Mobile Tech & Gadgets

Many people believe that politics “doesn’t work.” For some the solution is to elect public officials by lottery

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Beyond the fact that it can solve your life with a few million euros, the lottery – in lower case, as a general concept – offers some interesting characteristics. One of them, and not the least, is that, in its own way, it is incorruptible. If applied well, there is no human way to circumvent it. Chance plays its role and smiles at some or others in a totally random way, regardless of whether they have spent a fortune on your organization. Another is that, precisely for that reason, it is totally democratic. In the bass drum there is no ball with a greater chance of coming out than another. With such a cover letter, the question we could ask ourselves is: Would a democracy work based on draws, on randomness? Would it work a “lotocracy”? Neither the question nor the term are new. Not at all. What’s more, the Athenians – pioneers par excellence in democratic governments – considered something similar a couple of centuries before our era, when they used lots to elect some public positions. The same mechanism continued to work in certain cases and with conditions throughout history. A formula with history… and supporters We find it in cities of what is now Italy during the Middle Ages and also in the Renaissance; but it declined in the 17th century, with the representative systems. From a formula similar to the one we continue to use today to choose the presidents of the neighborhood communities, we moved to another that, at least on paper, aspires to choose the best for public positions. In a 21st century with the system riddled by corruption and clientelist networks, there are, however, those who advocate recovering the philosophy of “lotocracy.” In the academic sphere we find respected voices, such as that of the philosopher Alex Guerrero, the political scientist Helene Landemore or the historian David Van Reybrouck that invite, at least, to dwell on its virtues. Beyond the tribunes and atriums of the universities there are also movements, such as Sortition Foundationwho advocate a formula that wants to place the citizen in the center of political decision making. “By selecting representative groups of ordinary people by lottery and bringing them together in citizens’ assemblies we can break the stranglehold of career politicians on decisions and circumvent powerful vested interests,” Sortition advocatewith headquarters in the United Kingdom, Austria and the United States, before putting the finger on one of the great problems of modern democracies: the “disillusionment” and “distrust” that the political class arouses. You don’t have to go to the English-speaking world to find it. In Spain, the CIS places corruption, fraud and the behavior of public officials among the main concerns of citizens, even ahead of education or housing. 19th-century painting by Philipp Foltz depicting the Athenian politician Pericles before the Assembly. According to the Sortition registry, there are a good handful of initiatives verified by the OECD throughout the world that, in the style of open assembliesshare or have shared their philosophy of empowering neighbors. In Spain, several are identified, such as the participatory platform Madrid decideswhich was created with the aim of presenting proposals, achieving participatory accounts and voting in citizen consultations; G1000also located in the capital; either Besaya Citizen Jurywhich proposes ways to use European funds in the Besaya basin. Beyond the isolated initiatives that seek to reinforce the political weight of citizens, can a system recover, the lotocracythat –as collected by Leandro Omar El Eter— was conceived as “a form of government that promotes access to public office through lottery”? Pablo Simonpolitical scientist and editor of Politikonremembers that the formula of democracy by lottery has little new, but points out the advantages that could be brought by “exploring” a hybrid model, which combines its strengths with those of the current system, as in the irish constitutional conventionformed in 2012 to discuss proposals for amendments to the nation’s charter and which included, among other members, randomly selected people. There, in Ireland, the citizens’ assembly served, for example, to address complex problems, such as the legalization of abortion. The United Kingdom also verified its usefulness, with a forum of 108 people which, after weeks of debate, prepared a report with a battery of proposals to fight climate change. “I find it interesting to explore this system in combination. For example, the experience of the irish constitutional convention. In those cases the draw was hybridized with the representatives. If we created more forums or spaces with citizen raffles and they were allowed a part of the management, it wouldn’t seem bad to me. Just as we have participatory budgets or the ILPsthat a part of the budget could be managed by a committee chosen by citizens at random, but with technical support. I think we should explore these types of things because it would help people feel more connected to the institutions,” reflects Simón. The key, there is plenty, would be to find “a good design”: “Knowing how it would be done, with whom and what powers or powers would be given to that body chosen by lot. Always looking for combinations that allow correction, returning to a model in which this mechanism of direct citizen participation has a greater perception of accountability, of closeness.” Weaknesses and strengths The system in its purest form, of course, has its strengths and weaknesses. Among the first, the political scientist insists on its fully democratic character. “There is no electoral rule more radically democratic than the lottery and this is because basically it is assuming that everyone is competent to perform the functions of government,” he explains. What does it mean for that to be so? From the outset, it greatly complicates one of the great evils of the current system: clientelism, the networks of supporters that end up forming around those who hold political power. How to do it when someone who holds a position does so by chance and without guarantees that they will retain it? “It is a … Read more

