Mobile Tech & Gadgets

The man who failed to transform Siri and the brain of the AI ​​strategy ends his stage

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Apple has communicated that John Giannandrea, one of the most influential executives in its AI strategy in recent years, will begin a retirement process that will culminate in 2026. The company explains that the executive will leave his position as senior vice president of Machine Learning and AI Strategy, although he will continue to collaborate as an advisor in the coming months. This announcement comes months after a realignment of responsibilities related to Apple Intelligence and Siri. Giannandrea landed at Apple in 2018 as one of its most notable signings, with the task of strengthening the AI ​​strategy and giving Siri a new direction. His team was in charge of areas such as Apple Foundation Models, the internal search engine and machine learning research, technical pieces on which Apple has built much of its recent strategy. He also took on responsibility for guiding the evolution of Siri and coordinating AI projects that affected multiple teams in the company. A project that began with ambition and ended in postponements. Apple Intelligence was born as a profound renewal of the user experience, but the advances were not at the expected pace. The Information detailed that the demo shown at WWDC 2024 did not fully reflect the advanced capabilities that Apple had suggested, and that many of those features were not implemented at the time of the presentation. The pressure increased when the company confirmed that the new Siri with personalized functions would be delayed until 2026. What was supposed to be the new turning point ended up becoming a chain of postponements. Internal war in Cupertino over the direction of AI. Tensions between the AI/ML group and the software team were long-standing, according to The Information. While the area led by Giannandrea opted for a more cautious advance focused on privacy, Craig Federighi defended a more pragmatic approach aimed at tangible results. The clash of priorities became evident when some engineers began referring to the AI/ML team as “AIMLess,” a sign of the accumulated unrest. The situation led to a March 2025 twist that placed Federighi and Mike Rockwell at the forefront of Siri’s new direction. A loss of influence that had been brewing. According to Bloomberg, Tim Cook’s trust in Giannandrea suffered after the numerous delays in the development of the Apple Intelligence functions promised during WWDC 2024. In a meeting with his team, the manager admitted that the delays were “ugly” and acknowledged the shame and anger that this situation had generated among the staff. After the change in leadership in 2025, a good part of his functions began to be left in the hands of other managers, while he maintained other tasks in research into AI and robotics technologies. This shift in operational focus serves as a backdrop to the announcement that he will become an advisor before retiring in 2026. The landing of Amar Subramanya and the new architecture of power. Apple has hired Amar Subramanya as vice president of AI after his time as corporate vice president of AI at Microsoft and 16 years at Google, where he was responsible for engineering the Gemini assistant. According to the official note, Subramanya will take charge of key areas such as Apple Foundation Models, machine learning research and AI Safety and Evaluation teams. He will report directly to Craig Federighi, thus reinforcing his weight in the artificial intelligence strategy. The rest of the organization linked to this area will be under the supervision of Sabih Khan and Eddy Cue, a cast that seeks to align responsibilities with their respective departments. Giannandrea’s retirement and the arrival of new managers mark a turning point for Apple in its artificial intelligence strategy. The company now relies on a more defined structure, with Craig Federighi at the center of the project and Amar Subramanya leading key research areas and foundational models. The challenge will be to convert this reorganization into visible improvements for users and regain competitiveness in a market that evolves at high speed. Images | Apple In Xataka | Huawei has a patent with which to manufacture 2nm chips. The only problem is that it’s just a patent.

Liberalization brought us the lowest prices in the history of high speed. Everything indicates that it is about to end

