Mobile Tech & Gadgets

the space spider that assembles structures

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When we say that China steps on NASA’s heels In your space race we are not kidding. It is not just about the missions to the Moon or the launch of your own space station. The Asian country has been able to recover one of NASA’s frustrated dreams: creating a robot that assembles large constructions directly in space. A space spider. China has replicated and improved the SpiderFaba robot designed by NASA to weave structures with carbon fiber thread, directly under microgravity conditions. In very rough terms, it is a kind of spatial 3D printer that behaves like a spider. At the moment an antenna has been woven in a terrestrial laboratory, so it would be necessary to check if it is equally viable in space. However, the results have been very promising and have also overcome several of the obstacles that NASA encountered at the time. Obstacles overcome. The idea for SpiderFab came from NASA, although the project was launched together with the company Tethers Unlimited. Although at the beginning everything seemed to be going well, during the process they encountered two obstacles so big that the project ended up being archived. These were related to the fit of the pieces in space and the resistance of the structures. Therefore, China has added some changes to the process. For starters, they use carbon fiber composite reels, rather than pure carbon fiber. These more complex compounds are stronger, but also lighter. Ideal for spatial structures. On the other hand, the robot makes assembly joints so that the pieces can fit together without the need for screws or glue. In the most extreme cases, if necessary, fusion using laser rays could be used. A much needed robot. In reality, the use of a robot like SpiderFab is very necessary to continue advancing in the space race. Spaceships have a load limit that cannot be exceeded, both for a simple matter of space and for the necessary investment in fuel. With respect to space, sometimes we resort to placing the necessary structures very well folded into orbit, and then opening them at their destination or even along the way. This is precisely what was done with the mirrors of the James Webb Space Telescope. However, this is not always feasible. That is why it is so useful to resort to strategies like this robot, capable of weaving antennas or solar panels as if it were a spider manipulating silk. Challenges still remain. At the moment, China has already gone further than NASA with its own SpiderFab. However, there are still other challenges to overcome. For example, the assembly of the robot itself must be tested in microgravity conditions. It will also be necessary to check that it adequately resists other spatial elements, such as cosmic radiation. They are on the right track, but the bells cannot yet be launched into the air. Also, thinking about it, instead of throwing the bells into the air, it would be better to weave them directly into place. Images | Tethers Unlimited In Xataka | Astronauts’ food is not appetizing at first, especially in China