Catalonia wanted to create the mother of networks for its public headquarters with Huawei equipment. He thought better of it

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The Catalan Court of Public Sector Contracts has partially upheld the appeal presented by Telefónica and Cellnex against the award of the XCAT network contract to sirt and Huawei. The project to interconnect the strategic infrastructures of the Catalan territory will not be able to rely on hardware from China. Why? Catalonia has a fiber optic backbone network, a backbone that supports the Catalan administration. Hospitals, educational centers, public data centers… An infrastructure that has been around for years seeking independence with Spain and that, through the XCAT project, it was preparing its biggest technological leap in decades thanks to the local company Sirt Connecta and Huawei’s network technologies. The offer. Providing it with a budget of 127 million, the Generalitat was finalizing a plan to connect more than 5,400 institutional headquarters. All with its own infrastructure so as not to depend on national giants such as Telefónica, Vodafone or MásOrange. Sirt’s offer with Huawei was the best valued by the CTTIthe computer lung that supports digital services in Catalonia, but Telefónica and Cellnex filed an appeal before the Catalan Court. not so fast. Despite offering a cheaper proposal, Telefónica-Cellnex saw the balance tip towards the Sirt-Huawei proposal. They thus presented an appeal in which they challenged the award of the contract, criticized the technical assessment and indicated their doubts about the technical solvency and real capacity of Sirt to execute said contract. The Catalan Court of Public Sector Contracts has partially upheld the appeal presented by Telefónica and Cellnex, thus suspending the award. There is more. The European Commission’s proposal for a new cybersecurity law, presented on January 20, makes the awarding of the contract even more difficult. Europe wants to expressly prohibit (although the law will not come into force for at least a year) the use of Chinese technology in fixed network infrastructure. In other words, Catalonia cannot use Huawei equipment. If the court’s decision is appealed and the Sirt-Huawei solution is implemented, in just a year and a half all Huawei equipment should be replaced with others of Western origin. The silent dismantling. In recent years, the three large Spanish operators have expelled Huawei from their network cores. Telefónica now works with Nokia and Ericsson Orange with Ericsson Vodafone with Nokia The next step is what the Sirt-Telefónica conflict leaves us with: small local operators will also have to banish Chinese equipment from their hardware core to comply with upcoming European regulations. In Xataka | Huawei MatePad 11.5 S 2026, analysis: the secret of its success is visible and it is called PaperMatte

Two Spanish space giants have joined forces to take 5G defense satellites into space: PLD Space and Sateliot

