Mobile Tech & Gadgets

break SK Hynix’s monopoly on AI

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Samsung Electronics will imminently begin manufacturing HBM4 memories in February, the next generation of high-speed chips that power AI accelerators. It has already passed qualification tests from both NVIDIA and AMD, according to industry sources cited by Reuters and Korea Economic Daily. The first deliveries will go to NVIDIA for its platform Vera Rubinwhose CEO, Jensen Huang, has confirmed that it is already in production with a launch planned for the second half of 2026. Why is it important. This move is set to change the balance of power in the AI ​​memory market, where SK Hynix has been the dominant supplier to NVIDIA. Demand for HBM chips has skyrocketed with the rise of generative AI, and that has made them one of the most critical bottlenecks in the tech industry. For NVIDIA, diversifying supply reduces the risk of relying on a single supplier when demand for its accelerators far exceeds its capacity. For Samsung, regaining ground means accessing revenues worth tens of billions annually at a critical time: need this boost because precisely SK Hynix has eroded part of its business. Between the lines. Samsung has played a risky card: adopting a sixth-generation (1c) 10-nanometer DRAM manufacturing process before anyone else, despite suffering from very low initial yields. Also has integrated a 4 nanometer logic chipmore advanced than that of SK Hynix. The bet is paying off: Samsung’s HBM4 chips reached speeds of 10.7 gigabits per second in NVIDIA tests, surpassing the 10 Gbps threshold. SK Hynix recorded 8.3 Gbps and Micron around 8 Gbps, according to a technical source cited by Korean Herald. The change in qualification criteria has favored Samsung. Nvidia and AMD have tightened speed requirements but relaxed thermal limits because they prioritize raw performance. This comes after accelerators like Google’s TPUs have demonstrated performance comparable to NVIDIA GPUs. Yes, but. SK Hynix is ​​already working to avoid losing ground: it has redesigned its HBM4 chips and is awaiting the results of new qualifications that will give it an advantage. In February it will begin deploying wafers in its new M15X plant in Cheongju to produce HBM chips. In addition, SK Hynix closed all HBM supply agreements with its largest customers in October for 2026. Samsung arrives later, trying to grab whatever share it can, thanks to all manufacturers operating at the limit of their capacity. The geopolitical background. South Korea concentrates more than 70% of global HBM chip productiona component so critical to AI that it determines who can train the most advanced models and who cannot. China, despite its enormous investments in semiconductors, is still a few years behind in this technology due to Western restrictions on advanced lithography equipment. South Korean dominance in HBM It is one of the most valuable advantages that the Western technological bloc maintains. And now what. Both companies have to publish their quarterly results this Thursday. And it is to be hoped that they will take the opportunity to provide more details about HBM4 orders and real demand. Those numbers will say a lot about who is winning this battle for the most valuable component of the AI ​​era. In Xataka | There is an unexpected victim of the rise in RAM memory prices: the very modern connected cars Featured image | Samsung