giant trains with 1,900 seats that are already being tested

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Madrid is immersed in the renewal of its Cercanías. The Autonomous Community has been demanding greater investments for years to modernize infrastructure and expand its capacity, suffering from overcrowded trains and recurring breakdowns. Part of these renovations will come with 79 new trains that significantly expand the capacity of the lines. And some have already arrived for their tests. The Cercanías in Madrid. It has become a political battle between the central and regional governments. One more. But the truth is that Cercanías Madrid has been suffering continuous delays and overcrowded trains on many of its lines for years. For testing, In 2018, Fomento already had reports that the regional network was saturated and needed urgent modernization. That same year, it was announced Comprehensive Improvement Plan for the Madrid Cercanías Nucleus 2018-2025 with a planned investment of more than 5,000 million euros. It includes various improvement actions such as the actions in Atocha or Chamartín (which remain ongoing) but as far as is palpable for the average user, the improvement has barely stopped at the improvement of the Recoletos tunnel between Atocha and Chamartín. On the horizon there are various expansion actions, both in the north and south of the region. This lastIn fact, it is associated with the comprehensive renovation of line C-5the one that moves the most passengers in Spain and which will be improved to accommodate new 200-meter-long Stadler trains that, right now, do not have enough space for their journeys. New trains. Taking into account the saturation of the lines in large urban centers, In 2019 Renfe puts out to tender the purchase of 211 new trains. The text already states that there is the possibility of purchasing another 120 additional trains. The value of the contract is 2,270 million euros. This contract anticipates the arrival of 176 100-meter trains and 35 200-meter trains. Among the 100-meter-long trains, 79 of them correspond to high-capacity models. Stadler, who won the contract together with Alstomis responsible for supplying its T100 and T200 models. In both cases they are trains that have already arrived in Madrid but, at the moment, they are in the testing phase in Aranjuez. The objective is that “at the end of summer” they are already in operation the first units in Madrid. five trains. It is, for the moment, the forecast proposed for that first landing on Madrid’s roads. The fleet renewal project involves the incorporation of three Stadler T100 trains and two T200 units, which are currently in the testing phase for homologation. Once they join, The capacity will grow by 20% compared to the current Civia. In the case of the T100, the increase in passengers is limited because both models (the existing ones and the new ones) have around 900 seats but the T200 increases the capacity to 1,884 passengers. The T100 model has a mixed height since two of the four cars are double-deckers. In addition, a fifth car can be added and provide the same service as the T120. For their part, the T200 are larger volume trains with two floors in all their cars, but their size can be reduced to 160 meters, which facilitates their versatility and can be used on lines where larger trains do not enter the stations. The new trains will be able to move from eight to 16 bicycles inside What improvements will we see? Both train models have Greater interior space for travelers with a more open layout and specific spaces to transport bicycles (eight in the T100 and 16 in the T200) and strollers. Improvements in Wi-Fi and an increase in available sockets for charging your phone are also promised, as well as improvements in car air conditioning. In addition, of the 10 doors of the T100, six of them will not have steps (12 of 20 in the T200) so the Ministry of Transport promises safer and faster ascents and descents. A new passenger information system has been added, they will have a new interior surveillance system and can reach up to 140 km/h maximum speed. When and where? As we say, at the moment the project involves the incorporation of three T100 trains and two T200 units late summer 2026. Renfe assures that these trains can operate on all Madrid routes except for line C-9, which is the one destined for Cotos and due to its high mountain characteristics, they cannot accommodate trains of this size. What is not confirmed is which lines will be the first to receive the new Cercanías trains nor on what date the fleet of 79 trains that must arrive to the Madrid service will be fully available. For now, the Ministry of Transport promises that before the end of the year we will see 17 new trains on Madrid’s tracks (nine Stadler T100 and eight T200). The remaining deliveries should arrive gradually but there is no definitive date for their arrival. Photo | Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility In Xataka | Renfe, Iryo and Ouigo were wondering how much money we would pay for the AVE. They found out the hard way

Barbacid’s promising cancer study has been withdrawn. The reason is not science, it is a “hidden” spin-off

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Last December, the team led by the prestigious researcher Mariano Barbacid filled the headlines of the main media with great news: had found a triple therapy to eliminate pancreatic tumors in animal models. Very relevant news because of how deadly pancreatic cancer is and how it affects our society, but now this euphoria has hit a wall after the decision of the US National Academy of Sciences to remove the item from PNAS magazine. The context. The original article, published on December 2 of last year, was not just another publication, but described the results of administering three drugs in 45 mice who had pancreatic cancer. And although it was a preclinical study that had not been tested in humans and was the expected next step, it generated great expectation. The promise of a cure, even if it was in the animal phase, propelled intense fundraising campaigns to be able to start a clinical trial with humans as soon as possible. In this way, foundations such as CRIS against cancer achieved raise 3.7 million euros in the heat of these advances and thanks to the media showcase that was given to them. And now they withdraw it. The first thing to keep in mind when faced with so many alarmist headlines is that it is not removed from the PNAS magazine because the results have been invented or exaggerated, but rather the reason lies in the omission of important information regarding to conflict of interest. In this case Mariano Barbacid, taking advantage of his status as a member of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States, used a “fast track” of publication that is reserved for academics of this institution. The problem is that this privilege requires scrupulous and impeccable transparency. Data omission. As detailed by El Paísthe alarms went off in February 2026, when the academy received notices about possible conflicts of interest that have now led to the sudden retraction of the article. The problem is that Mariano Barbacid, along with researchers Carmen Guerra and Vasiliki Liaki, are co-owners of Vega Oncotargetsa spin-off which was born in the ecosystem of the National Cancer Research Center (CNIO) with the aim of developing and marketing therapies against pancreatic cancer like this one. This is why informing the journal that the authors had a direct economic and business interest in the success of the study is a violation of the most basic transparency regulations in scientific publication. It always happens. When a researcher wants to publish the results of his or her research, a lot of data must always be provided, both about the method that has been followed and everything behind it, such as the source of financing or the conflicts behind. For example, if a researcher owns shares of a large pharmaceutical company and studies one of its drugs, logically good results will benefit him because the value of the company will increase. And this is something that should always be reported so that anyone reading the research knows if the researcher may have been influenced by an economic component. And in this particular case, the fact that there is already a company that will commercialize the future therapy that is being investigated is logically something that must always be specified, because if the study goes well, it logically benefits the company enormously. There are already answers. As we say, PNAS sanctions bad practice when it comes to being transparent, but in no case does it indicate that the research is poorly done. Along these lines, Carmen Guerra has already admitted the error, as El País points out, and has confirmed that the team has resubmitted the article with this correction, detailing that they do have participation in Vega Oncatargerts. The problem is that now they are going to have to go through the entire standard review process and the republishing will not be fast. Images | UPV brgfx on Freepik In Xataka | Mice today, hope tomorrow: researchers have managed to attack pancreatic cancer before it forms