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Two Spanish companies they have sealed an agreement to launch new generation satellites without depending on any other foreign company. In Europe we have been with the run run of technological sovereignty. This agreement is a perfect example of this, and also a milestone for Spain if the project ends up materializing. The agreement. PLD Space, manufacturer of the Miura 5 rocket based in Elche, and Sateliot, a telecommunications satellite operator based in Barcelona, ​​have signed a contract to launch two satellites from Sateliot’s Tritó constellation aboard the Miura 5. The launch is scheduled for the last quarter of 2027, expectedly on the fourth commercial flight of the Elche rocket, and will do so from the Kourou Space Port, in French Guiana. Each satellite weighs about 160 kilos and will be launched on a dedicated mission, without sharing space with other operators. Why is it important? This agreement is presented as the first entirely Spanish private space mission, with satellites designed, manufactured and operated in the country, launched using a rocket also of Spanish origin. And the interesting thing about the project is that it would cover the entire value chain of the sector (manufacturing, launch, operations and commercial exploitation) without foreign intermediaries. Although the European Union has been trying for years reduce your dependence on operators like SpaceXthis alliance fits directly into this context. What are Tritó satellites? The Tritó constellation is a significant evolution of the current satellites that Sateliot has, weighing 15 kg and dedicated exclusively to the Internet of Things (IoT). In this case, the new Tritó have greater capacity and will combine IoT connectivity with direct device-satellite communication (D2D), including data, voice and video through 5G. Marco Guadalupi, CTO of Sateliot, counted to El Español that one of its key points is that they will be able to “establish the connection when the device is in the pocket”, being key for emergencies, natural disasters and defense applications. The risk they assume. Guadalupi does not hide that it is “a risky mission.” The Miura 5 is a new rocket, whose first launch test is scheduled for the end of this year, and its reliability has yet to be demonstrated in real flight. “We are crazy and we know what we want,” I was joking Guadalupi himself in the interview with the media. The Sateliot team claims to have visited the PLD Space integration and testing facilities on three occasions before signing. In exchange for the risk, they get something that few options on the market offer: a dedicated mission, without competing for space, and the flexibility to adapt flight conditions to their specific needs. Review. Last November, PLD Space closed financing of 169 million euros through ESA’s European Launcher Challenge, backed almost entirely by Spain, for launch contracts and improvements to the Miura 5. Sateliot, for its part, has plans to deploy up to 100 satellites in 2028 and aims to reach revenues of 1 billion euros in 2030, according to they count from Reuters. Among its shareholders is Indra, with 4% of the capital. The agreement with PLD Space also occurs while Sateliot is opening market in India. Jaume Sanpera, CEO of the company, traveled to the Asian country coinciding with the announcement, where the company already has headquarters and sees potential for a future business in which they offer connectivity in remote areas. What’s coming Before the satellites board the Miura 5, Sateliot plans to launch a prototype of the Tritó platform in mid-2027 to validate the payload. The more capable commercial satellites would be integrated into the rocket in the final stretch of that same year. Regarding the total number of satellites they hope to put into orbit, Guadalupi counted that “there will be hundreds.” Sateliot’s intention is to centralize launches to simplify logistics, and although they do not rule out other suppliers, they aim to continue working with PLD Space. Cover image | Satellite In Xataka | A new “solar system” has just been discovered. There’s just one problem: it shouldn’t exist.

its electrical grid claims to be “full” when in reality it is underutilized

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Spain is experiencing an obvious and costly energy paradox. While the country breaks renewable generation recordsits electrical system suffers an administrative “thrombosis” that threatens to stop reindustrialization. The problem is that the system works like a broken bridge: clean energy is born in the so-called “emptied Spain”, but there are not enough cables to take it to the cities and factories where consumption is concentrated. The panic in the sector reached its peak when the National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) was forced to postpone three months (from February 2 to May 4, 2026) the publication of the access capacity maps after a critical alert from Red Eléctrica: under the new security criteria, approximately 90% of the network nodes would appear in “red”, that is, with zero capacity. However, the network is not physically collapsed, but administratively “full” and underutilized in practice. To solve this funnel, the CNMC has put on the table a master plan that will change the rules of the game: flexible access permissions. The perfect storm. Getting to this point has not been the result of a single mistake, but rather a cocktail of bureaucratic slowness, territorial imbalances and speculation. As we have already advanced in Xataka, There is a huge gap between administrative times and physical execution: building a substation barely requires a year of work, but its prior processing can take between three and six years. Added to this is that we have installed windmills and solar panels where there is land and resources, but demand is growing in metropolitan areas that do not have sufficient infrastructure, leaving 83.4% of distribution nodes saturated currents. The consequences on the street are devastating. Last year only 12% of connection requests for new urban developments were granted, which, according to the Asprima employers’ associationputs the construction of 350,000 homes at risk due to the simple lack of electrical power. And in the midst of the chaos, the bubble: there are access requests for 67,100 MW (half of all the installed power in the country), which makes the regulator suspect the existence of “ghost” projects that hoard nodes only to resell the permits. The end of the binary model. Until now, the electrical system operated under a binary principle: either they gave you firm access, 100% guaranteed, or they denied it. However, as he noted on his social networks the Secretary of State for Energy, Joan Groizard, the current network is underused; In fact, a “smaller” network in the past supported demand peaks much higher than today. This is where the regulatory revolution comes in. The CNMC proposal breaks with the resounding “no” and establishes that, if there is residual capacity at certain times of the day or year, it can be shared. Flexible access capability assumes that supply will not be guaranteed at all hours of the year, maximizing the use of existing infrastructure without immediately resorting to massive investments that citizens would end up paying for. The four ways of flexibility. To articulate this new paradigm, the supporting report and the proposed resolution of the CNMC define four types of permits Flexible access, adapted to different needs: Permission Type 0 (Fixed pattern in Distribution): Applies to installations connected to any voltage level in the distribution network. It allows energy to be consumed following a fixed time pattern (for example, from 00:00 to 07:59 and from 11:00 to 17:59), which represents at least 62.5% of the hours of the year. Outside of these ranges, if the installation consumes power, the network manager (GRD) can disconnect it remotely without prior notice. It is ideal for those who can plan their production. Type 1 Permit (Remote disconnection due to contingency N-1): Designed for distribution installations with voltage greater than 36 kV. The installation meets the requirements under normal conditions (with an expected consumption of 90% of the year), but agrees to be disconnected remotely and without prior notice if any element fails in the substation itself to which it is connected. Type 2 Permit (Dynamic Instructions in Distribution): For voltages greater than 36 kV and powers greater than 1 MW. It is the most technologically advanced, the installation must be able to receive dynamic instructions from the GRD to reduce its load, whether scheduled the day before or in real time. Response times are critical: less than 30 minutes if it is preventive, or less than 3 minutes (immediate) if it is corrective. If you disobey, you will be disconnected. This model will come into force from January 1, 2028. Type 3 Permit (Transmission with automatic reduction): Aimed at demand installations of more than 1 MW connected directly to the transmission network. These facilities are required to participate in the Automatic Power Reduction System (SRAP). In the event of a security alert from the electrical system, the operator (OS) will send a signal and the installation must reduce the power associated with its flexible access to zero effectively and immediately. Winners, exceptions and the bill. This regulatory change has clear winners and some red lines. Storage facilities in demand mode are the perfect candidates, since, by law, they have no guarantee of supply and will have 7 months to request the modification of their permits. At the opposite extreme, the CNMC explicitly prohibits granting these accesses to essential supplies (such as hospitals), to demands that do not support 24 hours without a network, and to collective projects such as urban plans. Modernizing the network to support this “reinforced mode” of digitalized operation will have a direct economic impact. The forecasts for 2026 point to increases in citizen receipts of 4% in tolls and 10.5% in charges to finance system adjustments. For now, the clock is ticking: the public hearing process for agents to send their allegations to the CNMC proposal will end on March 20, 2026. Connect the future. Spain finds itself at an ironic and dangerous crossroads. The country has everything to be the great green battery of Europe, but the lack of cables and excess bureaucracy … Read more