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A high-speed runner that is becoming more expensive and others that seem to have hit the ground. The arrival of competition to Renfe promised to reduce the price of train tickets. In fact, it reduced them. But the big question is knowing when they will rise again. Or, if necessary, how far they will end up going up. spring. It is the data that it collects the latest report published by the CNMC. It analyzes the price and occupancy of high-speed trains in our country. Specifically, the data refers to the months of April, May and June, which are the last recorded by Competition. It is an interesting study as it covers dates in which rail traffic increases, with passengers opting for this type of transport for their Easter holidays and first summer trips. The impact of both events is clear because despite offering 0.6% fewer seats, the number of travelers has increased by 4.4% compared to 2024. What do the data tell us? That we travel faster and faster. Because the previous data breaks down the high-speed markets open to competition and reflects that in the second quarter of 2025, a total of 11.8 million passengers boarded the high-speed long-distance train, 16.1% more than in the previous quarter and 15.2% more than in the same quarter last year. The data also tells us that clearly Spain moves at two speeds. One is represented by Madrid-Barcelona, ​​which increases its prices and remains the main corridor in the country. The other is the Andalusian or Valencian high speed, whose prices are already beginning to remain stable. The cheapest. The brokers who reduce their prices are, as we said, the Andalusians and Valencians. Traveling from Madrid to Seville was, on average, 8.6% cheaper than the previous year, boosted by the arrival of Ouigo as Iryo reduced its prices by 2%, AVE by 3.8% and AVLO raised prices by 3.4%. The average price of the trip was 49.47 euros. Below is the Madrid-Málaga corridor, which maintains a price about two euros cheaper but which barely changes its prices compared to the previous year (-1.2%). Again it is Ouigo who presses down. For their part, Madrid-Valencia and Madrid-Alicante have also significantly reduced their price compared to the previous year. In the first the decrease is estimated at 8.3% and in the second 8.7%. The (almost) cheapest. Although prices are lower In these corridors than in the same period of 2024, the truth is that the average ticket price has been lower. In all the previous cases, the average ticket price was lower in various months last year. In the graphs, in addition, a certain stagnation and slowdown in the fall is observed. It must be taken into account that, except for Madrid-Málaga, Renfe has considerably lowered the ticket price on its AVE. In the Sevillian corridor it has fallen by 3.8%, in the Valencian corridor by 10.6% and in the Alicante corridor by 11.6%. These falls, despite being partially offset by the increases in AVLO where the AVE falls, have a great impact on the average price of the ticket since a percentage drop in the AVE is more money than the same reduction in Ouigo, Iryo or AVLO, which are lower cost for the customer. That is, we have cheaper general prices, yes. But above all because Renfe seems to be pressuring customers to “jump” to the AVE, with an increase in the prices of AVLO and an evident drop in the price of its most expensive option. The most expensive. The corridor that has experienced the most increase in cost has been Madrid-Barcelona. Since competition entered, traveling between both cities has never been so expensive. At the beginning of 2024, the average price hit the bottom, standing at around 40 euros. On the same dates in 2025, that same bill was already looking at 50 euros. Between April and June, the average price reached 63.14 euros. All companies have made their tickets more expensive and no small feat. The cheapest average price was that of Ouigo, with 50.11 euros and despite this it became 18.7% more expensive. The second, that of AVLO (offer that no longer existswhich will continue to increase prices) with 51.95 euros and an increase of 14.5%. Between the two Renfe options is Iryo, with 56.01% and an increase of 22.5%. The AVE closes at the top with an average price of 73.91 euros and an increase of 13.1%. Have we hit the ground? It is the big question that arises now for the client. Although year-on-year prices have fallen, the truth is that we continue to see a slight increase in the overall price for the year or, at the very least, stagnation where the three companies operate at full capacity. Only the entry of Ouigo in Andalusia seems to have moved the market a little. But Iryo and Ouigo have been sending more or less clear messages that they are beginning to move away from the price war. Everything indicates that this was not sustainable to maintain these companies and both the italian as the french they seem to take new directions (with changes in address) now that its landing seems consolidated. “We will follow them”. Renfe, for its part, has been clearer. The company defends that the situation is not profitable for the companies and that sooner or later their competitors are going to raise prices. And the company does not seem to want to compete with them on price. Its president has already announced that if its rivals raise prices “we will follow them”anticipating a growth in the cost for the user that has already been seen in Madrid-Barcelona. Photo | Xataka In Xataka | Ouigo and Renfe have found a new way to make life impossible: torpedo repairs

