Mobile Tech & Gadgets

With AI saturating TSMC’s factories, there’s someone ready to take over: Chinese foundries

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Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp, or SMIC, is the backbone of the semiconductor industry in China. Together with Huawei, he is the architect of the great government plan so that Chinese companies and data centers stop depending on foreign chips that, since punch on the table given in mid-2023 with the SoC of Huawei Mate 60 Prohas called a lot attention on the international scene. So much so that SMIC itself points out that there are already foreign clients who are changing orders so that they can manufacture them themselves. The reason? In the midst of the semiconductor crisis, China is one of the few places with available production capacity. Bottleneck. SMIC, and Chinese foundries, are in a different war: volume over sophistication. While TSMC, Intel and Samsung are fighting for superiority in the 2 nanometer war, China does not seem interested in that battle of the advanced nodes. The reason is simple: they barely represent 20% of the global chip market and producing them is extremely expensive. That strategy of being out of the forefront of the spotlight is working out well for them. It is estimated that between January and February, China has exported integrated circuits worth more than 43 billion dollars. It represents a growth of 21.8% and the reality is that, at this time, China cannot compete in technology with the one that dominates the segment: TSMC. The Taiwanese company is developing the most advanced nodes for clients such as Nvidia and Apple and a few years ago they stated that they could not handle all the demand. Today, that demand has skyrocketed with AI and TSMC is already saying that there may not be something for everyone. That is why there are 64 new factories planned to unblock the situation, 58 of them located in China. Orders. Returning to SMIC, Zhao Haijun, the company’s co-CEO, pointed out a few days ago during the earnings call that China is one of the few regions that has manufacturing capacity, which is motivating “many foreign clients to redirect their orders.” This is not news if we take into account the world situationbut the manager assures that some of these products “were previously manufactured in foundries abroad and are no longer produced there.” That is the relevant point in all this, since it states that, although SMIC as the largest national foundry is receiving the largest burden of these orders, there are other smaller companies that are also benefiting from the situation. This situation is occurring out of necessity, out of TSMC’s need, according to data from TrendForce. Because the Taiwanese company plans to reduce part of its capacity in mature nodes (to focus on cutting-edge ones), it is diverting part of that production and excess orders to Chinese suppliers and second-line foundries. This will also cause the wafers to be used to the millimeter and that from an average utilization rate of 80% in eight-inch wafers, the industry will go to 90% in 2026. Chips are needed and they will have to be scraped from wherever they can. domino effect. The situation is going well for a SMIC that reported revenues of 2,505 million dollars in the first quarter of this year, 11.5% year-on-year that will be surpassed in the second period of the year, with revenue growth of between 14% and 16%, well above the 7% that Wall Street expected. But it seems that not only SMIC is having good news within the current catastrophic situation in the components, memory and other segment. We already commented a few months ago that “crisis” could be synonymous with “opportunity” for the Chinese semiconductor industry because there were foreign manufacturers that were approaching them to have supplies, especially of RAM memories, which could cause the international flourishing of this industry traditionally overshadowed by the Samsung – SK Hynix – Micron trident. As we see in SCMPHua Hong is another Chinese foundry that is smaller than SMIC, but also saw its revenue grow 22.2% year-on-year due to increased wafer shipments and a higher average selling price. These companies that make NAND, DRAM and NOR memory chips are seeing their business grow, and analysts expect other domestic foundries focused on logic chips to also continue to grow over the coming months. not so untouchable. In any case, it is evident that the market leader continues to be TSMC, but if before it was an undisputed giant, now it is still that Goliath… for which its David is emerging. Several, in fact. Apple is no longer the preferred customer of a TSMC that has in mind Nvidia to your best ally and it has been ringing for a while that Intel could fill that spot in the heart of Apple. And, returning to 2 nanometers, AMD has been deeply involved in the battle for both consumer and AI segments for a few years and is looking for advanced chips. And, as in the case of Apple, since it is now Nvidia that has all the privileges of TSMC, AMD has looked a little further east to manufacture its 2nm chips. The lucky one? Samsung. Image | ASML In Xataka | ByteDance has already chosen its partner to manufacture its own chip. And it is a harsh message for China’s industry

