Mobile Tech & Gadgets

import “capsule houses” from China

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Spain needs affordable housing. A lot. Hundreds of thousands, according the estimates of the experts who have calculated the hole that the country would need to cover to get out of the housing crisis in which it has been immersed. That is why it is not surprising that solutions like the one that has just been launched a company of Pontevedra generate expectation inside and outside the sector. Their bet consists of neither more nor less than importing small “capsule houses” Chinese that can be installed in just a few months and are available for a few tens of thousands of euros. The question is… Will they help solve the problem? What has happened? That the Spanish real estate market adds a new residential solution. That is news in itself in a context marked by pronounced imbalance between supply and demand and escalation of prices. However, in this case there is another reason why the advertisement has aroused interest: what it offers Caslua Importa company located in O Grove (Galicia), is a solution that stands out for its costs and times. In fact they use a quite descriptive term. What they sell is neither more nor less than “capsule houses”. Capsule houses? Exact. To be more precise, “modular capsule houses”a term that gives a fairly precise idea of ​​what this Galician company offers. His online catalog It is divided into two categories: houses and modules. All prefabricated and with a range of sizes ranging from 5.8 meters long by 2.2 wide and 2.4 high (it even has smaller modules for offices) to structures of more than 11 meters and almost 40 m2 with a living room, bathroom, bedroom and terrace. Shapes, sizes and features change between some models and others, but philosophy is always the same: “Compact, efficient housing solutions ready to respond to the needs of housing, work or entrepreneurship.” In fact, those in charge usually emphasize two ideas: costs and times. The price range moves between 25,000 and 80,000 euros and the house would be ready in a few months. “In less than three you can have a fully assembled house to live in,” assures one of the founders of the firm, Antonio Luaña. “Manufacturing periods are around 30 days and then 60 days of transportation.” What are they like? It depends a lot on the model, but the company insist in that the capsules are modular, sustainable and can be adapted to be “self-sufficient”. After presenting its offer in media such as The Sixth, Antenna 3 either The Voice of Galiciathis week the signing showed to a hundred businessmen, politicians and neighbors a 38 m2 capsule home installed in O Grove and that includes a bathroom with a jacuzzi, a small kitchen with an oven and hob, a living room and a double bed. “It is around 85,000 euros. If you take away things from what it has, it can be around 73,000. Prices vary, but the structure is the same,” Luaña points out. Who makes capsule houses? The news shared by Caslúa assure that these are homes manufactured in China and that the Galician firm is dedicated to marketing them in Spain and Portugal. “When I went to China and saw them, I thought: How is this not in Spain? We have to take it,” Antonio tells. A quick search shows that in the Asian giant they work this type of small format residential solutions. Glamini includes different modelsalthough it is also dedicated to the manufacture of floating houses or cabins. Is it something new? Yes. And no. To start the concept of “capsule house” can be traced in foreign markets and in recent months there has been talk about them in other regions of Spain, such as Navarre. In China it is also possible to find several manufacturers. Even AliExpress they have launched its marketing. The undeniable thing is that the concept has aroused interest and joins a wave that goes beyond the “livable capsule” concept: that of the search for new forms of construction that make it possible to meet the high demand for housing. In recent years it has been gaining strength, for example prefabricated housingindustrialized and modular, which speeds up construction times without the owner having to give up configuring his residence. It is no longer just a matter of individuals betting on that formula. In recent months in Spain we have also seen businessmen resorting to that same solution to raise a multi-story hotel (it happened in Zaragoza) or even to institutions getting interested for her. Are they all advantages? The important thing is to know the characteristics of each option. And assess issues such as costs. For example, if we talk about a 38 m2 capsule that costs 73,000 euros, the square meter costs 1,900 euros, which (even assuming that this price includes the equipment) is noticeably above of the prices that are handled in some markets in Spain. Not to mention that to install a capsule it is necessary to have land that meets all urban planning requirements. The TVG network remember For example, even though they are modular houses, they cannot be installed on rustic land, unless they are linked to an agricultural operation. Images | Caslua Import In Xataka | Prefabricated houses have always been substandard housing. Now many governments are promoting them in the face of the crisis

