Mobile Tech & Gadgets

The new EU border system is leaving people without flights. Ryanair has a solution: close check-in early

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From 10 November, Ryanair check-in counters They will close one hour before of the scheduled departure, instead of the 40 minutes that is now allowed. The change implies that the traveler will have to coordinate the time better and go a little more in advance. All, according to the company, in order to avoid problems at security and passport controls. What exactly changes. Until now, Ryanair travelers who wanted to deliver their luggage at the airport had a limit of 40 minutes prior to the departure of their flight. With the new rule, that margin is extended to 60 minutes. In other words: you will have to arrive at the airport earlier and arrange your suitcase more in advance. The measure will apply to all airports where the Irish airline operates. Why does he do it? According to the company itselfthe goal is to reduce the number of passengers who miss their flight due to getting stuck in security or passport control queues. By bringing forward the closing of the counters, travelers with checked luggage would have more time to go through those checkpoints before boarding begins. Dara Brady, chief marketing officer at Ryanair, counted in the press release that the change is especially relevant “during peak periods, when some of these lines at the airport can be longer.” Milan was the best example. Queues at checkpoints are the common enemy that can cause us to end up missing our flight. And the last few weeks have been especially busy around it, because hundreds of passengers missed their flights due to Europe’s new Entry and Exit System (EES). This is the European Union’s new digital border control that forces non-EU citizens (including British citizens after Brexit) to register their biometric data, such as fingerprint and facial recognition, every time they cross a border in the Schengen area. The system was supposed to be fully operational on April 10, but it seems that no one thought that the system would end up being so chaotic. According to reported BBC, on April 16, a Ryanair flight from Bergamo airport in Milan left for Manchester, leaving behind a group of travelers who had been stuck in the border queue for an hour and a half without moving forward. That same day, another airline flight between Tenerife South and East Midlands also left many passengers on the ground. Mplus self-check-in kiosks. The measure comes accompanied by an expansion of self-check-in luggage kiosks, which will be available before October in more than 95% of the airports in its network. These terminals work integrated with the Ryanair application and allow the passenger to check in the suitcase and print the label without going through the traditional counter. The airline claims this will speed up the process and reduce waits. Who it affects and who it doesn’t. According to account airline, this change only affects 20% of Ryanair passengers who check baggage. The remaining 80%, who travel only with hand luggage, will not notice any difference. For this reason, if you travel with Ryanair and plan to check in a suitcase starting in November, take this margin into account and calculate that you will have to arrive a little earlier for your flights. Cover image | Marty Sakin In Xataka | The airlines had been warning for weeks and the consequences are already here: Volotea will charge 14 euros more for the Hormuz crisis

Spain has a very ugly bird that does not want it to become extinct. And all of Europe depends on you not doing it

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For the last decade, Villafranca de los Barros (in the heart of the province of Badajoz) was the European vulture capital. More than 600 black and griffon vultures They have left the AMUS wildlife hospital in Villafranqués to repopulate places in France, Sicily, Cyprus or Bulgaria. Now and this is the news, receives 15 specimens of Italian vultures. Are we running out of Egyptian vultures? Are there few in Spain? It depends on how we define “few.” It is true that the numbers continue to fall in Aragón, Andalusia and part of Castilla y León; However, it is no less true that around 82% of all Egyptian vultures in Europe. And then? Why do we want twelve birds? Essentially, because the Italian Egyptian Vultures are having a very bad time. The Cisalpine country has only a dozen wild breeding pairs and needs Spain to keep the genetics and breeding capacity alive. The idea is to use the Italian specimens to reinforce the European capacity to obtain chickens (something that, in this species, is especially difficult). And scavengers, despite the cultural disdain we have for them, are important. Only Iberian vultures They remove bodies from the field for a value of about 45 million a year and save about 77,000 tons of CO2 in the same period. But there are even much clearer cases: India, for example. Eyal Frank and Anant Sudarshan of the Harris School of Public Policy and the University of Warwick they did the math of the economic impact of the loss of vultures in the subcontinent. We talk about $69.4 billion annually derived from mortality and the economic costs associated with premature deaths. “The collapse of vultures in India provides a clear example of the kind of hard-to-reverse and unpredictable costs that the loss of a species can have on humans,” The great European hope. If it works, many of the first chickens will be released in Italy with the idea of ​​​​reinforcing the wild population of southern Italy. After that, they will be used to reinforce other weakened nuclei: first in Spain and then in the rest of the continent. In this sense, Spain has become the last great European reservoir. And that between poisoned baits (979 corpses between 2019 and 2023), power lines and wind turbines, it’s not that we treat vultures very well. Image | Nitish Patel In Xataka | Mia, the world’s first bionic vulture who has been able to land and walk again thanks to a titanium “suchi roll”