that does not look like Bob Iger’s previous successor as CEO

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Disney’s board of directors prepares to announce Bob Iger’s successor for early 2026, according to revealed President James Gorman. With this, the race to lead the entertainment giant has been reduced to two favorites. And after the disastrous mandate of Bob Chapek between 2020 and 2022, Disney cannot afford another mistake in the chair of the most powerful manager in Hollywood. With the shareholders meeting scheduled for March 18 and Iger’s contract expiring on December 31, 2026, the clock is ticking for a decision that will determine the direction of a 230,000-employee company valued at more than $170 billion. Iger’s salary. Iger’s compensation amounts to $45.8 million: $1 million in base salary, $21 million in stock, $14 million in stock options, $7.25 million in cash bonuses and $2.59 million in additional compensation. It represents an increase of 11.5% compared to the 41.1 million by 2024a figure that contrasts with the urgency surrounding the search for his replacement and underlines the importance of the position. The imminent announcement. James Gorman stated that the appointment will be determined by the full board in early 2026. The March 18 shareholder meeting is relevant for a precedent: when Iger retired in 2020, the announcement of his successor It occurred approximately two weeks before the annual meeting. The two candidates: Josh D’Amaro. The succession has become a duel between two antagonistic profiles. Josh D’Amaro, 54, president of Disney Experiences, leads the bets in some recent surveysa striking fact considering that one year before He wasn’t even among the top three candidates. D’Amaro has 27 years of uninterrupted experience in the company. Disney Experiences generated last year the 36% of total revenue and oversees a $60 billion five-year expansion in parks and cruises, and Wall Street supports its operating profile. Among its weaknesses, its limited experience in the creative content businessthe historic heart of Disney: film production, relationships with Hollywood talent and streaming. The two candidates: Dana Walden. Walden, 61, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment with Alan Bergman, presents an opposite resume. President of Entertainment at Fox in 1999, Co-CEO of the Fox Television Group, she arrived at Disney in 2019 with the acquisition of 21st Century Fox. Walden is a historic choice: she would be the first woman to lead Disney in its 102 years of existence. His strength lies in decades of cultivating relationships with the Hollywood creative ecosystem and having led Disney+ to profitability after years of million-dollar losses. Under his supervision, the group’s platform and television networks have produced recent hits such as ‘The Bear’ and ‘Only Murders in the Building’, consolidating Disney’s presence in the competitive streaming market. Walden’s shortcomings. The opposite of D’Amaro: he has never managed parks and resorts, a segment that contributes more than two-thirds of operating profits. He also does not have substantial experience in the film industry. His candidacy was marred by temporary suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s show in October 2025, episode that some media suggested that could have damaged its image with shareholders. Other possible candidates. Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, has contributed to the profitability of Disney+ and oversaw hits such as ‘Inside Out 2’ and ‘Deadpool and Wolverine.’ The company reached a record 60 Emmy Awards in 2024. However, it has been said who lacks the necessary charisma and falls below D’Amaro. Jimmy Pitaro, current president of ESPN, personally communicated his lack of interest in the position. Replacing him at ESPN would also be complex given the specialization of the position. Disney also considered hiring external talent: Andrew Wilson, CEO of Electronic Arts, held talks during Chapek’s tenure about a potential sale of EA to Disneybut lacks experience in film, television and parks. The Chapek trauma. The urgency responds to a recent corporate trauma. Bob Chapek, named CEO in February 2020 after leading the parks division, was removed in November 2022, 33 months later, forcing Iger to be reinstated. Among Chapek’s mistakes: the release of ‘Black Widow’ simultaneously in theaters and Disney+ without renegotiating Scarlett Johansson’s contract, which led to a public lawsuit. The second disaster came when it was revealed that Disney had financed campaigns of legislators who promoted the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law in Florida, which was followed by protests by employees and Iger demonstrating against it. Chapek’s late rectification sparked a confrontation with Gov. Ron DeSantis. The final blow: a disastrous fourth quarter in 2022 that stocks sank. The possible scenarios. The most likely: D’Amaro as sole CEO, with Walden overseeing creative content. There is also speculation with D’Amaro and Walden as co-CEOs, dividing control according to their previous experiences, a model that would avoid excessive concentration of power. The third scenario, with Walden as sole CEO, is the least likely due to her inexperience in parks and cruises. Header | Nagi Usano