create 3,000 jobs to modernize the army

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International pressure for Spain invest more in defense had never been so remarkable. NATO has made it clear that member countries must achieve spending goals much more ambitious, and the Spanish Government has responded with concrete measures and heavy investments. Just as the war in Ukraine and other tensions have led Europe to beef up its security, key opportunities are emerging for domestic industry, and a wave of hiring is coming. Rain of millions for Indra. The latest agreement between the allies sets as a goal dedicate 5% of GDP to defense in 2035, although Spain already meets the previous minimum objective of 2% in 2025. Compared to 2024, the country has increased military spending by 43.11%, raising the budget from 22,693 million to 33,123 million euros, according to official data from the Atlantic Alliance published by The World. In a new step towards this investment objective, the Government announced this week the granting of 6,890 million euros in credits for companies involved in the development of new technologies and equipment for Defense. Among all these companies there is a great beneficiary: Indrawhich will attract 6,582 million euros in investment. Investing does not mean buying. The Government has insisted on its approach of using this increase in defense spending not simply to modernize the Armed Forces with better equipment, but its commitment is to turn Spain into a producer of new technology. that can be sold to other countries. In this context of investments in Defense, Indra just announced through a statement that will generate 3,000 direct jobs related to the development of technologies and tools for military modernization. This represents a relevant opportunity for young people who are thinking about directing their training towards technology or engineering in areas of application in military defense and cybersecurity. A commitment to technological employment. Indra, one of the defense contractors most benefited for rearmament in Spain and Europe. Ángel Escribano, executive president of Indra Group, has confirmed that “we will generate wealth throughout the national territory through high added value jobs, an industry that is as self-sufficient as possible and completely national advanced technology”, making clear its commitment to young technological talent in Spain. According to sources of Indra, currently its supplier network is already made up of an ecosystem of companies in which more than 65% of its national supply network is made up of SMEs, startups and technological or research centers based in Spain. Around 77% of Indra’s subcontracting already benefits the national industry, and the company estimates that the current value chain, made up of approximately 1,000 employees, will add another 200 partners and suppliers in the coming years. There are already 2,400 open vacancies. Indra’s intention to expand its workforce with new additions of engineers and technical personnel was seen even before the Government made official the granting of the credits approved by the Council of Ministers, and already before the summer opened the vacancies to attract 2,400 new qualified professionals. With an eye on FP. To make talent attraction more efficient, Indra has signed agreements with 346 vocational training centers and plans to incorporate 75% of the interns into its workforce this year in 2025. A third of Indra’s staff in Spain are graduates in some vocational training branch. Escribano has pointed out that “we are convinced that Vocational Training not only trains thousands of young people each year, but is a lever of transformation for our society. A country that wants to develop a solid industrial capacity and real technological autonomy must decisively bet on vocational training, as Spain does.” In Xataka | Italy has activated “rearmament” in Europe: the longest suspension bridge in the world will connect Sicily for the passage of tanks Image | Indra, Unsplash (ThisisEngineering)

the hands of humans came before humans

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For decades, the image of Paranthropus boisei has been dominated by his skull. His robust jaw, enormous molars and a prominent sagittal crest on the head to anchor powerful muscles, chewers defined him as the “Nutcracker Man”, a specialized hominid on a diet of hard, fibrous vegetables. But a fundamental part of your biology, your hands, It was still a complete mystery.a key missing piece in the puzzle of human evolution. Until now. The discovery. The study published in Nature presents the discovery that changes the rules with which we were playing: the first hand and foot bones unambiguously associated with a Paranthropus boisei. These fossils are not new, but were discovered between 2019 and 2021 on the shores of Lake Turkana, in Kenya, and have an estimated age of just over 1.52 million years. Now, in addition to completing the skeleton of this ancient relative, it also completely redefines what we thought we knew about its capabilities. A tooth as a key. The team of paleoanthropologists, led by Carrie S. Mongle of Stony Brook University, found the remains after a researcher detected the sheen of tooth enamel on the surface. When excavating, a finger bone appeared so large that they doubted whether it belonged to a hominid. The unequivocal association of the bones of the hand with dental and cranial remains diagnostic of P. boisei It was the key that confirmed the identity of the fossil. “In some ways, it was surprising how many aspects of this hand were similar to ours,” Mongle says. The analysis reveals a fascinating combination of features that until now had not been considered in this case. On the one hand, the hand of KNM-ER 101000 It had intrinsic proportions similar to those of modern humans: a long and robust thumb in relation to the other fingers to be able to act as a pincer. This anatomy would have allowed him to make precision grips, opposing the pads of the fingers with that of the thumb, a fundamental skill for complex manipulation. And this is something that today is really important for us as humans, trying to preserve this movement at all times when there is a problem with our hands. The uses they gave it. In this case, the hand also shows great extraordinary robustness and characteristics that remind us many of those we see in gorillas. Something especially present in the region of the little finger and also the palm. And this is where the key to this research comes: the researchers suggest that this morphology was not just for climbing, although it would facilitate a powerful grip for this. In fact, the curvature of the phalanges is less than that of other climbing hominids, indicating that it was not their main mode of locomotion. The main hypothesis is that these strong hands were an adaptation for handling and processing food. As paleontologist Almudena Estalrrich, from the National Museum of Natural Sciences, points out, the muscle marks “indicate that he used them intensely, both to move and to obtain food. For example, he could have used a stone to break large seeds.” Tools. This ability opens the door to the most important question: If he had such a dexterous and strong hand, did he make tools? For a long time, the manufacture of stone tools was considered a hallmark of the genre Homo. However, the KNM-ER 101000 demonstrates that P. boisei had the anatomical ability to do it, and now it remains to be seen if they actually did it. Samar Syeda, a researcher at the American Museum of Natural History, believes that the human proportions suggest that it had some ability to make grips that would have allowed the use of tools. However, he cautiously adds that the morphology “primarily reflects locomotor use: a very strong type of grip.” New scenario. This discovery now forces us to rethink the evolutionary panorama of the Pleistocene. Far from being a secondary and “unskillful” relative, the Paranthropus boisei was a right-handed hominid that coexisted with the first species of Homo. The fossil KNM-ER 101000 proposes that while the lineage Homo was evolving towards greater dependence on lithic technology, Paranthropus he could have followed a different strategy, developing a powerful hand for the intensive exploitation of plant resources without the need for such refined technology (always in the context of that time). In constant evolution. As Estalrrich concludes, the relevance of the discovery is immense, since this fossil not only lends a hand to an ancient relative, but also reminds us that the history of human evolution is constantly being rewritten, with each new discovery that we unearth. Images | Wikipedia roger vaughan In Xataka | Eating your neighbor is not illegal, technically. Unless you live in Idaho

