it has been recently updated with some aesthetic and, above all, mechanical. It was the most powerful electric car or with a more sporty vocation of KIA with its 585 hp but the Koreans have wanted to take it to a new level by raising its power to 609 hp but can sustain a 650 hp peak for a few seconds. However, it is still a car that is sold for just over 60,000 euros. That is what breaks the schemes because, as you can imagine, yes, the KIA has been winning in the acceleration test with the Purosangue Ferrari. Of five occasions, the KIA won in four of them. And the fifth did not do it because from Carwow they aware of the Korean electric. “At least it’s as fast as a kia” Two SUVs, a line and something to show: who was going to be faster. And from the first moment it was seen how Ferrari was going to have many problems to pass over an electric car, less powerful and much less large. So many difficulties that, in fact, they reduced Ferrari to the second position (of two opponents) all the occasions in which the exit launched was given. In fact, only once the Purosangue Ferrari managed to overcome the Korean electric SUV. It was when Watson, aboard the KIA, activated the Simulated march change that the company is introducing its sportier models and that it is controlled with some cams on the steering wheel. There, the Ferrari devastated. “Ferrari can already say that he has a faster car than a kia,” Watson joked for Walkie Talkie with his partner who responds between laughs that “surely in Maranello they are super happy.” If we are going to concrete figures, the Kia Ev6 GT weighs 2,200 kg, 50 kg heavier than the Purosangue Ferrari and its power is lower but its motor torque is significantly higher, generating up to 770 nm by the 716 Nm of the Ferrari. And that is seen in the video. That overweight subtracts competitiveness in the first meters from the Kia but very soon manages to put ahead with each start thanks to its huge torque but, above all, that an electric car can manage much better the power it sends to the ground. From the first moment has all the power at your disposalNot as a combustion engine, so it only remains for software capable of managing that brutal power so that the wheels do not lose traction. The duel is especially bleeding because we are facing a car that costs almost 350,000 euros less than a Ferrari and that takes the colors despite facing a huge V12, the jewel of the crown of the Italian engines. Although we had already seen similar evidence, such as The McMurtry Spéirling passing over the Ferrari Laferrarithis time is different because that electric car is designed to get the most possible performance, with a very light cabin that allows you to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 1.4 seconds or Stay mouth. The test of Carwow It is, in short, the confirmation of how the electric car has made us break schemes of what was considered fast. How excessive power (a good example is the Xiaomi Su7) is at your fingertips with the electric vehicle. Ferrari, at least, will show him that always sweet and hoarse sound to V12. Photo | Kia and Ferrari In Xataka | Ferrari has won on land, but now points to the ocean. His new challenge is a ship that works without a drop of fuel

Fine of 7,500 euros if your boss sends you messages outside working hours

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With the arrival of teleworking and the hybrid day, the line that separates the working life from personal life has been made increasingly thinand fades even more when the electronic devices that the company facilitates enter stake. As remember The sports worldthe use of company mobiles and messaging applications such as WhatsApp or Telegram has resulted in many employees receive messages from their bosses even after working hours. To stop this practice, the Workers Statute Includes an article in which employees are protected (Already the bosses) with him Right to digital disconnectionunder sanctions that can reach up to 7,500 euros. First of all: who is the mobile? Before starting to designate the limits of data disconnection, it is convenient make use of your device staff For work purposes. That means that, if the company has not facilitated a mobile and a company telephone line, the employee’s personal telephone number cannot be included in WhatsApp groups or other similar apps by the company. This would mean an infraction of article 5 of the Data Protection Law by spreading without consent personal data such as the worker’s phone number. In the event that both the device and the telephone line are owned by the company, they can implement this type of communications because, in that case, the data that is shared do not belong to the worker but to the company. Right to disconnection out of the day. However, although communications do not violate data protection regulations, article 20 bis of the Workers’ Statute, explicitly recognizes the Right to digital disconnection Outside the workday, prohibiting the company from carrying out any type of communication with the employee, although the devices from which it is carried out are of its property. According to the regulations, the worker is not obliged to respond to these communications. A recent sentence From the Superior Court of Xustiza de Galicia it goes a little further and establishes the absolute prohibition of companies to send communications to workers outside their working hours, not even should when when An answer is not expected. Digital intimacy and business control. Article 20 bis too Protects explicitly The “intimacy in the use of digital devices placed at your disposal by the employer.” This means that, even when used Mobile or company portablethe activity of the employee outside their working hours should not be monitored without justification or consent. The only case in which the company could Supervise these devices It would be if there is a clear and justified internal policy based on the labor control that allowed it. However, article 20 bis warns that this supervision can never invade the life and personal communication of the employee, so any attempt to geolocate or monitoring out of time would be out of law. Sanctions for offending companies. Failure to comply with the right to disconnection enables the Labor Inspection to impose A series of sanctions In the event that the company maintains repeated contacts outside working hours, especially when they occur without justification or compensation. Depending on the severity of the case and the size of the company, fines can range from 751 euros to 7,500 euros according to the severity of the faults or the size of the company. These sanctions seek to stop abusive practices that violate the rest and intimacy of the workers. In Xataka | 55,245 euros for eating a sandwich and a beer: Mercadona must compensate an employee for unfair dismissal Image | Unspash (Firmbee.com)