a 1 GW wind farm floating off the coast of Tokyo

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The waters off the Izu island chain in the Pacific Ocean could soon be home to a colossus of modern engineering. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has put an unprecedented plan on the table: to build the largest floating offshore wind farm in the world. The goal of this megaproject is to achieve a generation capacity of at least 1 gigawatt (GW), a colossal figure that is equivalent to the power of a conventional nuclear reactor. An ambition that goes beyond. According to data from the International Energy Agency cited by the magazine NatureJapan is heavily dependent on the import of expensive fossil fuels. Turning on a 1 GW wind farm would cut about $300 million annually from the country’s fuel import bill at a stroke. Furthermore, the international context does not give up. A rigorous analysis of the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) explains that the Third Gulf War They have once again exposed energy vulnerability of Japan, strongly tied to liquefied natural gas (LNG). Although the central government has responded by restarting old coal plants and nuclear reactors, the IEEFA warns that this strategy is suffocating national renewable energies. The Izu project would represent a clean alternative capable of offering energy security without being at the mercy of geopolitics. Added to this is an existential factor for the capital: protection against natural disasters. As highlighted Japan Newsthis floating wind farm would function as a vital emergency electricity source if a major earthquake struck directly beneath Tokyo, paralyzing the main islands’ grid. The leap from scale: from Norway to the Pacific. To understand the magnitude of what Japan is attempting, it is necessary to look towards the North Sea. Currently, the world’s largest operational floating wind farm is located in Norway and produces less than 100 megawatts. It is the world reference in this technology, but Tokyo’s vision is literally ten times greater. While the Norwegian project demonstrated that the technology was viable, Japan wants to demonstrate that it can be massive, scaling a niche solution to a national-level infrastructure. The engineering behind the giant. Instead of drilling into the ocean floor—which requires heavy excavation that severely damages the local ecosystem—the design will opt for floating platforms. These turbines will rest on the water surface, secured by a complex system of moorings and anchors to the seabed. The captured energy will travel about 100 miles north to power outlets in Tokyo through a hidden artery: high-voltage underwater transmission cables. But Japan is not the docile European North Sea. Its waters face devastating typhoons, strong earthquakes and dizzying coastal depth. To tame these elements, Nature details that Japanese researchers They are using the Fugaku supercomputer—one of the fastest in the world—to simulate the behavior of the wind and optimize the layout of the park. Additionally, they are developing laser remote measurement LiDAR technology to read offshore weather with surgical precision. The State as an explorer. Curiously, the biggest driver of the project is not a private corporation, but the government itself. Given the fear of companies to assume the very high initial costs, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has decided to act as an explorer. According to SCMPauthorities have tripled their budget for 2026 and will spend about 9 billion yen (about $56 million) on mapping the topography of the seafloor and studying wind patterns. The idea is to deliver this already processed information to contractors to seduce them and encourage them to participate in the tenders. Shadows and skepticism. Despite institutional enthusiasm, the path to 2035 is riddled with pitfalls and the private sector views the plan with undisguised caution. As the Japanese media recalls, corporate distrust has recent precedents: in 2025, the giant Mitsubishi Corp. abandoned important offshore wind projects in Akita and Chiba, citing the extreme complexity of the seabed, the escalation in material costs and the weakness of the yen. The calendar also raises doubts. Experts consulted by Interesting Engineering They call the 2035 goal “unrealistic”, recalling that these types of offshore megaprojects usually take more than a decade to come together and that, today, the Izu region is classified simply as a “preparation zone”, the earliest bureaucratic stage. The gigawatt trap. But are we talking about 1 real GW? Analysts cited by SCMP They warn that, although the installed capacity is 1 GW (similar to a nuclear reactor), the real performance of wind energy is around 40%, well below the 80-90% constant production offered by atomic energy. Finally, there is a systemic problem in the Japanese electricity grid itself. The IEEFA report denounces that the prioritization of nuclear energy baseload regulation by the central government has created a system so rigid that operators are often forced to disconnect and waste (curtailment) renewable energy produced in peak sun or wind. This waste undermines the profitability of any future park and scares away investors. Between utopia and the avant-garde. Izu’s “floating monster” encapsulates the great dilemma of contemporary Japan. On the one hand, it represents the zenith of the technological ambition of a nation willing to tame typhoons, preserve marine ecology and shield the energy survival of one of the largest megalopolises on the planet in the face of global crises and seismic cataclysms. On the other hand, it faces the cold reality of financial balance sheets, bureaucratic bottlenecks and a private sector scalded by inflation. If Tokyo can untangle this tangle, attract construction giants and fire up the turbines by 2035, the project will not only light up the Japanese capital; will become the definitive beacon for global deepwater wind energy. Otherwise, the Izu colossus runs the risk of remaining stuck forever as an expensive utopia on paper. Image | freepik Xataka | Spain does not wait for France: it is studying a huge submarine cable with distant Ireland to stop being an energy island