We have been using our pets to relieve our anxiety. And now the stress is on them

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When you come home after an exhausting day, those who have a pet at home, the truth is that they hope to be received by their unconditional affection, since for many it is the best therapy against anxiety. And this is where, for many years, we have thought that our dogs or cats act as a protective shield against external chaos, but the truth is that we are seeing that what is really happening is that absorb our stresssomething that, just like what happens to us, is not good at all. It is transmitted. Here are several scientific studies published in recent years that have begun to draw a clear picture of what ethologists call “interspecific emotional contagion”, making animals authentic mirrors of our mental state. One of the most important studies was published in 2019 in Scientific Reports and collected different measures of long-term stress. To do so, the researchers decided to analyze the concentration of cortisolwhich is the main stress hormone, in the hair of 58 dogs and in that of their respective owners for an entire year. The results. Here it was seen that cortisol levels were synchronized, meaning that when the human had cortisol peaks, because he was quite stressed, the dog also had it. In this way, the authors of the study concluded that it is dogs that “reflect” the stress level of their humans and not the other way around. Furthermore, recent research suggests that dogs are capable of perceiving subtle physiological changes in us, such as body odors associated with human stress, responding to them with greater anxiety or adopting more pessimistic postures and behaviors. And this is something that shows how they are true mirrors of what happens to us. The problems of work. If we thought that teleworking or mulling over a work problem only affects us humans, the truth is that we are very wrong. This is what science tells us in different articles that point out that work rumination, which is the habit of mulling over the same topic during our free time, takes a direct toll on our pets, as it is associated with significant increases in stress in dogs. And this is explained because, although we are physically next to our pets, the fact that we are thinking about a topic that obsesses and worries us causes us to not have a good interaction with our pet so that they feel completely safe. And this logically manifests itself with mental suffering. How do we know? We sometimes associate animal stress only with when they have to make a visit to the vet or when there is a big bang, like when a firecracker is thrown, but the reality is different. Here animals, when they live in an unstable environment, such as with a lot of noise, conflicts or many hours of solitude, trigger a series of changes that are often misinterpreted by their owners as “bad behavior.” But here the stress in animals can manifest with constant restlessness, the tendency to hide, excessive attachment, non-stop barking, furniture destructive behavior and much more. That is why, when faced with unusual behavior, we must begin to analyze the situation at home, since it can be contagious, as happens with younger children who also feel the stress at home. Images | lookstudio on Freepik In Xataka | We have stuffed the Gibraltar monkeys with Doritos. His solution has been to eat dirt as if it were omeprazole

I have seen the future of cars in Beijing and yes, it is electric (and very cool)