only for Xtra members

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Next May 28, don’t go too far, because we have an appointment. Yes, you, the xatakeros, and we, the editors of Xataka, will see each other again in the second live Q&A. We had a really good time at the first and the truth is that we talk about everything. If you already joined us, we invite you to come again; If you didn’t do it, we invite you to join in if you feel like it, we had a really nice time! We will review the dynamics shortly, but first we leave you the coordinates of this second edition: Day: May 28. Hour: 17:00, Spanish peninsular time (16:00 in the Canary Islands, 9:00 in Mexico). Assistants: Amparo Babiloni, César Muela, Javier Jiménez, Javier Márqez and Antonio Vallejo. Connection link: we will provide it to you later by email. How Q&As work The Q&As are virtual meetings between xatakeros and Xataka editors and are part of the advantages included in Xataka Xtra. There is no agenda, no topics or anything predefined. It’s like meeting up for coffee with friends and colleagues to chat about whatever we want. The topics are set by the xatakeros, so we can talk about technology, science, space or answer questions from Xataka, which we did in the first edition, for example. It is not a formal meeting by any means, but rather a casual time to see each other, catch up and unwind talking about whatever you want. Like last time, the meeting will take place through Google Meet, so there will be no need to download software. We will send you the link by email one hour before the event so that you can connect from the device you have closest to hand. Needless to say, using the camera or microphone is completely voluntary, as is participation. If you don’t feel like it or it doesn’t work for you, absolutely nothing happens. As for the participants, we will do a rotation in each Q&A so that you can put a face to us all. For this second meeting we will have Amparo Babiloni, César Muela, Javier Jiménez, Javier Márqez and Antonio Vallejo. In Xataka | Subscribe to Xataka Xtra

The big question behind the US visit to Beijing is not Taiwan. They are two Chinese SUVs with roofs that have fired the imagination

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The scene took place in 2018, during a military parade in Moscow. So several Western analysts spent hours trying to identify a strange russian truck covered by tarps and antennas of which no one offered explanations. Years later it was learned that it was part of one of the systems electronic warfare most advanced in the Kremlin. Since then, every rare vehicle that appears near a world leader has ceased to seem like a simple logistical eccentricity. Two SUVs and an uncomfortable question. For years, American presidential visits to Beijing revolved around the same topics: Taiwan, trade, sanctions or the military balance in Asia. However, they had TWZ analysts that in Donald Trump’s recent visit there was a detail that ended up attracting much more attention among military analysts and technological observers: two Chinese Hongqi SUVs with huge modified roofs that seemed to hide some kind of special system. They were not particularly elegant or discreet. In fact, they seemed heavy and strange. That is precisely why they attracted so much attention. The feeling they left is that China wanted teach something without showing it really. The big question after the trip was no longer just what Washington and Beijing had talked about, but what the hell exactly those vehicles were hiding. Modern warfare and protecting the sky. The most repeated theory links to something that we have been countingand these roofs could house electronic warfare systems, advanced communications or even anti-drone capabilities. The idea makes sense because the presidential caravans begin to face a relatively new problem: cheap drones capable of threatening even extremely protected world leaders. Ukraine, the Middle East and the Red Sea have shown that it no longer takes a sophisticated missile to create a huge security problem. That’s it forcing to transform VIP convoys in small fortresses mobile electronics. The Hongqi seen in Beijing fit perfectly in that trend: lots of interior space, extra weight and modifications probably designed to transport complex equipment rather than people. Caravan converted into a command center. The interesting thing is that those SUVs were not an isolated anomaly. The caravan also included Modified Suburbans, Lincoln Navigators, and Ford vans with antennas, sensors, and special roof structures. Everything suggested a mobile architecture of communications, surveillance and electronic interference much more sophisticated than usual. In practice, presidential convoys are beginning to look less like simple armored columns and more to command centers capable of operating in environments saturated with drones, electronic signals and autonomous threats. Not only that. Analysts recalled that China also used Hongqi vehicles, a brand very historically linked to Chinese political power, reinforces another important idea: Beijing wants to demonstrate that it can develop this type of strategic capabilities with its own national platforms. The new competition between powers. For a long time, the rivalry between China and the United States was measured with aircraft carriers, stealth fighters or hypersonic missiles. Now it’s starting to appear another competition quieter: who masters electronic and anti-drone protection in real scenarios. The recent wars have shown that nearby airspace has become extremely dangerous even far from the front. This requires protecting infrastructure, convoys and political leaders in completely new ways. In this context, a jamming system can be as important as traditional shielding. Beijing’s SUVs reflect precisely this change in mentality. Deliberately ambiguous message. Of course also, perhaps the most important thing is that no one really knows what those vehicles were transporting. And that uncertainty is probably part of the message. In today’s technological competition, projecting unknown capabilities is also a form of deterrence. The huge Hongqi roofs they seem designed to provoke questions rather than offer answers. Be that as it may, his appearance on a high-level presidential visit leaves a clear conclusion: while much of the world continues to look at Taiwan, Ukraine or Iran, China seems determined to teach discreetly something else. That the next great military revolution could not be in large visible platforms, but in mobile, discreet electronic systems prepared for a war dominated by drones. Now that Russia is about to fall in Beijing, it will be time to see if they show those SUVs again. Image | x In Xataka | Something is happening over the skies of Chile: the US and China are fighting their particular “cold war” in silence In Xataka | The US’s problem in the AI ​​and humanoid race is not China: it is all of Asia and it is greatly disadvantaged