is that it is preventing you from finding one now

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One of the areas in which the use of AI has had the greatest impact has been in the ATS automatic filtering systems of candidates (Applicant Tracking System) of the personnel selection processes, and in general throughout the process including interviews. When AI began to be integrated into these processes, it was done thinking that this technology would streamline screening and selection of the best candidates. However, the use of this technology has led to the collapse of the entire process: neither those selected are the most suitable, nor should those discarded be. As technology journalist Tim Rogers laments in an article published in Slate: the hiring system “is broken.” Sending resume is a waste of time. Rogers said that looking for a job is no longer just a matter of updating your resume and sending it to companies looking to fill their vacancies: automatic systems and artificial intelligence have created an invisible wall that makes it even more difficult to get a real opportunity. The problem is that ATS systems, which in theory should make the selection of candidates easier, now filter and discard hundreds of resumes with rules so strict that many candidates never get to be reviewed by a real person and, therefore, a factor that many CEOs of large companies are missing they are claiming as priorities: attitude and commitment. A system blocked by saturation. According to data According to the World Economic Forum, 80% of companies use some AI system in their recruitment processes. The direct consequence of this automation, which occurs both from the human resources departments and from the candidates themselves, is the saturation of applications and the opposite effect that was expected to be obtained: the selection processes are becoming increasingly longer and recruiters can’t cope to review so many profiles. According to report figures ‘Huntr Q2 2025’, the average time elapsed from the beginning of a job search to receiving the first offer has increased by 22% in just three months, going from 56 days to 68.5 days. The data indicates that the main employment platforms, such as LinkedIn or Indeed, concentrate around 80% of the applications and, even so, their response rate is around 3.3%, which shows that the vast majority of applications do not even manage to attract the attention of a human recruiter. AI plays both sides. Faced with the use of AI in their application filtering systems by recruitment platforms, job seekers have not stood idly by and have also They have used AI to optimize your requests. So they told it from Manfred, who published on their blog that, until recently, they received between 20 and 50 applications for each vacancy they opened. Currently, the same job posting can return 500 applications in the first 24 hours, with most of them generated by AI. As they point out, this avalanche of requests is not due to the fact that there has suddenly been a fivefold increase the talent availableit has only been automated. You hire a profile, not a person. Rogers lamented that automated candidate filtering left out of the process profiles that, in human hands, could be a perfect fit and provide value. “Quality is lost among thousands of documents generated by machines,” the journalist wrote. “We are sold the idea that AI can fix the mess it has created,” warning that this strategy only intensifies the problem and further triggers the digital noise that makes it difficult to really be seen by an employer. Amid frustration over the lack of human treatment, the journalist maintains that “in-person contact continues to be the most effective way to get an interview. The few opportunities I have gotten did not come from algorithms, but from people,” a literal statement based on his own experience. The data proves him right. According to the data collected According to the INE in the 2nd quarter of 2023, 57.5% of people search for employment through their network of contacts. According to Eurostat data As of 2020, Spain does so in 72.6% of cases and Italy in 77.5%. Our neighbors in France use their network of contacts in 63.5% of cases and Portugal in 65.7%. An infinite circle that leads nowhere. Rogers points out that the reliance on AI-automated processes has led to a vicious cycle where “machines write resumes and other machines evaluate them,” reducing the job search to a kind of profile puzzle in which the best fit does not necessarily have to be the most suitable for the position or the team with which you will work. The last experiences with hiring of this type have shown that one of the few reliable avenues for recruitment remains the face to face interview between the candidate and the recruiters. In fact, companies like Google and Amazon are already demanding that their new candidates have a face to face interview to prevent AI distort real capabilities of the candidates. In Xataka | The latest trend to ace job interviews: training with ChatGPT as a recruiter In Xataka | If your chair limps during a job interview, it’s no coincidence: they’re evaluating more than just your resume. Image | Unsplash (charlesdeluvio, Emiliano Vittoriosi)

