Mobile Tech & Gadgets

“he dropped it” during the launch

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If someone asked you to imagine how a rocket launch could fail, you would normally think of an explosion, an engine failure, or a maneuver that goes wrong. What almost no one would have chosen as an answer is this: a rocket that takes off and, in the middle of the trip, “runs out of a satellite.” That’s what happened to the Japanese H3 in its last attempt to launch a navigation satellite into orbit, a mission that ended in the most absurd way possible, with the payload breaking loose prematurely and falling back to Earth. The launch. To understand why this case has attracted so much attention, it is worth setting the scene. On December 22, 2025, H3, the Japanese space agency’s most modern launcher, took off from Tanegashima with the Michibiki 5 satellite on board, a navigation device weighing about five tons. As explained by JAXA on December 25the mission ended in failure because the second firing of the second stage engine did not start normally and stopped prematurely, which prevented reaching the planned orbit. From there, the agency activated a specific team to investigate the origin of the failure and reconstruct minute by minute what happened during the climb. This is how JAXA draws it so that no one has to imagine it: separation of the cap and a satellite that begins to go freely What is the cap and why is it separated?. The cowl is the cover that protects the satellite during the first minutes of launch, when the rocket is still passing through the densest layers of the atmosphere and the payload is exposed to vibrations, friction and possible impacts with particles. It is a piece made up of two halves that open and detach when the vehicle is high enough so that this protection is no longer necessary. The normal thing is that it is a routine step, quick and without consequences. In this case, however, it is the moment that appears in the center of all eyes. Diagram of the H3 cowl opening and separation system The problem. According to the reconstruction presented by JAXAthe critical moment comes just after the separation of the fairing, around 3 minutes and 45 seconds after takeoff. In the images from the onboard cameras, a kind of “rain” of fragments can be seen around the satellite and, in the following seconds, an anomalous behavior: it begins to oscillate and tilt. At the same time, the rocket’s sensors detected accelerations outside of expectations in the junction area between the satellite and the launcher, an indication that something was not going well at that interface. “Ghost flight”. The strangest thing is that, despite that initial blow, the satellite did not detach immediately. The connecting structure was damaged at that moment, but the assembly continued flying as if nothing had happened during the remaining combustion of the first stage. The explanation is almost domestic: as the rocket continued to accelerate, that acceleration acted as a kind of constant pressure that kept the satellite supported on its base, even if the fixation was no longer reliable. The outcome came with the shutdown of the main engine, the moment known as MECO. With that force gone, Michibiki 5 separated early, just before the second stage could take control and place it into orbit. More consequences. During that same flight segment, a pressure drop was also confirmed in the liquid hydrogen tank of the second stage. The working hypothesis is that the same event that damaged the satellite docking could have affected the pressurization line, and that is why the pressure did not recover even though the system tried to compensate for it. With this scenario, the second stage engine did start, but it did so at a penalty. The result was a kind of “partial salvage,” enough to reach a low orbit, but not to complete the planned profile, and the stage ended up re-entering and disintegrating in a matter of hours. What do we know. The JAXA indicates that the satellite would have detached and fallen into the Pacific Ocean in an impact zone planned for debris from the launch itself, east of Minamitorishima, and no damage has been reported on the ground. The agency has presented a failure analysis in which it keeps several possibilities open to explain the anomalous blow recorded at the time of releasing the cap: from an impact or collision with a fragment to the sudden release of tensions in the union system. It is also carefully considered whether any element of the system could have generated an abnormal acceleration at that time. A key rocket. The H3 is a modern rocket, but still young, and every anomaly counts double when trying to build a reputation. This launch was his eighth and his record combines six successes with two failures. The impact on the agenda has not been long in coming. Science Portal points out that JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have postponed the next launch, scheduled for February 1 with another Michibiki satellite, after announcing the delay on January 7. Now the agency needs a response that will allow the rocket to be put back on the ramp with guarantees. Images | JAXA In Xataka | February 7 is already on the calendar: what has to go perfectly for Artemis II to take off next week

Bugatti has brought the Veyron back to life in the worst possible way: taking advantage of nostalgia