a weld between tracks from 1989 and 2023 in the spotlight of the Adamuz accident

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The liberalization of the tracks and the multiplication of the number of trains that have to pass through them is the reason why a track fractured at high speed near Adamuz, Córdoba, causing an accident that has ended with 45 deaths and 22 people in the hospital, five of them in the ICU. That is the position, at least preliminary, of Iñaki Barrón, president of CIAF, entity in charge of the investigation of the biggest railway accident in our country since train derailment in Angrois (Santiago de Compostela) that ended the lives of 80 people. With the first investigations on the table, the indications suggest that the Iryo train derailed due to a fracture in a weld between rails carried out during the renovation last May. The fracture would have left traces on the first carriages of the Italian train and on the trains that circulated on that track that same day. At the time of the derailment, an Alvia train was traveling in the opposite direction and passed in a very short period of time (there was talk of 20 seconds at first but now it is pointed out that it could have been nine seconds) that prevented him from stopping before crashing. The blow caused the second derailment and the Renfe train ended up at the bottom of a four-meter embankment. It was on this train that the majority of the deceased were counted. In an interview with The CountryBarrón defends that the roads have endured slight traffic until the liberalization that put Ouigo and Iryo to compete with Renfe but that the mere multiplication of routes does not explain the breakdown of the tracks. Ensure the following on the affected lane: “For a long time it has had relatively light traffic. Lately, it has endured a little more intensity, but the lines should still give much more being of high capacity. The current traffic is by no means saturation. What was decided was to renew the detours, which are very critical elements and it was clear that it had to be done” In the interview, the president of CIAF explains how the renewal of the tracks is carried out and points out that the use of tracks manufactured in 1989 should not be a cause for alarm. On the contrary, the first bet from the investigative committee It was the welding that joined a section manufactured in 1989 with one manufactured in 2023 that really failed, leading to the breakage of the track and subsequent derailments. How two tracks are welded 34 years apart In recent days, the information regarding the Adamuz railway accident has focused on one fact: one of the split rails was manufactured in 1989. Adif, in the comprehensive renovation of the track, decided that it would not change sections that were more than 30 years old but this should not be a problem in itself, according to the president of CIAF: (On why Adif did not change all the lanes in 1989) “That is what we have asked, why the lanes have not been changed. Maybe it was not planned or should not be done. Many people have interpreted that when we talk about a comprehensive renovation, practically all the material is changed, and that everything that is usable goes to other lines, not high-speed lines. That has been done all our lives. When we realized that the detours had been changed, because that is what It was critical and there had been some incidents in the past, and also some more pieces of rail, but not all of them, we asked Adif about it. The fact that we continue with rails manufactured in 1989 is not particularly serious in itself. It is not something to raise our hands as long as they were in a position to provide service. But we have to carefully analyze the issue of renovation to see exactly what has been done and how it has been done. To questions from Xatakahe General Council of Industrial Engineers They point out that “it makes all the sense in the world” to point to welding as the source of the problem. “The joint is a unique point on the track. First because it is a discontinuity and any millimeter imperfection is amplified as the wheels pass. And second, because the welding process generates a zone that is thermally affected around it and can generate residual stresses.” And they emphasize: “when a rail breaks, the typical hypothesis, and which seems to be being confirmed, is that the break begins in the weld or in its immediate surroundings and from there evolves to the final failure.” Regarding the reason why the welding could have failed, the CIAF and the General Council of Industrial Engineers point to examinations in laboratories to determine what could have happened. The experts consulted by Xataka they point out that the Causes why a weld can fail in their execution they are multiple: Execution problems: such as the creation of a pore due to not reaching the appropriate melting temperature. Geometric finishing problem: a millimeter-sized burr or microstep is generated Problems with alignment: the alignment between lanes is not perfect These same experts point out that the derailment can be caused by various factors and that, by itself, one of the previous causes does not have to explain the entire problem. They point out that the laboratories will have to confirm if there was a previous problem in the material, if a failure occurred during the welding process and to what extent the thermal conditions and the frequency of train passage could have aggravated the problem. All of these are problems that revolve around two issues to take into account. The first points to the different degree of hardness of the steel between the rails. The 1989 track was made up of R260 steel, which is softer than the R350 HT steel that makes up the track produced in 2023. “The base steel is very similar,” they … Read more

Dangers of Clawdbot and how to protect yourself from them before deciding to use it