A Russian submarine has appeared off the coast of France. And Europe’s reaction has been surprising: have a laugh

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August 2025. After learning through satellite images that the Russian nuclear submarine base had been was damaged After an earthquake, Ukraine leaked all the secrets of Moscow’s most advanced submarine, including its failures. Now, two months later, one of them has appeared off the coast of France. And, instead of fear, Europe has been amused. The silence broken. For days, NATO radars followed the strange figure of a Russian submarine that, instead of slipping secretly under the sea, clumsily advanced on the surface. Was Novorossiyska Kilo-class diesel-electric of the Black Sea Fleet, one of the few assets that still maintained Moscow’s flag in the Mediterranean. His march was slow and visible, accompanied by French, British and Dutch ships that escorted him with the same mix of caution and curiosity with which an injured animal is observed. For the Atlantic Alliance, that voyage was more than just a naval anomaly: it was a exhaustion signa reflection of what remains of Russian maritime power after three and a half years of war, sanctions and irreparable losses. Adrift. The official Moscow version It was immediate. According to the Black Sea Fleet, the Novorossiysk was sailing on the surface simply to comply with international standards when crossing the English Channel. But allied intelligence reports and leaks on Russian security channels painted a different picture: a damaged submarine, with a possible fuel leak, forced to surface repeatedly and, according to some reportseven to empty flooded compartments. The presence of a tugboat, he Yakov Grebelskiyreinforced that suspicion. For NATO commanders, the image of an attack ship “limping” toward its base was not only a metaphor for a technical breakdown, but the demonstration how Russian naval machinery is rusting in the eyes of the world. From Tartus to the Mediterranean. Until a few years ago, Russia maintained a permanent force in the Mediterranean, anchored in the Syrian base of Tartusits strategic bastion in the region. From there it projected power towards the Middle East and North Africa, protecting energy routes and monitoring Western transit. But the fall of the regime of Bashar al Assad in 2024 erased that balance in one fell swoop. With the new Syrian government, Moscow lost its last platform safe outside the Black Sea. Today, how he ironized NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, “there is hardly any Russian presence left in the Mediterranean: just a lonely, broken submarine returning from patrol.” The decline is not measured in the number of sunken ships, but in the disappearance of an entire naval projection doctrine. The laughs. In his speech at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Slovenia, Rutte was so precise as biting. “What a change from Tom Clancy’s novel The Hunt for Red October, he said. Today, more like the hunt for the nearest mechanic.” The phrase, celebrated among the attendees, synthesized the new allied narrative: humor and joke as a language of power. Making fun of your opponent, taking away the mystique of their strength, is also a way of undermining their influence. Behind the irony, however, there was a geopolitical calculation. Rutte remembered the multiple Russian provocations in the last few months (drones over Europe, sabotage of underwater cables, failed plots, cyber attacks and instability in Finland and Poland), and warned that Moscow retains the capacity to inconvenience, although its military muscle has been reduced to symbolic gestures and worn-out threats. The invisible collapse. The Novorossiysk debacle It is not an isolated case. Since 2022, Ukraine has managed to destroy or disable more than thirty of Russian vessels with anti-ship missiles and marine drones. The losses have forced the Kremlin to withdraw a large part of its fleet from Sevastopol and move it to Novorossiysk, on the eastern coast of the sea, to avoid new attacks. That strategic refuge, paradoxically, bears the same name as the damaged submarine that is now trying to reach it. What was a symbol of supremacy in the Soviet era has become a floating cemetery of incomplete projects and demoralized crews. Mirror of war. If you like, the episode from Novorossiysk transcends the anecdotal. It represents the convergence of all fronts where Russia is wasting away: the military, the economic, the technological and the symbolic. Its fleet, once the second in the world, now depends on units that they age without spare partsas Ukraine innovates with drones that cost a fraction of its missiles. And NATO, aware of this, has learned to transform its silent victories in public stories that erode the perception of Russian invulnerability. The image of Novorossiysk advancing in the sight of everyone, towed and watched, it is the perfect image if you want to degrade an empire that can no longer hide its weaknesses. From shadow to emptiness. In the years of the Cold War, Soviet submarines were the silent terror of the Atlantic. Today, his most visible heir is a damaged ship that sails with the flag raised so as not to sink. This passage from shadow to void explains better than any report the real state of the Russian navy. What was previously feared, is now observed even with sarcasm, and what previously inspired respect, now provokes a mocking headline. In this transit we measure, according to Europe, the decline of a power and the rise of a Western communication strategy that no longer needs to confront directly to win. It is enough to unintentionally let the enemy show his shipwreck. And have a few laughs. Image | BORN In Xataka | Russia’s most advanced nuclear submarine was a secret. Until Ukraine has revealed everything, including its failures In Xataka | A ghost fleet has mapped the entire underwater structure of the EU. The question is what Moscow is going to do with that information.