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I remember when I was in Dubai and I attended GITEXthe largest technology fair in the world with its 230,000 square meters of stands spread across several pavilions. That seemed absolutely unbearable to me, even having two or three days to visit it relatively calmly. It was something absolutely insane. Three years later I woke up not in Dubai, but in Beijing. And if the 230,000 square meters of GITEX were overwhelming, the 380,000 square meters of the Beijing Motor Showthe 1,451 cars on display, the 181 new cars, the 71 concept cars and the 200 press conferences are, directly, mission impossible. Chery Hall | Image: Xataka I would need a week to tour the two pavilions that shape this event, but I have only had a few hours. Not that I needed much more. Not only because 99% of the cars I have seen here will not arrive in Spain, that too, but because just take a look around the stands of Chery, Xiaomi, BYD, Geely, Changan, Nio, Xpeng and company to discover that the future of the automobile does not have a European sealbut a Chinese flag that is displayed with pride. AION i60 | Image: Xataka The clearest sign that something is changing and that the sector is evolving is expectation. I have attended countless technology events, from CES to IFA to MWC or GITEX. It had been years, many years, without seeing lines to enter a stand, to take photos of the latest product launched by a company. Here, well, this was the press conference of the Chery Group. Moments before the Chery press conference | Image: Xataka While consumer technology has become a commodity, as everyone has a cell phone, a laptop, a watch and headphones, the cars are transitioning. Talking about cars is, perhaps, an understatement, because what Beijing is teaching me is that the car is passing to be a gadget. It is no longer just a matter of consumption, finishes and bodywork. Here talking about a car means talking about connectivity, charging powers, ecosystem, infotainment. While technology is currently going through a period of relative stagnation, reducing innovation to incremental improvements in specific aspects, the driving force is quite the opposite. The sector is experiencing one of its best moments in terms of variety, capacity and technology. Jetour G700 | Image: Xataka The gasoline, or rather, the electricity that drives this evolution has a Chinese seal. I wonder, now that I see firsthand the power of companies like BYD, Chery, Nio and company, If no one thought of this when manufacturers sold their long-term capacity for short-term profits. Did no one think that China, which requires a partnership with a local partner and the transfer of intellectual property in exchange for being able to sell in its huge country, was going to hit the table one day? That, at some point, I would want to stop manufacturing for others to take what you have learned, improve it, optimize it and sell it herself? Arcfox S5, the premium range from Beijing’s BAIC | Image: Xataka Sure, outsourcing molding, part production, and engineering kept prices low and increased competitiveness in the past, but now the tables have turned. Now it is the Chinese brand that also accumulates years of expertise competing in a ultra aggressive market and electrified like the premises, which is capable of vertically integrating and controlling the entire manufacturing process, from the batteries to the last screw, and if it does not do so, it surely has a nearby company capable of providing every last cable. Because that is a huge competitive advantage.: If Europe or the United States wants a Chinese part, they have to wait for it to be shipped and it arrives. Days, at least. Those finishes? 🤤 | Image: Xataka If a Chinese brand needs it, I probably just have to cross the sidewalk or drive a few minutes to the manufacturer’s headquarters. That capacity, that good work, I see clearly as I walk through the infinite halls in the Hall. I see a BYD that fills an entire Hall 3 with its brands, showing off a 1,000 HP roadster like the Denza Z. Its finish has little to envy of any European car, although I doubt it will reach Europe. Denza Z | Image: Xataka Denza Z | Image: Xataka Denza Z | Image: Xataka I also see a spectacular supercar from their Fangchengbao brand capable of making anyone’s jaw drop. Anyway, what to say | Image: Xataka At his side, a Denza Z9 GT and a Fangchengbao frozen at -33 degrees serve the brand to boast of fast charging in extreme conditionsnailing to the millimeter the promise that the car, frozen, is fully charged in 9 minutes. I can think of few more risky demos. Yes, it’s frozen | Image: Xataka That is a live image of frozen car interior screen | Image: Xataka Then there is this car, also BYD, with a My Little Pony theme that I leave here for haha. Yes, it’s hair | Image: Xataka The tires, please | Image: Xataka Without words | Image: Xataka In the Chery hall, which has had the most crowded conference I have seen in years, the company’s executives explain their international vocation and their plans to continue extending their tentacles. And I must say that it is even dizzying. When a Chinese executive makes a presentation in English, it is not for pleasure. It is a declaration of intentions like the top of a pine tree. Chery has introduced the Omoda 4, the Lepas L6 EV and the Tiggo V (which can be transformed into a pick-up, convertible and SUV and which we will see here as an Omoda, Jaecoo or Ebro). The signature, furthermore, intends to bring its Lepas brands (more elegant cut) and Exeed (which will be Exlantix and will be sold as a premium brand) to Spain. Omoda 4 | Image: Xataka Lepas L6 EV | Image: Xataka Tiggo V … Read more

