Mobile Tech & Gadgets

The PS5 has always been a PC at its core. Some models can now run Linux and games

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The PlayStation 5 It has never been a conventional computer, but it has never been as far from looking like one as we usually imagine. Under its casing there is an x86 architecture, an AMD Zen 2 CPU and a RDNA 2 GPUingredients very familiar to anyone who closely follows the world of PC. The difference, of course, has always been in control: Sony decides what is executed, how it is executed and how far the hardware can go. That is why what we have seen now is so striking: a PS5 Phat (launch model) booting Linux and behaving, with important nuances, like a desktop machine. The change. Everything arises with the publication of ps5-linux, a project by Andy Nguyenbetter known as TheFlow. We are not talking about a simple demonstration, but about a tool that really works with an image of Ubuntu 24.04. According to the description of the project itself on GitHubps5-linux uses an already patched vulnerability in the hypervisor. The promise is powerful, but as we will see below, it does not work on all consoles and also has several limitations. Not just any PS5 is worth it. So far, everything sounds great, but this doesn’t mean we can take the console in the living room and happily turn it into a Linux PC. First, because we are talking about a process designed for profiles with experience. And second, because compatibility is very limited. The method currently only works on PS5 Phat with firmwares 3.xx and 4.xx, specifically 3.00, 3.10, 3.20, 3.21, 4.00, 4.02, 4.03, 4.50 and 4.51. Additionally, versions 3.xx do not have M.2 support, while 4.xx does. The process is also not similar to inserting an installation pendrive and following the usual steps on a PC. According to Tom’s Hardwareps5-linux needs a separate tool, the umtx2 exploit, to achieve initial code execution, and then send the loader payload to the console. In the flow in question there is a fake DNS server and an HTTPS host on a local computer, which redirect the query for the PS5 manual to activate the exploit. When everything goes well, the console goes into sleep mode, the LED turns solid orange, and when you press the power button, Linux starts. Once inside Linux. The console now behaves like an x86 desktop with plenty of muscle to experiment with. The system can take advantage of the eight CPU cores, 16 threads in total, at 3.5 GHz, and a GPU at 2.23 GHz. It also maintains video and audio output via HDMI, with support for 4K at 60 Hz, and allows the use of all its USB ports. To install and run Linux you need a USB drive of at least 64 GB. What changes the perception of the project the most is not just seeing Ubuntu starting up, but imagining what it can be used for. TheFlow talks about Steam games and emulators running very smoothly, relying on the power left available when running Linux on these PSs. In X we can see running on the improved version of ‘GTA V‘, which helps show the loader’s potential before publication. It’s not all plug and play: The project has very specific limits that should be made clear before imagining a PS5 converted into a perfect substitute for a PC. One disappointing fact is that ps5-linux works as a soft mod, not as a permanent installation, so you have to repeat the process every time you want to enter Linux. Nguyen advises activating the ventilation profile when using boost modes, since the console was not designed for this type of use. The result is one of those modifications that explains very well how far a console can go when someone manages to take part of its hardware out of the intended lane. A PS5 Phat with old firmware can become a surprisingly capable Linux PC, but always within a very specific context. A console that is also a computer. The PS5, like any console, has always had computer ingredients. Now, the inevitable comparison is in the future Valve’s Steam Machinealthough there we talk about another philosophy: a console-PC designed from the beginning around SteamOS, but with the possibility of installing any compatible operating system to our liking. Images | Branden Skeli In Xataka | Project Helix is ​​the new Xbox machine and the warning is clear: its price will be conditioned by the RAM crisis