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I confess: I have laughed at my parents. Not once, many times. My parents are those considerate boomers. A generation that took the reins of our society when the century changed and we entered the 2000s. And the market noticed it. In 2001 it premiered on RTVE Tell me how it happened. Three years later it was republished he One, Two, Three…. In 2009, a phenomenon was launched that now seems timeless: I went to EGB. That same year, Antena 3 put on television Course of ’63. The look at the past does not only remain in Spain. The Police return for a new tour. Indy returns from the 80s to live an alien adventure in 2008. Guitar Hero puts us in the skin of the rock myths that had happened a decade or so before. Does anyone remember Guitar Hero Live? I doubt it and I think you already know the answer. And here I am, tasting at night the first seasons of There is no one who lives herewhile I watch in horror as my friends search for tickets to another Love The Tweenties and Villafrío de Abajo faces Villafrío de Arriba in another exciting final of the Grand Prix. I want to run away but the past catches me. That past that brings us back to Andy and Lucas but at least brings us back to the best days of Crash Bandicoot. A past from the day before yesterday. I laughed at my parents but here I am, drooling over the new Bugatti FKP Hommage. ELON MUSK VS JEFF BEZOS: STAR WARS Of necessarily unnecessary tributes and cars 20 years. What is 20 years? Enough, according to Frank Heyl, Bugatti Design Director, to “create what I consider the ideal and definitive Veyron.” What he’s talking about is the Bugatti FKP Hommage. We could say that it is the “last Veyron”. We could say that it is the final and last evolution of a legendary car. We could say it. If it were a Veyron. The Bugatti FKP Hommage is actually a Bugatti Chiron disguised as a Veyron. The hyper-luxury company, through its even more exclusive division Program Solitaire wanted to pay tribute to Ferdinand Karl Piëch, who was the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche and took the reins of the Volkswagen Group for almost a decade after having held all types of roles in the company. A key man in the company who was even more key for Bugatti. And Piëch was the one who gave the order to buy Bugatti and to make it a different brand, to give it back a glorious past, W16 via. “He was a man who saw the impossible not as an obstacle, but as a challenge. His vision for Bugatti was absolute: 1,000 horsepower, 400 km/h top speed, all-wheel drive, and refined enough to arrive at the opera in a tuxedo or a dress,” defines Hendrik Malinowski, General Director of Bugatti to Piëch. And to honor him, Bugatti has created a one offone of those unique units of your Bugatti Chiron. “The FKP Hommage celebrates this uncompromising pursuit of excellence, combining the timeless proportions of the original Veyron with two decades of engineering evolution,” reflects Malinowski about a luxury hypercar that comes with the latest evolution of the W16 engine and the 1,600 HP that the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport has. To resemble the original model, Bugatti’s most exclusive division has dressed the Chiron in the outfit that the Veyron would wear today. Play with the proportions to maintain the essence of a car of which only 450 units were manufactured. The request, of course, comes from a millionaire whose name we do not know. At least for now. But we can say something about him: he feels “melancholic sadness caused by the memory of a lost happiness.” This is how the RAE defines nostalgia. The question is what this loss has attracted a millionaire to convert one of the most technologically advanced cars in the world into another hypercar from just 20 years ago. What is the sense? Aren’t the 450 units of the original Bugatti Veyron unique because… they are unique? What is there to gain? Nothing. Since there is nothing to gain from updating an iPod when you have millions of iPods elder brother hand. It’s not a question of nostalgia. It’s a matter of the original product being there, just around the corner. We can’t miss him because he never left. You can’t long to go out partying singing Melendi at the top of your lungs because at less than 40 years old you are at the perfect age to continue going out partying and singing whatever you want at the top of your lungs. It’s okay for nostalgia to get to us. But at least it serves to give new life to the product. Unless it serves to make accessible an object of which there are few left, they are difficult to obtain or expensive to maintain. It’s funny that Renault brings back the Five in electrical format. And it makes sense that now the Twingo It also doesn’t have a combustion engine. Or what Renault brings the car back to life Turbo like an electric beast. As harsh as it may seem to a purist, even Ford Mustang Mach E It makes sense when it comes to bringing the driving sensations of a classic Mustang to an electric car. It is the same and, at the same time, very different. But the automobile market is beginning to be dragged into a well of nostalgia that contributes between little and nothing. He Lamborghini Countach LP 800-4 It is interesting as a design exercise because it updates a mythical model. This Bugatti FKP Hommage only repeats what is already known. The same is happening with the “serial” production of restomod. The trend of taking an old car and bringing it back to life by turning it into a modern car with a classic flavor makes sense … Read more

The EU and India finally seal their great trade agreement. Trump has accelerated what had been stuck for two decades