The AI has folded the price of an ultrarrao metal. The problem is that we need it to store renewable energy

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Two technological revolutions are redefining, at the same time, the entire energy sector: the transition to renewable sources and the unstoppable boom of artificial intelligence. The first needs cheap and efficient batteries. The second has an insatiable data appetite and needs hardware to store them. The problem is that both are colliding in the market of An ultrarrao metal: Ruthenium. And the AI is winning the battle. Ruthenium is in historical maximums. In the last year, this discreet silver gray mineral has become The unexpected star of raw material markets. Its price has doubled, reaching $ 25,720 per kilogram, according to data from the Johnson Matthey metal refining that Bloomberg collects. The figure not only eclipses gold or silver increases, but also touches its historical maximum of $ 27,970, reached 18 years ago. What has unleashed this fever. The answer is in data centers that feed artificial intelligence. Ruthenium, a Platinum Group metal, is exceptionally hard and versatile. One of its applications in electronics are high -capacity hard drives, which use a river layer of less than a thick nanometer to greatly increase data density. As the generative AI and the Cloud Computing They demand to store astronomical amounts of information, the demand is triggered. But the background problem is scarcity. Ruthenium is one of the most rare elements of the earth’s crust. It is obtained almost exclusively as a byproduct of platinum mining, and its annual supply is tiny: just 30 tons last year. Unless the investment in mining increases, analysts expect the market Enter in deficit next year. That is, the demand exceeds the supply. Not only does it need Ruthenio. In addition to hard drives, metal is a vital component in Several of the most promising chemists For massive energy storage batteries. Ruthenium oxide offers unique capacitance and loading and discharge speed, so It was intended to be used in Super Current before the AI duplicate its price. It is also a necessary metal In lithium-oxygen batteriesconsidered one of the next great revolutions in batteries for its very high energy density. But these cells depend on efficient catalysts. Ruthenium nanocatalysts achieve extraordinary capabilities and life cycles, but with the current price they are unfeasible. How it affects the energy sector. No sector is able to face investments as large as that of artificial intelligence. The AI is staying with the Ruthenium to save data while the entire planet faces another urgent challenge: store energy to abandon fossil fuels. Intermittent renewables, such as solar and wind, need large -scale batteries to keep the energy they generate when the sun shines or the wind blows, being able to use it later when night falls or the wind stops blowing. According to the International Energy Agencyin 2023 42 GW of capacity in batteries were installed, more than double than the previous year. It is an impressive, but insufficient figure to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement. The world needs to multiply that rhythm by six and reach about 1,500 GW of storage capacity from here to 2030 (of which 1,200 GW would be batteries). Is there any alternative to Ruthenium? There are other technologies that allow storing large amounts of data, but they are very expensive, so the industry continues to bet on ruthenium. In fact, a report by International Data Corp. provides that sales of hard drives with Ruthenium will increase 16% this year, dragging metal stocks. Researchers from all over the world have spent years developing new advanced batteries assuming a price for ruthenium that, although high, was manageable. Now, the explosion of the demand for AI has created a cost curve that no one anticipated, and that forces to start from scratch. Image | Metalle-W (CC by-SA 3.0) In Xataka | There are companies spending millions in storing hydrogen. Germany has just stored it in bicarbonate

It is not that the war is asymmetric, is that Russia is attacking with thermobárica and Ukraine with pellet shaheds with pellets