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Let’s give you some safety tips in case you are thinking of using Clawbot. This is a AI agenta bot that takes control of your computer, and then you can use it to tell it to do things on it. This is something that is having a lot of success, since it is capable of speeding up many processes and doing many things for you. But of course, when you are using this tool you are giving a system of artificial intelligence full access to the machine where you install it, and this has some dangers that you should be aware of. What dangers are there for your data These are the dangers to which you expose yourself when are you going to use this tool. Even the creators of the bot have assured that there is no perfectly safe configuration, so it should be taken into account. Gateway exposure on the web: If you do not have the way in which your bot is accessed properly configured, a third party may have access or the access page may even be filtered. This would allow a third party to take control of your computer. Too open access policies: If you are not careful when configuring access to the bot and allowing others to interact with it, you will be giving them the keys to your computer to control it. Prompt injection: If you make the bot interact with files that you have downloaded from the Internet, perhaps some of them have hidden texts with commands that ask it to ignore what you have ordered and do another task that could be dangerous for you. Plugins or extensions: When you install a plugin on this AI agent to give it more capabilities, it runs alongside the gateway. This means that if you install a malicious plugin or extension, they may contain code that takes control of your computer or performs unwanted actions. Bot malfunctions: Like any bot based on artificial intelligence, it may fail to interpret orders or perform unwanted actions unintentionally. This could endanger the contents of the computer where you run it. In short, the main danger is exposing your bot and access to it, allowing others to control it. If another person has access to your bot, they can simply take control of your entire computer and the data you have on it. How to keep Clawdbot safe First of all, and the most recommended is do not use Clawdbot on your main computer or machine. Just don’t have it where you keep your most private data and files, and this way you will prevent unwanted access or malfunction from putting you at risk. And if you don’t have a secondary computer, use a sandbox mode, install a virtual machine with limited files. By installing Clawdbot on a secondary or virtual machine, you can decide what files you want on it, what applications do you have installed and what passwords are in the browser to use, as well as bank details. It is simply advisable to only have the accesses and applications that you are going to use, not everything. In addition, for each of the dangers we have mentioned above there are also specific tips to follow. Gateway Dangers: To prevent others from accessing your bot, you need to ensure that Gateway authentication is always enabled with a token or password. Additionally, you must use Tailscale or secure HTTPS for access. If you use a web interface for the bot, disable settings that allow insecure authentication, and if you control it through the chat of a messaging app, take maximum care of the privacy of that application and access to it. Put a password. Too open access policies: Be careful when pairing nodes with elevated permissions, and avoid sharing access in groups if you don’t fully trust all users. It is also advisable to configure the bot so that it only responds to specific users or to messages where it is explicitly mentioned. Prompt injection: Try not to interact with files that you have not created, deleting those that you have downloaded from the Internet on the machine. You should also design your configuration for limited and validated access before processing commands. Plugins or extensions: To avoid any danger from malicious plugins or extensions, you should only install those that you explicitly trust, and only from completely trustworthy sources. It is best to manually review the plugin code before activating it. In addition to this, the creators of Clawdbot have an advanced security guide where they tell you the security hearings that you must perform periodically to make sure everything is working correctly. And finally, the best advice I can give you is that do not use Clawdbot if you do not have minimal knowledge to know how to configure it. If terms like “remote administration API”, “sandboxing”, “localhost” or “reverse proxy” don’t sound familiar to you, it’s best not to install it on your computer. In Xataka Basics | The best prompts to save hours of work and do your tasks with ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot or other artificial intelligence

Ukraine has entered an inexplicable phase, that of its drones attacking Russians at absurd distances

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In every modern war there has been a moment when technology brutally shortened the distance between the front and death. In fact, it already happened with the machine gun in 1914 or with the precision artillery at the end of the 20th century. In Ukraine, everything indicates that is going through now that same turning point, one in which the combat stops being deep and maneuverable and becomes immediate, constant and suffocating. Drones as a dominant weapon. The figures from the Ukrainian war have made it crystal clear that drones are no longer a complement, but the main cause of death and destruction, responsible for between 70% and 80% of casualties on both sides according to European intelligence services. This massive lethality has transformed the conflict into something very more dynamic at a tactical levelbut also more rigid strategically, because the omnipresence of drones makes it extremely difficult for either army to achieve a decisive break from the front. The result is a war of attrition in which each meter is paid dearly and where the balance increasingly depends on industrial, technological and foreign political support. War underfoot. In this context, Ukrainian drones are operating at distances that just a year ago would have seemed absurd, attacking Russian infantry at just over one kilometer from the frontliterally and as rthey knew the controls in Insider, “under the feet” of their own positions. The use of elite drone units to strike so close reflects the extreme pressure on defensive lines and the need to stop Russian assaults before they reach the trenches, one of the deadliest scenarios for Ukrainian soldiers. Low-level air warfare has thus become a direct extension of hand-to-hand combat, with drones acting as the last barrier before human contact. Kamikaze combat. It is a war, and the doctrinal ideal is still to destroy the enemy several kilometers away, when it concentrates or prepares to attack, but the reality of the front has pushed Ukraine to use its best operators in immediate deletion tasks. More and more combat drones are dedicated to attack infantry instead of high-value logistics or systems, a very clear sign that combat has become shortermore reactive and closer to sacrifice. This drift towards an almost kamikaze logic does not respond to a tactical preference, but to the urgent need to save positions and gain time. Russia adapts. At the same time and as we have countedRussia has been closing the gap in drone warfare from the end of 2024adapting quickly and betting on mass productionand the recruitment of technical talent. The plans to manufacture tens of thousands of drones per year and active search for students with technological profiles show that Moscow assumes that mastery of the air at very low altitude is key to sustaining its ground offensive. This adaptation explains why the front has become so lethal and compressed, with both sides forced to operate under a constant threat from the sky. A question of distance. As the 20th century progressed, military evolution was marked by the elongation of the battlefield: improvements in aviation, missiles and precision weapons They allowed the enemy to be hit further and further away, reducing the need for direct contact. However, the war in Ukraine is reversing that logicbecause drones, cheap and everywhere, have compressed combat to unimaginable distances. The result is another historical paradox: there has never been so much capacity to destroy at long range, but it has never been so dangerous to be so close to the frontwith flying machines that turn every advanced meter into an immediate risk. War blocked by technology. In short, the enormous effectiveness of drones is making war, if possible, a little bloodieralthough less decisive. The saturation of the battlefield with sensors and flying munitions punishes any movement and reduces strategic maneuver options, turning the conflict into a protracted fight where industrial resistance and western support They outweigh local tactical victories. In this scenario, Ukraine fights ever closer, ever faster and, most disturbing of all, increasingly with less margin of errorin a battle where the distance between living and dying is already measured in seconds and meters. Image | Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, National Police of Ukraine In Xataka | 1,418 days have passed since Russia invaded Ukraine: the war has already lasted longer than the Soviet fight against Hitler In Xataka | The latest camouflages of Russian troops confirm an open secret: the war in Ukraine is the most Looney Tunes in history