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The European Union is beginning to make moves on a board that no longer looks like it did a few years ago. With Donald Trump straining international trade and European dependence on external partners increasingly at the center of the debate, Brussels seeks to gain room for maneuver. This idea of ​​strategic autonomy, repeated for years in speeches and documents, is beginning to be translated into concrete decisions. Some point to digital, others to securityand others to commerce. In this context, the announcement of a great agreement with India after almost two decades of negotiation is understood. The advertisement. The news comes from New Delhi, after a summit in which Narendra Modi and two of the main European figures, António Costa and Ursula von der Leyen, participated. The agreement, negotiated for almost twenty yearsseeks to open a new commercial stage between the European Union and India, with a scope that Brussels has wanted to highlight from the first minute. Von der Leyen lor defined on social networks as “the mother of all trade agreements.” Click to see the original publication in X What goes in and what stays out. The announcement speaks of a broad agreement, but its perimeter is defined quite carefully. According to Reutersthe pact focuses on trade in goods and services and standards, while especially sensitive issues, such as investment protection, are negotiated separately. In addition, there are explicit exclusions: agriculture and dairy are not part of the package, a decision that seeks to avoid resistance from some sectors. The key is in the cars. The EU statement itself recalls that tariffs on cars imported into India can reach 110%, a barrier that in practice blocks the entry of a good part of European models. For this reason, the pact includes cuts that could place these tariffs at a minimum of 10%. These discounts would apply to a volume of up to 250,000 cars coming from the European Union. For European manufacturers, the attraction is obvious: access to a huge market that until now has been almost closed. The exchange of concessions. The potential benefits are distributed, although not symmetrically. India would gain competitiveness in labor-intensive industries, such as textiles and garments, which in Europe still face tariffs close to 10%. It also seeks to improve the access of its professionals and technological services to the European market. The EU, on the other hand, aims at a different objective: to better enter an expanding market, where its exports face a weighted average tariff of 9.3% and especially high charges on cars, chemicals and plastics. A geopolitical acceleration. The timing of the announcement is not coincidental. In recent months, both India and the European Union have felt more closely the protectionist turn that accompanies the new era of Donald Trump. Reuters recalls that India has not managed to close an agreement with the Trump Administration since the White House announced in April the so-called “reciprocal tariffs“, and that in August imposed an additional punitive tariff of 25% for the purchase of Russian oil, raising the total tax on Indian goods to 50%. For Europe, the message has been similar: tariffs have once again been an instrument of political pressure. Nothing is in effect yet. The announcement is important, but the institutional path is just beginning. The final text must still pass legal scrutiny in Brussels and New Delhi. Then comes the most delicate stage: ratification. Reuters notes that the pact will have to be approved by the European Parliament, a process that could take at least a year. For example, the EU-Mercosur pact: it was signed on January 17, 2026 in Asunción, but days later the European Parliament decided to refer it to the Court of Justice of the EU for review, something that could delay its application for up to two years. The movement with India does not have to follow that path, but it invites us to be cautious. Images | Olga Nayda | Mitul Gajera | frank mckenna In Xataka | Something has broken between Europe and the US: France leaving Zoom behind and Teams in its administration points to something bigger

We have crossed another line with subscriptions. LG now allows you to pay a fee to use a television in a European market

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What started as a practical formula to pay for digital content has, little by little, become a way of life. Subscriptions to listen to music, watch series, store photos, work, protect your computer. Based on small installments, has been normalized that an increasing part of our lives depends on a monthly payment. And when the time comes to do the math, that recognizable feeling of juggling the budget appears: we cancel one, reactivate another, adjust as best we can so as not to go overboard. Perhaps we pay more and more to access, and less and less to possess. That is why the latest twist in the phenomenon draws special attention: now you can also “rent” a television instead of buying it. Rent a TV if you can’t (or don’t want to) buy one. The scene comes from the United Kingdom. There, LG already offers a modality called LG Flex which allows access to a selection of televisions and sound bars through subscription, directly from the company’s website. The logic is similar to that of other services: you choose the product and, at the time of checkout, you select Raylo as an option, since LG presents it as its official partner for this program. The proposal is sold as “flexible access” to premium products, with no initial outlay, and with different subscription durations to adjust the monthly price. In practice, it is a paradigm shift in an object that we traditionally bought and amortized for years. What does “flex” mean? The subscription is proposed with two very different paths: a renewable monthly plan, designed for those who want maximum freedom, and closed plans of 12, 24 or 36 months, which reduce the monthly payment in exchange for a greater commitment. It is a well-known logic: the longer the term, the lower the fee. In addition, the proposal includes a 14-day free trial and, at the end of the period, the user can choose between continuing to pay month by month, requesting a change to a newer model at no additional cost or returning the device. Of course, this last option is not neutral: the withdrawal has a fee of 50 pounds (about 60 euros). The key is what you are paying. A television like LG OLED evo AI C54 83-inch 4K (2025) It is offered for 3,999 pounds (about 4,620 euros at the exchange rate in that market), with a subscription available from 123.90 pounds per month (about 145 euros at the exchange rate) with Raylo, while a LG QNED evo AI QNED9MA 86-inch 4K Mini LED It is listed for 2,499.98 pounds (about 2,890 euros at the exchange rate), with installments starting at 78.35 pounds per month (about 92 euros at the exchange rate). The difference is in the time horizon: if the subscription is maintained for a long time, the accumulated amount may end up exceeding the purchase price. That is why Flex is best understood as a formula to have the television “in use” without purchasing it directly, not as an alternative designed to pay less at the end of everything. Will it leave the United Kingdom? For now, the experiment remains in the United Kingdom. LG has not communicated plans to expand Flex beyond that market, so, at the moment, there is no basis to assume that it will reach other European countries. But even as an isolated case, the idea says a lot about the moment we are going through: subscriptions are no longer just a method to access digital content or tools, but a commercial language that is also beginning to be applied to physical objects. Images | LG In Xataka | Apple Creator Studio is not just a subscription. It’s Apple looking to conquer the little tiktoker who uses CapCut and Canva