The US is using an exascale power supercomputer to solve the biggest challenge of nuclear fusion

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The Frontier supercomputer at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) linked to the US Department of Energy is one of the most powerful on the planet. In fact, it is currently the second most capable exascale supercomputer after El Capitan according to TOP500 ranking. These machines are very valuable tools that are already being used by researchers to try to solve some of the most complex scientific problems that humanity faces. And one of them is the behavior of plasma when it is under the influence of a magnetic field. A group of ORNL researchers is using two of the most powerful tools currently available to humans, the Frontier supercomputer and the artificial intelligence (AI), to understand with the greatest possible precision the chaotic behavior of the plasma of stars. An important note before moving forward: plasma is an extremely hot gas made up of particles endowed with an electrical charge, which is why it can be confined inside a magnetic field. This knowledge can presumably help scientists very accurately simulate the supernovaswhich are nothing more than the explosions that occur when a massive star loses hydrostatic balance by burning most of its fuel. When a supernova is triggered, a good part of the chemical elements that the star has produced through chemical reactions nuclear fusion It shoots towards the stellar medium with a lot of energy. From supernovae to experimental nuclear fusion reactors Dr. Eliu Huerta, a computational scientist at the Argonne National Laboratory (USA) who has had the opportunity to supervise the work of the ORNL researchers, express clearly why this scientific initiative is so important: “This type of capability has long been the dream of astrophysicists and many other scientists. This is the first time that this level of understanding has been achieved through AI for systems of this complexity (…) The more chaotic the system, the more difficult it is to simulate it.” Understanding very precisely how the plasma of stars behaves is important not only to have more information about supernovae; It is also crucial for predict solar flaresor even to simulate the interaction of the Earth’s magnetic field and the high-energy ionized atomic nuclei that constitute the cosmic radiation. Frontier’s role in this research is critical: it provides the computational power required to train the models needed to generate thousands of detailed plasma simulations. Inside nuclear fusion reactors it is still a challenge to keep turbulence under control However, there is another application in which this technology has the ability to make a difference: the development of nuclear fusion reactors. We can intuitively imagine a nuclear fusion reactor as a pressure cooker in which two essential ingredients are cooked: deuterium and tritium. In order for the nuclei of these two hydrogen isotopes to fuse and release the neutron that will ultimately allow us to obtain a large amount of energy, it is necessary to confine them in an extremely hot plasma. In fact, for this process to take place it must reach a temperature of at least 150 million degrees Celsius. Scientists know how to do it, so subjecting deuterium and tritium nuclei to the pressure and temperature necessary to make them fuse is no longer a problem. What still represents a challenge is to achieve keep turbulence under control. Otherwise the plasma will be destabilized, its density in critical regions will be affected and sustaining the fusion reaction over time will not be possible. The mechanisms that govern this process are very complex, but little by little physicists and engineers working on fusion energy are managing to understand them better. The research of ORNL scientists seeks to better understand the behavior of plasma confined inside the vacuum chamber of experimental nuclear fusion reactors with one purpose: to minimize turbulence so that energy loss is minimal. And they are on the right track. In fact, they already have a system ready that is capable of delivering very detailed turbulence predictions in just a few seconds, thus reducing errors by more than half compared to previous methods. Image | Fusion For Energy More information | ORNL | Interesting Engineering In Xataka | ITER has faced one of the great challenges of nuclear fusion: preventing plasma at 150 million ºC from destroying the reactor