Sandra Ortega rents hotels to hotels. Amancio Ortega has copied the model with a luxury hotel in Paris

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If Amancio Ortega is characterized by something, it is his proven sense of smell. the real estate business by the hand of your investment company. In July 2025, the millionaire founder of Inditex closed the purchase of one of the most luxurious hotels in the center of Paris. The hotel business is not Ortega’s strong suit, but the buildings that house these hotels are, which later rents to large hotel chains. This play is not one more purchase from the tycoonis a business model in which her eldest daughter: Sandra Ortega specializes. The Radisson Hotel Group firm, owned by the Chinese Jin Jiang, and the second largest hotel company in the world, has announced that in the summer of 2026 it will open a new establishment in the building that Amancio Ortega purchased. The great purchase in the heart of Paris. Pontegadea paid 97 million euros in July 2025 for the Banke Hotel, a five-star hotel with 91 rooms that until now was owned by the Derby Hotels chain. Although the purchase of this building is far from being the most expensive investment of Pontegadea, it is the most expensive asset of the hotel investment company. As usually happens in buildings you acquire Pontegadea, the Hotel Banke is located in one of the most exclusive areas of the French capital: on rue de La Fayette, a stone’s throw from the Galeries Lafayette and the Opera Garnier. A privileged location for tourists and executives. Solvent tenants and immediate profitability. Pontegadea strictly follows a common pattern in all its real estate operations: selecting buildings in privileged areas and securing contracts with immediate tenants of maximum solvency for them. Amazon, Google, DHL, Apple, Spotify, Primark itself and Inditex franchises are its main clients. This makes Pontegadea begin to make its properties profitable immediately. In the case of the Banke Hotel in Paris, Pontegadea signed with Radisson Hotel Group almost immediately after its purchase. Given the location and the category that the building already held, the hotel firm has decided to operate it under the Radisson Collection, its most exclusive brand. Of the 905 hotels managed by Radisson around the world, only 42 belong to this line, 4.6% of the total, which highlights the premium level they have given to Ortega’s project. History of the building and its key renovation. This property was built in 1907 as a bank headquarters and was transformed into a hotel in 2009, preserving that historical charm that is so popular in Paris. The hotel closed at the end of September to undertake a series of reforms to adapt it to Radisson standards, opening as Banke Opera Paris in the third quarter of 2026. Radisson’s statement said: “The 90-room hotel will undergo a comprehensive renovation that will reflect a contemporary interpretation of Parisian elegance. The property features a striking Belle Époque facade and classic architectural details, including a famous staircase designed by Gustave Eiffel. Guests will be welcomed into a 19th-century atrium that will house a reception, bar and restaurant. Additional amenities include a state-of-the-art gym and wellness facilities in the former bank vault, as well as an attractive offer for meetings and events. The intelligent strategy of the Ortegas. Amancio Ortega and his daughter Sandra have polished a winning formula: acquire iconic properties in key metropolises such as Paris, New York or Miami, make the necessary tweaks and then rent them to top hotel operators. This ensures a fixed income without worrying about daily management, maximizing the value of its premium locations. In France, Pontegadea has seven acquisitions, six of them in Paris, including an office building for 227 million euros in 2024 near the Opera, integrated into the ambitious Grand Opera project. Sandra faithfully follows this paternal model, diversifying the family empire into high-end hospitality. The expanding hotel portfolio. Pontegadea started in hospitality in February 2021 with the Senator Playaballena in Cádiz for 25 million euros. In December 2023, he added two boutique hotels in Palma de Mallorca for 35 million to a Swedish group, showing how they climb from Spain to the world. Ortega’s hotel business extends across the pond, with the Epic Hotel in Miami and the Iberostar on Park Avenue in New York. Meanwhile, Radisson reinforces its presence in France with four more openings, reaching 34 hotels in total and 11 in Paris with around 1,700 rooms, thanks to strategic partners such as Pontegadea. In Xataka | Seven of the ten largest fortunes in the world in 2026 are due to AI: this illustrative graph makes it very clear Image | Gtres, Tripadvisor