It has been so windy in Spain that the wind turbines have been disconnected

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Spain woke up this Wednesday, January 28, 2026, under the effects of a storm of cold, snow and wind that has gone beyond the collapses on the roads. The storm Kristin has not only covered in white the center of the Peninsulacausing major traffic jams and a rise in teleworking in Madrid, but has also forced the system operator, Red Eléctrica de España (REE), to execute emergency measures to prevent the electrical balance from being compromised. Two hours of tension. Between 08:00 and 10:00 in the morning, REE was forced to activate the call Active Demand Response Service (SRAD). The reason was a specific but severe mismatch between generation and available demand. According to operator datathe system suffered a deficit of just over 2 gigawatts (GW). The forecast pointed to an operating power of 38,526 MW, but reality remained at a peak of 36,517 MW at 08:50 hours. This imbalance, which is technically known as a problem in the so-called “morning ramps“was due to a paradoxical phenomenon: excess wind. Although wind power is a key piece of the electricity mix, when gusts exceed certain safety thresholds, the wind turbines must be disconnected to avoid structural damage. The “wind blackout.” This phenomenon made the actual production would plummet to 7,500 MW, compared to the 12,500 MW initially planned. Added to this factor was a “secondary effect” from Portugal, where the storm also caused havoc, forcing imports to be reduced of electricity to Spain from 2,300 MW to just 800 MW. As wind energy expert Sergio Fernández Munguía explains on their social networksthis disconnection is not an anomaly, but rather an automatic protection mechanism. In situations of extremely strong winds, higher than the operating limits of the wind turbines – around 25 meters per second, about 90 kilometers per hour – the turbines are stopped preventively to guarantee their integrity. A physical limit that makes extreme wind an operational risk factor for renewable generation. The “red button” for the industry. The SRAD is the successor to the old “interruptibility”. This is a mechanism included in Operation Procedure (OP) 7.5 which allows REE order large industrial consumers to temporarily reduce or stop their consumption to relieve the network and guarantee reserve levels. Around thirty companies from different sectors and sizes participate in the service, with a minimum demand of 1 MW. These companies receive a reward both for being available and for each effective activation. In the last auction, held on November 28, 2025, 1,725 ​​MW were awarded for the first half of 2026, with a total cost of 255 million euros that ends up having an impact on consumers’ electricity bills. This Wednesday’s execution took place in two blocks. The first, 865 MW, at a price of 116.47 euros per MWh; and a second block of 860 MW at 120.90 euros per MWh. In total, 1,725 ​​MW of industrial power was paralyzed, the maximum available in this period. The role of gas and criticism of the system. Given the fall of wind power and practically no solar production at those early hours, the system depended on gas backup. The combined cycles went from generating about 3,000 MW at 6:00 in the morning to more than 8,000 MW at 9:00. However, this effort was not enough to fully offset the loss of renewable generation. According to industry sources consulted by The Energy Newspaperaround twenty combined cycle plants – around 8,000 additional MW – were not coupled or in immediate operational reserve, which prevented their rapid entry into the system and precipitated the order to stop industrial consumption. What can we expect in the coming months? Despite the spectacular nature of the measure, the official message is one of calm. Electrical Network has underlined in its statements that “the continuity of supply has not been compromised at any time” and that the activation of the SRAD has the sole objective of guaranteeing the system’s safety reserve levels. However, the scenario for 2026 poses relevant challenges. The operator estimates that during this first half of the year around twenty SRAD activation orders could be issued if similar stress situations are repeated. This mechanism is not the last link in the security chain, but it is a critical defense against abrupt power variations in a system with a high penetration of variable renewable energies. The challenge of intermittency. What happened this Wednesday once again puts on the table the challenges of operating an electrical system that is increasingly dependent on the weather. The rapid activation of the SRAD and the support of gas prevented greater evils, but the episode reinforces the need to have firm reserves – such as hydraulics and combined cycles – and industrial flexibility mechanisms capable of shielding the network against unforeseen meteorological events in the future. Image | Unsplash Xataka | Inspecting an offshore wind turbine no longer requires stopping it: the drone that uses AI to ‘x-ray’ moving blades