You can pay for dinners, but not receive family donations

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The use of digital payments has skyrocketed in Spain thanks to the ease of payment from mobile phones and the success of platforms like Bizum. For this reason, the Government has decided to adapt the regulations to today’s world. As of January 1, 2026, it is redefined how banking entities must inform to the Tax Agency about the movements of its clients. The historical limit of 3,000 euros that until now acted as a reference for notifying the Treasury is eliminated and the criteria is changed: the amounts no longer matter but the patterns. The key question is how this affects individuals. End to the limit of 3,000 euros. Until now, banking entities had the obligation to inform the Tax Agency of any movement that exceeds 3,000 euros, regardless of whether it was a company or an individual. With the new Royal Decree 253/2025 which comes into effect on January 1, 2026, that limit disappears. Starting in January, the reporting obligation goes from being based on the amount of the payment to the type of operation and the total volume of the year and the obligation to report is also added when these payments are made through mobile payment applications or payments associated with mobile phone numbers (Bizum). This opens the door to operations that previously did not generate any type of notice (payments of 50, 200 or 500 euros made by card, transfer or Bizum), can now become part of the periodic reports that financial entities send to the Treasury. Bizum and mobile payments: what changes? The elimination of this limit does not mean that the Treasury will review these movements one by one, but the automatic barrier that prevented small transfers from flying under the Treasury’s radar is eliminated. Payment systems between individuals, such as Bizum, which were traditionally presented as an “informal” and quick way to send money, are thus integrated into the official information circuit. Payment and electronic money entities must report to the Treasury the credits and charges of all these accounts, including those associated with external apps or virtual cards. That is, the Treasury will also know what income or payments are made through these platforms and their frequency. Paying for dinner is not paying a mortgage. For the individual user, this means that sending a Bizum to a dinner with friendsa gift or a shared expense continues to work as usual. What changes is that the information circulates more systematically between the entity and the Treasury. If the movements are sporadic and consistent with personal use, it will have no consequences. However, if these payments are continuous, high, periodic or present their own patterns of economic activity, they could reveal some undeclared commercial activity or hidden donations between family members. Donating is not a crime.. One of the most frequently asked questions It has to do with the possibility of making small donations to family members: helping a child with their studies, supporting a family member with an unexpected expense or making specific contributions. The new regulations does not limit these operations on the platforms, since money transfers of 200, 500, 1,000 or 2,500 euros can continue to be made without any impediment. The change is in the Treasury’s ability to detect them if they occur through Bizum, transfer or digital payment on a recurring basis. …crime is not declaring it. Although the operation remains legal, the inheritance and donation regulations apply. That means that any donation, even a small one, must be declared. In the majority of autonomous communities, the rates for these donations they are very rewarded between immediate family members, to the point that in many cases nothing is paid. But declaring them is mandatory. If the movements are repeated or if the recipient cannot justify the origin, the Treasury could detect them and request explanations or impose sanctions. They want to detect undeclared activity. The focus of the new regulations is not to check whether you pay for your friend’s movie tickets or every daily movement, but to identify economic activities that are hidden behind dispersed digital payments: undeclared rents, private classes, recurring sales of products or habitual income that could be considered commercial activities camouflaged as personal transfers. That is why, more than sending a certain amount of money to a friend or family member, what increases is the Treasury’s control over frequent and repetitive income, regardless of the amount. In Xataka | Bizum en la Renta 2024: what income and payments you have to declare and how to do it in the 2025 declaration Image | Ivan Linares (Xataka Mobile)

the luminous paradox of a vertical panel on the balcony

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Last month, Alejandro Diego Rosell – energy consultant, professor and analyst with more than a decade in the photovoltaic sector – discovered something that does not fit with what we all believe about solar energy: his balcony produced the highest generation day of the year and also a day of absolute zero. Same month, same installation, but opposite results. The paradox is not a flaw: it is exactly how a solar balcony works in a real city. And what his case reveals dismantles many of the myths of urban self-consumption. The solar balcony phenomenon. The explanation begins with a phrase that Diego repeats in the interview he gave us in Xataka: “The real performance depends more on the angle, shadow and geometry of the building than on the calendar month.” Its panels are installed almost vertically, an unusual orientation on roofs but very common in Spanish apartments. And this completely alters the classic pattern of solar production. Record day: 2.35 kWh on a cold, clear day in November. Zero day: November 15, with 0% apparent production. And why? It is precisely because of the combination of verticality and battery. Your installation now works with plug-and-play batteryand that introduces a little-known phenomenon: “The battery needs a minimum current to start charging. If the output is too low, it does not accept it and does not send anything to the microinverter either.” In other words, some energy is generated, but it is so little that the battery does not activate and the system does not account for it. That minimum production is left out of the records, which causes some days to appear as “zero” even though they really are not. Position matters. Alejandro Diego’s experience uncovers several lessons that almost no one knows before installing one of these kits. On the one hand, a vertical panel performs better in winter. “In winter the sun is so low that it looks at you from the other side of the street,” says the energy analyst. And it makes physical sense because the sun, being low, affects almost perfectly on a vertical panel and the cold makes for better performance. In fact, this idea is not anecdotal, verticality is beginning to be adopted even in professional installations, as is the case of the company Over Easy Solar in the Valencian Community. On the other hand, shadows are the great invisible enemy. “Shadows travel,” insists the energy consultant. A railing that barely touches the glass panel in June can ruin 20% of the day in January. A neighbor’s awning can cut entire hours of production. And tall buildings create cast shadows that move like clockwork. The batteries and the fine print. Here we come to the kit question: “It’s not plug and play.” The Master in Renewable Energies (MERME) professor details that Plug-and-play domestic batteries help—they shift consumption, allow prolonged injection, improve peak utilization—but they also bring surprises: very low production simply does not enter the system, there are efficiency losses in the charge-discharge cycle, and they weigh more than people imagine. In a market where Ikea, EcoFlow, Zendure or even electric ones are launching batteries “for everyone”, this clarification matters. Urban photovoltaics are unpredictable. If there is one thing that Diego is clear about after almost a year measuring every watt that enters his balcony, it is that photovoltaics in the city do not follow the rules that one imagines from the outside. In its installation, the data changes abruptly depending on the angle of the sun, the presence of shadows or even the type of cloud cover. And there is no need to go into theories: you see it in your daily life. In December, For examplehas reached more than 2 kWh in a single day. It seems counterintuitive—especially considering that December is one of the months with the fewest hours of daylight—but the explanation is simple: the low sun hits a vertical panel almost head-on and the cold improves the electrical performance of the module and the microinverter. However, in April – with longer days and clear skies – there were days that did not even reach 1.5 kWh. “The angle of the sun changes everything,” he explains. In spring the sun begins to rise, hits the panel from above and the verticality penalizes more than intuition suggests. The clouds also influence. This opens another chapter: even small passing clouds can reduce production in a matter of seconds, because they block direct light—the one that really triggers the generation—and leave only the diffuse light, much less usable in such an angle-dependent installation. When the sky is completely covered, the situation is even clearer: production usually sinks to 5–10% of the daily potential, figures that the consultant has seen repeated over and over again. These same extreme oscillations are common in the thousands of solar balconies installed in Germany: very good days, very bad days and a performance that depends more on urban physics – shadows, orientation, tall buildings that cut off the sun at different times – than on the calendar or the general weather. The conclusion, in Diego’s own words, is that a solar balcony is educational, useful and surprisingly efficient for its size, but not magical. It produces, yes, but it produces according to the physical reality of the building, not according to the mental idea that many have before installing one. The real barriers to installing one. In Spain there is a particular ecosystem: plug-in kits are limited by law to 800W, neighborhood communities may require permission if they are on a façade or railing and the regulations require electrical protections and, sometimes, a bidirectional meter. Alejandro Diego had no problems with his community—”from the street you can hardly see it”—but he admits that in other buildings it can be a bottleneck. On the other hand, in countries like Germany, the regulation explicitly protects the right to install them. The result has been more than 1.5 million of kits operating and half a million installed in just one … Read more