In 2013, WhatsApp cost almost one euro. And nothing prevents Meta from charging for the app again in 2026

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There was a time when WhatsApp was paid. This was more than ten years ago, before Goal was done with the application and ended up completely changing its structure over time. The latest beta of the app leaks something that seemed inevitable after the arrival of the announcements: a paid subscription to avoid them. He leak. WhatsApp has two versions, the stable and the beta. It is common for the code of the next beta versions to be leaked, giving us a preview of the functions that will end up reaching the final app. And the latest leak points in a very specific direction. Since you recently removed your WhatsApp account from your Accounts Center, the price of your subscription for no ads in Status & Channels has decreased. Review your subscription to accept the new price of %1$s/month; or choose to use Status & Channels free of charge with ads. Additionally, Android Authority has managed to force the code so that the app displays a message in its interface about the possibility of canceling the subscription. WHATSAPP Tricks and tips to HIDE YOURSELF TO THE MAXIMUM and maintain your PRIVACY A plausible hypothesis. So far, practically all the WhatsApp code leaks have ended up materializing: either as functions tested in the beta version, or as features that have ended up reaching the final version. One of them has been the introduction of advertising in the app, which for now is limited to statuses, promotional channels and channel subscriptions. In the case of states, the operation is very similar to what Meta applies on Instagram, interspersing ads every certain number of publications. So… what if I don’t want ads? What do you give me in exchange?. If Meta wants to implement a subscription system with any modicum of success, it will have to offer more than just removing ads in return. The subscription opens the door to new WhatsApp functions, and a business model similar to that of Telegram with its premium version. One in which the app can continue to be used without any inconvenience in the free version, but which opens the door to benefits and a better experience if we check out. Because. If the question is why Meta may intend to charge you for WhatsApp, the answer is very easy: it needs money. In 2014, Facebook paid nearly $1 billion for WhatsApp. Almost 10 years later, He had barely recovered 10% of what he paid for it.. The company continues to need ways to make the investment profitable, and betting on a subscription model is a necessary plan. Image | Xataka Mobile In Xataka | WhatsApp Web: What it is, how it is used and comparison with the mobile app

How is it possible that Spain is freezing in the middle of a ‘warmer than normal’ winter?