Science suggests that heat does not eliminate the toxin from potatoes with sprouts

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Being in the kitchen, opening the pantry and finding some potatoes at the back that we had forgotten about is a scene that can be common in Spanish kitchens. As time goes by, it is common for ‘eyes’ or small sprouts appear on the tubers with greenish areas. And this is where we divide ourselves into two banks: those who cut the ugly piece and cook the rest, and those who throw everything away out of fear. The risk. In order to know which side is the most suitable, in this case, you have to understand the chemistry that the potato hides inside. The tuber naturally produces compounds called glucoalkaloids, mainly two: α-solanine and α-chaconine. They are not compounds that are there to bother us humans, but rather they are an evolutionary defense system that it has. The problem is that under certain conditions of stress this concentration skyrockets and that is where is becoming a red flag for humans. The stress. Among the stimuli that can increase the production of these stimuli we find light, which stimulates chlorophyll synthesis, but also blows and cuts. But the most striking thing is the appearance of sprouts on the surface of the potato that mobilize these compounds. AND according to toxicological data While a normal potato has safe levels, green or sprouting parts can accumulate up to 1 mg of the compound per gram of potato. The dose makes the poison. Taking a little of this compound is not fatal, but the problem is reaching the toxic doses that It is calculated between 2 and 5 mg per kg of body weight. This means that for a 70 kg adult, the dangerous intake would begin between 140 and 350 mg of solanine. It seems like a high amount, but if we consume very green potatoes or those with many sprouts (where the concentration is maximum), it is not impossible to achieve it. And even when both compounds are combined, the effect is much more powerful than when they are ingested separately. The symptoms. Most mild poisonings go unnoticed because they are confused with common gastroenteritis. And it is quite similar because the symptoms appear between 30 minutes and 12 hours after ingesting this compound, presenting nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. However, in high doses, solanine is a neurotoxin and that is why we have documented cases where serious neurological disorders or cardiovascular complications have occurred. And it is no wonder, since the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) places special emphasis on the vulnerability of children, since due to their lower body weight, reaching the toxic threshold is much easier for them with few potatoes. The boiling myth. This is perhaps the most important point and where the most people make mistakes. There is a belief that by boiling or frying the potato, we “kill” the poison and the short answer is no. The reason centers on the great stability of solanine against the high temperatures of domestic cooking. This is why boiling a potato with sprouts will not degrade solanine, although frying at very high temperatures can partially degrade it. But in no case is it a guarantee of total security. What should be done. What you should try to do in these cases is quite clear.: If the potato is hard and the sprouts are incipient, it can be consumed. Although logically you have to remove the sprout and the surrounding area generously. But the problem comes when there are green spots on a large part of the potato, it has large sprouts or it is very wrinkled. Here you have to throw it away, since the solanine could have spread throughout the tuber and the risk is not worth it in these cases. Especially when we talk about the little ones in the house. The flavor rules. And although it is something strange to see in our society, there is the possibility of detecting the presence of a large amount of solanine thanks to its bitter taste. Here, if when you taste a dish of potatoes you notice a persistent bitterness, it is best to stop eating immediately. Images | Bekky Bekks In Xataka | Restaurants in half of Spain are giving us scallops for scallops. And Galicia has tired of fraud