a superfactory to mass-produce rockets

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China has been turning space milestones into a declaration of intent for more than two decades. First it was Yang Liwei aboard Shenzhou-5, in 2003, when the country became the third in the world to send humans to space with its own technology. Then came the far side of the Moon, the Chang’e 6 samples and a space station completed in approximately 20 months. What we have seen now points to another different phase: it is not enough to go further, we must also manufacture faster and with an industrial cadence. This scale change now has its own name: CAS Space. Chinese private aerospace company has completed in Shaoxing, in the eastern province of Zhejiang, a facility it presents as a “super factory” for its Kinetica-2 liquid propellant rocket. The facility has been designed to reach a capacity of 12 rockets per year when it reaches full production. China in Space adds that the plant is designed to increase production of a launcher whose first flight took place on March 30. The key is that we are not just talking about an industrial warehouse to assemble parts at the end of the process. This is an installation that integrates the final assembly and tests with the manufacture of essential rocket components, including propellant tanks, pipes and valves, interstage sections and ducts. So it is expected that many of the Kinetica-2 parts will be produced there, including the engine sections, although not the engines. The difference is important: concentrating production and verification in the same space brings the rocket closer to a more industrial logic, less dependent on dispersed processes. China wants to turn its launches into an industrial routine CAS Space also wants to change the way those rockets move through the factory. Li Qinfeng, deputy design director of Kinetica-2, explained to Global Times that the facility adopts a pulse-based final assembly and testing line, intended to allow parallel assembly of multiple rockets. In the design, the company talks about a standardized modular architecture, common components and prefabrication of core stages. The idea, according to Li, is to shorten order response cycles and gain flexibility in launches. It is advisable, in any case, to separate the finished factory from the factory already operating at full capacity. CAS Space plans to dedicate the first two years of operation to optimizing its processes to improve quality and efficiency. The company hopes to achieve annual capacity of 12 rockets within three to five years, not immediately. Although the announcement tells us that it is officially underway, we will have to wait a while until we see these facilities in full productive capacity. New CAS Space facilities He Kinetica-2 It’s not a new rocket. Its first flight was carried out on March 30, 2026 and put into orbit the New March 01 technology demonstration satellite, the New March 02, described as an experimental cargo ship, and the TS 01 educational satellite. In addition, the company wants to carry out about ten flights before the end of 2028. This schedule will serve to test reuse technologies gradually, from aerodynamic control in descent to the in-flight restart of a first stage engine and the first attempts. landing. Kinetica-2 on its maiden flight According to Securities Times, cited by Global Times, China’s space launches could exceed 100 this year, with more than 60 commercial missions. Within that volume, private rockets would assume more than 30 releasesaccording to that same forecast, a figure that helps understand the urgency to move to more repeatable processes. If this schedule materializes, the challenge will no longer be just having good launchers, but also having a production network capable of feeding them without turning each mission into an exception. The leap, therefore, is not only in building one more facility. It is about trying to stop launches depending on an exceptional cadence and start relying on more repeatable processes. CAS Space has several years of adjustment ahead before reaching its promised capability, and Kinetica-2 still needs to demonstrate much more in flight. But the bet is already on the table: if China wants to exceed one hundred launches per year and give more weight to its private operators, it needs facilities capable of keeping up with that pace. Images | CAS Space In Xataka | The eternal return to the Moon is postponed again: Artemis III will not take off until the end of 2027 at the earliest

For 120 years, scientists considered the Omiltemi rabbit extinct. Meanwhile, in Sierra Madre del Sur they were hunted for food.

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When in 1904 Edward William Nelson identified the first Omiltemi rabbits, he did not know that this was going to be one of the last confirmed sightings of what, for decades, has been considered one of the most endangered mammals in the world. The bug. It was a large, nocturnal rabbit, with dark reddish hair, long ears and a short tail. But not much else was known because zoologists had frepeatedly scratched in finding and studying it. And yet, if they had asked the inhabitants of the Sierra Madre del Sur (in the Mexican state of Guerrero), they would have been able to add one more thing: that they are very rich. Because while scientists were looking for these bugs, neighbors hunted them and integrated them into their usual diet. Where are those rabbits? We must not fall into simplifications, since 1998 we already suspected that the rabbit was still alive and there. That year, some local hunters gave researchers the skin of a killed specimen: that is, we had physical proof that the species still existed. Therefore, the species was not officially extinct; What appeared in the species lists is that we did not have enough data to know what was happening with it. Now, after a long investigation with traps and sampling, we do have them. He wasn’t dead… Between 2019 and 2024, a team led by José Alberto Almazán-Catalán (the Institute for the Management and Conservation of Biodiversity) carried out a specific search for the rabbit under the program Search for Lost Species by Re:wild. They visited 10 areas and obtained records in 7 of them. The conclusion of this work (and I quote verbatim) is that the Omiltemi rabbit “is a rare species, but not only is it not extinct, but it is much more common than previously believed.” The data matches with the graphic material that Fernando Ruiz-Gutiérrez published in the Mexican Journal of Mastozoology. And then? Well, although the situation has not changed, it has revealed everything that we do not know. It is now evident that the distribution reaches an area up to three times larger than previously suspected. It is also true that, without suspecting it, the communities in the area have been hunting (and even breeding) these rabbits for decades without knowing that they were Omiltemi rabbits. And it is curious how this type of news helps make clear how little we know about the world around us. The initiative Search for Lost Species from Re:wild has already ‘recovered’ 13 species around the world. Some of them, like Winton’s golden molethey had gone 86 years without confirmed records. “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than your philosophy dreams of,” Hamlet tells Horatio and, if we apply it to contemporary science, we see that this is still the case. Image | Re:Wild In Xataka | Spain is witnessing a shocking phenomenon: three invasive species are feeding each other to conquer the country