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When you look out the window these days, it’s easy to ask yourself a very clear question: didn’t they say that This was going to be a warmer than normal winter.? With the storm Francis opening the door, followed by Ingrid and Joseph, and the snow level plummeting up to 500 meters in the northwest, the thermal sensation in January 2026 is far from “mild”. And although we can think of an error by the AEMET in its predictions at the beginning of the season, the problem is in the probabilities What was said. The AEMET in his initial prediction For this winter they did not use a crystal ball to ensure days of sun and beach, but rather they resorted to prediction models that showed a probabilistic situation: they placed almost all of Spain in the warm tertile. This means that there was a very high probability that the average temperature for the entire quarter was among the 33% warmest winters in the historical record. The chance of it being a colder winter was just 10%. When it comes to rainfall, the truth is that They didn’t get too wet at the AEMET by giving the same probability for it to be wetter, drier or normal than those of other years. He gave all of these 33%. January 2026. When we stop looking at the probabilistic models and move on to meteorological reality, we already see that there are substantial differences. And it is that Throughout this month we have had a severe entry of arctic air, notices in all communities and relevant snowfalls in the Cantabrian Mountains and the Pyrenees. It’s a bookish winter episode. Data is still missing. A freezing week does not make a cold winter, and everything indicates that after these storms that we are enduring right now, temperatures will rebalance between 1 and 3 degrees above the table. And for the AEMET this winter we have not yet had any cold wave which would mark the third consecutive year without them in Spain. According to the historical series, since 1975 the duration of cold waves on the peninsula has been reduced by 1.2 days per decade and that is why this winter is presented as one more to reduce this average in our climatological history. The NAO factor. The models certainly cannot see the climatological “day by day” coming very far in advance, since seasonal predictions, which are based on systems like ECMWFhave limited resolution. In this case we are talking about contextual tools for energy management or agriculture, not a “horoscope” to know if we will be able to ski without snow in the mountains. What the European winter climate largely depends on is the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the Arctic Oscillation (AO). In this case a positive NAO indicates a westward, warm and humid circulation. But if we talk about a negative NAO, it translates into a blockage that allows polar air to escape to the south, which is what is happening to us right now. The problem. It is precisely because these coupled atmosphere-ocean models have a low ability to anticipate what phases the NAO will be in months in advance. They get the global thermal signal very well, such as background warming, but it is difficult for them to see the specific sequence of cold entries. A change of pattern. The debate about whether the “AEMET fails” with its predictions usually hides a deeper climate reality. And a “warm winter” in the current context of climate change does not mean the disappearance of winter, but rather it means that mild days and mild minimum temperatures are becoming more frequent, and cold waves are less common and less lasting. Next weeks. If we look beyond this week full of water we find ourselves again faced with uncertainty. According to the prediction made by the AEMETit is expected that for the week of February 2 to 8 a similar meteorological pattern will continue with Atlantic storms at our altitude, so there would be water throughout all of Spain. What the models predict, although everything can change, is that it will be presented in the west of the peninsula an extremely wet period over the next two weekswith rainfall that would be counted per liters of water in very specific areas of Spain and Portugal. In Xataka | We have always believed that London is very rainy and that Barcelona is not. The only problem is that it’s a lie

the main social video networks to go to if you are thinking of changing

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We are going to tell you which are the main ones alternative social networks to TikTok. We are going to focus on those that have a similar function and purpose, that of sharing short videos. Thus, in case you want a change of scenery you will know the best places to go. Let’s try to make the list varied. We will start with the heavyweights within the alternatives, other large platforms. But we will also mention other more independent and less known ones, which are gaining or have recently gained weight. Instagram and Facebook Reels If you want to stop using TikTok because you are concerned about privacy, Instagram or Facebook It will never be the best option with your Reels. However, we are going to start with them for audience reasons, because they are still two of the most popular and most used social networks in the world. The Reels become a copy of TikTokwhich Meta launched on its networks when the Asian social network began to gain importance. Therefore, its operation and options are basically the same, with the addition of being able to share the content in stories on these networks. YouTube Shorts YouTube also has its own system of shorter vertical videos with maximum duration of 3 minutes. It was also created after TikTok began to gain traction, and its main advantage is being accessible to the hundreds of thousands of users who already use YouTube. Loops If you are looking a social network where privacy prevailsit is inevitable to talk about Pixelfed. It is a decentralized alternative to Instagram, where users can create their own instances based on ActivityPuband its content is accessible from other social networks in the fediverse that use this protocol, such as Mastodon. Since 2024 Pixelfed has a parallel social network of alternative videos to TikTok called Loops. In essence it is the same, a decentralized social network of vertical videos. It is still in beta and does not have such a powerful user base, but it is there for anyone who wants to bet on it. Among the most indie alternatives we find UpScrolled. It is a network that claims to have arrived promising that all voices will be treated equallywithout algorithms that hide content, shadowbans, or favoritism for those who pay. This social network claims to be politically impartial, and that its algorithms are fair. It allows you to create videos, upload stories and chat with your contacts. It has a hashtag system, no space limits, and an interface clearly inspired by Instagram. snapchat Snapchat was once a powerful emerging social network, until Instagram overlapped it by copying its stories. Now it remains in the second row in terms of popularity, but still pretty solid with hundreds of thousands of users using it around the world. Although its main function is stories, it also has Spotlight, its TikTok-style vertical video feed, with filters, augmented reality, and many creation options. skylight One of the “indie” alternatives that is gaining the most traction at the beginning of 2026 is Skylight. It is an American social network which uses AT Protocolthe social media protocol of Bluesky. This means that you can use it with your Bluesky account, or create a new one in Skylight and make the content accessible from the paired social network. Skylight is not open source, but it is a public benefit corporation. These are companies that balance profits with purpose, and legally committed to creating positive social impact. The downside is that it can be a bit confusing when mixed with Bluesky, and that It is not yet available in Spainalthough you can view the content from Bluesky. RedNote RedNote It is a Chinese social network that is basically a clone of TikTok, and that in the past has positioned itself as an alternative that many were trying to switch to. However, It is not the best option in terms of privacy either.since like many massive social networks they collect a lot of sensitive personal data. And we end with another social network to take into account for the future. diVine is a social network supported by Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter, to resurrect the Vine platform of short six-second videos. Its applications are still in closed beta phase, but you can now play around with its web version. This network promises to adopt a decentralized concept similar to Bluesky, being able to have more control over moderation and algorithms. Its registry uses the Nostro decentralized protocol. Has positioned itself strongly against AIwith detection and blocking systems for this content to only have what is created by humans. In Xataka Basics | Your Bluesky account on Mastodon: how to create a bridge for your publications to reach the world