has already begun to show signs of reactivation

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In 1982, the Chichón volcano, popularly known as ‘El Chichonal’, starred in one of the most violent eruptive episodes in modern history of Mexico, even altering the global climate. Four decades later, the sleeping giant of Chiapas draws the attention of science again and not because it has begun to release lava down its slopes, but rather something more subtle and geochemical. New signs. Recent data presented by the UNAM Institute of Geophysics It is showing quite notable physical-chemical variations, from temperatures that exceed the boiling point at the bottom to the appearance of sulfur spheres. And this is something that is causing geologists to call for more surveillance and exhaustive control of people who approach the crater. From algae to sulfates. For years, Chichón Crater Lake has been a visually striking tourist attraction, often characterized by shades of green due to the presence of algae. However, Patricia Jácome Paz, researcher at the UNAM IGf, has revealed at the Volcanology Seminar that the lake’s ecosystem has been transformed. Monitoring has detected a fairly aggressive transition: algae have given way to sulfates and silica. And this is something that informs us about what is happening at the bottom of the volcano, highlighting above all the great gas activity that is evidenced by the appearance of sulfur spheres. Other factors. Beyond sulfates, extreme temperatures are also making an appearance at the bottom of the lake where up to 118 °C have been recorded. Additionally, there is an increase in chloride concentration, suggesting greater interaction between magmatic gases and groundwater. The invisible danger. Beyond water chemistry, the biggest current risk to visitors and locals is not an imminent explosion, but what is not seen. Primary sources from the UNAM and Civil Protection reports warn about the emission of toxic gases that can end up in the airways. The 2025 analysis highlights in this case the presence of a large amount of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. Their big problem is that, having a density greater than that of air, they tend to accumulate in the lower areas of the crater, creating deadly “traps” for those who descend without protective equipment. Inhaling it can cause dizziness or serious respiratory damage and that is why access to the crater is restricted. Eruption imminent? Without a doubt the million dollar question, and the short answer is no. In these cases it is necessary to differentiate between magmatic activity and hydrothermal activity, that is, water heated by the residual heat of the volcano. In this volcano, at the moment no deformation of the terrain has been detected that indicates that the dreaded lava is emerging, but a very active hydrothermal system has been seen that can generate phreatic events. These are nothing more than minor explosions caused by water vapor pressure, not lava, but they are still very dangerous in the immediate radius of the crater. Listening to the volcano. So that these changes do not take anyone by surprise, science has deployed a reinforced monitoring protocol which includes additional stations installed from June 2025 to detect the increase in local seismicity. In addition, it is decided to make a millimeter measurement of the terrain to rule out swelling and have constant water sampling. A great impact. And the truth is that all these measures are not nonsense, since they would affect a 30 km radius where approximately 100,000 people live. But the most important thing is undoubtedly the newspaper library, keeping in mind the year 1982, which determines that the population is already trained with the steps to follow in the event that this situation arises. In Xataka | The Virgin appeared inside a volcano in La Garrotxa. So they built one of the most special hermitages in the world

Saudi Arabia already knows the real price of Neom and it is not measured in billions, but in barrels of oil at $90

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Saudi Arabia is mired in a paradox that revolves around barrels of oil. Years ago the kingdom launched an ambitious program to reduce its dependence on ‘black gold’, a key element in its accounts and public treasury. Under the name of ‘Vision 2030’ basically proposed to diversify its economy with a rosary of projects which included large urban developments such as Oxagon, Trojena or the famous The Line. The problem is that the swings in the price of crude oil (the same one from which he wants to get away) is complicating the things. So much so that the kingdom has already been forced to moderate its expectations. What has happened? We told you a few days ago: Saudi Arabia has had to rethink the Neom megaprojects, the program with which the kingdom wants to promote works such as Trojena or The Line, a futuristic city 170 km long, 500 m high and 200 meters wide built from scratch in the middle of the desert. According to Financial TimesNeom’s president, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is now considering a “much smaller” scale. In fact, there is already talk of a drastic cut in The Line and changes also in Trojena. Is it a novelty? Half. Despite the efforts of Saudi Arabia for showing how the works were progressing, the international press has been warning for some time the difficulties (technical, but especially financial) that the kingdom has encountered to carry out its projects. own FT posted a few months ago a report in which he talked about how Neom’s dream is “unraveling.” His last article It goes further however and helps to understand the context. The cuts come after Neom officials commissioned an audit of the project. And although its final conclusions are not yet known, they seem to be strong enough that there are already architects working on the redesign of The Line. Their goal: to turn it into a “modest” project that can take advantage of the infrastructure built in recent years. There is talk of a change in concept, of a Neom that (without giving up the diversification of the Saudi economy) stops focusing on the “cities of the future” to focus on something much more concrete: data centers. The kingdom insists in any case that Neom is a bet that “aims to span generations” and its discourse (at least the public) is far from being defeatist. What is the problem? Beyond the scale and enormous ambition of the projects (only The Line involves building a 170 km city), Riyadh has encountered a perfect storm. Not even her years of waste (or precisely because of them) have prevented her from being forced to rethink some milestones in her initial schedule. The clearest example Trojena leaves it. There, in its ambitious ski resort, the 2029 edition of the Winter Games was going to be held. A few days ago, however, the Asian Olympic Council and its Saudi counterpart announced that the appointment will have to be postponed indefinitely. Financial Times remember that in the medium term the kingdom also has important commitments that will require it to step on the accelerator. The first will arrive with the international fair Expo 2030. The second, with the 2034 World Cup. Click on the image to go to the tweet. And what does the oil look like? If something they usually repeat analysts trying to explain the development of Vision 2030 (and more specifically Neom) is how the price of crude oil is influencing it. The reason is very simple. Although the financing of Vision 2030 does not fall directly into the budget of Saudi Arabia, its implementation does depend on large projects funded by the State. And it receives a large part of its income through oil. Saudi Arabia is the main exporter of crude oil on the planet, which explains that in 2024 this will represent 60% of public income. In general, oil and natural gas accounted for more than 20% of its entire GDP that year. A few months ago Arab Gulg States Institute (AGSI) I remembered that the weight of the oil business in the Government’s tax revenue is today much lower than a decade ago, when it reached 88%, but it has still accounted for close to 63% in recent years. Not only that. Its technicians recognize that the health of Aramco (the Saudi national oil company) is “vital for the health” of the public coffers and the country. Why is it important? By a simple rule of three. The implementation of Vision 2030 depends largely on the Saudi kingdom and its PIF (the Public Investment Fund), sovereign in nature and chaired by Mohammed bin Salman. And the money they receive is closely linked to the progress of the global oil business. In April of last year, in a complicated context, marked by fear of the trade war and differences within OPEC, Reuters warned of how the fall in the price of crude oil would be reflected in Aramco’s dividends… and these, in turn, in the money that would enter the coffers of the Government and the PIF. “The Government and the PIF will receive 32 billion dollars and 6 billion dollars less, respectively,” collected the chronicle signed by Yousef Saba. Already at that time there were experts who pointed out that this snip would take its toll on some of the projects that the kingdom had in its hands. “Saudi Arabia is likely to depend on debt financing and will have to delay or reduce some planned contract awards,” insisted Karen Young of Columbia University, recalling the nation’s deficit. Is there more? Yes. A key fact that in recent months have slipped several analysts and in which affected these days Brad Setser, CFR researcher, following the latest news about Neom and The Line. It is not just a matter of the price of oil rising or falling in the market, it is that Saudi Arabia needs the barrel of Brent to remain at certain … Read more