TCL democratized the MiniLED and has now improved it to make it premium

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A few years ago, if you wanted to see first-hand the features that were included in the new televisions you had than go to Japan or South Korea. CurrentlyShenzhen has become the R&D laboratory from which the technologies that will reach living rooms around the world emerge. In this context, we have gone to China to see first-hand what has turned TCL in one of the rivals more serious for traditional brands. Its 2026 flagship, TCL at a much lower cost than other manufacturers. This is our first contact with the top television in the TCL catalog. 98-inch TCL X11L panel SQD MiniLED 4K UHD, 144 Hz, 16:9 and 100% BT.2020 color space coverage resolution 3,840 x 2,160 points sizes available 75, 85 and 98 inches hdr Dolby Vision IQ, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG backlight WHVA 2.0 Ultra with 20,736 independent local dimming zones maximum brightness 10,000 nits (peak) operating system Google TV sound 4.2.2 channels Dolby Atmos DTS Virtual X Calibrated by Bang & Olufsen gaming technologies VRR, ALLM, Game Master connectivity 4 x HDMI 2.1 wireless connectivity Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth 5.4 dimensions 2,168 × 1,313 × 420 mm (with stand) 2,168 × 1,267 × 21 (without stand) weight 67.5 kg (with feet) (98 inches) price 4,299 euros for the 75″ 6,499 euros for the 85″ 8,999 euros for the 98″ Its design does not go unnoticed It cannot be denied that the TCL X11L does not go unnoticed in a room. Its imposing size and the depth of the colors it displays captured all eyes in a room full of TCL screens and devices. No wonder, it was a pantalette with a diagonal of 98″ Not suitable for all salons in Spain. Three things catch your eye when you get closer. The first is that, to be a television with MiniLED technology with backlighting, they have managed to reduce the thickness of the television to only 20 mm. In addition, its rear is completely flat, giving it a monolithic appearance. The exposed unit rested on inverted V-shaped legs to facilitate its mobility and display without the need to install it on a piece of furniture, but the version that reaches homes will have smaller legs. On the other hand, the absence of frames on the screen is striking. That is, the pixels reach almost from edge to edge of the panel, without leaving the narrow 6 mm black frame usual on these screens. Ultimately, the X11L is TCL’s high-end and he doesn’t bother to hide it. The unit we had access to was the 98″ one, with an impressive presence. It is also available in 75- and 85-inch versions. The undisputed star: the SQD MiniLED panel The biggest argument of this television is, without a doubt, that of the new SQD MiniLED screen that debuts with several technologies that make it the first of a new generation of MiniLED technologytogether with the development of a new formulation for nanocrystals Quantum Dots. On the one hand, the array of MiniLEDs that backlight this panel have reduced their size compared to the previous generation and a new encapsulation designed in silicone instead of polycarbonate has also been developed that acts as a “mini lens” that prevents the dispersion of light and concentrates it on the LCD panel. Thanks to this new design, TCL has managed to raise the brightness above 10,000 nits of peak brightness. That is to say, although the screen is one of the brightest that I have had in front of me, it does not reach that brightness on the entire screen all the time, but those levels are only reached at specific moments and only in flashes or specular brightness. The construction of the panel itself has been improved to reduce the optical distance between the MiniLEDs and the panel, so that not only is the concentration of the light improved, but it is closer to make the most of it. This reduction is also one of the reasons why TCL has been able to manufacture a television MiniLED with a thickness of only 20 mm. It doesn’t reach the levels of thinness of OLEDs, but it’s not bad at all for a backlit TV. Parallel to this improvement in brightness, the new panel receives its name from the SQDs (Super Quantum Dots), a reformulation of the nanocrystals with which better results are achieved in terms of power new chemical formulation of the Quantum Dot nanocrystals which improves color representation and enhances its intensity. This new formulation patented exclusively by TCL allows the color volume, that is, the number of different shades of the same color that the panel can represent, to also grow, reaching 100% of the BT.2020 color space used in cinematographic environments. The sum of one large format screencrazy brightness and a greater volume of color results in one of the best visual experiences offered by the current market. The greater richness of color makes the images acquire greater depth and realism, with vivid colors and maintaining control of the highlights to avoid what is called “clipping” or excess lighting in the brightest areas, preventing them from becoming a white spot on the screen and continuing to show details and vivid colors. The miniaturization of LED diodes and their encapsulation has made it possible to increase the density of light points, thereby increasing the attenuation areas. Depending on the diagonal of the screen, the number of zones varies between 20,736 local dimming zones of the 98-inch model, to the 14,400 of the 85-inch televisions or the 11,520 zones of the 75-inch model. Something that also surprised me, and even more so on such a large screen, were the viewing angles. Typically, screens based on VA technology tend to wash out colors and lose contrast as the viewing angle is tilted. However, the X11L has managed to maintain the type and no changes in intensity are seen until practically 90° is reached. Still, the loss is not significant either. A control … Read more

PcComponentes knocks down the price (to reach a historic low) of this Samsung OLED TV