The director of the DGT proposes a grace period with the V16 beacons

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On January 1, 2026, it becomes mandatory to carry the V16 beacon connected in the car. Pere Navarro, general director of Traffic, has shed some light regarding the DGT’s decision on the device. And a few days ago confirmed that the agents will act flexibly during the first months, prioritizing information about the sanction. The statements come just after the DGT itself has recognized communication failures of this measure. The date does not move, but the fines will wait. Navarro reiterated that the regulations comes into effect as plannedand that is something that had been announced for five years. But he also clarified that the agents “will be flexible, for a time, informing” the drivers before starting to sanction. The objective, according to the director of the DGT, is to “consolidate this system” without generating a barrage of fines from day one. Mea culpa from Traffic. Montserrat Estaca, head of the Telematics Area of ​​the DGT, publicly acknowledged in statements to 20Minutos that “we have not done the job well” in terms of disseminating the measure. He admitted that many citizens are unaware of the mandatory nature of the connected V16 beacon and that communication has been insufficient. Until now, the DGT has only reported through the media, without sending direct communications to drivers as it did with environmental labeling. Why this change now?. The replacement of the triangles with the V16 beacon seeks to prevent drivers from having to get out of the vehicle and walk along the road to signal a breakdown. Navarrese provides data: Between 20 and 25 people die every year after being run over after abandoning their car, although it recognizes that not all cases are directly related to the placement of triangles. The new device is placed on the roof of the vehicle without leaving the passenger compartment and emits a light signal visible up to a kilometer. Not all beacons are valid. Here is one of the big problems: many drivers bought V16 beacons a long time ago, but not all are approved. Only connected V16 beacons are valid, those that incorporate a GPS chip and SIM card to connect to the platform. DGT 3.0 and transmit the position of the vehicle in real time. Connectivity must be guaranteed for a minimum of 12 years without additional fees. Offline beacons, mostly sold before 2022, do not comply with the regulations. How to know if your beacon is legitimate. The key is in the certificate number. Before buying, you must verify on the DGT website that the product has valid approval. The official list includes all devices certified by the IDIADA or LCOE laboratories. Simply enter the certificate number in the search engine to confirm that the beacon meets the technical requirements. Without this step, it is easy to fall for misleading offers, especially on platforms like AliExpress or Temuwhere we can find both approved products and others that are not. Price is not everything. Although the OCU places the usual price around 40-50 eurosthere are specific offers that reduce the cost up to 10 euros for new users on certain platforms. Stake defend that the expense is acceptable, commenting that divided by 12 years of guaranteed connectivity, “it amounts to just three or four euros per year.” In addition, he also highlights that if you change vehicles, “you can take the beacon from one vehicle to another as you could do with triangles.” The beacon does not solve everything. Navarro too warns that “there are those who think that by installing the V16 everything is over. No. This is simply to notify that a kilometer and a half away there is a vehicle stopped on the road due to an incident. It is not for anything else. You still have to call your insurance company to have the tow truck come and remove the car or fix the damage. One thing does not replace the other, let’s make no mistake” Its limitations in broad daylight. The DGT itself recognize that the beacon works worse with natural light. Estaca admitted that “the worst they work is in daylight,” when their visibility is reduced to about 50 meters, the same distance as a traditional triangle. In adverse conditions (fog, rain, night), the flashing light gains effectiveness. Traffic’s commitment also involves trusting in digital connectivity, allowing other drivers to receive the warning through their browsers before arriving at the area of ​​the incident. Spain, world laboratory. The country will be the first in the world to mandatory implement a system of connected beacons. The European Commission follow the experience closely in Spain with a view to there being changes in the rest of the countries. Navarrese presume of the system as “a Spanish invention” and asks for patience to evaluate its real effectiveness once it comes into operation. What vehicles are required. The norm It affects passenger cars, buses, vans, goods transport vehicles and non-special sets registered in Spain. Motorcycles, special vehicles such as agricultural machinery, bicycles, scooters and cars with foreign license plates are exempt, which may continue to use triangles. Fine if we don’t have it. Although there will be initial flexibility, as claimed Navarro, the fine for not carrying the beacon will be 80 euros, the same as is currently applied for not having triangles. In addition, using triangles will also be punishable from January 1, since Traffic considers that they pose a risk of being run over. The DGT has not confirmed how long exactly the grace period will last before starting to sanction systematically. It would also not be advisable to tempt fate. Cover image | DGT In Xataka | More and more Spaniards receive a letter in their mailbox: they have a fine and an AI has given it to them