Movistar Plus+ broadcasts this complete tie

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He soccer world cup It is already around the corner, but one of the most important competitions still needs to be decided: the Champions League. It is a competition that is a pleasure to watch, even if your favorite team is not playing. One of the semi-finals will face the current champion of the competition and one of the fittest teams in Europe. Do you want to see it in its entirety? You have it on Movistar Plus+ for 9.99 euros per month. Monthly subscription to Movistar Plus+ The price could vary. We earn commission from these links You can also watch El Clásico or movies like ‘Gladiator 2’ As we always tell you, Movistar Plus+ is a streaming platform that you can contract regardless of which operator you are. Since it has no permanence, you can subscribe for a month and see everything it offers. In fact, now is a great time with the two great Champions League games coming up, but it is not the only incentive we have. Let’s see the highlights coming to the platform. Let’s start with football. As we say, PSG and Bayern Munich face each other in two authentic matches that will take place on April 28 and May 6. We can see both on Movistar Plus+, but we will also have the Barcelona-Real Madrid match on May 10. All added to the semifinals of the Conference League, where Rayo Vallecano plays, or great Premier League games like Manchester United-Liverpool. In addition to other sporting events (such as the Euroleague basketball), in Movistar Plus+ we can find a huge catalog of movies, series and documentaries. There are already some very interesting films on the platform like ‘Weapons‘, ‘Sirat‘ either ‘Sentimental Value‘, but in the coming weeks others like ‘Gladiator 2‘, ‘Stray Bullet‘ either ‘Nuremberg‘. Along with everything above, three more things to keep in mind. Movistar Plus+ supports two simultaneous reproductions, so you can share your account with a friend or family member without problems. You can also download content and watch it offline, ideal if you plan to travel this upcoming May long weekend. And finally, if you want to save a little, you can do it for 12 months per 99.90 euros or if you have Young Cultural Bonusfor only 39 euros. 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 | Movistar Plus+ In Xataka | Movistar Plus+ activates its Free Plan with complete programs and a lot of content, regardless of which operator you are In Xataka | Movistar Plus+ for non-Movistar customers: what it is, how much it costs, channels, additional services and how to contract it

Someone connected an unprotected Windows XP PC to the Internet to see what would happen. The result is not surprising

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When Microsoft ends its support for security updates in its operating systems, it is not usually advisable to use a PC with said system unless it is for a specific and specific case. Eric Parker, content creator specialized in technology, wanted try with an experiment: use Windows XP today connected to the Internet and eliminating all types of protections. As you may have imagined, the PC has become a magnet for malware. In fact, in just 10 minutes, the operating system was completely compromised. Parker also helped make this happen for educational purposes and to demonstrate how dangerous it can be to use an operating system like Windows XP today. Windows XP without firewall and without NAT 10 minutes later: a magnet for malware The expert configured a virtual machine with Windows XP Service Pack 3 on a Proxmox server, also disabling its firewall and NAT (Network Address Translation) settings and replicating the connection conditions common in the early 2000s. To recreate this scenario, the researcher Completely disabled Windows XP firewall and assigned a direct public IP address to the system, exposing the machine without any intermediate protection. As seen in the video, in just ten minutes, the system showed the first signs of infection with the appearance of the “conhoz.exe” process in the Task Manager, which turned out to be a Trojan disguised as a legitimate component of the operating system. After downloading a compatible browser and continued use of the system, in a short time we see how the PC starts to accumulate malware from multiple unknown sources. The system had been a victim of several Trojans and malicious programs running from temporary folders. He was also the victim of a rogue FTP server that allowed full remote access to files, DNS modification to redirect traffic to attacker-controlled servers, and the creation of additional user accounts for attackers to maintain access to the system. A whole string of malicious processes that ended up hijacking the PC. Image: Eric Parker The key factor that allowed the rapid entry of all these malicious components was the vulnerability EternalBluepresent in unpatched Windows XP SP3. This security breach, which was later used by the famous ransomware WannaCryallows attackers to execute remote code without any user interaction. Parker explains that tools like Nmap allow cybercriminals to scan the network for vulnerable systemsquickly identifying exposed and unprotected Windows XP computers. A system that was crying out to be violated and a Windows 7 stronger than it seems The content creator himself admits that the conditions were as optimal as possible to get malware: disabled firewall, direct connection without NAT and unpatched system. Under normal circumstances, with a basic home router and the firewall activated, Windows XP would be significantly more protected. However, the risk does not disappear completely. The use of outdated browsers and the ease of privilege escalation on this operating system remain serious problems. And as shown in the experiment, once infected, The malware was able to automatically close security tools like Malwarebytes. To contrast the results, Parker performed the same test with Windows 7 under identical conditions. Surprisingly, after ten hours of exposure, the most modern system showed no signs of infectionevidencing the significant security improvements implemented in later versions of Windows. Now that official security update support for Windows 10 is ending soon, it’s good to take a look back and see how an outdated system can easily become compromised. Fortunately, today we have many more alternatives if we do not want to update to Windows 11. Cover image | Eric Parker In Xataka | FCKGW-RHQQ2-YXRKT-8TG6W-2B7Q8 This article was originally published in Genbeta in June 2025 and is part of Genbeta’s “greatest hits” that we will discover here in the coming weeks.