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Until a few years ago, if you wanted to enjoy Samsung’s best panel technology (OLED) you had to buy a 55-inch TV or larger. This left anyone looking for a screen for a smaller room out of the game. But this has been until the arrival of the Samsung QE48S90F that you can now get at the lowest historical price in PcComponentes: 816.57 euros compared to the 1,699 euros that it has as a recommended RRP. Samsung 48″ S90F OLED TV – 4K The price could vary. We earn commission from these links A TV with Pantone certification and great for gaming The S90F series is not an entry range. We are talking about an OLED panel that stands out for offering us a infinite contrast. This means that each pixel is completely turned off, eliminating the annoying grayish halo in dark scenes that other cheaper technologies offer. Another thing that this TV stands out for is having Pantone certificationthus guaranteeing that the colors you see are exactly what the film director (or the creator of the game, since it is also a good TV for gaming) imagined. Its refresh rate is 100Hzalthough if you choose gaming mode, the refresh rate increases to 144 Hz, so you can enjoy greater fluidity in more demanding games. As far as games are concerned, it can also be noted that it incorporates four ports HDMI 2.1 and VRR and ALLM technologies, as well as Gaming Hub, so you have direct access to cloud games without the need for a console. This TV is compatible with HDR10+ (in image) and Dolby Atmos (in audio). Its speakers offer a power of 40 W, which is more than the average of TVs on the market, although to maximize this section, the ideal is that you connect a sound bar. ⚡ IN SUMMARY: offer for the Samsung QE48S90FAEXXH smart TV today ✅ THE BEST Unbeatable image quality: The contrast of the Samsung OLED is excellent. The colors are more vivid than in traditional OLED panels from the competition. Versatile size: 48 inches is the perfect size for those who want a cinema experience in small living rooms (or even the bedroom) or a giant monitor for productivity and gaming. ❌ THE WORST Brightness in brightly lit rooms… Although they have improved a lot, OLED panels still suffer a little more than MiniLED if you have a window with direct sun right in front of you. Without Dolby Vision… As is usual with Samsung, they are betting on HDR10+, leaving out the Dolby standard, although for most users it is a subtle difference. 💡 BUY IT IF… You are a movie buff with limited space, since if you have a bedroom or a small living room where a 55-inch TV would be overkill, but you don’t want to give up watching movies with the black quality of a movie theater, this TV is a good investment. ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… You are a Dolby Vision purist and you have a huge collection of Blu-rays in this format and you are very demanding about it, this is not your TV. Samsung will disappoint you because it only supports HDR10+. Some sound bars that may interest you for this TV LG DS60T – Sound Bar, Bluetooth, 340W, 3.1 Channels The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Hisense HS2100 – Sound Bar 2.1, 240W 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 | Webedia and Samsung In Xataka | Best televisions in quality price. Which one to buy and seven recommended 4K smart TVs In Xataka | Best sound bars in quality price. Which one to buy and seven recommended models from 140 euros