pop artists have turned suspense into the best marketing

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Rosalia is one of the Spanish artists who has best understood the value and possibilities of social networks and internet to promote your work. He has thus perfected a time management strategy for his announcements based on leaving subtle clues about his upcoming works so that his fans immerse themselves in speculation and constant analysis. But she had never been so enigmatic and it had worked so well for her as with the publication of the sheet music of what could be one of her next songs. Allegrissimo. The unpublished scores are for a melody titled ‘Berghain’, and he has shared them through your newsletter on Substack. Speculation immediately arose: the score suggests a possible turn in her musical style towards arrangements for strings, which increases expectations about her next album, still unannounced, and which may take the artist into unexplored musical terrain. The “leak” was followed by posters in the Plaza de Callao in Madrid, with his face immersed in musical figures and staves. What is Berghain? But there are more meanings. Berghain is the name of a highly prestigious techno club in Germany, which is considered “the current techno capital of the world”, which somewhat contradicts the idea of ​​string arrangements. A red herring? In any case, the score is written on printed pages by the German G. Henle Verlag. After shipping, changed your Instagram profile picture and tweeted “LUX: LOVE” before deactivating your account. Fans assume that ‘LUX’ will be the title of their new album. The fans play. The most interesting thing about the release of the score has been that numerous followers have been encouraged to interpret the piece with various instruments, sharing their versions on social networks, especially on TikTok. The result is fascinating, with fans giving their versions of the melody with violins, pianos, flutes and even accordions. The Twitter account @elojoquetodolov has compiled the best, including interpretations of a second page of sheet music that the artist later sent. A success before leaving: the precedent of ‘Desphá’. In July 2022, when Rosalía sang her new song, ‘Despechá’, at the WiZink Center in Madrid, it had not yet been released on platforms or for sale. But the 15,000 people in the pavilion knew it. Rosalía, knowing how to handle this type of circumstances in her favor, quickly polled the public about the best title for the song and invited 20 people who knew the choreography to dance… on social networks. When the ‘Motomami’ tour began in Spain, in Almería, no one knew it, but the videos of the concerts running around the internet did the rest. That and 35 seconds of the song that Rosalía uploaded to the internet mid-tour. By the time he arrived in Madrid, influencers like María Pombo had spread it and made it a success. They are decisions like this, and masterful information dosage strategies, like the one that accompanied the release of their album ‘Motomami’ which has turned it into a study center for marketing experts and pop sociology. Rosalía is not an isolated case. There have been multiple examples of artists using the internet and social media to create puzzles, games with fans, and cutting-edge marketing to generate buzz. BTS: For the release of ‘Dynamite’ in 2020, BTS created a web page with multiple countdowns with different dates, without showing clear information. Each countdown gave way to exclusive content such as pre-purchase links or visual previews. This tactic kept the public’s interest for an entire month before the album’s release.​ Taylor Swift: ‘Reputation’ (2017) was promoted with a complete deletion of his Instagram, followed by cryptic images and symbols, such as snakes, that anticipated a dark turn in his image. This strategy was also carried out by Beyoncé in the releases of Lemonade (2016) and Renaissance (2022) with network deletion and cryptic messages. Although Beyoncé already knew what she was doing since 2013, when she released her self-titled album without any prior promotion, breaking traditional patterns. Ed Sheeran: For her song ‘Bad Habits’ in 2021, she created a Snapchat filter with digital fangs, encouraging fans to interact with them and create their own content.​ Frank Ocean: Known for his secretiveness and his use of absence to create buzz, he disappeared from the public scene for years before releasing his acclaimed ‘Blonde’ in 2016. Before that, he broadcast a live video on his website for several days, showing a figure building a ladder in a warehouse. Sabrina Carpenter: In 2018 he deleted his Instagram and for the release of ‘Short n’ Sweet’his team designed a campaign full of “Easter eggs” with clues and teasers. Before the release of ‘Man’s Best Friend’, he hosted secret listening sessions in Los Angeles and New York, allowing a select group of fans to hear it before anyone else. In promoting his song ‘Manchild’, he launched a campaign with eye-catching and enigmatic advertising posters in strategic places, with minimal and cryptic messages such as “Hey men” and “Amen”, Daft Punk. Of course. In Xataka | Rosalía and appropriation: why “Malamente” is accused of stealing from gypsy and Andalusian culture

Who will compensate Renfe for its investment in AVRIL trains that are breaking down?