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The Ukraine War has been a pioneer in the massive drone usebut over the months the devices have had updates that have made them machines increasingly lethal. One of them was recently counted on the use of the double impact After the arrival of the Shahed. Now Russia has multiplied the scope of its deadliest weapon, and Ukraine can barely answer. Thermobaric load. The war in Ukraine has entered an even more dangerous phase with the growing use by Russia of Unidirectional Attack drones equipped with thermobárica ojas. These devices, commonly known Cempty pumpsthey disperse a cloud of aerosol fuel before detonating, generating an explosion that reaches temperatures greater than 2,000 ºC and that, in addition to razing structures, consumes the oxygen of the environment and causes devastating effects on human bodies. According to testimonies collected in Ukraine, such as that of Commander Oleksiy of the Territorial Defense Forces, the explosive burdens that were previously around 40 kg have reached 90 kgduplicating its destructive capacity. Although his unit has not yet managed to reduce these larger drones, their appearance in military reports since end of last year Point out a significant change in the danger scale. These systems can not only destroy several -story houses and buildings, but they are particularly lethal in closed spaces, where the expansive wave and vacuum caused have devastating effects. Russian adaptation. The use of thermobaric ammunition is not new in Russian military doctrine. They were already denounced in previous conflicts as in Afghanistan and Chehenia, and more recently in the first bars of the large -scale invasion of Ukraine with systems such as the RuncoCohetes TOS-1A. However, the novelty now lies in the delivery medium: Russia has begun to integrate this type of weapons into Shahed-136 dronescapable of “loungeing” about an objective before impacting. This tactical transformation allows Moscow Expand the number of high -power attacks without depending on larger and more vulnerable platforms to radars. According to Kateryna Stepanenko, from the War Study Institute, this adaptation has allowed Russia to intensify the bombings to civil infrastructureas recently happened In Járkovalready military positions in the front. The most disturbing thing is that these weapons, being integrated into modest but precise platforms, allow much greater and, of course, more difficult to intercept than conventional systems. Limited responses. In response to this growing threat, Ukraine has intensified its efforts to neutralize production centers of these explosives. In early July, the Ukrainian army attacked a Russian factory dedicated to the manufacture of Thermobárica ojivas for Shahedin an attempt to stop the supply in origin. In this way, the magnitude of the challenge does nothing but grow. Moscow has begun to launch massive attacks combining hundreds of missiles, explosive drones and lure systems designed to exhaust Kyiv’s anti -aircraft defense reserves. In a single day, the Ukrainian Air Force reported a Attack with almost 270 drones and artifact lure, of which they managed to demolish approximately two thirds. Although these interception percentages are high, the constant saturation of these attacks puts in tension defensive capabilities of Ukraine, which cannot replace its air defense systems with the same speed with which Russia can manufacture its kamikaze drones. A new solution: pellets. They counted in Insider that the Ukrainian defense is forming a new type of rifle ammunition. Unlike traditional projectiles, these bullets Anti -Didstock 5.56 mm They contain a load that, after traveling a certain distance, is fragmented into multiple pellets, increasing the probability of impacting small aerial targets. Developed by The Brave1 programpart of the Ukrainian military innovation ecosystem, these ammunition seek to replace the current tactics of demolishing drones with 12 caliber shotguns, a method that requires units transporting additional weapons and dangerously approaching the target. With these ammunition, the infantry soldier will be able to use his standard weapon to face aerial threats more quickly, safely and efficiently, which represents a key adaptation in the tactical evolution of the conflict. New ammunition. The new Ukrainian design, which has not been in detail, is described as a personalized design eye dispersed dense fragments at high speed, allowing the shooter to cover a larger volume with a single shot. This type of ammunition transforms the conventional rifle into a portable anti -aircraft defense tool, compact and available for any infant, without the need for specialized resentment or additional logistics. The declared objective is that each soldier in the front can carry this type of cartridges and react quickly to sudden aerial threats. Artisanal solution Interestingly, the idea of Anti -Didron bullets is not exclusive to Ukraine. Russia too has experienced with improvised versions, with cartridges of 5.45 mm modified for AK Rifles. The ammunition carries a thermoretractile tube that contains four pellets, designed to disperse after the shot. In fact, several videos They show Russian soldiers manually manufacturing these projectiles, cutting tips and assembling the tubes in impromptu tables. The initiative reflects the same urgency for counteracting drones without depending on sophisticated, expensive or scarce systems. The future and ethical dilemma. Regarding the integration of Thermobaric ammunition In drones, not only expands the scale of the conflict, but also raises new legal and moral dilemmas. These weapons, for their ability to cause indiscriminate damage and extreme suffering, have been Controversy object in human rights organizations. Its systematic use in urban areas could be considered a war crime if the deliberate intention of attacking civilians is demonstrated. However, beyond the legal aspect, what is manifested is a dangerous technical evolution: Russia has managed to combine three key elements (lethality, low cost and high availability) in a formula that can redefine conventional war. While Ukraine and Western Allies They seek to counteract This threat through preventive attacks, improvements in detection systems and the development of new countermeasures, the technological career between attacker and defender is accelerating alarmingly, and increasingly asymmetric. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian cities and their population continue to pay the highest price, exposed to a type of offensive that combines Surgical precision with a level of destruction comparable … Read more

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