Freepik is now called Magnific. And the name change is the least of it

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Freepik has rebranded itself as Magnific. The Malaga company, founded in 2010 as a search engine for graphic resources, has decided to adopt the name of the Murcian startup that it acquired in May 2024 and reorganize its entire generative AI offering for creatives under that brand. The move comes accompanied by figures that explain why it is worth taking the step: $200 million in annual recurring revenue, more than one million paying subscribers and 250 business teams using the platform, including those from BBC, DeliveryHero, Huel, R/GA, Damm and Job&Talent. Why is it important. Few European companies can stand up to the wave of American creative platforms (such as Midjourney, Runway or Leonardo) without having raised a single round of venture capital in the United States. Freepik, now Magnific, is one of them. And it is doing it from Malaga, with a different model from the rest: instead of competing for the best image or video model, it aggregates the leading models on the market and integrates them into a single professional production environment. It is a commitment to being the layer that unites, not the one that generates. The context. It is worth remembering where this story comes from. Freepik had been there for years stealthily becoming one of the most relevant players in the global graphics sector: in 2020 EQT bought the business in one of the largest Spanish technological operations, and since then the company has chained acquisitions (Iconfinder, Videvo, EyeEm…) and a turn towards generative AI. The purchase of Magnific in May 2024 It was the turning point. Magnific was then a five-month-old startup founded by Javi López and Emilio Nicolás that had popularized the concept of reimagined upscaling: enlarge images generating new details in the process. The operation was carried out without the two brands merging. Until today. Magnific Spaces interface. Image provided. Between the lines. That the resulting company adopts the name of the acquired company and not that of the parent company says something: Freepik clearly carried a perception of a bank of images of stocksa business perceived as conservative and little linked to AI, to novelty. Magnific, on the other hand, had less of a brand, but was synonymous with cutting-edge AI and a tool admired by the international creative community, even commented by Elon Musk a few weeks after its launch. Adopting the Magnific name is, above all, a positioning move: the company does not want to continue to be associated with vectors and templates, but with AI-assisted audiovisual production. It’s a rebranding to where the future money is, not where your legacy is. In figures. The data that the company has shared outlines an unusual trajectory in European AI: $200 million ARR (annual recurring sales). 1 million paying subscribers. 100 million monthly visits. 175 million images and videos generated per month. 250 business teams in production. 2,000 subscriptions to the Business plan in its first six weeks, with a current rate of 150 new devices per week. Andreessen Horowitz ranks it as the largest European generative AI web company by number of users. In detail. What is offered under the Magnific umbrella covers the complete visual production cycle: 4K image and video generation with audio, upscaling own, collaborative space in real time (Spaces), 3D environments, multilingual lip sync (Speak), speech synthesis, sound effects, and a legacy library of 250 million assets. The business promise is not to have the best model in a category, but rather that a creative team can do all the work without jumping between five different tools. He’s not doing bad at all with that proposal. And now, with the unified brand and the financial muscle to accelerate, it is time to convince the market that this promise also applies to the giants that come after it. In Xataka | Freepik, winner of the special Xataka Award for the best Spanish technology company of 2025: from image bank to Adobe rival Featured image | Magnificent

The most predictable ocean system in the Pacific has collapsed for the first time in 40 years. And no one really knows why.