Spain’s main problem is not weapons, fighters or drones. It is the number of hands you need to use them.

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In recent years, the defense debate in Europe has revolved almost exclusively around money and technology. It talks about percentages of GDPmodernization and new systems capable of changing the battlefield. However, there is a much less visible factor that ends up being decisive when it comes time to turn plans into reality. A decade of losing muscle. The news Europa Press gave it. Since 2010, the Spanish Armed Forces They have lost 13,300 troops and they carry a structural deficit that the Military Life Observatory describes as chronic. As of January 1, 2025 there were 116,739 soldiers in active service, very far from the legal minimum of 130,000 established by the Military Career Law. The gap ranges between 13,000 and 23,000 uniformed personnel, a figure that is practically equivalent to an entire army within the system itself. Objectives that are not met. Several weeks ago another news item put the target on an enlightening fact: the regulatory framework establishes a maximum of 50,000 officers and non-commissioned officers, but there are only 40,656 dashboardsincluding 227 generals, leaving a wide margin unfilled. In the troops and Navy, the budget ceiling has limited staff numbers to 79,000 for years, although it is barely exceed 76,000 troops. The distance between what is provided for in the law and what is available in the barracks is not temporary, but sustained over time. More budget on weapons, fewer hands to operate them. The strategic debate in Europe has turned towards the modernization of systems and increased spending up to 2.1% of GDPbut the emphasis has not been transferred with the same intensity to the staff. Weapons programs and technological capabilities are expanding, but the number of military personnel is barely growing or even go back. Hence all this leads us to another reality very different from what we usually think: Spain’s main problem is not fighters, drones or new systems, but rather the great number of staff missing to use them and keep them operational. A 2025 that closed in negative. Despite the government’s commitment to increase staff by 7,500 personnel in four years, 2025 ended with 832 fewer soldiers than the previous year. The drop was especially pronounced at the officer level, where a thousand professionals they abandoned or passed to the reserve without sufficient replacement. Although non-commissioned officers and troops registered slight increases, the global balance was once again negative at a time when the international environment demands just the opposite. Lack of interest. The interpretation of these data leaves little room for doubt. The number of places offered has increased, but the proportion of applicants per vacancy has decreased worryingly. In the troop area the ratio has fallen to 4.2 applicants per placefar from the levels of a decade ago. In officers and non-commissioned officers, the descent is even more pronouncedwith fewer candidates and a worse selection margin, which limits the quality of replacement and anticipates problems of generational change. Salaries, mobility and little incentive for promotion. There is much more, as the report points to lower salaries to other bodies of the State and to an accumulated loss of purchasing power that discourages a military career. Constant mobility can imply a higher cost of living and low salary compensationleading many to give up promotions. The result is that “little interest” in progressing within the institution and a structure that ages without sufficient renewal. Stressed and aged. The other elephant in the room: more than a third of the dashboards exceeds 50 years and the troops also show progressive aging, while the reservists have decreased steadily since 2014. For its part, female participation grows slightly up to 13.1%above the NATO average, but it does not compensate for the overall loss of troops. I remembered the newspaper El Mundo that the system is also facing an increase in harassment complaints that adds reputational pressure at a time of low recruitment. Material capacity without critical mass. All this leaves a more or less illuminating map. Spain is investing in capabilities and is committed to increasingly demanding international missions, but it does so with less staff that fifteen years ago. The organizational structures and operational commitments have not diminished, rather the oppositewhile the human base it doesn’t stop shrinking. From that perspective, everything indicates that, if the trend is not reversed, the country may find itself with a future where the Armed Forces are modernized in equipment, but without the critical mass necessary to sustain them over time and respond reliably to an increasingly demanding strategic environment. Image | Air and Space Army Ministry of Defense Spain, Spanish Army In Xataka | Spain has a dilemma that is difficult to solve: call the US or be the last with a fighter jet in danger of extinction In Xataka | Spain has built a laser that shields the backbone of its Navy: the A400M is now ready for combat