Renfe has found a new way to make life impossible for Ouigo and Iryo. And it has nothing to do with lowering prices.

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Renfe maintains a hidden war with Ouigo and Iryo. Beyond the headlines and the exchanges of more or less high-sounding statements, the Spanish company and its rivals fight on all types of grounds. Also outside the train tracks and the most obvious sources of business. And here, the use of workshops has a lot to say. What has happened? Renfe has prevented Iryo from using its workshops so that the company can carry out heavy maintenance on its trains. The information is brought The Economist and it states that the Spanish company has rejected Italians’ access to its facilities because they consider that the activity to be carried out there exceeds the obligations they have towards their rivals. In Xataka We have contacted both companies but as of this writing we have not received answers to our questions. The obligations. Although the facilities belong to Renfe, the Spanish company has the obligation to allow access to its workshops at specific points in Spain so that Ouigo and Iryo can carry out their maintenance operations. However, this obligation is limited to light maintenance, known in the sector as “level 1” maintenance. This scale of what falls within “light” or “level 1” maintenance and what are “heavy” or “level 2” maintenance interventions are those that have been questioned by Renfe. The company is clear, Iryo wants to carry out operations of this second category and they are not obliged to give access to their workshops for this type of tasks. The CNMC. Given the denial of access to the workshops, Iryo went to the CNMC to mediate the matter. The National Markets and Competition Commission ruled in March that Renfe had to give Iryo access to its facilities where Hitachi employees would carry out maintenance services on Iryo trains. Although Renfe, Iryo and Hitachi seemed to have reached an agreement for the latter company (manufacturer of Iryo trains) to carry out maintenance at Renfe facilities, the Spanish company indicated that this could not be carried out because heavy maintenance activity related to Renfe trains had skyrocketed and there was no space left for such actions. Given this situation, Iryo requested provisional measures from the CNMC to access “an operational pit at BMI La Sagra or, subsidiarily, at BM Santa Catalina, on a self-provision basis, for the execution of heavy maintenance (R2) of the ETR 1000.” An access that the CNMC decided to give. The reasons. The CNMC pointed out in its resolution that denying Iryo access to the workshops directly damages the business plans that it has for our country since it would force the trains to be taken to Italy to undergo said heavy maintenance. For Renfe, this should not be a problem but the CNMC rejects this position of the Spanish company. Iryo trains approach the mileage limit before passing through workshops for a thorough inspection. When Iryo arrived in Spain, it stated that it would have its own workshops where it would carry out its maintenance. However, this has not occurred. However, the CNMC forces Renfe to provide access to its facilities to carry out these tasks, with the rates that were negotiated in the summer of 2025. Not compliant. In clear rejection of the CNMC’s decision, Renfe requests the Contentious-Administrative Chamber of the National Court to stop this decision and asks the CNMC to quarantine the decision until the National Court confirms what measures should be taken. The National Court, however, does not find it serious enough to apply precautionary measures, although it does confirm that it is opening a file to study the matter in depth. With this decision, the CNMC remains firm and once again forces Renfe to make way for Iryo trains in its workshops so that Hitachi workers can carry out scheduled heavy maintenance. It’s not the first time. Although we have talked about Iryo so far, the truth is that Renfe is not the first time that it has denied entry to its workshops to one of its rivals or, at the very least, has put up all possible impediments. In October of last year, the situation was very similar although, on that occasion It was Renfe and Ouigo who led the conflict. The reason was the same, according to Renfe the activity that Ouigo wanted to carry out in his workshops exceeded his company’s obligations to lend its facilities to carry out light maintenance. The fight between the three companies is tough because if Iryo and Ouigo do not get access to the Renfe workshops, they have to send their trains to Italy and France, respectively, where they do have their own workshops. That, of course, temporarily takes some of its trains out of circulation, which undoubtedly benefits its competitors. Photo | Investing Spain and UGT In Xataka | Spain has thousands of kilometers of AVE: the question after the Adamuz accident is whether it is investing in maintaining them