is that Claude looks like GPT and GPT looks like Claude

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OpenAI launched yesterday its new foundational model, GPT-5.5. It did so just a week after Anthropic released Opus 4.7, and that confirms that frenetic cadence that several AI companies are involved in: there is not a week that does not have at least one important release. Each model is better than the previous one in the benchmarks, but the surprise is the sensation that the latest OpenAI and Anthropic models convey. It’s as if the roles had been exchanged. The sea of ​​good… GPT-5.5 is “our smartest and most intuitive yet.” At OpenAI they say that this version understands what you really need faster, and it is not necessary to give it so many details to “intuit” what you want. It is now available for subscribers of the Plus, Pro, Business and Enterprise plans. …and expensive. Access for API users will arrive “very soon” according to AI engineers, but be careful, because it will not be a cheap model. In fact, it will cost $5 per million tokens in and $30 per million tokens out. It is double what GPT-5.4 cost, but OpenAI seems to be sure that it is worth paying that price. And they may be right. There is an even more expensive version: GPT-5.5 Pro costs $30 per million input tokens and $180 for output tokens. It is the highest price we have seen in AI models, although in OpenAI the model is more efficient in tokens, which if met reduces the real cost per task. Agentic by design. The new GPT-5.5 is positioned as a model designed to complete tasks, and not so much to answer questions. The distinction is very intentional: previous versions required detailed prompts and constant monitoring, GPT-5.5 is intended for long agentic tasks where the model has to make autonomous decisions over multiple steps. The model uses algorithms designed by itself and which according to OpenAI allow generating tokens 20% faster than GPT-5.4, and some users seem have noticed that change. Benchmarks with nuances. The test comparison table published by OpenAI shows how GPT-5.5 wins in 14 of those benchmarks, compared to 4 for Opus 4.7 and 2 for Gemini 3.1 Pro. As always, they are internal tests and will have to be validated independently, but there are curious data. GPT-5.5 dominates in TerminalBenh, FrontierMath and ARC-AGI-2, while Opus 4.7 dominates in SWE-Bench Pro (programming), although according to OpenAI it does so with a “memorization” technique that could influence the results. Those responsible for the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index they are clear that GPT-5.5 is currently the most powerful model on the market, and the leap with respect to its predecessor is notable. GPT now looks like Claude (and vice versa). The reactions of the user community have drawn attention not to the power of these models, but to their behavior. In The Neuron newsletter they explain that Opus 4.7 now seems more like a GPT because it consumes more tokens, writes more and does not respond with that tone so characteristic of Anthropic models. Just the opposite happens to GPT-5.5, and it seems to give the feeling that one is using Claude. He writes concisely, doesn’t seem as clumsy when he reasons quickly, and is more direct. Dan Shiper, CEO of Every, Indian that Opus 4.7 seems slow compared to GPT-5.5. For analysts like Dylan Patel, from Semianalysis, the reason is that Opus 4.7 is deliberately compute-intensive. OpenAI has an advantage. Here appears an interesting advantage for OpenAI, which has always trying to guarantee future computing capacity. It may not have achieved it because demand continues to grow, but here it seems to have room for maneuver and that allows its most advanced models not to have the infrastructure problems that Anthropic has. It’s as if Anthropic were a Ferrari with rationed fuel, and as if OpenAI had just bought the gas station and had (more or less) plenty for its models. Minipoint for OpenAI? It’s early to say, but the reception of Claude 4.7 has not been as good as we would have hoped, and if GPT-5.5 indeed confirms expectations, we could have a surprising change of leadership here. It seemed that Anthropic I had everything under control with Claude Code and Claude Opus 4.6, but the recent criticism of Opus 4.7 and the apparent virtues of GPT-5.5 could mean a battle won for OpenAI, which certainly needs them for its IPO. While, of course, There are other rivals lurking. In Xataka | Someone has had a simple idea so that data centers do not collapse in Spain: “unplug them” 18 days a year