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AVRIL trains are at risk of cracking. At least that is what happened in one of those that provided service on the Madrid-Barcelona high-speed corridor, which has forced it to take all its trains out of circulation and cancel the AVLO service. But now, who pays the dishes Broken buggies? a fissure. It all began in July 2025. At least, the nightmare of what promised to be a peaceful, uninterrupted sleep began. At the end of the month and with the entire summer campaign ahead, Renfe suspended the sale of AVLO tickets between Madrid and Barcelona overnight. The reason soon became known: one of the trains had presented a fissure that forced him to stop full. Without being very clear about how to act, Renfe suspended the sale of these options low cost in the busiest corridor in Spain. Then he chose to make high speed… a slightly slower transportation, limiting maximum speed to avoid problems. Finally, ended up suspending the service completely. A setback. Preventively removing AVRIL trains from circulation in the Madrid-Barcelona corridor is a setback for Renfe since it will not compete with an option low cost in this space and leaves the way clear for Ouigo and Iryo. A space that, in fact, Ouigo had started to give way a few months ago. And although Renfe has room for maneuver because This line is the most expensive in Spain and the least sensitive to offers, the truth is that Renfe no longer competes on price in it. The setback comes, above all, because the results of Talgo’s S106 trains, known as AVRIL, are proving problematic. His arrival was already marked by the bad reviews and the turn of the year caused a widespread breakdown on the trains. Half a year later, when everything seemed forgotten, the trains break down (literally) on the Madrid-Barcelona route. Why are they important? When Renfe commissioned Talgo to produce 30 AVRIL trains, it did so thinking about its ability to lower prices. The trains allow access to a greater number of people and promised top speeds of 300 km/h, which they are not being able to take advantage of. But, above all, the batch of AVRIL trains is key because they are flexible. The trains can “jump” from the Iberian gauge to the international gauge. This allows Renfe to be the only one to be able to operate on the Galician high-speed corridor without having to transfer in Ourense. It is expected to be a differential advantage for competitors do not consider entry in said corridor when it opens to the rest of the competition. Who pays for this? Aware that poor performance of AVRIL trains is a setback for the company, Renfe has already started looking for trains in Germany. But, in addition, the relationship between Talgo and Renfe is not in the best moment. To begin with, because Renfe has already been claiming since last year more than 116 million euros compensation to Talgo for delays in the deliveries of its AVRIL trains. If it is confirmed that the problem with AVRIL trains is structural, new economic demands can be expected from Renfe. In Talgo, however, they defend themselves and assure that the real problem is in the infrastructure. In September they already pointed out Adif as the culprit of the cracks in its trains, alleging a “poor state of maintenance of the line (…) the horizontal leveling problems on that line and the vertical accelerations they cause on the rolling can, by repetition, cause the failure mode due to cracks in the bogie frame.” Adif has defended itself by ensuring that the line is correctly maintained and that it has all the necessary approvals so that the services are provided normally. Not happy with the answer, in The reason they explain that Talgo has already hired an external audit to determine what caused the crack in the four affected trains. Designated. What Talgo wants is obvious: to put the ball in Adif’s court. The company already had to reserve more than 100 million euros last year in their accounts to pay the compensation they owe to Renfe for delayed deliveries. Incurring more expenses because of a productive mistake can only damage your accounts further. On the other hand, Adif is the other big one. They explain in The reason that the main union of train drivers (Semaf) also points to the track management company as guilty due to insufficient maintenance. Criticisms that are not exclusive to this corridor since in Andalusia A lack of investment has also been pointed out worrying as the main cause of summer breakdowns. In that case, It was Ouigo who pointed out Adif as responsible for an incident that left more than 300 people completely stranded in the middle of the field for one night. Photo | Talgo In Xataka | Spain thought that Spain could manufacture the perfect trains for Spain. The reality: Spain is already looking for trains in Germany

The metamorphosis of Windows 11 is coming. One that will make us talk to our PC so that it does things for us