he preferred not to move

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Despite having built two business empiresAmancio Ortega does not live in a luxury skyscraper in London or in a penthouse in Miami. Not even in a big capital. Ortega has preferred to settle his residence in La Coruña, the city where he opened your first Zara store in 1975, marking the beginning of what would later become Inditex. Staying in La Coruña reflects not only a personal rootsbut also his taste for stay away from the media spotlight and keep a low profile in front of the press. With just over 250,000 inhabitants, La Coruña has become the refuge of ninth greatest fortune of the world with a heritage of 149,000 million dollars who, instead of living in an ostentatious mansion, has resided for decades in a luxury apartment in the Avenida da Marina area of ​​La Coruña, on the city’s seafront. How much does it cost to be a neighbor of Amancio Ortega? According to published AD, Amancio Ortega’s usual residence is a large duplex in a classic-style residential building in the historic center. The façade with glass galleries, typical of the city, let in natural light and offer open panoramic views over the marina and the bay. It is not an isolated house or a private chalet, but rather a luxury apartment integrated into an urban fabric with daily activity. There is no record of the size of the house, but estimates based on other nearby properties suggest that it would be in a range between 180 or 220 m2 on several floors. Entering the same residential segment as Ortega’s home means placing yourself in the most exclusive part of the real estate market in La Coruña. In 2026, data from specialized portals show that prices are not uniform within the city. According to data from real estate portals such as Idealista, they establish that the average price of housing in the city is around 2,974 euros/m2 in 2026. However, when we focus on areas of high demand such as the area around Ciudad Vieja, where Amancio Ortega resides, its price shoots up above 3,985 euros/m2. In some cases of buildings with recent rehabilitation, dominant height and direct views of the sea, offers can exceed 4,200 euros/m2. If we take a home of comparable size to that estimated for Ortega’s residence, the purchase price in 2026 would be in a range of between 760,000 euros and more than 850,000 euros. To put it in perspective, that amount would be the equivalent that Amancio Ortega would earn in two hours and 25 minutes of your time. Living on rent would also not be a cheap solution to being a neighbor of a billionaire of the stature of Ortega. The municipal average of La Coruña is around 11 euros/m2 per month. However, in the heart of the historic center and the seafront, rents frequently exceed 14 euros/m2 per month. For a home similar to that of Amancio Ortega, the monthly price could be around 2,800 euros per month. That fee is high for Galicia, but it may even seem cheap when compared to the rents paid in exclusive city neighborhoods like Madrid or Barcelona. The country house and its visits to Madrid In addition to his urban residence in A Coruña, Ortega is owner del Pazo de Drozo, a stately property located in the municipality of Cambre (Anceis), about 17 km from the center of Coruña. The manor is a traditional Galician construction from the 17th century, located on a 4,500 m2 plot with large gardens and a more private and country character. The Anceis property has served as the setting for family events such as the wedding of his daughter Marta Ortegatoday the highest representative of the Ortega family at Inditex as non-executive president of the firm from 2022. Amancio Ortega has built a real estate empire all over the world thanks to dividends obtained from Inditex managed by Pontegadea. However, when the millionaire must travel to the capital to fulfill his business agenda, he stays at the residence that, as as I pointed out Vanitatisthe millionaire bought in the exclusive Milenium building, in front of Madrid’s Puerta de Alcalá. According to collected The Confidentialthe approximate price of the homes on that property was between 15,000 and 20,000 euros per m2, achieving the dubious record of positioning itself as one of the most expensive properties in the capital. In Xataka | Seven of the ten largest fortunes in the world in 2026 are due to AI: this illustrative graph makes it very clear Image | GTRES