rises 20% because the markets are rewarding its future, not its present

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On Thursday night, Intel released its financial results of the first quarter of 2026: the company has had net losses of 3.7 billion dollars on revenues of 13.6 billion. It seems like a dire outcome, but investors caused the stock to rise 20% in the hours after markets closed. The paradox is just an illusion, because this surprising response from the markets is a sign of the confidence that investors now have. they have in Intel. Bad numbers, but less than it seems. Analysts expected Intel to earn $2.5 billion this quarter, but the end result was just the opposite. In fact, it was $6.2 billion short of that hope. However, much of these losses are due to two separate factors: Mobileye: Intel bought this company in 2017 and when Mobileye went public in 2022, it was given an acquisition value. This quarter Mobileye’s capitalization fell and that has been reflected in Intel’s global losses. US Government: when the American government bought 10% of Intel via the Chips Act, part of that agreement included shares, and that financial asset has also lost value. In both cases, in reality the losses have not been money that Intel has paid, but rather an accounting variation in the value of those assets. But the real business is another story. Without those accounting charges, we are looking at the sixth consecutive quarter in which Intel beats its own revenue estimates. Not only that: the forecast for the second quarter is between 13,800 and 14,800 million in revenue, which clearly exceeds the 13,000 that the market expected. If Wall Street was optimistic, Intel is even more so, and that caused that 20% rise ““aftermarket” on the stock market: investors were not celebrating past results, but rather they bet on the futures. The numbers that matter. The PC chip division brought in $7.7 billion, 1% in a flat market. Data centers and AI grew 22% year-on-year thanks to demand for Xeon chips for inference: there Intel is still relevant and may become even more so. And then there’s Intel Foundry, the third-party manufacturing business that is the company’s riskiest and most strategic bet, and which grew 16% even though most of its revenue came from manufacturing its own chips. The ongoing transformation is there, but it’s still green, so hopes are high that both AI and Foundry will go further soon. The Yahoo! chart Finance makes it clear: from yesterday’s $66, today the stock will suddenly rise to around $85, a brutal rise. Waiting for node 18A. Optimism is also very focused on manufacturing node 18Awhich is technically comparable to TSMC’s 2nm process. The new Arizona factory is already up and running and the yields —the ratio of valid chips per wafer— is managing to be above Intel’s internal forecasts. There is a catch here: the only client of this node for now is Intel itself, and no large external company has signed contracts to manufacture with said technology. The evolution of that node is node 14A, and here there is good news for Intel, because Tesla has already placed orders. It is expected that this node will be able to attract more contracts in the second half of 2026 and that this will mean accelerated growth by 2027. But it is just that: a hope. Alliances help. In recent months we have seen how Intel has been gaining strength thanks to various alliances. NVIDIA bought about 4% of Intel in September 2025, and Google too advertisement a multi-year collaboration. Intel is also one of the partners in Elon Musk’s new megaproject, Terafab. The strategy of Lip-Bu Tan, the CEO of Intel, involves using capacity both internal and external to meet the demand. It’s an important message that shows the company is no longer insisting it can do everything alone. The geopolitical argument. There is a reason why the US government has 10% of Intel and why the Chips Act “funneled” billions of dollars to its factories. AMD designs cutting-edge chips but relies on TSMC to manufacture them. GlobalFoundries, the company that was born from the spin-off of AMD factories in 2009, has facilities in New York and Vermont but has specialized in mature nodes, those that go into cars, industrial equipment and defense chips, not in the frontier processors that AI needs. TSMC is building factories in Arizonabut it is still a Taiwanese company with its engineering concentrated in Taiwan American hope. These are the reasons why Intel has become the only US-based company that can manufacture chips in the most advanced nodes on American soil. If tensions between the US and China continue to escalate, Intel would be the only option to avoid Asian dependence. This does not guarantee that the business will work, but it does guarantee political and institutional support while this transformation lasts. But. All those hopes have to face current realities. The manufacturing plant business lost $2.4 billion (annualized it would be $10 billion). 18A yields are better than expected, but They are not without problems. and they are only being used by Intel itself. The company also faces AMD in the data center segment (not to mention NVIDIA and hyperscaler chips), and therefore still has enormous challenges to overcome. Image | Intel In Xataka | Bill Gates has X-rayed Intel. And his diagnosis is overwhelmingly accurate.

In November, Spain is supposed to force stores to charge an amount for each bottle and can sold. It is supposed

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Something ticks inside every yellow recycling bin and the noise perfectly reaches newsrooms across the country. Hence the articles, pieces and reports that They say that “starting in November the stores will charge” for each plastic bottle. The good news is that yes, the law says that. The bad news is that where the ticking does not reach is the power centers of Madrid capital. What’s happening? Indeed, the Waste Law of 2022 obliges Spain to have a Deposit, Return and Return System (SDDR) for plastic bottles, cans and beverage bricks operational as of November 22, 2026. And the reason is simple: the country had to recycle 70% of everything introduced into the market by 2023 and we did not achieve it. Faced with this possibility, the legislator was clear: the current system had to be abandoned and the packaging return system adopted (the one that charges a deposit for each container and returns it later). Portugal found itself in a similar situation and just introduced the European system. So? What is the problem? The truth is that we have no shortage of problems. To begin with, measuring how we really recycle. For years, stakeholders claimed that recycling rates were close to 80%; However, in 2024, the General Subdirectorate of Waste prepared a report relating to the calculation of the separate collection of SUP bottles for beverages that lowered that figure to 41.3% (well below the 70% required). The second problem is regulation. Following the Law, in May 2025, four organizations (Ecoembes, AECOC, Procircular and CorePET) They asked the Community of Madrid that authorized them as Collective Systems of Extended Producer Responsibility in charge of managing the SDDR. The Community is the competent one since the organizations have their headquarters there. And then? Then nothing. Madrid legally had six months to resolve the request; but it granted itself an extension of another six months that would end next month. However, the Ministry of the Environment has already explained that they have no intention of doing anything because of the “legal uncertainty (that it entails), since adequate and sufficient regulations have not been developed at the state level.” MITECO, for its part, responds that there is no insecurity and that they are not going to do anything more. Meanwhile, the clock keeps ticking. Nobody knows anything. While the CAM runs out of its extension, there are less than seven months left before we begin to break the Law and all scenarios are on the table: from a quick solution to a blockade that delayed everything two or three more years (most likely). What is out of the question is that there is no political will to implement this and nothing suggests that this will change. If you had to bet and taking into account that Spain is the country with the most cases of infractions for not transposing community regulationsit would be surprising if the SDDR started in November of this year. Image | James Lo In Xataka | Europe decided to regulate how garbage should be disposed of. We will pay it with a new mandatory rate in 2025

Germany already has its first military plan since World War II. And it’s going to take thousands of soldiers to carry it out.