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The PC wants to become a device that is somewhat different from the one we knew. At Microsoft they have been aiming for this metamorphosis for some time, and now those responsible tell us about how the fundamental component of it It will be AI and, more specifically, Copilot. The integration of Copilot into PCs and Windows 11 is being relatively slow, but Microsoft believes it is time to take a significant leap. One that affects not only how we will interact with the PC, but how we will work with it. Or rather, how we won’t work (as much). “Hey, Copilot”: the voice as a substitute (or complement) for the mouse and keyboard The mouse and keyboard transformed our lives and allowed us to get the most out of our machines. For decades they have been the key elements to communicate with machines, but that is gradually beginning to change. At Microsoft they know this and in fact they have been working for some time on a new paradigm in which that mouse and keyboard take a backseat. Instead, what comes to prevail is the voiceand although that transition will probably be slow and gradual, Microsoft is clear about it. According to the company, the PC must transform and be able to do three things: That we can interact with it naturally both with text and voice, and that it understands us That the PC can see what we see and offer guided support based on that information That can perform actions and complete tasks for our benefit To boost this interaction, Microsoft has launched an option that allows us to start talking to our PC by saying the words “Hey, Copilot”. If we have that option activated in the Settings of our Copilot application, we will access that feature whenever we want, which is displayed in Windows 11 with an on-screen microphone in addition to a small sound warning. That solves that first capability that Microsoft talks about. For the second, the Redmond company also has its solution. Is called Copilot Vision and it was presented a few months ago in its previous version. Now Microsoft says that this option will be available “in all markets where Copilot is available,” and will allow Windows AI to access the desktop and applications we are using. Thanks to this option, Copilot Vision will see our screen as we see it and thanks to this it will theoretically be able to help us with any questions. It’s the same idea as OpenAI already raised with Operator and that Anthropic too poses with your Computer Use for a long time. Precisely to strengthen these assistance tasks in real time we have the so-called Highlights, which allow us to ask to Copilot “teach me how (do this in this app)”. We can also give it access to Word, Excel or Powerpoint and help us analyze a presentation or better write a paragraph of the document we are working on. Although Copilot Vision was based on voice interaction until now, Microsoft will soon add the ability to interact with this system in a chat window in case we prefer to use the keyboard and text to complete that interaction. Microsoft’s ambition to make Copilot the center of our experience with Windows 11 is also noticeable in the presence of the “Ask Copilot” button on the taskbar. With this access they want to turn that taskbar into a “dynamic hub” that allows us to do more with less effort. To use this option we will have to activate it proactively in Windows Settings. Copilot Actions: when the computer does everything for you Microsoft is also targeting another of the most promising trends in this segment: the ability for the AI ​​model take control of your browser and even your computer to complete actions for you. This type of feature is now more integrated than ever into Windows 11 with Copilot Actions, “an AI agent that completes tasks for you by interacting with your applications and files, using vision and advanced reasoning to click, write and scroll as a human would do,” they explain at Microsoft. Already we saw those Copilot Actions in a previous version (only for the browser) in April, but now they are making the leap to be able to operate on all the apps on our PC. That means that (if we want) the AI ​​stops being passive—it answers questions, and that’s it—to become a proactive assistant which can carry out tasks such as updating documents, organizing files, sending emails or booking a flight. In order to use this option, the user must give permission for the agent to have access to the data and applications on the PC, something that can undoubtedly cause concern to users who fear that this AI will make mistakes or perhaps leak sensitive data. To avoid this and guarantee that security, Microsoft applies different techniques. To start, it uses agent accounts that are different from the account we use on our device. Agents operate in a contained and protected workspace, which isolates and limits their access. Besides They start their activity with limited permissions and they can only access other resources explicitly when we allow them to, such as when they try to access our files. In fact, in the preview version of Copilot Actions, the agent can only access very specific folders such as Documents, Downloads, Desktop or Pictures. In addition, the agents must be “signed” by a trusted source, something similar to what happens with apps that are distributed in application stores such as the Windows Store, Google Play or the App Store. Microsoft’s ambition is clear, but there is a problem: at the moment in Spain and the European Union we still cannot count on the majority of Copilot options in Windows 11. We will have to continue waiting. In Xataka | The bad news is that Windows 10 will no longer have security patches. The bad news is that too many … Read more

The garbage rate has become the big hot potato of Spanish politics. In reality there is little unexpected