Madrid was supposed to have renaturalized the Manzanares for its ecosystem. Now he has turned it into another tourist attraction

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It is not strange that in December talk about lights. In recent years some cities in Spain have launched a crazy race for displaying millions of LEDs along its streets or raising the tallest luminous Christmas tree in the country. What is less common is that people talk about the lights that decorate the bed of a river, which is precisely what has been worrying environmentalists and residents of Madrid for days. To be more precise it worries them the City Council’s initiative to activate 61 projectors in Manzanares. For the City Council, these lights are a success that will “more attractive” the riverbank and will reinforce its security. For neighbors and environmentalists, it is a mistake that will generate something very different: “light pollution.” What has happened? That Manzanares is news. And not because of the “renaturalization” process that began years ago, of which they stick out their chest the Madrid City Council and the neighbors and (among other things) has helped recover its fauna. The key in this case is quite different: the lighting system installed in a 560-meter stretch of the river, around Dam 6, between the districts of Arganzuela and Latina. Although the spotlights were installed there more than a year ago They were not activated until a few days agocoinciding with the on of Christmas lights. The problem is that what for the City Council is a cause for celebration for residents and environmentalists is a problem. Why’s that? Because the opinions regarding the Manzanares lights could not be more different. If you ask the City Council, it is an initiative “sustainable and respectful” with the environment that will benefit the neighbors and attract tourists. “It will make this city environment more attractive for residents and visitors, also offering more security to pedestrians,” claims José Luis Martínez-Almeida’s team in the statement in which he celebrated the commissioning of the lights, last Saturday the 22nd. “The 61 LED projectors will project a blue light to boost the attractiveness of the area and realize the central construction,” abounds the City Council before stating that the lights are part of a “pilot project” and are here to stay. For now, they will continue to operate beyond Christmas, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, adapting their operating hours to sunset. What do the critics say? They talk about “light pollution” and a measure that has been deployed “despite citizen and scientific rejection.” Among those who have spoken out most vigorously against the 61 river projectors are: Ecologists in Action and the Corridor Verde-Imperial Neighborhood Associationgroups that put forward various arguments, such as that the new outbreaks will negatively affect the ecosystem or that they only seek to attract visitors. “It is unnecessary and harmful, it is not justified by any reason of general or public interest and it only responds to the arbitrary whim of the City Council in its desire to continue touristifying the city in general and Madrid Río in particular”, regrets Ecologists. However, the greatest emphasis is placed on the impact that LEDs will have on fauna, something that has already earned them “scientific rejection.” Will it affect the river ecosystem? It depends on who you ask. For the environmental group there are no doubts. “You cannot subject the fauna of Manzanares to an eternal day, not only the birds, but also the insects, which are a crucial part of the ecosystem,” warns in The Confidential Erika González, biologist. “Fauna, like human beings, also need darkness for their life cycle (…) It is difficult for us to understand why the City Council, the same one that decided to successfully renaturalize Manzanares and dedicates a budget for maintenance, now decides to attack the ecosystem.” Things are quite different for the local government, which in the same statement in which he reports on the switching on of the projectors, he emphasizes that the system has been designed applying environmental criteria. “It has been developed using solutions that minimize light pollution. The spotlights are located in a pocket of the river, limiting light emissions to the sky.” Is it the only disagreement? No. Another idea in which the City Council and the neighbors clash is the convenience and necessity of the lights. From the City Hall they argue that the lights will improve “safety” around the river, but residents question whether that is necessary. “There is no insecurity problem and if there were, the logical thing is that lights be installed on the street, not in the river bed,” reasons Susana de la Higuera, from the Pasillo Verde-Imperial Neighborhood Association. The controversy surrounding the Manzanares lights dates back a few months. In fact, the City Council installed them in 2024 with a view to Christmas of that year, but his critics took the issue to the courts and requested precautionary measures. Although the process is not resolved, the judge handling it denied a few months ago the temporary stay that kept the lights disconnected. Ecologists in Action regrets In any case, the City Council has turned them on with the contentious appeal still open. Their discomfort (like that of the neighbors) has already moved to the street with a protest on friday. Images | Madrid City Council In Xataka | Felipe II wanted to build an XXL canal from Madrid to Lisbon. Now the city has recovered it, inspired by Ancient Egypt