choosing the Spotify list well is essential

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When you go running, cycling or simply going to the gym, there are some songs that seem to give us greater energy. And it is not just a subjective sensation, but science has been studying music for years as a tool that improves physical performancealthough without specific data. Now science has detailed exactly how much it can improve in numbers and, above all, where it will end up affecting. An experiment. This is something that researcher Andrew Danso has developed with the help of 29 physically active adults who performed high-intensity cycling sessions at 80% of their maximum power. But the important thing here is that the participants pedaled in two scenarios: in complete silence and listening to the music they had previously chosen with a tempo of between 120 and 140 beats per minute. The results. After being in these two situations, the research indicated that with music the cyclists lasted an average of six minutes longer than those who were completely silent, which represents an increase in resistance of 20%. Although it does not stop there, since, despite pedaling for longer, the heart rate and lactate levels (which determine how demanding the exercise was) at the end were identical to those who had been silent. This means that the feeling of effort was much less because they lasted longer with the same intensity, making the exercise sessions of much higher quality. Because? Here the question is quite clear: How is it possible to perform 20% more without the body paying for it with a higher heart rate? For science, one of the answers lies in cognitive dissociation, since music acts as a barrier that diverts attention from the signals of pain, muscle burning and fatigue that the body sends to the brain. Studies here indicate that this distraction reduces perception of effort by about 12%. But it doesn’t stop there, since by adjusting the rhythm of the exercise, such as pedaling, to the tempo of the music, the movement becomes more efficient, causing less energy to be spent to do the same work because the rhythm acts as a metronome that optimizes the cadence. The importance of the song. A crucial detail of the Finnish study is that the music was chosen by the athletes themselves, since it is not enough to put a generic ‘training music’ playlist on Spotify, but for the effect to be maximum there must be an emotional connection with the song. In addition, very calm music is not useful, but it must have a tempo in the range of 120-140 BPM so that it is a motivating rhythm and easy to synchronize with sports activity. And it is not something new, because already In the past there were studies that pointed to this improvement in performance, although now it goes a little further. Images | freepik In Xataka | In the fever to train strength, the gym has faced competition: more and more people train on the street

Today on Netflix the series that, nine years after its premiere, remains the best thriller ever seen on streaming

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How many times, watching a series, do you have that curious feeling of “I’m watching the history of the medium”? You may have noticed it with series that not only impact you in a special way, but you also know that the people around you who also watch it experience a very similar feeling. If you’re watching ‘Succession‘You’ll know what I’m talking about. My last time, before HBO’s magnificent family intrigue epic, was on ‘Mindhunter‘, that Netflix premiered in 2017. Nine years later, it is still my favorite series of all those released on the platform. Neither ‘Stranger Things‘, neither ‘The Witcher‘, neither ‘sandman‘ nor any other have managed to match the degree of intensity and perversity of this brief masterpiece by Joe Penhall (also screenwriter of ‘The Road’) in which David Fincher directed some chapters. It started from a real event in the history of criminology: in 1977, two FBI agents revolutionized investigation techniques, giving a twist to how to get into the minds of serial killers. The series is based on the book written by some of the protagonists, and although obviously the suspense and suspicions generated by the agents’ investigation are played here, as well as the portrait of famous murderers such as the Son of Sam, Ed Kemper, Charles Manson or BTK, the realistic reflection of an era is above all. A realism that takes great care to present heroes and villains, and much less to mythologize serial killers, as the worst do. true crimes. ‘Mindhunter’ describes with coldness and a certain perverse sense of humor (and here the Fincher style is clearly evident) these first times in which psychology entered in the darkest minds and abysmal, with a fascinating portrait of these first methodologies. And all supported by an excellent cast (Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany and Anna Torv) that not only gives credibility to the ensemble, but also catapults the empathy we experience for a group of researchers who, literally, tread on absolutely unknown ground. Image | Netflix In Xataka | Today comes Netflix’s biggest release this week, an action-packed psychological thriller starring Charlize Theron

Folding bicycles are the market niche to be exploited. And there is someone who knows this better than anyone: Lidl