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They call him the rubbish and, whether you like it more or less, what is undeniable is that the word sums up well the surprise that thousands of Spanish households have encountered when reviewing their accounts: suddenly their town councils have started charging them sums more than considerable for garbage collection or have skyrocketed their rates (in some cases going from 67 to 126 euros), which even it is already felt in the CPI. In reality there is little unexpected, if you take into account that it is something that can be seen coming (at least) from 2022. What there is behind it is debate… and doubts. What has happened? That Spain has seen how garbage became a huge political hot potato. And rightly so, if we take into account that thousands of homes spread throughout the country have found that the bill their city council passes them to finance waste collection has been shot. In some cities a new rate. The rise has been so forceful that it is already reflected clearly in the IPC and in some municipalities has provoked heated protests. The best example was left on Monday Cangas (Pontevedra), where a thousand residents gathered in front of the City Hall to protest against what has already been called (there and in the rest of the country) rubbish. The neighborhood anger escalated to such a level in the municipality that the councilors had no choice but to leave escorted by the police. But why is the rate more expensive? By the BOE. To understand it you have to go back to Law 7/2022 . Among other issues, the rule establishes that the town councils of Spain must provide themselves with “a tax or property benefit of a non-tax public nature, specific, differentiated and non-deficit that allows the implementation of a payment system per generation and that reflects the real cost, direct or indirect, of the collection, transport and treatment operations.” The wording is somewhat confusing, but at least it leaves two ideas clear. First, municipalities have to charge a specific bill focused on garbage. Second, the ‘polluter pays’ maxim must prevail, with a rate that covers “the real, direct and indirect cost” of the collection service. It is not a minor nuance if we take into account that in many municipalities the service was deficient and it was compensated via taxes. The Commonwealth of O Morrazo, for example (the one that suffered Monday’s protests) handles a report that reveals that its service suffered a deficit of about two million of euros. Why is it news now? Because the Law 7/2022 included another indication: it gave the town councils a maximum of three years to comply with this requirement, a period that ended at beginning of april. Since then, the municipalities with more than 5,000 inhabitants They are obliged to conform to the norm. Some, like Barcelona, they have been for years preparing the ground to soften the blow; but others have waited until almost the end. The majority of councils have in fact chosen to drag their feet and some have not yet adjusted, as is the case in Malaga either Balearics. Where the change has been noticeable is in Madrid. There the impact has been especially notable because in 2015 the then mayor (Ana Botella) decided “eliminate” the garbage rate for the sake of “less fiscal pressure on the citizen’s pocket.” After years with the amount included within the IBIresidents of the capital have encountered a Waste Management Fee that, according to the calculations published by the Consistory itself in October, will have an average cost of 141 euros for homes and 310 for commercial properties. Does it affect the pockets that much? The best way to answer that question is to use the INE. Its latest calculations on the CPI, corresponding to the month of September, show a year-on-year increase of 30.3% in garbage collection, the largest (by far) in a historical series dating back to 2008. The data far exceeds the general index (3%) and has in fact influenced its upward trend. It is an important nuance because, although the deadline set in the 2022 law has already ended, its guidelines have not been applied in all cities of the country. When that happens, it is not unreasonable to think that that 30.3% will be even higher. Why so much controversy? If he rubbish has raised such a political stir, it is not only because of the cost it entails for residents and businesses. The debate has revolved around more formal but equally important questions: Who is ultimately responsible for the increases? Is it the city councils with the formulas they apply when calculating it, is it the Government for promoting the 2022 standard or is it Brussels, through the community directives that cites the law itself? Some town councils, such as Alcobendashas already released statements to inform its neighbors that the new “mandatory” garbage receipts apply. The truth is that months before the deadline set by law expired, in October, the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) already demanded the Government to review a law that, in his opinion, is “complicated to understand and apply” and ignores municipal autonomy. Specifically, they asked the Sánchez Government for “a much clearer and more concise regulation that avoids the discretion of each local entity” and at the same time guarantees the objectives set by Brussels. Is that important? Yes. And for several reasons. The first because one of the topics that is raising the most debate about the rubbish They are the differences between cities and the risks that this implies. “It can be applied depending on the address, the number of people residing in the home, the cadastral value… There are many possibilities and without a guide we can end up with more than 8,000 different garbage rates, which will surely generate resources and even different criteria in the courts until the Supreme Court unifies doctrine,” explained already last December ABC the Association … Read more

Carrefour has this Philips TV with Ambilight for the bedroom and Movistar Plus+ as a gift at an outlet price

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Ambilight technology is perfect for enjoying audiovisual content in a completely immersive way. I have one Philips TV with Ambilight in the dining room and I can’t stop recommending it. Now, if you are thinking (like me) to bring the experience of this lighting technology to the bedroom, Carrefour has a television that will interest you. It is about the smart TV Philips 43PUS8400/12which has gone from costing 399 euros to 289 euros in these moments. Plus, shipping is free and, with your purchase, you get six months of free Movistar Plus+. Philips Ambilight 43PUS8510 4K QLED Smart TV The price could vary. We earn commission from these links A TV with Ambilight perfect for small living rooms or the bedroom There are many features that make it worth buying this Philips TV. One of them is the price, another is the gift of six months of Movistar Plus+ that you get and the third (but no less important) is the Ambilight. This is Philips’ own lighting system that consists of a LED strip on the back that adapts to the image and/or sound of what you see on the screen. This model also has a 43-inch QLED panel and 4K Ultra HD resolution. It is compatible with HDR10HDR10+ and HLG. Its audio system is made up of a double speaker with 20 W power and compatible with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. It works under Titan OS operating systemwhich allows you direct access to the main streaming platforms. As far as connectivity is concerned, it incorporates WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.2, Ethernet, three HDMI 2.1two USB 2.0, optical digital audio output and 3.5 mm jack. Some accessories that may interest you for this TV Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select (latest generation) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Sharp HT-SBW110 2.1 Slim – Home Theater Sound Bar 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 Philips 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 (2025). Which one to buy and seven recommended models from 140 euros

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