Cyber ​​Monday at El Corte Inglés: we have offers on televisions, mobile phones and more only until 11:59 p.m. today

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December begins and it does so by shelving one of the most important events of the year in terms of offers: Black Friday. As happens every year, the first Monday after this event is Cyber ​​Monday, which gives us another opportunity if we don’t get one of those discounts that are very worthwhile. Right there comes El Corte Inglés, which is celebrating your own Cyber ​​Mondaybut only until 11:59 p.m. today. For a few hours, we have at our disposal an arsenal of offers on mobile phones, televisions and more. There is plenty to choose from, but as we usually do, we have prepared a selection of some offers that we found especially attractive. Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra Robot Vacuum Cleaner by 599 euroswith great suction power and a robotic arm to reach everywhere. Samsung QLED Smart TV by 469 eurosa great quality-price option if we are looking for a 55-inch television. Acer Nitro V 15 gaming laptop by 699 eurosan ideal gaming device for the tightest budgets. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra by 1,088 eurosthe best super high-end phone of this 2025. Samsung Neo QLED Smart TV by 799 eurosa 65-inch television with very good gaming features. Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra Robot Vacuum Cleaner If we are looking for a new robot vacuum cleaner and we want a high-end one, it is Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra It’s ideal for us. It stands out for having a great suction power of 10,000 mAh, but also for having a type of arm that extends and allows you to clean even the most complicated corners. It has a scrubbing system and a base that will allow us to keep the robot in good condition and available almost effortlessly. It is reduced to 599 euros. Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra multifunctional base extra edge scrubbing robot vacuum cleaner and floor mop The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Samsung QLED Smart TV Cyber ​​Monday at El Corte Inglés also has interesting offers on televisions, as is the case with this Q8F in its 55-inch version. By using QLED technology, we can expect more vivid colors and a good level of contrast. As it is a 2025 model, it has Vision AI, Samsung’s artificial intelligence that is capable of improving sound or image quality automatically. In addition, it has seven years of guaranteed updates. comes out for 469 euros. QLED TV 139cm (55″) Samsung TQ55Q8FAAUXXC 4K Vision AI Quantum dot Smart TV The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Acer Nitro V 15 gaming laptop If we want a laptop to play with and we have a tight budget, this Acer laptop can fit us very well. It comes with a 13th generation Intel Core i5 processor along with an RTX 5050, so we will be able to play at 1080p without any problem. In fact, its 15.6-inch screen has that resolution, all without taking into account the fact that it comes with 1 TB of SSD and 16 GB of RAM. Costs 699 eurosalthough we must keep in mind that it comes without an operating system. ACER Nitro V 15 Gaming Laptop, i5-13420H, 16GB, 1TB SSD, GeForce RTX 5050, 15.6″, No operating system The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Among all the phones that have come out this year, it is the Galaxy S25 Ultra the one that has been taken the Xataka award for the best super high-end mobile. It is a phone with one of the best processors there is, such as the Snapdrago 8 Elite, and a brutal 6.9-inch screen with one of the best anti-reflective treatments that we can currently find. In addition, its camera system performs at an outstanding level and is loaded with AI thanks to Galaxy AI and Gemini. It is reduced to 1,088 euros in its 512 GB version. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 12 GB + 512 GB free mobile The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Samsung Neo QLED Smart TV If we are looking for a television, but we want something that is one step above the previous QLED, we have this Neo QLED also from Samsung, model QN80F. This also uses the Korean manufacturer’s Quantum Dots, but combines it with MiniLED technology, offering even more vivid colors and very high brightness levels. In addition, this model is capable of taking its refresh rate up to 144 Hz, which makes it ideal for playing with a console like PlayStation 5 Pro or with a PC. We have its 65-inch version lowered to 799 euros. Neo QLED MiniLED TV 163cm (65″) Samsung TQ65QN80FAUXXC 4K MiniLED Vision AI Smart TV 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 | Buyaddiction, Roborock, Samsung, Acer In Xataka | Best robot vacuum cleaners in quality price. Which one to buy based on use and six recommended models In Xataka | Best televisions in quality price. Which one to buy and seven recommended 4K smart TVs

the questions you have sent us (and their answers) about this projector for your home