the idea is reminiscent of how macOS works

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The speed of an operating system is not always noticeable when we export a video or open a demanding game. Many times we perceive it in much smaller gestures: a menu that appears instantly or a window that responds without delay. It’s a hard feeling to sell on a spec sheet, but easy to notice when it fails. Microsoft has been trying to convey for months that it wants to improve Windows 11and one of its next adjustments goes right into that area where fluidity is gained or lost in tenths of a second. Low latency profile. Microsoft is testing what is known as low latency profile. The idea is to ask the processor for an additional boost of speed at specific times, such as when opening the Start menu, an application, or certain context menus. We are not facing a function announced as a great novelty for all users, but rather a setting present in test builds. Secure Windows Central who has already tested this profile and has observed an appreciable improvement in speed and response compared to the current public version of Windows 11 25H2. It’s not magic, it’s latency. The reference to macOS does not point to a specific Apple feature, but to a principle that, according to Scott Hanselman, vice president of Microsoft and GitHub, modern operating systems share. “All modern operating systems do this, including macOS and Linux,” wrote in X. Their argument is that this is not “cheating,” but rather a common way to make applications appear faster: temporarily raising the CPU speed and prioritizing interactive tasks to reduce latency. In other words, Windows 11 would be trying to react better in those seconds in which we most notice if the system is accompanying or lagging behind. Spot power. At first glance it may seem contradictory that asking more from the processor also helps to take care of consumption. But reality goes the other way: many modern chips are designed to exert intense effort for a very short period and then return to a low-power state. Applied to Windows 11, the goal would not be to keep the CPU accelerated, but rather to take advantage of a specific push when the system needs to respond to the user. The key is that this impulse does not last longer than necessary. The test has not convinced everyone. Some users criticized on social networks that Microsoft resorted to this type of CPU boost, understanding that it could increase consumption and reduce autonomy, or that the company was leaning too much on the hardware instead of better optimizing the software. Now, Microsoft does not present this adjustment as the only answer to the fluidity problems of Windows 11, but as one more piece within a broader work. Windows 11 also needs convincing. The interesting thing is that Microsoft isn’t just talking about making an animation go a little faster. The company has begun to publicly organize its progress around a very specific idea, its “commitment to Windows quality”, with posts tracking the status of several changes in testing, including a less loaded Widgets view, lower RAM usage, adjustments to the Windows Insider program, and more leeway to decide when updates are installed. The timing is not coincidental either.. All of this comes as Microsoft tries to push users and businesses towards Windows 11, with Windows 10 still installed on just over a quarter of the world’s Windows PCs, according to StatCounter. When I finish that free year of extended security updatesanyone who wants to remain protected will have to update the system, change equipment if their hardware does not meet the requirements of Windows 11, or pay for more support. For companies there is a little more margin, but not infinite: they will be able to purchase one or two additional years of updates, with a cost that will increase each year. Images | Nicholas Worrell In Xataka | The big bet for the future of Android is not just Android 17: it is Gemini Intelligence and your mobile phone doing things on its own