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For decades, Germany avoided any gesture that recalled its military past, to the point that even talking about its own strategy generated political discomfort. That reflection had deep roots: on September 1, 1939, the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany marked the beginning of the Second World War and left a mark that conditioned for generations the way in which the country understood the use of force. Almost a century later, that silence begins to be broken, but in a radically different context. A historic turn. Germany has taken a step that breaks decades of strategic caution by presenting its first comprehensive military strategy in the modern era, a 35 page document which bluntly assumes that the European security environment has changed irreversibly. In that sense, the invasion of ukraine has acted as a catalyst for a profound change in German mentality, forcing Berlin to move from a contained role within NATO to a much more active and defining one. For the first time since World War II, Germany not only talks about contributing, but to leadleaving behind his traditional discomfort with military protagonism. Except Washington. Although the official discourse continues to describe the United States as an indispensable pillar, the substance of the strategy points in another direction: Europe must learn to stand on its own. Washington is increasingly looking towards the Indo-Pacific and demands that its European allies greater involvementwhich has led Berlin to prepare for scenarios in which American support is not as automatic or immediate, at the very least. Without saying it openly, Germany is beginning to design a European defense framework where its role does not depend so much on North American coverage, but on your own ability to organize, coordinate and sustain the defense of the continent. The most powerful army in Europe. That’s the idea. The German plan is clear in its ambition: to convert the Bundeswehr into the conventional army strongest on the continent. To this end, a significant increase in troops is proposed, going from about 185,000 soldiers to figures that, adding active forces and reservists, could approach or exceed the 460,000 troops in the coming decades. This growth is not only numerical, but also structural, with a special emphasis on reinforce reserveswhich become a central element of national defense. The idea that emerges is forceful, one in which, if Europe wants to defend itself without depending entirely from the United States, will need a much larger military mass, and Germany is willing to lead that effort. A construction in phases. German rearmament is not considered as an immediate leap, but as a step process which will extend for more than a decade. In a first phase, the objective is to maximize readiness and rapid response capacity, ensuring that forces can operate at any time. Subsequently, it seeks to systematically expand capabilities in all domains, aligning with NATO objectives but with greater operational autonomy. Finally and finally, the horizon points to a deep technological transformationone where innovation, artificial intelligence and new forms of war define military superiority. Beyond the numbers. Yes, because the German strategy also reflects a more complex understanding of modern conflict, where the borders between military, civil and economic are increasingly blurred. Hybrid warfare, autonomous systems and the importance of information control force us to rethink not only how many soldiers or tanks are needed, but what effects they should be able to generate. In this context, the German strategy recognizes key shortcomings in Europesuch as intelligence, surveillance or long-range attack capacity, and proposes correcting them quickly so as not to be at a disadvantage against powers such as Russia. Europe as its own military pillar. The underlying message is difficult to ignore: the defense of the continent is already can’t rest exclusively in the traditional NATO structure as it was understood in recent decades. In this way, Germany wants to position itself like the axis on which a more militarily autonomous Europe could be articulated, capable of deterring and, if necessary, fight for herself. There is no doubt, the approach implies assuming a responsibility that was avoided for a long time, and that now appears inevitable in the face of a more unstable environment and a US ally. less focused on Europe. Human muscle. It is the last of the legs to analyze, because the entire German approach converges on a central idea that is beginning to take shape: if Europe wants to sustain a credible defense without completely depending from the United Statesyou will need mobilize hundreds of thousands of soldiers and rebuild a military base that had been reduced for years. Viewed this way, Germany is not only increasing its own forces, but is leading the way for what could be a continental effort much older. In that scenario, the question may no longer be just whether Europe can defend itself, but rather how much time, resources and personnel it is willing to devote to achieving this. Image | 7th Army Training Command, Pexels In Xataka | Germany was a sleeping military giant: now it has been awakened and it is already surpassing the US in bullets produced per year In Xataka | Germany is experiencing a new “industrial miracle” that it already experienced 90 years ago: that of weapons

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