Spain went to hunt therians in the parks and there were none. That says more about us than it does about them.

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In recent weeks, social networks and the media have been filled with information, with the usual overtones of alarm, about the phenomenon of therians, people (usually adolescents) who identify as animals. The wave has reached a certain point with the “therian gatherings” of recent days: in Pamplona and other cities, crowds of people showed up in parks and shopping centers to “monitor” concentrations that never occurred. The phenomenon says little about therians and a lot about how we manufacture collective panic in the viral age. First of all: what is a therian. We already explained it in depth in our first approach to the phenomenonbut essentially they are people who claim to suffer from “species dysphoria.” Unlike furries, a therian does not wear an anthropomorphic animal costume, but instead identifies psychologically or spiritually as a non-human animal. There is no scientific basis – as there would be for gender dysphoria – but there are clear links between how this group is being formed and how other subcultures and urban tribes were generated, often born from pop fandom and which today have millions of followers. Crazy Therian meetings. What we have seen are several supposed therian gatherings that were called off on the fly or were outright false, but were attended by hundreds of curious people. The most popular case was that of Friday, February 20 in the Plaza del Castillo in Pamplona, ​​from Therian hangout rumors on TikTok, Instagram and Telegram. Not a single person characterized as an animal appeared at the place, but when people started talking about it The therians could be in the Plaza de Merindadeshundreds of people moved on foot to that area, collapsing traffic on roads such as Avenida de las Cortes de Navarra. Menacing tints. Although there were no outbreaks of violence in Pamplona, ​​there were in other areas of the country. In Córdoba, a collective TikTok account called CloeMastim He called a meeting for February 27 in Miraflores Park. The publication accumulated about 2,000 interactions between comments and shares before organizers canceled it due to a barrage of death threats. In Lugo, the meeting scheduled for Praza Viana do Castelo was suspended after receiving messages such as “we are going to rip off your skins” and “I am going to go hunting.” In Barcelona, ​​the concentration did take place and about 3,000 people gathered in the surroundings of the Arc de Triomf; The meeting ended with five arrests and the intervention of the Urban Police and the Mossos d’Esquadra. These violent traits are well known to the therians themselves: a member of the community denounced that “sometimes they create fake accounts in which people posing as Therian propose to make meetings to attract people and go attack them.” That is to say, some of the calls that caused alarm did not even come from real therians. When did it become massive? Therians have existed for decades on internet forums, invisible to the general public. The change in scale occurred between 2020 and 2021, when the TikTok algorithm began to amplify videos of young people performing shifts either quadrobics (movements that imitate the locomotion of quadrupeds) with masks and accessories that evoke their animal identification. TikTok’s short format flattens any identity until it becomes aesthetic: what for some is a question of identity, for the majority of spectators is an extravagant costume or choreography. The same old story. The cycle is the same that we have seen in other cases of social panics and that has been amply studied in its forms of spread: media that had never written about therians published emergency pieces, many of them bringing up the possible “contagion” of these behaviors and putting the issue of mental health on the table with not exactly didactic intentions; television talk shows debated the phenomenon with the same tone with which decades before sects were discussed. And in several cities, groups of adults turned out en masse to “watch“non-existent concentrations. We recommend reading the 1972 book ‘Popular Demons and Moral Panics’ by Stanley Cohen, which already described precisely what we have seen in recent days, in five phases: a group or behavior is identified as a threat to social values; the media portrays it in simple and symbolic terms; public alarm grows; the authorities respond to the climate of concern; and finally, the panic dissipates, but the stereotypes remain. And of course, the group mentioned belongs to groups in a marginal position, before the panic chose them as a focus. Of course, Cohen was talking about an inflammation process that lasted weeks and now, with social networks, it happens in hours. The anti-trans side. There is a phrase that appeared in dozens of comments during the days of the Spanish therian fever of February 2026: “If you can perceive yourself as a cat, why not as a washing machine?” It is not an original occurrence but, as documented by sociologist Andrés Kogan Valderramaa slogan with a route, systematically used in different Spanish-speaking countries (do you remember that thing about combat helicopter?) to link therian identity with trans rights and present both as equally absurd. Because the threats that the Therian profiles received have the same rhetoric as that raised against the LGTBI community. In Latin Americawidely distributed far-right media present a template that was transferred unchanged to Spain: first, pathologization of the therian collective as “mental disorder” or “identitarian delusion.” Then, direct association with the “woke agenda” and gender identities. Finally, a threat that demands moral restoration. Feminism, sexual education and trans rights have passed through there. As stated the newspaper ‘Ara’the aggressors who went to “watch” the therians in parks and squares will, in all probability, be the same ones who tomorrow will find another group to point out. In Xataka | What are urban tribes and how have they evolved until today?