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Leave the house, get on the bike, take a train, get back on the bike and get to work. This is what is called intermodal mobility, in which two or more means of transport are taken to reach a destination in the shortest time possible in the most efficient way possible. It is everyday life for thousands of European citizens and it is, without a doubt, one of the big bets of governments and city councils throughout our continent. Because burning liters of fuel loaded into a five-seater vehicle that occupies more than four meters in length and more than one and a half meters in width is, of all things, less efficient in a city. In that work for intermodalitythe electric scooter has gained decisive weight in recent years. The boom in this product has forced countries like Spain to adapt certain regulations to assimilate its arrival. In our country, the DGT has been forced to define this vehicle as an object that You must go on the road or bike pathshaving to leave the sidewalk. The electric scooter, in fact, has overshadowed another key market niche in intermodal mobility: the folding bicycle. This means of transport is highly efficient because it allows travel to a public transport station, easy transport of the vehicle and the possibility of storing it in a very small space at our destination. At the moment, the folding bicycle is a vehicle that is still difficult to see in our cities but there are those who trust in its possibilities: large stores. From the supermarket to work There are reasons to use the electric scooter over the folding bicycle but, lately, the latter is beginning to gain in importance over the former. And the electric scooter is being banished from public transport after a handful of fires that were difficult to put out that led to severe problems in transportation in cities like Madrid. The folding bicycle is a good solution because it is usually a light product but also has the advantage of being able to fold enough to leave it in most of the jobs. It is also a good option for those who travel in a caravan but do not want to drag a large bicycle into the center of cities or towns. It is not easy to find data that clearly points to the penetration of folding bicycles because most statistics do not discriminate the data between this and any other type. Despite this, there are analysts who point out that the market is going up and that its growth will be just over 7% until 2034. The growth, point out in this reportaims to be extraordinarily high in large US cities, with increases of more than 30%. However, this is also because they are cities where car culture is still much more rooted than in Europe. Netherlands, Hapon, and Belgium They are the most repeated countries when talking about this type of bicycles. And the combination between Bicycle and public transport are very entrenched in areas where this means of transport and the train are combined daily. In fact, it is one of the reasons why The Netherlands has more bicycles than inhabitants And a good number of citizens have two bicycles that they park at the train station next to their home and another in the city where they work. In bikepormadridfor example, explain well the problems of cycling when the station is very busy and the space to travel with it is limited. And in both cases, the time it takes to find a space in the gigantic Danish or Dutch car parks and the limitations on moving them inside the car can discourage their use. That is why the folding bicycle is a very interesting alternative which has the advantage of being able to move easily, an incentive to have only one vehicle and, above all, for countries where Spain often lacks the safe and well-conditioned spaces to store bicycles yes they have them in other parts of Europe. Large stores are aware of the market niche that the folding bicycle still represents. Surfaces like Lidl either Carrefour They bet on it with options for less than 1,000 euros and Decathlon remains the undisputed leader when it comes to offering options, with bicycles from just over 200 euros to more than 2,000 euros. The true differential point of the electric bicycle is 1,000 euros and below. Figures collected by Cyclosphere they point out that the demand The number of bicycles has cooled in Spain in recent years and those focused purely on urban mobility are the ones that have fallen the most. Here, The electric scooter has done a lot of damage to the bicycle and that is why the range of less than 1,000 euros is the most interesting because when the customer spends more money they usually opt for other options such as electric, road or mountain bikes. The great advantage of the folding scooter, as we said, compared to the electric scooter is that its transportation and storage capacity at the destination is very similar but, in addition, the cyclist has the greater stability of the bicycle. A clear advantage in terms of security. But it can also be taken on public transport, a space that is increasingly closed to electric scooters. Photo | Rex Lovic and Mateus Jud In Xataka | There are scooters that go fast, there are scooters that go very fast and then there are scooters like The Turbo: at 160 km/h