list with the eight that use the most electricity and their average quantities

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Let’s tell you What are the appliances that consume the most? in your home, so that you can keep it in mind and thus be able to use them with caution. Because we have examples like how your oven can spend about 65 refrigerators running at the same time, and they are things that are worth knowing. Of course, you should know that although they are appliances that consume a lot of power, they do it in a timely manner. They are not appliances that you will always have on, although that is precisely why it is advisable to know this consumption for those moments when we may be thinking about whether to use them or not. Appliances that consume the most at home Here you have the list made with different calculations of the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE)in addition to energy marketing companies such as Repsol either Naturgy. You must know that They are hourly consumption rangeswhat they consume every hour that you have them on. In addition, you should also know that the consumption range may vary depending on the appliance. Because this is the average, but then other factors such as the age of the device, its efficiency or its features can cause its consumption to vary significantly. In any case, here is the list: Ovens: between 2,000-3,000 watts Vitroceramics and induction hobs: between 1,500-6,500 watts Electric radiators: between 1,500-2,500 watts clothes irons: between 1,500-3,500 watts Electric thermoses: between 1,500-2,500 watts hair dryers: between 1,500-2,000 watts Cooking plates: between 1,500-2,000 watts Electric fryers: between 1,500-2,500 watts To give you context, a refrigerator with a high efficiency model can consume between 100 and 300 kWh per yearalthough other older or inefficient models may exceed 600kWh. Come on, they’re in something like between 30 and 90 watts per hour. Although in the long run this may cause it to consume more than others, it is advisable to take into account the consumption of other appliances that are not always on, so that you can better calculate when to use them depending on the rates you have contracted and their schedules.

the extreme experiment in Greenland to test the human microbiota

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The idea of ​​eating rotting meat sounds like a one-way ticket to the emergency room for a major stomach flu at best, but in the most extreme latitudes of the planet, it is a survival technique perfected over millennia. Now, explorer and chef Mike Keen a challenge has been proposed that defies Western physiology: feeding exclusively on decomposing seal for a month in Greenland. And all this to see how your microbiota adapts to this new diet and how grouper’social experiment‘. More than rotten meat. When we talk about the diet that Keen will follow on his expedition, the automatic mental image is that of meat left out in the open without any type of control. However, there is a crucial nuance, since the traditional inuit practiceslike the kiviak or the igunaq They are not just random rotting meat, but have gone through a fermentation process. What does it consist of? It is a controlled fermentation culturally, since for months these preparations undergo processes involving bacteria and very particular metabolites that science is just beginning to catalog. This fermentation not only preserves food during the long, dark Arctic winters, but, according to the researchers’ hypothesis, it could be key to the survival of the Inuit and extract vital nutrients in a diet based almost exclusively on animal products, lacking the plant fiber that normally feeds our intestinal bacteria. His secret. The scientific core of this type of diet is in our digestive system, since various studies have focused on the relationship between traditional fermented foods and the intestinal health of Arctic populations. Here, a study published in Microbiome on the Inuit gut microbiome showed that this is highly dynamic over time and is deeply shaped by the intake of traditional foods. In this way, unlike populations like ours, where the Western diet homogenizes the bacteria in the intestine, for the Inuit there are unique signatures. Centuries of history. Greenland’s dependence on seal meat is not a modern eccentricity, but a historical pillar. Historical records and isotopic analyzes have confirmed that even the Viking settlers in Greenland relied heavily on the seal for survival. It is a food that has been sustaining human life on the island for centuries. However, replicating this type of diet without traditional ecological knowledge carries a lethal danger, since poorly preserved decomposing meat is microbiological Russian roulette. Without the exact temperature control, preparation and anaerobic sealing that recipes like igunaqmeat becomes a breeding ground for serious pathogens such as Salmonella either Listeria that cause pathological conditions very serious. The experiment. By taking these foods, we hope to know exactly the metabolic adaptations that occur when these diets are taken and also to see how the microbiota changes when subjected to a 100% animal and fermented diet for a month. In order to reach clear conclusions, analyzes will be done on the feces, or blood, throughout this month of testing and also afterwards, to be able to have something clear about how its interior changes. Images | DejaVu Designs at Magnific In Xataka | To the question of whether “eating breakfast as soon as you wake up is good for your body”, science offers a clear answer