Data centers are so important that Meta has spent millions on advertising to change our perception of them

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Meta has spent 6.4 million dollars on an advertising campaign between November and December of last year to convince the American public of the benefits of its data centers, according to the New York Times. The ads, aired in eight state capitals and Washington, DC, featured idealized images of American towns revitalized by these facilities. exists an increasingly significant social rejection on the installation of data centers dedicated to AI, especially due to the impact they have on the excessive consumption of basic resources like light and water. And of course, first we have to convince that they are key so that Meta and the rest of the big technology companies can continue with their operations. The Goal campaign. According to the media, the ads featured emotional stories about Altoona (Iowa) and Los Lunas (New Mexico), two locations where Meta operates data centers. With guitar music and shots of farms and football fields, the videos promised jobs and prosperity. “We are bringing jobs here, for ourselves and for our next generation,” the voiceover said. According to Michael Beach, CEO of Cross Screen Media, Meta “could have purchased these ads with the goal of influencing political decisions and reaching legislators.” Ryan Daniels, spokesperson for Meta, limited himself to say to the NYT that the company pays the full costs of the energy used by its data centers, without commenting on the advertising campaign. Meta is not alone. Just like account NYT, Amazon is funding a similar campaign in Virginia through Virginia Connects, a nonprofit created by the Data Center Coalition. From the Financial Times they point In addition, other operators such as Digital Realty, QTS and NTT Data are also acting more intensely to defend the construction of new facilities. Endurance. In the United States, social rejection has caused the cancellation of multimillion-dollar projects in Oregon, Arizona, Missouri, Indiana and Virginia. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen explained He told the NYT that the issue has become “a priority on Capitol Hill” when his voters began to complain en masse about electricity bills. Just like share The media, this month, Van Hollen presented a law to regulate the energy consumption of data centers. Even President Donald Trump spoke out on the matter: “The big tech companies that build them must pay their own way,” wrote a few weeks ago on Truth Social. electricity bill. Data centers have become critical infrastructures for the development of artificial intelligence, but there is increasing social tension over their installation. In October, Bloomberg counted that in the last five years the wholesale price of electricity in areas near large concentrations of data centers in the United States had increased by up to 267%. In Baltimore, residents paid $17 per megawatt-hour in 2020; In 2025 that figure reaches $38. On the other hand, the medium demonstrated In their research, 70% of the points where electricity price increases were recorded were less than 80 kilometers from data centers with significant activity. From Bloomberg they estimate that the energy demand of these facilities in the United States will double by 2035, becoming the largest increase since the 1960s. The situation in Spain. Our country is also experiencing a boom in the construction of data centers. The Community of Madrid, paradoxically the region with the greatest energy deficit in Spainconcentrates a good part of these projects and is expected to reach a power of 1.7 gigawatts in 2030. The consulting firm CBRE pointed out in a report that “there is no investor, operator or large technology company that does not have in its strategic plans to establish its data center project in the Iberian market.” Madrid, together with Barcelona, ​​already competes with cities such as Milan, Zurich or Berlin, although still far from the leading European group in terms of power capacity formed by Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris and Dublin. What awaits us. According to Bloomberg, the forecasts they point because data centers will consume more than 4% of the world’s electricity in 2035. If these facilities were a country, they would be fourth in energy consumption, only behind China, the United States and India. Meanwhile, big technology companies are already exploring solutions such as modular nuclear reactors (SMR) to power your facilities, or send data centers to space. Cover image | Mark ZuckerbergGoal In Xataka | “The assemblies are not going to be done by AI”: we talk to the kids who have become carpenters, truck drivers and tinkerers