Madrid places the last piece of the park that will fly over the M-30

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The work on Parque Ventas in Madrid meets its deadlines and, in fact, is already has finished placing the 96 beams that will serve as support for the structural platform of the new space on the M-30. The idea is that this same space serves as a union for the districts of Salamanca and Ciudad Lineal, which have been separated for decades by the same highway. Meeting deadlines. Ten months after the start of work, the supporting structure is now complete. The delegate of the Works and Equipment Area of ​​the Madrid City Council, Paloma García Romero, has confirmed that, in addition to having placed the last beam, the roof development work is already underway and the first of the eight walkways that will give access to the park have been connected. The schedule remains unchanged and the opening is scheduled for spring 2027. Objective and figures. Parque Ventas has a platform 197 meters long and 16,370 m² in surface. This will fly over the 16 lanes of the M-30, the point with the highest traffic density in Spain, which supports about 150,000 vehicles per day in each direction. Its objective is to connect the neighborhoods of Salamanca and Ciudad Lineal, which have been separated by the same highway for decades. How it is built. The structure rests on piles founded between 16 and 17 meters deep. The 96 prefabricated prestressed reinforced concrete beams have been arranged in 32 transverse frames to the highway, supported on the edges of the platform and on piles located in the medians that separate the main lanes from the auxiliary ones. On those beams a concrete slab is now being laid 30 centimeters thick. The complete deck reaches 2.7 meters deep, with a middle layer of soil of 1.5 meters to allow for landscaping. Both the concrete and the prefabrication techniques have been chosen, according to the City Council, so that it affects traffic as little as possible during the works. Logistical challenge. Placing these pieces takes a lot of effort. According to counted A few weeks ago, Javier Nájera, head of the City Council’s structures service, told El Mundo that working during the day on that stretch could have generated delays of up to 14 hours. For this reason, the most critical operations were concentrated in summer, when traffic fell by 40%, and were carried out at night with cranes weighing more than 500 tons that, before six in the morning, had to be completely removed. The beams, weighing up to 200 tons and 40 meters in length, arrived from Rivas Vaciamadrid and Seville, since according to Nájera Manufacturing only from Madrid would be unfeasible for the pace they need. What will there be when it opens? The future park will include pedestrian areas, gardens with 591 trees and more than 48,800 bushes, more than 2,150 m² of meadows, children’s games, calisthenics equipment, a small grandstand for outdoor performances, two kiosks, fountains and street furniture. The eight walkways will connect the platform with both banks of the M-30, creating a green corridor between the Quinta de la Fuente del Berro park and the green area of ​​Ciudad Lineal. The other side of the project. The works progress, but not without disturbances. And the neighborhood platform AfectadosM30 has publicly denounced the impact of the nighttime operations on the more than 50,000 people who live in the surrounding neighborhoods. The platform also He contacted Xataka and questioned some aspects such as the discovery of underground water during the excavation, which forced the work to be readapted, or the final cost of the work. The City Council estimates the investment at 80 million euros, although the neighborhood platform elevates that figure up to 94.9 million if the modifications introduced after the initial award are included. What remains to be done. With the structure completed, the work now focuses on the concrete slab on the beams and the development of the roof. Next will come the waterproofing, the drainage system, the soil layer and, finally, the landscaping. Cover image | Google Maps and Madrid City Council In Xataka | The great artery between Madrid and Valencia had been awaiting renovation for years: 500 million euros will end the wait