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Watching a movie like in the cinema without spending a fortune on a giant TV is possible with devices such as projectors, such as the newHisense M2 Pro. We have been testing it for several days, and now we bring you a video with all the answers to the questions that you have been sending us about it to our Instagram profile. Hisense M2 Pro Q&A We start the video by answering questions that have to do with its design and the little things it has on the outside. Its design is minimalist and premium looking, and its dimensions are 193x218x230mm, a fairly modest size for a projector with these characteristics. The projector has a standard thread for put it on any type of tripodand you can also put it on the ceiling. Its operating system is exactly the same as what you can find on Hisense televisions. As for connectors, it has an HDMI (eARC) and a USB, which should be enough for any situation. It also has a slot in its base that allows it to be easily picked up and carried to any room. Its weight is 3.9 kilos, it has a 4K resolution with 60 Hz but in 2K it offers 240Hz, and if you don’t have a projection screen you can also use it on the wall. And offering 2K at 240Hz and its good refresh rate means you can use it to play without problem. Then, in the video we talk about its internal components, its AI technologies to improve the image, and all the internal details. We also talk to you about their screen ranges and their maximum projected distance or their brightness. We also tell you how to send content from your mobile phone or use it with streaming platforms, in addition to telling you the functions of its remote control or what its keys are like. And we ended up talking about its sound and whether what the projector offers is enough, the truth is that it is incredible how good it is and how surprising it is. But the best thing is that you watch the full video to see all the answers we give to the questions you have sent us. This content is a collaboration and sponsorship between Xataka and the brand, but there is no agreement on the script or the selection of the topics. The editorial content is created entirely by Xataka.

Russia has found an old ally from other wars to bring down Ukraine’s most impenetrable defense: snowfall