In 2008 China was installing metro stations in the middle of nowhere. In 2026 we have discovered how naive we were

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Last year it moved a video which showed that, when it comes to building construction, China looks far ahead of those sacred five-year plans. In fact, something fascinating happens in Beijing: you can find an empty subway entrance where there is no development, a wasteland. The reality is different, because if you return to the same place a few years later, the photo is completely different. Yes, China is an expert in long-term planning. For decades to come. The Chinese urban expansion of the last twenty years has consolidated a structural feature: infrastructure (particularly the metro) is built before the city exists that will do. This deliberate advancement produces a phase visible “empty”: stations buried in open fields, access through weeds without streets or commerce, deep deserted platforms under soils without residents. However, for the Chinese State this phase is not a failure but a transitory state within a horizon of 10–20 years where infrastructure precedes to induce and anchor the development that will come. The called “ghost cities” (from Lanzhou New Area to Xiongan) are less a symptom of error than an intermediate frame of a long temporal script that assumes that urbanization is safe even though its sequence is asymmetrical: first the subway, then the people. Station as a lever. The data from a Wuhan study show that the simple fact of having a metro nearby sharply increases the value of commercial premises within a radius of up to 400 meterseven if there is no city around yet: the line works as a future proof that can be monetized. On a large scale, since 2008 the State launched a wave of new cities and networks (thousands of kilometers of metro in a few years) that reduced congestion and attracted investment. But this anticipated layout was not always accompanied by schools, hospitals or good last-mile connections, which stopped people from leaving the saturated centers and extended the phase in which the new areas seem empty. The infrastructure came first… and the city took longer to appear. First there was the stop, and then Chongqing The Chongqing case. Possibly the most publicized. Caojiawan (the “nowhere station”) condensed the thesis in image: hidden accesses among weeds without streets or residents, surveillance of the viral world, and employees recognizing minimal use “for now” with the central argument of planning: the lane anticipated the neighborhood. Chongqing reinforces the pattern with its deep engineering (Hongtudimore than 60 meters and extension to more than 94), the extreme intermodal connection and the overinvestment in topology before demand. At the city scale, the same pattern runs through its network of viaducts and lines: radically anticipated infrastructure to induce future urban trajectories. Lanzhou New Area Map Ghost cities as a phase. Lanzhou New Area (with razed mountains, free zones, artificial lakes and replicas of monuments) first went through years of silence and then through a slow awakening, with the arrival of people in dribs and drabs, although there are still doubts about the figures. Urban planners who have followed its evolution maintain that calling a “ghost city” is to confuse a phase with the final destination: these projects are conceived for 15–20 yearsnot to be judged at 3–5. In other words, the State does not build for the present, but for the moment when transportation connects, density closes and the population crosses a certain threshold. From that perspective, the initial emptiness does not clash with the bet, it is simply part of the planned schedule. Between ambition and sustainability. Bloomberg recalled a while ago that the model has a cost: most meters they are not profitablethey increase the debt of local governments and there is a risk of building more than necessary in medium-sized cities. The national authority first relaxed the requirements (asking for less population to authorize lines) and then tightened them again and stopped projects, realizing that what helps create value can also sink finances. Various analysts have pointed out that in many places the subway was chosen “out of inertia”, when solutions such as a good bus system with a reserved platform could have provided almost the same with much less debt. The dilemma is no longer whether there will be extensive networks (because they already exist) but whetherat what point to invest in advance it stops being a gamble and becomes a burden. From building to operating. Once built the physical networkthe main problem is no longer digging tunnels but making that work well. There are a large number of stations with a single entrance that get stuck, long and poorly resolved transfers, lack of large connection points between lines and absence of tracks prepared for fast trains to overtake slow ones, because these decisions were not thought out from the beginning. The same logic of “first we build and then we’ll see” now causes circulation problemssecurity, accessibility and response to extreme rains as shown by the Zhengzhou case. They counted in The Guardian that to go from “building fast” to “running well” it is necessary to redesign with the traveler’s experience in mind, not just that of the construction engineer. The temporary strategy. In short, China has turned into a norm an idea that inverts the usual order in the West: the subway is not built because there is already a city, but so that the city ​​exists after. The station tickets today empty are, in their logic, the first material step of future neighborhoods, within a plan that assumes long deadlines and accepts periods of emptiness as part of the price of forcing urbanization. The risk is in the financial cost and in going from “building” to “making it work”, but the advantage is be able to capture value and shape the city in advance. What to today’s eyes seems like an unproductive excess, on a twenty-year scale is only the first phase. A version of this article was published in November 2025 Image | Luke PusateriLanzhou Government Bulletin System, Unusual Places In Xataka | There are skyscrapers so monstrously tall … Read more