Someone dumped three cubic meters of asbestos in Las Palmas. They caught him because he advertised on the internet as an unlicensed manager

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In the age of digital immediacy, it seems that any problem has a solution just a click away. “Economic debris removal”, “Rapid waste management”. These ads flood shopping portals and social networks. However, behind some of these profiles there are no authorized companies, but rather a network of illegal activities that end with carcinogenic materials abandoned on the corner lot. The latest case detected in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is the perfect reflection of this problem. The Local Police have managed to identify an individual who not only operated clandestinely, but also converted the surroundings of the Mirador de Las Torres at a hazardous materials landfill. The alarm voice. The events date back to December 19, when a citizen’s notice alerted the authorities about a van that was unloading debris in a suspicious manner on an embankment in the Díaz Casanova urbanization. Upon arriving at the scene, agents from the Environmental Group of the Mediation and Coexistence Unit (UMEC) of the Local Police found an alarming sight: approximately three cubic meters of asbestos-containing fiber cement sheets. In other words, it was not common debris, but a cataloged material as hazardous waste due to its high toxicity if the fibers fracture and are inhaled. An investigation connected to the network. The investigation did not stop at the spill. Upon tracking the vehicle, officers discovered a pattern of professional deception. As reported by local mediathe suspect actively advertised on internet portals, offering to manage all types of waste, including asbestos. However, when cross-referencing data with the Registry of Waste Managers of the Government of the Canary Islands, the reality came to light: the individual was neither listed as a manager nor as an authorized transporter. He did not have the equipment, training, or permits required by law to manipulate “uralite.” After being located, the investigated person had no escape. According to Canarian sourcesthe man acknowledged being the author of the spill and admitted that he charged his clients for a service he provided illegally. Instead of taking the asbestos to an authorized treatment plant – where he would have to pay for its correct disposal – he simply dumped it in open fields to keep the full benefit. The legal framework: Law 7/2022. This behavior is not just incivility; It is a serious violation of public health and the environment. According to Law 7/2022of waste and contaminated soils for a circular economy, the abandonment of hazardous waste is strongly penalized. This law seeks precisely to end the underground economy in the waste sector. The regulations are clear: whoever generates the waste (the owner of a home who is renovating, for example) has the responsibility of ensuring that his garbage ends up in the hands of an authorized manager. If it is delivered to a “fake manager” of the Internet, the producer of the waste could also find himself involved in legal problems. Asbestos, an invisible enemy. The City Council of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, through its waste guide, reminds that asbestos requires special handling. It is classified under specific codes like LER 170605. When these planks break when thrown down an embankment, they release microscopic fibers that, when they enter the lungs, can cause serious respiratory diseases and long-term cancer. Therefore, its withdrawal must be carried out by companies registered with RERA (Registry of Companies with Asbestos Risk), something that the accused was completely unaware of. How to act correctly? The case of Las Torres is a warning for all citizens. The City Council and the Cabildo of Gran Canaria offer legal alternatives To avoid these crimes: Clean Points for domestic debris from small works (minor renovations). Asbestos Census: the Cabildo usually opens calls for the orderly removal of elements with asbestos in homes (drums, sheets, pipes). Authorized Managers: the authorized manager number should always be required before contracting any service. Closure against impunity. The person responsible for the spill in Las Torres now faces economic sanctions that, according to Law 7/2022can reach very high amounts for serious infringement. This case serves as a reminder that the city’s natural environment is no one’s backyard, and that the digital trail of offenders, sooner or later, ends up reaching the hands of justice. What began as a “cheap” advertisement on a website has ended in a criminal complaint and environmental damage that now all taxpayers must, in one way or another, help to remedy. Image | Las Palmas Local Police Xataka | These days Tenerife is experiencing a phenomenon that only occurs every 60 years: the “blooming of death” of the Ceylon palm trees

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