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Winter has once again established itself as a decisive actor in the Ukrainian war. To the mud and fog A new enemy has been added to the Ukrainian defenses. Heavy snowfall and freezing rain are degrading the tool that has allowed kyiv to make up for its numerical inferiority for two years: the swarms of light, agile and deadly FPV drones that form the backbone of their “death zones” defensive. Winter as a weapon. The meteorology, which in other winters had shaped the strategy, this year is dismantling a defensive system which Ukraine had perfected into a nearly impenetrable barrier. Russia understood this before anyone else and launched large scale assaults taking advantage of the climate vulnerability of drones, opening gaps around Kharkiv, Huliaipole and especially Pokrovsk. For the first time in months, Moscow is advancing not because it has decisively improved its military, but because nature has given it a window that it is exploiting. with brutal determination. The unexpected weakness. It turns out that FPV drones, so effective in summer, are extremely fragile in winter. Their lack of inertia makes them victims of the wind, which pushes them and makes their trajectory falter with each gust, humidity and ice fog the cameras, snow reduces contrasts, fog blurs the depth of the visual field and the lenses become covered with drops that distort the image at the most critical moment. The pilot, who needs perfect vision to hit with surgical precision, encounters a blurry screenwithout references, unable to distinguish trenches, obstacles or even the final objective. The slightest loss of clarity turns an attack in a crash against the terrain or in an erratic missile. The result is devastating for the Ukrainian defensive strategy: when the drones do not fly, the death zones they cease to existRussian columns can advance under dark clouds and motorcycles and pickup trucks carrying troops take advantage of the fog to infiltrate towns like Pokrovsk, where urban fighting is already fierce. A dangerous opportunity. The adverse weather has created for Russia an opportunity that it has not enjoyed since the beginning of the war. With Ukrainian drones forced to remain on the ground, Russian forces have managed to maneuver with greater freedom of movement, something that drone warfare had made nearly impossible for months. They have crossed rivers in fog, entered towns with light vehicles without being detected and pushed through Ukrainian lines while the defense was reorganized while waiting for the weather to improve. Moscow’s advance, although limited in territorial terms, is having an impact psychological and tactical significant: it exposes the fragility of the Ukrainian defensive model when it is left without its star tool and shows that Moscow has learned to detect weather patterns to time attacks precisely. The November Fog already allowed its troops to deepen positions in Pokrovsk, a critical point whose control has become a symbol both for the Kremlin (which seeks to show progress to Washington) and for Kyiv, which is struggling to resist on a front where pressure is constant. Innovation against the clock. But the climate does not act in a unidirectional way. Just as quickly as drones became inoperable, atmospheric improvements allowed Ukraine to recover part of their kill zones and launch counterattacks with your FPV. The brigades, such as the 28th Mechanized, have taken advantage of the clear weather to hit Russian units newly deployed in Kostiantynivka, trapping them in exposed positions. This dynamic confirms that Ukraine is not defeated: is forced to adapt faster. Its industry, extremely flexible since 2022, is already developing a new generation of drones with more wind-resistant fuselages, low-light cameras, simplified thermal systems and control algorithms capable of stabilizing flight in adverse conditions. The arrival of these drones, scheduled for the coming months, will be key to reverse the advantage temporary that Russia has obtained. If Ukraine manages to deploy a winter-hardy FPV force, the balance on the front could tip again. The other winter war. While the drones fight in the white sky ahead, winter hits the cities otherwise: with blackouts of up to 16 hours, failed heating, stopped elevators and parents who go to the shelter with their children in their arms between explosions. The BBC told cases like that of Oksana, in her apartment in kyiv, who lives with a 2,000 euro battery that only extends normality by a few hours. Her daughter plays by candlelight and her husband works in the dark when bombing cuts off supplies. Millions of Ukrainians are preparing for what the authorities describe how “the worst winter in our history.” Moscow has intensified its attacks against transmission networks, not only to leave the population without electricity and heat, but to close bakeries, paralyze factories, stop transportation and suffocate the economy until causing social discouragement. According to the Ukrainian government itself, the Russian objective is not only to defeat the country militarily, but to destroy its internal cohesion. human wear and tear. After almost four years of war, fatigue has become widespread. He insomnia affects three times as many Ukrainians as people in countries at peace, and the nights are marked by sirens, Shahed drones and waves of missiles that have reached record numbers. Moral fatigue is mixed with the physical: the front is far away, but the war is in every hallway, in every staircase, in every unlit light bulb. And yet, surprisingly, the surveys show a rebound in optimism: more than half of Ukrainians believe in a better future, even if it is a fragile, oscillating one that depends on the evolution of blocked negotiations, the arrival of foreign aid or the result of a Russian offensive that is still far from a decisive victory. Frozen diplomacy. Plus: international negotiations are going through their most uncertain moment. A possible Trump-Putin summit is on pause. The EU is still discussing how to use 180,000 million on frozen Russian assets, and kyiv sees with concern how Washington sends mixed signals and how some European governments could change with elections less … Read more

a two-minute microdrama to watch on your mobile

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Atresplayer has announced the premiere of the first Spanish vertical series. It is called ‘A Bride for Christmas’, it has 60 episodes of between 1 and 3 minutes, it is filmed to be viewed vertically on mobile phones and will be released on Flooxer. Starring Marina Baeza and influencer Carla Flila, the series tells a Christmas love triangle designed to be consumed like long tiktoks. Why is it important. It is not just another series: it is Spain’s entry into the global phenomenon of microdramasa format that makes millions in China, India and Latin America. Productions that condense drama, twists and cliffhangers in 90-second capsules, designed for brains accustomed to the frenetic pace of TikTok. Atresplayer has opted to adapt these fragmented consumption habits to Spanish audiovisual fiction. The backgroundeither. This format He was born in China with the name duanjus and then it conquered markets like Brazil, where platforms like Kwai or ReelShort generate a lot of money in micropayments and subscriptions. In Latin America there are already local production companies, such as SDO Entertainment in Argentina with Bon Vivantor We Latam with its platform Vyco. They all share the same premise: ultra-brief episodes, intense emotions, cliffhangers constants and a monetization model similar to that of video games. Yes, but. The reactions in Spain have been mixed: Some see it as a necessary innovation to attract young audiences and adapt to the times. Others criticize it as a surrender to attention deficit, as if the vertical format were synonymous with superficiality. The truth is that microdrama, conceptually, does not invent anything: serialized narratives, nineteenth-century soap operas or Latin American soap operas always played with suspense and concentrated emotion. Only the support and duration have changed. Main winner? Platforms that understand first that attention is the scarce resource. Atresplayer is ahead of the rest of the Spanish audiovisual sector with this commitment. If it works, it will have opened a new front of content adapted to mobile phones. If it fails, at least it will have tried something different in a market saturated with traditional formats. It doesn’t seem like it was exactly an expensive production. Go deeper. The underlying debate is not whether two or three minute episodes are too short, it is whether we are capable of telling impactful stories at any length. And if we are willing to accept that the vertical screen not just any frikada but the dominant format for millions of people who see the world through their mobile phones. In Xataka | The new fever in China is mobile series with one-minute episodes. And they prepare their landing outside Asia Featured image | Atresmedia

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