Watching the World Cup on a TV is fine, but doing it on a projector of up to 100 inches is another experience.

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There is very little left until the soccer World Cup begins. If you want to renew your television, there are many offers in stores like MediaMarkt. But, if it happens to you like me, you bought it not too long ago and you are looking for something different, you might be interested in a projector like the Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Genwhose price has fallen in PcComponentes to 429 euros. Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen The price could vary. We earn commission from these links A portable and smart projector He Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen It is a projector that has a cylindrical format, allowing us to rotate to project image on wall or ceiling. And all this in a comfortable way. Additionally, the projector base can be connected to an external battery, which is also sold at PcComponentes by 119.09 eurosalthough through an external store. This allows you to increase autonomy, something especially useful if you are going to use the projector outside the home. By itself, the projector has an integrated battery that offers a theoretical autonomy of three hours. Its operating system is Tizenwhich allows you to download some applications through its WiFi connectivity. It supports image formats such as HDR10+ and also incorporates integrated speakers compatible with Dolby Digital Plus. But one of the big draws, especially when it comes to watching football matches in a big way, lies in the size of the image projection, which reaches up to 100 inches. In addition, it is also worth mentioning that the projector comes with a dedicated cinema mode, includes Samsung TV Plus for watching television channels and has microHDMI, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. ⚡ IN SUMMARY: Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen offer today ✅ THE BEST Your format: The base allows the projector to be rotated to project an image on a wall or ceiling. Your operating system: includes Tizen (the operating system that we see on Samsung televisions), which allows you to download some applications such as Movistar Plus. ❌ THE WORST The shine: We are talking about a projector that, despite being portable, is intended for use at home or in poorly lit environments, since it does not offer particularly high brightness to have a good experience in rooms or places with a lot of ambient light. 💡 BUY IT IF… You are looking for a projector to watch sports, movies and series or enjoy video games on a big screen without having to buy a television. Especially if you also want the projector to allow you to download applications. ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… You are looking for a projector to use in environments with a lot of ambient light, since for this it is necessary that the projector has good luminosity. You may also be interested Nebula Capsule 3 Mini portable projector 1080p, Wi-Fi, 200 ANSI lumens, Google TV, Netflix, Dolby Digital, 120 inch image, built-in battery, 2.5h The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Soundcore Nebula P1 Portable GTV Projector with Detachable Speakers, 650 ANSI Lumens, 1080p, 20 W Real 2.0 Sound, Dolby Audio, Automatic Adjustment, 180” Screen and Carrying Handle 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 | Samsung In Xataka | Best televisions in quality price. Which one to buy and seven recommended 4K smart TVs In Xataka | Best sound bars in quality price. Which one to buy and seven recommended models from 140 euros