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For the first time in at least 40 years of systematic records, the Gulf of Panama’s “seasonal upwelling” (the mechanism that pushes cold, nutrient-rich water from the bottom to the surface every first quarter of the year) collapsed in 2025. 2026, fortunately, is not repeating the pattern. But what researchers are discovering is no more reassuring. Has the outcrop “gone”? Not exactly: it didn’t completely disappear; but it started 42 days late, lasted only 12 days (compared to the usual 66) and cooled the waters to 23 degrees (instead of the average 19). And yet, it is counterintuitive. First, because La Niña (the ENSO phase that ruled in 2025) It usually favors blooms in the eastern Pacific. Second, because until now we thought that warming intensifies large outcrops. And, third, because the upwelling has returned this year (with some collapses in between). None of this fits with what we have learned over 30 years of direct ‘in situ’ measurements (and satellite images). But wait a second, what is this “outcrop” thing? It is an effect of the increase in intensity of the ‘Panama low-level jet‘; a jet that pushes surface water deeper and allows cold, nutrient-rich water from the depths of the Gulf of Panama to rise. This outcrop is key to the life of some 60,000 km2 of the Pacific. The fact is that it is also the most predictable system in the Pacific. Since we started measuring it, he had never missed his appointment. What happened in 2025. The allies did not have the strength to break the thermal stratification of the surface and, therefore, were not able to activate the outcrop other than as a simulation. And why should we care? To begin with because, according to the same researcherss, “more than 95% of Panama’s marine biomass comes from the Pacific thanks to the rise of nutrients”: that is 2.76% of the GDP of the Panamanian republic. But it goes beyond the Central American country: the upwelling areas occupy less than 1% of the world’s ocean surface, but They generate around 50% of fishing catches of the planet It also has an important oceanic and climate impact, of course; but it tells us very interesting things about what we can expect in the future. Because if, suddenly, a phenomenon that we thought was very stable (and that we have known about for as long as we can remember) can disappear, what can happen? What, in reality, is the Gulf of Panama telling us? Image | O’Dea et al. (2025) In Xataka | 2023 was the year in which El Niño and climate change competed. In the Amazon we already know who won

penguins smell like they stink

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This story begins having coffee at the Ateneo de Lugo and browsing the Progreso; continue with an interview with Iker Trigo, a CSIC technician from Lugo who has spent an Antarctic campaign, confessing that “he never imagined that penguins smelled bad”; and ends with one of the most counterintuitive scientific findings about the south pole of the last few months. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. What do we know about penguins? Everyone knows what a penguin: a bird around one meter high and five kilos in weight. Wings that look like fins, webbed feet and a very characteristic black-and-white coat. Clumsy on land, very fast at sea and absolutely useless in the air. Plus, they are very cute. Or so the popular image of penguins tells us. But penguins keep secrets. What concerns us today, of course, is that penguins are one of its main stink factories of the entire Antarctic region. They smell bad, very bad. Although, yes, it is true: we cannot call it “a secret” in the strict sense either. Anyway, anyone assumes that tens of thousands of birds eating krill are going to smell really bad. It is not for nothing that guano stains are so visible that Sentinel-2 satellites use them to census emperor penguin colonies from space. The discovery of these months is that the ammonia contained in these enormous amounts of guano are the main terrestrial source of “cloud-forming particles.” That is, the same chemical compounds that make penguins stink play a key role in regulating the clouds that regulate the continent’s temperature. And this? During the southern summer of 2023, a team from Hensilki University was installed at the Argentine base of Marambio to measure the concentrations of ammonia, sulfuric acid, iodic acid or dimethylamine in the environment. Their conclusions are that ammonia concentrations were closely related to penguin colonies. What’s more, the data indicate that this ammonia (joined to sulfuric acid from phytoplankton) creates aerosols that act as cloud condensation nuclei. It is true that the work has limitations and focuses fundamentally on the southern summer: but the data are surprising and reconfigure many of the things we thought we knew about Antarctic atmospheric dynamics. Everything is related. And it is curious that we have not realized this until now: after all, there are 40 million individuals at the south pole generating condensation nuclei. But it shows everything we have left to know. Image | Martin Wettstein In Xataka | 450 years ago someone toured Spain writing down all its animals and plants: the bizarre atlas of what no longer exists

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