If you have run out of free HDMI ports on your TV, this switch costs 15 euros and will solve the hassle for you

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Although most televisions come with three or four HDMI ports, on many occasions we can fall short if we want to connect one or more consoles, a computer or a Fire TV Stick. For this, the switches or switch They are quite practical accessories that allow us to add more devices, and they generally tend to have a fairly reasonable price. The Anker Switch HDMI is one of the most affordable within the brand, and its compact format is designed so that it does not take up space on the television cabinet. Its price is 14.99 euros and it is a switch two in onewhich allows us to connect two devices to a single HDMI port on the television. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links A way to connect multiple devices to one HDMI port The switch They are usually compact accessories that incorporate several HDMI ports: two or more input to connect devices and one out dedicated to connecting it to the TV. This one from Anker allows you to connect two devices, such as one PlayStation 5 and one nintendo switch 2and switch between them by simply pressing the button at the top. This switch offers a ratio of up to 4K/60Hz and is compatible with HDR and with a wide assortment of devices, thus allowing us to connect a console such as PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5, an Xbox Series, a projector or a computer, among others. On the other hand, if we are looking for extra comfort, there are many others switch which include more HDMI input ports and a remote control with which to switch between connected devices. One of the most interesting is the Ugreen HDMI Switch (29.99 euros), which in this case comes with three HDMI input ports and a remote control. In case you want to take full advantage of the features of the current generation consoles, Ugreen has another switch (19.59 euros) that offers a relationship 8K/60Hz and 4K/240Hzalthough in this case it only comes with two HDMI input ports. You may also be interested Anker 8K HDMI Cable at 60Hz, Ultra HD 4K HDMI Cable at 120Hz, 0.9m, Certified High Speed ​​48Gbps Cable with HDMI 2.1 and HDR, Compatible with PlayStation 5, Xbox, Samsung TVs and More The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Logitech K400 Wireless Touch Keyboard Plus for TV with a Multimedia Control and Touch Panel, HTPC Keyboard for TV connected to PC, Windows, Android, Chrome OS, Laptop, QWERTY Spanish – Black 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 | Juan Carlos Lopez and freepik (header), Anker In Xataka | This is the gaming tower that I would buy. The computers with the best quality-price ratio for gaming recommended by Xataka In Xataka | Best gaming laptops: which one to buy and eight recommended computers from 770 to 3,000 euros