its second brand will go far beyond the electric car

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Xiaomi is here to stay in the automobile market. And given its evolution, it is very likely that it will be studied as one of the most striking success stories in history. No half measures. And it is that, As we have already explained in Xatakathe automobile industry is full of corpses of who could have been and stayed by the way. Although much has been said about the ease that the electric car offers so that brands completely unrelated to the world of motor take the leap into this new businessXiaomi has been one of the few companies to achieve this and, it seems, to expand its business beyond China. In just three yearsthe company went from announcing its first car to having two on the market and sweeping sales. A Xiaomi SU7 that stands up to the large electric sedans of the moment at a fraction of the price of the Tesla Model S or the Porsche Taycan and a Xiaomi YU7 that points even higher, to a slightly higher level of luxury. Since both models were revealed, there have been rumors about what would be the next step of the company, what type of car they would launch. Already during the launch of its electric SUV, it was put on the table that Xiaomi had the launch of a car with a combustion engine on its hands. And there seems to be some truth. Because, according to what we know, it will be Xiaomi’s second brand, Sky Nomad, that will be in charge of bringing this car with a combustion engine to the street. Sky Nomad, this we know about Xiaomi’s second brand Although the launch of a new Xiaomi car is something that has been rumored for months, the appearance of this new sub-brand is something that has not been talked about strongly enough. until a few days ago. And it is that chinese media They have echoed that Xiaomi has registered the SKYNOMAD name in English and xa tian in Chinese. The intention would be to have a second brand, positioned slightly below Xiaomi that serves to offer a slightly different product than the one we already know. It would be something like your Redmi for cars. The rumors of this new brand have gained even more strength with the publication of some spy photos of a first test mule that appeared in Autohome. The car, they say CarNewsChina It is a 5.30 meter long SUV with a 3.10 meter long wheelbase (approximate figures). But the interesting thing is in its technology. And everything indicates that the car will be an extended range electric car. That is, a car with a combustion engine that works with the touch of an electric one because these motors are the ones that always push the car, acting as the combustion engine, a 1.5T as we usually see in many other Chinese cars, which acts as a generator to produce electricity for the battery. With this technology, it is expected that the new car from the Xiaomi sub-brand can travel between 400 and 500 km in purely electric mode and that the total autonomy will reach 1,500 km. This movement is interesting because without state aid, the electric car market had slowed down in China and the public seems to have been more interested in cars that, as in this case, can rely on the help of a combustion engine. The intention is to position this brand one step below Xiaomi. That is, Skynomad would serve as an entry range to the brand’s cars, with a perspective of sub-family cars with plug-in technology but with a combustion engine. Above all, Xiaomi would remain the reference brand for high-performance electric cars. The project seems to be more than advanced. Chinese media suggest that the company internally names this car as Kunlun N3 and that will be the spearhead of a strategy that will seek to fight for quality-price and that targets new markets. According to CarNewsChinathe new release will seek to overshadow Li Auto and Aitothe two most recognized brands in China with extended range electric models. The media points out that Skynomad would be positioned in price below the 250,000 yuan (about 31,500 euros) at which this segment operates. But, in addition, they do not rule out that the company uses the car to attack new markets that are less evolved in terms of electric cars. It is a good opportunity for Xiaomi to begin to gain a foothold in markets where the charging network is less dense. In its strategy, Xiaomi would have already begun to diversify the purchase of batteries. They point in the middle 21 Business Herald that the company has started buying batteries at sunwoda and CALBand thus diversify the suppliers that, until now, focused on CATL and BYD. Sunwoda is also the company that more batteries sold for hybrid mechanics and CALB is the third largest battery supplier for the Chinese market, behind the two giants already mentioned. Photo | Xiaomi In Xataka | In its assault on the electric car, Xiaomi has a clear path: an all-star team of engineers from Porsche, BMW and Lamborghini