Meta, Google, TikTok will go to the bench for “addictive design”

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Today The selection of the jury that will judge Meta, TikTok and YouTube begins in Los Angeles due to childhood addiction to social networks. It is the first time that these technological giants have to defend their business model in court for damages to minors. Why is it important. This is not just another case of inappropriate content or poor moderation. This lawsuit directly attacks the design of the platforms: scroll infinite, autoplay, notifications push and algorithms that maximize screen time. If the plaintiffs win, a precedent is set that could be devastating for the entire industry. The facts. The plaintiff is a 19-year-old girl identified as KGM. She claims to have developed an addiction to networks since she was a teenager. He maintains that the design of these applications was what fueled his depression, anxiety, body dysmorphia and suicidal thoughts. Meta, TikTok and YouTube have denied these accusations and argue that they have invested in security tools. During the six weeks of the trial, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, and Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, will testify. Snap, also initially accused, reached an out-of-court settlement last week for an amount not publicly disclosed. Between the lines. The plaintiffs’ key argument avoids the traditional protection of technology companies: the famous Section 230which exempts them from responsibility for the content uploaded by users. But here the question is not what is published, but rather how the experience was designed to engage minors. The lawsuit openly compares it to slot machines and the tobacco industry: “Defendants deliberately embedded in their products a series of features designed to maximize the engagement youth and increase advertising revenue. The threat. This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are more than 3,000 additional lawsuits in California and 2,000 federal cases pending against these same companies. Several will go to trial this year. The parallels with the trials against tobacco companies in the 90s They are clear and that ended in an agreement of 206,000 million dollars spread over 25 years. A favorable verdict for the plaintiffs would not only cost them billions but would force them to redesign their products practically from scratch, eliminating the addictive mechanics that sustain their spectacular usage figures and therefore their advertising models. The context. Global regulatory pressure has increased greatly in recent years: Australia banned social media for those under 16 in December. France is studying doing the same with those under 15. Other countries such as the United Kingdom and Egypt are currently evaluating similar measures. According to a recent survey by Wall Street Journal71% of Americans would support banning most social networks for those under 16 years of age. Yes, but. The technological they don’t sit idly by: Meta, TikTok and YouTube have launched a public relations offensive by organizing workshops for parents in schools and promoting parental controls. Meta has hired the same lawyers who defended McKesson in the opioid scandal. And TikTok has signed those who represented Activision Blizzard in Previous Lawsuits About Video Game Addiction. At stake. If KGM wins, Section 230 will cease to be the impenetrable shield it has been until now, since it questions how the applications are made, not the content that is uploaded to them. Hopefully this case will end up in the Supreme Court, whatever the verdict. The next six weeks will determine if the scroll infinite and other common practices of these networks have their days numbered, or if there are engagement for a while. In Xataka | An eternally unfocused generation: “I can’t do anything for more than fifteen minutes without looking at my phone” Featured image | Solen Feyissa

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