Artemis III will not take off until the end of 2027 at the earliest

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The Artemis program has experienced many delays since its inception. There is nothing more to see than Initially, it was intended that humans would set foot on the Moon again in 2024. We are in 2026 and this has not happened yet. In fact, it is scheduled for 2028. Therefore, it is not strange that dates continue to be postponed. The last of these delays has fallen on Artemis III. It was scheduled for mid-2027, but according to NASA’s latest announcement we will have to wait until the end of that year. If one piece moves, all of them are delayed. On April 27, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman testified before the House Appropriations Committee of the United States, with the aim of answering several important questions about the budget request that the agency has made to the US government for the Artemis program. One of the questions, obviously, was about dates. He wondered when the third phase of the program could be launched. To this, Isaacman assured that, after speaking with SpaceX and Blue Origin, the mission could start at the end of 2027. However, last February advertisement an earlier date, mid-2027. With this as a starting point, Artemis IV would be scheduled for early 2028 and Artemis V for the end of that year. Therefore, the normal thing now will be that both dates also have to be moved on the calendar. The role of SpaceX and Blue Origin. It is not strange that Isaacman has made reference to SpaceX and Blue Origin, since Without them it would not be possible to carry out the Artemis III mission.. In this third phase, the coupling of the Orion capsule, in which the astronauts travel, with the HLS landing system will be tested. This will be the one that will descend towards the selenite surface with two crew members on board. NASA does not have this technology, so it has asked these two private companies to be in charge of developing it. In fact, 2.8 billion euros have been invested in it. A race without a clear winner. Both SpaceX and Blue Origin are working on their respective landing systems. NASA has assured that it will keep the one that finishes first. As long as it works correctly, of course. Initially it seemed like that was going to be SpaceX. However, it has suffered several delays that have allowed Blue Origin to remain in the race. They are currently very even, although it seems that neither will be able to finish by mid-2027. There is a lot to try. Both SpaceX and Blue Origin use cryogenically cooled propellants that, without proper cooling, evaporate over time. Since the Artemis missions will be quite long, it will be necessary to refuel the HLS system several times, directly in orbit. It’s something that has never been doneso it should be thoroughly tested before sending the system into space. In addition, sufficient tests must be carried out to demonstrate both its ability to land and take off from the lunar surface. Therefore, neither of the two companies will have their HLS ready by the date initially agreed upon. And then what? Initially, it was scheduled that there would already be a manned lunar landing on Artemis III. However, the complexity of the process has led NASA to be conservative and do an initial unmanned test. The astronauts will travel in the Orion spacecraft. However, once it is proven that it docks properly with the HLS, they will all remain in lunar orbit. The lander system will travel to the surface of the Moon without anyone on board. Later, on Artemis IV, two of the astronauts will go to HLS and will be able to set foot on the Moon. In Artemis V exactly the same will be donealthough the first steps to build a lunar base will already begin to be taken. This should happen in 2028; but, given what we have seen, it may possibly be much later. Images | POT In Xataka | Starlink’s dominance in space begins to move: another company already has permission for a constellation of 4,000 satellites

Your real challenge is to make us change our habits.

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On May 18, Bizum will activate payment in physical stores via NFC: you bring your mobile phone close to the dataphone and that’s it, just like with Apple Pay or Google Pay. No PIN, no card and no cash. A platform with 31 million users in Spain takes the leap that makes it a direct competitor of Visa and Mastercard at the physical point of sale. The problem is that banks and businesses want to make that leap. The consumer, at the moment, has no compelling reason to move. Why it is important. For ten years, Bizum has only generated costs for banks, which have invested a lot of money in creating and maintaining it. The jump to physical commerce changes that equation: businesses will pay a commission for each transaction, as they already do with cards, but predictably lower as international intermediaries disappear. There is the business that Spanish banks have been waiting for for a decade. And businesses also win: they get paid instantly, compared to 24-48 hours for traditional card settlement. The user, on the other hand, pays exactly the same as before. Just with another environment. In detail. The gesture will be identical to today’s contactless card: you bring your mobile phone close to the dataphone and in seconds it is done. The user can do so from their bank’s app (which will incorporate the functionality) or from Bizum Paya new digital wallet available on Android and iOS that works similarly to Apple Pay or Google Pay. The difference compared to paying with a virtual card in the wallet is that money travels as an instant transfer from account to account. Some details: Businesses will not have to change their dataphone: it will be enough to update the terminal software. Bizum Pay will allow you to add a bank card as a backup method: if the payment fails, the system automatically changes without you having to swipe your mobile again. The big question. Why would someone who already pays without any hassle with their card, or with Apple Pay, or with Google Pay, change their habit? Inertia is the silent enemy of any new payment method. And in this case it is huge. The most logical answer is incentives: cashbackdiscounts in specific establishments, or any mechanism that makes the user feel that the change is worth it. The data of the ecommerce point in that direction: when Bizum eliminated the friction of entering card information in online stores, users quickly adopted it and today it is the second favorite payment method for buying online, with a share of 20-30% (which is not bad, but it is not something to write home about either). The equivalent in the physical world is yet to come. Yes, but. May 18 won’t be the big launch the date suggests. CaixaBank, Sabadell and Bankinter will go in the first wave, Santander will delay its incorporation to the fall. The massive deployment, including a campaign, is expected in September or October. And that Mercadona is already negotiating advantageous commissions before the service starts says a lot about where this battle is really going to be fought. Go deeper. What is at stake goes beyond Spain. Bizum is negotiating with equivalent platforms in Italy, Portugal and the Nordic countries to build a European payments system that could reach more than 130 million citizens. The business model established in Spanish stores this year will be the template on which this continental project is built. In Xataka | The Treasury has its eye on Bizum, Wallapop and Revolut. Don’t panic: it’s your update in the new digital economy Featured image | Xataka with Mockuuups Studio

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