eliminates another service and prices are through the roof

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In May 2024, The Madrid-Galicia AVE was launched. After years of complaints, high speed was entering Galician territory to change the rules of the game in mobility between the two autonomous communities. We were not aware of the latter two years ago. And it is that he AVE to Galicia He arrived surrounded by controversy. The first days were marked by delays. In order to take the trains to the Galician railway tracks, Renfe has had to use those known as Talgo S-106 or AVRIL. They are trains that can combine two different track gauges, essential in a country where the train was founded on Iberian gauge tracks and which, later, has added international gauge tracks for its high speed. This historical peculiarity It is one of the reasons why Renfe has taken so long to arrive in Galicia and also the main reason why Ouigo and Iryo do not consider entering to compete with the company in this line. And, at the moment, Talgo trains are the only ones that provide this service. But also, as as the Galicians could see in the first days of 2025 and how the people of Madrid and Catalans have verified that move on the Madrid-Barcellona, ​​are not the most reliable trains on the market. And despite everything, despite the fact that Renfe is looking for new partners that they offer you this “jumping the road” solution and despite the fact that Passage times are still higher than promisedthe train has managed to win the battle against the airlines. The result: fewer tickets and very high prices. By air, at 180 euros (in the best of cases) Since high speed reached Madrid-Galicia, the movement capacity between both autonomous communities has skyrocketed. We saw the first clues last summer. Iberia retracted its offer between both autonomous communities because the train, especially the early one, was more attractive despite taking four hours longer. The reasons are obvious: lower prices and easier access to the station in relatively small cities such as Vigo or Santiago de Compostela (compared to the airport). And, adding the time to get to the airport, boarding, getting off the plane and the time it takes to get to the center of Madrid from Barajasthe traveler had spent more or less the same time but with a more uncomfortable means of transportation. The result is that the options for flying have decreased and are less competitive. The first flight between Vigo and Madrid is the Air Europa that lands at Barajas Airport at 9:50. To that time we must add the time to get off the plane and get to the city center, which may well be an hour in the best of cases. Practically at the same time (five minutes later) the first train arrives from Vigo to Madrid but one is already inside the city. Something similar has happened with the return trips to Madrid, although here the plane continues to win. The train, however, allows speed up time more until reaching the station from the center of the city, which results in better use of the day and greater comfort. Right now, with the decline of the airlines, only Air Europa with a flight at 9:05 p.m. allows you to take advantage of the day until the end. Despite the decline, this air offer was still very useful for those who spend the weekend in one city or another and return late on Sunday. However, the use of the train continues to narrow the supply on airlines. As they say in Vigo LighthouseIberia has eliminated one more Sunday flight and now its offer is limited to two journeys at the end of the week. These flights leave Vigo at 1:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m., so they are not very competitive for those who live in Madrid during the week and travel to Galicia on the weekends. Much less so are their prices, which do not go below 180 euros and, with less supply available, dynamic prices have reached 330 euros in some cases. Furthermore, being operated by Air Nostrum with a Bombardier CRJ-1000the available places are even smaller, moving into the hundreds. Very far from the 180 places that the Airbus A320common in national trips. The success of Renfe among Galicians has been reducing the air supply and for now only Air Europa remains firm in its commitment with 1,500 seats daily and four flights in each direction. Outside of this low cost offer, the options are minimal. And they are getting smaller and smaller. The problem in this case is that the departure of Iberia puts even more pressure on the AVE supply on Sunday afternoon which, as in the case of the airline, does not allow you to take advantage of the afternoon because the last trip leaves before 2:00 p.m. from Vigo. Yes indeed, given dynamic prices It is possible that we will see increases in their prices because the air alternative is less. As little used as it is. Photo | Phil Richards and Bene Riobó In Xataka | Renfe is looking for new trains for the AVE and something much more important: not making the same mistake as with Talgo

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