has surpassed Sora and Veo without NVIDIA chips

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Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise fighting on the rubble of a devastated city. The recreation of the most expensive shot in the movie F1 for nine cents. Dragon Ball scenes indistinguishable from the original anime. None of this has been filmed by anyone. Everything has generated Seedance 2.0the ByteDance video model launched a few days ago. It has its seams, because it builds on already-made creativity and much is missing on a narrative level. But the technical plan is impressive. Why is it important. It is no longer “China is coming, China is coming.” It’s “this is what China already does.” The independent consultancy CTOL places it above Sora 2 and Veo 3.1 for specific improvements: native 2K resolution, synchronized audio as standard, simultaneous input of text, image, video and audio (something that no Western rival offers at the same time) and 30% faster generation. Between the lines. The uncomfortable thing for Silicon Valley is not just the quality. The most uncomfortable thing is what it has been achieved with. Seedance has been built without H100NVIDIA chips banned for China. And it still surpasses the models that do have them. It’s already happened something similar with DeepSeek in LLMs and now it happens with synthetic video. The pattern is consolidating: the sanctions are not serving to slow China down, but rather accelerating it, because they force it to innovate faster. In dispute. Disney, Paramount, Warner Bros. and Sony have sent termination requests to ByteDance for violating copyright. AND SAG-AFTRA has denounced the use of voices and faces of actors without consent. The trigger was seeing that Seedance was capable of cloning someone’s voice from a single photograph. ByteDance has suspended that feature and promised improvements, without specifying which ones. Yes, but. The studies are more disarmed than they appear: Their claims attack the generation of protected content, not training with that content, which could be covered by fair use law. The music industry has already gone through a similar scenario and ended up negotiating. Hollywood is headed for the same fate: not being able to stop this, but at least getting a cut. Disney already does it with OpenAI. But with Bytedance geopolitics comes into play and whether it will be capable of something similar with a Chinese company, not a Californian one. The big question. ByteDance has an asset that no one can replicate: the largest short video ecosystem in the world. TikTok and Douyin know, on a scale that is unrivaled, what makes a video tick, and that knowledge is built into Seedance. When I reach CapCutthe most popular editing app in the world, the impact will reach another level. Right now the question is not whether Seedance is better than Sora. We have already seen that it is. The question is whether the world will be willing to use it. In Xataka | Seedance 2.0 has flooded the networks with AI-generated videos with Disney content. And Disney has picked up the phone Featured image | BiliBili – Seedance

The best AI agents that are faster and easier to use to do tasks for you without complications or long installations

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Let’s tell you the best fast and easy AI agents to use, without complicated installations and configurations. This type of AI agent They are less complete and powerful than the more complete and advanced ones, but they allow you to explore how the artificial intelligence can do tasks for you. We are going to make a small list to stick to the best alternatives. Many are quite popular, others are more unknown, and we even ended up with an open source alternative for privacy lovers. Claude Cowork Claude Cowork It is possibly the best and simplest tool to test the benefits of a medicine, but in a controlled way. It is a paid feature that you can use within the desktop application of Claude. The price to use it starts at 15 euros per month. Claude Cowork allows Claude’s AI to manage files and use applications on your computer. You tell him what you want, and Claude will find the best way to do it. Also, if you install the extension Claude in Chrome in your browser, Cowork will also be able to do things for you in the browser. Perplexity Comet Comet is the browser with artificial intelligence Perplexitya platform that started as a search engine based on artificial intelligence, and now it is much more. It is now a chatbot that allows you to use various artificial intelligence models, such as Gemini, GPT or Claude. The Comet browser has the peculiarity that can use AI to do tasks for yousuch as browsing you, interacting with websites, automating tasks, searching and filtering information, managing workflows and other tasks such as comparing prices on multiple pages. Manus on Telegram Manus is an autonomous AI agent, to which you can give a high-level objective and it works on its own to achieve it. Tasks are asynchronous, so you can ask it to do something, turn off the computer, and receive a notification when the work is completed. Manus also has the ability to used in Telegram chats like a bot With this, you will be able to use Manus directly from the messaging app and without entering its official website or application, and then you will be able to access them to see the result of AI research, web development, design, whatever you have asked. ChatGPT Agent ChatGPT also has an agent mode in your application. With it, you will be able to interact directly on web pages, ChatGPT will act on your behalf to book appointments, create presentations and perform other complex tasks. Of course, to use it you will need have a paid subscription in AI. Genspark This platform is a kind of all-in-one AI worksspace. It is not exactly a chatbot but acts in a similar way to the concept of an agent, planning taskschoosing the correct tools to do it, and chaining the steps autonomously. With this tool you will be able to create applications, documents, designs, images, music, spreadsheets and more. It has a free plan with limited access, although you will have to pay to access everything. Also has more than 80 toolsand eight language models of different sizes, each for a task. AgentGPT This was one of the first services to make AI agents accessible from the browser without having to install anything. It works similar to the previous ones, you have to write what you want with natural language, the agent divides this into subtasks, and then executes them autonomously. Kuse Cowork Kuse is an open source alternative to use an agent capable of helping you perform tasks on your computer. It can generate documents and presentations, transform d oc files, PDFs, you can also create mind maps, interact with YouTube videos and more. It is therefore an open alternative to Claude Cowork, where you can decide which AI models to use attaching them with their API, or even installing them directly on your computer. In Xataka Basics | How to create a Telegram bot that sends you a summary made by Gemini of each email you receive in Gmail and other emails

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